Rome! Everything is just beginning ... Florence + Venice
Greetings to everyone who decided to read this review!
Introduction: I have been abroad more than once, so I will try to describe the journey without emotions.
When it was possible to sum up the holidays in one period, the family decided to go to Italy again.
Accord tour has been selected as one of the major bus tour operators in Europe.
In 2013, we traveled a similar route to Italy with an Accord. Everything was perfect!
It was troublesome to collect documents to the European Union for the first time, but the trip was wonderful.
Everything, from historical references, peculiarities of mentality, hotels, schedules and rules on the trip was interesting, entertaining, understandable. Of course, we decided to repeat the experience.
I am attaching to the report, in addition to photos of the trip itself, a screenshot from the smartphone screen in order to document this review.
I'll tell you right away - don't be afraid to travel! The presence of an offline map in a smartphone like MAPS. ME (not advertising) or analogues greatly simplifies the movement. An elementary set of phrases in Italian. Phrasebook in a smartphone, knowledge of basic spoken English. And you won't get lost or lost.
Carefully studying the places of future travels according to reviews on the Internet (thanks TURPAVDE !!!! ) and extracting the necessary moments with you allows you to travel very comfortably.
Continue. . .
The list of hotels immediately caused concern. Well transfer hotel between Hungary and Italy
HOTEL CENTRAL (Nagykanizsa) - understandable, but the suburb of Florence HOTEL DELTA FLORENCE (Calenzano) alerted.
So, the tour was chosen based on availability. 12/08-17/08/2018 Lviv - Budapest - Ljubljana - Rome - Vatican - Florence - Pisa - Venice - Lviv https://www. akkord-tour. com. ua/product. php/product_id/6046, flight No. 883. Group escort Lyubava Netreba.
One night move, probably hard. But the price is adequate, and this is not the first time we travel by bus. Let's break through! : -)
We left terminal "A" an hour later. Two and a half hours at the border. Then the "mantras of the escort about the champagne boat" in Budapest. Only at 22.00 we arrived in Budapest.
How we "passed" Budapest
As a result, the drivers, together with the tour leader, decided to go straight to the hotel in the city of Nagykanizsa. This is where the first conflict happened. Part of the tourists who were outraged by the omission of the travel point were recorded in opposition. The leader behaved inappropriately. Very well-founded claims were transferred to the individual. Horror!
I got the impression that this is a "installation from the tour operator's office".
As it turned out later from the official answer of "Accord TOUR" - Budapest is optional.
I will say right away that already on the first day there was a suspicion that the drivers were driving along this route for the first time, and the silence of the group leader aggravated this situation.
That's why "can't" we heard very often. No one explained anything where we can stop for a big stop and get things out of our suitcases, for example, and where we can park for just a couple of minutes. And such situations and conflicts constantly arose.
At the end of the tour, a "hackneyed" series about an Austrian princess and a very controversial "The Rum Diary" were shown. Rather, we figured out the operation of the video system of the bus. Initial attempts ended in fiasco.
Money for additional excursions we handed over on the first day of the trip. This is Important!!!
Our last visit to Italy was strictly regulated. Therefore, all the tourists knew at which stop they could pull out their favorite windbreaker + drink coffee in the Autogrill, and where they could only have a short stop in the sanitary zone.
The hotel in Nagykanizsa is normal. We've seen better hotels and worse. Again, the cost of the tour, without emotions.
Good breakfast.
Slovenia, Ljubljana is a small cozy country that suffers from its national identity, like its neighbors after the collapse of Yugoslavia.
A wonderful local tour guide.
The center is small and cozy. We did not go to the advertised lake. I prefer walking independent walks around the city. So at least you will see something not "on the run. " You can safely see at least the center, buy souvenirs and banally dine in establishments marked by tourists on the advisor (not advertising), where it is not expensive and tasty.
Moving to Italy is hard. Night on the bus and almost 770 km. Immediately to Rome.
