I Spent 13 Days on an EF Go Ahead Tour Through the Alps. Here’s What It Was Really Like.

When I started traveling solo, I had no desire to visit Europe. With so much of the world to still see, it just didn’t appeal to me. All that changed when I got back from Thailand and started to plan my next trip.

While browsing EF Go Ahead Tours’ website, I found myself looking through their European tours. After looking at the pictures and reading reviews, I warmed up to the idea of Europe, but I didn’t want to go anywhere I previously visited.

I’ve always wanted to visit Germany and Austria. It ultimately came down to two tours: the Central Europe for Solo Travelers and Jewels of Alpine Europe. You can probably guess which one won.

The Jewels of Alpine Europe tour had hundreds of positive reviews, so I had high expectations. After spending 13 days traveling through six countries, here’s everything I wish I’d known before booking and if I’d travel with EF Go Ahead Tours again.

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Jewels of Alpine Europe Overview
Jewels of Alpine Europe Itinerary
Hand-Picked Hotels
Meals on Tour
Jewels of Alpine Europe Pros & Cons
Jewels of Alpine Europe FAQs

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About the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour

The Jewels of Alpine Europe is a fully guided group tour by EF Go Ahead Tours. The itinerary takes you through the Swiss, French and Austrian Alps, as well as Northern Italy and Bavaria. Over the course of 13 days (or 15 days with the Salzburg extension), you’ll visit six destinations across five countries and the principality of Liechtenstein. If your goal is to see as much of the Alps as possible without planning the logistics yourself, this tour will meet your expectations.

Jewels of Alpine Europe Itinerary

Here’s a day-by-day look at what you can expect on the Jewels of Alpine Europe tour.

Day 1: Travel Day

Day 1 is always counted as a travel day. Instead of adding the optional Salzburg extension, I did it on my own. I arrived in Europe three days early to live out my Sound of Music dreams. I flew into Munich (München in Deutsch) and took a two hour train ride into Salzburg.

Day 2: Arrive in Lucerne

After two amazing days in Austria, I took a five-hour train ride to Zurich, followed by a shorter train to Lucerne, where the tour officially began.

My train arrived late to Zurich (so much for the Swiss being punctual!), and caused me to miss my connection to Lucerne. Since it wasn’t my fault, I was able to take the next train without any issues.

That evening we had an orientation meeting with our very type A tour director. (More on that later.) A welcome drink and group dinner was also included.

Day 3: Sightseeing Tour of Lucerne

📍 Destination: Lucerne, Switzerland
🚶 Activities: Guided walking tour (Lion Monument, Chapel Bridge, Jesuit Church), optional Mount Pilatus excursion
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast
🏨 Hotel: Grand Hotel Europe

Our first full day of the tour started with a sightseeing tour of Lucerne led by a local guide. Highlights included the Lion Monument, Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) and the Jesuit Church.

Lucerne isn’t very big, which meant we had lots of free time to walk around and get lunch after our guided tour.

The optional Mount Pilatus excursion was in the afternoon. It started with an hour and a half cruise on Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad. Unfortunately, the cogwheel train (the steepest in the world, btw) was out of service, so we had to take the gondolas up. 

The ride was so peaceful and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. At one point we completely disappeared into the clouds.

There isn’t a whole lot to do at the top of Pilatus. The highlight for me, other than seeing cows and hearing their bells in the distance, was watching two paragliders launch themselves off the side of the mountain.

After about an hour, we were able to take the cogwheel train down which was a wild experience. There are times where we were literally inches from the sides of the mountain.

Once we got back to the hotel, we were on our own for dinner.

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Day 4: Interlaken, Bern and Megéve

📍 Destination: Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland & Megève, France
🎟️ Activities: Photo stop in Interlaken, walking tour of Bern
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast
🏨 Hotel: Novotel Megéve Mont-Blanc

Today we started our journey into the Alps. We made a brief stop in Interlaken to go to the bathroom and take photos of Jungfraujoch before arriving in Bern.

Bern had the biggest surprise of the entire tour: live bears! I guess I shouldn’t have been that surprised since Bern is named after bears. There was also a bear pit at the entry of the city, but I thought it was old. (I have mixed feelings about the bears being in captivity. It does sound like they’re well taken care of.)

