The Pilgrimage to Lourdes and up to Paris was amazing and a refreshing spiritual experience. Having Fr. Jim say Mass each day, singing and a daily dose of his homily explaining the readings of the day and how it influences our daily lives. We also extend our deep appreciation to our tour guide Vanessa who did a fantastic job and had a broad knowledge of the sites as well. We also thank her and the management to the hotel in Lourdes for getting our luggages back in 24hrs. Special thanks to Jose our driver who drove us safely from site to site. Lastly, we thank 206 Tours for a well arranged spiritual journey.

Dear Bika and Amanda,

Our pilgrimage with Father Don Calloway to Fatima and Poland was a true blessing! We were able to cultivate friendships from past pilgrimages and make new "like-minded" friendships. Our guides, Olga and Javier G, were excellent. It greatly enhanced the pilgrimage to not only have guides that were able to explain the beautiful sites but also share their faith with us. Our spiritual director was amazing - Father Don Calloway was such an inspiration and breath of fresh air. Every aspect of our pilgrimage exceeded our hopes and expectations. Thank you so much, 206 Tours, for helping so many of us enrich our faith in an atmosphere of hospitality, love and friendship. With our most sincere thanks and warmest wishes for an abundance of grace and blessings to be sent your way.

Hi Chris,

This is Cynthia and Oscar Fonseca writing you after our pilgrimage to Fatima and Poland. Well it sure wasn't the same without you once we reached Poland. You are an awesome person and employee of 206 Tours. They are very fortunate to have you and we were very blessed and fortunate to have met you also. Both Oscar and i feel that you were an angel sent by God to assist us and your mother should feel very proud to have you as her son. You went above and beyond the call to help us out always!! And for this we are most grateful. Your attitude was always superb!! You are kind, understanding, and very positive in particular, in moments of adversity. We wish you continued success at 206 Tours and if you ever need a recommendation from your client we would be happy to reply. May you continue to enjoy success in all of your endeavors. God bless you and your family especially your beautiful son!!!!

Dear Milanka, Amanda and Bika,

This was a pilgrimage of a lifetime... I know every pilgrim must start off their thank you letter just like that! However, it is so very true! Each pilgrimage is a unique and personal invitation from the Blessed Mother and the Heavenly Father, himself... calling one to come closer, and in the words of St John Paul II-- "Be not Afraid!" As a pilgrim traveling alone to meet the rest of the group, I was apprehensive and anxious, trying as hard as I might to "Jesu Ufam Tobie"-- and you know what, once I surrendered that fear and anxiety- I was safely escorted into the hug of not only Javier- the tour guide for the Fatima part of the Pilgrimage, but Chris Wright, who was sent to make sure all the pilgrims arrived safely. I was put at ease immediately, with the words, "Milanka said I needed to give you a big hug!" From there it was as if I was now family. It was quite obvious that Javier is extremely devoted to Our Lord and Lady. Fr Don Calloway also greeted me with, "oh, Milanka asked me to give you this--- a HUG!" and I felt such peace!

From meeting up with the rest of our pilgrim group- and there was 60 of us- to the hotel accommodations- to the praying of the rosary to the procession every night of Our Lady of Fatima statue I was left with a peaceful and overwhelming sense of Joy-- and that Joy I am sure was magnified in Heaven as Our Blessed Mother, Our Lord and God the Heavenly Father rejoiced in my answer to their call. Walking in the town as Asjudrel, where Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta grew up I could not believe the similarities between Medjugorje and Fatima! Our Blessed Mother comes to those places where she is welcomed by the humble. My roommate even though we had never met before, we felt like sisters and now we are! Onto Poland, the land of my ancestors! I cried, I worshiped, I adored, I glorified! Could you imagine me speechless at the thought of being where St Faustina and St John Paul the II walked! Olga, our tour guide for Poland was uniquely qualified to take us all around her beloved country. The attention to every detail did not go unnoticed. I received so many small graces that I am still overwhelmed in trying to remember them all. Fr Calloway's reverence and wonderful homilies and insights brought Our Lord and Lady even closer to my heart! Milanka you have once again outdone yourself! Thank you for sharing your Love with me-- You have made me a Pilgrim for life!

I am so grateful to have joined this pilgrimage! Accommodations were wonderful, tour escorts Javier at Fatima and Olga in Poland were so knowledgeable and very nice. The spiritual journey was truly what I expected from a Pilgrimage. I loved all the places we visited. Fr Calloway was a terrific Spiritual Director for the Pilgrimage. He was always accommodating. Thank you Bika and God bless you!

Mr. Santiago replied to your welcome home email and has some constructive comments on his first experience abroad. Since his reply was sent to All World Travel I am forwarding it to 206 Tours. Overall he and his family had a positive experience and were happy with their tours, especially happy with both guides and the hotel in Medjugorje. However, his comments on the hotel experience in Rome bear close scrutiny. Since he had to meet with the staff more than once regarding issues with his room perhaps 206 Tours needs to take a close look at the property and if necessary book another hotel that is more suitable for future clients. Aside from this concern the itinerary flowed well. I always appreciate feedback and Mr. Santiago's comments will be incorporated into future pilgrimages. I wish to express my appreciation to 206 Tours. The staff was very quick to respond to questions regarding details of the trip. The concern for our clients return flight schedule home and the addition of the extra day in Medjugorje at 206 Tours expense, as well as the seat upgrades are well noted. I shared this with my colleagues and they were pleasantly surprised that 206 Tours would do this for their guests. My colleagues were also impressed with the documents and backpacks that were provided the clients. Thanks to all of you for going the extra mile.

Dear Jen and everyone at 206,

We have returned from our tour, the Shrines of Italy, and we had a perfect trip! Everyone we encountered at 206, from ordering our trip, to questions on the telephone, to emails, was very professional and helpful. Our tour guide, Frederica, was absolutely wonderful! She was knowledgeable, caring, friendly, professional and a good Catholic role model. She was always on time and kept a good eye on all of us so that we would not get lost. She participated in our masses and clearly had a beautiful Catholic charism.

Hi Kathleen and 206 tours,

Thanks for checking in. We had an amazing time. In general, the trip was somewhat what we expected and we learned a lot from the experience. Both tour guides had their uniqueness and styles. Federica in Rome from the beginning at the airport was instrumental in making us feel so welcome!! She was always trying to meet our expectations even when we were experiencing our own personal difficulties. She met and exceeded our expectations and we our very grateful for her services. The only personal challenges we had were not having enough time to recover from time change. We probably would have scheduled an extra personal day to adjust to time change and long flights. The tours were amazing and were well organized.

Opportunities: Rome hotel and staff- we had issues with our room power temperature not working well and I had to meet with staff on several occasions to complain. In one instance a fuse went out creating a disruptive experience. It took several calls to adjust room temperature. Our departure flight from Albuquerque to Rome was ok. I personally would book a premium economy up grade given the long flight.

Tours- Maybe adding another day or two to Italy trip.

Positives: tour guide: fedrica was awesome and so was the local guide. The dinners were also well organized . We went to different restaurants experiencing local experience. Fedricka did a great job coordinating rome trip and balancing all pilgrims requests.

Medjugorje trip: spiritual experience on steroids. A place we would return. I loved the community energy and experience. This trip was a little slower pace with time to recover from events. We had our personal time as a family. We met so many great people from all over the world. The locals were great as well. We were a small group but we had such a great time!! Slavenka, our tour guide, knew our pace and style and she always respected our space and knew when to adjust. She was an exceptional tour guide who explained everything in detail!! She is local girl that everyone respected!

