SPAIN FAMILY VACATION

We would like to thank Eugenio Ovalle of Alta Tours for superb organization of our customized private group tour of Spain, which included must-see sights in Madrid and vicinity, as well as major attractions in Andalusia. Looking back at what we have seen and experienced, it is hard to imagine that so many things have been packed in just fourteen short days. One of the reasons we chose Alta Tours was their offer to conduct all travel by a private bus (which had been at our disposal at all times), thus eliminating the need for frequent cab rides to and from railway stations, loading/unloading baggage for ten people, and purchasing expensive intercity train tickets. Miguel and Pedro Marcos, our drivers and co-owners of the bus company arranged by Alta Tours, were highly skilled, conscientious and accommodating, and in general a delight to work with. (In retrospect, I cannot imagine doing this tour using multiple modes of transportation, which, even in the best case scenario, would have made things much more stressful and costly.) The local guides in all the cities we had visited were knowledgeable, intelligent and sensitive to the fact that three children of different ages (9, 14 and 17) were a part of the group. Five included dinners (in Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville and Granada) were served at “atmospheric” restaurants, and included fine examples of central and southern Spanish fare. We stayed at four-star hotels throughout the tour, and all properties were very adequate, with some exceeding the standards associated with this rating. Last but not least, one of the things that made this trip a success were the services of our indispensable “virtual tour director” Javier Gomez who literally had been “a phone call away” throughout the entire trip, resolving communication/language problems, making restaurant reservations, providing “real-time” advice on points of interest, and in general assisting in ways too numerous to list. We recommend Alta Tours without reservation to all travelers interested in exploring Spain with a travel provider that is sensitive to the needs of their clients, attentive to details, and very dependable. Natalya Govzman and Alexander Kuzmin Lena Krislasky Marina and Yuriy Tsvetov Tatyana and Alexander Kagan, and also Mark, Daniel and Eugene