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Arena Travel   Reviews

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Reviews 2.8.

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I have made number of trips with arena - on stitchtopia tours - to USA, India, France and Spain. They have all been managed exceptionally well, smoothly run by well informed experts and guides. I would recommend them and I am now planning to go to Uzbekistan.

Date of experience : 24 October 2023

Reply from Arena Travel

Thank you for sharing your positive experiences with Arena's Stitchtopia tours! We're delighted to hear that your trips to the USA, India, France, and Spain were exceptionally well-managed and led by knowledgeable experts and guides. Your recommendation means a lot, and it's great to know that you're planning to explore Uzbekistan with them as well. We're sure you'll have another fantastic adventure, and we appreciate your continued trust in Arena. Many thanks, Leger Shearings Group. (CC)

By train to the French Alps

We recently returned from a rail trip to the French Alps. The travel went smoothly, the hotel was really comfortable, the scenery amazing and the food was good. The trips went well, although possibly the destinations could be swapped around to avoid some museum closing days. Darren, the guide, was really well organised, helpful and informative. Christian, the coach driver made the journeys entertaining. Altogether a really good holiday.

Date of experience : 14 May 2023

Thank you for sharing your fantastic experience with us on Trustpilot, Martin. We're thrilled to hear that your rail trip to the French Alps was a memorable and enjoyable one. It's wonderful to know that your travel arrangements went smoothly and that you found the hotel to be comfortable. The stunning scenery of the French Alps never fails to impress, and we're glad it left a lasting impression on you. We're also pleased to hear that you enjoyed the food during your stay. We appreciate your feedback regarding the trip destinations, and we'll certainly take your suggestion into consideration. Our aim is to provide the best possible experience for our customers, and we value your input in helping us improve. We're delighted that Darren, your guide, was well-organized, helpful, and informative throughout your trip. Our team strives to ensure that our guides are knowledgeable and attentive to make your journey even more enriching. It's also great to hear that Christian, your coach driver, made the journeys entertaining for you. Thank you for choosing Arena and for your kind words. We're thrilled that we could contribute to a really good holiday experience for you. We look forward to welcoming you back for more exciting adventures in the future. If you have any further comments or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to us. We value your feedback and will continue to enhance our services to meet and exceed your expectations. Have a great weekend, Arena (AD)

Recently returned from a rail break to…French Alps

Recently returned from a rail break to the French Alps. Very impressed with the organisation for the trip, and our tour manager Darren, was just brilliant. The hotel Beauregard was a delight. My only criticism of the trip involves food - although well prepared and imaginative, we were given no choice of main course (at first, we were told we would choose at breakfast, but this was changed before the first meal). To feed 33 people 4 days in this way without some disappointments was unlikely. A choice of two meals at breakfast would probably have overcome this.

Date of experience : 15 May 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent rail break to the French Alps. We greatly appreciate your kind words about the organization of the trip and the excellent service provided by our tour manager, Darren. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay at the Hotel Beauregard. We understand your concern regarding the lack of choice for the main course during the meals. We apologize for any disappointment this may have caused. Your feedback is invaluable to us, as it helps us identify areas where we can improve our services. While we strive to offer well-prepared and imaginative meals, we acknowledge that providing a choice of main courses would enhance the dining experience for our guests. We appreciate your suggestion of having a choice of two meals at breakfast, and we will take this into consideration for future tours. Once again, we thank you for your feedback and for choosing us for your rail break. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back on another journey in the future, where we can provide an even better experience. If you have any further comments or questions, please feel free to reach out to us directly. We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again. Best regards, Leger Shearings Group. (CC)

ARENA - NO RESPONSE TO E-MAILS

We were on a recent short trip with Arena to visit Versaille and Monet’s Garden. Much of the trip was very pleasant however there were some issues. I have now e-mailed Arena twice through their Contact page to give what I consider is polite constructive feedback. I am very disappointed that I have had neither a reply or even an acknowledgement. Poor customer service.

