Client Letters

Testimonials, Pilgrimage Experiences, What our clients say about 206 Tours

We’re blessed with incredible Pilgrims and Priests! Since 1985, we have proudly served them with quality Pilgrimages. Our stellar Spiritual Directors, detailed planning, dedicated certified guides, and first class accommodations are what make us one of the most respected Catholic Tour Operators in the world. We take care of everything so all you have to do is focus on connecting more deeply to your faith. Read testimonials and our Pilgrim’s experiences below.

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I can in no way complain about this recent trip. Every detail was perfect. 206 did an excellent job in planning this. Looking forward to more trips with 206 plans.

Cheryl

  • From: Bob LeBlanc
  • Sent: Monday, December 2, 2024
  • Subject: Poland, In the Footsteps of St. John Paul II & St. Faustina with Fr. Bobby LeBlanc Bob LeBlanc
  • Tour 168: Poland Pilgrimage

Hello Silvia,

We had a fantastic pilgrimage to Poland and Prague with Fr. Bobby and Fr. Patrick.  The trip was very well planned and executed. I can’t say enough good things about our tour guide. She was simply the best and would love to go on another pilgrimage with her as our guide. Thank you 206 Tours!

Bob LeBlanc

  • From: Fr. Bobby Leblanc
  • Sent: Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Subject: Poland, In the Footsteps of St. John Paul II & St. Faustina with Fr. Bobby LeBlanc Fr. Bobby Leblanc
  • Tour 168: Poland Pilgrimage

Hi Silvia,

Here is my review:

206 Tours leads the most phenomenal Catholic pilgrimages, and I would recommend them to all of my brother priests and Catholic friends.  206 Tours makes it easy to lead a pilgrimage that will deepen the faith of all of the pilgrims.  The tour guide we had in Poland was a faithful Catholic who saw it as her mission to help everyone on the pilgrimage grow in love of Jesus and His Church.  Thank you, 206 for everything!

God Bless,

Fr. Bobby

Pilgrimage of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Nov. 14-19, 2024

– Spiritual Director: Fr. Tom McKenzie-
He led us on individual inspiring journeys with his calm countenance and always willing to help in every small way
– tour guide: Roberto
He was prompt and always in good spirits; had many local anecdotes and history trivia; never lost anyone on this trip
– tour driver: Manuel
Excellent driving, kept us all safe

Except for the city traffic, all in all a spiritual journey worth taking. I was impressed by the devotion the locals have to our Lady of Guadalupe. I appreciated the daily Masses at different churches; liked the extra trips to the pyramids ( although I did not walk it because of the elevation; having difficulty breathing since I’m a heart transplant recipient ). The long drive to Puebla with great scenery along the way; the three meals each day; the hotel Barceló was super except they kept the AC on low – maybe it was on a timer for energy conservation. As for the airlines: American Airlines charged our 1 check in luggage (when normally, international flight has 1 free checked in luggage ).

206 tours is highly recommended and I agree.

Thank you to all the staff that put together the pilgrimage and had support in every detail.

Mercie Hugo

  • From: Kerri Renzetti
  • Sent: Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Subject: Rome & Assisi Pilgrimage with Fr. Wilson Kerri Renzetti
  • Tour 92: Rome and Assisi

Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience!! Rafaella was wonderful and our Driver got us safely to each destination. I have already recommended your company to friends and family. Thank you again!! Peace be with you!

Kerri Renzetti

  • From: Mark Hanson
  • Sent: Monday, November 25, 2024
  • Subject: Poland, In the Footsteps of St. John Paul II with Fr. Ivan Nienhaus Mark Hanson
  • Tour 168: Poland Pilgrimage

Dear Liz,

We had a wonderful trip.

Everything was well organized and the agenda for the trip as a whole was good.

Our guide Michael did an amazingly good job, he added a lot to the value of our trip.

We are very happy that we took this trip!

Mark

It was six years ago this week, American Thanksgiving Weekend, that my sister and I booked the Camino Tour with your company. We had no idea how totally WONDERFUL and spiritually energizing the tour was – everything was fabulous and since it’s Thanksgiving in the USA, I want to say THANK YOU AGAIN to 206 Tours. It still brings tears to my eyes, recalling the Camino with Fr. Guido and Alesandro, as well as the four other women in our group WHOM WE STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER!! Sigh! I want to go on ALL your tours, that is my dream.

Sincerely,

Betty

Excellent, superb, amazing, inspirational, all of these and more.  Tour Guide:  OUTSTANDING !!!!!!!!!
ELENI was wonderful!!!!!  Not only did she cover everything that was listed , but she included tidbits along the way that greatly added to our experience.   Eleni was knowledgeable and so helpful and above all she made the pilgrimage so special for us.  All of our drivers were great.  The hotels were good with the staff being very kind and gracious.
This was an excellent pilgrimage.  I made wonderful lasting  friendships.  I would highly recommend 206 again and again.
Thank you for an inspiring and enjoyable trip.
Respectfully Submitted,
JoAnne Keller

Alex, 

The trip was incredible. Our guide in Poland, Sabina was incredible. She really went out of her way to make sure we had the best experience. She is a very holy person and her devotion to the faith had a positive impact on all. 

The local guide in Assisi, Gubbio and La Verna (Werner) was also very good. He was extremely knowledgeable, funny and helpful. He was especially helpful in directing us to local places to procure hard to find items. 

Also of note was the work of Natasha in helping use when our flights were delayed. She had frequent communication with me and the guide in Poland to ensure we all arrived safely. She even worked with Sabina to make sure those of us arriving last were still able to have a very late dinner. 

Again, thank you for all you support in planning and executing a fruitful pilgrimage. 

With Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Deacon Jim

Dear Alexandra,

I want to thank you for the wonderful tour my wife and I enjoyed in Italy. I especially want to thank you for out great tour leader, Emiliano. He took very good care of us and was a pleasure to be around. I can not imagine a better tour leader and wish I could have him for every pilgrimage. Thanks again for a great experience.

God bless,

Paul Wenner

Hi!

I wish I had responded sooner.

We had a wonderful trip.  The itinerary was well designed.  Our tour guide, Emiliano, was wonderful.  I can’t say enough good things about him.  He was attentive, responsive, and clearly well suited to the job.  He was resolutely cheerful and positive, which cannot always have been easy.

The guide in Rome was extremely knowledgeable and informative.  If anything, perhaps a little too much so.  I’m confident that she has an advanced degree in art history; I found her talks fascinating but perhaps she should be reminded that not everyone has the same level of interest in her subject (this is of course always difficult to accept; one’s own subject is engrossing!) and eyes will start glazing over.  Also, with a group largely composed of retirees, there will be those who cannot keep up a brisk pace.  The guide in Assisi, on the other hand, seemed so imbued with the peace and faith so strongly evident in that area that she was a delight.

