White nights in St. Petersburg

It's done - we went on a tour "Many-faced city of Petra-White Nights" from 23 to 28 June 2013. The mood was great. Immediately darkened after the distribution of the accompanying - Lyudmila tour program - completely different from the one that was negotiated with the tour operators. To the questions of tourists why this is so, Lyudmila could not intelligibly answer anything, motivating that they said they gave me these programs. In the first hours of our trip, we realized that we did not have an escort, just a woman was traveling next to the tourists - by chance. At the Ukrainian border, we "stood and suffered" for more than 3 hours. Heat - air conditioning or just music or television did not turn on, about those words that they say, while waiting at the border, "relax and have fun," the tour operators got excited. Due to inexperienced, illiterate drivers and an accompanying tour, we just stupidly soared in the heat. As it turned out, according to the words of the drivers to the customs officers, they cross the border for the first time, so they don’t know how to pass it and what documents to draw up! Sanitary stops were chosen - where in vain and how in vain. Tourists climbed the bushes and cliffs, although after 10 minutes they passed stops adapted for tourists. I wonder why the buses of other travel agencies stopped exactly where everything was thought out for tourists, and our bus made sanitary stops where it is profitable for drivers to buy fuel, or right on the highway. But the difficulties of moving have been overcome and we are in St. Petersburg. The city met us with beautiful weather and a guide, Tatyana, who was in love with her work and the city. Further it is even more difficult - the program changed on the go, we tourists tried to achieve and find out the plan of our excursions, but to no avail. After all, all questions about providing us with all the excursions according to the program should have been discussed with the guide by our accompanying Lyudmila, but alas, she herself was in the "ignorance". Therefore, many excursions were not provided in full, we did not visit many museums, although the guide constantly stipulated that we would visit and visit museums located in the excursion territories. But alas. . . It turns out that for many excursions we paid money, but did not receive services.. In the Peter and Paul Fortress, visits to museums were stipulated - but we just entered the territory and left. Of the 10 declared excursions, the following can be considered completed: Tsarskoye Selo, the Hermitage, Peterhof /only on the territory of the museum we were not/, and the Temples, for the rest of the entrance tickets are not needed. Anyone can come in, this is with regard to the Peter and Paul Fortress and other excursions, we also went to the laurels without tickets, and so on many other excursions. It turns out that we paid only the guide, Tatyana. Many wonderful places we have not seen just because. that our drivers "wandered" in the city and we no longer returned to the unseen. Organization in Selena-tour is terrible. It is probably important for tour operators only to get money and that's it. There was no tour. For an additional excursion, also paid by the way, at night with the bridges raised and meeting the dawn, we went twice and only saw the bridges raised on our own, for some reason without a guide. All on their own. Only good weather and a beautiful city, the most beautiful in the world, saved the tour. Accommodation and food are satisfactory. We didn’t sleep and go there to eat! I can’t recommend Selena Tour! Avoid this travel company! I advise the head of the company to select competent, able to lead and manage a team of specialists, especially tour operators accompanying groups of tourists. I often use bus tours, but this is the first time I have met such carelessness in everything. Pick up normal drivers who know the city, because the tours are repeated. I wish the company prosperity and success. And I advise everyone who wants to go to St. Petersburg to do it immediately. They say "to see Paris and die", and I say - "to see St. Petersburg and come back again and again"! Good luck, happy travels to everyone!

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