Where in Europe and dare I ask how old are you?

I've a feeling that Shearings/Wallace Arnold do a few with flights and Saga definately do if you're old enough.

Thomas Cook Tours? We went with them last year to Borneo and was very very impressed. Would definately use them next time we want to do a tour.

Steve - we're both in our early 30s so I don't think we're eligible for Saga yet. I've tried looking on the Shearings website but it keeps messing me around so I'll try again next week. Thanks for the suggestions.

Stacy - Have tried Thomad Cook and their European tours start at £995 which is more than we want to pay - thanks anyway!

Corinne

Shearings only do a relatively small number with flights instead of coach for the main part of the journey so may not be suitable

Another possible option is that if you know where you want to go there may be a local operator running tours if you make your own way to the start. There are a couple of catches with this though, depending on where you go the operator may not be properly bonded (although all EU operators should have some protection) and there may be a gap in your insurance cover for the case of a seperately booked flight being cancelled and costing you the tour. The later problem can be alleviated by going out a few days early assuming the tour starts in a city worth seeing.

Is it the time spent on overland travel that you are trying to avoid or the fact that it is spent on a coach?

if you google ""european coach holidays"" quite a few options appear some are smaller local coach companies ..you never know you may fine local to you

wizard

Depending on where you are based, David Urquhart Travel do the kind of tours you are interested in. They operate mainly from Scotland and North of England.
I have also noticed a lot of 'Readers Offers' in our local papers. One company mentioned is Travelscope.
I would love to go on a tour of Germany, Austria or Switzerland but before the days of flying abroad to join a tour, my husband drove them from the UK and he will not sit on a coach behind another driver. (thinks no-one can drive but himself). He drove for Travelsphere and also tours operated by the company he was working for and I was lucky enough to go on a few. My personal favourites were the Rhine and Moselle valleys with a couple of days sailing on the rivers (the Rhine Gorge is spectacular) and I would love to go again.

Unfortunately Travelscope went bust at Christmas.

Travelsphere are still trading but for some reason their website has just stopped working! They also do business via newspapers, I think the weekend editions of the Times have theirs.

another name that i've just remembered is Inghams, they have some fly and tour holidays especially in the Lakes and Mountains section.

Hi All

Thanks ever so much for all the suggestions. After some manic internet surfing we have finally found the perfect tour with Voyages Jules Verne, who are part of Kuoni. We are going to Northern Portugal for 10 days, staying in some very swanky hotels including some from the 'Relais Chateaux' group. If anyone is interested, you can see the details here - http://www.vjv.com/destinations/europe/portugal/vintage-portugal/index.html

We went on a tour of Bulgaria with Inghams last year and I can highly recommend them. I will make a note of the other recommendations for the next time we are looking for a holiday - so thanks again to everyone.

Only 5 1/2 months to go now!

That looks quite good value and very interesting. I'd go for the optional excurison to Quinta Da Aveleda - I've drunk enough of their wine I ought to see where it comes from!

Your only problem is that you're going to get fed up of explaining to people that you're going to Portugal but NOT the Algarve.

I think we might end up doing all the optional excursions as they are pretty cheap - the whole tour does look like good value for what we were getting - it would only have been £100 cheaper to go with Cosmos for a tour with dreadful hotel reviews.

I have also come across Page and Moy who do tours so have ordered their brochure. They also have a website http://www.pageandmoy.com/default.aspx

Our friends are used to us going to odd places on holiday - just got back from Morocco and are off to Berlin in 3 weeks and then Slovenia in June. I hope that's enough holidays to satisfy me for this year!

I booked my holiday through travelscope.For september for me and my husbands silver wedding....the quote i got isnt anymore. i get that refunded. Pheonix who has taken over dont do flight holidays , they are now in the process of getting a flight licence which they say wont recieve it till end of the year..
I am totally gutted... tried other companies but its turning out to be twice as much money..

Where do you want to go? I'm sure somebody here could point you towards soemthing suitable.

WE HAD BOOKED THE MAPLE LEAF TRAIL... WITH EXTRAS.. PRICE WE HAD ,,GOING THROUGH OTHERS ADDING EXTRA £1000

Archers Direct and Cosmos are the same company - But - there is always a but - Archers regularly are cheaper for the same holiday.

We go on 11th May and it came out around £200 cheaper with Archers.

fwh

Thankyou very much i will look into them both..much appreciated..

Hi MRSD08 and welcome to HT!

Can I ask that you turn your CAPS lock off when posting as posts in all CAPS are regarded as shouting?

Rules Of Posting:
1) Do NOT post in all CAPITALS - Your post WILL be deleted.

Thanks.

luci

sorry have changed it.....

I can recommend trips worldwide. They have good online website and do loads of tours to Borneo. We did 2 nights beach, 6 nights trip then 3 nights beach to finish and worked out really good value for money.