Positives: slower pace, more time recover, pray and having personal time. Hotel location and staff were amazing!!! We loved the location , simpleness of the room and Tomas one of the hotel waiter was great and even spoke Spanish. The extra day that was provided to see waterfalls with the English group was awesome !. Our return flight from Munich to Colorado on the German airlines with premium economy class was amazing!! Thank you for the up grade!!

Opportunities: next time Long lay over in Denver 3 hours was exhausting for my wife and daughter after long day.

Thanks, Jen. I appreciate the "welcome home" and the opportunity to rave about my experience in the Holy Land. Before I get into that, though, and before I forget, our Spiritual Guide, Fr. Eugene, didn't have a copy of the Way of the Cross in his packet, so I gave him mine. Now I'd like to have it for reflection. Would it be possible for you to send me a replacement? Thanks! I am on retreat this week, taking the opportunity to re-live that amazing trip-of-a-lifetime. Thank you for everything! It was just perfect in every way, and each day I posted a summary on my Facebook page so all my "friends" could travel along too. I gave full credit to 206tours so I hope you get a lot more business as a result. Our tour guide, George Stephen, was exceptionally knowledgeable as well as patient and kind. The bus driver was expert in every way and friendly too. Fr. Eugene was also a good spiritual companion, and it was refreshing that it was also his first trip to the Holy Land. Yes, I have pictures, and besides my journal and the Facebook postings, I also plan to put something together for the sisters. When I do I'll be happy to share that with you too. Good luck in your work, and if there is anything I can do to help in the future, please do not hesitate to ask. I'm happy to be a good will ambassador!

Thank you for the welcome home! We all had a wonderful experience in France. I was most especially moved by the time we spent in Lourdes. Very uplifting and spiritually fulfilling. The concelebrated mass at the grotto was a highlight, a wonderful experience. And the beautiful Stations of the Cross was very moving. Every thing went well and our guide Vanessa was top notch. The only grumblings among the pilgrims was the location of the hotel in Paris... they wished they were closer to the center of the city so that they wouldn't have to take the metro to get about. They felt that a bit intimidating. If you get feedback from the pilgrims let me know. It helps in preparing and leading for my future pilgrimages. Thanks to all at 206 for making this happen for us!

Hello Jen

Our pilgrimage was wonderful, even the weather cooperated with lots of sunny days. Charles and I were pleased - the itinerary was exactly what we went by with a couple of minor adjustments made by Alexandra. She, by the way, was excellent. We enjoyed both the scriptural and the history she shared of Greece. This pilgrimage inspired me, it highlighted the heroic journey St. Paul made to spread the gospel. To see the places where he preached, we were truly "following in the footsteps of St. Paul". Greece is beautiful, the ruins were interesting. I would highly (and have) recommended it to my friends. It was also a good mix of land tours and cruise. I am happy to share a few photos. Please feel free to use these photo for future promotions. Thank you 206 Tours for this wonderful and faith-filled experience.

Hi Jen

We cannot thank you and 206 tours enough for the most wonderful pilgrimage we took to the Holy Land. It was perfect. Everything was just perfect. The priest who came with us Father Eugene was awesome. We believe he made the experience even more spiritual. The tour guide George was incredible knowledgeable and so very good with information. The driver was super nice and so sweet. The hotels were great. The food amazing. We have no complaints at all. In fact we are so grateful that we will take the next pilgrimage with you. Thank you for everything. Keep up the wonderful work you are doing.

Hi Amanda

The pilgrimage was awesome - I didn't know what to expect and I was blown away! The masses were my favorite part, they felt so intimate when shared with people on the same journey. However everything else was a close second. I am not sure 206 could have given us a better guide...George was amazing. His knowledge, his patience, his smile, his sense of humor, and his kindness were through the roof! Thank you for all your hard work putting our tour together.

We had an amazing trip. Everything went perfectly with no problems.A big part of why it went so well was Juan Carlos. He is a true gem, both as an organizer and as a human being. Jose, the driver, was also excellent. We would recommend 206 Tours to everyone!

I absolutely loved the pilgrimage to Medugorje. It was so peaceful. I undoubtedly grew closer to Jesus through Mary during the time I was there. She led me to her Son. Thank you for organizing such an incedible pilgrimage. I will remember it forever. I know that I will find myself in Medugorje in the future.

I was quite late with my registration however, I made it thru your kind effort. To Chris and Sammie- my special thanks, I really appreciate your help. Being there on the 1st week of anniversary especially on the 12th, witnessing the arrival of Pope Francis and attending the masses on the eve( vigil mass) & on the 13th--were all Great blessings for all of us who made it. It was a great experience in a very, very big audience(the biggest so far I've witnessed) yet a peaceful ceremony. My sincerest thanks to all of you 206tours Team for a well organized Pilgrimage. -The Hotels, the food--- all very good. For our very good Free Lunchx2 during the most crowded days in Fatima, thank you so much, Milanka. I was impressed seeing you there & your husband- giving us extra support, PRN. I highly recommend Fr. Shemek Nowak--for being an excellent Spiritual leader in Fatima ; my sincerest thanks for all the wisdom I've learned. I highly recommend Quico G.- our very hard working and helpful tour guide.You can count on him.Fr. J.Conover, our spiritual leader in France & Vanessa, our tour guide - did also a good job- I recommend them both also. Miguel & Jose are excellent drivers- I highly recommend them both. To our extraordinary speaker, Dr. Scott Han and his compassionate & accommodating wife Kimberly-thank you very much. Looking forward for my 7th Pilgrimage in the near future, still under your very good service. GOD Bless your Heart & GOD Bless us ALL !!!!!

Hi,

I was told I could send a few pictures of our wonderful Pilgrimage in to this email address. I just wanted to say that we've traveled with 206 Tours on Pilgrimages now for our 4th time and this pilgrimage was just truly amazing! We really loved our tour guide Federica and our driver Massimo!! I can't imagine going back and not having them as our guides....Melissa, you were totally right about Federica, Sophia just fell in love with her as did we! Thanks so much 206 Tours for making this the pilgrimage of a lifetime. We are getting ready to book for next year and have about 10 people that want to go! Is there a way to make sure Federica could be our pilgrimage guide? We would include Shrines of Italy again but add on other sites. Thanks so much Melissa for everything, it's been such a blessed time! Here are a few pictures from the journey. Thanks so much Melissa for everything, it's been such a blessed time! Here are a few pictures from the journey.

This was our 2nd pilgrimage with 206 Tours. We loved our tour last year to Rome and Medjugorje so we had very high expectations for our pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Somehow, the staff of 206 managed to exceed all of the expectations we had!! Highlights: The quality of the tour locations, especially where we had our daily Masses. We couldn't believe we were in the places you had arranged for us! Our outstanding guide, Romi! His knowledge of history, tradition, & Christianity were essential in guiding our pilgrimage. His genuine concern for everyone on our tour was displayed constantly in big and little ways. Our priest, Fr. Gerard, is a true treasure! He led us spiritually and became one with us in the wonder and joy of our experiences. The attention to detail that 206 arranged: hotels, meals, sites to visit, our skilled & patient bus driver Jon the special cake and roses we received on Mother's Day, the delicious end of tour dinner with its spectacular rooftop view thank you, thank you, thank you! We have been spiritually nourished and feel so very blessed by this experience. Thank you also for arranging for the bus to return to the airport to pick us up when our flight arrived 4 1/2 hours late. Dinner was even sent to our room that night since our delay had caused us to miss the group Mass and dinner. You truly went above and beyond to take care of us pilgrims!

