Tours of Distinction

"I have been on two Tours of Distinction trips. Niagara Falls and Tournament of Roses Parade. Both trips were great! Our Tour Director, Kim, was on top of everything and a lot of fun. There are a few things we think could be changed like the New Year’s Dinner on the San Diego visit on the Tournament of Roses trip. It was a new trip so just some feedback. The groups of travelers on both tours were all good people and interesting to talk to. We would not hesitate to use ToD for our next trip."

"TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE DECEMBER 29, 2023 - JANUARY 3, 2024 I have wanted to attend The Rose Bowl Parade since I was a kid. Happened to spot the L.A./Pasadena trip offered by this tour operator back in September of 2023. Sounded like it would be a great experience at a reasonable price. Spoke to my good friend and neighbor to see if she was interested in going with me. I was very happy to hear that she wanted to go. We went ahead and booked the trip. According to the Tours of Distinction website, we would be staying at a very highly rated Hilton hotel adjacent to the ocean in Santa Monica. This turned out to be the first of their many untruths. We did not receive our itinerary until approximately one week prior to departure. Lo and behold, we are now going to be staying at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Better yet, it is conveniently located only one block from the most highly populated Skid Row in the United States. After checking several online travel sites, it became apparent the downtown hotel can be reserved for approximately half the cost of the hotel we were led to believe we were staying at. When I called to object to their bait and switch tactics, I was informed by an extremely unpleasant woman that they never promised that we would be staying in Santa Monica and downtown was more conveniently located. Another complete lie. Basically the attitude seemed to be that they had our money and tough luck cause you ain't getting a refund. Obviously, it's a sinking feeling to realize you are being deceived before even going on the trip. They were even so brazen as to continue showcasing the Santa Monica hotel on their website up until the day we departed for California. Some of the many lowlights of the trip would be the "festive New Year's Eve Dinner Party filled with games, music, party favors and champagne." This of course did not happen. We were served a "steak" dinner at the DoubleTree that was the most tasteless and toughest piece of meat I have ever tried to cut into. The side trip to San Diego turned out to be a complete waste of a full day. We never made it to The Gaslamp District, which was supposed to be a featured attraction of going to SD. Instead, we did a poorly planned stroll through the Little Italy section. We went to the Old Town area but no thought was given to having lunch at one of the many authentic restaurants there. We wound up having to dine at a less than stellar sandwich joint near the harbor. On New Year's Day, we were to dine at a well known prime rib restaurant in Beverly Hills for lunch. This did not happen. Instead, we had hamburgers at Mel's Drive In on Hollywood Boulevard. Never saw Beverly Hills. None of the motor coaches had a restroom. One of the motor coaches had a suspension/shock absorbers so inadequate as to almost loosen the fillings in your teeth. Our tour director seemed pleasant enough, but nothing of interest was ever pointed out as I don't believe she had any knowledge of Southern California. I could go on and on, but that's not likely to accomplish anything other than bringing my anger to the surface again. Basically, everything they do is done on the cheap. Suffice to say that I would never recommend this tour company to anyone. As for highlights, The Tournament of Roses Parade experience was fabulous. The Nixon Library side trip to Yorba Linda was also worthwhile. The Mission at San Juan Capistrano was informative. There was a total of 18 people on this tour and I truly enjoyed their company. Incompetent, chintzy, unscrupulous, unprofessional and unethical would be appropriate and accurate descriptions for the people who operate Tours of Distinction."

"Recently went to NYC for the Christmas Spectacular show at the Radio City Music Hall. The experience was wonderful. Our tour guide Julie was super friendly and informative. She put everyone at ease and answered all questions. She made recommendations on what to see and where to eat. Everything was on time as she said it would be. The bus driver, Walter, I believe was his name. He drove very smooth and cautiously. He also was very friendly. The group of people was a good mix of seniors, younger parents with children, and middle aged couples. Everyone was super friendly. Thankyou for a great day!"

"The trip to the Canadian Rockies as exactly what we expected. This was our 7th trip with Tours of Distinction. We were there when the wildifres happened and they handled the situation well. You know how great a business is when they handle tough situations. Despite that, the trip was really well organized. Marina our tour director was top-notch. From the hotels to the meals to the transportation. We could not have asked for more. Highly recommend them!"

"A trusted, reliable, honest, and respectable tour operator that has been in business almost a half of a century in Connecticut. The tour groups are always accompanied by a professional tour director that helps to ensure that the tours run smoothly. The company has excellent relationships within the travel industry and only uses trusted partners. A great tour company to travel with in Connecticut, throughout the United States and Canada and Internationally. Just got back from Mackinac Island- great group, well organized tour and lots of bucket list destinations- rock and roll hall of fame, Mackinac Island, the ford museum, Frankenmuth and Niagara Falls ! Wow!"