ef trip europe

EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Is EF Tours right for you?   

So your kid just came home from school with a gorgeous full color brochure about an upcoming trip to Europe with EF Tours that one of their teachers is leading.  He or she is super excited about all the cool things they get to do and is just begging you to let them go.  

It sounds great, but as a responsible parent, you want to know exactly what you’d be sending your child off to do, and how things would actually work on this trip.  

Well, lucky for you we took a 12 day visit to Europe with EF Tours, and have all the details to decide if taking an international trip with this company is right for you or your teenager.  

We’re going to start with the breakdown of how things work with EF and what to expect as a participant or a parent, and then move on to our specific experience with our tour.  

I always like to start my reviews by reminding you that I was not compensated in any way to write this post.  All opinions are my own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience.

What is EF Tours? 

EF Tours is a travel company that specializes in international tours for students.   

According to their website , EF Tours has been in operation since 1965 and offers trips for students and teachers designed to “provide immersive, life-changing education.”

Basically, EF Tours organizes international trips for students to a wide variety of destinations, promising “compelling itineraries” full of “experiential learning.”

They also promise to have the “lowest price on the market” for this type of travel.  

EF, as a company, offers may types of tours ranging from group trips for adults to organized gap years for high school graduates.  While these options are available, the bread and butter of the company is the basic high school student tour which is what we took.  

How do EF Tours work?

EF Tours have a pretty straightforward process during the sign up period, prior to departure and during your trip. 

Before we get into that, it must be said that EF Tours operate fully independently of the local school district, and are not endorsed or supported by them whatsoever.  

While this may seem like a school trip, it is not.  It is a trip run by a business who just happens to recruit participants through the school system.  Your local principals, school boards, etc. have zero control or influence on these trips.  The school is only involved in the process as far as whether they allow teachers to hand out information in schools or not. 

The EF in EF Tours stands for Education First.  According to their website, EF claims to “design tours to help educators teach, and so students can learn more—about tolerance, other perspectives, and themselves.”

The Sign Up Process

EF Tours are set up to be “hosted” by a local teacher who is then designated as the “group leader.”  Teachers are incentivized with free and reduced price travel to recruit students to join their tours.  

Tours are advertised by the group leader/teacher to students at their school and to their local community.  Interested students and parents are invited to attend informational meetings either in person or virtually where the group leader/teacher goes over the itinerary and any questions potential participants may have.  

Students and parents can then sign up directly through the EF Tours website, and submit all payments directly to the company.  

Trips are usually initially introduced about two years before the travel date so that participants can make smaller monthly payments to cover the cost of the trip.  Costs for these trips can range widely, depending on the destinations and length of the trip.  

EF has the group leader/teacher set up deadlines for signing up to go on the trip, sometimes including small discounts to encourage enrollment.  This tends to give a false sense of urgency to the sign up process. 

We found that participants can sign up just about any time before the trip departs.  We signed up about a year out from the trip, while another student who traveled with us signed up just a month or two before we left.  

Anyone was allowed to sign up for the trip.  We were encouraged to invite friends and family to join us on the tour, whether or not they were associated with our school or even local to our area.  

Adults did need to pass a background check in order to participate in the trip, since adult tour participants are traveling with minors.  

We were not given specific dates for our trip, but instead we were given a window of time during which the trip would occur.   Our dates were finally confirmed about two months before our departure.  

There are usually two or three optional excursions that can be added to any tour.  These usually include some special activity or visit to an additional landmark.  

Tour participants may also choose to upgrade the insurance for the tour. 

Before Your EF Tour

Once you’ve signed up for your EF Tour, you’ll be given access to a tour portal on the EF website where you can track your payments and what steps you need take next to participate in the trip.  They also provide a fundraising page, where friends and family can pay EF directly to offset the cost of your trip.  

Our group had a few in person meetings at a local restaurant prior to our trip where we discussed issues ranging from passports to packing for our trip to Europe , and got a chance to meet our fellow travelers.  This may or may not be true or all groups that are traveling with EF.  

Each participant in our tour was required to submit a copy of our passport to EF to insure that we had the proper documentation to travel.  

Information about our flights was not available until about a month before our departure, and information about our hotels was not available until we were about three weeks out from leaving.  

EF Tours uses a wide range of airlines, and travelers do not get to indicate a preference.  EF books all travelers in economy class seats for all transportation methods.  EF will book with whatever airline has space available for the lowest price for the group.  

As for hotels, travelers know very little about where they are staying ahead of time.  Per the website, tour participants are assured that “travelers can count on safe, clean and comfortable hotels with private bathrooms” but much beyond that the info is sparse.  

Students can expect to room with one to three other students, and possibly have to share beds.  Adults can expect to share a room with one other person.  For a fee, a single room can be requested for the tour. 

EF does indicate up front that hotels may have small rooms without air conditioning, television, or elevators, and that WiFi may not always be available.  

During an EF Tour

All transportation arrangements are made by EF Tours, including flights, buses, trains, etc.  They book all accommodations and attraction admissions for tour participants. 

Two meals a day are included in the cost of a trip with EF Tours.  Breakfast is provided each day at the hotel, usually continental style, but sometimes with hot offerings just depending on your hotel.  Dinners are are pre-arranged with a preset menu by EF at local restaurants.  EF will make accomodations for those with specific dietary needs, such as gluten free or dairy free meals.

While the teacher recruiting students is designated as your group leader, they don’t actually lead the tour once you start traveling.  EF provides a Tour Director to accompany your group through the entire trip.  

This Tour Director is supposed to handle just about everything on your tour, including all your pre-booked accommodations, meals, excursions, tickets, and transfers.  This person is there to direct the group and handle any problems with logistics you may encounter along the way.  

During the tour, your group will meet up with various local guides who will give you some sort of tour of the city or historic site that you’re visiting.  These tours are usually walking tours, but sometimes are bus tours, depending on the location.  

Tour participants are also given access to an EF Tours App, that just lists your daily itinerary for your trip.  

Our EF Tour Review

Our specific tour featured quite a daunting itinerary.  We toured Europe for 12 days, visiting sites in London, Paris, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and Capri, with no more than two nights in any destination.  

Our tour consisted of 26 travelers from our high school: three teachers, seven adults and 16 students.  We were combined with a group from upstate New York consisting of 14 travelers: one teacher, one adult, one child and 11 students.  There were a total of 40 people on our tour.  

What EF Tours Promised

Before our tour, the group leaded made sure every person who showed an interest in going on the trip got the glossy, full color brochure that outlined our itinerary and told us what to expect on the tour.  

The brochure promised that participants would be “surrounded by the people, the language, the food, and the way of life” of the destinations on our itinerary.  We were assured that our tour director would be “with us around the clock, handling local transportation, hotels, and meals while also providing their own insight into the local history and culture.”  

We would be spending time in three different countries, seeing some of the most beautiful and historic cities in Europe.

The brochure also claimed that students could earn educational credit while on tour, and that all tours feature “experiential learning activities.”

Our tour left some of these promises unfulfilled, but did give us a glimpse at some fantastic destinations in Europe and some amazing memories.  

Our hotels along the trip started out stellar but seemed to go downhill from there, unfortunately ending in truly unacceptable accommodations.  

Even though this wasn’t guaranteed, all of our accommodations had some sort of air conditioning, with some that functioned better than others, and all of them had WiFi.  

For the first four nights during our stays in London and Paris, we were sent to Hilton Hotels .  They both were on the higher end of what I expected based on the descriptions provided by EF Tours of what our hotels would be like.  

The rooms at these Hiltons were very new, immaculately clean and extremely comfortable.  They were both located about an hour outside of the city center, but that wasn’t too much of a problem.  

When we reached Italy, things changed a bit.  

For a quick overnight in Milan on our way to Florence, we stayed at and AS Hotel in Limbiate.  This hotel was a bit older than the Hiltons we’d stayed in, but it was clean, spacious, and comfortable.  

Between Florence and Rome, we spent the night at the Hotel Villa Ricci (not pictured).  This hotel was significantly older than the other three we had stayed at, but it was still clean and comfortable.  While the room wasn’t much to write home about, some members of our group lucked out and got spectacular balconies. 

Once we arrived in Rome, the Villa Aurelia was our home base for two nights.  We learned that this hotel had once housed men studying to join a monastery, which explained the doritory feel of the place.  Again, we found these rooms to be clean and pretty comfortable.  

On our way to Southern Italy, we spent the night in Sorrento at Sisters Hostel .  This was the only true hostel on our trip.  While they still stuck with four students to a room, several of the student rooms had enough beds to sleep up to 12 people. 

Though not quite as refined as the Hiltons, and a little slap-shot with the furniture, we found this place to be clean and welcoming.  While it wasn’t quite as comfortable as some of the other places we’d stayed, it was completely acceptable and had a spectacular view of the Gulf of Naples from the rooftop terrace. 

Things took a turn for the worse on our last night of the tour, when we stayed at Hotel La Pergola in Rome.  This place was truly one of the worst hotels I’ve ever had the misfortune to stay at (and as a travel blogger, I’ve stayed at a LOT of hotels).  

Things started off badly when we discovered that the lights in all the hallways were not on, and that we had to hunt around with our cell phone flashlights to find our way to our rooms.  I asked the front desk to remedy this, but it was never addressed, and we had to repeat the blind search for our rooms every time we went up.  

Upon arrival in my room, I found it to be extremely dirty.  There was a layer of dusty film all over my bathroom and my pillow had an unidentified crusty stain on it.  My daughter’s room had the same layer of dirt in the bathroom, plus a shoe print from where someone killed a bug on the wall.  I checked our beds for bedbugs and thankfully did not find any. 

The front desk did not seem to care and we were told no one was available to come clean the bathrooms.

But the worst experience in this hotel went to a dad on our trip, who’s single room contained only a sofa.   Not a sleeper sofa, but just a hard couch.  There were no linens or towels available to him whatsoever. 

When he asked for these items at the front desk, he was told that we should have called earlier to request them since they were all locked up in a cabinet by the time we arrived at the hotel.   He ended up sleeping on a towel laid out on the sofa with a travel neck pillow, that had been provided to him by his daughter from her room.

The front desk attendant seemed more than annoyed anytime someone from our group would approach them, and insisted that we all leave our keys at the front desk when leaving the hotel for dinner that night.    

We weren’t left with much recourse, since this was a group trip and we were on our last night, so we decided to just grin and bear it, and did our best to get some sleep.  

Overall, I’d say that the hotels provided were quite good, with the exception of Hotel La Pergola.  For ten of the eleven nights of our trip, we were provided with clean, safe accommodations that lived up to what the EF Tours website told us to expect.  