Our tour director acted as our tour guide in Bern, although I wish we had a local guide. The “tour” was mostly her walking us down the main street and telling us some facts. When we got to the Einstein Museum she read off “The Top 10 Einstein Quotes” from the internet.

We were then on our own for lunch before getting back on the bus. We arrived at our hotel in Megéve by late afternoon and we were on our own for the rest of the evening.

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Day 5: Sightseeing Tour in Annecy

📍 Destination: Annecy, France
🎟️ Activities: Guided walking tour, castle photo stop, Mont Blanc viewpoint
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast
🏨 Hotel: Novotel Megéve Mont-Blanc

Today I channeled my inner Francophile for our trip to Annecy. I’d seen lots of pictures of this town before my trip, but nothing prepared me for how beautiful the water would be. It was truly breathtaking.
 
Our local guide, Odile, was my favorite from the entire tour. You could tell she was really passionate about telling the history of Annecy and loved her job. Annecy is another small town, so the tour was only about an hour long.

Afterwards we had nearly 3 hours of free time, which was more than I needed. I couldn’t believe some people on the tour wanted to stay later.

I spent most of my time after lunch walking around the lake, but after about an hour it got a little old. As the day went on, it got very crowded.

This is also a PSA to always pack some spare toilet paper in your bag while traveling. The free toilets in Annecy were the hole-in-the-floor types that required thighs of steel to squat. And yes, the toilet paper was non-existent.

On our way back to the hotel, we had a castle photo op stop. We also pulled into this tiny town where there was a beautiful view of Mont Blanc. The most chaotic animal crossing I’ve seen in my life overshadowed that. 

Our tour guide also bought a bottle of Génépi, a traditional herbal liqueur popular in the Alps. I don’t drink, but judging from everyone else’s reactions, it’s an acquired taste.

That night I made a 10-minute walk to Luge 4S, a toboggan that runs during the summer. Best 8.50€ I spent.

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Day 6: Chamonix, Aosta and Como

📍 Destination: Chamonix, France • Aosta, Italy • Como, Italy
🎟️ Activities: Stop in Chamonix, lunch in Aosta, travel to Lake Como
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
🏨 Hotel: Hotel Albergo Le Due Corti

This day, which just so happened to be my birthday, was mostly a travel day. We had two stops on our way to Como: Chamonix and Aosta.

Like Megéve, Chamonix is a small, but beautiful ski town. We spent over 2 hours here, which was entirely too long. There was a cable car, but our tour director said we wouldn’t have enough time. 

There should be more to do than walking around, shopping or sitting at a café during a scheduled stop. Or at least give us enough time to experience one of the area’s main attractions.

Once we crossed into Italy, we stopped in the small town of Aosta for lunch. This was a quintessential small Italian town. Roman ruins surrounded the city, which were really cool to see.

We arrived in Como in the evening and enjoyed an included dinner at a family-owned restaurant.

Day 7: Lake Como and Bellagio

📍 Destination: Lake Como & Bellagio, Italy
🎟️ Activities: Villa Carlotta, Lake Como cruise, free time in Bellagio
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast
🏨 Hotel: Hotel Albergo Le Due Corti

Our day in Lake Como started at Villa Carlotta, a museum and botanical garden. The gardens were pretty, but the heat made it unbearable pretty quickly. Once again, we were given too much time at this location.

We then took a 45 minute cruise around the lake before docking in Bellagio for the afternoon. There were A LOT of people at Bellagio. It was also August, which meant it was uncomfortably hot. I’m talking sweat dripping down your back and going into your butt crack hot.

I spent the majority of my afternoon eating lunch at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni. I mostly chose it for the clean bathrooms, and it was also away from the crowds.

I left Lake Como not understanding the hype and thinking I’d need to go back someday. When I got home, I started reading suggested Lake Como itineraries on various travel blogs. I think EF Go Ahead Tours should read them too.

There’s so much to see, certainly not enough to do in a single day. However, there were a lot more interesting places we could have gone than Bellagio. If I do go back to Lake Como, it won’t be during the summer.

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Day 8: Tirano and St. Moritz

📍 Destination: Tirano & St. Moritz, Italy and Switzerland
🎟️ Activities: Santuario della Madonna di Tirano, Bernina Express train ride
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
🏨 Hotel: Hotel Bernina 1865

This morning we said “Arrivederci” to Lake Como and “Buongiorno” to Tirano. We made a brief stop at the Santuario della Madonna di Tirano before getting off the bus at the Bernina Express train station.