And we're "late again", so the morning sanitation stop was a nightmare. For how to explain that 42 people had to wash, who managed to brush their teeth, and somehow have breakfast in 10 minutes at a small Autogrill gas station, where there are only six male booths!
We drove to Rome at the station Rebibbia.
If you travel by public transport, then according to the rules for crossing paid zones, the group leader issues tickets. Controls the crossing of the turnstile by the group and enters last. The group is waiting. I got a defective ticket. I crossed the turnstile "hare" together with a tourist from our group, under the disapproving glances of carabinieri and metro workers. The leader of the group just watched what was happening.
Rainy Rome and Aleksey from Belarus.
Here (on the right) is this wonderful guide to Rome
Clever, just a fantastic guy! Sleepy, angry and sometimes hungry tourists could stir up. Had a funny and wonderful tour. He told everything about the available infrastructure, from attractions to "eat / toilet / shops, / thieves in Rome / reasonable prices for souvenirs. " Helped to catch a smartphone in the Trevi Fountain for free, one tourist from our group.
I highly recommend this wonderful person!!!
The presence of "maroon berets" at each large object was not explained to us. It was then that we learned about the collapse of the bridge in Genoa. And as a result, tightening with metal detectors at the entrance to basilicas and other large objects. For lovers of personal glass "drinking bottles", I advise you to leave them at home.
Safety measures.
They are not allowed to go with them in order to avoid terrorist attacks.
It turned out that EVERY year on August 15 the Vatican Museum is closed, that was the day we were in Rome.
I do not think that those who made the route of excursions to the Accord Tour did not know about this.
I've been to the Vatican Museum on previous trips, but my son didn't make it. Another bold minus in the tour program.
The Vatican was replaced with a tour of the basilicas of Rome. Interesting, beautiful, but far from equivalent to a museum in the Vatican.
Moving near Florence and hotel DELTA. The old hotel used to be 4 stars.
Adequate breakfast, a clean room and a full-sized bathroom with hot water as a bonus for a daily bus ride. Despite the fact that it was + 32C in the daytime, the rooms were heavily cooled by air conditioning to the state of a freezer. And I had to urgently somehow warm up the room by opening the windows. I did not find the heating mode on this split system. August, remember.
Breakfast is normal. But the groups are divided by zones/tables. And alas, I state the fact that the attitude towards Chinese tourists is more favorable everywhere. This is confirmed by the financial solvency of the Chinese tourist flow. According to the rules of the morning breakfast, it is forbidden to take food with you. And they will quite make a remark to you, but not to a Chinese tourist. I'm just stating a fact. But it's better not to do that. A set of dishes is enough for breakfast.
Calenzano is a suburb, around the hotel there are truck stops, gas stations and a couple of hotels. To the market a kilometer with a tail, about ten minutes at a fast pace. But for that he works until late at night. Transfer to Florence by train or bus+tram. We got a bus-tram.
Florence with crowds of tourists, heat, free drinking water in the springs. I will write about the trip to Florence separately, because this is the highlight of the whole trip, unfortunately.
Ksati The Florentine municipality has introduced fines for street food in the wrong place. Be careful!
In the heart of Florence, there are plenty of places to grab a quick bite.
I would like to express my gratitude to the guide, who, in a difficult situation, helped with translation, defuse the situation and a wonderful excursion to Pisa. The journey was so emotionally intense that, unfortunately, I did not remember her name. It's a pity.
Venice. We got up at 4 in the morning, breakfast box, wandering around Tuscany with exclamations on the bus gallery: "Oh, this is the third time I've seen this corn and it's like my own! " We missed the transfer bus to Venice, and "drank coffee" at the gas station for half an hour.
Venice met with heat. A tired guide and traditionally crowds of tourists.
But we hit a small tide "acqua alta", when the area was only slightly filled with puddles. Excellent!! ! Flooding, but without boots and jumping on bridges.
Venice is an expensive city. And to eat for an adequate price - you have to run around the streets and read reviews.
Very good place Molinari. Delicious panini, instant service, fantastic coffee!! ! www. cafemolinari. com - I recommend it.
