What to Look for in Spain Tour Reviews
Most trip reviews tend to focus on some or all of these 5 key areas, not all of which may be relevant to you: the tour guide, travel company, service level, country or countries traveled in, and the trip itinerary.
Remember, just because you see a 1 star review doesn’t necessarily mean that person disliked the country
Many travelers sign up with
tours to Spain because it is a country deeply rooted in tradition, religion, and the true enjoyment is in the details. Each city and region are different from the other, with different art or food scenes and historical sites.
For example, having a local guide during a trip to Granada would offer a full history into the islamic influence of the city while having a local guide around Barcelona would offer explanations around the conflict between Catalonia and Spain, not to mention the magnificent details of Gaudi and his life’s work.
Negative reviews for Spain tours are usually surrounded in the aspect of time. Most tours have itineraries that visit neighboring cities, and reviews often observe that a day trip was not enough time to take in all that each city could offer. It is also common in reviews to talk about too much time spent in the car during city to city tours and back to hotels.
Therefore, before booking, be mindful of the amount of hours you can anticipate spending in the vehicle and keep it mind that while a review might have negative comments about these aspects, they will also have positive reviews on the tour guide and the quality of the tour itself.
It is also common to find reviews with overwhelmed tourists. While Spain is beautiful and lively wherever you go, it is also riddled with narrow cobbled pathways, stairs, steep hills, and often strenuous long walks to see elevated sites such as La Alhambra. Before heading out for the day, be sure to have a big breakfast and if you are booking in the summer, be sure to wear durable sneakers, a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water to not overheat.
That said, kindly take into account that while reading a negative review surrounding the sometimes strenuous trips by foot, it is just Spain’s terrain and has little to do with the guide or the tour company itself.
Most
tour companies in Spain have guides that are bilingual and clear, which is invaluable when dealing with the language barrier.