Star Tours UK

I don't typically write reviews about any enterprise, as I consider their perspective and the challenges they face. However, my recent experience with Star Tours UK has compelled me to write my first review, due to the gravity and helplessness I felt in the situation.

I recently experienced an appalling and highly unethical service from Star Tours UK, that I feel compelled to share, in the hope that potential customers will avoid falling victim to their dubious practices.

On March 22, 2024, I booked the Panoramic Europe 5-day trip with Star Tours for myself and my family, scheduled for departure on May 13, 2024 (Invoice No: 338341, Booking Reference: 158599/ ALIM). I paid an advance of £765 (approx. ₹78,000) for the trip (enclosing invoice). Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to cancel my booking immediately after making it. This cancellation was made well months in advance of the trip's departure date, yet to my dismay, Star Tours refused to refund even a single penny of my payment.

This treatment is especially egregious considering my longstanding relationship with Star Tours. Over the years, I have been a loyal customer, having taken their Scotland trip thrice, and my relatives and colleagues have also frequently availed their services. Despite this loyalty, Star Tours showed no consideration or goodwill in handling my situation.

What makes this situation even worse is that their own cancellation policy states that cancellation charges begin at 25% of the total holiday cost only if notice is given 28 days before departure. Since my cancellation was made well months in advance, there should have been no charge at all. Their refusal to refund my advance payment is not only unfair but also indicative of their deeply unethical business practices.

Star Tours should have considered my request for a refund given the significant notice provided and my history as a loyal customer. Their complete lack of flexibility and empathy is shocking. Furthermore, when I inquired about the refund over the phone, their customer service was negligent and dismissive, showing no intention of assisting me or understanding my predicament.

It is also worth noting that friends, relatives, and colleagues who had to cancel similar trips with other travel companies have promptly received their refunds. These companies demonstrated genuine customer-friendly policies and understood the importance of treating their clients with fairness and respect. This stark contrast only highlights the unethical nature of Star Tours’ practices.

I strongly urge potential customers to reconsider booking with Star Tours. Their lack of integrity, disregard for customer loyalty, and unethical behavior are appalling. At any time, you could find yourself in a similar situation, facing unexpected circumstances, and you deserve a travel company that values its customers and operates with transparency and fairness. Look for genuine, customer-friendly tours and avoid Star Tours at all costs.

He was the best tour guide on the planet!! He was knowledgeable, and made the long rides on the bus a great deal of fun. He has a very pleasant demeanor. He is very patient and personable. He always listened to our concerns, and had a willingness to do what was necessary in order to make our tour experience even more delightful.

Me and my family went on Historic Scotland tour recently. Hotel , bus, driver and Tour guide were very good and cooperative. The itiniary was not very hectic. Third day's restaurant where we had our dinner, was clean, food was tasty.

Suggestion - instead of going to Lake district, an overnight stay in Edinburgh was preferable. That way maximum points of Scotland could have been covered.

Worst experience I have ever had with stars …think before you book …don’t recommend.

Absolutely awful experience, they schedule everything late. Food was not nice. Toilet on the coach was blocked causing foul smell. The tour didn't cover much to sightsee or do activity wise. I wasted my money and don't recommend anyone to travel with star tours!

Disappointed

Title: Disappointing Experience on Star Tours' 10-Day Wonders of Europe Tour

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I recently embarked on Star Tours' 10-day Wonders of Europe tour, and I must say that my overall experience was extremely disappointing. As a frequent traveler, I had high expectations for this tour, but unfortunately, it fell far short of them. From poor customer service to uncomfortable conditions and limited food options, this trip left much to be desired.

My journey with Star Tours began on a sour note, as I had previously taken a four-day tour the week before and had already expressed my concerns to both customer service and through a review. Despite reaching out to them, I received no response until day five of the tour, and even then, the response was vague and unhelpful. The lack of timely and appropriate customer service only added to my frustrations.

One of the main issues I encountered was the misleading information regarding food options. Although the tour claimed to provide vegetarian meals, it was limited to Indian vegetarian cuisine, which was not suitable for my preferences. This lack of variety and consideration for different dietary needs and allergies was a major letdown. Additionally, the absence of labels and proper information about the food made it difficult to navigate and find suitable options.

Another significant problem was the feeling of being singled out throughout the tour. As one of the few non-Indian and non-black individuals on the trip, my companion and I were consistently placed at the back of the bus and were always called last. This meant we were unable to disembark promptly, further inconveniencing us. It was evident that the tour did not cater well to diverse groups of travelers, as we were unable to participate in certain activities such as Hindi conversations or entertainment.

The lack of operational charging ports in the coach was another inconvenience. This was particularly problematic during long drives, as we were unable to charge our devices or even use fans to combat the excessive heat inside the bus. The insufficient cooling system caused discomfort and headaches, making the overall journey unpleasant.

Furthermore, the tour's arrangements for meals and stops were subpar. Being ill from day two onward, my companion and I were unable to eat for the remainder of the trip. The limited opportunities to purchase food were mostly at gas stations, which are not known for offering the best quality options. This lack of suitable food combined with the uncomfortable bus conditions made the tour extremely challenging and unpleasant.

Hygiene was also a concern, as the packed bus often resulted in issues with body odor and uncomfortable seating. Moreover, the disregard shown by the tour staff was disheartening. The constant need to prove our inclusion in the group at restaurants and the refusal to serve me properly cooked food in one instance were highly unprofessional and unacceptable.

Additionally, the rushed itinerary left little time for enjoying the locations or purchasing souvenirs. The tour felt more like a race to check off items from a checklist rather than an opportunity to immerse oneself in the wonders of Europe.

