Sandy ~ Could you have posted your evaluation form? I think it is time Trafalgar supply a locked box in the last hotel of the tour to place the evaluation forms. I don't believe they should be handed back to the TD's.

I am very much enjoying your tour tale. I don't think I would like to land one day and start the tour the next day. I like to be totally fresh and well rested to start a tour, but then our flights are a lot longer.

Posting the evaluation or placing them in a locked container is a good idea. Norton told us he has to hand in all the forms or he gets in trouble. He might get away with 1 or 2 missing now and again but not on a regular basis. I don't know how true this is.
I find the evaluation form very minimal. There is hardly any space to comment on the trip and only check marks for the TD and driver. Much of it is finding out your method of learning about Trafalgar and your views on future trips.

Sandy

I think it would be better if the forms, along with a SAE, were posted to you at home after the tour. Or would people not bother to fill them in? I have never agreed with the idea of handing them back to the TD.

Sandy ~ If Trafalgar are serious about feed back then they need to include a postage paid envelope so people can truthfully and genuinely write about their tours.

To me an unsealed envelope handed to a TD means nothing and I would refuse to fill it in.

The envelope is supposed to be sealed and it has a tamper proof seal on it. It tears if you try to open it. The TD asking people not to seal them so he can get instant feedback is ludicrous as it says right on it to seal them. I can't believe how many people heeded his request and left them open. I think it is very unethical and an invasion of privacy for him to ask that. I reported it in my letter to Trafalgar which I enclosed inside about his behaviour. I also sealed it with duck tape. He probably destroyed it as I have not heard from Trafalgar as I requested to say they received my evaluation and letter. I will definitely follow up with them about it.

A good TD would not need to request anybody to leave the envelope unsealed, as he/she would have no concerns.

Sandra

I am really enjoying your tale. Looking forward to more. Sorry about your TD.

Can't wait to hear more about this and your other tours

We had the same problem with the internet because of keyboards. The @ sign is there you just have to hunt for it. The fact that the letters were in a different spot was not much of a problem for me as I am a poor typist who has to look at the keyboard anyway. For the touch typists it was hell! They sent many an odd e-mail. I found internet access quite difficult in Europe though and will buy a baby computer befor our next trip. It is nice to keep in touch with the children when we are away for so long.
I am really enjoying your tale. We touched on many of these places on our European Escapade and it is lovely to be reliving it all. I loved Nice and all the areas around there. Sorry your TD was unhelpful. We were so lucky with ours- so much fun.

Sandy, I am enjoying your tale. We visited many of the same places in June on our tour. Also we went to some of these places on the Real France winter tour.
It was not very hot when we travelled, actually cool and rainy many days. It was comfortable on the Riviera, I am not sure I could have endured the heat you had.
We had free internet at 2 hotels but I only managed to the one in Avignon since at the other hotel there was also another tour group and the computer never seemed to be available. I am a terrible typist and had some trouble, I somehow found the @ button, isn't it somewhere near the ' and ; on our keyboard? I had even more problems in Turkey, problems with the @ sign and they have several different i's. It was quite amusing to read my messages when I got home.

Using keyboards in other countries is an adventure. Marie, we sent a series of e mails from Turkey and because of the key placement...my daughter, one of the recipients, thought the e mail was "exotic". When I saw a copy of one, it looked like Martian!!!!! I don't remember having too much trouble in China using the internet. Our biggest problem was figuring out how/when to pay for the computer use!

quote:

Originally posted by NYJudy:
Using keyboards in other countries is an adventure. Marie, we sent a series of e mails from Turkey and because of the key placement...my daughter, one of the recipients, thought the e mail was "exotic". When I saw a copy of one, it looked like Martian!!!!! I don't remember having too much trouble in China using the internet. Our biggest problem was figuring out how/when to pay for the computer use!

LOL Judy about Turkey.

Thank you so much to those of you who reply to my posts. So far I have had 400 people/hits on this tour tale and only 12 messages or comments. Maybe it was too long for others to read. It is so gratifying to hear comments about how others are enjoying it or being reminded of their own trips. As any of you know, it takes a long time to post a tour tale and your encouragement makes me want to keep going. I'm so glad you are enjoying it. Only 3 more days on this tour to record. I have been trying to figure out how to get some pictures into it as well but not much luck, I'm afarid. Will have to read how to upload them again.
Sandy

Sorry Sandry: I didn't comment because I was waiting for all of it. But I've been reading and enjoying your tale very, very much.

Brenda

Hi Sandry

I have also been really enjoying your tale. I can't wait for the rest.

Hi Sandry. I am enjoying your report. Some of it is similar to my BOF tour but there are quite a few differences as well.

I have a couple of comments.

Your quote: "However I have a beef. Those who drink wine or beer ( I have allergies) got this included in their optional dinners and some included dinners. If you don’t drink these then you are out of luck. You can have soft drinks or juice but no hard alcohol such as rum, which is what I do drink. Even on the welcome drink there was no accommodations for anything but wine and beer. I feel that on the optionals I am subsidizing all the others to have their drinks and this is unfair."

I used to think this was unfair also but did you know that wine and beer are cheaper than here in Europe whereas soft drinks are more expensive than here? That balances the cost. So you aren't actually getting ripped off or subsidizing others.

Your quote: "My last gripe about Norton was he asked to have a personal questionnaire filled out as well as the one for Trafalgar. He asked that people not seal the Trafalgar one so that he could read the comments so he would know of any dissatisfaction. This is totally unethical and an invasion of privacy as Trafalgar asks that all questionnaires be enclosed in tamper proof envelopes. I sealed mine and included a 3 page report of my likes and dislikes. I asked that they e-mail me that they received it but as yet I have not received confirmation. I will get in touch soon enough but I fear it was never received."

I've never heard of a TD handing out a personal questionnaire as well as the TT one and he is completely wrong when he asked you not to seal them so he could read them. They provide an envelope for you to put the TT questionnaire in and seal it. It is for TT's eyes only. If he wants to know what people said about him, he can ask TT. If he did his job properly, he shouldn't be worried about what anybody said about him.