Date of experience : 19 May 2023

Dear David, Thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent trip with Arena. We apologise for any issues you encountered during your experience, and we understand your disappointment regarding the lack of response from our contact page. We genuinely appreciate your effort in providing polite and constructive feedback to help us improve our services. It is regrettable that you have not received a reply or acknowledgement from us. We want to assure you that we value your input, and we are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the lack of communication. We would like to inform you that Arena Travel is no longer trading, which explains why the inboxes are not being monitored. However, please be assured that your feedback has been received, and we will take it into consideration as we assess our operations and make improvements where necessary. We apologise for any frustration this situation may have caused, and we thank you for your understanding. If there is anything else we can assist you with, please let us know. We appreciate your support and hope that you had an enjoyable time visiting Versailles and Monet's Garden despite the issues. Best regards, Leger Shearings Group. (CC)

No holiday and no refund

Booked river cruise sept 2019, cancelled and then withdrawn. Foolishly stuck with Arena and booked another cruise for May 2023, ironically on day they went into administration. This recently withdrawn but unable to get refund as ATOL have not paid them yet. Have had £2000 of our money for 3 years and application to ATOL 5 months ago. Told could be months before we are refunded. Are we not a priority for settlement after all this time? Generally encouraged to choose a package holiday as the 'safe' option but is money any safer if you are dealing with companies like Leger/Arena who put customers interests last? Copy and paste response after 10 days! Totally irrelevant.

Date of experience : 21 March 2023

Hi Shirley, thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. We are sorry to learn that you are having issues with your claim. Since Arena Travel went into administration you will need to make claim on the financial protection in place. All holidays were financially protected and you will get your money back. If your holiday didn't involve flights and was booked before March 2021 then the company providing the Financial Protection is Zurich Insurance. Many thanks, Arena Travel.

Fabulous trip on MS Arena

I have just returned from a fabulous weekend on the MS Arena. A beautiful ship, fantastic crew, far too good food and wine! The Dutch waterways are a delight as were the towns we visited and the Keukenhof gardens. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this river cruise or Arena Travel.

Date of experience : 05 April 2022

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your kind feedback! We are so pleased to hear that you did enjoy your recent holiday with us. We hope you made some great lasting memories on your trip, and we cannot wait to welcome you back again to make many more. Have a great day Lynn, thanks again! Arena Travel

Booking ref 41763 Arena river cruise

Booking ref 41763 Arena river cruise We booked our cruise in 2019 after 4 cancellations we paid the balance for one leaving in October 2022. This has now been cancelled and we cannot seem to get any information on where or who to claim from apparently it's Zurich but they have no contact details to date. We are concerned that we have a time limit on when to claim and the clock is ticking....

Date of experience : 24 September 2022

Since Arena Travel went into administration you will need to make claim on the financial protection in pace. All holidays were financially protected and you will get your money back. If your holiday didn't involve flights and was booked before March 2021 then the company providing the Financial Protection is Zurich Insurance. Once we have a contact claims email address for you we will let you know. But please rest assured it's a just a delay in starting the claims process, your money is still secure. Arena Travel

Thanks Arena, very relaxing!

We had a delightful weekend trip along the Rhine on MS Arena. The staff and crew couldn’t have been more helpful, attentive and fun. All the meals were very good and the atmosphere on board was relaxed and happy. Our bed was very comfortable and we had an excellent shower. The cabin was fairly compact with sliding and tilting full height window/doors looking out over the river and views beyond. Our cabin was exceptionally clean and kept that way by the very efficient housekeeping staff. The sun deck was a lovely area and must be wonderful in better times of the year weather-wise but we still enjoyed sitting there and it gave great views of the Dutch scenery. We are looking forward to booking with Arena Travel again for our next river trip.

