Vision of Scandinavia & The Baltics

Customer Reviews

• CL

  Christine

  · September 21st, 2025
  great experience lots of variety highly recomend
  Show more
  Trip date: July 2025
• LJ

  Louise

  · September 1st, 2025
  We were pleased to have the opportunity to travel through the Scandanavian and Baltic countries and experience the different cultures and cities. However, there were a number of issues that arose which spoilt our enjoyment of this Tour. 1. Tour Leadership - we were not happy with our Tour Leader (Marina) who appeared to us as rather unprofessional and careless in her management of the group, eg. failing to provide clear and accurate information to the group on a consistent basis, not being available at certain times of day (at night), not attending to safety issues (such as seat belts), not providing guidance on finding suitable restaurants and finally withdrawing from the role after the Scandinavian leg leaving the group to self-manage and cope alone on the Baltic leg. This was most alarming because it was not expected and it implied that the travelers had to take responsibility for each of the other members, having to supervise those who were struggling with the trip details, and this put individuals under pressure to remain together with others who they did not know or wish to spend time with. 2. With regard to facilities and services we were extremely disappointed to discover there was no porterage at the hotels (which for older travelers meant a struggle with their luggage). The quality of some of the hotels was terrible (eg. arriving at hotels with blaring rock music filling the entrance and drunken parties in the reception bars, poor air conditioning in some rooms, hazardous lack of non-slip bathmats for showers and baths that were combined in one washing facility, and the dreadful quality of the final hotel in Lithuania (the Best Western) which presented like a Communist youth hostel (dirty, drab and located beside an imposing construction site with only sex shops in the vicinity). Also, we are aware that some of our travel companions were stuck in the elevator for some time on the first evening. In effect, we have never stayed in such a poor-quality hotel before in our lives and therefore decided to find our own accommodation elsewhere at our own cost for 2 nights. We were not aware before leaving home that there would be no laundry facilities available for the 17 days, other than the unreasonably expensive hotel service which we could not use as we were not staying in the hotel for sufficient time. As such, we were regularly having to purchase clean clothes. The Tour Leader advised that we wash clothes in the bathtub and carry wet clothes in our suitcases and dry them over time. We were disgusted with this suggestion and struggled with this most inconvenient issue throughout the Tour. We did not feel that VOS gave us value for money for this Tour and will not be using this company again.
  Show more
  

  V.O.S – Vision of Scandinavia commented on this review

  Dear Louise, We're sorry to hear that your tour experience did not meet your expectations. Our aim is always to provide a memorable and enriching journey through Scandinavia and the Baltics. For this specific tour it did not include luggage handling,... Show more
  Trip date: August 2025
• 

  Benny

  · August 14th, 2025
  Incredibly poor organisation. No details provided on daily activities, requirements or plans. All tours were poorly organised and communicated last minute. Confusion amongst all group of participants leading to constant questions needing to be asked, resulting in an increble time consuming tasks and causing stress amongst participants. Time wasted and stressed caused because of lack of information or communication, meaning certain sites were not seen at all while others multiple times. Tours were all entirely held on a bus resulting in low engagement, low visibility or understanding. Most sites were reachable on foot in a third of the time instead of being stuck in a bus and in traffic getting to see almost nothing. Walking tours were in fact mostly by bus and there was no microphone (the only group amongst many other operated by others). Poor planning of travels and time spent commuting rather than sightseeing or enjoying the places visited. Many transfers organised were left to the participants to figure out or sor out getting tickets or amending incorrect bookings, timetables and information around anything to do with logistics. Rather cheap hotels despite the numbers of stars attributed and poor communication around room arrangements (e.g. never having a double bed and always single beds, no air-conditioning, overall very average facilities to say the least)
  Show more
  

  V.O.S – Vision of Scandinavia commented on this review

  Dear Benny, We're sorry to hear that your tour experience did not meet your expectations. Our aim is always to provide a memorable and enriching journey through Scandinavia and the Baltics. Due to the breadth of the region, long-distance travel by bus... Show more
  Trip date: July 2025
• FL

  Filipe

  · August 11th, 2025
  Vision of Scandinavia & The Baltics Tour (18 July – 3 August 2025) We recently completed the Vision of Scandinavia & The Baltics tour (18 July to 3 August 2025), and we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience from start to finish. The itinerary offered a fantastic balance of organized sightseeing and free time in most locations, which gave us the opportunity to explore at our own pace while still benefiting from insightful guided tours. We really appreciated the variety in transportation—traveling by coach, ferry, ship, and train added a nice dynamic to the journey and made getting from place to place an enjoyable part of the adventure. The hotels were generally very good, comfortable, and well-located. While one or two could have used better air conditioning—especially considering the relatively warm weather we experienced for the region—this was a minor issue and didn’t detract from the overall experience. Breakfasts at the hotels were excellent across the board, offering a great start to each day. The Scandinavian portion of the tour had a group of 26 people, and it was a pleasure getting to know our fellow travelers (a mix of Aussies, Americans, Canadians, NZ, Irish and Italians ranging mainly from 37-78 years old, a 2 younger ones in their 20s). When that part of the tour ended, the group continued with just eight of us for the Baltic segment. We’re so glad we opted to include the Baltics—this portion was equally fascinating and rewarding. Each destination brought something unique, and we learned so much about the culture, history, and everyday life in each place we visited. If we had one small suggestion for improvement, it would be to allow more time in Helsinki. Our visit there was limited to around two hours on a city sightseeing bus, which felt a bit rushed considering the richness of the city. Overall, the tour was absolutely fantastic—well-organized, engaging, and enriching. We came away with a deeper understanding of the regions we visited and countless wonderful memories. Highly recommended!
  Show more
  

  V.O.S – Vision of Scandinavia commented on this review

  Dear Filipe, thank you for the wonderful review and feedback! We hope to see you in one of our other tours in the future! Best Regards, VOS Team
  
  Trip date: July 2025
• AT

  Amy

  · July 14th, 2025
  Excellent itinerary, quality hotels with very good breakfasts. Comfortable transportation. Local guides were exceptional. I only wish we were given the opportunity to upgrade our hotel rooms to rooms with a view. I highly recommend this tour!
  Show more
  

  V.O.S – Vision of Scandinavia commented on this review

  Dear Amy, thank you for the excellent review and feedback! We hope to see you in one of our other tours! Best Regards, VOS Team
  Trip date: June 2025