Collett's Mountain Holidays Reviews 

We had a superb time on our Collioure to Cadaquès self-guided holiday. The walking was exciting and varied, through a landscape with fascinating history, and with plenty of opportunities for wild swims in coves and bays. Hotels and restaurants were distinctive and varied too, and the organisation by Collett's and their partners La Balaguère was flawless. We loved it all.

This trip has been 5 years in the actual making. I initially began planning it in the spring of 2020, and while I do not recall how I came into contact with Collett's, I do recall through numerous inquiries, correspondences, and readings of their website, that I had a reliable source of expertise for planning a lengthy Dolomites trip, a goal of mine for over 20 years. After several false starts owing to Covid, family member transitions, and medical developments, it appeared that this trip could actually become a possibility in January of this year. All of this is to say that when we finally began our 2 week combination village to village journey in August, my expectations were extraordinarily high.

It gladdens my heart to say that not once was my trust in Collett's ever even remotely found wanting. The accommodations they arranged for my party of 12 over the course of our two weeks exceeded all expectations. The rooms were superb, the beds were comfortable and the food was excellent. The luggage transfer service between lodgings was seamless, and the staff at each lodging was utterly professional and helpful. Support throughout the trip was constant. Relevant topo maps and printed materials were provided at the outset and online directional apps were accessible all throughout the hike along with clear and comprehensive explanations for how to use them. At our base hotel, in person support was available daily, and these people were clearly in love with their work. Their knowledge of the area was extensive, and their enthusiasm for sharing suggestions for optional trips was infectious.

Taken all together each interaction with a member of the Collett's team reinforced my first impression that Collett's was absolutely the right organization to trust with this trip. In fact, down to a person each member of my group of 12 thanked me at the end for putting together such a wonderful outing, and while I would like to claim credit for everything that went right, I would be remiss. The success of this trip was due to the rock solid expertise, thoughtfulness and experience of the Collett's staff. They did an outstanding job managing all facets and logistics of a phenomenal visit to this magnificently beautiful part of the planet. Thank you Collett's! I and others on this vacation will certainly be back in touch for our next adventure.

Erwalhd is a great area in Austria for trekking and our hotel was central in the village with great bus and train service. The hotel Sonnenspitze was excellent and the staff service outstanding. Collett's had two reps based at the hotel and their knowledge of the area helped significantly with our choice of walks. The app which Collett's provided for use on all the walks was very good and prevented us from straying from the path at al times. Bus service in the area were all free with a pass provided at the hotel. Great trekking holiday

Had a fantastic experience with this travel agent! The staff were super helpful and incredibly friendly, and you can tell they really know what they’re talking about when it comes to planning the perfect mountain trip. They went above and beyond to make my trip special, even arranging room upgrades that made a big difference. I’ll definitely be using them again for my next adventure!

Walking is superb

We chose the Tre Cime Twin Centre walking holiday. I was super excited to see this new offering because it was the Tre Cime that piqued my serious interest in the Dolomites, and they were reachable from Sexton, the second town in which we stayed. The transfer from Venice Marco Polo was pleasant and uneventful.

KUDOS FOR THESE THINGS:
1) I thought the cities chosen for the Twin Center holiday, Corvara and Sexton, were excellent. Corvara, in the Alta Badia region had access to the mountains and trails around Falzarego Pass (e.g., Cinque Torri, Nuvolau, Lazagoi) and Gardena Pass (e.g., Puez-Odle Park). Our hotel in each city was outstanding. I don't think I've ever experienced such a variety of food at hotels. The breakfasts and dinners at each place were very good with plenty of scrumptious self-serve accompaniments.

2) The provided Walk Pack, which included:
- a 1-page, 2-sided walk sheet for each of their recommended hikes. These were very helpful as they contained instructions on how to get to a trailhead (e.g., which bus to take if applicable), alternate route options, map of the walk, and elevation profile. However, as described below, there were some inaccuracies in the walk sheets.
- a bus pass for the public bus system, Suditirol. The pass was a great inclusion in the overall price and we used this in both Corvara and Sexton.
- access to a gps app which had a .gpx file of the recommended hikes already downloaded on the app. The app was invaluable to us and a terrific trip inclusion.
- Tabacco 1:25,000 maps of the two areas - another useful tool that may come in handy in the future

3) Office hours in Corvara hosted by a staff member who was available each evening to provide more detailed information about the hikes and weather.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT:
1) Onsite staff. First off, I want to say that the 2 staff with whom we had contact very friendly and helpful when questioned. I was disappointed that the staff member who accompanied us from the airport to Corvara did not point out any of the key mountains we passed along the way. I understand we did not pay for a 'guided trip', but a couple "hey, that mountain over there is xyz" would have been welcomed. While the idea of 'Office Hours' is fantastic, it would be even better if the people hosting those were native to the area or had more experience in the area and were better equipped to answer some of our questions.