Date of experience : 23 April 2022

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your kind feedback! We are so pleased to hear that you did enjoy your recent holiday with us. We hope you made some great lasting memories on your trip, and we cannot wait to welcome you back again to make many more. Have a great day Janet, thanks again! Arena Travel

Update. Have given our bank details as requested for the refund on our three cancelled trips. That was two weeks ago. Still nothing. Reading other reviews seems I'm in a long queue - totally unacceptable level of "service". Guess I'll have to resort to the courts.

Date of experience : 22 August 2022

Thanks for updating your review We appreciate your patience - your refund will be done soon. Regards Arena Travel

Refusing refund

Have been asking for a refund for the Gdansk holiday they cancelled in April 2020. Their behaviour has been appalling and obstructive and refusing to refund despite it being unlawful. I have dozens of letters on file. Eventually l received a letter from their MD dated 10th September 2020 asking me to agree to wait until 31st January 2021 for my refund and they will add 2% bonus. I am still waiting. Maybe l need to engage legal help.

Date of experience : 05 February 2021

Hello Mr Allen Thanks for using Trustpilot to review our services. Your refund (including bonus) has been authorised and is with our accounts team. I'll ask them to process it for you asap on Monday. Please note that it may take a few days to go through. Thanks for your help and support over the last year and stay safe in these difficult times. Regards Arena Travel.

Delightful Holidays

I have had a number of delightful holidays with Arena Travel over the years. This year however one has been cancelled because of the virus . I spoke to someone from the company who explained the situation . I am happy to keep my deposit with Arena with the thought of a holiday next year to look forward to .

Date of experience : 28 October 2020

Do not rely on their guarantee

Do not rely on their guarantee! We booked a 19 day holiday from Hull with arena which was cancelled because of Covid, rolled over to next year, cancelled again reduced to a 16 day holiday from London wanted an extra £732 for same holiday, so we cancelled, promised our money back in 10 days did not arrive but by chasing them again received money after 16 days. Their price promise is worthless. That’s not what your website promises, nor what the letter from your CEO said, if the price increases you will not have to pay extra once you have booked your price paid is guaranteed!

Date of experience : 26 November 2021

Thanks for your review on Trustpilot Our price promise guarantees that we won't sell your holiday for less - I'm afraid it doesn't cover holidays that are cancelled because of COVID. Instead we offered our customers a 5% price discount if they rebooked for next year with us, which in the current climate of rising prices and holiday charges we feel is very generous. Sorry for the delay in getting your money back but I'm glad you have it now after a short delay of 6 days. Regards Michael Arena Travel

Arena Travel

Booking reference 55430 SINCE WRITING THIS REVIEW I RECEIVED A FULL REFUND OF THE AMOUNT THAT I PAID FOR MY HOLIDAY, although I was too late to receive a refund for the insurance I had purchased independently. So my only complaint is over the long delay in receiving the refund Yvonne Wooster In spite of the reply I received from Arena Travel, they have again renamed on their promise to repay me, leaving me with no option than to take legal action. I cannot afford to loose £2.5k on a cruise which was cancelled by them. I have also lost out on booking another holiday. Let this be a warning to anyone who is considering booking with them.

Date of experience : 12 June 2022

Hello We refunded you some 5 days ago, I'm sorry for the delay in getting this back to you and thank you for your patience, support and understanding in these difficult times. Regards Arena Travel.

Appalling customer service....

I booked a knitting holiday to Norway with Arena Travel for September 2021. This was cancelled last month due to ongoing travel restrictions. I'm still waiting for my refund!! Emails, promises, excuses......... Still no refund. Managing Director Steve Goodenough promised me a refund this week - no refund! Lisa Hamilton assured me it would be in my account today - no refund! This is no way to treat clients and retain us as clients - especially in the current pandemic travel climate! In a nutshell - don't book with Arena Travel.

Date of experience : 14 August 2021

Hello Your refund went into your bank the day you left this review (14/8). I'm sorry it took us a while but you were refunded in full some weeks before you were actually due to travel. Regards Arena Travel.

