Hello Everyone!

I am pleased to see that so much excitement has been generated for the 2010 Members Tour and we are now on a home run! I realize you are anxious for more details so what I can share with you is the following:


1. The tour will be focused on the Balkans

2. The tour will be roughly 12 days but offer a five day resort extension in Dubrovnik (so those looking for a longer trip can enjoy a resort style break in one of the world’s most beautiful regions).

3. Based on schedules, feedback, and the best time to visit this area the tour will be conducted in August.

4. I would also like to confirm that I am hoping joining you for a few days and look forward to spending time with you in this magical part of the world!

We are in the process of building this itinerary and continue to welcome further suggestions. Please continue to post your feedback and check the bulletin board for updated. There will be more to come soon!

John Boulding

Hi John. Thanks for your update however am disappointed to see that you do not appear to have taken into consideration the "feedback" of the majority with the length and the time of year. August will be hot( Dubrovnik reaching 38deg C.) and 12 days when coming all the way from Australia is a problem.
The 19 day tour was perfect for us and with the reduced time etc. we will have to reconsider our options.
I hope you are able to reconsider???? Jim

I agree that August will be too hot (contrary to what some people seemed to think)and Sept. would have been a much better option. It is 35 deg. here today and there is no way we're moving!

Oh Well....This is a disappointment I feel that all the time we have been talking about this tour has been a complete waste of time. We shall not be going this BB tour, August is right out plus its not what we have been voting for.Plus most of us were wanting the 19 day tour that Phil came up with, which Insight could easily arrange. So sorry Paul and I shall not be going.

Tuppence

In agreement with Jimbo44.....12 days in August is not the best option for us- too short, too hot as stated.
We would probably not take the 5 days in Dubrovnik but go onto a Russian waterways cruise [a preferred 'resort style' option for us] instead after visiting Pecs and Budapest as our own little extra- too good an opportunity to be so close to Pecs and miss out.
Disappointed at this stage.

It seems the polls conducted on this BB have been ignored by Insight. They are now suggesting 12 days in August. I also believe that this is too short and August would be too hot.

Reading from insights web Site, I quote:

"Insight Vacations Special Groups
Are you considering organising a group tour? Insight Vacations is dedicated to providing the best customised group itineraries to USA, Canada, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, and may be able to help you.

Our experienced groups department offers the flexibility and buying power to create any tour itinerary, in any language to any of our destinations at a competitive price. We will arrange all aspects of your trip, including transfers, hotel accommodation, meals, sightseeing, tour directors and local guides.

It is Insight Vacations’ consistent commitment to providing personalised customer service and affordable prices, along side its impeccable reputation for service and quality that sets Insight Vacations apart from its competitors."

I would hope Insight will reconsider. Thanks Jim

Sadly Insight is ignoring the views and wishes of so many of the Bulletin Board members for whom the 2010 was supposedly being designed for. A complete waste of time of all of the thought and effort and anticipation that so many BB members have put into the project over the past 6 months or so.

The clear majority preference shown by BB members was for a 19 day tour of the Balkans and Dalmatia to be conducted in September 2010.

The itinerary most popular with the BB members and arrived at through much discussion and many suggestions was:

Day 1: Arrive Bucharest
Day 2: Bucharest - Brasov (via Sinaia and Bran Castle)
Day 3: Brasov - Bucharest (after a tour of Brasov, travel to Sighisoara for a detailed tour, before returning to Bucharest)
Day 4: Bucharest – Sofia
Day 5: Sofia Sightseeing
Day 6: Sofia – Ohrid
Day 7: Ohrid – Tirana
Day 8: Tirana – Budva - Kotor - Dubrovnik
Day 9: Dubrovnik At Leisure
Day 10: Dubrovnik – Korcula
Day 11: Korcula Sightseeing
Day 12: Korcula – Mostar - Sarajevo
Day 13: Sarajevo Sightseeing
Day 14: Sarajevo – Belgrade
Day 15: Belgrade Sightseeing
Day 16: Belgrade - Pécs
Day 17: Pécs sightseeing
Day 18: Pécs to Budapest
Day 19: Depart Budapest

As stated before, such an itinerary also gave a number of options at the end of the tour where some people could fly straight home, some could take more time in Budapest, some could join a river cruise or some could take the Hydrofoil from Budapest to Vienna with the possibility of an extension of days in Vienna.

Phil posted his latest poll on 29 July to gauge how many people would be likely to take the 19 day tour, and within about 36 hours we had 13 people had put their names to the trip (and there were a number of others that had told me they would be going if it was the 19 day tour). A very quick positive response rate indeed.

Sadly however we now see people pulling out of the 2010 BB tour because we have been ignored by Insight and, much to our disappointment, my wife and I are in that category as well.

We both thoroughly enjoyed the 2008 Bulletin Board tour, as well as the companionship of our fellow BB members, and we were looking forward to the same again in 2010 but now we must reconsider and as Insight’s proposal currently stands I cannot see us participating. Instead it looks as if we will be switching to an alternative Australian tour.

The king is dead!
Yes?
No?

The tour is dead!
Yes?
No?

Best Bet: No 2010 BB Members tour will happen as I predicted in the past. John's report probably killed it for many!

Cat's Inheritance

Cancel our votes. We are not interested in your twelve-day tour. So Sorry! We were so looking forward to it.

Bill and Diane