Dear Nicole,

I refrained from taking pictures as I did not want to spend my pilgrimage 'behind a lens.' However, I would like to emphasize that our guide, Vanessa T., was wonderful. She was very knowledgeable, extremely helpful, and overall a wonderful lady. It was obviously not 'just a job' for her - she was like a fellow pilgrim. I would also like to add that our bus driver, Jose, did a wonderful job (especially driving in Paris) and was kind and very pleasant. I would definitely consider another pilgrimage with 206 Tours in the future.

The pilgrimage was Great! Of course Fr Carroll was terrific and the guides, both of them were exceptional. Not only were they so knowledgeable about the areas and events Old Testament and New, but they were very spiritual which I thought tied it all together.

Hi Nicole,

It is always a great joy to lead a group, and 206 always makes it perfect! We love staying with Jelka and Drazen and they are truly our Medjugorje family. Their home is immaculate and meals outstanding. Every detail is cared for, every need is met with a smile! At the time for our sharing on the last day each and every person had a beautiful testimony, both those who have come before and those with us for the first time. This is Medjugorje for me as a group leader and fellow pilgrim. These stories are my miracles! And the love shown among these pilgrims was amazing! Our flight was delayed out of Munich, yes, but no one complained. The personnel at Lufthansa were very good to us, and sometimes these things happen. A small inconvenience for such a great week! I already look forward to returning in September! Love and thanks to you all!

Our pilgrimage has been blessed with spiritual renewal and just wonderful experience...did not want it to end!! ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE of course with an experienced Tour guide Juan Carlos and a spiritual director Fr. Denis Wilde. I have a very serious medical problem (cancer)with my hip,having problem keeping up with the walking tour on cobble stone street surface, but your company provided a wheel chair which really helped me out during the walking tour but again Juan Carlos was so kind to help me using the wheel chair. He is just a God sent assistant to make the tour enjoyable. So many of the members of the group has been so gracious offering their help to push me in the wheel chair as they see my wife staggering pushing the wheel chair. If we have to do another tour we will not hesitate to use 206 again...you guys are so kind to the pilgrims, made our tour so organized!!

Dear Nicole,

My pilgrimage to The Holy Land on May 1-10, 2017 was fantastic! Father Connolly was the perfect spiritual director, and Shafiq was the perfect tour guide. Father Connolly was completely knowledgeable in matters of the Catholic Church, doctrine and faith which is surprising in such a young priest. At all times he conducted himself with the dignity expected of a priest. He was always prepared with the biblical accounts of the places we were visiting and often gave historical explanations to enlighten the tour group further. It would be impossible not to like Shafiq. Having grown up in Israel he could explain in great depth the sites we visited along with the historical facts concerning the sites and surrounding area. And he was entirely Catholic and knew how to relate historical facts to Catholic teachings. He and Father Connolly were the perfect compliment to each other. Going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land would not have been the same had I not gone with Father Connolly, Shafiq, and other committed Catholics. You can be sure I will use 206 Tours in the future.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment on our pilgrimage to The Holy Land. Both my husband and I were concerned about taking a land tour because of the logistics of packing and unpacking every evening as well as the stories about very early starts in the morning and very late arrivals at night. Not only did Rami, our tour guide, not do any long days, he set a nice pace each day. His knowledge was exceptional filling in history and traditions, as we went, but not repeating himself or talking all the time. The group size of 25 was also ideal. On a scale of 1 to 10, Rami is a 12! We were impressed with the Mass sites; I do not think you could surpass the locations we had. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give mass sites a 10+. The hotels were also lovely. The hotel locations were exceptional, as they were easy to get around on our own. We especially enjoyed the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem, what a treat. Another score of 10+ for hotels. My only regret is that I didn't do the pilgrimage 40 years ago. It is a trip I will relive at every mass. Thank you for an exceptional experience. Joe and I are talking about a return trip, with our daughter and son-in-law, and we would love to have Rami again! (I will call when we get a date picked in 2020.)

Just wanted you to have some very positive feedback! The hotels, food and service were as promised, i.e., first class. Grace Magbaleta's service and joy as our group leader, gave a great feeling of security and her singing and prayers as well as jokes kept us going daily. Fr Cal's wam spirit, Masses and homilies enriched this faith-filled experience in all the holy sites we visited. I do not have enough superlatives to describe our guides and drivers especially guides Habib in Israel and Salaman in Jordan. Definitely a trip of a lifetime at a reasonable cost. Seeing the three areas of Dubai, Abu Dhabi (UAE) ,the Holy Land, and Jordan made it all just amazing.

The pilgrimage was wonderful and life changing. Our guide Habib was outstanding in his knowledge and ability coordinating our activities. I definitely recommend him. Our driver Joe was great as well. He is very skillful in a difficult driving environment. Fr. Cal gave us excellent spiritual care. Grace is a great organizer and was helpful all along the way both before and during our trip. Blessings to all of you at 206. I hope to travel with you again.

Dear 206 Tours,

We just returned from our pilgrimage of the Holy Land, including Jordan, May 1-14, 2017. I commend your company for providing us with good hotels and food, a wonderful itinerary of the Holy Sites, our skillful drivers, and our patient and knowledgeable guides, Habib in Israel, and Solomon in Jordan. The free water on the buses was a great perk, as it prevented dehydration. Father Cal was a true blessing and joy as he was our "shepherd." Grace Magbaleta was a very capable leader, making sure our needs were met, and as someone who guided us as we travelled through Israel and Jordan. We would definitely recommend your tour company. As a matter of fact, we already have.

Thank you also for ur work my sister Luz and my nephew Jeffrey have great time it was really a wonderful experience to be in our Lord place as they said it was not accident that we were there but a blessing we are really blessed!

Dear Natasha,

Thank you 206 Tours family for a wonderful pilgrimage. God blessed all your efforts and prayers. I'm sure everyone in the group will forever cherish all the memories we had. Thank you, Most Holy Trinity! Habib, our guide in Israel was an outstanding guide. He explained things very well, connecting the Old Testament to the New Testament. His in depth knowledge of the sites and its history were amazing, making the bible come alive. I say the same things with Solomon, our guide in Jordan. Both of them were friendly, very knowledgeable and flexible. We were truly blessed with having them as our guides. If the Lord leads me to go back to these places, I will request for them as our guides again. Our trip to Dubai was wonderful as well. We attended Sunday Mass at St Mary Catholic Church, a big church. Before the Mass, a lady noticed we had 206 Tours lanyards, so she ushered us to the front rows. Thank you, Jesus! I was impressed with the structures in Dubai, but more so with the Miracle Garden. Thank you once again for all your work and support and prayers.

Dear Rinda,

Shrines of Spain Pilgrimage was wonderful. Pilgrims expressed great gratitude to the guides, hotels, city guides, etc. The hotels were all fine. All of the meals provided by the hotels were very good too, with the exception of the meal at the hotel in Santiago. It was not up to par. But all of the other meals were delicious, wholesome, and more then bountiful! Our bus driver was excellent. While his English was limited, he made up for in courtesy, kindness, and a willingness to help out. Leo, our primary guide, was more than excellent! A devout Catholic, who fully participated in all of the spiritual exercises, including praying the rosary on the bus with the pilgrims. In addition, he fully participated in all of the Masses. And appears to be very knowledgeable on all things Catholic. he city guides that we had this time were very, very good. I think some of the best ever. Ernesto, in particular, in Toledo was top notch. He even asked if it was alright for him to stay and celebrate Mass with us at the Cathedral. His daughter is going to be doing a year abroad in Iowa this year for college. The only place that we had a problem for the Mass was at the church of the Eucharistic Miracle. I don't think that there are any priests actually are there. Whatever church had Sisters in charge, everything was pristine and beautiful. Unfortunately we do not have enough Sisters to be everywhere.