No refund no communication

I completely agree. Will not answer phone calls or many emails. Completely refusing to refund a cancelled holiday due to COVID-19 only offer a credit off another holiday. This is completely against all advice and regulations. Becoming very stressed and spending far too much time on this Trying to get my money back now resorting to legal claim. Extremely poor service- unbelievable.

Date of experience : 14 June 2020

Had a wonderful holiday in the…

Had a wonderful holiday in the Shetlands isles,special thanks to our tour rep Christine,nothing was too much trouble,would highly recommend Arena after our experience with them.Many thanks!

Date of experience : 02 August 2022

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your kind feedback! We are so pleased to hear that you did enjoy your recent holiday to the Shetland Isles, with special thanks to your tour rep Christine! We hope you made some great lasting memories on your trip, and we cannot wait to welcome you back again to make many more. Have a great day Rodney, thanks again! Arena Travel

Arena travel refund update

Update on my review of 26th June.After spending my valuable time trying to sort out this issue with Arena I eventually managed to get a full refund via a credit card chargeback through my bank.Will not be using this company again.

Date of experience : 12 September 2020

Oberammergau 2022

We have just returned from a fabulous week to the Oberammergau Passion Play organised by Arena Travel which included three nights in Zell am See, Austria. We had booked this trip in 2019 for 2020 but then, due to Covid, the Passion Play was postponed until 2022. To Arena's credit they kept us informed at each stage during this difficult time. We chose to keep our booking and it all happened just now in 2022. Arena held the prices at the original level in spite of the economic situation. The trip was just fantastic, thanks to our wonderful tour guide Julie Gilmour who guided us through several train changes when we found that our ICE train from Brussels was cancelled due to heat. Not only that, but on the day we returned we were once more in a heatwave and Julie foresaw - correctly as it turned out - that our ICE train might be cancelled and so dug us out of our beds in Cologne super early that morning and guided us back along the route of several changes of train so that we got our Eurostar from Brussels back home. Her calmness in crises was amazing and her knowledge of the areas we visited were most informative. We certainly hope to travel with Arena again.

Date of experience : 14 August 2022

Thanks for your review! I'm so glad that you had a good trip, and thanks for taking the time and trouble to tell us. We hope to see you on another holiday with us soon. Michael, Arena Travel.

Bank refunded not Arena.

Just to correct Arena Travels reply with reference to my post stating that I could not apply for a refund before 31/01/21. They implied the refund had been made by themselves. This is incorrect, the refund came from my bank after I instigated a chargeback claim against Arena.

Date of experience : 24 January 2021

Excellent holiday

I have to say our holiday was lovely, we went to Switzerland on a railway holiday and it was amazing. Hotel although 3 star was more like 4 star. Our guide was amazing, knowledgeable and an expert on train travel. I would certainly use them again.

Date of experience : 12 March 2022

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your kind feedback! We are so pleased to hear that you did enjoy your recent holiday with us to Switzerland. We hope you made some great lasting memories on your trip, and we cannot wait to welcome you back again to make many more. Have a great day Kathy, thanks again! Arena Travel

Arenatours   Reviews

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Reviews 4.9.

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We recently travelled to India using…

We recently travelled to India using Arenatours. The standard of the service, the friendliness, professionalism and knowledge of the contacts and the quality of the accommodations were all exemplary. We would do it all again tomorrow if we didn’t have to go back to work! Ana was lovely to work with. If you are looking for an unforgettable luxury trip to India, we highly recommend Arenatours and the service they provide. We will be using them for our future trips.

Date of experience : October 18, 2022

We did not know where to go with the…

We did not know where to go with the pandemic as we were a bit cautious however the guidance and advice provided by Marta was excellent, it ended up being a wonderful trip. We would like to thank her for the organization of our trip to Sri Lanka, everything was very easy from the beginning and she was very helpful in giving us good advice and important pieces of information. All our questions were answered very quickly and professionally. The organization of our trip was just perfect from the pickup at the airport until the end of the trip. Our driver-guide Basil was wonderful and the choice of the hotels perfect.

