Our Russian holiday was great. We were very happy with the administrative /operational process. We were always met at the airport or railway station, the car and guide turned up on time at the hotel each day, the guides were very knowledgeable and spoke good English so we could fully understand what they were saying. We asked to see some things that were not on the schedule and they immediately took us there. We got along very well with both of them and had very pleasant lunches together. I would like to think that they found us pleasant company also. Our very best wishes to the guides.
The guide during our one-day visit to Novgorod - which was well worth the visit as it gave us an appreciation of the beginnings of Russia - was also a teacher and did guide work as well. She had great knowledge of Russian history and it made our visit there particularly interesting. We provided then recommended tip to both the guides and drivers and hope they were satisfied. We missed giving the driver in St P. a tip since there was an unexpected change of drivers on the last day.
The Russian palaces and Churches were extraordinary. The disparity of wealth back in those days must have been immense in order to engage the vast numbers of persons required to build and operate them. No wonder there was a revolution! And of course Catherine’s Palace was amazing
Also our thanks to you for your efficiency in organising the holiday - it was just along the lines that we had proposed.
In summary the holiday gave us a much greater appreciation of Russia and its history and its people. Everyone was very friendly - that might seem a trite observation but we have travelled to many countries and one certainly experiences indifferent / nasty attitudes in some.
Sincerely,
Tony Lamond /Jacqui Lowe