All in all, I am delighted with 206 Tours.  I have made reservations for another in 2025; I would go on two next year if it were possible.  While I was saying the Rosary at the tomb of Pope St. John Paul II, I became convicted that I need to go to Poland, and I will be doing that in June.

The accommodations and the food were beyond my expectations, particularly since this was a pilgrimage rather than a vacation.  

Looking forward very much to future 206 Tours pilgrimages,

Janet

Alexandra,

Our pilgrimage was fantastic!!  Fr. Marc, along with Alex Schindler, were great spiritual guides. Because of Fr. Marc’s presence we could have Mass and receive the Eucharist everyday!  It was extra nice to be able to have beautiful music at our Masses because of Alex. The hotels we stayed at were excellent.  The dinner in Lisbon was exceptionally delicious.  The remainder of our dinners at our hotels were good too. I liked the convenience of not having to get on the bus and going somewhere else in the evenings.  Our Driver was very respectful and Professional.  Our tour guide, Daphne, was phenomenal.  The pastry she bought for us in Lisbon was really a treat.  I realize she “stepped in” at the last minute because of the floods in Spain.  It seemed like she had spent weeks of preparation for this tour.  She was so knowledgeable about the people and the places that we visited!!!  I felt like she not only enjoyed showing and sharing with us, she also took part in the activities.  I saw her in the evening at the Rosary procession.  I assume it was her time off and yet she was so much a part of our group.  We were very blessed to have a wonderful guide.  The guides are truly the “front” of your company and Daphne certainly put a terrific face on it!  I also appreciate all the work that went into the preparations beforehand from your company.  The zoom meeting was good and it was special to have a meet and greet scheduled ahead of our pilgrimage.  I think we all enjoyed the included surprise lunch outside of Alba de Tormes. I will speak very highly of 206 Tours and I would encourage anyone I know to travel with them. I thank you for your part in bringing me closer to Jesus!!  God’s blessings to you.   

Thank-you!

Joan Jordan    

Hi Liz,

I apologize for just getting back to you regarding our trip to Fatima, Spain and Lourdes. It was an incredible, amazing experience! One that I will never forget. Everything about it was spectacular! I cannot say enough about our guide, Vanessa. She was so knowledgeable, professional and fun! I feel like we were very, very fortunate to have her as our guide for the entire trip. (She even helped us catch our flight in France on our way home. )

The bus driver was excellent as well. When my daughter thought she lost a bag of rosaries that she had just purchased, he offered to give her his. So sweet! We did find the rosaries… St. Anthony always comes through!

The hotels we stayed in and staff were amazing, the food was delicious, and everyone  we met was so nice.

The airports in France and London on the way home were a bit of a challenge, but the flights themselves were good.

Thank you for all of your help and all that you did to make the trip a wonderful experience. I will most definitely recommend 206 Tours, I already have been!

Best regards, 

Kathy

  • From: Elizabeth Huntley
  • Sent: Saturday, November 23, 2024
  • Subject: My Deaf Pilgrimage Experience to Medjugorje and Dubrovnik Elizabeth Huntley
  • Tour 1-B: Medjugorje and Dubrovnik

Hi Alexandra,
Sorry it took me so long to share my experience about recent Deaf Pilgrimage w Father Mike Depcik last month.  So many things going on since I came home! 

I wanted to share how much I LOVED and ENJOYED our Deaf Pilgrimage to Medjugorje then to Dubrovnik for the last leg of our trip! 
Being in Medjugorje was a huge blessing n a privilege to be there w among thousands of other pilgrims from all over the world!   Felt such love n peace among our Brothers n Sisters in Christ!  I loved our time there! 🥰🙏✝️ I hope to return in the near future! 

You n the Agency have done a phenomenal job putting all the details n our trips together.  Even if there were some changes like flooding n mud slides that we had to take a different bus route to Medjugorje from Sarajevo which took much longer.  The most important thing was, we made it to Medjugorje safely n were warmly welcomed by our hosts, Ivan and Ivanka! 🥰❤️🙏It was a joy n a pleasure to be at Ivan s Inn n being welcomed n well cared for.  They are such beautiful people w big hearts n love, especially for Our Lady of Peace!  I learned n appreciated Our Blessed Mother Mary much more now!  Thanks to these visionaries! 🥰❤️🤟🙏✝️ and our daily walks w Jesus throughout our time in Medjugorje.  🥰❤️🙏✝️

Also, wanted you to know thank you n the Agency for arranging our travel plans n we seated close together on all our flights to n from there.  Thank you.  I wish to add, you all done an awesome job of keeping us posted n informing us of what plans were changed n instructed us what to do, etc. 

We LOVE 🫶 our Fr Mike Depcik, interpreters, Veronica and Darlene, we were privileged to have them w us on our pilgrimage.  I have nothing but gratitude 🙏 n love ❤️ for them all! I hope they lead us again on the next Deaf Pilgrimage! 🥰❤️🙏✝️

Last wording, I enjoyed our short trip to Dubrovnik n wishing we had 1-2 extra days to explore more.  I would have loved to walk around the top of the fort walls and admiring the gorgeous view of the Adriatic Sea n the mountains.  My two friends n I tried to visit as many landmarks in the old city section n kept watch on the time because we had to meet w the bigger group at a certain time to catch the bus and return to our hotel, our last night before we departed for home the next day. 

All in all, I loved 🥰 n enjoyed 🫶 this Deaf Pilgrimage trip to Medjugorje n Dubrovnik! 😎💜🤟🙏✝️

Many thanks again for all you did for us!
Happy Thanksgiving n Merry Christmas!
God’s Blessings,
Elizabeth Huntley

  • From: Jackie Bergeron
  • Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2024
  • Subject: Medjugorje with Fr. David Dawson & Fr. Miles Walsh Jackie Bergeron
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

I was very pleased with 206 Tours!! France and Medjugorie trips were wonderful. I would recommend this tour group to anyone interested in a pilgrimage.

Thanks and God Bless!
Jackie Bergeron
  • From: Carla VanVrancken
  • Sent: Saturday, November 16, 2024
  • Subject: Review Carla VanVrancken
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Cara,
So grateful for all you did to make the Medjugorje trip successful.  As it was my first trip to Medjugorje, I was so grateful for all the accommodations and benefits of group travel.
Hotel Grace was the best location for St  James, restaurants and shopping. The Magnificat, Marija home was so uplifting with her ministry and devotion.  It was near Apparition Hill,  The Oasis of Peace, shopping and restaurants.  The staff at both accommodations was excellent.
Thank you so much for rearranging my extra 3 days so I would be back at Hotel Grace and departing with other pilgrims.  It was so special to pray and reflect in solitude with Jesus ❤️🙏🏼.
Your kindness was appreciated,

Carla

To 206 tours,

This is our fifth pilgrimage with your company, and our expectations were always met everytime.  

