Hi Hils,

All of the tours in the upcoming brochure are existing tours with 2014 dates with the exception of the Christmas breaks and the Costa Rica & Nicaragua tour.

If you could have your choice of destination - where would you like to go? Hopefully you've seen that our product team do monitor the forum and where possible create tours based on our members' feedback.

Kindest regards

Julia

I have done one trip to Route 66 with JY but I'm now planning on booking golden west and New Orleans in 2014. It would be nice to see Gracelands in a future brochure kind regards

Suzy :cool::cool::cool:

Hopefully JY will listen to you and others who can only travel during school holidays and offer some nice long haul destinations. I personally avoid school holidays!

Regards

Jaya

Hi Ann, I hope you have a brilliant time on the Canadian Rockies tour! I hope to do it in a couple of years. If you decide to do the Golden West, don't worry about the flight to the rim of the Grand Canyon. The small plane was very smooth and I really enjoyed it - just a short flight and if you're in a window seat, you'll get great views along the gorge and over the Hoover Dam and I got a wonderful sunrise shot as well. No need to be nervous!

All the best,

Bob

Thanks Bob, I've got a really good feeling about the holiday. Thanks also for your reassurance about the flight.

Kind regards

Ann

Ann,

To add to what Bob says my sory is similar, I did Golden West in 2010 (awsome holiday you'll love it) and the trip to the Grand Canyon was great but in hindsight a waste of money.

Why ? Not that it wasn't worhwhile but the following year I did the "Parks & Canyons" which goes from Phoenix to Vegas and we visited the GC on route and had option of the helicopter again.

Also visited the GC on Route 66 last year although thats only a photo chance as you don't have time to do much else.

Also like Bob (we'll meet one of these trips) I'm doing National Parks, Mount Rushmore, LBH this year and we stay over at the Canyon which is great, give me chance to walk so far into the canyon along the mule trail i hope (would imagine others that have not been will do the helicopter so will have time to fill in).

Vegas is a fair distance west of the GC hence the expensive flight to get there and too far out the way for the Golden west hol to visit on route as you arrive in Vegas from he opposite direction, much better to visit on a holiday that actually goes to the canyon.

Mick

Hello Mick,

Thanks for your advice. I think if I want to get good value out of the Grand Canyon I'll have to look at the National Parks holiday - I would also like to see Mount Rushmore. So, I think I'll have to get saving!

Thanks again.

Kind regards

Ann

All the best,

Bob

To add to what Bob says my sory is similar, I did Golden West in 2010 (awsome holiday you'll love it) and the trip to the Grand Canyon was great but in hindsight a waste of money.

Why ? Not that it wasn't worhwhile but the following year I did the "Parks & Canyons" which goes from Phoenix to Vegas and we visited the GC on route and had option of the helicopter again.

Also visited the GC on Route 66 last year although thats only a photo chance as you don't have time to do much else.

Also like Bob (we'll meet one of these trips) I'm doing National Parks, Mount Rushmore, LBH this year and we stay over at the Canyon which is great, give me chance to walk so far into the canyon along the mule trail i hope (would imagine others that have not been will do the helicopter so will have time to fill in).

Vegas is a fair distance west of the GC hence the expensive flight to get there and too far out the way for the Golden west hol to visit on route as you arrive in Vegas from he opposite direction, much better to visit on a holiday that actually goes to the canyon.

Mick

Hi I agree with all the destinations that Hils mentions, it would be great to see JY do them - especially Namibia and Tanzania! I may have to do Indonesia with Travelsphere in a few years if JY don't introduce it. Borneo would be great too.

Hils, be patient and you might be rewarded! I've just booked Costa Rica and Nicaragua for next March, can't wait! I'm sure JY introduced that date at least in part to try and keep me quiet for a bit! Perseverence sometimes pays off....

Ann, I've a couple of suggestions for you although I don't know how helpful they are! First of all, I did the Golden West tour a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it - my first ever long haul tour. San F was brilliant, really loved it. Drive south was interesting via Carmel, Monterey, Solvang and 17 Mile Drive. San Luis Obispo was just a stop off point. LA didn't impress me that much, though interesting to see. I really liked Palm Springs and loved Vegas (I didn't think I would!). With the half day spent at the Grand Canyon (leave 4am, back around 2pm), there wasn't that much free time to fill in around Vegas, just about right I thought. The trip to the GC was great - a short bus trip to the airport, a flight in a 20 seater plane and then at the GC most of us did the 3-in-1 helicopter ride to the bottom, boat trip, chopper ride back up then a bus tour - plenty of time to enjoy the view and take photos. So I'd say it was all well worth it and not rushed. The other option would be to do the Park, LBH and Mount Rushmore tour - I'm doing it in Sept - and we stay near the GC, and spend a morning there but go on the Lake Powell later in the afternoon. The choice is yours, but you definitely have to see the GC one way or another, it's truly astonishing!

Cheers,

Bob

Hello Bob,

Many thanks for your reply, your comments are very helpful. My concern about the Grand Canyon part of the trip is that it is just a half day and you have to take the flight to get there. I like the sound of everything else on the trip and it's good to get your view as you have been on it. Have looked at the other tour and like the variety of the Golden West trip. Think I'll have to get over the fear of the short flight won't I.

Have seen the Grand Canyon once before as I did a trip to the US in 2004 - a fly drive with a friend and we flew into Phoenix and out of San Francisco and went out as far as Monument Valley. Also took in Vegas, Lake Powel, Death Valley (loved Death Valley) and up Highway 1 and Yosemite so very full on! Wouldn't do it that way again!

Thanks again for your tips. Hope you have a fantastic time in September. I'm doing the Canadian Rockies in September and am really looking forward to it (first long haul alone).

Kind regards

Ann

I've not seen what will be included in the September brochure yet - but I am aware that there are several new tours being featured.

We have our new 2014 preview brochure out mailing next week which will include existing tours with 2014 dates.

Kindest regards,

Julia