The Bernina Express was a great way to see the beautiful Alps and glaciers. It’s amazing how much the weather can change in just a few miles. (Personally, I was happy to be in cooler weather.)

The entire trip took around 2 hours. That included a stop at the Ospizio Bernina, the highest point reached by the train at 7,500 feet.

Tonight included dinner at the hotel. I’m guessing because there was nowhere else to go since we were pretty far from downtown St. Moritz. I was very impressed with the vegan meal they prepared, a vegetable grain bowl, and a vegan flan.

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Day 9: Liechtenstein and Innsbruck

📍 Destination: Vaduz, Liechtenstein & Innsbruck, Austria
🎟️ Activities: Stop in Vaduz, guided walking tour of Innsbruck
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
🏨 Hotel: Harry’s Home Telfs

After one night in Samedan, we were on the road bright and early for Innsbruck. This included a stop in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. (I had no idea this principality existed until I booked this trip.)

When I say stop, that’s all it was. We were in Liechtenstein for a total of 45 minutes. Enough to pee at the free toilets, get your passport stamped and check out the souvenir shop.

The castle, in my opinion, is the biggest attraction in Vaduz. But it was at least a 20-minute walk UP HILL. (I attempted it, but quickly gave up because I was battling bronchitis.) It would take another 20 minutes to get back down. I’m not a mathematician, but that gives you less than five minutes to take photos or walk around.

Since the castle isn’t open to the public, you’re limited to what you can do. However, they could have at least stopped somewhere for a photo op with the castle in the background. Or maybe they’d be better off not stopping there at all since there isn’t much to do in Vaduz.

In the afternoon we arrived in Innsbruck and immediately went on a guided walking tour. Our tour guide was fabulous! (A woman on this tour, who went on the same tour a few years earlier, raved about him and he lived up to the hype.)

After our tour, we had free time (a little too much free time) before an included dinner at Bierstindl, a traditional gasthaus that served Austrian food.

Day 10: Neuschwanstein Castle Excursion

📍 Destination: Schwangau, Germany
🎟️ Activities: Neuschwanstein Castle tour, guided audio tour, lunch at Schlossbrauhaus Schwangau
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
🏨 Hotel: Harry’s Home Telfs

The day I had been waiting for was finally here: Neuschwanstein Castle Day! As someone who grew up going to Disneyland, seeing the real-life inspiration was straight out of a fairytale.

Getting to the castle was an adventure in itself. First, we had to wait in a long line for a bus. (Apparently there were only two running, which just seems like terrible planning.) Then we took the bus, which was packed tighter than a can of sardines with visitors, to another long line.

The castle is very anal about entry times. If you aren’t there for your reservation, you don’t get in. So, we ended up skipping the castle bridge line and walking right up to the main entry. The ticket included a guided audio tour and climbing lots of spiral staircases. 

Unfortunately, they don’t allow photos inside, but King Ludwig was gaudy as hell and I love him for it. Everything was gold, bedazzled, ornately carved or intricately painted. And, as expected, swan decor was everywhere. I would go back to Neuschwanstein Castle in a heartbeat. It was absolutely magical.

Since no one invited me to move into Neuschwanstein, I had no other choice but to join the group for a late lunch on the patio of Schlossbrauhaus Schwangau. I was hangry by this point and not in a good mood. Thankfully, the food was delicious and I had never been so happy to see beetroot hummus in my life.

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Day 11: Sightseeing in Munich

📍 Destination: Munich, Germany
🎟️ Activities: Glockenspiel, Viktualienmarkt, guided city tour, BMW Welt, Nymphenburg Palace
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast
🏨 Hotel: NYX Hotel Munich

Today we said farewell to Austria and hello to Germany! We arrived in Munich in time to watch the Glockenspiel go off at 12:00 p.m. It’s a must-see!

Afterwards, I stopped at the Apotheke (pharmacy) and wandered around the Viktualienmarkt. I was excited to find vegan Mandelhörnchen (almond horns) and vegan croissants at a bakery.

In the afternoon a local guide joined us on the bus. (I’m not sure why she didn’t walk us around Altstadt.) I don’t think a bus tour was the best way to see the city, but considering how hot it was, it was fine.