Our guide Frederica was not only outstanding, but also concerned about the well being of all the pilgrims.  She was patient, reasonable yet firm.  One incident I will always remember that speaks of her excellent work ethic is in Florence.  It rained the whole day during our only one tour day in Florence.  A few of us decided to go back to the hotel before entering the museum due to the slow lines.  The rest of us waited another half an hour and were able to enter and see the statue of David with our local guide who was trying his best to speak over the people.  After the tour, everyone decided to go back to the hotel by bus and not go shopping anymore.  There was one pilgrim who wanted to go shopping, and Frederica said it was ok and that she will come back for her via taxi to pick her up. Frederica was exhausted like the rest of us and never complained.  Her charitable attitude is a gift to the pilgrims, and the tour company most of all.  This pilgrimage is quite hectic and stressful compared to the previous ones I had with 206.  I was not surprised with the caliber of your tour guides because we had the same positive experience with our 100th anniversary Fatima, Spain, Lourdes pilgrimage in 2017.  All the guides we had were exemplary as well.  

I must also mention the hotel accommodations and food was outstanding as well.  Our hotels were a few minutes  walk from the St. Peters basilica, how convenient!  Not to mention the beautiful views from our hotel in Asissi, and Rotondo.  It was a well balanced pilgrimage, exhausting but rewarding at the end of the day.  Thank you very much for making each of the pilgrims feel valuable.  May Our Blessed Mother Mary always guide and protect 206 tours.

Sincerely,

Rene and Amelia Abadesco

  • From: Carol Steele
  • Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Rome & Assisi with Fr. Jonathan Wilson Carol Steele
  • Tour 92: Rome and Assisi

Cara,

Our recent  tour was amazing! It far exceeded any expectations we had. Everything…….our guide, driver, hotels, food…everything was wonderful. Very well planned. We made many memories and strengthened our faith.

Dan and Carol Steele

In response to your query, here are my comments on the recently completed series tour number 40, Fatima, Lourdes and Paris: I was the priest Chaplain on this tour which entirely exceeded my expectations. In short, it was wonderful in every regard. Ivan, our tour guide, was splendid, a thoroughly seasoned professional, sensitive to everyone’s needs and always in good humor. The pilgrims were wonderful, truly an inspiration, very dedicated and devout Catholics. Transportation, hotels and meals all were very fine. I would have to say that it was a life-changing event, certainly life enhancing. I feel enormously enriched by the experience, a real source of grace for sure! Kudos to the 206 staff. Well done, good and faithful servants!

God Bless,

Fr. Albert DeGiacomo

Reflections on a recent Pilgrimage: The Best Shrines of France (Tour 5)

I am grateful for having had the opportunity to be the Spiritual Leader on this Pilgrimage to the Best Shrines of France, September 28 to October 9, 2024.  Let me offer a few random thoughts:

Having a wheelchair assist was a blessing especially navigating the complexities of Charles de Gaulle Airport. 

The Gentleman who met me at the Airport in Pau was most pleasant and I enjoyed my ride with him through the countryside from Pau to Lourdes.  My luggage unfortunately did not make the flight.

I met Slavica (not sure on the spelling) immediately as I arrived at the hotel in Lourdes.  The driver had already told her my suitcase did not arrive.  She told me not to worry – that she would take care of it – and she did.  The suitcase arrived the next afternoon. 

It seemed that several 206 Tours were converging on Lourdes at the same time, so it was had to know who was in my group and who was not.  And what exactly were my responsibilities for people in other groups?  At Masses in Lourdes, one of the priests seemed to take charge – assigning me to preach, assigning another to preside.  Who was he, and who put him in charge?  It was not clear to me.

Leaving Lourdes, we embarked on a new, beautiful bus – I believe the driver was Roberto.  He was excellent.  It’s too bad I don’t speak Spanish.  With only a very small group we certainly had a lot of room on the bus. 

All the hotels selected were very good, especially the hotel in Rocamador.  The restaurant across the street was terrific.  I had never been there before.  It came as quite a surprise – you never expect to find a canyon in France.  Loved the place.

I’m not sure if you received any feedback about me.  If so, and if you are able to share it, I would be interested.  Another thing that I would ask for: would you have the names and addresses of the participants?  They were generous tippers and I would like to send them a Thank You note.

One practical suggestion: it is hard to get in and out of a tub (European tubs seen to be on the high side) to shower.  I don’t feel safe getting in and getting out.  I was afraid of slipping.  Not sure what you can do about that but it could weigh in on your hotel selection and older tour participants.

I enjoyed the experience very much, especially being with Slavica – she was excellent.  I hope to see her when I go the Medjugorje with our Parish group (a 206 Tour) in the spring of 2025.

Thank you for arraigning my flights from Paris to Madrid and then from Barcelona to Paris to Boston.  All went well.  Of course, the wheelchair assist was a great blessing.  Thank you also for the generous stipend given for the Pilgrimage.  

I am not sure of the protocol but if I can be of service to 206 Tours in the future, please call me.

Thank you for the excellent work you do.

Father George E. Morin

  • From: Fr. Emmanuel Umanah
  • Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2024
  • Subject: Classic Italy Pilgrimage Fr. Emmanuel Umanah
  • Tour 98: Classic Italy

I am writing to thank you for the opportunity granted me to participate in the pilgrimage within Italy (Classic Italy) from 29 October to 10 November 2024. This was my first time of traveling with 206 Tours. It was so unique and grace-filled. Thank you for offering me this moment of grace.

The pilgrimage was a nice experience for me. By paying attention to every detail, we could see God and hear Him speak in our daily experiences. It was a great privilege to pray and offer the Holy Mass in various Basilicas of Italy. As “pilgrims of hope” we prayed for each other and accompanied each other with our collective and individual prayers. Our 206-tour guide, Ivan Bosnjak, was an angel! The hotels were super! Our drivers were diligent!

We also prayed for the board and Management of 206 Tours. My group members were great and amazing! EVERYTHING IS GRACE! We started as a family in Rome together with Ivan and concluded as a family in Venice/Padua. We began our pilgrimage as disciples and now we are returning as apostles! I have no words to express how I feel, but I just wanted to thank you because you are behind all this. Thanks for everything you do.