Date of experience : November 15, 2022

Arenatours is a top notch company that…

Arenatours is a top notch company that gives you personal first class customer care from start to finish,they really go above and beyond, Marta was so friendly and helpful getting my holiday sorted. I appreciate her efficiency and her commitment to getting us the best deal based on what we needed. Thanks for being a great service.

Date of experience : October 10, 2022

We went to Sri Lanka and Maldives with…

We went to Sri Lanka and Maldives with our three adult children (21, 23 and 26 years old), only 12 days available and many things we wanted to do. Thanks to careful planning and a really fantastic driver/guide, we managed to see all the amazing cultural sites and natural parks we aimed to see and have 4 days on the beach to rest at the end. It was really a fantastic holiday. We definitely think that Marta did a great job assisting us with the trip planning and her suggestions were spot on. All the hotels were of the type we prefer, boutique style with great scenery and we never had a bad meal in the whole time we were there. Our wonderful driver was full of suggestions of other things we might want to do, very helpful when I twisted my ankle and stopped every time he saw something we might be interested in, whether it be a monkey, a plant or a temple. He clearly loves his country and was very happy to share it with us. Arenatours was a great choice and we look forward to booking more trips in the future.

Date of experience : August 24, 2022

Very greatfully

This was my first time using Arenatours, and a travel agency for that matter, so I was a bit nervous at first because Marta, our agent, is based in Madrid. To ease my nervousness, I looked for other customer reviews on the internet to verify that other people had good experiences. (From everything I read, they did!). She was very receptive to our desired itinerary. I outlined my general timeline and budget, and she came back with several resorts in Maldives for me and my fiance to consider. Arenatours took care of planning everything! This included all of the transfers and international flights, insurance, etc. I had to spend pretty much no time planning any of this trip - which was exactly what I wanted. During our trip, the agency also kept in touch periodically, which was great. Overall, I would recommend Arenatours to anyone who wants to travel but does not want to deal with heavy planning.

Date of experience : October 15, 2022

She responded quickly and very…

She responded quickly and very efficiently to all my changes of dates etc and I am totally impressed by the service and booking process that was super easy. Thank you for making our life stress free!

Date of experience : October 19, 2022

Thank you to Marta for making…

Thank you to Marta for making everything so easy when booking a hols…She looked after us from the second she picked up the phone! Our holiday to Seychelles was amazing! Everything had been thought of to make our stay the best. We had an amazing experience at Story Seychelles. The hotel grounds, food, staff and amenities are top notch. All the staff were friendly and accommodating. We would definitely stay there again. Thank you Marta!

Date of experience : October 13, 2022

We had a memorable trip to Tanzania and…

We had a memorable trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar with Arenatours. Marta was our agent and It was a pleasure communicating with her as she made the whole process very easy. Questions were answered very quickly, there was a lot of back and forth to get our trip scheduled for our convenience and Marta was very professional and accommodating . The activities and the game parks chosen were a perfect fit for us, also excellent Choice of accommodation and the Residence Zanzibar was a treat!. - Wonderful, unforgettable holiday.

Date of experience : August 31, 2022

Arenatours are simply the best in…

Arenatours are simply the best in turning your dreams into reality. From the onset, they listened carefully to our wishes for countries we had never visited and came up with a tailor made itinerary that catered for our wishes in accommodation that was just right. This year it was a week in Sri Lanka followed by the Maldives for a bit of relaxation. We are nature lovers but also wanted a bit of the taste and culture of Sri Lanka and the outcome was superb everything from, elephant safari, tea plantations, amazing temples at Kandy & Dambulla and of course the awe inspiring Sigiriya rock which did take some climbing! For the Maldives it was a lovely quiet island with great snorkelling and diving and rooms which blended into the landscape and did not intrude which we loved. A great holiday better than we hoped and an experience we will always remember and definitely repeat with Arenatours.