We also stopped at the BMW Experience. (Not to be confused with the BMW Museum which would have been way more interesting.). This was not my vibe. I couldn’t care less about looking at cars way out of my price range. I would have much rather spent time anywhere else.

Nymphenburg Palace was the final stop of the tour. Our guide did a great job taking us through and telling us the history. We had time after to walk around the gardens and admire the many many geese. (OK, maybe I was the only one admiring the geese.)

We ended the day with a free evening in Munich.

Day 12: Free Day in Munich

📍 Destination: Munich & Dachau, Germany
🎟️ Activities: Optional Dachau Memorial excursion, farewell dinner
🍽️ Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
🏨 Hotel: NYX Hotel Munich

The last full day in Munich was a free day. You could either take the optional excursion to Dachau or choose your own adventure.

Only 13 people, including myself, went to Dachau. I understand that visiting a concentration camp isn’t a “happy” or “fun” thing to do. But I think it’s important to visit places like Dachau to help ensure the atrocities that took place are never forgotten and never happen again.

If you find yourself in Munich, I highly recommend you go. I’m not going to lie, it was a very heavy experience. As soon as I walked through the iron gate inscribed with the words “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Works sets you free), I cried. And walking into the gas chambers and crematorium is something I will never forget.

This excursion cost $40 and I’m not sure why since tickets are €4.00. Our tour director made it sound like tour guides weren’t allowed, but most of the groups had a dedicated tour guide. Considering this was an additional-cost excursion, I think a dedicated guide should have been included.

When we returned from Dachau, we had a couple of hours until our goodbye dinner. I spent it at a vegan cat cafe, which I also recommend.

Dinner was at Augustiner Schützengarten, a beer garden right down the street. The meal was actually really good. I got a vegan burger and a dessert that wasn’t fruit salad.

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Day 13: Flight Home

After nearly two weeks in Europe, it was time to say “Auf Wiedersehen” to the group. There were only a handful of us that didn’t opt to do the excursion in Salzburg.

Jewels of Alpine Europe Hotels

One thing all six hotels had in common was that none of them were centrally located. If you wanted to explore on your own in the evenings, you were limited to whatever was within walking distance. Sure, you could arrange your own transportation or take public transit, but one of the benefits of booking a guided tour is not having to worry about logistics. I would have preferred hotels that were closer to the cities we were visiting.

Note: EF Go Ahead Tours has updated their hotels for this tour. Like their website says, accommodations may vary depending on tour dates.

Grand Hotel Europe

The Grand Hotel Europe is pretty far from the center of Lucerne. It also didn’t have air conditioning. Not ideal in August. They did provide a fan, which was better than nothing. The hotel itself seemed kind of old, but the room was nice. 

I did have a brief panic moment while I was sitting in my room and the door opened. I didn’t think it was a malicious incident, but I told the front desk what happened. They looked into the card swipes and confirmed it was someone from the staff. They were very apologetic.

The included dinner and breakfast buffet were OK.

2026 Update: EF Go Ahead Tours now uses Hotel Schweizerhof for the Lucerne portion of the tour. I passed this hotel several times during my stay in Lucerne, and it looked like a major upgrade over the Grand Hotel Europe.

Novotel Megéve Mont-Blanc

This hotel was probably the best hotel of the entire tour. The Novotel Megéve Mont-Blanc had an amazing breakfast buffet (thank you, France!) and I felt like a rich person on vacation.

Despite the nice accommodations, I do have two complaints. Megéve is nowhere near Chamonix or Annecy. So if you wanted to do some extra sightseeing on your own time, you couldn’t. Megéve is also a small ski resort town, which means limited dining options, especially for a vegan.

Hotel Albergo Le Due Corti

Of all the hotels we stayed at, the Hotel Albergo Le Due Corti was the absolute worst. I’m not sure why EF Go Ahead Tours thought this hotel would be an acceptable choice. Not only was it far from anything you’d want to see in the Como region, the rooms were dirty and the showers were terrible.

They did gain some points for labeling the allergens for every food on the breakfast buffet. They had a vegan tart and there was even a dedicated section for gluten-free foods.

2026 Update: EF Go Ahead Tours now uses NH Pontevecchio in the Como region. It’s a newer hotel located near the shores of Lake Como and appears to be a significant upgrade over the hotel used during my tour.

Hotel Bernina 1865

The Hotel Bernina 1865 in Samedan was also not great. “Rustic” is the best way I could describe it. And I think they were in the middle of renovations. 