At the time of this publication, EF Tours has been notified of this unacceptable hotel and has yet to respond.  

Meals on the tour ran the gamut from weird to stellar, but overall were not to bad.  Breakfast and dinner every day were included in what we paid for our tour.  

All breakfasts were served at our hotels.  Sometimes they were just continental breakfasts with cold offerings, and sometimes we were given hot breakfasts with eggs, bacon, and such.  Sometimes it was quite obvious where our group was supposed to go, and sometimes it wasn’t. 

Overall, breakfasts were adequate throughout the trip.  

Lunches were not included in the initial price of our trip and were paid out of pocket each day.   

Lunches were always a gamble.   It all depended on where we were and what was going on whether or not we’d get to select a restaurant on our own or if the group would be directed to eat at somewhere specific, and if we’d have lots of great choices or really limited options.  

For example, on our first full day of the trip, we visited the Tower of London.  We told to make sure we ate lunch after our tour, before rejoining the group to get on the bus.  The only options available to us were food trucks along the river right next to the Tower complex.  

It was the worst during our travel days.  We were frequently told we could just grab a bite to eat at the train station or the airport, only to be left with minimal time and very limited options.  

But some days lunch was great.  During our time in Rome, lunch came with some free time to wander, so we were able to go out and select the restaurant of our choice.  

Some days our tour guide would set up a lunch option for us, having arranged a preset menu and price with a local restaurant.  Those options were usually something like a burger, pizza or a cold sandwich.  

I’m not sure if the lunch situations were like this because of our tour guide or because of EF itself.  Sometimes it seemed inevitable, like when we were stuck in an airport or train station.  Other times it seemed like our guide might be creating these situations by not fully informing us what was available near by.  

All dinners were set up at local restaurants before our arrival.  We did not get to select from a menu and were all served the same thing each night, with the exception of those who had special dietary needs.  Each meal came with water, but we were allowed to order additional drinks at our own expense if we choose to do so.  

The worst dinners EF provided happened during the first few days of our trip.  During our entire time in London, we were not once served any traditional English food.  Our Tour Director said it was because “London is a melting pot of cultures,” but our group didn’t buy that.  

Our first group dinner in London was at a Korean restaurant where the group was served a hot stone bibimbap with chicken.  I’m normally a big fan of Korean food, but this wasn’t great. 

The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries.  

When it became apparent on the second night that we weren’t going to be getting any traditional English food, my daughter and I made arrangements to go get dinner on our own, and pay for it out of pocket.  Four other members of our group chose to join us.  

We simply got information from our Tour Guide when and where to meet up with the group after dinner and selected a nearby local pub so we could have a traditional English dining experience.  

Dinners seemed to improve when we got to France. During our first night there we had a lovely traditional French meal of chicken with mushroom sauce in the back room of a small picturesque cafe with a ton of ambiance.   On the second night we had a traditional Alsatian dish called Flammekueche, which was sort of like a pizza with a creamy sauce.  

In Italy, the dinners were quite good.  Of course we were served a lot of pasta, but we also had braised beef in tomato sauce, gnocchi, and pizza.  

According to the folks on our trip who had special dietary needs, the dinners were pretty good for the most part.  Although it did seem that everywhere we went in Italy, anyone who was gluten free or dairy free was served watermelon for dessert.  

Before we left on our trip, we were told by our group leader that we shouldn’t need more that $25 US dollars per person per day for lunches and snacks.  We found that that number was not quite accurate for us, especially if we ever wanted to stray from the planned meals that EF Tours had set up for us.  

We also found that we frequently needed to buy water to stay hydrated in the high temperatures of Italy during the summer, and at most of the locations we visited, water was marked up quite a bit.  

Overall, the meals on our trip were pretty good, but could definitely have been better.  

Our Itinerary

We knew going into this tour that our itinerary would be extremely hectic.  With no more than 48 hours in any location, we expected it to be jam packed.  It was kind of like a tasting menu, where you got a little bit of each destination.  

What we didn’t expect was the significant amount of wasted time and changes to our itinerary that happened on our tour.  

Things started off poorly when our tour guide was an hour late to meet us at baggage claim and then our bus was over another hour late to pick us up at the airport.  

While our tour guide was a very sweet, personable woman, she didn’t seem to understand how to manage the timing logistics for a group of 40 travelers.  

Our group was quite good about being on time to meet up locations with a couple of small exceptions that could not be helped.  No one wanted to be the person that made us late.  

Our tour guide didn’t seem to have this mentality.  She was frequently the last person downstairs at our hotels to meet our bus 15 to 20 minutes after the time she told us to meet her, and did not budget in adequate travel time to most of our destinations. 

For example, while we were driving across Italy, she had our driver stop at a large gas station for a bathroom stop.   She told us we only had five minutes to use the restroom and get back on the bus.  It’s completely impossible for 40 people to make use of just a handful of bathroom stalls in five minutes. 

We were late to our tours in London, Florence, and the Vatican.  We were late to our tour of the Colosseum in Rome.  We were late to our appointment at the Louvre.  We were so late to our tour of Pompeii.  This significantly hindered what we were able to see at our destinations, and made the whole tour seemed very rushed every day.  

Things like this happened over and over again throughout the trip.  This resulted in our group being habitually late to most of the tours we went on, and significantly cut into our time at some really important places.

The only times it seemed like we weren’t late was when we had to catch a flight, a train, or a ferry.  

There were also some pretty significant changes to our itinerary. 

Several items listed on our initial brochure were changed before the trip due to pandemic restrictions and travel challenges, which was fine.  We had ample notice and knew what to expect.    

But there were several instances where visits to certain locations were dropped off our itinerary completely, and visits to other non-advertised locations were added.  

Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating.  

In London, a walking tour of Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and Leicester Square was replaced with “free time” at the British Museum, which we really didn’t mind. 

But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation.  

On our way to Rome, our guide added a stop in Ovierto, a beautiful small town with picturesque views, wonderful dining and great little shops which we enjoyed immensely. 

But in Paris, a visit to Montmartre was abandoned, even though our dinner restaurant was within a mile of the historic location.  

The best unexpected addition to our trip in my opinion was the opportunity to see a musical in the West End of London.  Our guide was able to secure tickets (for an extra fee) for those who wanted them to a performance of Wicked during our free evening.  It was absolutely fantastic.  

But in the most frustrating example, during our time in Paris a visit to the Frogonard Perfume Museum was added to our itinerary.   No one asked to go there, and most of us seemed annoyed that we were stopping.  We were assured that the stop there would only last 30 minutes, but it ended up taking three times that, leaving us only an hour and a half to visit the Louvre before we had to be back on the bus to catch a flight to Italy.  

These added stops almost always involved additional costs as well, which we were not informed of before leaving for our trip.  This caused problems for a few kids on our trip who weren’t expecting these costs, and they unfortunately had to miss out on some of the better additions. 

There also seemed to be major sites in some of these cities that were not ever even an option to visit or see, due to our limited time in each city.   We didn’t go to Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral while we were in London, and there were too many things to count in Paris that we didn’t even glimpse.  While we were aware of this upfront before the tour, it really did feel like they didn’t allow enough time in any location to really see the cities we were in.  

Despite these frustrations, the itinerary did take us to some fantastic places and we had some absolutely unforgettable experiences.  We had a fantastic time seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.  We enjoyed a truly magical and unexpected sunset under the Eiffel Tower in Paris.  We got to listen to an orchestra perform in Piazza della Signoria in Florence.  We were able to marvel at the unparalleled artwork inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.  We saw the stunningly beautiful sites of Capri from a private boat tour.  Those memories are truly priceless.  

During our trip there were extra excursions offered in any city we stayed in more than one night. 

In London, the excursion was a visit to the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel type ride that gives riders a birds eye view of the city.  In Paris, it was a trip to Versaille to tour the palace and the gardens.  In Rome, it was a tiramisu cooking class.  

We choose not to participate in the excursion in London because I’m not the biggest fan of heights, and in Paris because my daughter wanted the opportunity to spend some extra free time in the city.  

I’m extremely glad we made those decisions.   

While the London Eye excursion seemed to go well for those who went on it, it was over priced.  EF Tours charged each participant $60.  Tickets can be purchased individually at the ticket booth for just $42 USD or for groups ahead of time for just $24 USD.  I’m not sure what EF added to the experience to warrant that upcharge.  

By skipping the London Eye, we were able to have a bit more time to explore and plenty of time to enjoy our pub dinner that we mentioned earlier since the London Eye excursion was timed to happen right before dinner.  

In Paris, those who went to Versaille told us the experience was underwhelming because of the limited time available inside the palace, and the lack of lunch options available to those who went.  

The Versailles excursion seemed overpriced as well.  EF Tours charged $114 USD to each participant.  Tickets to the entire estate are free for those under 18 years old and cost under $30 USD for anyone else, and that’s without a group discount.  Even if every single person had to buy a ticket,  I can’t imagine that the cost for a group tour and the transportation to get the group there cost an additional $84 USD per person.  

The tiramisu cooking class in Rome was not optional for our group for some reason.  I think our group leader made that choice when she set up our trip.  We paid an extra $85 USD above and beyond the base tour price to experience it.  While I could not find information about individual class pricing, I highly doubt that EF paid that much per person for us to spend an hour making tiramisu. 

I will say that the class was a fun experience at a great location, and we all enjoyed the desserts we made together.  

Overall, unless an excursion is of special interest to you, I wouldn’t recommend participating in them, simply because they seem overpriced.  Having extra free time to see the sites of your choice seemed to be the best option during our tour.  

Education on an EF Tour

EF Tours makes a big deal out of their tours being focused on education.  We were promised “experiential learning activities” during the trip.  They even claim you can earn credit for going on these tour.  

We found that there wasn’t that much education attached to our tour.  

The local tour guides who showed us the sights of each city were the most informative folks on this trip, with extensive knowledge of the history and culture at each stop, but we were forced to use amplifying devices called Whispers in order to hear the guides.  These Whispers often had glitches or were garbled, making it very hard to understand our guides.  

Other than the local tour guides and maybe the tiramisu class, I wouldn’t call just visiting these historic places an “experiential learning activity.”  

We also learned that our high school would not give any credit to students who participated in these trips, even though much was made of the educational credit during the pitch to get us to join the tour.  

This isn’t to say that we didn’t learn anything on our trip.  We did have some great cultural experiences while we traveled.  But learning seemed to take a back seat to just being in another country in most circumstances.  

Safety with EF Tours

As a parent considering an EF Tour for my teenager, I know safety was a big concern for me.  