Date of experience : August 16, 2022

We used Arenatours for our honeymoon…

We used Arenatours for our honeymoon recently and we were blown away by how great their service was! Very professional, great communication and they listened to all of our requests. Our experience with Arenatours has been excellent. They are very knowledgeable of the destination so this is an excellent way to design a truly unique, individualized trip to Maldives.

Date of experience : February 07, 2023

Arenatours is fantastic! An amazing company that connects you to travel specialists that will create the perfect trip. It's a very easy-to-use website and their response time is super-quick. I loved n

Ours was a holiday like many others, delayed by 2 years, however the patience and support from Marta was excellent. We experienced Outstanding Customer Service and Support from everyone who was involved in our Family Holiday to the Maldives, from Marta to Nassem to the staff at the Residence Maldives that spoiled us rotten. I highly recommend Arenatours and I will definitely book our next holiday with them!

Date of experience : December 21, 2022

Ours was a holiday like many others

Date of experience : August 13, 2022

I have used Arenatours and Marta twice…

I have used Arenatours and Marta twice now for assistance with our holiday to Maldives. This last time we stayed at Dhigali and it was a DREAM!! We stayed in a lagoon villa with pool and everything about it was simply amazing. It is all inclusive with an outstanding breakfast buffet. The activities, the reef, and the bar in the evening were so good too!!! I would 100% recommend this to anyone visiting the Maldives.

Date of experience : June 29, 2022

The service we received from Arenatours…

The service we received from Arenatours was fantastic. From deciding where to go and through-out the whole booking process, especially after Covid. Our agent Sara was very helpful and knowledgeable and suggested the best route for us to visit Seychelles, she gaver us suggestions and support through the booking process and answered our questions promptly. We couldn't recommend Sara and Arenatours more highly.

Date of experience : June 23, 2022

I would highly recommend Arenatours for…

I would highly recommend Arenatours for anyone who wants to take a high-end, hassle free holiday with every detail planned out. After a couple of calls and emails with Ana, we opted for a stay at Amilla fushi. It was an amazing resort with a friendly, professional staff. The reef is fantastic with the Blue Hole nearby and the diving facilities are excellent. Very good food and wine list. And last but not least, they certainly know how to host a holiday party!

Although we didn’t book our holiday…

Although we didn’t book our holiday through Arenatours as we opted for a trip to USA instead, Marta was fantastic with the information and all the ideas she came up with. With continued phone calls between ourselves Marta made me feel at ease and she did everything she could to find us the best deal she could and offered us great options. Thanks so much for your hard work, we will definitely contact Arenatours for future travels.

Arenatours is second-to-none

Arenatours is second-to-none. Sara, our travel expert, created the most magical honeymoon itinerary for our trip to Maldives. This trip would not have been a success without her careful planning, and I would absolutely use her again for future trips. If you want a trip done right, made easy for you and without the exorbitant fees other traditional travel agencies charge, go with Arenatours. All the positive press is justified. Highly recommend it!

Date of experience : June 25, 2022

Lovely telephone interaction with Ana

Lovely telephone interaction with Ana, it was great to work with her to book our holidays, very efficient and helpful service from time of booking through assistance on resort in Maldives. Very easy to go through the booking process and very good updates and information at all times. Excellent rep on site, Nashim was very willing to help with all the forms we had to fill out. Also telephone service was very quick and efficient. Arenatours is a top notch agency and highly recommended !

Date of experience : June 21, 2022

The two week African safari and beach…

The two week African safari and beach organized through Arenatours was wonderful. Ana was a pleasure to work with and provided lots of information to get us ready for our trip. The itinerary was well laid out using a mixture of road and small plane travel to maximize our time on safari while letting us see more of the country. The in-country guides were excellent, knowledgeable, personable, and resourceful. The lodging was amazing. I would definitely use Arenatours again for future travel planning.

Date of experience : June 24, 2022