My room was actually really nice, and it was the best shower of the tour. However, it wasn’t near anything. If you wanted to go into downtown St. Moritz, you’d have to take a cab. (And I’m not sure those were even available.)

2026 Update: EF Go Ahead Tours now uses Hotel Reine Victoria, which is much more centrally located than the hotel I stayed at.

Harry’s Home Telfs

Harry’s Home Telfs was the hotel for our Innsbruck stop. Like most of the hotels, it was far from everything. And if you didn’t go on the optional Neuschwanstein Castle excursion, I’m not sure what you would do. There were frequent issues with the key cards, as in they didn’t work, and the air conditioning was not great. The breakfast buffet was also seriously lacking.

2026 Update: EF Go Ahead Tours now uses the Hilton Garden Inn Innsbruck Tivoli in the Austrian Alps. At about a 20-minute drive from Innsbruck city center, it’s much closer than the hotel used during my tour, which was nearly an hour away.

NYX Hotel Munich

Our final hotel was the NYX Hotel Munich. Again, not a bad hotel, but it was at least 20 minutes away from Munich city center.

2026 Update: EF Go Ahead Tours now uses the Holiday Inn Munich City Centre. This hotel puts you much closer to Munich’s main attractions, making it easier to explore the city during your free time.

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What We Ate on the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour

The EF Go Ahead Tours Jewels of Alpine Europe included five dinners:

• Welcome Dinner at Grand Europe Hotel (Lucerne)
• Dinner at il Solito Posto (Como)
• Dinner at Hotel Bernina 1865 (Samedan)
• Dinner at Bierstindl (Innsbruck) 
• Farewell Dinner at Augustiner Schützengarten (Munich)

The optional Neuschwanstein Castle excursion included lunch at Schlossbrauhaus Schwangau. Breakfast was included at each hotel.

Other than the Welcome Dinner on the first night, there were no included meals in Switzerland. I can only assume that’s because Switzerland is so damn expensive, and I say that as someone who lives in LA.

From a strictly vegan standpoint, the best meals were at the Bierstindl, Schlossbrauhaus Schwangau and Augustiner Schützengarten.

I do wish there was an included meal in Megéve, especially since the town was so small and the options were limited. Our tour director wasn’t very helpful with restaurant recommendations, which I thought was kind of odd.

When it came to finding a place to eat for lunch or dinner, I relied heavily on Happy Cow. It helped me find:

• Swing Kitchen in Bern
• Granny Smith in Annecy
• The best french fries ever at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio
• Semi di Sesamo in Aosta
• Moro Burger in Tirano
• Katzentempel in Munich

I also packed a lot of snacks, which came in handy when I was feeling lazy and didn’t feel like finding somewhere to eat.

Transportation

If you don’t like tour buses or get carsick, you’re not going to like the Jewel of Alpine Europe tour. Minus the Bernina Express, the bus was our only mode of transportation for the entire trip. 

Both of our bus drivers were fantastic — they know how to navigate the small, windy roads of the Alps! Our bus was also new. It even had that new bus smell. Because of that, our Tour Director was pretty anal about us not spilling.

Our Tour Director had a weird “seat cycling” rule. For example, if you sat in the front one day, you should sit in the middle or the back the next day. After about three days of this, people sat in their preferred seat and didn’t really move for the rest of the trip. I don’t think anyone cared.

A Note About Airport Transfers

Airport transfers were my biggest transportation complaint. I had no issues booking airport transfers for Thailand two weeks before arriving in Bangkok. I didn’t have the same experience with Jewels of Alpine Europe.

When I tried to book an airport transfer for this tour, the EF Go Ahead Tours representative told me I had to request it ONE MONTH in advance. (Keep in mind I only needed to get to the airport in Munich.) Someone else on the tour got a completely different answer.

I was fully prepared to take an Uber to the airport. Since other travelers were taking the tour bus to the airport in the morning, our tour director said I could pay cash. It cost 25€, which was much cheaper than a cab. (Our hotel was at least 40 minutes from the airport, and that was around 5:00 a.m.)

If you decide to book with EF Go Ahead Tours, I would ask what the current airport transfer policy is.

The Tour Director

The biggest disappointment of the entire tour was our tour director. The general consensus among the group was no one liked her or thought she did a particularly good job. And I would agree.