May I use this occasion to thank you for the assistance that you offer to priests, while praying for the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on you all.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Emmanuel Isidore Umanah

  • From: Father Charles Puthota
  • Sent: Friday, November 8, 2024
  • Subject: Greece in Footsteps of St. Paul with Greek Isle Cruise & Medjugorje | Oct 4, 2024 Father Charles Puthota
  • Tour 161-A: Greece & Medjugorje Pilgrimage

Dear Rinda and 206 Team,

I apologize for the delay in sending this feedback. I am happy to put my thoughts together by way of feedback on this pilgrimage.

This pilgrimage was a big success, thanks to all the meticulous preparations and arrangements made by 206 Tours. I have been a spiritual director for about a dozen pilgrimages of 206 Tours. I find this particular pilgrimage to Greece with a 3-day cruise and Medjugorje among the highly satisfying and successful ones.

First of all, thanks to the team at 206 Tours who were highly organized and responsive to the needs of the pilgrims. Your help is highly appreciated.    

In the Greece part of the tour along with the cruise, the tour guide Anna was excellent and competent. The bus driver Marinos was a great driver with excellent driving skills.

Thank you for the wonderful Mass arrangements. Even when we didn’t have the churches for Masses, other venues like the hotel hall or under the tree turned out to be very effective and spiritually nourishing. For example, we had a Mass under the trees in Ancient Corinth. It turned out to be a Mass with great sharing of faith about St. Paul and his ardent apostolic zeal.

The pilgrimage included some sites to cultural and museum visits and ancient ruins of Greek civilization, which was all much appreciated.

Local guides in the different cities were very good.

Hotel and travel arrangements were highly commendable for all the pilgrims. In my case, though my flights were on Turkish Airlines were cancelled on both directions, 206 Tours made all the wonderful arrangements.

The group of pilgrims, 36 people, were a cohesive and a happy bunch.

Medjugorje, a small group of people: In my nearly five-day stay at Medjugorje, we were about a maximum of 10 people on different days. Hotel Grace made great arrangements and were highly helpful. Andrej Zovko was a good tour guide. 

The three-day cruise (with Celestyial Discovery) taking us to Epheses, Patmos, Mykonos, and Santorini were most enjoyable and spiritually-nourishing at the same time. The cruise ship, I thought, was exceptionally clean and comfortable.

My Spiritual Accompaniment to the 206 Pilgrims: As usual, I celebrated the daily Mass, heard confessions, was available for spiritual conversation and direction, led the daily prayers and the Rosary, and blessed the religious articles. I represented for 206 Tours, as I have done on all other pilgrimages, spiritual accompaniment and comfort and encouragement.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as spiritual director for 206 Tours. It’s a most enjoyable and enriching experience for me. It was an honor!

I shall look forward to future pilgrimages as a spiritual guide with 206 Tours. 

Thank you for all your wonderful arrangements for my personal travel, accommodations, and generosity. 

Thanks, Chris Wright, for your wonderful help with my two cancelled flights on Turkish Airlines.  

Warm prayerful wishes from San Francisco,

Father Charles Puthota

 

My husband and I traveled to the Marian Shrines in October. What a wonderful experience.  

This was our first time traveling with an organized group and ORGANIZED it was. 

Over all our flights were good. Knowing what we know now, next time we will upgrade to business class.

The hotels were clean and comfortable. The food in each of the restaurants was plentiful and delicious.

Our tour guide, Vanessa, was wonderful. Not only was she extremely knowledgeable of each area we visited but she was personable, funny, and extremely patient.

The time we spent at each shrine, village, basilica, cathedral, and holy place was well spent. Celebrating daily Mass in these holy places was an experience we never will forget, especially morning Mass at Fatima and Lourdes.

We hope to one day make a pilgrimage to the shrines in Ireland.

Thank you for a remarkable experience.

Genevieve and Charlie

Dear Liz:

Everything went very well.  All of the pilgrims were quite satisfied, if tired.  Feedback from the participants was that the high points were the Masses—we all appreciated the sites that were arranged for Mass.  The hotels were excellent.  Assisi was especially meaningful for most of us—and has inspired an effect here to install a veneration chapel for St. Carlo Acutis in the coming year.  Our guide, Marco, was outstanding.  He went out of his way to connect with every person on the trip, and he was always upbeat and optimistic.  Marco is a gem.

Parishioner feedback is that there is interest in a pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima.  I’ll be in touch.

Fr. Lou

  • From: Dolores Z Torres
  • Sent: Monday, November 4, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje Dolores Z Torres
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

This was my first pilgrimage and my first time in Europe. The trip was amazing and the pilgrimage was even more amazing!
Everything was almost perfect, except on one or two of the bus trips, the driver did not provide water or even a snack if that was permitted. But the water was essential, specially on one of the trips where we were gone most of the day.
Other than that, it was a remarkable trip and I feel so blessed to have been able to be on that journey

And a special thank you to the agents at 206 Tours, they were very prompt with their responses and they were very eager to help. Thank you, it really helped to ease my anxiety, and to know that everything was being taken care of by the tour agents.

Thank you
And I will be going on other pilgrimages sponsored by 206 Tours.

Dolores Z Torres

  • From: Peter Fulweiler, Sr.
  • Sent: Sunday, November 3, 2024
  • Subject: Medjugorje Tour Oct 16 -24 Peter Fulweiler, Sr.
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Dear Olivia, First let me say how helpful you and your staff were. This was especially important as I was traveling alone and had not been overseas since the Pandemic. Second, (depending on health) I would like to come back next year. 

It was a great trip, very spiritual and I truly did feel Mary’s presence. With a lot of help from Cicero, I was able to climb Apparition Hill which was my highpoint. 

Our guide, Slavenka Jelavic, was outstanding and a pleasure to be with. I really liked her. The hotel accommodations were OK (It is a pilgrimage) but I was on the street side and it was really, really noisy which affected my sleep. So, I would be looking for a quieter part of the hotel. 

I would opt for first class across the atlantic. Depending on how much that raised the airfare. 

Does Slavenka work just with Judy Weible on the October pilgrimages? If I came back, I would like to have her as the local guide. 

Overall it was a very special trip that was spiritually impactful to me and deepened my Catholic faith.  Thank you.

-Peter

Hello Alexandra,

Just a little word to thank you for all your work to prepare our pilgrimage in Lourdes, Rome and Medjugorje.

We had a great time, everything was perfectly organized and we enjoy a lot our two guides Patricia and Dado.

Thanks to you and all the 206 Tours team.

I untrusted all of you to the Gospa at Medj.

