I'm sure I've missed some posts others have contributed due to the holding back of posts.  Really frustrating.  

I have two JY holidays booked for 2018, which I was looking forward to, but all the problems are worrying.  In fact booked the India trip with Amritsar, as this is a well established trip over choosing the Central America trip which isn't and suffers also from the huge JY increases in prices.  (And as Bob and Mike will remember I've done a prior new trip in that area which didn't exactly go smoothly.)

Have been booking with lots of other companies, a couple have been great (so far) but I'm tearing my hair out over a future planned trip with Riviera Travel - so not everything elsewhere is rosy.  

Problem for me is not getting a feel for some of the other companies trips beforehand.  Having now been with Titan and Jules Verne and spoken to others on those trips have an idea of what I'd like with them.  But, for instance seen a couple of new tours with One Traveller - to Southern India and a Nile cruise - which I might consider for 2019 but I'd like to have some feedback first.

I think one point made about relying too much on local agents is really important.  I can think of several instances of where this caused major problems.  I still remember with absolute horror the complete dump we were taken to for the welcome meal in Nice - the walking tour on the Côte d'Azur - I couldn't believe there could be anywhere so bad in Nice - some who had been on previous JY trips gave the TM an awful time (I felt really sorry for her, she didn't know where she was taking us) and what the newbies thought I dread to think.

And I'm so pleased to get the option of a ski trip after many years, with no one to go with.  Fingers crossed.

Katy

Hi Katy

For info I tried One Traveller over last xmas and new year touring Thailand and found them to be very efficient and organised and I had a fantastic trip with all excursions and food included. Now looking to book Vietnam and Cambodia with them for Jan. I recently found out that this company was started by someone 10 years ago who used to work for JY. 

Is it me or are more excursions having to be paid for with JY.

Alan

hi Alan,  almost missed your post.  Think it was another post that was slipped in late, for some reason. Glad you had a good trip with OT, their recent brochure very appealing. Good to get some feedback on them.  I've got a trip for next November booked with them, looking forward to it, they were very helpful on the phone.   Off to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in a couple of weeks (not JY).  I'm still going with JY on trips - just paid for their skiing in Bulgaria in January and have India booked for February.  But like others, finding JY a bit wanting recently.

Katy