"Barcelona - Paris by plane" 2* - 3* from RUSIBER
Dreams Come True.
"Barcelona - Paris by plane" 2* - 3* from RUSIBER. 31.08. – 14.09. 2013 Seven days of excursion + seven days of beach vacation (I chose Costa Dorada, Best Sol Dor 3 * hotel).
Before purchasing the tour, I searched the entire I-net. Of the reviews about such tours, there are only a couple of mentions about RUSIBER from 07 and 09 and that's it, so I decided to fill in the gap.
1. Org. moments:
1.1. Visa. I paid for the ticket back in May - after 2 weeks the visas were ready and the passports were returned (I planned a trip to Turkey in the summer).
1.2. For the excursion week, the voucher was issued to the ANCODES company, at the Barcelona airport we were transferred to the NOVOVIRA company (we were just lucky).
1.3. A voucher for a beach holiday - for MARFIL TRAVEL (well, no luck). Details below.
2. Excursion (for a detailed description of each day, see the RUSIBER website):
2.1. Upon arrival from the airport to the hotel, a NOVOVIRA employee handed over programs of excursions in Barcelona and Paris (when, where the meeting is and just in case - a contact phone number), maps of the city, metro, explained how to use them.
Then a completely new thing began for me: everyone is left to himself, visiting ex-curses is at his own discretion, getting to the meeting point and back to the hotel is on his own, since the metro network in both Bars and Paris is understandable. It is more profitable to buy metro tickets at once in 10 pieces, on the signs of the direction of movement they are indicated by the name of the last stations. He who has eyes, let him see!
2.2. I will not hesitate to write a separate panegyric for NOVOVIRA. In two cities (Barcelona and Paris), on 6 excursions, with 6 transfers - everything was organized with an accuracy of 3 - 5 minutes. Guides, NOVOVIRA managers are pros, they work clearly, informatively, interestingly, unobtrusively.
2.3. Paris.
In Paris, NOVOVIRA attracted the Russian-speaking VIS-ITSCOPE INFO CENTER for excursions (lucky again). We drove up to them a little earlier, moved the sightseeing tour to a convenient time, bought two more, asked what? where? when? And we went to the Eiffel Tower.
For walking tours, they attracted a private guide-translator Elena, tel. (+ 33.6. 71.55. 64.86, in the center of Paris, the group was only 8 people, and in Montmartre we walked in general three of us.
As a result, 1.5 days out of 3.5 were used. For the rest of the time:
- a walk along the Seine - 10 euros, a tube on a "string" - a Russian channel;
- Eiffel Tower - 13 - 15 euros, the queue for the elevator is 3 hours, but you can skip the line on foot to the 2nd level (we have it on the 25th - 30th floor), and then on the elevator;
- a walk along the Champs Elysees - free of charge, a cup of coffee from 1.5 euros. up to 300 ev. (this is from the words of the guide);
– Tuileries Park and the Louvre – 12 euros, a map in RUS with pictures: where everything is located;
- The Latin Quarter, the Luxembourg Gardens - there is something to see.
Total: the optimal combination of independence and organization.
2.4. Barcelona.
I did not understand which city is more beautiful, Barcelona or Paris. It's just that the action of Dumas' novels takes place in France, so there are more familiar names.
But, putting your hand where your heart should be, I recommend: visit in Barcelona everything that the host will offer, and the Batlleu house is also inside (20 euros, including a tube with a Russian channel), Gaudi is simply a genius.
2.5. Communication is language. Everything that is written in the I-nete about the arrogance of the Spaniards and the French - FRA-NYE. Enough English "forgotten from school" and 3-4 words each (hello, thank you, please, goodbye) in the local language. Everyone is friendly, trying to help, a couple of times brought to the nearest intersection and showed the direction.
2.6. Hotels. Both in Barcelona and Paris it was 3 *, continental breakfasts, plus or minus service is normal, the main thing is close to city centers and 3-4 minutes to the metro. - for self-sufficiency, what you need.
3. Beach vacation.
3.1. It all started in the airport of Barcelona, where they brought all the tourists from excursions to take them to beach hotels.
A group of "russo-tourists" waiting for a representative of MARFIL TRAVEL hung out alone for about 2 hours after other companies sorted and transported theirs. 3.5 hours after our arrival, the girl Olya from MARFIL TRAVEL appeared at the airport, she smiled very sweetly, but had no idea when the bus would appear, offered to wait, be patient, “Foreigners will help us! ". Calling the MARFIL TRAVEL office, I talked to the lovely "manager" Valentina. She called for patience, expectation, something again about the coming help, but no more. Valentina was embarrassed to connect me with the management or with someone else who could organize a bus (Saturday 12.00 - Why bother good people? ), but she allowed me to write about this fact anywhere.
I am writing: “Gentlemen, do not fall into the arms of MARFIL TRAVEL – the continuation is unpredictable!! ! ". The second time I was convinced of this, when the bus was collecting tourists to the airport for a flight home - two of them were forgotten at the hotel, they had to catch up by taxi.
In short, without tourists, MARFIL TRAVEL managers feel much more confident and calm, but with tourists - a complete hassle. Fortunately, the hotel had the opportunity not to communicate with a representative of MARFIL TRAVEL.
3.2. Hotel Best Sol Dor 3 *. The overall rating is a confident "five", in more detail:
- polite, professional staff, at the reception - Russian-speaking Roman;
– a worthy chef and, as a result, tasty and varied food, HB was more than enough, on the day of departure they organized an early breakfast at 6.00;
— a spacious area with two swimming pools (adult and children);
– neat and helpful maids, change of towels daily;
- if necessary - a refrigerator - 30 euros. /a week;
— nightly entertainment shows (approx. 50 min. ), and not a banal animation, but a show: BJ (yes, yes, the same one from the 80s), Flamenco, acrobats, a girl with pythons (an inexhaustible reason for jokes of wives) and every evening is different.
The show is conducted in several languages, starting with Russian.
- safe - 30 euros. /a week;
- you can not change if necessary, dinner for lunch;
- what, by misunderstanding, was called a fitness room;
3.3. IMPORTANT.
Spend 3 - 4 hours, 10 euros. for two and drive to Tarragona (regular bus - 20 min. ). A beautiful, cozy city, and the central cathedral of Tarragona (entrance - 5 euros) is not inferior to the cathedrals of Barcelona and Paris, believe the eyewitness - you will not regret it.
In the "dry" residue:
– The tour as a whole is amazing – a dream come true – I recommend it!!!
- RUSIBER - "5-" - thank you very much for the dream, but you have been written about MARFIL before.
- NOVOVIRA - "5 +++"
– VISITSCOPE INFO CENTER – “5+”
— MARFIL —.....come up with something yourself.
- Best Sol Dor - "5"