Blessings,

Fr. Luc

I had such an amazing experience with 206 Tours (Camino walk from Sarria to Santiago) that it’s going to be a challenge to keep this review not novel-length. The highlights include daily Mass, the other pilgrims (each are a highlight), the tour guide Jorge’s fascinating explanations and contagious faith, the food, the lodgings especially the Pazo, the experience of reaching the destination to venerate the remains of St. James and ask for his powerful intercession. As chaplain, I really enjoyed walking with each pilgrim and hearing how our Lord has been working in their lives, and connecting them to the mercy of God through the sacrament of confession (yes, sometimes while walking!). The meals at roadside restaurants and hotels were delicious, with laughs and great conversation had by all, sometimes lasting for hours! My first tour with 206 and hopefully not my last!

The pics are in Santiago, one myself standing by pulpo (octopus) a couple of us outside the cathedral, and one inside the cathedral.

-Fr. Nathan Harburg

Dear Natasha, once again 206 tours has come through with a fabulous pilgrimage.  Thank you for arranging my seating arrangement.  It was very convenient sitting towards the front of the plane in the aisle seat  closest to business class.  Thank you.

Our guide Nena was fabulous.  Not only was she knowledgeable about the sites we visited from a religious and historical point of view, but her enthusiasm for her job was evident in her presentation.  I am getting on in years, and as a result, I had sometimes a little difficulty in walking quickly on the cobbled stones, especially uphill, but Nena always looked out for me, and on the rare occasions when I needed help, she would assist me.  We all felt very special when because of 206, we had the privilege of having mass at the church in Ephesus.  What a beautiful moment. All of the hotels and food was very good. The cruise was delightful.  The staff there was very accommodating.  I was very happy with the trip, and I advertised your company and the benefits to other pilgrims I met who were with other tour groups. I encouraged them to book with 206 for their other trips. 😉 Once again, thank you for a wonderful pilgrimage, and God willing, I will be able to make the Rome trip in late fall next year.

Mary Auguste

P.S.  The priest we had was wonderful and shared some new insights into our daily recitation of the Rosary.  We all felt blessed.

Father Lawrence Lew was our Spiritual Director during our most recent trip to Greece.  He was the most amazing spiritual Father and the best guide I could have ever wished for.  This is my second pilgrimage and by far he was the best.  Someone who has such a strong faith, warm and such a multi talanted blessings.  He made the trip so enriching and to this day, has made such a profound impact in my spiritual journey.

Chryssanthi was our tour guide and was also a joy and blessing to her her.  She was so knowledgeable and added an extensive background and history of all the locations we visited.  Her personality was a pure joy to have on our trip and she displayed the leadership and organization we needed for this trip.  
I highly recommend both of these individuals and they made the trip well worth every minute.
Thank you and if you have any questions, please feel free to call.
Lydia Abreu
Thank you for giving me this grace-filled opportunity to accompany and support the pilgrims of 206 Tours on their faith journey of discovery where they could immerse themselves in the architectural and historical richness of the Catholic Church and learn about her many great saints and benefactors. The group was delightful, and I believe that they were equally delighted with the tour. I was edified greatly by their active participation and devotion to the Mass, and I was humbled by my being able to stand and offer the Sacrifice where once saints themselves had stood. Thank you.
Pre-Tour Administration

I wish to congratulate you on your pre-tour information. It was very well received, everything was in place as indicated, and the information left me in no doubt as to what to expect or how to proceed in case of an emergency. The Magnificat and Song & Prayer Booklets were welcome additions and were used at various times during the day; for Morning or Evening Prayer; for Mass; for the Rosary. My backpack and lanyard are still in good condition so that no replacements need be sent to me for the next tour in May 2025. New luggage tags will be needed, however! Whoever composed the Pilgrim’s Prayer is a genius! It covers every potential thought, aspiration, irritation and worry of a pilgrim. We prayed it daily and derived great benefit from it.

Mass Schedule

This schedule was a great asset in knowing where and when the Mass was to be celebrated, by whom, etc. Might I suggest that the name of the Ordinary (Bishop of the Diocese) be added to the Schedule since this was not readily available at the start of Mass. His name is to be included by the priest in the Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass.

Blessing of Religious Articles

No place was set aside for this, so I asked the pilgrims to set out their religious articles just before dinner on the tables in the hotel bar (at that time empty), where I was able to administer for each family a particular blessing.

-Rev. Don Oberwarth

Hi Piernha,

Just wanted to say I truly enjoyed my trip with 206 tours. Our accommodations were great and our bus driver and especially our tour guide were exceptional!

I meant to thank you also for making sure my friend Alice and I got seats together on the airplanes.

I am considering the Rome trip next year. I would probably be rooming with another church member.

Again my sincere praise for a trip well done.

God bless you for all your hard work.

Sincerely,

Laurie Reid

I am pleased to address you,

It was a wonderful trip, congratulations to the organization of the tour to Greece 206 Tours. It was my first experience. I felt good about everything, the guide Anna Semertzi, the hotels, drivers, meals, all staff very friendly including the tour group. Newark airport in NJ was the most complicated, we were already very tired, and the Met hotel was very dark inside the room.  I felt very happy with the Holy Mass, the rosary, every day, everything fantastic. God is the owner of everything impossible to forget him.

Thank very much.

Cordially,

Myriam Grace

I ❤️ the Franciscans pilgrimage. 
Overall a great pilgrimage. Our priest, Fr Don was very organized. Varying levels of physical fitness in the group which did not bode well in SGR and Assisi for pilgrims with limited mobility. I would have loved to have felt less rushed at St Michael’s cave and perhaps to have had a Mass there but I loved Lanciano Mass wish we had more time there too 🙂 
Overall, we covered a great amount of ground. Was glad we arrived a day early for SGR and went to St Nicholas in Bari. This church is quite historic and brings Roman Catholicism and orthodox together. 
Such an incredible pilgrimage.
Dana Hammele

Everything was perfect. I have no complaints. Because there was so much walking, I did not take one trip up a mountain where there were uneven rocks.

A few others stayed back and we enjoyed ourselves over coffee and pastry.

Fr. David was a good leader especially when he wore his colorful shirts which made it easy to follow him. Thank you for planning this trip. I have some great pictures if you need them. Thank you for planning this trip.

Alice Lattrell

Oh my goodness!  There are no words! What an incredible experience!!! From the Group, the flights, bus driver (no other like him👌🏻) and our tour guide (best ever)!!! I can only say it was over and beyond my expectations !  Thank you for making my pilgrimage a Very Special one!!!💕💕🙏🏻. I pray for this war to end and for the ones that live close by.  It’s good to be home !💕

-Shirley

  • From: Arlyn De Leon
  • Sent: Monday, October 21, 2024
  • Subject: Biblical Turkey Pilgrimage | Juana Carlos and Arlyn Arlyn De Leon
  • Tour 165: Biblical Turkey

Dear Natasha and Katherine,

May the peace of God be with you!