Juan Carlos was terrific as a guide who really had his eye open for opportunities for the pilgrims and concern for those who were in need of help.

JMJ+

What aspects of the pilgrimage were your favorite?
I enjoyed EVERYTHING! I especially loved the walk where we did the stations of the cross and attended Mass on the path. I was thrilled to see the Holy Father up close, go to St. Jerome's Monastery, St. Anthony's church, the homes of the Lucia and Francisco and Jacinta, the family cemetery near by, the tombs of the little Saints, the apparition Chapel of the Blessed Mother, the Convent where St. Lucia spent most of her life, the convent where the Queen had built for the nuns. I could go on and on...as there wasn't one aspect of this trip I didn't enjoy! I was AMAZED by the artifacts in the museum where valuable gifts were stored that had been given to Fatima. Such a hidden and unknown treasure to me. Javier, our guide was fabulous and very knowledgeable and especially patient with my non-believing husband who always had a million questions for him. The very nice and considerate touches by 206 tours of buying us pastries while at St. Jerome's, bringing us white roses on Mother's Day, buying us stamps commemorating the 100 year anniversary of Fatima were all very moving. Also, very nice to have a cake for the Mother's at our final dinner. Carlos our tour driver was incredible. I always felt safe and amazed by his skilled driving in such a difficult area to navigate a huge bus. He was extremely nice as well. Carlos our tour driver was incredible. I always felt safe and amazed by his skilled driving in such a difficult area to navigate a huge bus. He was extremely nice as well.

Were you satisfied with the spiritual elements as well as the physical (i.e. accommodations)?

Spiritually
Our Spiritual director was very good and his Masses were beautiful as well. It was very exciting to have Dr. Hahn and his wife Kimberly in attendance. Dr. Hahn's talks, like always, are amazing and informative! Maybe, my non-believing husband absorbed some of the information from Dr's Hahn's talks too. I can only pray and hope. There is a lot to take in and ponder and reflect upon after visiting this Holy Site. I am definitely going to try to increase my spiritual efforts and think about ways in which I can offer up more sufferings for the Holy Souls in addition to praying the Rosary more than once a day. These holy children's lives are so moving. One cannot help but be touched and inspired by their personal sacrifices.

Physical
The Hotel Eurosol was sufficient. It had firm beds, and working air conditioning, very friendly staff and clean rooms. Our rooms were cleaned at least twice during our four day stay. The TV worked too. The Hotel provided a converter for my blow dryer but did not have an available blow dryer as noted on their room accommodation material. With the provided converter, my blow dryer was not reliable and didn't always turn on. Luckily I was able to have my hair done at the Leiria mall (as noted above) as I didn't want to go a week without washing my hair and I needed a reliable blow dryer. I realize Portugal is not a rich country and does not have all the fresh fruits and vegetable options like we have in California, so I didn't have high expectations for the food. That being said, the meals at the Santa Maria hotel, however, were always good. The dinners at the Hotel Eurosol, not so. Maybe they need a new chef or different items selected for the meals? The sack lunch breakfast/lunch were fine though and the breakfasts were good too. The hotel in Lisbon was also sufficient. The room was clean but a little difficult to move around in as we had a corner room with a angular roof line which made one part of the room lower with less space. I cannot remember what we ate on the first night while in Lisbon but it wasn't memorable. Oh, my husband just said it was some mystery meat with a mushroom sauce. It was okay. I remember the soup being served very cold. The breakfast buffet was good at the Lisbon hotel and offered many choices.

Please let us know if your expectations were not met at any point during the pilgrimage.
206 Tours exceeded all my expectations and more and I'd highly recommend them to any family or friends that are interested in taking a religious pilgrimage. It was amazing how much sightseeing we were able to pack in, given the record crowds in Fatima on this very special 100 year anniversary occasion!

May God Bless 206 Tours for making such Pilgrimages possible!

Dear Nicole,

We could not be more pleased with our trip with 206. Every aspect of the trip was executed flawlessly. Travel arrangements were great as was the lodging. Our guide (Javier), driver (Rual) and Father Darrick made this spiritual and physical journey so special. I would like to add that Javier was one of the best tour guides we have ever seen. He readily shared his knowledge of Spanish/Galician culture and food as well as Catholic history with us throughout the journey. We realize that 206 could have made the choice to postpone or cancel this event because the group size was small but please accept the entire groups thanks for nor doing that and letting us have such a special pilgrimmage. I would gladly offer further comments or input to 206 leadership. This our second tour with 206 and we definitely plan to work with you on future trips - you are the best.We loved this trip so much that we would definitely be interested in other parts of the El Camino for future hikes (such as starting east of Sarria and ending there after five or six walking days). We are unaware whether 206 conducts tours for US college students but we all beleive they would truly benefit from Tour 70. Target pilgrims at Catholic Colleges/Universities, or Newman's Clubs at regular campuses. There were several Catholic students from other countries that joined us for Mass - very special!

Amanda,

The trip was AMAZING!!! Everything went perfectly (except for a ground delay going which caused us to miss our connection in NY but it all worked out and was no one's fault). I want to HIGHLY commend Vanessa our tour guide...........she was the perfect pilgrimage guide!!!! She was attentive, patient, knowledgeable, friendly.............everything!!!! I would take a tour with her again any time.........she represented 206 Tours extremely well!!! I also liked the "whispers" that allowed us to hear at all times......what a great tool. I can't thank you enough for such a wonderful experience............I am already looking forward to my next 206 Tour...........this one will definitely not be my last.

Hello Nicole,

The pilgrimage went well. It was nice to have the quiet time to pray while walking. I tend to be a fast walker so I usually was ahead of the rest of the group. I enjoyed to locations where we were able to offer Mass. The food and hospitality were great. This was my second 206 tour in Europe and each time the tour escort did a great job showing excitement for the pilgrimage and displaying great hospitality. Quico was wonderful this year.

My recent trip to Holy Land and Rome was a memorable experience. In Israel, our tour guide Rami was very knowledgeable, Fr. Piotr was encouraging with his homilies and our driver Hamed was very patient and made us feel safe with his excellent driving skills at all times. Likewise in Rome, Federica our tour guide and Fr. Jim did a great job too. In both countries, food was amazing, hotel accommodation was great and schedule was well organized. Thank you for making our trip very pleasant and smooth. Definitely I recommend 206 Tours

Dear Milanka,

I just returned from a 10-day pilgrimage to Southern Spain included in itinerary Madrid, Toledo, Guadalupe, Antequera, Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada, Ronda, Onil, Alcoy and Valencia, and to Gibraltar (British Territory). In 9 days we walked 59 miles. There were many beautiful crucifixes and statues of Jesus, Mary and saints at the different cathedrals and churches, great paintings at the Prado Museum and the Picasso exhibit at the Sofia Reina Museum. The top religious visits include: The Cathedral of St. Maria La Real de la Almudena in Madrid, Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Extremadura, Cathedrals in Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Valencia, The Holy Grail at the Catedral de Santa Maria in Valencia, The Eucharistic Miracles in Onil and in Alcoy, The Relic of the left hand of St. Teresa of Avila in the Carmelite Convent at Ronda and The Carthusian Monastery in Granada. We also had extensive city tours of the above places, visited Alhambra, Water Gardens of Generalife, Antequera, watched a great flamenco show in Seville, cable car ride in Gibraltar and had varied culinary experiences(Iberico ham, tapas, 3 types of paella dinners, special desserts, etc.). Upon registration, the only person I knew was the tour guide, Javier Valdivieso, who has accompanied us in 5 of the pilgrimages with Fr. Andre Patenaude, M.S. (Fr. Pat, the singing priest) from the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, Massachusetts.Cora, the tour coordinator, is a Filipino from San Francisco, and she completely customized this great itinerary. Javier, the overall tour guide, and all the local guides were excellent! They gave us great lessons in art and history! The Spiritual Director is Fr. Rogelio, who is Mexican, and who has accompanied Cora 4 times in previous pilgrimages. His homilies were great! The morning prayers, the daily Mass and recitation of the Rosary, and an opportunity for Confession were part of our day. The hotels were excellent and centrally located. The breakfasts and the dinners (in the hotel or outside the hotel) were great as well. The group is friendly and very helpful. I enjoyed them all and felt bad when I had to say goodbye. Below are some pictures.

