Complaint letters (package tours)
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
April 16, 2013 3:33pm CST
Tonight I read an article about the Danes who weren't satisfied with their package tours in 2012. More than 600 people wrote complaint letters after their trips. Many of them complained about the room (the size of the room, the furniture, the location etc) Many people also complained about the transportation (delays, changes etc) My experience with package tours is very limited, because I usually travel independently. I did buy a package tour when my grandmother and my grandmother's friend and I visited Poland in the late 1990's, but the trip lived up to our expectations and we didn't feel the need to write a complaint letter.
Did you ever buy a package tour that didn't live up to your expectations? In which ways was the trip different from your expectations? Did you write a complaint letter when you returned? Or did you accept that there were some differences between the trip you expected and the actual trip?
4 responses
@allknowing (130067)
• India
17 Apr 13
All my travels have been packages. I like package tours as they take care of the nitty gritty, put us up in great hotels. A representative of the travel agent travels with us giving us the feeling that if we are in trouble we have someone to help us out and so on. There are a few things such as the tight schedules.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Apr 13
I remember that we talked about this topic in another discussion 
I usually prefer to travel independently because of the freedom that it gives me, but I have to admit that there are some advantages about package tours. As you mentioned you have someone who can help you if experience problems, and when you travel on your own you don't have the same kind of safety and you have to solve any problem on your own. On the other hand it is important to be to plan my own trip because it gives me the chance to visit the places that I want and I am also able to decide how much time I want to spend at each place.
I usually prefer to travel independently because of the freedom that it gives me, but I have to admit that there are some advantages about package tours. As you mentioned you have someone who can help you if experience problems, and when you travel on your own you don't have the same kind of safety and you have to solve any problem on your own. On the other hand it is important to be to plan my own trip because it gives me the chance to visit the places that I want and I am also able to decide how much time I want to spend at each place.@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Apr 13
It must have been a relief that you didn't have to worry about the formalities when you visited the Bahamas. I usually prefer to travel independently, but I have thought about buying a package tour when I want to visit Central Asia. It is a hassle to get visas for many of the countries in the Central Asia and even if we manage to get the visas there are other formalities and practical things that we need to handle when we arrive in some of the countries in Central Asia. It is not impossible to handle those things on your own, but it sounds quite complicated 
Other countries are much easier to visit independently, and in those cases I always choose to plan my own trip.
Other countries are much easier to visit independently, and in those cases I always choose to plan my own trip.@allknowing (130067)
• India
17 Apr 13
A country has enough sights that would be worth seeing. As far as I am concerned I am more into getting the feel of a country and who better than an agent who knows what would give me the feel. While on a package tour there are others with us and therefore it becomes a pleasant experience. Just to give you an example I had opted for a luxury cruise of the Bahamas. Here there are so many formalities that need to be completed and all this was done for us. We were on the ship for 4 days but were taken to another island by a smaller boat and we spent a whole day there on the beach. I could go on and on Procospino, singing the praises of package tours.
But to each their own. You have your reasons to go independently.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (215134)
• Chile
17 Apr 13
I have heard about package tours that don`t meet the expectations but I don`t use package tours when I travel. Srill, once, when I was in Cancun with some friends, We took a tour to Chichen Itza with a guide. It was a mess. The mexican guide didn`t speak a decent English nor did he have any notion of the ruins. Yet, he would not speak to us in Spanish (his native language and ours) as the tour was supposed to be for "gringos". WE felt cheated and it wasn`t cheap. A couple of days later, we hired a car and went to Tulum by ourselves. There, we had the services of a trained guide who explained in a beautiful and cultivated Spanish all we wanted to know. The Tulum guide has been trained, the Chichen Itza "guide" was just anybody picked by the people who wanted to get money from tourists
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.@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Apr 13
That tour sounds like a waste of time and money. I would also have felt cheated in that situation. When you buy that kind of tour you expect that the guide knows something about the place that you visit, and you also expect that he or she is able to communicate with the tourists. It reminds me of a place that we visited in France. The guide only spoke French and a little bit English which made it really hard to understand the things that he told is. We were very bored during the tour because we only understood a small percentage of the things he told us. I am happy to hear the second guide was much better and that you managed get the information that you wanted.
@marguicha (215134)
• Chile
17 Apr 13
The thing that pissed me more was that we spoke Spanish as our native language and this guide did too. But he needed to show off that he spoke English (which he didn`t much) I`m going for 2 weeks to Cancun and Playa del Carmen with these same friends. We know better now.
I`m going for 2 weeks to Cancun and Playa del Carmen with these same friends. We know better now.1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58438)
• Philippines
17 Apr 13
hi there porcospino.
how have you been my friend? hope all is well with you.
i try my best to stay away from packaged tours. i know they are relatively more affordable versus trips one can set on his own but usually, these packaged trips fall short of one's expectations. the rooms and accomodations offered are not the best and usually the place or location of the hotel is far from the main city. plus the itinerary of these packages are usually rushed and the places that they offer on these trips are 'tourist traps'. when i visit a country, i want to experience and see it through the eyes of the locals as it makes the trip more memorable.
cheers and happy mylotting!!!
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Apr 13
Hi! I am fine. The snow has finally disappeared in my country and I think that spring in on its way I look forward to the summer months when we will finally be able to spend time outside. I hope that you and your family are also doing well.
I also prefer to avoid package tours in most cases, but I would consider buying a package tour if the country that I want to visit is hard to visit on my own because of the visa requirements and other practical formalities. There are also a few countries in the world where independent trips aren't allowed at all.
You wrote that you want to experience a country through the eyes of the locals. I have the same thoughts. I love to meet the locals and I love to learn more about their culture and their lifestyle. That is one of the most interesting things about travelling in my opinion.
I look forward to the summer months when we will finally be able to spend time outside. I hope that you and your family are also doing well.
I also prefer to avoid package tours in most cases, but I would consider buying a package tour if the country that I want to visit is hard to visit on my own because of the visa requirements and other practical formalities. There are also a few countries in the world where independent trips aren't allowed at all.
You wrote that you want to experience a country through the eyes of the locals. I have the same thoughts. I love to meet the locals and I love to learn more about their culture and their lifestyle. That is one of the most interesting things about travelling in my opinion.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
16 Apr 13
It is nice that you have been able to avoid that situation. I imagine that is frustrating to buy a trip that turns out to be very different from your expectations. My husband shares your phobia for flying and it was a real challenge for him to fly between Europe and Asia.