By the grace of God, we have returned from our wonderful pilgrimage to Turkey. We come back with hearts filled with gratitude, for we felt the profound presence of God and our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, in those sacred places where the Apostle Paul, the Apostle John, the Virgin Mary, and so many others dwelt, passing down their faith to us through the ages.

We are filled with joy, and words fall short to express our thanks for the meticulous planning and tireless efforts you put forth to make this pilgrimage possible. The beautiful experiences and the sacred moments we encountered in Turkey will remain as treasures in our hearts.
We are also deeply grateful for your assistance with the unforeseen challenges we faced. Indeed, God’s plans are perfect, and everything unfolds according to His divine purpose.
We will soon be sending an email with the places we would like to visit in Rome, , as we look forward to your assistance in planning our pilgrimage for October 2025, the Jubilee Year.

Peace be with you always.
With heartfelt gratitude,

Arlyn and Juan Carlos

My husband and together with my relatives had a very inspiring and uplifting experience . Fátima , Lourdes, Medjugorje and St. James Cathedral were the highlights of our pilgrimage. Our tour guides, Quiko and Leo were great. Everything went smoothly. We loved our spiritual leaders , Fr. R. Gribble and Fr. V. Phung. 

Hotel accommodations were great. Overall we had a very meaningful experience. 
We plan to do more of these pilgrimages with 206. 
Thanks,
Catherine/ Manuel Gabor
  • From: Paul and Lucille Jones
  • Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2024
  • Subject: Thank you for the taste of Spain... Paul and Lucille Jones
  • Tour 56: Shrines of Spain
Milanka, I have been remiss for not emailing you before now to thank you for the unexpected tapas lunch you treated our pilgrams to in Alba de Tormes. The food was delicious, service was outstanding and the views from the restaurant were spectacular. This is nor our first trip with 206 and we love the company you’ve built. The communication is timely and customer service/responsiveness beats your competition by all measures. A tribute to the office staff because that level of service retains customers. Keep doing what your doing. You can be sure we’ll consider 206 first for future trips…

Thanks again for the surprise taste of Spain…   Muchas Gracias!!!  Cheers!!

Paul and Lucille Jones

Hi Liz,

I’m glad to be home safe and well. It was an amazing  and awesome spiritual journey for me since it’s my first time to go on pilgrimage. 

A heartfelt thank you to Fr. Robert as our spiritual director, to Nena, our main tour guide  and  to the local tour guides who are very knowledgeable to the places specified in the agenda of day and their expertise wanted me to know more about the places visited throughout the duration of the pilgrimage. It felt that the ancient ruins came alive the way Nena explained or described about the ruins, the objects in the museums,  churches, temples and monasteries visited and historical background gained  more knowledge of the places along the way. Also thanks to all the drivers who took us to places and took us back safe at the end of the day to our lodging. 

It’s a pleasure I cherish the rest of my life and to the new friends I met on this pilgrimage. Thank you as well to 206 Tours and staff members for this pilgrimage and experience. 

God bless us all!

Sincerely, 

Myrna Ortiz Lewis 

Hello Liz,

In review of my trip to Greece, I’d like to say that I was very pleased to be accommodated with my specific request for seating in the airplane. As for the excursion to each place we traveled, it was fantastic. The tour guide was so knowledgeable, of course, so much information to pass on, and the bus driver was amazing. The narrow roads we took, and he made it like a champ. My only thing is that it would have been nice to have an afternoon to ourselves to visit the city and do a little shopping without too much rush. I know there is a schedule to keep with all the places to see. I guess I just needed another day.

Thank you,

Sally Carmona

Dear 206 Tours:

I enjoyed my experience as a spiritual director for the Italian Shrines very much. The guide, Frederica, was excellent, as well as the Bus Driver, Amos. They both were good examples of professionalism, courtesy, and kindness. It would be hard to find a better guide or bus driver. Also, the special guides for the churches we visited gave excellent presentations that helped to deepen our appreciation for art and culture in particular, and Western Civilization in general.

Logistically, everything was organized and well coordinated. It was a minor miracle that everything went so smoothly with no major complications. My only recommendation for improvement would be to allow more prayer time for the pilgrims at the churches we visited. On the whole, I would give my experience with 206 Tours an “A+”. May God bless and protect your business and ministry, and give you many blessings and graces.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Matthew

  • From: Richard James Terrill
  • Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
  • Subject: Tour 2 - Lourdes Feedback Richard James Terrill
  • Tour 2: Lourdes

Once again I participated in Tour 2 for Lourdes, which provided me with a good deal of time for personal prayer and reflection.

I found our guide, Slavica, has an excellent sense of humor, an excellent coordinator of my time with other members of the group, and her attentiveness to assuring me of no disruptions on the days that I was on my own.

The young lady who provided us with the walking tour around the history of Lourdes and St. Bernadette was excellent.

Of my many trips to Lourdes with 206 I had never stayed at Grand Hotel Gallia.  I enjoyed all aspects of this facility.  All the wait staff during meals were good.  Once on my own, Angelina, appeared to take good care of me. I was amazed at how pleasant and efficient she was when assisting service when we were a group.  She was most kind when she only had me as a 206 guest.  I give her 5 stars on a 4 star scale.

I always appreciate the private time with Tour 2.  It is my mini retreat that I always benefit from. 

The transport from and to Pau airport was also very professional and prompt. 

Richard J. Terrill

Dear Piernha,

I have recently (September 30th) from my Pilgrimage following the 2nd Pauline Missionary Journey. I cannot say enough how wonderful it was. The combination of land and sea was perfect. Even though there was a lot of walking, almost all of us were able to keep up.

One of the components that made the trip super good was the leadership, knowledge (history, Greek Mythology). Anna’s personality and ability to make all feel that we were heard, and not felt put off since no one in the group captured all her attention. I would very much enjoy another trip with her.

One recommendation would be to allow at least one, if not two, evenings to ourselves to be able eat at local restaurant or shop or just stay in one’s room to rest. Might it be possible to extend the Pilgrimage to 10 days + two travel days.

Best Wishes as you continue to help people travel the world,

Fr. Bob Rochon

Hi Piernha,

Our pilgrimage was absolutely amazing!!  I would highly recommend it to everyone!! Ankica and Jeff Reed, our priest, Father Gregorio and Jorge were top notch; so knowledgeable and faith filled.  I will definitely want to do another pilgrimage or tour with 206 Tours.  All of your tips were so helpful.  I would suggest to future pilgrims to have more euro in order to show proper appreciation to their priest, tour guide and bus driver and be able to donate at all of the beautiful cathedrals.

