The 6000 pound Italian vacation that turned into a nightmare

A couple of tourists paid £6,000 for a ten-day tour of Italy in September, booked through Great Rail Journeys (GRJ). It was supposed to be a special vacation, but it was a big disappointment.

Only two days before the travelers were to leave St. Pancras station, GRJ sent them an email informing them that they would have to take a bus from Paris to Turin. He did not apologize or explain the reason for this change in arrangements. This is stated in the material of thetimes.co.

"We didn't stay in the hotels in Rome or even Florence listed on the itinerary, but in much less convenient locations away from the city center, making it impossible to take a leisurely walk to visit these beautiful cities. GRJ booked a hotel in Murano instead of Venice itself, which I suppose was a cheaper option, but not being on the main island limited our options," the tourists say.

The replacement hotel in Florence was also of poor quality - the room was small, poorly equipped, and next to a busy train station. The company does not take responsibility for the downgrade and did not explain why the changes were made. There is reason to believe that the hotels were unavailable because GRJ failed to book them in advance.

GRJ also scheduled a visit by travelers to the Vatican for a Wednesday, when the Pope is usually in residence, so the place could be crowded. This led to a chaotic race to the museums. Tourists had planned to see St. Peter's Basilica, but everything was so rushed that they missed that too.

"The worst part of the holiday was supposed to be the best. It was also strange that GRJ didn't know to avoid Vatican City tours on Wednesdays, considering they claim to have 50 years of experience organizing tours. They promised high quality travel, hotels, and experiences, but they let us down," the travelers add.

It turned out that a landslide in the Moriennes Valley blocked a railroad tunnel in August, so you can't travel by train on this section of the route, but it's strange that GRJ didn't explain the change of plan.

"But the landslide was not the reason for the change of hotels. GRJ told me that it had booked all the accommodation but was let down by the supplier so two hotels became unavailable at short notice and it was difficult to find a suitable alternative. It offered you £400 in compensation for the downgrade of the hotel in Florence, but this was just one of a number of problems and you understandably didn't think that amount reflected all the problems," said the tourists.

But while improving the itinerary may benefit future customers, it didn't help a couple of travelers who paid £6,000 for a service they didn't receive.

"After some negotiation, GRJ said one of its directors would call to discuss compensation, and eventually the company doubled the amount to £800, which you were happy with. In addition, he sent champagne in honor of the wedding anniversary," the travelers note.