I was delighted to received your "Pilgrimage Certificate" which brings back all the impressions of the Pilgrimage. The running of the Tour was amazing. I have never experienced such a well organised and worry free and excursion. The group leader was exceptional. he added so much to the trip with his incredible knowledge, concern for our well being, and he never lost his temper!!!! I received a great personal boost to my Spiritual life. All the leaders at the various stops we made, were so "on to it" so to speak. Thank you very much for all that "206" and all you have done to make the trip so wonderful, memorable and trouble free. May Our Blessed Lady continue to bless you and the 206, for such a fine Task that you have done.

Nothing could have surprised us more than this A+ #1 Trip. We are so joyed we decided to take this trip. As you noted this trip is like no other. There were no glitches during the entire time. We met wonderful people. The driver was great and really knew how to handle that big comfortable bus. Phil, the Guide, was awesome!!!!! He was so knowledgeable on every place we went. We learned Sooooooo much because of him. He was a lot of fun to be with. All three hotels were very appreciated. Breakfasts were fantastic, coffee always available that's important to us!!! Love coffee. Clean rooms, nice towels, good pillows. I still can't believe all we saw. Memories will last FOREVER. I will definitely recommend "206". Thank you for all you did to make it so wonderful!!

I have participated in six 206 Tours and have been pleased with each of them in terms of accommodations, meals, transportation, and guest speakers or guides. My singular reason for writing this letter is to praise Vanessa, our tour guide for the Fatima to Lourdes program from April 9 to 18, 2017. If one were to employ a five star scale in evaluating guides, all the guides in my previous 206 programs would receive either five or four stars. (Note: I was a tough grader during my years as a university professor.) In the case of Vanessa, however, she far exceeded my expectations. As such, she warrants more than five stars. My reasons for this grade are as follows. First, her language skills were impressive as she was comfortable not only in her native Portuguese, but also with Spanish, French, and most importantly for many in the group English. She could shift with ease from one language to another when the need arose. Her facility with English enabled us to understand either her directions or content material without any difficulty. Her mastery of English was noted in particular by her ability to understand humorous terms or phrases in English. Second, she provided the group with a wealth of knowledge about Portugal, Spain, and France. That knowledge included history, geography, and contemporary issues confronting those countries. She also displayed an insight into the spiritual significance of each religious site which was appreciated. Clearly, these observations illustrate that Vanessa likes her job as she has taken the time to master the depth and breadth of the countries and sites we visited. She is obviously a credit to her profession. Third, she has a pleasing personality. She was able to assist a wide range of ages in our group with a host of questions and individual needs with professionalism, humor, and always of smile. This illustrated time and again that she likes people in a particular caring way. I dubbed her the shepherdess of our flock, as she was always attentive to the individual needs of her sheep. I strongly encourage you to employ her services often as she is a significant asset to the mission of 206 Tours.

Bika,

Our pilgrimage to Poland exceeded my expectations! Our tour escort, Filip, was absolutely outstanding! I travel extensively and can honestly say that he is the best tour guide I have ever had -- 206 Tours should use his services whenever possible. The accommodations and food were excellent. The entire trip was thoughtfully planned out. Very nice blend of spiritual reflections as well as visits to historic and cultural sites of Poland.

Good morning Piernha and Nicole,

I am heading to Tel Aviv for my flight home and so so blessed to have been on this pilgrimage. What an awesome once in a lifetime experience this has been. Thank you for all you did in organizing everything. It was flawless really. In fact words can't describe it. Thank you very much and do stay blessed. I surely am after this pilgrimage!!!

Nicole,

Yes our pilgrimage was the most memorable ever. Words do not express our wonderful trip. The tour guide, (Rami) was an incredibly knowledgeable and kind and patient young man. Our spiritual director Fr. Piotr Paciorek was also the best. I would change nothing except...I would add a suggestion to refrain from photos during the Holy Mass. I know you will not be able to stop it but if you could just strongly suggest. The trip was more than we ever expected....don't change anything else...and we are suggesting 206 Tours to all of our friends and family as well. Great job!! and Thank YOU all.

Amanda,

Good Afternoon. I have been resisting getting back to reality, mentally I am still in Israel! This was my second pilgrimage with 206 Tours and it was well worth it, I enjoyed everything about it, in the words of Father Don I am now a pilgrim junkie! I think 206 runs the best pilgrimages/tours, there is nothing I want or need on the trip. I especially enjoyed the three meals a day although I do feel I ate too much! Last year when I went to Poland we received breakfast and dinner so this was a nice perk getting lunch. Our hotels were stellar, bus was clean, and Nazeel and Jack were the best! Actually I almost feel like I had an overload of information which is good. Yesterday I went out to the book store and purchased a book on the history of Jerusalem and a history of Christianity. This is my best part of my trips is when I come home and feel like a sponge on anything and everything that I saw and learned on my trip, and want to continue to absorb more! Maybe the best part of all was the intimacy of the pilgrimage. Last year went I took the Divine Mercy pilgrimage to Poland we had two bus loads of pilgrims and it was hard to friend each and every pilgrim although I absolutely loved that trip too I think partly because I am Polish and am a St. John Paul and St. Faustina Kowalska cheerleader.! But this pilgrimage was really really special. Having one bus full of pilgrims was easier to get to know almost each one individually. They are all so special and dear to me, of course you have your favorites and that is common anywhere. Some pilgrims I feel like I have known my whole life!!! I really didn't take any pictures to share and I have a crazy reason for that. Three years ago my mom passed away and now I have all of her life's pictures and I also have mine. So that being said I am trying to cut back on the picture taking, but everything is in my memory! Ok so thank you for checking in with us and I hope you have a wonderful year ahead.

I had a truly wonderful time on my 206 Pilgrimage Tour to the Holy Land. Our tour guide, Jack, was exceptional. His wealth of knowledge of each location was impressive and he was able to communicate the history and relevance of each location in a comprehensive and interesting way. The tour bus and driver where very nice. We moved around Israel in a comfortable and smooth way. The flow of the tour was very well done beginning up north in Caesarea and moving to the west to Tiberias for a few days and ending in the heartbeat of Jerusalem for the final five days where there is so much to see and do. Despite Lent being a very popular time to visit the Holy Land we never felt overwhelmed by crowds or experienced very bad traffic. I think this is due to the timing of the tours being so well planned out. Father Calloway added a very special spirituality to the tour. We were always reverent at each site and in between we recited the rosary on the bus. Our daily masses in the historical churches throughout the Holy Land were very special. What a great way to feel God among us. The three hotels we stayed at were wonderful. Each accommodation was very comfortable and the breakfast and dinner buffets were delicious. In between, 206 Tours found a wonderful Christian restaurant to enjoy a delicious lunch at. Being my first 206 Tour, I was truly impressed and plan on participating in several more Pilgrimages with 206 Tours in the future!!

