Dream Tours: Provence?

[poss]

I'm hoping to hear some updated feedback on this tour company. I think the fellow who owns it is called Alain. Recent experiences appreciated. Thank you.

[canuck.qc]

I'm hoping to hear some updated feedback on this tour company. I think the fellow who owns it is called Alain. Recent experiences appreciated. Thank you.

We used Dream Tours 2 years ago(Nautica)...did Eze, Nice, Monaco. VERY professional fluent english and comes highly recommended on CCritic boards. If he is available I would not hesitate to book this tour. Alain is very accustom to port excursions and this type of clientele.

[poss]

Thanks for the response. I'd read several reports from several years ago but was hoping perhaps to hear more recent reviews (though no reason why service should go down I suppose).

I think we'd like to do the "Cultural Tour." If anyone has done that, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks once more.

[lovespositano]

I'm hoping to hear some updated feedback on this tour company. I think the fellow who owns it is called Alain. Recent experiences appreciated. Thank you.

 

They are a great tour company. We used them last summer and had a wonderful tour.

[poss]

Thank you for responding, lovespositano.

 

Can you tell me, please, which tour you did? I'd also be interested in knowing whether you had a group of your own-- or whether you joined one of their regularly scheduled tours.

 

And whether your tour guide was Alain himself or another member of the company?

 

Thanks very much.

[nyyhoneybee]

I can't find the website for them, can someone please direct me?

[poss]

dream-tours.com

[canuck.qc]

We had Alain as our tour guide. We were paired with another couple from our cruise, which Alain arranged. He is very professional and is accustomed to shore-type excursions... he drove us to all the most popular sites..I would highly recommend. Plus he speaks fluent english.

[Mparis184]

I have also booked a tour with Alain - it was wonderful - I highly recommend his tour company. I usually go on the cruise critic boards and get a group together to take the private tours - everyone who takes the private tours enjoys them more than the ship tours. The cost is always less and you get a better-more personalized tour.

 

People are afraid to book private tours because they don't want to miss the ship...... I always make certain we are back to the dock an hour and 1/2 before sailing. I have never had a problem. Enjoy your tour.

 

Marion

[canuck.qc]

Thank you for responding, lovespositano.

 

Can you tell me, please, which tour you did? I'd also be interested in knowing whether you had a group of your own-- or whether you joined one of their regularly scheduled tours.

 

And whether your tour guide was Alain himself or another member of the company?

 

Thanks very much.

 

We had Alain as our guide. We booked a private full day tour 6 months ahead & then a mth. before the cruise, Alain asked if we would pair with another couple. We did a full day tour -total 480E- included Eze, Nice, LaTurbie(fabulous views high above Monaco)& Monaco. He will help you customize the tour. We had been to the Villa Rothschild.... on a previous cruise, from Cannes (or Nice?) St.Paul de Vence and Eze are similar and Alain may suggest an itinerary incl. one or the other. The tours & the sites you choose depends on the where you are docked. I would suggest a full day tour rather than a 1/2 day unless time is an issue.

[ny cruisequeen]

We used him this summer. He is very fluent in English and a good driver. He is knowledgeable about the sites and the culture. I was initially put out that he was late at the dock, and we had to borrow someone's cell to call him. Also, we were dropped off at city gates in Eze and also St. Paul de Vance to meander alone, we did get confused and turned around searching our way and wasting precious time. He said there was no parking and both met us at the end, and gave meeting points and times, but we were disappointed in that. I must say, from lots of experience with guides now, this is how many operate and you should check on this and agree about it before booking so you know what to expect. Also, in Nice, he did not know where public bathrooms were, and we again lost precious time walking out of the way to a hotel to use one. He expected us initially to go into a cafe, order something, wait for the order, and then first ask to use the facility. We went into one of the few open cafes and no one came to wait on us for a long time. that is when he used his phone app to locate a hotel. We saw almost nothing of Nice that day besides the market. We did see some of it from the car and he took us to a lovely high lookout point for a panoramic view of the city and harbor that was just lovely. In all, it was a very packed day, and perhaps because we planned to see so many places, (nice, monico, monte Carlo, Eze, and st Paul de Venice, we were limited in time with the traveling. You cannot have it all in one day. Just be sure you understand exactly how much you expect him to guide you once outside of the car.

[poss]

Thanks for continued input.

cruisequeen: Your wonderfully detailed response was especially helpful. That's just the kind of detail I was hoping to get. The things you mention are quite important (pour moi, especially about the bathroom stop!)

