Travelled with RSD to Nepal in June
Travelled with RSD to Nepal in June. Very good holiday, saw lots of interesting places, guide was superb and hotels were of a good standard. I would recommend the RSD holiday to Nepal
3.4
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356 reviews
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Review summary
RSD Travel has mixed reviews from customers. Customers particularly appreciate great value and service, though some mention concerns about customer service and expensive.
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Based on reviews, created with AISee what reviewers are saying
Cultural trip to Sri Lanka
I have travelled with RSD a few times and have never had a bad experience. An excellent way of seeing a country at an affordable price.
Fantastically beautiful country with lovely people
Went to Sri Lanka with RSD - fantastic countryside, amazing friendly people, good hotels and an amazing journey around the country in all its guises - one of the best trips of my life (I travel 10 mths a year) - why so good - people, no hassles of any kind going out, low cost economy, wonderful weather - an absolute gem of a holiday full of variety with something for everyone.
An Absolutely Fantastic Trip To The Balkans!
We had a wonderful holiday seeing so many UNESCO sites in Kosova, North Macedonia, Montenegro & Albania. Except for the last one, which was a little bit "Soviet era", the hotels were lovely with excellent food, very comfortable indeed. Our Turkish guide Gdoikca went above & beyond to help all passengers on her coach, even rescuing a hearing aid, which had fallen out in Cafe Mozart in Budva, Montenegro & organising for someone to drive it to our hotel at least 2 hours away so we had it before the coach left next morning.
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www.rsd-travel.co.uk
All reviews
356 total • Write a review
Showing 301 - 310 of 352 reviews
MB
After a great holiday in China last year
The cultural trip to Morocco was spoilt by the poor quality of the hotels provided. The brochure assured us of 4 or 5 star hotels with our gourmet package. Hotels were at the best struggling to meet 3 to 4 star. RSD still insist on dragging us to Carpet, leather and jewellery outlets under the guise of showing cultural experience but are really only doing a hard sell. Please make these optional and let us see more of the real Morocco. We were very lucky in having an exceptional guide and driver. Come on RED make a few improvements and get to a 4 star review.
Date of experience: April 14, 2019
PT
P Taylor
US
Cultural tour of Crete
We have just returned from a 'cultural trip' to Crete. The flight from Gatwick was torture, we were not informed that it would be going via Manchester, adding another couple of hours to the length of the flight. The 1st hotel we stayed at Rhethymnon Mare was horrible, food, Gourmet Package????, cold, tasteless and overpriced. The room, halfway up a steep hill, was ghastly and the bathroom flooded on the first night. The second room not much better with intermittent hot water, no telephone, and a faulty bathroom door lock. The Manager was rude and unhelpful although the hotel staff were all very pleasant. The second hotel near Heraklion was marginally better ! The tour guide who I will not name was knowledgeable but was very pushy regarding purchasing extra tours, and became most upset when fellow passengers refused to buy them. Those that did not pay 44 euros each to go to Knossos were just left by a parade of tatty shops and scruffy restaurants for over 2 hours. We decided to walk to the entrance of Knossos and found that we could purchase tickets for 8 euros which also gave us entrance to the Museum. Quite a tidy profit for someone ???? The trips to the carpet/leather/jewellry warehouses are just torture, hard selling sales people who will not take no for an answer. The tour guide told me I had to sit through the 'fashion parade' given by individuals who looked as though they would have preferred to be on Mars rather than parading about in articles of clothing that looked as if they had been manufactured in the 70's. I retreated into the parking area as soon as I could. The guide was very 'passionate' when talking about how our trip was being subsidised by the Greek government to help local economies, emotional blackmail at its best. I could go on and on about the negatives aspects of this trip, its one saving grace were our fellow travellers who were a friendly group of people. I will NEVER, yes I am shouting, use Rsd Travel again !!!!