When my husband and I decided to send our daughter, we felt like one of us should go with her since she was only 15 at the time we went on the trip, and had not traveled internationally like this before.  

For the most part, I felt quite safe during our trip.  

Before our trip, our group leader did make sure to advise us about pickpocketing and theft at major tourist sites in Europe, and advised us to be prepared.  She did make sure we were always wary of our passports and where we were keeping them during our travels.  

While on tour, there was only one time that I felt like our group was taken to an unsafe area.  That was during our terrible last night in Rome when we had to walk from our hotel to our dinner restaurant through some pretty sketchy areas of the city.  

Although student were allowed to go out on their own during our free time, they were asked to go in groups of three or four and were left in pretty safe areas to spend their free time.  

The biggest problem I saw with safety was when our Tour Guide would take off walking at a breakneck speed, frequently leaving half our group stuck at crosswalks or a few turns behind.  She usually did a count to make sure everyone was there when we were ready to leave, but she did leave people behind at least twice during our trip and have to go back and get them.  

Most of the time we had no idea where we were headed when we were walking to different locations.  We were never given the names of the restaurants or addresses of where they would be unless we specifically asked for them.  I think communicating with the group more about where we’re going could have avoided some sticky situations that a few of our travelers found themselves in when they were left behind.  

We also didn’t have a way to contact our Tour Guide directly.  Only a couple of people were given her contact information, which made communication confusing and difficult during our free time, especially when she got delayed during our free evening in Paris and our meeting time had to be pushed back significantly.

Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didn’t set many boundaries for our students.  

Since the legal drinking age in the areas we visited was 18, student who met this requirement were allowed to drink alcohol on our trip, but were asked to limit it to one drink with dinner.  By and large, our students respected this request and did not take advantage of the lowered drinking age to go and party it up.  

Trips like this EF Tour require students to be pretty mature when it comes to safety.  We had a wonderful group of kids who took their personal safety pretty seriously, and didn’t take unnecessary risks that would put them in jeopardy.  Had it been a different group of personalities, I’m not sure how it would have gone.  

EF Tours:  Our Final Verdict

Would I travel with EF Tours again?  That seems to be the question at hand here.  

My EF Tours experience definitely taught me a lot about group travel.  As someone who travels pretty frequently , I usually make most of my own travel arrangements, from flights to hotel reservations to activities.  It was quite nice not to have to worry about any of that.  It really did take a lot of pressure off to just let someone else do all that work. 

But relinquishing that control does require a certain amount of trust.  There were some areas that I would definitely trust EF to arrange again, and other areas where I really think they could do better.  

For this trip it really came down to adjusting expectations once we were traveling.  I really did expect there to be more education involved in what we did while on our tour.  I really did expect to spend some quality time at these major historic sites. 

Once I realized that time would be much more limited at every destination than I expected it to be, the trip went much more smoothly.  

I think our experience would have been better with a more seasoned Tour Guide.  Ours just didn’t seem quite ready to handle all the pressures and logistics that are required for managing a group of 40 people for 12 days.  

EF Tours is definitely a budget tour company, and for the price, you do get a good experience.  

Did EF Tours create the trip of my dreams?  Not by a long shot. 

Did they create a good experience for students who haven’t done a lot of international traveling?  I’d say yes.  

Do I regret going on an EF Tour?  Absolutely not.  I had some incredible experiences in some amazing locations with my only daughter, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.  

Would I go on another EF Tour?  I think I would, but I would definitely choose a slower paced itinerary with more time in each destination.  

Do you have any questions about EF Tours that I didn’t answer?  Feel free to ask me in the comments!!

EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Saturday 20th of July 2024

We just back from a Greece and Italy tour. Most of the issues you had we had as well. Education was limited and we didn’t have time to explore the areas we were with the guides. We had 1 to 4 hours of free time and we didn’t plan ahead because we didn’t get details ahead of time. One example was the night before we traveled we were told we will go to the beach so bring a towel. We were not in a hotel when we went to the beach so around 8:00 pm we had to walk around to find a store with beach towels. Once we left the beach we had to change into our clothes at a restaurant before we got on a ferry. On our schedule it indicated it was an overnight ride but that day we found out we would be on the ferry for 20 hours. I could write a blog on our experience on some of the hotels, the amount of travel times, the lack of information, and unexpected changes. We did enjoy seeing the areas we were exposed to and enjoyed the food that we bought.

Sunday 7th of July 2024

This is a very fair review of EF Tours. I think it gives great insight to what to expect on the basics for one of their tours. I am a teacher and I have "led" (organized) tours with EF since 1998. I'd like to share a little in response to some of the things you mentioned. Hopefully, the teacher who organized the trip you were on took the time and gave very honest reviews on each hotel, each dinner restaurant, & the tour guide. I know EF takes looks into those reviews. We were once joined at a dinner in London (by an EF worker from the London office)... when I asked why she was eating with us, she commented that the restaurant had gotten some negative reviews so she was there to check. I have even been encouraged by a tour guide to make sure I give an honest review and provide details when a hotel is subpar. It happens occasionally but is not the norm--maybe one hotel every other trip, depending on the location. (on a side note, I have never heard back from EF on any "complaint" review I have given.) The last hotel you mentioned should not be, and may not be now, used by EF. The leaving of the keys at the desk has been quite common on most of my trips. It's because of the number of people (students) who lose keys while they are out--so I have been told. We have had to do this in numerous countries throughout Europe. As for the meals, when I first starting traveling with EF, there was always a balance of trying to make sure kids ate and didn't leave dinner hungry but also trying to get students to experience local dishes. I was asked once what I wanted the group to have for dinner--spaghetti (again) or another dish and I chose the other dish. Well, that didn't go well as most of the students just looked at their plate (I thought it was pretty good and nice to have something different). Needless to say the restaurant owner didn't seem to happy either. Again, I think it is a tough balance. However, you shouldn't have been served chicken patty and French fries. (Again I hope the tour guide and teacher gave honest reviews). The overall outcome of the trip really comes down to the tour guide. Having a tour guide who is a GREAT COMMUNICATOR, very organized, manages time well, etc. can make a trip amazing. The tour guide makes or breaks the trip. My last trip in Rome, our guide had us up early (which we didn't like) but when we were standing in the Colosseum basically by ourselves, because we were the first ones in, made it worth it. I would day that most of my EF tour guides have been good...some have been great...a couple have been exceptional. You are definitely right on the next trip being fewer destinations. I have found that fewer countries & not selecting those costly excursions, allows for more free time. EF tried to pack in all they can in a short time. Your lead teacher has to choose trips wisely and know how to work in free time. Obviously I continue to travel with EF--they are a budget company which can attract more students--and your review was pretty spot on with what that budget tour is. It is a quick paced & see all you can in a short time. Your lead teacher has to know some of the inner workings (like contacting other teachers and getting the names of recommended guides) and you really need to get a good tour guide. Both of them need to take the time and do honest reviews. Those things make a huge difference for your trip and for future trips for others.

Louise Emery

Tuesday 9th of July 2024

Thanks for your input! It always helps to have info from someone else who has experience from another perspective.

Friday 21st of June 2024

Our son's backpack is still standing in the corner, gathering dust. Like many people here, we were introduced to EF tours through our son's school, which gave them an air of credibility in our eyes. However, we will do the best we can to advise our school to never work with them again.

Like the author of the blog post, we were not told an exact date, but a timeframe for travel in the months ahead. In fact, they gladly took our money (more than $3,000) without feeling the need to communicate with us before our planned departure date. Because EF Tours is expensive, kids of only three families sought to participate. Within the week of departure we were told to pack and meet at the airport at a certain time on Saturday evening. Only, on Saturday, mere hours before we were going to drop off our son at the airport, the trip was called off.

It took days before our chaperone told us the reason why: she had her passport stolen and could not travel. This is an extenuating circumstance for the company, I understand, but also is no fault of the families. For nearly a month we heard little from the company itself other than they'd offer vouchers and refused to reimburse the families who could not go at other times during the summer.

Nearly a month later, we were offered a replacement trip of the exact length, places, and program of the original trip. This was planned to head out on July 7. We really were hoping our son got to go after all. However, EF Tours now asked for $800 more - not $80, but close to a third of the amount we already paid them and had not received anything for yet (not even the common courtesy that they would communicate with their paying customers). Only a month later, the same trip cost nearly 1/3 of the original price more, vouchers or no. How much more would we pay, even if we were still willing to send our son with them the following year?

There was no guarantee. In fact, when we reached out to EF Tours, they insisted on keeping our money in exchange for vouchers (for those who had other plans and could not travel at the later date) as well as the additional $800. They actually provided us with their law offices address.

We communicated our experience to the State's Attorney General office, the BBB, as well as the FTC and received note from the former two that they have taken up the case.

I would recommend to anyone considering traveling with EF Tours to either go with a different company or plan a trip for yourselves. Just like with people, the true character of a company shows when things do not go as planned. EF Tours is of a scam character to say the least.

Tuesday 25th of June 2024

Wow! $800 is a crazy amount to ask! I really hope you get a resolution soon.

Wednesday 29th of May 2024

We are the latest scapegoats of EF tours which is not worth 10$ for the time they make you wait doing round about trip for 40 hours for a travel worth 14 hours . THE most pathetic travel plan i have ever seen in my entire life. Instead of paying for this tour, I would have taken my entire family with much better planning saving time and money. JUST NOT worth it and am hoping to do something more than just commenting here to avoid atleast 1% of naive parents into signing up for future EF tours from school.PLEASE don't waste precious time

