Globus Tour Spain, Portugal, Morocco

I did this tour about 5 years ago . . . at least, it sounds like the same tour. I was with a small group of friends so it made it easy to have a good time. (I just remembered it was in 2003, just before the U.S. invaded Iraq and all the towns & cities we visited or passed through has huge banners proclaiming anti-war sentiments. Not being American, this didn't surprise me.)

It was a good Globus tour, perhaps better than most, and we stayed at very nice hotels. The trip to Morocco was cancelled due to bad weather but we were taken to Ronda instead, which was a wonderful substitute. I can't remember the optional excursions. Tell me what they are and maybe I can advise on their worthiness, as they are usually too expensive, in my opinion.

Hi, thanks for the response. Good to hear Global was a good company even back then. For spain the ops are not many - Visit 16th century El Escorial monastery and palace, complex of white grey stone. Continue through the valle of the Fallen to the Basilica and teh 150metres cross commemorating the civil war victims. The other one I read wasn't worth it, the Panoramic madrid and dinner.There is one in Granada which visits the royal chapel, monastery, and view over the Alhambra and city from the Albaicin quarter.This one has been recommended as has a flamenco show in Seville with dinner.

In Portugal.Sintra and Queluz has been recommended. Lisbon - a night tour with dinner with songs and dances and view of the city at night, and a ferry crossing on the Tagus to a restaurant for typical Portuguese dinner returning over the suspension bridge.
The rest are all in Morocco. I don't need a heap of dinners since I don't eat my fill anyway. But they work out expensive with the exchange rate.

Back in the 1990's, I was a tour manager with Globus. I never did this tour but it is a good company and you'll find that most people do most of the optionals. It's a group thing. Most people who take tours don't like to travel/east/shop alone in a strange place.

Don't just look at dinner prices. Remember, the optionals also includes the transportation to the event and back plus something more. Even if you go on your tour coach to an optional, the tour company has to pay more for that because of how they do their contracts.

If you don't mind going out to dinner on your own, then do it.

Sorry Frank, didn't mean to sound like I was complaining about the costs, I'm very sure they are justified. I am just trying to make this trip affordable for me to be able to do and if I can cut out some of the optionals (and of course I would love to do them all) that are not as good as some of the others then that may allow me to book this trip. I appreciate your feedback and and its good to know that Globus has a good reputation.

Check out Cosmos tours...they are the kid sister of Globus and are more budget in nature. The people are Cosmos are also younger then those on Globus.

Here's Cosmos' tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. When I worked for the company, the tour directors went back and forth between Globus and Cosmos and the coachees were basically the same. On Cosmos, compared to Globus, the hotels are usually not as centrally located and there is less included (more optionals.)

http://www.cosmos.com/Product.aspx?trip=86830&source=CO_Product_France

Thanks Frank I will look in to it. :-)

Also look into Trafalgar Tours. They have general tours for all ages and a few tours for people between the ages of 21 and 38.

The more expensive tours usually have an older crowd.