Date of experience: April 7, 2019
PH
Travelled to Dubai on a 5 night tour
Travelled to Dubai on a 5 night tour. First thing to say is the tour out there was okay - the hotels were great as were the flights given the price. The guide although quite a strong character was well organised and flexible with us. She was also very knowledgeable. However, we felt excluded for not purchasing additional tours which were offered every day. The Palm excursion was okay, although too much time was spent in a carpet shop the other included excursion was simply going to a jewellery shop and a leather shop which we spent too long at. This was disappointing. RSD customer service however was completely unacceptable. Turkish airlines happened to be changing the Istanbul airport they use on the date we were due to return. We discovered this by chance on 5 days before we were due to depart with no contact from RSD. We immediately called to notify them and ask what was happening with our holiday. My partner and I both spoke with various managers throughout the day. Initially we were told we had been notified 2 weeks prior and had been left a voicemail. This was untrue. The voicemail did not contain any information regarding the flights. However, after going through various people, I spoke to a "Director" who told me they were fully aware of the situation and were due to notify us on the day we had called (a happy coincidence and one which didn't match the initial story). They had already decided we would spend one less day on the holiday without consulting us and although they did offer a refund, they were initially even offering less than their own terms and conditions state. The "Director" became very agitated on the phone and stated as it was affecting "30,000" they had tried to contact us in a "timely manner" following process, however, refused to mention when they were made aware of the flight change. Further to this, I asked on a later date for the e-ticket numbers for the flights so I could have them added to my reward app. The first agent I spoke to did not know what this was, and offered me the flight number instead. A manager then said as it was a group booking they were unable to give me my e-ticket number due to GDPR data protection. This I do not believe. Meaning we arrived at the airport with nothing more than a piece of paper stating some flight details and our passports hoping the flights had actually be booked. (Thankfully they were, although we struggled on all flights to get vegetarian meals which RSD should have booked for us). If everything had gone smoothly before the holiday we would probably travel again as the price was good. Given the experience, it has illustrated what kind of company RSD travel is and I cannot emphasise how far below acceptable standards they fall.
Date of experience: April 6, 2019
SI
Northern Cyprus cultural tour
This company attracts mainly elderly retired people which we soon found out (but which I might add wasn't an issue), some of whom had travelled with RSD previously but who vowed never again following the Cyprus experience. Trying to remain as concise as possible I will bullet point the reason for the two star review :- the trip which at the outset appears good value for money then becomes a money pit once you arrive - the first hotel Salamis had nice rooms & reception area but the dining room was noisy (akin to a work canteen) & too busy for the waiting staff to keep on top of, the food was poorly presented & was cold & the drinks were expensive. The second Hotel The Olive showed an improvement in the food albeit there were long queues however our room was dated & had lots of issues which we needed to report to reception on our first day. Drink prices were slightly cheaper though however both hotels were in isolated areas so the 'optional' meal package offered on initial booking turned out not to be optional after all. It was made plain by the tour guide Elam from the outset that a good tip would be required for both him & the driver - £20 & £10 per person respectively - times that by a coach full of forty plus & they are earning more per week in tips alone than the pension received by the majority of travellers. Meals were not included in the excursions including the optional excursion which was at an extra cost & which was attended by all but 8 travellers in our group. Apparently the cost of the trip was subsidised by RSD but in my opinion was still not value for money. It was mentioned by Elam several times that the expectation of RSD is that attendance of the travellers to the carpet, jewellery & leather factory was compulsory with the expectation of a purchase being made - apparently because you have supposedly saved a couple of hundred pounds on the holiday (I would question if what I paid was actually good value for money given the food & accommodation issues) you need to boost the Cypriot economy by spending hundreds or even thousands of pounds on items which lets face it if you are in the latter stages of retirement will have very little use for or need of - the whole process could be likened to a racketeering business. Elam whose two degrees are in history (which he felt the need to keep reminding us of because retired people could not possibly have been educated to a degree level!!) should also think about pursuing a degree in psychology as he was very good at trying to use it on his group & he became quite rude & opinionated towards the end of the trip - he told us several times he was going home on the Monday but he was still at the hotel when we left for the airport on the Wednesday - make of it what you will. Regarding currency we were advised to take Turkish Lira however, most prices in the places visited with this company were in Euros with their way of converting it back to Lira leaving you short changed. FYI it was 50 cents to use the toilets!! Negatives aside we met some nice people & we did have some laughs along with some sunshine.