Hello Milanka,
I will be forever promoting 206 Tours as our trip was the best of my life. What a gift from above and one I will always be grateful for. Ellen and I are planning to do Poland next summer and Germany in 2020. I do hope to see you again on a tour or if I am ever in New York, i will stop by and see you and Amanda.

Thank you again for everything!

Hello Milanka,

Even though I have had to endure pain the trip was the trip of a life time, life changing indeed. As Fr. Donald said, it will forever change the way you see the gospels, pray the Office and the Rosary, it has come alive, I think every Catholic who is able should go on a Pilgrimage, and book it through 206 Tours. It was all good. I felt so much love, and will continue all my days to pray for you, Amanda and all the Pilgrims including Nazee and the lovely Jack! Oh, and I have to mention Simon, what a dear pushing me (quite a load) around Jerusalem!! Please let him know how much I appreciated it, so much!

Amen Milanka!

Your the best! & all our family of pilgrims were soo very wonderful to journey & share with thruout an amazing & breathtaking Holy Land Pilgrimage. What an exceptional walk back in time & in the history of the diverse & various regions we all explored together. Truly a well suited itenary for a pilgrim soul! Thank You!, & all your very gracious, helpful, & knowledgeable staff, Jack our guide, & bus driver Nazeen. Fr. Don & I & all 38 + just experienced a top notch & unforgettable one of a kind Holy Land Journey as Forever Pilgrim Souls. Thank you Fr. Don for your spiritual direction, Holy Masses with homilies straight from the heart Much Love & Our Best Regards!!! Saluté to 206 Tours Pilgrims & Pilgrimages !!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Pilgrimage. Our tour guide, Juan Carlos, was exceptionally good! Scheduling, logistics & timing were all well executed. The hotel in Burgos was excellent. I would recommend 206 tours to anyone.

Hi Elise,

My trip with Johnnette Benkovic was the best rewarding experience as it exceeded my expectations. There was a lot history, spectacular views, solemnity, meditation, reconciliation and outstanding the medicinal bath at Lourdes. The hotel were comfortable, the food was excellent but the most touching was how Juan Carlos and his two assistants Kiko and Leo took care of us. I will never forget this pilgrimage as it has turned my life around.

Elise,

The tour itself was wonderful. Our guide, Juan Carlos, and the two student guides with him, Quico and Leo, were outstanding and professional and a total joy to be with as was the driver, Miguel. They could not have been any more kind, attentive, helpful and knowledgeable. They are very dedicated and outstanding people. The places we visited were wonderful and met and exceeded my expectations. It was an altogether wonderful trip and I hope Johnnette does it again for other pilgrims. As it turns out the first week of Lent is a perfect time to go. There were no crowds and we were easily able to see and move around in the holy places at Fatima, Avila, Loyola, and Lourdes.

What a great trip! Our tour guide, Nadi, and our driver, Hamed, were excellent! Our guide was not only quite knowledgeable, he was also very responsive to the requests of members of the group. This included, but was not limited to, adjusting our itinerary when conditions warranted it. I would highly recommend 206 Tours!

The tour was GREAT!!! Our tour guide, Shafiq was EXCELLENT!

The trip was absolutely perfect from beginning to end! Shafiq was the best tour guide we could have asked for. He was so knowledgeable and shared so much information, I wish I could have taken him home with me to answer all of the questions I have! Thank you for everything. I will surely do another pilgrimage with 206 in the future!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to visit the Holy Land. It was a wonderful experience. Our tour guide, Shatiq, was so knowledgeable and informative and a delightful addition to our group. Please keep him!!'. Ramsey, our driver, was always helpful and pleasant. Thank you again for your part in this wonderful experience.

Let me begin by saying how impressed I am with 206 tours. Every bit of information was sent ahead of time for us to look over and read up on prior to our trip. From the moment we arrived, our guide, Nadi, was there promptly to great us and give us information on the days/nights ahead. Our group could all tell instantly that he was going to be very attentive to our needs and our expectations would be met on this Pilgrimage. We always had a schedule of events in advance, wake-up calls, contact information, and sense of security in a foreign country. As a teacher myself, I can appreciate how much he taught me and how well he presented information to our large group each day. Not only is he knowledgeable beyond my expectations but he had a sense of humor that made learning so much fun. You are truly blessed to have someone so talented and knowledgeable at 206 tours. Even our driver, Hamed, worked tirelessly to meet our expectations. He was always helping us on and off the bus, and greeting us with a smile each morning and night. Also, when our wifi on the bus wasn't working he spent time trying to get it fixed, but let us use his cell phone's hotspot when we needed it. Not to mention how super impressed we all were with his driving skills and felt safe the entire trip. Finally, even with our flight cancelation, I wasn't worried one bit. Nadi reached out to our group and had Amaal and Sam from 206 Tours come to our hotel to start rebooking and getting a schedule set for us. We felt like we were in good hands the entire time. I was able to relax and not worry about the little things so I could truly take in this once in a lifetime spiritual journey. I will forever remember this trip as one of the highlights in my life. Thank you for all that you did to get me there and back home safely. I would definitely go through 206 tours again and spread the word of how great everyone was that we came in contact with while we were there.

Each of our Pilgrimages with Fr Mike have most memorable but with the help of our 5 star tour guide Shafiq bringing the old and New Testaments alive. We definitely will feel much different when the readings and gospel is read at Mass. The accommodations were wonderful. Again our tour escort Shafiq and driver Ramsey were 5 stars. Our Good Shepherd Fr. Mike Vetrano feed us our spiritual needs.

Hi Piernha,

Trip was wonderful made so by our terrific Tour guide Shafiq. He is a tremendous young man with a wealth of knowledge and faith that he shared with us. You have a real jem there!

Mrs. Medley called to thank all for our hard work and rave about how fabulous Shafiq was. Said this is the 2nd pilgrimage in 2 years and while she doesn't know how we do it to and says please keep up the good work.

The Holy Land pilgrimage with 206 Tours was a wonderful experience. From my perspective, these were some of the contributing factors: Our guide Shafiq was extremely knowledgeable about the sites we visited, the local languages, the history and geography of the regions, and most importantly, how Scripture and the Holy Land are so intimately intertwined. Shafiq's passion for his Faith was most evident. In addition, Shafiq was patient in several problematic situations and resolved issues easily. He often gave us pertinent and useful pieces of information and answered all our questions. The tour schedule itself promoted understanding: being in Galilee before Jerusalem, praying the Via Dolorosa before going to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and seeing the model of Jerusalem at the Israel Museum before we visited the sites there. Accommodations and food were very good.I thought that the food at our Tiberias hotel was outstanding. The tone of the entire pilgrimage was prayerful. Having all fees and gratutitues included made things easier. Fr. Vetrano posting of pictures and trip description each day allowed my community members and family to know where we were and what we saw. This also affords each of us a very personal record of our trip. Liturgies were very touching, beyond words. Fr. Vetrano requested that the pilgrims be invited to read at Mass, serve as special ministers of the Eucharish, and lead the decades of the rosary as we drove. Pilgrims were most willing to do these things and were grateful for the opportunity, sometimes to the point of tears. Both 206 Tours and Shafiq worked very hard to make our trip a true pilgrimage. When some participants expressed an interest in going to Medjugorje, Fr. Vetrano suggested that they look at the 206 website and join a 206 tour. Thanks to you and everyone at 206 Tours for all you did for us.

