National Holidays (National Holidays)

Member Name: santastic1166

Product:	National Holidays
Date:	21/09/09 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Clean Hotels

Disadvantages: Too much sitting, questionable driving, bad logistics, too much motorway, don't have a tour.

I refer to kiwimagic's review of 28/06/09 we went on a different trip but the result was so very similar. We went to Lake Garda, picked up at 06.20 dropped off at Blythe Svcs. Main coach set off at 09.45 we went straight through none stop from Blythe to Dover. I too can't understand why the arrangement isn't for an overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam!
We had two drivers, the co driver seemed to be more experienced than the 'main' driver; strange?
Every inch was on the motorways, all the stops were very short and at the services, expensive and most definately not enjoyable fare.
Our driver pretty soon proved himself a bit of a buffoon, jokes that simply were not funny, constantly repeating himself and throughout the whole trip contradicting himself on things he had said only two minutes previously. Got quite confusing at times.
The driving was precarious to say the least, the excuses we were given was that they were both new to that particular coach! They got lost and had to back track at least twice and on the outward bound journey we had a very near miss with another vehicle. All the time our 'main' driver was using the mobile phone, not hands free, he also drove with his arms while he unwrapped sweets, at one point he was map reading at the same time as he was driving. We have always on the other trips, felt safe on this one we were both uncomfortable to say the least.
The overnight stop was in Metz, France, the hotel was very clean, the room adequate, tea and coffee facilities and TV, though we don't speak French. The breakfast was a plentiful continental breakfast.
The journey continued in the same vein to Italy.
The hotel after a very good first night dinner of veal, the veal was served again every night in various guises over four nights. The rooms were nice, very clean and with TV though we don't speak Italian my husband loved that footie was on every night. No language needed there then. We had a lovely balcony, indoor and outdoor pools, nice, shame about the food.
There is an inclusive trip to Venice which we took on a day that was pitching with rain, we still went on the trip. Another near miss occured at the permit to enter Venice area, this time with another coach!
The rain continued, I live in Manchester and we are pretty used to rain here however; rain like this could give Manchester an arguement. It absolutely pelted down, all day, none stop, lots of us bought pac a macs and brollies and we still got soaked. We had to walk through patches of at least three inches of water all the way to the water taxi and again on the way back!
Homeward bound, we couldn't wait, minimum short stops again, all motorway svcs. Got to France and we stopped at Perdu this was so very obviously for the drivers to get their stocks of booze and chocolates.
We went on the 13th of September back on the 19th, my feet and ankles are twice normal size and my legs are aching big time.
We have been on a few of these holidays with National and they have all been excellent value for money, of course your not going to get food that you would have at home etc. On trips like these, you have to be realistic and upto this one we would give a good 9/10.
I have written a letter of complaint to National Holidays but I am not too hopeful of even a meaningful response.
We wish we hadn't bothered, hated it.
Lastly, there were people on the coach who had been before and were taking the trip again, they said this one was nothing like the one they took before.
I would advise anyone thinking of this trip to not bother because this trip
we would give a stonking 0/10.

Summary: We wouldn't advise anyone to go on this trip, poor at best.