Majestic Europe: Why ACIS?

The 2012 group in Rome

I often get asked by other teachers to recommend an educational tour company. I always recommend ACIS. I also get asked by my participants why I chose ACIS to handle our travel arrangements. The first think I tell them is that, after working with ACIS for eight years, I truely believe that they are the best in the educational travel business.

I usually begin planning a trip about 18 to 20 months before the planned departure date. In that length of time, we have the attention and dedication of an experienced and helpful tour consultant to deal with all of our questions and concerns. Our regular tour counsultant, Patty, is always ready with helpful advice, and has gone out of her way to make sure that our tours are unforgettable. Last summer, she went through the trouble of reversing the order of our trip in order to help us avoid the Olympic crush in London, and to ensure that we did not lose any of the cities on our original itinerary. She was even able to accomodate our hope to stay in our favorite Swiss mountain town, Engelberg, as a break from the rush of the big cities.

Posing with our tour manager, Thomas, at Neuschwanstein

Once we are on the road, ACIS matches us up with some of the best tour managers on the continent. We have never been disappointed with an ACIS tour manager. They know each of the cities we visit intimately. They are always ready with free time recommendations to help our participants get the most out of their visits. I have always been impressed with how professional and friendly they can be, even while they are dealing with all of the craziness and responsibility of traveling with a large group.

ACIS always seems to have people in each of the cities we visit. It's not uncommon to recieve a visit at dinner time somewhere on the trip from an ACIS representative. Their first concern is always our satisfaction with the tour. Last summer, we had the good fortune to have dinner with the president of ACIS, Peter Jones. He shared his experienced traveling with us, including his stint working at a Taco Bell in Orange County in the early '70s.

Dinner in the Latin Quarter of Paris

Our tours with ACIS have always managed to balance free time with guided tours and activities. Hotels close to the city centers and public transportation allow us to make the most of our time in each city. European cities really come to life in the evening and night hours, when all the tourists head to their hotels outside of town. Being closer gives us the opportunity to enjoy more time experiencing each destination, and less time sitting in our hotel rooms. ACIS also make a point of planning our meals in restaurants in each city, allowing us to sample the local cuisine. My favorite meal on tour was our trip to an alpenhut in the mountains of Switzerland to enjoy a traditional Swiss meal. The 40 minute hike back down the mountain to town helped to burn off the calories.