Reflections on Our Pre-Cruise WOW Trip

After returning from a WOW trip, travelers are asked to submit a trip report to provide feedback and aid others in planning future trips. I did submit a glowing review because Tim and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to French Riviera and Provence that was planned for us, as earlier posts here have indicated. 

Two questions that I did not address earlier were, “Was the trip worth the extra expense?” and “Would you do it that way again?” Tim and I discussed this, and we both agreed that the answer to both was a definite “Yes!” (The only exception might be if we were planning to spend all our time in just one city.) 

Neither Tim nor I had ever traveled this way before, but we surely would do it again. What were the best parts? Here are a few:

• Having a driver pick us up at the airport ensured that our arrival was carefree (even if the van did get stuck on the narrow lane!).
• Having a personal driver-guide was such a wonderful luxury and a perfect way to experience a new destination, especially when one is short on time and places are far apart. We didn’t have to deal with other passengers, the tours could be tailored to our interests, and we could enjoy a bit of flexibility in the schedule.
• Having a guide vetted by a WOW travel specialist insured that our guide would be an excellent one.
• Having a travel specialist, who is an expert in a particular region, provide advice on what to see and do helped us find hidden gems that we might not otherwise have found on our own.
• Having a travel specialist take care of all the arrangements freed us to concentrate on other things. Although I’m a planner by nature, it was nice to hand over this responsibility to someone else.

With all of the positives about the experience, there are a few things that I would do differently next time. Here are a few:

• I would study restaurant recommendations more closely and try to balance fancy places with more simple ones so we could sample what locals eat.
• I would make sure that all restaurants for dinner are within walking distance of our hotel.
• I would remember to ask to sit in the front seat to more easily take photographs.
• Most importantly, I would make sure the schedule provides some down time to relax and recover. This is what I wrote in my trip review:

“Our only recommendation for other travelers is to look closely at any proposed itinerary and be realistic about your stamina and any physical limitations. In hindsight, we should have realized ahead of time that eight hours of touring each day would be too tiring for us. However, we were excited about the itinerary that Philip proposed and wanted to see as much as possible in our short time, so we didn’t admit to ourselves that we’re not as young as we once were! Despite this, we had a fabulous time.”

This comment may have struck a chord with Wendy Perrin, who coordinates the WOW trip program, since she quoted it in a newsletter entitled, “Our Readers Say that Slowing Down Improved Their Experience.” That was cool!

That's My Quote in the Article!