After returning home I am still at a loss for words for what I/We experienced during our 10 day pilgrimage. It was truly an amazing experience! Nadi is more knowledgeable than words can describe and his personality/ humor brought tears to our eyes at times! It was a true gift to have him as our guide. Hamed added to the experience! He was a fabulous addition to our trip, getting us to each stop safety with a smile always on his face! I am happy to be home with family, but I am already missing my time in Israel. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I learned more in 10 days than in my lifetime. I would definitely go through 206 tours again! Please feel free to share the attached pictures!

I have been so enriched by this pilgrimage. Everything was great and allowed us to focus on the spiritual. You have an exceptional asset to your organization in Shafiq. He was incredibly knowledgable about the area, the history, both the old and new testament.....truly a remarkable man.I would recommend your organization to anyone. I cannot say enough about Shafriq.He went above and beyond with some of us that needed more watching and explaining and smoothed the way for us numerous times. His local familiarity is invaluable for the enrichment, safety and knowledge of any pilgrims that are fortunate enough to have him for a tour guide. We never waited on line or were delayed in large part due to Shafiq's familiarity with the area and customs, personality and local knowledge. He is a hugge asset to you and we wil never forget his kindness.

I will begin by saying this was an amazing and powerfully experience for me. Spiritually I am a changed person and believe there is much more to absorb over the next several weeks. My goal was to know Jesus better and to follow His ways everyday. I believe this trip will certainly make a difference in how I start and complete everyday. The accommodations, food, travel and itinerary were exceptional. The Holy Land tour was well planned and delivered in a meaningful way. I must give your your guide Shafiq most of the credit. There is no way to give him the praise he deserves. His knowledge of the New and Old Testament is excellent. His method of delivering the information is exceptional. His patience and awareness of the people he was leading was exceptional. The planning he did to make our experience in the Holy Land perfect was exceptional. Shafiq is an asset to the tour and a person I will always remember. Thank you for a trip I will never forget.

Group picture in Italy

Dear Mario,

My trip was amazing! It was quite an inspiration to walk in the steps of Christ. The only disappoint was not having more time to spend at each site. Usama was a wonderful guide. His knowledge made me so much more aware or the archeological evidence of the sites we visited. Msgr. Mcnamara was a wonderful shepherd and his prayers, homilies, and insights were also very valuable. Abed was a great driver who went above and beyond to care for us. Their patience with our group was amazing! I wish that I had taken more time to review the relevant scripture passages before visiting each site.I would highly recommend 206 Tours to anyone planning a trip to the Holy Land, and have already done so.

Amanda,

Greetings! The Pilgrimage was an awesome experience. This was my husband's first trip to Europe and he really had a wonderful experience, this is the 3rd time i have been to Europe, but the first time to Spain and i had a wonderful experience as well. We especially liked the Camino walk to St James and the mass that was celebrated in St James and Fatima. The short distance that we walked gave us a feel for what the Pilgrims that actually walk this journey go thru and meeting a few pilgrims was even a greater experience, especially when we talked to them and they gave us a little of their story, as to how long they had been walking and where they came from. The mass in St James was so meaning full, especially because it was my mother's 6th anniversary of going to heaven, when Deacon Pete put the inscents in the shrine that was lifted and swung at St James Church, I personally felt my mother's presence. In Fatima, learning and being in the places where the Angel and our Lady of the Rosary appeared to Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta really made me understand how important it is to pray the Rosary. Being at the chapel and participating in the prayer of the rosary in so many languages was amazing..it was so meaning full especially because my husband, dad, deacon and a friend got to carry the Virgin in the procession, this is an unforgettable experience.

The experience in Zaragoza was so touching because we were able to meet up with two of the Priest that we used to have in our Parish in Dallas, seeing them was so emotional and being with them and learning the history of St James and the pilar was new to all of us. The other places we visited were also meaning full in their way. I have to say that Juan Carlos did an excellent job thru out the entire trip. He was very attentive to every detail and to every person in the group, always making sure everyone was there and being taken care of, especially with the two incidents that two of members of our group had. He took care of them and at the same time took care of the group. He would tell us where it was good to eat and where we could go. Pedro, the bus driver was also very nice and took care of us when we were traveling, handling our luggage and making sure he was on time to pick us up, and i must say he is an awesome driver because those streets are so narrow!! My husband really became fond of both Juan Carlos and Pedro, he really enjoyed talking with them. The hotels were very nice and the food was awesome!! Thank you for the details and for taking good care of us. If God permits, we will go on another trip.

I LOVED the trip! Father Roy, Rabbi Gadi and our tour coordinator and driver (Nadi and Mahmud) were all excellent. I would not hesitate to recommend the trip to anyone and will surely go on 206 tours in the future. The other tour participants were wonderful and I made lasting friendships with faith-filled people. What more could I ask for?

Dear 206 Tours,

There are no words to do justice for the incredible journey that Fr. Roy and Rabbi Gadi took us on. To experience my rich spiritual history with both these leaders was the chance of a lifetime. They connected the golden links of "diversity" and devotion so seamlessly. Our tour guide Nadi, was the completion to the perfect circle of knowledge and kindness. He is a great asset to 206 tours. Can't say enough about the accommodations and meals. Congratulations on your excellent work. I have been on other tours but yours tops it all!!

Dear Nicole,

This was our fourth pilgrimage with 206 Tours, and it was amazing. We visited so many sites, places that are part of our religious history. Father Roy and Rabbi Gadi worked so well with our guide, Nadi. We had three experts to lead us. (Nadi's spirituality made him a fellow pilgrim as well as a caring leader.) In nine days, we covered so many wonderful sites. The hotels were lovely and the food was good. Having lunch included was a big plus. Our group was just about the right size, 31, including Father and Rabbi. Getting both the Catholic and Jewish view gave us a great perspective. I would recommend to anyone to travel with these two good friends. Now that we are home, we are beginning to process the impact of our spiritual journey. The early morning walk through quiet streets of the Old City led us to Mass within the Holy Sepulcher. WOW! We followed this with sunrise at the Western Wall. How special. I will try to send photos, which you may feel free to use. Thank you for arranging our tour.

We really did appreciate all your help in getting us on the Holyland Tour for December 28th, 2016 to January 4th, 2017. It was a wonderful experience for myself, my husband and our son, Father Jon, M.I.C. We couldn't have asked for better. All of the 206 staff and those you hired to make our pilgrimage so delightful are to be commended. We've never been on a weeklong tour before and were not sure if we could handle it but everything went so smoothly that we know God's hand was on us and on you the organizers. Shafik, our tour guide, was so pleasant, knowledgeable and accommodating that we couldn't imagine anyone being as qualified for this job. It seemed to be a passion for him rather than his job. Our driver Hamad was also great and we never once felt in any danger from any source on our tour. To be able to share this experience with our son was a real blessing. To witness his joy following in the footsteps of Jesus and celebrating Mass along His Way, filled our hearts with gladness and gratefulness. We thank Fr. Terry for encouraging Fr. Jon to fully experience this time in Jesus' homeland. We have now been to the place of Jesus' birth and ministry, a mountaintop experience for sure, and since returned to our everyday duties and sphere of human connections. It has been all too easy to get caught up in our prior ways of life, but still there tugs at our hearts and minds the time we spent immersed in His Word, His land and His people (including all of us) and we know that we will not be truly happy if we do not continue to keep walking on the path that will eventually bring each of us to His Eternal Kingdom.