This trip was such a gift for me!!

Thank you,

Terri Striegel

Liz,

Remember this name, “Nena”.  That’s the name of our Tour Guide.  As of now, she has been the best Tour Guide my wife and I have ever dealt with.  My wife and I have traveled many times, and no one like her.

Bus drivers?  I have no complaints of any kind even if we had different drivers.  We had different drivers throughout our Pilgrimage.

Our Spiritual Director did a very nice job concerning all of his responsibilities.

No problems with any of the transportation – air, ground, sea.

Thank you again, Liz.  We hope we will still be capable to travel soon.  My wife and I are not as young as we look.

I am speaking only for me and Estrella.

Jose

I had a wonderful Pilgrimage! The buses and hotels were nice and clean. The staff in the hotels and bus drivers were all polite and helpful. The guide assigned, Nena,  was incredibly caring,  polite, knowledgeable, professional,  and friendly and watched over all of us. She took good care of those that had disabilities like myself. There were several of us on this trip. This made her job more challenging as she worked diligently to keep the group together and safe while educating us on the history and importance of each site. She worked tirelessly all day to watch each and everyone of us and made sure we all got our monies worth for our pilgrimage by catering to each pilgrim. She physically assisted others who needed help and made sure everyone was hydrated in the heat. She also made sure we ate on time. She is excellent at time management.  I was so impressed with her as an employee, but more as a  person who cared for everyone like a mother hen who loves her chicks.   She is an employee to be treasured. She made me feel safe and I had a great time. My first Pilgrimage in 7 years.  I will recommend 206 Tours to everyone I know because of Nena’s excellence as a Tour guide, her knowledge, and treating everyone equally with respect. I am very grateful to have had a beautiful experience in Greece. I would love to someday return to Greece. 

Sincerely, 

Giovanna

  • From: Diane and Ray Bourdeau
  • Sent: Monday, October 14, 2024
  • Subject: Feedback | Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Maureen O'Brien Diane and Ray Bourdeau
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Dear Piernha,

Our Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Maureen and Slavanka was beyond expectation! 

  1. 206 Tours provided timely, informative, and comprehensive information throughout the entire process.  The travel bags, luggage tags and name tags were great!
  2. Maureen was very caring, thoughtful, and sensitive to our every need.  She was very friendly and easy to talk with.  She easily became a friend.  She had us covered all the way.  With her experience and long-term connection, she anticipated our every need and anticipated every opportunity to maximize our experience.  She was a pleasure to be with and rounded out the entire beautiful experience for us.  
  3. Slavenka was a phenomenal tour guide.  She had the ever-present pulse and spirit of Medjugorje.  She, with a depth of heart and knowledge, explained about her homeland, the events of Medjugorje and the spirit of Medjugorje.  She expertly managed the itinerary and daily schedule.  We experienced things we never expected because of her intimate relationship and connectedness with Medjugorje.
  4. The Hotel Pansion Jelka was the best! The staff was friendly, courteous and thoughtful.  The hotel was immaculate. Our rooms were repeatedly cleaned with care and replenished with fresh towels.  The food was excellent!  It was fresh, homemade and bountiful.  We felt generously treated as guests in their home.

With gratitude,

Diane and Ray Bourdeau     

Hello!

My husband and I loved our 206 Tour!     

It was the right combination of religious, spiritual, and historical experiences – with enough free time to shop and explore on our own.

Sabina was the BEST!  She was well organized, knowledgeable, caring, and kept us on track – it was a wonderful experience because of her! 

Best Regards-

Michelle Sluis

 

Silvia,

We had a wonderful trip to Italy with Father Patrick and people from our diocese. It was a blessed spiritual experience and enjoyable for the scenery and food as well.

The flights could not have gone smoother. I know that you had several flights to arrange from different locations and it all worked out very well.

Our driver, Massio, was very good. I don’t know how he managed that bus in such traffic on narrow roads but it was very impressive. In addition, he was very pleasant to talk to.

Our guide Usama was excellent and also very fun and pleasant and a man of great faith. Being from Jerusalem, he had ways of tying in our history from the time of Christ to what we were experiencing in Italy. I would highly recommend him to anyone who would like a guide to holy places. We will continue to keep in touch with him.

All the hotels were very nice and conveniently located. Our check in and out went very smoothly.

I will highly recommend 206 Tours to my friends and family.

Grace and peace to you,

Nicola

Cara,

I wanted to express that this was by far the best travel experience I have had of the many pilgrimages I have been on. 
The trip guide was informative and always had our health and welfare of her upmost concern.
Hotel accommodations were top of the line. And the food was the best.
Thanks you for working so hard for our group.  Smaller group size was the best!!!

Sandy Mcclurg

Cara,

Sorry for the delay.  What can I say about the last pilgrimage?  Make it simple; it was fabulous and heart touching.  I believe the whole team has no negative feedbacks about the tour guide, drivers, 206 staffs and major issues with the hotel or airlines.  Fr. Chris was very good besides the spiritual side.  He explained very well in Vietnamese for some people who understand better in Vietnamese.  The group has been talking with Father about next 206 tour.

I look forward to book next trip with 206.  This is our 2nd time with 206.  Our last time was to Rome and Medjugorje and all were great.

God Bless You All,

Loc Hoang

Thank you for making me part of this wonderful pilgrimage to Poland, Austria, Prague and Budapest from September 9-25. It was prayerful. It enhanced my faith and helped my understanding in the history and the culture of these countries. The pilgrims were very responsive. The selection of the hotels was great. Sabina was fantastic, and caring. She was an excellent tour guide. Our drivers were disciplined.
I cannot wait to be in another pilgrimage with you.
Fr. Fritz Valcin
  • From: Sandra Correa
  • Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2024
  • Subject: All Italian Shrines with Fr. Joe, September 2024 Sandra Correa
  • Tour 103: All Italian Shrines

Hello,

I sincerely loved every single moment about my pilgrimage to Italy.  Although I missed my connection from Zurich to Rome, due to delays in Boston, my tour guide Emiliano was incredibly kind, reassuring, patient, and helpful.  Three hours later, a cab driver drove me to our meeting spot in Rome.  I met Emiliano who welcomed me with a hug and escorted me to meet my fellow travelers.  From the moment I spoke with Emiliano from Zurich, to our final goodbye in Venice, I was in the most caring, considerate, kind, helpful, supportive relationship a traveler can hope to experience with her tour guide.  Emiliano answered all questions with respect, patience, and genuine kindness.  His exemplary professionalism is an addition to 206 Tours. I can only hope to have him as a tour guide when, God willing, I take another tour. Emiliano, I hope you get to read this:  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! May God bless you and your family, always and forever.  

