Internet dominant but very deficient.
If you take 33 people, even though you call half Group 1 and the other half Group 2, it's not small group travel. That was our situation and we met other Travel All Russia groups at sights that said they had 3 groups. The 24/7 emergency hotline is unavailable after business hours, Russia time. You get a machine telling you they are closed and invite you to leave a message. Nice, considering the only time you would call is if you already have a problem. The Kremlin tour was rescheduled to the next day due to an unanticipated (!) national holiday celebration at Red Square. The next day, the group didn't have group reservations to tour the Kremlin Armory, an important part of the tour, so our guide wasn't permitted to lead us. We were fortunate inclement weather kept the public crowd low and we were issued self guiding audiotape machines. We were told to reassemble at a particular time. In the Kremlin Armory, the Diamond Fund, the biggest thing in the big thing, was supposed to be included in the tour and in the price. It wasn't, of course, since we were now on self guided mode (see above paragraph). A few of us recognized it and paid the extra entrance fee, inconvenienced by the audio wand we had to carry as electronics are not allowed in the Fund. We went in shifts, someone outside, holding the wands. Can you imagine going to Russia and not seeing the Kremlin's main attraction? That almost happened. No financial accommodation for the extra paid for the Fund (so what, that's not the point). In St. Petersburg, one part of the group was put in another hotel and asked to walk to the main hotel for the convenience of the bus at departures. One person had knee surgery 2 months earlier. Going to the first optional show ($$$) in St. Petersburg, our guide explained he couldn't make it that night and solicited a volunteer to take the ticket voucher and pick up the group tickets. We all presented to the assembly point. A bus was there, took its compliment and no other bus showed up. Upon calling the 24/7, we were told another bus would be coming. The first bus returned 45 minutes later for the remainder of the people. We were late, had issues with the voucher and missed a quarter of the show. No financial accommodation. Here are some smaller issues: Upon departing for a tour the guide discovered the headsets hadn't made it. We waited on the bus 25 minutes for them to arrive. The driver wouldn't turn on the A/C; he opened the doors. Nice way to start a day. Upon arrival by train in St. Petersburg, the bus driver was complaining loudly about having to load our bags in the bus hold. What did he want us to do? Of 4 provided lunches, 3 were Beef Stroganoff. One of our travelers was a vegetarian and although she notified the company in advance, every meal for her was lettuce and tomato. I could go on, but, if this isn't enough to deter you from traveling with TravelAllRussia, when it happens to you, you were warned.
spinner11
USA