I am writing in regards to the European Escapade trip I was part of this summer. I have just returned from continuing my travels on my own, which is why this email is being written so late.
I have several complaints about this tour, the first of which was our manager, Dorian Beaver. Obviously, the "evaluations" that are provided at the end of the trip leave absolutely no room for commentary about either him or the driver. Dorian was incredibly rude and disrespectful on more than one occasion, and constantly seemed irritated at having to answer questions from each and every one of the people on the bus. He frequently snapped at me when I requested any information about the countries we were in and was angry on a regular basis. As far as tour managing goes, his poor attitude makes him the last person that should be holding such a position. He didn't deserve a dime of the "recommended" 2 euro a day and I am well aware that the majority of people on our bus gave him no more than 5 or 10 euros for the entire trip. I can't speak for everyone, but I am certain that my experience would have been much more enjoyable without Dorian as our guide.
Additionally, our tour bus was absolute crap. The seats were incredibly uncomfortable and with the 12-hour bus rides every other day, it certainly would have been appreciated if we'd had televisions in order to watch films while passing the time. We saw several other Contiki buses that had more comfortable amenities that were not available to us. And for the amount of money each of us paid for this trip, your company should ABSOLUTELY ensure the comfort level of each of its passengers. That being said, had I known when I first booked my trip through your travel agent that I would be stuck on a bus for 12 hours every other day, I might have chosen a different tour altogether.
I can see now why so many others have complained about your company and I will ensure that anyone I know who is planning a trip is well aware of your poor reputation and my experience before they proceed. I'm sure it isn't even necessary to discuss the "food provided" because it was, for lack of a better word, absolutely disgusting.