Tuesday 28th of May 2024

Hi Louise A great review, thank you. I am an EF tour director, though I only continue to lead tours where I have already worked with the Group Leaders (the teacher organizing). I won't defend EF, there's no getting around the fact it's heavily profit-driven and as such does not use resources on adequately training its staff, whether they are office based or TDs. They use the cheapest bus companies, negotiate the cheapest menus, the cheapest room rates but of course spend a huge budget on marketing and corporate BS - and it works, they are the biggest student tour operator out there not to mention all its other extensive enterprises. Everything is done last minute which hopefully gives some explanation as to why TDs are often beyond frazzled and they have to spend time away from the group, particularly in their hotel room each night emailing and sorting out things for the next day or next few days which should have been organized well in advance by the company. And given how early morning departures are and late finishes at hotels, you can see that they get very little sleep. More and more we complain that TDs are having to spend days and days in advance on admin to make the tour anything like acceptable - time when they are not being paid and think about it, they have chosen a job which is not office based but are being forced to do so much admin which any other company would handle in the office. We are either already on tour, so it is taking time away from our current group, or we have to spend less time with family when we are in between tours. Cheapest labor, in fact it is free labor! To say nothing of how late they pay us and even then they dispute a lot of payments so we have to wait even longer. Of course TDs should never be late, this is appalling. To play devil's avocate though, in my time I have bumped into colleagues along the way who are in floods of tears because of how their tour is going. Almost always to do with impossible itineraries, tickets not arriving and the company not supporting them, but also sadly, due to relations with travelers. The most likely is parents who have elected to travel on a student trip without understanding what they means for them (long days, staying in poor quality hotels, rushed meals etc.). And sometimes it just takes a bit longer to compose yourself before going back to meet the group. Often I have to be on a call and skip a visit that I was really looking forward to just to sort out some s*** so the tour goes well. Of course to maintain professionalism, I would never tell the group that I have been sorting out s***, they just assume I've been gorging on gelato. Sometimes we are not even provided with a ticket to go into a museum or theatre so we cannot join the group. All aspects of the job has got worse and worse over the years and many of the experienced TDs have jumped ship where they are better paid and generally treated more humanely. I think it is worth emphasizing the importance of strong leadership from the Group Leader. It s amazing that some are willing to travel with kids they have never met until they arrive at the airport. A good teacher will pick good chaperones and give them guidance to prepare for the tour. So free time can be very different between one group and the next. It may sound like kids are let lose, but it is almost always in a controlled environment and the teacher will have set up parameters the students have to keep to. Again the biggest trouble makers are typically parents who travel with the group. Regarding educational aspects of the tour, I would like to deliver more education and we certainly used to do more. But as hotels have got further and further from the centre, meaning longer and longer hours on the go with very little sleep, bus journeys means the students need to catch up on sleep. There are some EF tours which are more educational-focused such as STEM, WW2, And don't forget there is also the 'soft skills' element that should not be overlooked - for most students this is their first time travelling abroad, certainly without their families. So learning self-reliance, not losing their passport, budgeting their spending money, navigating teenage relations, meeting foreigners, starting to understand their own limitations and what they are willing to compromise on or not... there is so much that they are learning and absorbing which you will not find in a text book, but this is life learning and the most rewarding part of the job is to see the kids blossom. More often than not it is the students who are introverted, who make the biggest steps and make the most progress - starting to speak words in the local language, trying different foods, open their eyes wide. The confident kids often stick together and don't appear to grow as much. One of the biggest problems with this kind of tour is that the more things listed on the itinerary, the more people sign up. As an example. teachers often say that they offer a tour, get a few signing up, then they amend it to include Paris and boom, a full bus. Only the most experienced of travelers would look at the shiny marketing brochure and question how it is possible to pack everything in. But having everything in is what sells tours. Kind of a vicious circle. Versailles optional - this is a tricky one. It is overpriced, but is a bestseller and I would like to offer some perspectives. Don't forget to factor in the service you are getting - sure, go there alone, work out the route from which of the Versailles train stations you can work out you can get to and yes under 18s enter for free, work out how to get an adult ticket on your own, queue for a long time (just google the length of those lines), work out where the bathrooms are on your own, options to eat, what train to get back... There are more costs involved with a group. for this visit In order to skip those long queues, groups must pay for group reservation fee, whatever the age of the group. You have to pay for 2 guides if there is more than a certain number in the group, so they split the group in half and have 2 tours at the same time. The Whisper audio headsets have a fee. The bus has to have a separate fee and parking. So yes, it is very profitable, but perhaps not as much as you think. The travel business can be precarious, just look at the pandemic years. Imagine airlines going on strike or sudden weather changes. Tour companies need a little reserve to deal with emergencies and the profits from side trips like Versailles is useful for this. Of course when it is clear that this tour company makes a lot of money by being very cheap on meals, poor buses and hotels, this is hard to hear. Some side trips like the London Eye are absolutely a rip off and teachers should really be more wise to this. Now that I mainly work for companies that have a calmer itinerary, the difference is immeasurable. A good one for teachers and trip organizers to work with is Lingo Tours. Each tour is bespoke so you can bring them your itinerary ideas, they will work with you to come up with something that truly works. Meals are high quality and usually offer a choice and hotels are so much better quality and even if they are not very central, they are not far out like with EF. You will get sleep, you will get an experienced tour director (you can even bring your EF TD with you, we are all freelance after all), you won't pay more and you won't regret it! You won't feel like you are part of a factory product and you will have decisions explained to you so you know you are offering a quality product to people signing up. But, like your tour director, you need to have experience because taking students away on a tour is no easy task and it takes time to understand all that it involves. Another small company that will work with you to design your tour is Global Explorers LLC. ACIS is also good for brochure tour style, but generally works out more expensive, same with Passports. Explorica is the real rival to EF and has a similar set up and EF does not let TDs work for both companies. You have have to laugh, on the EF website it says "Reimagining student travel, one itinerary at a time". If reimagine means "providing a worse product and service than last year" then they have that written correctly. They certainly do not do one itinerary at a time, they do everything en masse and this is a problem - they never turn down business and have too many tours going at the peak season. Adjust expectations appropriately. I hope this comment helps some people to understand the challenges of student touring.

I am happy that I can be helpful. CHAOS and ADRENALINE is how these tours are run. It's a big pity, there is really enough money in the company for these to be great tours. The family who own EF are on the Forbes rich list. Their business school has a reputation like Trump's did! But the family are good at business themselves , very good. But at the end of the day, whether EF does a good job or not, we all need to understand that more people are traveling than ever and this has an impact on many aspects of trips, especially group trips.

Thank you SO much for this info! Having a TD perspective is really fantastic, and does give insight to how things are run. I especially appreciate the recommendations at the end!

EF Ultimate Break: Grand Tour of Europe Review

Take note: EF Ultimate Break, formally EF College Break, rebranded after my trip in October 2017 (to appeal more to non-college aged travelers), and the Grand Tour of Europe is slightly different than it was when I went on it. Visit their website to see the current itinerary for this trip, Grand Tour of Europe .

A few months ago I wrote a post about my second EF Ultimate Break trip through several countries in Eastern Europe, and it has surprisingly been my most popular post so far. It seems that tours are a popular way to travel, no matter how old or well-traveled you are. I have traveled first with tour groups and then on my own, and I still am a big fan of tours. As someone is who is a little more reserved around new people, I’ve found myself able to make friends easily (and I have made some really good friends) through tours because your travel companions are literally forced to spend time with you (muahaha). And what better way to make friends than by forcing them to share a tiny hostel room with you for a month while you make them go out to dinner with you? It’s actually pretty effective.

The very first trip I took with EF Ultimate Break was a few weeks after my college graduation, when I packed my suitcase and boarded a plane for London. I was planning on meeting up with my travel companions and traveling throughout Western Europe, from the UK to France to Italy to Spain, for a month before venturing off to start my first full-time job. I was nervous; I was a sheltered, flighty girl who still wanted to travel, and this was the perfect chance for me to get my feet wet.

EF is cheap compared to some other companies because they are mostly reserving hostels over hotels and buses between countries to save money on airfare. I LOVE this company, which is aimed at young adults aged 18 to 29 (I’ve been on trips with EFUB with recent high-school graduates traveling alongside a 28-year-old couple on their honeymoon, so it’s really good for anyone in that age range), and recommend it to anyone feeling a little nervous about taking a trip on their own (or to anyone who wants to make some easy friends from all around the country).

Stop 1: London, England

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in london..

London. HOW I LOVE LONDON. This is one city abroad that I could see myself in, if not for my small chihuahua child and the fact that being away from my mom for too many months at a time makes me cry. After landing early in the morning (EF is a fan of overnight flights, so you’ll leave home in the evening and arrive in the wee hours of the European morning. One of the many ways they save you money), you hop into a shuttle that takes you straight to the hostel. There we met our tour director, Emmeline, an Englishwoman who actually lived in London but spent a lot of her time traveling all over Europe and spoke French and Spanish fluently.

Every trip has a tour director whose main role is to make sure everything is organized, that the group gets where it needs to be on time, and, occasionally, show her travelers some of her favorite bars and restaurants as they make their way around the continent. Emmeline has experience in theater and is SUPER bubbly. I’m not sure if bubbliness is a prerequisite for hire with EF, but probably. She really helped make the trip what it was, and could throw down shots at the clubs with impressive jocundity.

We stayed in London for 3 days. I would have loved more time, but EF’s MO, especially with a “Grand Tour” type trip like this, is to get you to as many places as possible in a short time. This style of travel is not for everyone, but I still think that I personally was able to do a lot in that short amount of time.

Our hostel was Safestay at Elephant and Castle. It was a great location and the accommodations were clean, but each room has you plus five other travelers, and it has no air conditioning to speak of. The windows wouldn’t open beyond the teeniest sliver. It was hot and humid in the middle of June, and I ended up getting a concussion in the shower because I was so dehydrated. DRAMATIC. I think the concussion business kind of put a damper on my opinion of this hostel, but we didn’t spend a lot of time there, so it certainly didn’t put a damper on the stay in London.

• Free breakfast every day, and free dinner with drinks on the first night.
• Three-hour guided tour of the city by a local, including sites such as Buckingham Palace for a changing of the guard ceremony, Westminster Abbey, and Tower Bridge.
• Emmeline helped organize us all to join a pub crawl that the city was putting on, which was a cool opportunity to experience.

• Free time out the wazoo (I have emphasized this before, but EF tours give you a buttload of free time. All guided tours are optional; you can just show up to the bus for transfers and have the rest of the time to yourself if that’s how you want to do it).

Stop 2: Paris, France

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in paris..

After our time in London, we headed to King’s Cross Station (I was more excited than most about the fact that King’s Cross Station is a real place and not just a figment of JK Rowling’s imagination) to board a train into Paris. This was the only city transfer that wasn’t by bus. The train ride was quick and we got into Paris in time for lunch.

We were in Paris for three days as well, and there was even more free time here than in London. Some of my recommendations for things to do include seeing the catacombs, shopping along Champs-Élysées, and eating crepes literally whenever possible.

Our accommodations was 3 Ducks Hostel, one of my favorite of all the places we stayed. It had so much air conditioning, and the rooms overlooked a cute little courtyard. It was incredibly clean and had really fast Wifi.

• Free breakfast every day.
• Three-hour guided tour of the city by a local.
• Free entry into the Louvre (first thing in the morning, so you can spend as little or as much time there as your little heart desires!).

• A trip to a nice French restaurant, organized by Emmeline, to give us an authentic dining experience (and SO much gd French wine).
• Emmeline also brought us a bunch of French cheeses to try under the Eiffel Tower on a gorgeous summer evening, followed by a river cruise for us all to see the city at night from the Seine River.

Stop 3: Brussels, Belgium

Click here to read about spending a day in Brussels.