2) There was an inaccuracy in three of the walk sheets. a) the map on the walk sheet differed slightly from the .gpx route on the app. b) The first couple of instructions on a map sheet did not match the .gpx track on the app. We took the bus to where the instructions told us, but the hiking instructions were incorrect for that starting point. c) The bus instructions for one hike in Sexton were incomplete and did not state we had to take a second bus to get to the trailhead.

3) Lack of a staff person in Sexton. Understood this is the first time a 'twin centre' holiday has been offered, and I'm very glad it was. We were told that the hotel staff in Sexton would be able to answer any and all questions about the hikes. For our longest Sexton hike, I asked 3 hotel staff how to get to the starting point and only one, the bartender, hinted about needing to take 2 buses to get to the trailhead. Fortunately, there were other walkers heading to our same trailhead so we followed them to find the bus stop for the 2nd bus. Without the 2nd bus, we would have had to have walked an additional 3.2 km.

4) Inclusion of each person on a booking on communications/walk-pack. A stated requirement of our holiday was that it had to be done in groups of 2 or more. A friend joined me, however she was not included an important pre-trip email communications that provided trip details, no was she offered her own walk pack. While many people may travel as a couple or family, we are friends and, since we each paid the same amount, each should be provided a walk pack 1) in case we decided to do a different walk from each other and 2) as a keepsake. Fortuntely, the staff person in Corvara was able to secure a 2nd walk pack for her. It would be nice to ask groups if they would like individual walk packs.

Overall, it was a fantastic introduction to the Dolomites and the tools provided were much appreciated.

Top class accommodation. Top class food. Top class staff.

Everything met or exceeded expectations. The hotel was excellent. The food really good and accommodated a couple of food allergies. The collett staff really helped us plan our hike appropriately based on weather, experience etc. Would definitely book with Colletts again.

The arragements beforehand could not have been done with more care - you were a plesasure to deal with and flexible with my requests. On site routes advice from the staffer was so thorough and considered- she had walked them all before. The B and B accommodation at Garni Tofana I had was brilliant - comfortable, welcoming, great breakfast and the 4 course meal at Hotel Christian was always good too, though they don't naturally cater for vegetarians.

Our holiday was very well organised and everything went smoothly. The airport transfers were on time and comfortable and the walks were interesting, varied and well graded. Our hotel was outstanding and exceeded our expectations. The Collett's staff were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

What you are really paying for with Collett's is the wealth of local knowledge and advice from the rep's and indeed other guests at the daily social hour. It takes all the legwork out of route finding and deciding where to go on a daily basis. Having all the routes clearly presented and graded on the phone app is extremely useful. Had a great time in Ehrwald lovely hotel, Connie and Ben were excellent and extremely helpful.

Hiking guide informative and staff excellent
Staff helpful in getting a local doctor’s appointment for myself on a weekend!

We recently had a great walking trip to the Dolomites with Colletts.
Everything was well organised including transfers from Venice.
Walks were varied and catered for all abilities.
Staff were very good with their input at the daily meetings.
Would definitely recommend.

Everything was great ,and good experience.

Great organisation from Colletts, accommodation was very good with hearty food and a great atmosphere. The scenery was amazing and every day it just seemed to get better. The description of the trek was spot on and also the timings and difficulty.
It was our 4th trip with Colletts and definitely not our last :)

Excellent organization and experienced skilled guide.

Lovely holiday in superb accommodation fully equipped with a spa for relaxation after walking..
Fabulous breakfast and evening meals.
We would meet our rep every evening to talk about the day and to plan for walk options the following day. Her knowledge of the area, transport , and actual routes was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed every walk that we dis.

Great guidance and information provided, great hotel and local help

I’ve experienced more than a dozen Colletts holidays in the Dolomites and I keep coming back for more.

Wonderful, friendly and helpful representatives in the resort. Very helpful staff when booking the holiday. Nice hotel in lovely resort with excellent range of walks.