Hi Bika,

The pilgrimage went very well and was an incredibly enriching spiritual journey for the group. We found all the accommodations to be superb. Our tour escort, Usama, was excellent. All the arrangements by 206 were beyond our expectations. Thank you for going above and beyond, including, in particular, the gift of upgrading Fr. O'Connor and myself to Economy Plus on the international flights. We felt very well cared for. As you may already be aware, one member of our group, Glenn Janus, fell on the pavement in Cana, resulting in fractures in both of his wrists. Once we arrived in Jerusalem, he was taken to Hadassah hospital after visiting a local clinic. He was very well cared for there and ended up with a cast on one wrist and a wrap on the other. He was able to continue with the group and participate in most activities. Usama and those from the 206 office in Jerusalem (Tamara and Simon, in particular) were incredibly helpful in caring for Glenn. Although I have not heard an update since we returned, it is likely that surgery here in the states was necessary. The Januses had the trip insurance and planned to file a claim for reimbursement of the medical expenses. Thank you again to you, Amanda, and all those at 206 for your excellent work in putting together this pilgrimage.

Our 2016/2017 "206" Holy Land pilgrimage was outstanding in all aspects, thanks to your exceptional team of Shafiq, Amal, Hammed, Sam and Father Terry O'Connell, as well as your behind the scenes staff who made every detail perfect. Shafiq, our tour guide, puts into action Jesus' command in Mark 14, "preach the gospel", in his wonderful teaching and his actions. it was like being with one of Jesus' apostles, having him show us his country; share his vast knowledge and faith; and take us on a time travel journey, back to the time of Jesus' ministry, reinvigorating our faith - both through his evident love of Christ and neighbor and through the wealth of knowledge he shared with us. Shafiq is the right man for the job. He shared fascinating information, always grounded in scripture and true Catholic teaching, and quoting scripture to connect it with place. Amal, who works for 206 in Jerusalem, is also a wonderful ambassador, full of life, warmth, goodwill and genuine care for everyone's well-being. Hammed and Sam are tremendous world-class professional drivers, giving us confidence that we were safe in their hands. Father Terry O'Connell, our group's spiritual director, was also the right man in the right place. From the start of breakfast to the end of extended dinner conversations, he interacted animatedly with all of us, creating community and fellowship, educating us in the faith, recommending good spiritual books, and, always, making us laugh at his inimitable Irish humor. Of course, his leadership in prayer on the bus and his leadership of our daily masses were indispensable. Impeccable planning: every detail. The hotel accommodations were impressive and the meals were delicious. Thank you very much also for the surprise New Year's Eve banquet. It was special and fabulous to ring in the New Year at the Cheese and Wine Restaurant of the beautiful Notre Dame Hotel in Jerusalem. We were also very blessed to have the pleasure of sharing this spiritually enriching and life changing pilgrimage with such a lovely group of fellow and pilgrims, kindred spirits who love our Catholic Faith. May God richly bless you all in your ongoing journey to union with God.

To the staff of 206 Tours,

Yes, this is very late. I went on tour number 98 on 3 Oct through 16 October 2016. It was absolutely fantastic albeit a bit overwhelming. I truly wished I had thought to copy the daily schedule that was posted by our phenomenal leader, Alessandro. At any rate, the trip was fantastic, the logistics, the hotels, the food, and of course the many spiritual sites were truly over the top. My only personal disappointment was not seeing the catacombs of St. Callixtus. I'm glad we saw a catacomb, though. The highlight of the trip for me was seeing Pope Francis. Wow! I feel SO blessed to have been a part of this in the year of mercy. I want to thank our wonderful bus driver Massimo for putting up with all of us and for driving us so safely all over Italy. I cannot thank enough the staff of 206Tours for arranging this most memorable trip. It will take me a long time to absorb completely all the things I saw and to appreciate all the memories/pictures I have from this beautiful pilgrimage. MOLTO GRAZIE, PACE E BENE,

Dear 206 Tours,

I had the priviledge recently to be the Spiritual Leader to Jordan and the Holy Land. The group were fantastic and what we experienced was out of this world. When we went to Jordan our guide Daoud saw to all our needs he was a excellent guide and also the driver Ibrahim was also very friendly, helpful and an excellent driver. The Hotels, food and sites we visited will stay in my memoy for life as Daoud gave us a lot to ponder upon regarding the history of Jordan and sites we visited, if I were to return to Jordan I would only go if I had this man and Ibrahim looking after me boy did they know there work well done Men. I would give them 10 out of 10 for service. I cant talk enough of how they looked after us. After we left Jordan we went to Israel we were met by guide who looked after us. Then we met Shafiq and Hammed the driver. I really don't know where to start here, as Shafiq is one of the best guides I ever have encountered in my life as a priest he is a walking encyclopedia when it comes down to the history of the Holy land of Israel. The group I was with were all raving about Shafiq and his ability to communicate and his wisdom to answer the many many questions that were asked of him.I would go on record to say if you want to really know the Holy land of Israel book Shafiq well done 10 out of 10. The driver in Israel was also excellent and a very helpful man he even caught me out on a prank which was vey very funny, Hammed also like Ibrahim was a excellent driver and very polite and helpful. As stressed I am a priest for a long time and I feel 206 Tours has these pilgrimages down to a fine art, other companies, I feel, could learn from them. Well done 206! The Hotels were second to none and the food was likewise. Over all the pilgrimage was 10 out of 10 thanks to all who made a pilgrimage to remember but the pilgrimage would not be as effective without the people who went we had a ball of a time and a trip to remember so thanks to all and before I forget a young lady called Immal who works with 206 in Jerusalem was also very professional and also a credit to 206. This lady was very attentive to our group at all times so to all in Jordan and Israel thanks for making this trip so beautiful.

Hello, Bika!

Happy New Year to you. Our Pilgrimage experience with 206 Tours was outstanding! Already, we can't wait until our next tour. We enjoyed our stay at the hotel, it was clean and comfortable, service was always great and meals were good along with a very nice serving staff! Our tour guide Roberto was so kind, knowledgeable, informative and caring. Loved him! We found our buses to be very comfortable and clean, Fransisco was a great driver and through Roberto, shared his testimony. Very touching. And of course, our Pilgrimage wouldn't have been the same without Fr. Calloway. He made us feel like we were friends from the very start and we felt so comfortable with him. Having daily Mass with him was very special, and his homilies will be in my heart forever. His passion for his vocation touches and inspires all those he comes in contact with. I like how he explained indulgences, the scapular, The Rosary on the bus when he had time. Being able to be in Mexico City with Fr. C at that time of year was a privilege to end 2016 and start 2017. On that note, the New Year's dinner in the other restaurant was very well put together, it was a wonderful meal with wine and champagne and again, the staff knocked themselves out to accommodate us. I hope they are told what a great job they did, we tried to let them know as best we could and mentioned to Roberto the next day how nice the evening was. Thanks to 206 for everything and for getting in as many churches as they could fit in during the days, and for providing enough shopping time on the last day. We will spread the word to friends how classy this tour company is. The transfers to and from the airport worked out well, also, and were easy. 206 Tours is the best!!

Hi Bika & 206 Tours,

My pilgrimage to Mexico was authentic and real. I was told not to go, but felt confident enough with 206 to know that I would be safe in Mexico. Indeed, I was very safe and secure. The tours within Mexico were so touching, particularly Our Mother of Guadalupe. Fr. Calloway is most awesome with his services as well as serving our spiritual needs. The shrines and historical visits in Mexico were very interesting and authentic. I felt blessed to be in Mexico. I particularly enjoyed Padre Pro visit as well as viewing and learning about the incorruptible Saint and relics. My hotel room was particularly spacious, clean and the staff was very gracious. All staff, including hotel staff for New Year was excellent to us. My best recommendation is for Roberto, our tour guide, who went over and beyond making certain all of our needs were met. I appreciate all of his care and information provided to us. Happy New Year, 206 Tours and thank you for insuring we all had an authentic experience in Mexico.