Our first pit stop!! EF’s itineraries are, for the most part, two to three days in each big city, with pit stops in some of the smaller cities for several hours in between to give you a taste of some different places outside of the huge major cities. Brussels was a treat. Since there are only a few hours available, it is a good idea to plan what you want to get done while you’re at each pit stop. I always pounce on the opportunity to eat some of the local cuisine before sight-seeing. Food is always my number one priority, which is something I maybe need to work on.

The Grand Tour of Europe trip now stops in Ghent, no longer Brussels, but there is still plenty opportunity to grab a Belgian beer and authentic Belgian waffle while you’re there.

Stop 4: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in Amsterdam.

After our day in Belgium, we arrived in Amsterdam in the early evening. One of the most important things I can possibly stress is that you need to take advantage of every single moment that you are abroad. I was feeling really godawful from the concussion in Amsterdam, an injury which had only gotten worse from the moment of impact and the feeling-shitty came to a head in Amsterdam. I ended up missing out on a lot: a ton of sight-seeing was lost, I stayed in most nights, I didn’t get a proper chance to frequent the famous coffee shops of Amsterdam, and I didn’t go to the World Cup soccer game that was being streamed in the city and had a massive crowd of orange-clad people rooting for the Netherlands. Sigh. Don’t get a concussion, first and foremost, and try not to waste any time. Three days speed by when you’re traveling.

I’d also 100% recommend, if not insist, that you buy travel insurance through EF before going on your trip. It is just there to help you in case of injury (it actually helped a lot when I went to see a doctor during my stay here), plus it protects your purchase if you have to miss any or all of your trip for whatever reason. Travel insurance is always important, and EF offers it for $169 through their company. Don’t be stingy.

We stayed at StayOkay Zeeburg, which was pretty good as far as budget accommodations go, with a great selection for breakfast, but there was no air conditioning here either. A girl on my other EF trip brought a portable fan, which is an incredibly genius idea.

• Walking tour of the city by a local.

• Tour of the Red Light District (cool as hell, honestly. Such a unique and positive aspect of their culture).
• Entry into the Anne Frank House.

Stop 5: Heidelberg, Germany

Click here to read about a day in Heidelberg.

A disclaimer: I ventured out on this trip a few years ago, and it seems that they have cut Heidelberg from the itinerary. While we spent the day visiting the colorful, friendly town and exploring the castle ruins on top of the hill overlooking it, we ended up spending the night in Frankfurt. The trip now goes to Frankfurt for an entire day, which is still actually pretty cool. I was disappointed to not have had more time in Frankfurt. We stayed in A&O Frankfurt, which had very clean, air conditioned rooms and a rooftop bar. This was also our first hostel where we stayed four to a room rather than six.

Stop 6: Lucerne, Switzerland

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in Lucerne.

After leaving Frankfurt, we drove into Switzerland and stopped for an hour or so at Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in all of Europe. This wasn’t on the itinerary; I think this is just somewhere Emmeline had the bus driver stop to give us a chance to experience (thank Jesus for EF tour directors). We all boarded a little boat which took us right up to the falls. Think Niagara Falls but European. Very blue. Very nice.

We then made our way to the Lucerne region, and we ended up staying in Engelberg, a little alpine town right outside of the city of Lucerne. Cheaper, probably, though not much in terms of nightlife options. We stayed in a little ski lodge, Ski Lodge Engelberg, which was extremely nice, had large, clean rooms, gorgeous views, and a fully stocked bar. Switzerland is one of my favorite countries in the world. It is beauuuutiful. We were only here for two days, which was unfortunate, but I am glad that the trip made a stop here.

• Free breakfast every day (ARE YOU NOTICING A TREND YET? THERE IS FREE BREAKFAST EVERY DAY!).

• Emmeline organized for us to have Swiss cheese fondue in the hotel. I personally am not the hugest fan of bitter Swiss cheese, but when in Rome, right? I’d suggest getting fondue at a local restaurant rather than at the hotel, because I don’t think the quality was as good as it could have been.

Stop 7: Verona, Italy

Click here to read about a quick pit stop in verona..

Verona, the real  city of love. We stopped here after leaving Lucerne early in the morning, giving us time to explore and nab our first Italian lunch (which for me was an entire prosciutto pizza).

Stop 8: Venice, Italy

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in Venice.

Venezia! The city of canals, and one of the most unique cities I’ve visited. It was incredibly cool, but at the same time kind of a difficult city to visit. In the summer it gets incredibly hot, there are a ton of people everywhere, the streets are extremely narrow, and the city is a maze and getting around the 100 small islands via canal is a chore. Very cool and iconic city, but we actually only spent about 8 hours in Venice itself because our hotel was outside of the city. It would have been nice to have more time here, because I think that would have made it easier to feel more comfortable with navigating its complex layout, but I think that it would have been expensive to stay on the main islands, and EF is all about cutting costs.

• Free guided tour of the city by a local.
• Entry into Saint Mark’s Basilica (if you’re female with a propensity for wearing tank tops in the scalding heat, just don’t forget to bring a shawl to cover your naughty exposed shoulders in respect for the church).
• We got to go to a cool glass blowing demonstration (if you’ve never seen glass blowing, it will really blow your mind. Get it? Jokes), since blown glass is a really popular product in Venice.
• Of course, Emmeline also helped organize a gondola ride for all of us. Cliché? Yes. Necessary while visiting Venice? Absolutely.
• We stayed in Hotel Ca di Valle in the seaside town of Lido di Jesolo. It was a cozy hotel (no wifi in the rooms, but clean) that was just blocks from tons of incredibly friendly pizza and seafood restaurants, plus a beautiful beach that we had almost to ourselves every night.

Stop 9: Rome, Italy

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in Rome.

The Eternal City is not my favorite city. I’m not sure I can put my finger on exactly why, and I feel guilty about it, but I just didn’t fall in love with it the way I wanted to. I am sure I will be back, of course, because three days in Rome with EF was not enough to really develop an accurate opinion. And I’m sure a lot of it had to do with the fact that I was sweating so badly, was so hypersensitive to the scorching heat, that I wanted to lie down in the street most of the time and die.

Our hotel was called Nova Domus and was very, very nice. The rooms were massive, we didn’t have to sleep in bunkbeds, there was AC and Wifi, and the breakfast was fantastic. Though hostels are the norm, EF will book hotels if the price is right, which usually means the accommodations are a bit of a haul to center city. However, Nova Domus was in a nice area and close to a metro station, so getting around was easy.

• Entry into the Colosseum.
• Entry into and a guided tour of the Roman Ruins.

• Emmeline treated us all to a cup of gelato the night we arrived right on Piazza Navona. It was one of about 20 cups of gelato I had while in Italy, but thanks, Emmeline, for this one. It was delicious.
• There was an optional $70 excursion to a Roman cooking class, which starts by teaching you how to make pasta from scratch and ends with you eating your own handmade authentic Italian meal. I didn’t go on this excursion, but it is available and I have heard good things about it.

Stop 10: Florence, Italy

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in Florence.

Florence was my personal favorite Italian city (SO FAR) because it is so artsy, colorful, and honestly just smells really good. The best thing to do here is enjoy the art, enjoy the outdoor markets, and enjoy the nightlife. This was some of my favorite nightlife, just don’t kill yourself because Italian wine is a sneaky little guy and you may not realize how strong it is until it’s too late.

We stayed in Plus Florence, a really well-situated hostel that was clean and had a pool and poolside bar. We could walk anywhere we wanted to go from our front door.

• Guided walking tour with a local.
• We went to a leather shop and learned about the process of making leather goods, how to tell if leather is real, etc. etc. Florence is incredibly well-known for its leather goods, so it was interesting seeing an old family-owned shop’s inner-workings.

• APPARENTLY they are now doing a $90 excursion to the Italian Riviera and Cinque Terre. CINQUE TERRE. I would kill and die to go to Cinque Terre, and now they have just tacked it onto my old trip, probably as a cruel joke. But if you’re trying to see Cinque Terre, this is the trip for you.

Stop 11: Pisa

Just a quick stop in Pisa for a few hours. A good opportunity for those not-at-all touristy shots of holding up the Leaning Tower!

Stop 12: Nice

Nice is nice. It is a perfect stop after weeks of sight-seeing and running around for just sitting on the beach by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and eating a huge bowl of seafood pasta (not simultaneously, probably).

The hostel we stayed in, VSE Garden, was actually not good at all. Some of the people on the trip stayed in a small room with bunkbeds and a nice view out the window. We stayed in a cement room in the back of the building with no windows or ventilation and barely any light. It was like an unfinished basement. I didn’t love it. EF doesn’t always deliver perfectly.

Stop 13: South of France

Click here to read about my favorite places in the South of France.

We somehow packed in the South of France, outside of Nice, into one day as we got up early to head out of Nice and hit up Avignon, Carcassonne, Pont du Gard, and Nîmes, which yes, was a lot. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but I guess, again, they like you to see as much as possible, even if it’s in a little bit of time.

Stop 14: Barcelona, Spain

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in barcelona..

My favorite city ever (or one of them). The Spanish are happy and carefree and quirky, and that shows in Barcelona. Its architecture is unlike anything you’ll ever find anywhere else, people are friendly, and nightlife is wild. I mean really wild. The hostel we stayed in, Urbany Go Barcelona, was a lot of fun. The rooms were small, but had a very lively lobby with a fully stocked bar and gregarious bartenders. There were three days in Barcelona, which allowed for an entire beach day and two other days for exploring the city.

• Entry into Parc Guell (!).
• Emmeline took us all to a tapas place that she really likes and we all gorged on tapas and sangria. The best introduction to Spain we could ask for.

Stop 15: Zaragoza, Spain

They now travel from Barcelona to Spain via train, so there is no Zaragoza pit stop between the two cities anymore. Sad. Zaragoza is a neat little city.

Stop 16: Madrid, Spain

Click here to read about the best things to do in a short time in madrid..

Phew. Our last stop on the trip. Doubtful that anyone is still reading this. I don’t know how I am even still writing this. I am exhausted. My eyes are blurring. My fingers are cramping. Madrid was great, and I am glad that the itinerary was designed to end in this city. Our hostel was Room 007 Chueca, located in the heart of Madrid’s gay neighborhood, surrounded by places to eat and drink, and a short walk to city center. It was very clean and funky, and one of my favorite hostels of the trip.

We had two full days in Madrid, which of course was nowhere near enough time, but it was a start.

