RSD Travel
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Just about the worst ever
I've never had cause to complain about a holiday before, but I guess there's always a first time. We originally booked with RSD to go to Morocco for a fortnight back in 2021, but then Covid hit and we had to cancel. I was so impressed by the way RSD handled refunds, etc. that I promised myself I would book with them again in the future. Fast forward to 27 March 2025 and we set off for an 8-day tour around the Balkans. I should say from the start that our coach driver and guide were exceptional, but they could only work with what they'd got. Also we were spending 10 hours on average a day on the coach, with precious little time off. We saw some lovely places (Kotor, Budva, Skopje, Prizren) but unfortunately only had a maximum of two hours to explore - and often a lot lesss - before we had to go. Border crossings were a nightmare - sometimes waiting up to an hour and a half for our passports to be checked, and bearing in mind we visited four countries, that was yet more waiting around. But the worst thing was the enforced visits to a jewellery workshop, a leather workshop and a carpet manufacturer. We had to spend around two hours in each with the hardest of hard sells (I actually ended up running from the carpet showroom pursued by a salesman!). Prices in all of these started at 500 euros and after that the sky was the limit. I didn't want any of this, and certainly didn't have that amount of money to spend, so more time wasted and we felt like we were taken for mugs. The hotels for the first four nights were nice - spotlessly clean, but poorly situated in the back of beyond. The food was average - certainly not the 'gourmet package' we thought we had paid extra for, but again, different countries have different ideas about food. On the fifth night we went to Lake Ohrid (renamed Lake Horrid). The hotel was like a youth hostel. The food was extremely poor, and leftovers were served up again at breakfast. Unfortunately this was our only two-night stay. Our room looked out over the lake, but unfortunately directly in front of us was a stagnant swimming pool. Three of the guests had to request a room move because of the smell of sewage. And then, on the last night, we went to the Hotel Continental in Skopje. It was an utter dump. The food was so bad that we had to go out for fast food (luckily it was the only hotel that was attached to a town). The rooms were shabby and run down, and the lift did not work (we were on the fifth floor). I've never ever been so relieved to get back home. Unless you are addicted to full days on a coach with much waiting, and largely uninspiring places to visit, DO NOT GO ON THIS TOUR. I know RSD would probably fall into the budget holiday category, but really this was very very poor value for money. I will never travel with RSD again.