Molinari, Venezia
A wonderful tour of the Grand Canal by taxi. Unfortunately, part of our group, who had gathered to ride the gondola, did not get the required number of passengers. And they were just walking the streets. Sorry.
At the end of our trip to Venice, we stumbled upon a Russian group from our hotel in the vapporetto (river tram). Unlike us, they got up at eight in the morning, had a normal breakfast and got to Venice only half an hour later. Of course, without wandering around Tuscany's auto forks.
The question "why" was in every one of our eyes.
The return trip was not remembered by anything, except for the grandiose rain in Lviv. Evacuation from the bus at the station, because it "can't wait"well, etc.
And yes, we stayed in Budapest on the waterfront at 4 am for 15 minutes. As you understand, there was just NOTHING to see there.
So Florence.
The tour program says:
"Day 4. WARNING!! ! MOVEMENT IN FLORENCE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT!! ! (Ticket paid by yourself. )”
Of course, we rented 2.60 euros each way, it seems to be the fare for the group leader.
We survived the bus safely. But from the tram right in front of Stazione di Firenze Santa Maria Novella we were dropped off by controllers.
Here are these gray-haired men in the center, controllers who caught "hares" against their will, on the Florence tram
There are several versions. The first - the leader of the tour in Rome bought tickets not valid on the weekend. The second was that the hotel did not have all 42 single tickets in the machine, and she did not pay for part of the group.
As a result, those who know me will correct me, the municipal controllers with the status of the police clung to us tightly. What a bonus! More than 2000 euro fines. A whole group of "Ukrainian bunnies".
As a result, we were each issued a personal fine of 50 euros against the data of the foreign passport.
Fine, back of form
The conditions are as follows: 50 euros - payment on the spot, 55 euros payment after a month. In case of non-payment of 240 euros at the place of residence and restriction on entry into the European Union for up to two years in case of non-payment of the fine.
This is a rest!!!
As a result of the proceedings, the group split up.
Four paid on the spot, referring to the fact that they had planned business trips to Europe literally next month. And no one wants to be thrown off a plane.
Part of the hope was that according to the "verbal statement" of the head of the tour, the Accord would solve these problems.
We'd pay, but in any entry-level establishment, a panini or pizza with drinks for a family of three costs no more than 30 euros. We didn't have 150 euros in cash with us. Everything else on bank cards. And it is not clear how to return this money later.
And several participants simply forgot their passports at the hotel. I am sincerely surprised at the naivety, because there are no safes in the rooms. They were joined by "cunning gentlemen" who have a passport with them, but I won't give it to them. And suddenly we will ride to the hotel and everything will resolve. No, the controllers were relentless.
Therefore, the morning of Florence began with a chaotic wandering alone in the center, the tour is scheduled for 12 days instead of 9 am.
The areas of responsibility have already been described a million times on TURPRAVDA and other resources. As a rule, you buy a tour from a TRAVEL AGENT, and the TOUR OPERATOR carries you. In case of problems, a dilemma arises with the legal aspect of purchasing a tour, concluding a contract and responsibility.
Of course, we wanted, like many in our group, satisfaction at least in terms of fines.
I express my deep gratitude to Vadim Chepel travel agency "SAHARA" Kharkiv.
Formally, "Sahara" has no responsibility for our "journey" with Accord tour.
But Vadim not only didn't leave us, but helped to file a claim and controlled the situation.
For in the case of a property claim according to Art. 20 and Art. 5, it was necessary to file a claim with the consumer protection rights society and the prosecutor's office. And organize serious legal support.
As a result, the penalty for ticketless travel by Accord was paid. For a son in the first month - 50 euros.
For me and my wife for 55 euros +5 with penalties. Documents confirming the fact of payment of fines received.
Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH to Vadim!!!
I recommend this travel agent to all Kharkiv people. We have been traveling with them for a long time, good hotels, bonuses for charter delays. The first time there was a conflict situation with the tour operator. Sahara did a great job!
Summary. I will go again with the Accord, hardly. They destroy their reputation.
I am not alone in my review of this tour operator.