Date of experience: April 3, 2019
RM
Home from North Cyprus
Home from North Cyprus. Thank you RSD for everything. Reading many negative reviews below would put anyone off using this company but I think they are wonderful. This trip is clearly heavily subsidised by the Turkish tourist board. As most of us know, the north of Cyprus is occupied by Turks and the Greek people were repatriated in southern Cyprus which is westernised and suits the British holiday maker. Our cultural trip was really more , our guide spent a lot of time giving us an insight into the cultural background of the people now living in North Cyprus. North Cyprus isn’t a recognised country hence the reason that all flights travelling there must land in Turkey ( ANTALYA) first and continue on from there. A bit of a time waster but no big deal. Yes, we were taken to three big showrooms selling carpets, jewellery and leathers. All showrooms were high end and expensive but at no stage did I hear anyone moan about their purchases afterwards. The amusing part is the welcome drinks, alcohol or Turkish tea. You know the old saying” when the drink is in, the wit is out”. This certainly helps with their sales but use your sense and if you don’t wish to buy, stick to your decision and don’t. Our bus had 45 people onboard, by the end of our trip we were all on first name terms and had formed great relationships. The people we met were all well educated and interesting people who were well travelled and like ourselves enjoyed the whole experience. It is vital that you are aware that your trip is heavily subsidised for a reason. It is hoped that after your visit, you will spread the word amongst friends and family about the wonderful country you have visited, the standard of the hotels and more importantly the wonderful and friendly people who are doing their best to make a living for themselves and their family. Both hotels we stayed in were ideal. The first hotel was new and high end. The second hotel was a friendly family run place in a beautiful location overlooking Kyrenia. Our guide Bedri was an educated and eloquent young man who shared his wealth of knowledge with us. We loved every minute of our trip. In fact, as we had travelled so far, we decided not to return on the flight home but instead booked flights to go to Istanbul which was Wonderful. Sadly for the Turkish people, their lira has plummeted recently so we benefited with our pound! If you haven’t been to Istanbul, put it onto your bucket list, it is a magnificent city and a great place to visit.
Date of experience: March 16, 2019
CE
MOROCCO 14 DAY TOUR & STAY FEBRUARY…
MOROCCO 14 DAY TOUR & STAY FEBRUARY 2019. Reading some of the reviews, I really have to say - what do you expect? Our holiday was heavily discounted by around 1K, so we werent expecting the Ritz! As it turned out, we had a fabulous time. Yes you pay extra for halfboard - £129 for the week, which IS worth it in a country such as Morocco where you are in unfamiliar culture, on a tight eat - sleep - get up in the morning, schedule, and a lot of poverty around the hotels. Cannot believe the whining on the coach from fellow travellers; No pubs (Its an Islamic Country!!), All these Mosques everywhere.. ?!! ermm ditto.. and so on. Do your homework. Check the culture, the traditions, I adopted the hijab out of courtesty when visiting Mosques and public places, and was thanked by many, for my respect of their culture. The first week was full on busy, but we saw some amazing sights, the Hassan I Mosque, Fez Medina, the Atlas and the Rif Valleys, Casablanca, Marrakech. Absoluely amazing. Yep, a leather factory and jewellery store, but you dont have to buy anything, be honest at the start! Second week in our resort hotel was just that - a big built hotel catering for tourists, even a licenced tourist bar. The food was varied and delicious, plenty of choice. The airline they use, Corendan, are a Turkish budget airline, so really dont be surprised about the stops, its not BA Executive class. I would do it all over again, and thank our lovely guides Circan and Mekhti, for their consistent patience, hard work, and all their tips and advice for us. We had a ball guys, Thank you for ticking off one of my Bucket List Countries - I suspect we will return. Essouria looks delightful. Caroline & Brian, Coach 18.
