Thanks Galway Bay - no, I hadn't seen this note from you.

I totally agree with you - it's an expensive risk for prospective travellers and not one I was prepared to take. I am in fact paying more for the tour I eventually booked (it's more expensive than Insight) but I am getting what I wanted. With me it is not so much a matter of cost as a matter of satisfaction for the money.

One wonders what prompts some of these tour changes. Last year Chenonceau and the Bayeaux tapestry were apparantly taken off the Normandy, Brittant and Loire Valley tour itinerary - (luckily I saw them with Insight the previous year). These are two of the main reasons why people take the NB&LV tour and their scrapping/substitution has caused a lot of disappointment.

I agree with you - if it aint broken, don't fix it (however there will be behind-the-scenes 'money' reasons in there somewhere).