Rome, Athens & the Aegean Escape (Mykonos & Santorini)

Traveler Reviews

• S

  Shirley

  January 19th, 2026
  3
  The 3 is an average of VERY POOR / BAD experience in Rome, and a fairly good experience in Greece. (On a scale of 1...
  The 3 is an average of VERY POOR / BAD experience in Rome, and a fairly good experience in Greece. (On a scale of 1 to 10, the "help" in Rome was a 1 (or less); the help in Greece was a 7 or 8.) We tried (unsuccessfully) using all sorts of "emergency" contact numbers given to us to get help while in Rome. 1. The pickup ride for Michael and Juliana never "connected." I personally got a text message from the driver that he was at the airport. I was also in contact with Michael and Juliana--following them through the airport and to baggage claim. Michael went to the area outside the terminal where Rob and I had seen drivers with signs earlier in the day--NO ONE there for Michael (or Shirley) or any other Montgomery. I even heard Michael (while on the phone with me) verbally ask up and down the line for "Anyone here for Shirley Montgomery." So, both of us ended up paying for the cab ride to the hotel. On a tour costing over $10,000, perhaps the additional 55Euro cab ride is not a game changer, but it was indicative of the "support" available in Rome. Rob and I had to pay our own 55Euro fare earlier in the day because you would only provide ONE transfer from airport to hotel. In reality you supplied ZERO transfers. 2. Our luggage was delayed (58 hours to be exact). We tried, again unsuccessfully, to get help via Tour Radar, Greca Travel, and XCover (the trip insurance company)--via phone, text, WhatsApp, email--numerous times. When we did actually get a person (usually via Tour Radar) who more-or-less spoke English, it was just something like "we'll relay the message and someone will get back to you." Well, that someone never bothered to "get back to us." There was no concern at all that we were experiencing a problem related to the travel booked via Tour Radar. 3. The comment that there would be a tour representative at the Rome hotel who spoke English was a complete lie. The Rome hotel desk clerks did speak English (at various degrees of competency), but knew nothing about Tour Radar or Greca, were not involved with either company, and had no interest in or ability to be of assistance. In other words, we spent a significant amount of the Rome time trying to get help from from someone. Conclusion: Tour Radar is only interested in selling the product. Once Tour Radar gets the money, they are completely uninterested in the traveler. Greca Travel did give some assistance while in Greece. The drivers to/from the airport/ferry/hotel were all there on time. We did have to take the initiative when leaving Mykonos about pickup time from hotel to airport. Compared to our experience in Rome, that wasn't a huge problem. Even so, we should not have had to made the extra effort--it should have been automatically done on the tour director's part. Our local (self-booked) tours were all wonderful. Too bad Tour Radar and Greca Travel couldn't have provided the same friendly, efficient service.Show more
  Traveled in January 2026
  

  Reply from: Greca

  Dear Shirley, Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback about your Greece & Italy journey. We are truly sorry that the Rome portion of your trip caused frustration and disappointment, and we appreciate the opportunity to respond with care and clarity. We are pleased to hear that your experience in Greece was overall positive and that transfers and services there met your expectations. At the same time, we fully understand how strongly the challenges in Rome affected your overall perception of the trip, and we would like to address those concerns transparently. 1. Airport transfers in Rome: Regarding the airport transfer in Rome, our records confirm that the driver was present at the airport at the agreed-upon time and location, in line with your scheduled flight arrival. The delay resulted from the unfortunate loss of luggage, which required you to remain inside the terminal to complete airline procedures. While we fully understand how stressful this situation can be after a long journey, airport transfer services operate under strictly regulated waiting times, which drivers are unfortunately unable to extend when passengers are delayed inside customs or baggage claim areas. In such situations, arranging a taxi is often the fastest and most practical solution, as organizing a second transfer would have required additional waiting time. We regret the inconvenience this caused, but we believe this was the most efficient way for you to reach your hotel and continue your journey. 2. Delayed luggage: We completely empathize with how disruptive delayed luggage can be, particularly at the start of a trip. While airlines are solely responsible for baggage handling and delivery, we regularly assist our travelers by following up with the airline once a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) has been issued. Had we received the luggage claim details, we would have been more than willing to follow up with the airline on your behalf and provide ongoing assistance during the process. 3. Local assistance in Rome: We regret any confusion regarding local support in Rome. For Italy, assistance is provided remotely through our emergency contact channels rather than through an in-person representative at the hotel. This support structure is outlined in the trip documentation; However, we understand that expectations may have differed and we are sorry this caused additional frustration during an already stressful situation. We take your feedback seriously and are reviewing the Rome arrangements internally to identify how to further improve communication and coordination, particularly in cases involving unexpected disruptions. We appreciate you sharing your experience and thank you again for your valuable feedback. Kind regards, Greca Travel team.

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