When our tour director was assigned, I searched the EF Go Ahead Tours website to see if she was mentioned in any reviews. I couldn’t find any, which should have been my first clue.

To me, a great tour director should be knowledgeable about the places you’re visiting. Unfortunately, there were several times when she appeared to be reading directly from Wikipedia, which made me wonder if this was her first time leading the Jewels of Alpine Europe tour.

She also recruited one of the travelers to act as a translator during our Lake Como cruise, including pointing out famous homes along the lake.

She was definitely well organized and made sure we got to each location, but she wasn’t very friendly. (She did warn us that she is more direct, but I don’t think that’s an excuse for not being pleasant.)

There were also times where she treated the group like children. For example, she gave directions while her back was turned to people in the group, which made it hard to hear. When a woman asked her to repeat herself, she was incredibly rude.

One of the women on the tour called our tour director because her luggage had finally arrived and she needed help arranging delivery. While it wasn’t an emergency, it was time-sensitive. The tour director told her she was busy and hung up.

Unfortunately, travelers don’t have any say in who their tour director is. It makes me wonder what this trip would have been like with one of the tour directors mentioned in the reviews.

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Jewels of Alpine Europe Pros

Here’s what I thought EF Go Ahead Tours did well:

• Our tour director posted a very detailed schedule to the group chat the night before. This spoke to my type A, detail-oriented heart.
• All the optional excursions were great and worth the extra cost.
• The local guides were, for the most part, outstanding.
• The people on the tour were all great. I felt like I was traveling with 10 sets of parents, and they were all looking out for me.
• They accommodated my vegan diet at every included meal
• There were plenty of potty breaks.
• Our bus drivers were incredible. Driving a giant bus through the Alps isn’t easy, but they made it look like it was.

Jewels of Alpine Europe Cons

And here’s what I thought EF Go Ahead Tours could do better:

• Our tour director left a lot to be desired.
• The amount of time at each stop. We either had too much free time with not enough to do, or not enough time to see the main sights. There was rarely a happy medium. Looking back, I probably should have researched more activities ahead of time to make better use of the longer stops.
• I would have liked more guided tours or excursions in Munich and Como.
• The hotel locations, and some of the hotels themselves.
• The extra $600 to have my own room seemed excessive.
• The website and app experience before the tour. When I traveled in 2024, EF Go Ahead Tours rolled out a major website update that affected excursion bookings, and the app incorrectly showed that my health information, including my dietary restrictions, was missing. I emailed customer service to confirm they had everything they needed, but I didn’t receive a response until August 3, the day my tour began.

EF Go Ahead Tours Jewels of Alpine Europe FAQs

You have questions? I have answers!

How much does the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour cost?

Short answer: It’s not cheap, especially when you compare it to my Thailand trip. (Thailand is a cheaper destination than Europe.)

Here’s a cost breakdown of my entire trip:

• Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour: $4158
• Optional excursions: $330
• Airport transfers: $28 (converted to USD)
• Flights: $0 (I used points)
• Misc expenses (e.g. tips, food): $350
• Total: $4866

I purchased the Jewels of Alpine Europe during a Black Friday Flash Sale. And it’s also the main reason why I chose this tour over the solo tour. I also had $200 in my travel bank from my previous tour, which helped lower the price even more.

What’s included on the EF Go Ahead Tours Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour?

Here’s what’s included in EF Go Ahead Jewels of Alpine Europe tour package:

• 11 nights in handpicked hotels
• 11 breakfasts
• 5 dinners with beer or wine
• 7 sightseeing tours
• Expert Tour Director & local guides
• Private deluxe motor coach
• 1 train ride

What’s not included on the EF Go Ahead Tours Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour?

And here’s everything that’s an additional fee:

• Flights
• Optional excursions
• Additional meals and beverages
• Tipping (tour director, bus drivers, local guides)
• Extension to Salzburg
• Airport transfers (if you book your own flights)

What optional excursions are available on the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour?

The Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour had three optional excursions. (The excursions featured on the Salzburg extension are not included since I didn’t go.)

• Mount Pilatus (Lucerne) – $135*
• Bavarian Castle and Lunch (Innsbruck) – $125*
• Dachau (Munich) – $40*

*I paid $330 for the excursions on my tour, which makes me think EF Go Ahead Tours has reduced the cost.

Nearly everyone on the tour went to Mount Pilatus and Neuschwanstein Castle. Less than half went to Dachau. 