Date of experience: March 1, 2019
MR
Beware of the non-refundable deposit
We booked in early February for a week in Crete in early November 2019. The cost was to be £1,274 and we paid a £397.20 deposit. In late February, my wife Christine had to undergo tests for a heart problem - this is still being investigated. I also have had stents and am taking blood thinners etc. I was therefore concerned about our holiday and the stresses that may result. Reviews of RSD suggested problems with delayed and re-routed flights, compulsory attendance as high pressure selling events, mediocre food etc. I asked to cancel the holiday citing these reasons. The RSD promotion documents stated that we could "terminate the contract at any time before the package tour begins in exchange for payment of a commensurate withdrawal fee" RSD deducted £219.20 from the deposit as a cancellation fee and suggested that the remaining £178 was an insurance premium that I would have to recover from the insurance company. The £219.20 is an exceptionally high "commensurate" fee. There was no mention of this arrangement in the publicity small print and I should not at this time have had to deal with an insurance company producing health certificates from an already overworked GP when tests are still underway. I have therefore reluctantly written off the ~£400 deposit and will continue to warn others of this further example of an unfriendly travel company
Date of experience: March 1, 2019
RN
More like a trade tour
I recently came from Nothern Cyprus tour. Even though they say that it is a cultural tour it looks like a trade tour. We spent about 12 hours in total in warehouses where we had to listen to their overpriced goods. As a result, we had not enough time to explore and see cultural sites. I had no complaint about charter flight and Hotels So I can give 3 stars. If you are considering money to be spent on a trip I can recommend RSD. But if you need a leisurely holiday you should ignore their discount codes.
Date of experience: February 28, 2019
JB
What happened in Crete was what I call…appalling
What happened in Crete was what I call a intimidating, bullying experience especially towards women. The hard sell and the push to make money out of people who have paid for a economic holiday is barbaric. You are not allowed to refuse to go into the carpet, leather and jewellery places if you go in and say you are broke you are shown the exit by RSD staff and by staff in these places. I was verbally told to exit three times. One lady was told we were an uninteresting group of people as we were not asking many questions. As a group before entering the jewellery place we were told we were not performing on buying. We were told it was a requirement to tip but in large amounts. It was also obvious it was a requirement to spend £100s of pounds in each place. The guide giving us information around the cultural sites had a lot of knowledge and made it interesting his name was Manos I will not name the other guy but let’s just say he doesn’t like women unless they have lots of money to give, he is extremely rude. I was thinking of going to Morocco next year but now not with this company.
Date of experience: February 26, 2019
d
dewe
US
Amazing value but no shortage of warts…
The 4 star rating is a bit tongue-in-cheek, it could have easily been 1 or 2. But the fact remains that our trip to Northern Cyprus represents astonishing value-for-money. Two of us for a week on half board with 4 include full-day excursions for under £900 undercuts anything else on the market by hundreds of pounds. True, one is aware of sacrifices caused by budgetary cutting of corners. All those complaints in other reviews about exasperating travel arrangements back and forth, absurdly logs periods of time being trapped in warehouses while being pressurized to buy jewelry, carpets or leather, and poor quality food were more than justified. Certainly, the mood in our group was not improved by the general resentment against the misallocation of time between captive shopping and visiting sites of cultural or historical interests, this being countered by the tour guide's freely expressed resentment that as a stingy group we clearly were not buying enough! Have a great holiday, but go with your eyes open and upgrade or eat out wherever you can. And say NO to those salesmen.
Date of experience: February 17, 2019
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