• Entry into the Royal Palace.
• Emmeline bought us churros and chocolate from the best churros and chocolate shop in all of Madrid. If you can’t tell, most of the most delightful moments of the entire trip were when I was stuffing something tasty and caloric down my gullet.
• She also brought us to a really good tapas place one evening for tapas, beer, and football. The World Cup was taking place the entire time we were in Europe, and it was a really cool experience. Europeans love their soccer.

Okay. So. I have to recommend this trip. How could I not? It is very well-organized, takes you to some of the best sites in Europe (and in the whole world), is affordable for young poor people, and introduces you to some of the best people you’ll meet. People who sign up for a trip to Europe for a month are going to be excited about seeing the world and excited about meeting new people from different walks of life. They’re gonna be cool people (some of them sucked, but you can’t get along with everyone, right?). I still keep in touch with some of my friends from this trip, and it was over two years ago.

Visit EF Ultimate Break ‘s website to learn more about this trip and others. I am a fan.

Thanks for your review! I booked ultimate Europe and I’m a little nervous about the accommodations. Did you ever feel like where you stayed was dirty or unsafe? What were your thoughts on the hostel you stayed at in London? It doesn’t look like it’s in the best area. I just don’t want to spend all this money and not feel comfortable where I’m staying.

Hi! Personally I never felt uncomfortable anywhere I stayed with EF. They try to find inexpensive accommodations in decent areas. Plus, you always have people with you from the trip, and your tour director, which I think definitely would help if you ever felt uncomfortable

Hello! I recently signed up for ultimate Europe and after reading your review I’m kind of nervous about the accommodations? Did you ever feel that the accommodations were in a bad area or unclean? What were your thoughts on the hostel in London? It doesn’t appear you were in the best area. I just don’t want to spend so much money and not be comfortable where I’m staying.

Hey! Thanks you so much for this awesome review! I’m looking into going on the new version of this trip soon! I was wondering how much of the trip is based around drinking. It’s seems like a huge aspect of the trip and I have an alcohol allergy so I’m worried I won’t have as much fun. We’re there other travelers who weren’t as into the drinking/party scene as much? I just don’t want to be the only one…haha. Thanks!

Hi Andrea! Yes absolutely. I drink occasionally but overall am not a huge partier and am much more interested in seeing the places I’m in than getting drunk haha. I’ve been on 2 trips with this company and there are all kinds of people, 18 year olds right out of college who want to go out more and people in their mid 20s who really don’t want to drink at all. It’s really great. I’ve never had trouble finding someone who wasn’t interested in going out…I went out drinking one night of my last 2 week trip and had tons of friends that I made and hung out with every night! So no worries. It’s a great company. Good luck and safe travels!

This was such a great review!! Thank you for this blog :). I have almost one month before my Grand Tour of Europe trip and your itenirary was so insightful and touched on points others did not. Thanks again, and safe travels on your future endeavors!

Thank you! I’m so glad it was helpful! EF is a great company, I hope you have so much fun next month 🙂

Any thoughts? Leave a reply! Cancel reply

Europe tours

On our trips to Europe, you can see it all on a sweeping journey across the continent, or get an in-depth look at a certain country that interests you.

August 2024

Showing 1–17 of 147 tours

Greece, the Balkans & Croatia

14 days | 17 days with Korcula Island & Dubrovnik extension

4.5 out of 5 stars

Historic Germany: Berlin to Bavaria

12 days | 15 days with Vienna extension

4.7 out of 5 stars

Save up to $500 by 8/19

Traveling solo? You’ll save an extra $50 on your private room.†

Grand Tour of Europe: London to Rome

16 days | 18 days with Florence extension

4.6 out of 5 stars

Amalfi Coast Walking Tour

9 days | 11 days with Naples extension

Grand Tour of Turkey

15 days | 17 days with Istanbul extension

The Greek Islands: Crete & Santorini

10 days | 13 days with Delphi & the Athens Riviera extension

4.4 out of 5 stars

Portugal: Porto, the Algarve & Lisbon

9 days | 11 days with Lisbon extension

London, Paris & Rome for Solo Travelers

9 days | 11 days with Rome extension

4.2 out of 5 stars

The Greek Islands: Mykonos, Santorini & Crete

14 days | 16 days with Athens extension

Christmas Markets of Eastern Europe

15 days | 18 days with Berlin extension

Grand Tour of Great Britain: Scotland, England & Wales

15 days | 17 days with London extension

Ireland for Solo Travelers

8 days | 10 days with Dublin extension

4.8 out of 5 stars

80th Anniversary of D-Day: American WWII History

12 days | 15 days with Netherlands extension

Highlights of Scandinavia: Sweden, Norway & Denmark

10 days | 13 days with Iceland extension

4.3 out of 5 stars

Jewels of Alpine Europe

13 days | 15 days with Salzburg extension

A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome

9 days | 11 days with Sorrento Peninsula extension

Portugal, Spain & Morocco

16 days | 19 days with Madrid & Barcelona extension

What travelers are saying about our Europe tours

5 out of 5 stars

1st-time traveler Terry

I had a wonderful time. The sights were great. I would have never been able to visit all the places we went on my own. They had it all planned out and it was the right amount of... Read more of First time with EF Tours

Traveled in Apr 2024 on Central Europe for Solo Travelers

1st-time traveler Thomas

This trip met all my expectations. Our tour guide Chris was experienced and knowledgeable. While fast paced as a land tour, we kept on schedule to ensure all itinerary scenic... Read more of Central Europe

Traveled in Jul 2024 on Central Europe for Solo Travelers

1st-time traveler Marla

Just got back from the solo tour of Central Europe, and what an incredible adventure it was! From Switzerland to Germany then Austria and finally on to the Czech Republic. Our... Read more of European Adventures Await!

2nd-time traveler Jason

The Central Europe for Solo travelers was a wonderful experience. The people in the group were great to spend time with for the 10-11 days and the locations we visited were... Read more of Wonderful Experience

1st-time traveler Anonymous

First time going on a tour group. It was fast paced but enjoyed every moment of it. This tour gave you a taste of country visited. Hopefully one day to return on my own. Colin... Read more of Grand Tour of Europe

Traveled in Jun 2024 on Grand Tour of Europe: London to Rome

This was my first time in Europe and it didn't disappoint. My wife and I decided we wanted to see many things in Europe and it would be great to see them in one trip. This tour... Read more of Grand tour europe

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Travel tips for Europe trips

There are plenty of options when it comes to exploring the continent. Some of the most popular destinations to visit on a tour of Europe include Italy, Greece, Spain, and Ireland.

On our travel packages to Europe, you can choose to explore a particular location in depth, such as on a week-long Paris City Stay or a two-week Grand Tour of Italy .

If you're looking for a multi-country trip, you can join our Grand Tour of Europe: London to Rome , for a taste of several destinations. Our team of regional experts is available to help you find the adventure that aligns with your interests.

Discover six things to experience your first time traveling to Europe →

Europe is a year-round destination with varying climates across its many countries and regions. The best time to visit Europe depends on what type of experience you’d like to have and which destinations you’ll be visiting.

• Summer. A popular time to travel to Europe is summer because warm, sunny days lend themselves to exploring the outdoors. In July, the average high temperature in London, England, is in the 70s Fahrenheit—while in Rome, Italy, the average high is in the 80s.
• Spring and Fall. Some travelers prefer to travel on our Europe tour packages during the spring and fall because temperatures are more comfortable and popular sites are less crowded.
• Winter. A wonderful time to take a European tour is the winter. During this time of year, travelers can stroll through festive holiday markets, visit excellent museums, and settle in for tasty meals of seasonal specialties. To take the stress out of planning a winter trip, we even offer Europe trip packages specifically designed for visiting  Christmas markets .

One of the main benefits of joining our guided tours of Europe is having the opportunity to visit must-see sites with an expert leading the way. When you go guided with Go Ahead we’ll help you skip the long lines at popular landmarks. Here are some attractions you’ll get the opportunity to see on our group tours of Europe:

• The Colosseum in Rome, Italy
• The National Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy
• St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy
• The Alhambra in Granada, Spain
• The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain
• La Sagrada Família church in Barcelona, Spain
• The Acropolis in Athens, Greece
• The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland
• The Titanic Museum in Belfast, Northern Ireland
• The Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest, Hungary
• Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria
• The Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway
• Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark

We recommend you spend at least six days in Europe. While our most popular Europe tours run from 10–14 days, you can enjoy a shorter trip if you limit your tour to one country or visit a handful of cities in neighboring countries.

Looking for ideas on where to spend a week in Europe? Check out our recommendations for Europe trips →

With its rich history, vibrant culture, and fantastic food, Italy is a popular destination for your first European trip. But plenty of other countries are worth visiting depending on your interests and concerns about international travel. For example, if the language barrier makes you nervous, Ireland, Scotland, or England make great first-time trips for visiting Europe.

Learn about the best international trips for first-time travelers  →

Yes! On our Europe tours, you’ll get the chance to explore multiple countries. Europe’s compact size and efficient transportation network make it easier—and more enticing—to take in numerous countries on one trip.

Some of our popular multi-country trips to Europe are Italy & Greece ; England & France ; Portugal & Spain ; Scotland & Ireland ; Germany, Switzerland & Austria ; and Norway, Sweden, Finland & Denmark .

Check out the best multi-country trips to book now →

Experiencing Europe—for the first time or your 10th time—should be all about taking in the culture, the food, the history, and the sheer joy of new discoveries. Imagine doing all that without researching or booking any of these travel essentials. That’s the advantage of our all-in-one tour packages. Every Go Ahead tour includes an expert Tour Director and talented local guides to lead the way, so you can sit back, relax, and soak in the beauty, history, and culture of Europe. No figuring out transportation, researching hotels, or booking flights is required.

Read about the 10 big benefits of seeing Europe on a guided tour →

The typical timeframe to book a trip to Europe is about six months or more. However, there are plenty of benefits to planning even further in advance. On our European tours, you can set up an automatic payment plan, work out what you want to see and do in your free time, and even connect with fellow travelers on our free EF Go Ahead Tours mobile app .

Looking to travel to Europe soon? Shop our Last-Minute Specials →

Yes! The holidays are an exciting time to travel on our Europe trips because they offer an exceptional opportunity to visit Europe’s Christmas Markets  and to experience countries’ unique holiday traditions. The holidays are a magical time in many European countries, allowing you to soak in the seasonal ambiance, enjoy festive food, and pick up unique gifts.

Thankfully, that’s a tough question to answer, as so many European countries offer delicious food. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference, so you’re sure to find something you love no matter which country you visit. One strong contender for the top spot, however, is Italy.

Best known for its pasta, pizza, cheeses, and gelato, Italy is a foodie’s delight. That’s because the purest expression of Italian cooking relies on farm-fresh ingredients, and the cuisine changes from region to region. Fresh, delicious, and unlike anything you’ve tried outside the country, Italian food never disappoints the palate.