I thought all the excursions were great. The one area where EF Go Ahead Tours can improve is communicating when the booking deadline is.

I booked all the excursions on July 28. I even called EF Go Ahead Tours to double check if booking them so close to the August 3 tour start would be an issue. (They will happily charge you, but won’t confirm if you actually have a spot on the excursions until days later.)

The representative I talked to said it shouldn’t be an issue. The only excursion that may not have availability is Dachau. They usually have to reserve tickets months in advance. I received an email on July 31 saying they were unable to confirm all the excursions. To say I was irritated would be an understatement.

Our tour director said in the app chat there were enough tickets available for everyone to go to Neuschwanstein. When I arrived in Lucerne, she said going on the excursions wouldn’t be an issue.

My suggestion: Book your excursions as early as possible. If you want to wait, I would book them no later than three months before your trip.

What’s the difference between EF Go Ahead Tours Jewels of Alpine Europe and Central Europe for Solo Travelers?

As a solo traveler, the Central Europe for Solo Travelers really appealed to me. I was ready to lock in a March 2024 tour date during their Black Friday Sale. But then I received an email about a flash sale for the Jewels of Alpine Europe tour in August 2024.

Here’s how the two tours compare:

The biggest difference for solo travelers is the “single supplement.” I had to pay over $600 to have a private room. (I double checked the current cost while writing this post. For an August 2, 2025 tour, a solo room would be an additional $800.)

I don’t completely understand why this is a thing since it’s the same as a room with double occupancy. Even with the extra cost, the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour was comparable to the Central Europe for Solo Travelers Tour.

I also thought the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour looked like a better value since I got to visit more countries.

Should you book your flights through EF Go Ahead Tours?

As I mentioned in my Thailand for Solo Travelers review, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t book your flights with EF Go Ahead Tours. Those reasons were confirmed during this tour. 

At least 10 travelers on this tour had their flights canceled or delayed due to weather. (There was a massive storm on the east coast right before the tour started.) This caused some of them to miss the welcome dinner (not that big of a deal) and part of the first day in Lucerne.

Two women even lost their luggage and they weren’t reunited with them until 2 days before the tour ended. (I told them they sounded like great candidates for Apple Air Tags.)

Because they booked their flights through EF Go Ahead Tours, they couldn’t rebook their flights. They had to call Go Ahead. Based on what those travelers said, the company provided awful customer service and support.

My suggestion: Do not book your flight through EF Go Ahead Tours.

What was the group size on the Jewels of Alpine EuropeTour?

There were around 35 people on this tour. Most of the travelers were retired couples, and many of them had traveled with EF Go Ahead Tours before. (This was the fifth tour for one couple!) A lot of couples were also traveling with friends or other couples they met while traveling.

Much to my surprise, I wasn’t the youngest traveler on the tour. That title went to a 14 year old traveling with his mom and two siblings.

There was only one other solo traveler on the tour. However, there was a group of women traveling together. Many of them were traveling without a friend or relative.

What’s the activity level on the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour?

Jewels of Alpine Europe is a high physical activity-level tour. EF Go Ahead Tours has an entire section on the tour page that says travelers can expect to walk 2-3 miles per day. A lot of people missed that when booking the tour. I don’t know what they were expecting; it’s Europe.

As expected, this tour had a lot of walking and a lot of stairs. For example, Neuschwanstein Castle required a lot of walking to get to the castle. There were also multiple spiral staircases inside. The tour director suggested those with limited mobility should sit this one out.

I thought the pace was manageable as long as you’re comfortable walking several miles a day and climbing stairs.

Would I Take Another Group Tour with EF Go Ahead Tours?

Another reason I chose this tour was to see if I would like a traditional group tour. While I think each travel style has its pros and cons, my next trip with EF Go Ahead Tours will most likely be a solo traveler tour. 

Despite my (valid) critiques about the Jewels of Alpine Europe tour, I had an amazing trip. My biggest takeaway was that it’s harder to meet people as a solo traveler on a traditional group tour.

The best way I can describe it is that I often felt like a third wheel, especially at meals that weren’t included. Most people naturally gravitated toward the friends, spouses or travel companions they came with. Maybe asking to join them is something I need to work on.

Solo travelers who are traveling together are more motivated to do things with people they don’t know versus those who have friends on the tour. And that’s OK!