Lastly, the dismissive response I received from customer service after the tour had ended further exemplified the lack of concern and disregard for the issues I faced throughout the trip. Their response implied that the tour was intended primarily for Indians and not for international or diverse cultures, contradicting their initial claims.

In conclusion, my experience with Star Tours' 10-day Wonders of Europe tour was deeply unsatisfactory. The lack of response from customer service, misleading information regarding food options, uncomfortable conditions, and feeling ignored throughout the tour all contributed to a negative experience. I would not recommend this tour to anyone seeking an enjoyable and inclusive travel experience.

Package name : Majestic Europe . Coach trip 6.5.2023 to 19.5.2023

Hi , I am customer of star tour travels, UK.

We , family of four traveled in Majestic Europe Package (13 nights 14 days) on 5. 6.2023 .

We enjoyed the trip very much.

Meeting people from different part of the world and developing a new friendship is an awesome experience.

I would like to share some of my views or suggestions regarding the tour.

Tour co ordinater:

Special thanks to the co ordinater , multitalented and cool headed man. He kept on engaging us by singing, joking and sharing his life experiences .

Pros

First on the positive note , sharing some pros.

The stay and food provided was good.

They took immense effort to provide us the indian meals for dinner and lunch.

Cons:

As per itinerary we are supposed to be picked up by the coach which starts from London in the afternoon ( L , D).

Due to some operational issues the ferry got delayed. Though the delays are not under control, we were not informed neither by the startours nor by the company Xplore travels, India through which we booked our trip. Not knowing the reason we were standing at the pickup points from 2 o clock onwards. Finally the coach arrived at 5.30 pm. If we were well informed about the delay we would have spent our time in exploring the city instead of simply wasting our time at the pick up point.

As we were clueless and no communication from the co ordinater we missed our lunch and not compensated by the company though the delay was by them.

Though we carried our luggages exactly prescribed as per the star tours norms ( infact 3 luggage are smaller than the prescribed size) the moment the driver saw the luggage his expression was not welcoming.

Atlast boarded the bus and started our tour.

*The coach is below average. No leg rooms and not advisable for 14 days long road travels.

Have heard from fellow travellers that the same star tours provide good coach for the London coach trip .

On day 2 of the tour, we realized the air-conditioning was not working and informed the same to the driver and Co ordinater. The driver replied rudly that it's not a car to cool down immediately .

Next day after many passengers made the same complaint he checked and admitted the problem.

After four days it got repaired .

The coach had inbuilt WC. Though we all used the washrooms when we were at the break points and at the sight seeing points , we were not allowed to use WC in the coach not even in emergency situations. It was under lock for the last three days and denied for the use. Many women are above 50 years and faced the inhuman attitude.The company should review this issue, as it is not an pleasant experience.

Views on additional trips provided by the company:

The company provides additional trips by paying and enrolling on the spot.

They are

1. Zurich city tour , 5 Erous

Not worth opting it

2. Ice flyer at at Mount Titlis 17 erous

Had a very good experirnce and enjoyed

a lot

3 . Rome night tour, 20 erous

Waste of money and time. We went for this after a tiring day and very much disappointed.

Forget about the lights at buildings , no lights on the streets of the city.

Suggestions

Visiting the Fragonard perfume museum can be avoided as there is nothing to view except the marketing agenda. That time can be utilized for shopping.

Just sharing my mesmerizing Panoramic Europe trip (20 to 24 May 2023) experience. It was a really splendid time with tour leader (and a multi- faceted personality) "Dinshaw" as he showcased all the tour attractions and communicated all the nitty gritties. It was an amazing and cozy journey with the coach driver. My first coach trip with Star Tours was a memorable one with all the co-passengers (including Antakshari, Jokes and other fun activities). Thanks Star Tours.

We have been with Sttr Tours before and had a very good experience so when we had visitors we were absolutely sure that this time we will book with Star Tours again for Scotland trip. We book the Scottish Highlands tour. Day 1 we were supposed to visit Glasgow Cathedral. Website says you may be able to visit from inside based on the time you reach. We followed the time schedule provided by the tour manager and did not encounter any issues/traffic on the way and yet we did not reach there on time. The schedule on their website is misleading as there was no way we could have made it. Day 2 - most of the passengers on the trip were strictly vegetarian and the Tour manager was aware of this, yet on Day 2 as a part of continental breakfast (included in the tour) bread was served which had eggs in it). Tour Manager did not alert passengers about it and nothing pro active steps were taken to make alternative arrangements for passengers. Even after suggesting to get bread from the supermarket, nothing was done and Tour Manager simply wasted time discussing with their office who were not able to make a decision even for this minor thing. We had kids and passengers with long term health condition go hungry without breakfast that day. Complained to the team that very day, was told someone would get in touch but no one called. We did call again but no apologies or nothing was done to address the issue for that day. You are made to feel that nothing matters to the team once you have paid. Star Tours has lost my trust and my business and I won't be referring anyone again to these guys. 0% care for the passengers. Not recommended.I do have invoice number and call log details to prove I was on this trip

Our hotel rep at the ramada in antayla was very truthful and honest with us about what tours we would like therefore we ended up NOT wasting money. He was so kind to reccomend local areas to see and eat which was so helpful. Our tour guides for the tours were so knowledgeable especially Berkey with Perge and aspendos & the VR tour. We really enjoyed the tours, the boat trip was beautiful and we were able to sit at the front. very good value for money. 20th/21st October 2022. Only downside would be that the buses were abit stretched on the seating but the tour guides worked really well to problem solve this quickly.