Good value

18 October, 2012

I have been reflecting on our recent tour of Poland and have deduced that at around $AU220 per day per person it was  mighty good value.

Firstly there were no hidden extras; all tours and at least two hearty and very good quality meals per day were included. The only incidental costs were for a light meal each day and tips for the guides.

Although the pace was brisk there were only two long driving days in a tour that covered 2200km in a circuit that went from the bottom to the top of Poland.

Our guide, Anna, was very efficient;  her English was excellent and she enunciated well. Her knowledge of history was evident. At first she appeared aloof but as the trip progressed we all developed a good relationship and enjoyed many laughs. She went to a great deal of  trouble organising arrangements for group members.

Daggy Decor at Mercure Helios Torun

For the most part the hotels used were of reasonable quality with the exception of the Mercure Helios in Torun. Here the rooms were tiny with dated decor (and I use that term loosely) with tiny 2'6" beds (our guide advised against the doubles and those who had doubles agreed the next morning that they were miniscule). The bath would be fab if you were 3 feet tall; tiny daggy bathtowels added to the ambience in this ablutions area. The breakfast here, although adequate, was the worst on the tour.

Some things we didn't expect on this tour but that were organised by Mazurkas was free internet access from all hotels, coffee and tea making facilities in our rooms and bottled water each day. These little things show that the tour company thinks about the needs of their guests.

I would recommend this trip, The Treasures of Poland, that is provided locally in Poland by Mazurkas Travel and marketed in Australia by Beyond Travel.

It goes without saying that Poland is worth a visit.