[Mparis184]

He also dropped us off at the gates to Eze and St. Paul de Vance. We enjoyed the opportunity to stroll around these quaint towns and and go in and out of the shops. There is no parking in these towns and the narrow streets were not built for vehicular traffic. It was a lot easier to see the towns this way than together in a larger group - having to wait for people to catch up with the group. I thought it was an easy in and out of the town and you couldn't get lost. Potty stops - we asked him to stop at a hotel as we drove around and it wasn't a problem.

 

Yes, the tour was excellent and there was a lot packed into one day. I take private tours with little expectations so I am never disappointed.

 

Marion

[ny cruisequeen]

He also dropped us off at the gates to Eze and St. Paul de Vance. We enjoyed the opportunity to stroll around these quaint towns and and go in and out of the shops. There is no parking in these towns and the narrow streets were not built for vehicular traffic. It was a lot easier to see the towns this way than together in a larger group - having to wait for people to catch up with the group. I thought it was an easy in and out of the town and you couldn't get lost. Potty stops - we asked him to stop at a hotel as we drove around and it wasn't a problem.

 

Yes, the tour was excellent and there was a lot packed into one day. I take private tours with little expectations so I am never disappointed.

 

Marion

I do not agree with that. We paid a lot of money for the day. Especially after converting the euro to dollars. It was MUCH more than any of the excursions...we were only two people and it was full day with many sites to see. No ship excursions cover so vast an array of stops. There is no comparison between selecting your own itinerary and how long you choose to stay in each place, and being herded with large groups and waiting for stragglers, and having no say about how much time to spend in each one. You get what you pay for. I know that if you have a large group then the price drops, but we chose to keep it intimate and in our agendas. Since we paid so much, I DID expect a little more. Please do not get me wrong, Alain provided a full day and took us to each place we wanted to see, as we specified in numerous emails, and I do believe that I am at fault for not asking how much he was going to accompany us. Yes, being on your own to explore is fun, but when told to just follow the red brick road and it leads you to several turns and branches and you have no idea which way to go, get lost, and are on a time limit, (and it is hot) you get a bit frustrated. He is very typical of how many tour guides/drivers do business in Europe. We experienced this in many ports last summer. I think you have to clarify things in emails before you book.

[Mparis184]

Yes, I understand where you are coming from. You did pay a lot of money if there were just the two of you. I believe we had a group of 8 or 10 from the cruise critic boards. I think he gave you his standard tour of the cities you visited because we did the same route with him. He offered us options but you could only do so much in the time available. Most drivers are just that "drivers" and as you mentioned do not accompany you when you are on foot. Guess we all should speak to our tour guides about this while making plans for our tours - good point.

 

Marion

[baggal]

We used him this summer. He is very fluent in English and a good driver. He is knowledgeable about the sites and the culture. I was initially put out that he was late at the dock, and we had to borrow someone's cell to call him. Also, we were dropped off at city gates in Eze and also St. Paul de Vance to meander alone, we did get confused and turned around searching our way and wasting precious time. He said there was no parking and both met us at the end, and gave meeting points and times, but we were disappointed in that. I must say, from lots of experience with guides now, this is how many operate and you should check on this and agree about it before booking so you know what to expect. Also, in Nice, he did not know where public bathrooms were, and we again lost precious time walking out of the way to a hotel to use one. He expected us initially to go into a cafe, order something, wait for the order, and then first ask to use the facility. We went into one of the few open cafes and no one came to wait on us for a long time. that is when he used his phone app to locate a hotel. We saw almost nothing of Nice that day besides the market. We did see some of it from the car and he took us to a lovely high lookout point for a panoramic view of the city and harbor that was just lovely. In all, it was a very packed day, and perhaps because we planned to see so many places, (nice, monico, monte Carlo, Eze, and st Paul de Venice, we were limited in time with the traveling. You cannot have it all in one day. Just be sure you understand exactly how much you expect him to guide you once outside of the car.

 

This is good feedback. IMO, an experienced private guide who can't locate a restroom isn't much of a guide. We have used at least 10 private guides over our past 3 European cruises (1 Baltic and 2 Med.) and that information is always offered before we had to ask.

[poss]

I agree. This person may be quite good in other ways, but the bathroom thing is so very basic. I, too, have always had it addressed by my guide even before I asked. And the idea of having to go to a cafe and buy something and wait is not the answer. (On my own, I ask for the courtesy from hotels; have only been refused once.)

I suspect we will engage Alain, but I am so very glad that I had this heads up.