Wondering what to eat in Italy? Check out these regional dishes →

Another foodie's favorite destination in Europe is France. From its boeuf bourguignon to its pain au chocolat, France is known for its world-class culinary scene and timeless favorite dishes. While you’re guaranteed to taste delicious dishes no matter where you travel to France , the type of French food you’ll find depends on the region and season. The north of France features heavier dishes; the south features fresh fish, lean meat, and grilled vegetables.

Wondering what to eat in France? Check out these delicious dishes →

While individual countries take pride in their languages, English is widely spoken in Europe.

For tips on using the euro while on a trip to Europe, check out our blog post about currency exchange →

We recommend packing light for your trip to Europe. One suitcase and one carry-on per person is a good guideline to follow; you should feel comfortable managing your baggage at the airport. After you’ve reserved one of our Europe tour packages, we’ll give you information about how to prepare for your particular trip and even share a packing list in our mobile app.

• Sun protection. For all our trips, especially during the summer months in Europe, we recommend bringing sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat to protect your face and the back of your neck from the sun.
• Layers. For tours of Europe, we recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
• Comfortable walking shoes. Because you’ll be exploring new destinations with local guides while on your trip, a comfortable pair of walking shoes is essential. Whether hitting the landmarks of London or on a walking tour of Amsterdam, you’ll be glad you brought your most comfortable footwear.
• Dressier attire. You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance on any of our Europe trips.
• Full-coverage layers for religious sites. In Europe, it is preferable not to visit churches, temples, or other religious sites with bare legs or shoulders, and entrance may be denied on this basis.
• Other must-bring items. A camera to take photos during your journey, and a notebook for jotting down notes or recommendations your Tour Director shares.

PGA Tour postseason begins and LPGA starts gearing up for final major in Scotland

The majors are over, the Olympics are done for four years and now it’s time for the PGA Tour’s lucrative postseason

FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Memphis, Tennessee.

Course: TPC Southwind. Yardage: 7,243. Par: 70.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $3.6 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, noon-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. (NBC).

Previous winner: Lucas Glover.

FedEx Cup leader: Scottie Scheffler.

Last week: Aaron Rai won the Wyndham Championship.

Notes: This starts the FedEx Cup players for the top 70 in the standings. Victor Perez got the 70th spot by seven points over Davis Riley. ... The top 50 after this week advance to the BMW Championship and are assured of getting into the all the $20 million signature events next year. ... Riley, won won at Colonial, was the only player not to reach the postseason after wining a tournament that offered full FedEx Cup points. ... Lucas Glover, the defending champion at the TPC Southwind, did not qualify. He was among seven players who had access to the signature events and did not reach the postseason. ... Scottie Scheffler goes into the playoff opener 1,936 points ahead of Xander Schauffele. ... Scheffler picked up an $8 million bonus for winning the regular season. Shane Lowry was 10th and earned $2 million from the Comcast Business Top 10. ... Collin Morikawa at No. 4 is the highest-ranked player in the FedEx Cup without having won.

Next week: BMW Championship.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/

LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour

ISPS HANDA WOMEN’S SCOTTISH OPEN

Site: Irvine, Scotland.

Course: Dundonald Links. Yardage: 6,584. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2 million. Winner’s share: $300,000.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon (Golf Channel); Sunday, 8-11 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Celine Boutier.

Race to CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda.

Last tournament: Moriya Jutanugarn won the Portland Classic.

Notes: Lydia Ko goes from an Olympic golf medal to playing the next two weeks. ... This is the middle event of a three-week stretch across Europe and a tuneup for the Women’s British Open next week at St. Andrews. ... The entry list featured 37 players who were in the Olympics last week outside Paris. ... The tournament has been co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA since 2017. ... This is the sixth time the Women’s Scottish Open has gone to Dundonald Links, about 10 minutes away from Royal Troon. ... Nelly Korda is taking a family vacation to the Czech Republic before the final major of the year. That’s what she did after the Tokyo Games, too. ... Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis, who won the tournament in 2020, received a sponsor exemption. ... Ayaka Furue won the Women’s Scottish Open two years ago with a closing round of 62.

Next week: AIG Women’s British Open.

Online: https://www.lpga.com/ and https://www.epsontour.com/

LIV Golf League

LIV GOLF GREENBRIER

Site: White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Course: The Old White at Greenbrier. Yardage: 7,299. Par: 70.

Prize money: $20 million. Winner’s share: $4 million.

Television: Friday, 1-6 p.m. (CW app); Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (CW Network).

Defending champion: Bryson DeChambeau.

Points leader: Joaquin Niemann.

Last tournament: Jon Rahm won LIV Golf London.

Notes: U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau returns to the course where he shot 58 to win a year ago. ... Joaquin Niemann has a narrow lead over Jon Rahm in the LIV Golf points race with only two individual tournaments remaining. LIV Golf last played a month ago outside London. The next tournament is another month away in the Chicago suburbs. ... Kevin Na, Danny Lee and Niemann each won at the Greenbrier when it hosted a PGA Tour tournament. ... Niemann is the only player with two LIV Golf wins this year. ... Caleb Surratt, Harold Varner III and Branden Grace are among 10 players who have competed at every LIV event this year without registering a top 10. Surratt still has made more than $2 million in 11 events. ... This is the fifth LIV event to be held in the United States this year. The next one is outside Chicago, and the team championship is in the Dallas area.

Next tournament: LIV Golf Chicago on Sept. 13-15.

Online: https://www.livgolf.com/

United States Golf Association

U.S. AMATEUR

Site: Chaska, Minnesota.

Course: Hazeltine National GC. Yardage: 7,552. Par: 72.

Previous winner: Nick Dunlap.

Television: Wednesday-Friday, 5-6 p.m. (Peacock), 6-8 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 3-6 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Prize: Exemptions to the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open. Must remain an amateur to be exempt for Masters and British Open.

Notes: Nick Dunlap won a year ago over Neal Shipley and turned pro after he won on the PGA Tour at The American Express. ... Hazeltine last hosted a major event in 2021 for the KPGA Women’s PGA Championship. It has hosted the U.S. Open twice, the PGA Championship twice, the U.S. Women’s Open twice and one Ryder Cup. ... The top three amateurs in the world are Gordon Sargent, Jackson Koivun and Luke Clanton, who finished fifth in the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour on Sunday. Clanton has three top 10s on the PGA Tour this summer and is No. 140 in the world ranking. ... Chaska Town Course is also being used for the stroke play qualifying. The top 64 advance to match play, with a playoff used to determine the 64th spot. Billy Horschel shot 60 at Chaska Town Course in 2006. That was the only other time Hazeltine hosted the U.S. Amateur. It was won that year by Richie Ramsay of Scotland.

Next year: The Olympic Club.

Online: https://www.usga.org/

European Tour

D+D CZECH MASTERS

Site: Prague.

Course: PGA National Oaks. Yardage: 6,960. Par: 72.

Prize money: $2.5 million. Winner’s share: $416,667.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 7-10 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 4-6 a.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Todd Clements.

Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.

Last tournament: Xander Schauffele won the British Open.

Notes: The field includes Ryo Hisatsune of Japan, who earned his PGA Tour card last year as one of the leading 10 players not already exempt from the Race to Dubai. He fell short of making the PGA Tour’s postseason. ... Joost Luiten and Darius Van Driel of the Netherlands are playing after the Dutch Olympic Committee refused to send them to the Olympics. ... Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald is playing. European qualifying for the 2025 matches does not start until the end of the month. ... Kevin Chappell is playing on his status of being among four players from the top 200 in the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour last year. ... The tournament has been part of the European tour schedule since 2014. The only multiple winner is Thomas Pieters of Belgium, who is playing in the LIV Golf League this week in West Virginia. ... The field includes two former major champions in Danny Willett and Francesco Molinari.

Next week: Danish Golf Championship.

Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/

PGA Tour Champions

ROGERS CHARITY CLASSIC

Site: Calgary, Alberta.

Course: Canyon Meadows Golf and CC. Yardage: 7,086. Par: 70.

Prize money: $2.4 million. Winner’s share: $360,000.

Television: Friday, 9-11 p.m. (Golf Channel-tape delay); Saturday-Sunday, 7-9 p.m. (Golf Channel-tape delay).

Defending champion: Ken Duke.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els.

Last week: Stephen Ames won the Boeing Classic.

Notes: Ernie Els remains atop the Charles Schwab Cup race by only $35,494 over Stephen Ames. Both have three victories on the PGA Tour Champions this year. ... Richard Green of Australia is No. 4 in the Schwab Cup standings, the highest of any player who has yet to win this year. ... The leading six players in the Schwab Cup are from six countries — South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and the United States. Steve Stricker at No. 6 is the leading American ... Notah Begay III, who serves as a ground reporter for NBC, is playing on a sponsor exemption. ... The tournament has been part of the PGA Tour Champions since 2013. Scott McCarron is the only multiple winner. He won back-to-back in 2017 and 2018 and finished one shot behind in 2019. ... Rocco Mediate sent the tournament scoring record at 191 in 2013.

Next week: The Ally Challenge.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/pgatour-champions/

Korn Ferry Tour

MAGNIT CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Jackson Township, New Jersey.

Course: Metedeconk National GC. Yardage: 7,402. Par: 72.

Prize money: $1 million. Winner’s share: $180,000.

Television: None.

Previous winner: Chan Kim.

Points leader: Matt McCarty.

Last week: Matt McCarty won the Pinnacle Bank Championship.

Next week: Albertsons Boise Open.

Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/

Other tours

Epson Tour: Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic, Wildhorse GC, Pendleton, Oregon. Previous winner: Xiaowen Yin. Online: https://www.epsontour.com/

Challenge Tour: Vierumäki Finnish Challenge, Vierumäki Resort, Vierumäki, Finland. Previous winner: Lauri Ruuska. Online: https://www.europeantour.com/challenge-tour/

PGA Tour Americas: Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open, Elk Ridge Resort, Waskesiu Lake, Saskatchewan. Defending champion: New event. Online: https://www.pgatour.com/americas

Sunshine Tour: Vodacom Origins of Golf-Highland Gate Mpumalanga, Highland Gate Golf & Trout Estate, Dullstroom, South Africa. Defending champion: Jacques Kruyswijk. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/

Legends Tour: Zambia Legends Championship, Bonanza GC, Lusaka, Zambia. Defending champion: New event. Online: https://www.legendstour.com/

Japan LPGA: CAT Ladies, Daihakone GC, Kanagawa, Japan. Defending champion: Minami Hiruta. Online: https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/

Korean LPGA: The Heaven Masters, The Heaven CC, Daebudo, South Korea. Defending champion: New event. Online: https://klpga.co.kr/

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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Thailand: Island Paradise

22 days, 7 cities

4.9 out of 5 stars

South Africa Expedition

10 days, 3 cities

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thailand Getaway

11 days, 3 cities

Japan & South Korea Getaway

4.7 out of 5 stars

Highlights of Japan

14 days, 6 cities

4.8 out of 5 stars

Kenya: African Safari

10 days, 4 cities

Sicily & Malta Getaway

Japan: Tokyo & Beyond

9 days, 4 cities

4.6 out of 5 stars

The Greek Islands

11 days, 4 cities

Germany, Italy & Switzerland

Costa Rica Adventure

Peru & Machu Picchu Adventure

Tokyo: City Experience

8 days, 1 city

Barcelona, Ibiza & Valencia

Grand Tour of Ireland

Find your tour

Have a dream destination in mind? Whether you want to follow your appetite to Tuscany or go wild in America’s greatest national parks, our guided tour packages will get you there.

August 2024

Showing 1–17 of 255 tours

London, Paris & Rome

11 days | 14 days with Madrid extension

4.8 out of 5 stars

A Week in Greece: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini

9 days | 12 days with Rome extension

4.7 out of 5 stars

Save up to $500 by 8/19

Traveling solo? You’ll save an extra $50 on your private room.†

A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome

9 days | 11 days with Sorrento Peninsula extension

4.6 out of 5 stars

Highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland

12 days | 14 days with London extension

The Greek Islands: Mykonos, Santorini & Crete

14 days | 16 days with Athens extension

A Week in Ireland: Dublin, Cork & Galway

8 days | 11 days with London extension

A Week in Switzerland, Germany & Austria

9 days | 11 days with Prague extension

Grand Tour of Italy

15 days | 17 days with Rome extension

Egypt & Nile River Cruise

12 days | 16 days with Jordan extension

Germany, Switzerland & Austria

14 days | 16 days with Budapest extension

Barcelona, Southern France & the Italian Riviera

12 days | 14 days with Rome extension

4.4 out of 5 stars

Landscapes of Scotland & Ireland

15 days | 18 days with London extension

Italy & Greece

11 days | 15 days with Santorini & Athens extension

Kenya Wildlife Safari: Mount Kenya, Maasai Mara & Amboseli

13 days | 18 days with Tanzania extension

Grand Tour of Ireland

14 days | 17 days with Glasgow & Edinburgh extension

Scandinavia: The Capitals & the Fjords

14 days | 17 days with Iceland extension

4.5 out of 5 stars

Food & Wine: Flavors of Tuscany & Umbria

11 days | 13 days with Rome extension

What to know before you go

WHERE WE TAKE YOU Our 200+ tours take you around the world in 80+ countries.

WE MAKE IT EASY When you travel with us, you won’t have to find flights, figure out where to stay, or worry about how to get from one place to the next. We’ll also secure priority admissions when we can and introduce you to locals where they live and work.

THE GO AHEAD DIFFERENCE Exclusive experiences, free time on your own to explore, expertly vetted amenities, local guides, and do-it-all Tour Directors combined with unrivaled safety and on-tour support.

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES ON TOUR Roll your own pasta in Rome, kick up your heels in a fiery flamenco class in Spain, stomp grapes for port wine in Portugal, rest up like a royal with a stay on castle grounds in England, and countless more forever memories.

Traveling with a group?

Bring 6+ friends with you, and your spot is free (including airfare)!

Combine your Club Go credits

Earn rewards for every trip with Club Go’s automatic, free membership.

Already booked? Add excursions!

Add handpicked experiences and stay longer on a tour extension.

Experiential travel made easy

You dream it. We'll take care of every last detail.

Pick your perfect trip

We offer 200+ immersive, guided tours around the world. Wherever you choose to go, you’ll enjoy lots of advantages that make traveling with us different.

Put just $99 down

That’s all it takes to secure a spot on one of our group tours when you sign up for AutoPay . Plus, you can pay in interest- free, monthly installments.

Prep your packing list

While you’re deciding what to take, we’ll be busy arranging your hotels, meals, tickets, and more tour essentials. That’s what going guided is all about.

Go far (and get rewarded)

Take off on your big adventure— but why stop there? Every trip you book with us earns rewards that you can use to keep expanding your horizons.

Not sure which tour is right for you? We’re here to help.

Chat online

Chat instantly with us during our normal hours, or leave a message and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Schedule a call

Let us know your preferred time to chat and a travel expert will reach out.

We’re available every day from our offices in Boston and Denver at 1-855-590-1161

What travelers are saying about our guided trips

Tips for planning tours & travel with us.

Here at Go Ahead, we make it easy to plan a tour. All you have to do is decide which of our travel packages excites you most, and when you’d like to travel. (A springtime escape to  Europe , anyone?) If you can’t decide, we’ll help you narrow down our vacation packages and find the perfect trip.

From there, we’ll take care of the rest. For travelers who book flights with us, our in-house team of travel experts will get to work finding flights with our trusted airline partners. And as you count down to tour, we’ll be busy booking clean, stylish, comfy hotels, planning meals at locally loved restaurants, and securing tickets to top museums, cultural sites, and, if it applies to your tour, special events.

Having our team of travel experts take care of every last logistical detail is one of  10 benefits of a guided tour versus independent travel .

How do I pick the right tour for me?

When browsing our 175-plus vacation packages, here are a few things to keep in mind to help you find the just-right tours for travel to the places you’ve been dreaming of visiting.

• Your travel style.  Are you into wildlife, adventure, or food and wine? Do you want to take a deep dive into a particular destination or religion?  Want to experience a special event, or explore with a small group? We offer escorted tours designed around these  travel styles  and others so that travelers can have the experience that suits them best.
• Where you want to go.  Whether you’ve long dreamed of exploring America’s national parks, Scotland’s pristine landscapes, or Thailand’s golden temples, you can do it on our guided tours. Some of our itineraries are designed to offer travelers a deeper dive into a single country. Others take travelers to multiple countries in a single trip (think Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, or Portugal, Spain, and Morocco).
• When you want to go.  Sure, there’s nothing like Paris in the springtime. But maybe seeing the City of Light against a backdrop of fiery fall foliage is more what you have in mind. We’ll make that happen. We offer dozens of departures per tour, and in the case of some trips, we offer departures all year round. And, we make tours available for booking up to two years in advance. Having more time to pay, and more departure dates to choose from, are among the  eight benefits of booking a trip years in advance .
• Special or seasonal events.  Have you always wanted to see cherry blossoms blooming in Japan? Or sip hot, mulled wine while wandering around a  European Christmas market ? Perhaps witnessing the Great Migration is at the top of your travel wish list. Events like these, and others, only happen during certain times of year, so be sure to check out tour packages for travel that occur at the same time.
• Duration.  Our tours range from six days to 22 days. Want to enjoy a quick break? Consider our shorter tours, which we offer in destinations such as Iceland, Spain, and Amsterdam. Have more time to spare? A  10-day trip to Scandinavia , or a  22-day tour of Australia and New Zealand , could be just the ticket.
• Who you want to travel with.  Many of our group trips are designed for groups of 15 to 38 travelers. (Think: more opportunities to make new friends.) If you prefer a more intimate experience, consider one of our Small Group Tours, which are designed for groups of 10 to 22 travelers. Want to explore solely with your friends or family? We happily craft  Private Tours and Customized Tours for groups of seven travelers or more.

Our trips are bookable directly through our website. (Putting  $99 down with AutoPay , our interest-free payment plan, is all it takes to secure your spot on tour.) If you have questions or can’t decide which tour is right for you, you can call us at  1-800-590-1161 . We’re here to help.

We offer more than 200 tour packages. They include:

• Guided group tours.  These trips are designed for groups of 15 to 38 travelers and include  Multi-Country Tours , single-country tours, and  City Stay Tours , which give travelers an opportunity to explore a particular city in depth.
• Small Group Tours.  A more intimate tour experience with a group size of just 10 to 22 travelers.  Small group travel styles  include Food & Wine Tours, Adventure Tours, and Safari & Wildlife Tours.  
• Special Event Tours.  Typically capped at 35 or 38 travelers, these trips are designed to capture the magic of special and/or seasonal events, such as Oktoberfest, Oberammergau, New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, Sakura (cherry blossom) season, fall foliage, Christmas markets of Europe, Halloween, and more. Find the perfect tour for you by browsing our  Special Event tours .
• Private and Customized Tours.  Have a particular interest you want to explore? We happily plan  Private and for groups of 10 or more travelers. Want to plan a Custom Tour ? Go custom with as few as 14 travelers. Enjoy everything you get on all of our tours (staff-vetted hotels, guided sightseeing, authentic meals), plus some pretty amazing extras.

The price of our trip packages includes:

• A specially trained [Tour Director](/about/tour-directors], who will accompany your group on tour, from the moment you touch down in your destination to the time you take off again for home
• Sightseeing tours with expert local guides
• Skip-the-line admission to all museums, cultural sites, and special events that are included in your itinerary
• Overnight stays in clean, stylish, well-located hotels that our own staffers have stayed in and vetted
• Transportation in your destination via private, luxury coach (depending on which tour you book, you may also travel by train, ferry, or airplane on tour )
• Daily breakfast at your hotel (a relaxed, convenient way to fuel up for a full day of exploring)
• Some lunches and dinners at local restaurants or hotels
• Free time to explore local restaurants, historical sites—anything that piques your interest—at your own pace
• Airport transfers for travelers who  book flights with us

5 out of 5 stars

1st-time traveler Anna

Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. My husband and I enjoyed our trip.

Traveled in Jul 2024 on A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome

2nd-time traveler Carolyn

Our trip was wonderful, thanks largely to our exceptional tour guide, Laura, who ensured everything was on point and led us through Italy’s stunning sights. Highlights included... Read more of Summer in Italia

Traveled in Jun 2024 on A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome

1st-time traveler Anonymous

It was my sister and I first trip to Italy (with extension, would be nice to have an extra day in to upset the early departure to airport) and with EF, what an amazing experience.... Read more of A taste of Italy 🇮🇹

1st-time traveler Kenneth

I went alone didn’t know anybody, but I came home, enriched with some new friends and some great experiences

This tour is perfect for people who want to see the highlights. You won’t spend too long in any place, but you will see a lot. If you are judicious about excursions, you will have... Read more of Excellent Tour of the Highlights

Traveled in Jun 2024 on Highlights of England, Scotland & Ireland