Antonio, our bus driver, was also equally professional in handling a huge bus in some very tight and challenging turns around the hillsides of Italy.  I always felt safe in his competent hands.

Father Joe said daily Mass at various Chapels inside different Basilicas in Rome, Assisi. Florence, and Padua.   Receiving Jesus in Holy Communion and being in His Word through Sacred Scripture, prayers, and The Holy Rosary, was truly a BLESSING from GOD.  Visiting so many Catholic Churches was inspiring as I connected to the countless Catholics throughout history who share a common FAITH. No matter where I go, when I visit a Catholic Church, attend Mass, and receive Jesus in Holy Communion, I am ” One in the Spirit” with countless brothers and sisters throughout Earth because we are truly “One Bread, One Body”.  Moreover, within 24 hours, each day, someone, somewhere is at Mass praying to GOD, reading Sacred Scripture, and most importantly, Receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, praising Father God Almighty for countless blessings and praying for His continued presence in our daily joys and struggles, always acutely aware of His Fatherly Love and Mercy.  Herein lies the purest beauty of our shared Catholic Faith in GOD.  

I sincerely cannot say enough great things about this trip and highly recommend 206 Tours.  I enjoyed not having to think about a single thing in planning a trip.  I was truly able to sit back and relax because everything is taken care of in advance.  The communication with the tour company is perfect; they run an efficient, well-oiled machine.  

May God bless all who take the time to read this review.  Most importantly, may God inspire you to take a pilgrimage, at some point in your lifetime.  

Sandra Correa

Thank you for reaching out!

Poland was a great pilgrimage. Martha was our guide and did a fantastic job keeping the big group of 30 people together. 

Blessings,

Fr. Jason Brilhante

My husband John and I just returned from a pilgrimage to Spain and Portugal (tour 57). It was a wonderful experience. All guides, drivers, and priests were awesome. We liked the variety (cities, small towns, and more remote areas), but most of all enjoyed the peacefulness of Montserrat, Santiago de Compostela, and Fatima. Feel so privileged to have participated in Masses at 2 Eucharistic miracle sites, in the cave of St Ignatius, and at the Fatima apparition chapel. The planning, coordination, and logistical details must have been enormous, but from a pilgrim perspective, everything appeared to happen seamlessly. Communication with 206  was great, and we appreciated knowing the next day itinerary from our guides. Our group size was never more than 25, and, different than other more secular tour experiences, it was easy to connect with others who shared a common faith. We have no suggestions for improvement, but we are highly recommending you and can’t wait for our next pilgrimage!

God bless,

Donna Bauer

Hi Milanka,

What an excellent two-part pilgrimage it was! 

I can easily say that Ivan was my favorite tour director. His wit, his attention to detail, but most of all his deep and personal faith and love for Christ, Our Lady, and The Church shone through his care of our group. I’m hopeful to work with him again; I didn’t expect to gain a person whom I wish to call a friend! He represents 206 as a true ambassador for you and Our Lady. Bravo! 

Also, I have to say that Adriano in Rome was excellent too. He was on time, incredibly knowledgeable, and of deep faith as well. I can tell that his heart is Franciscan! He was very, very attentive to our pilgrims and made sure they were well taken care of. His logistic work was great. He even anticipated my thoughts! Adriano went above and beyond for those who were staying on for a few days to see to it their plans to go to Assisi were solidified. Personally, I think he’s a good fit with what I’m coming to see is a high caliber of tour director at 206.

I’m so grateful for the ability to be simply the spiritual director for the pilgrimage. With other companies, I’ve had to act as the purser for the local guides, drivers, and porters. To not have to deal with this and to simply concern myself with being a priest was deeply helpful for me. I can tell you that since I was free to exercise only priestly ministry, I celebrated the Anointing of the Sick (in Italian and French!) twice because I was able to be available even to the people at large in Lourdes and Rue deBac. What a grace!

The local guides were very good as well. I have to say that the vetting processes is obvious. Most of the guides speak not just from a place of history, but also of faith. I can usually tell when it’s painted on top of the presentation and when it comes from a heart that has considered and chosen a relationship with Jesus. Their openness to me, to invitations to pray, to pause for our pilgrims to pray; across the board, that’s a difficult thing for an extroverted guide to do, especially since it “eats into” their overall presentation time, but again and again they were the ones often reminding me to pray!

As far as recommendations for improvement, I can’t say anything springs to mind. I suppose that the strenuous nature of a full day, many miles travelled, etc. can make it difficult to hit the sweet spot between the “touring” and “retreat” aspects of the pilgrimage. The only things close to “complaint” I received were the tight schedules in some places not allowing for squeezing in shopping (whether for devotional items or “I’m in Europe” items) or soaking in the place. But, having done pilgrimages before with other companies, 206 still punches above its weight here too.

Our drivers, Alex in France, and Amadeo in Rome were excellent too. Alex, like Adriano, is young, but was incredibly helpful, conscientious of safety, and even engaging with our pilgrims. More often than not, he would eat in the evenings with us and not at a separate table, engaged in the conversation (even though his English was minimal). Our pilgrims loved him.

The hotels were very comfortable. I can tell you’ve got a keen eye and a high standard. Thank you!  

The food was also of good quality and even our picky eaters managed to work through it!

So, all that to say, THANK YOU and the rest of your team. I’m so pleased with the outcome. Please feel free to share this with Sylvia and her colleagues. She was excellent too. My pilgrims were very grateful for her careful attention.

Happy feast of St. Francis!

Pax Christi, 

Fr. Chris Decker

This pilgrimage was my fourth and best yet! Our tour guide, Dado, was fantastic in that he was not only knowledgeable, but also personable, sharing his sense of humor, helping us with our luggage, and making sure we were always comfortable (restroom stops, cafe’s when we couldn’t get breakfast in the hotel). I especially appreciated that he was a devout Catholic and participated in all our daily Masses as well as praying the rosary with us as we traveled. He truly became one of us on the journey. 

Our driver was excellent in navigating narrow roads, curves and various traffic conditions. I always felt safe as we traveled many miles in the coach. 

The hotels were excellent and exceeded my expectations. 

There were no issues with the airlines. They were on time, allowing us to make our connecting flights without any problems. 

I will definitely recommend 206 Tours to friends and relatives. 

Joanne Sotiroff

Thank you. 

I’m planning to go again next year with 206 tours God willing . We were talking about it already . I love the hotel choices and the care that’s being given to each and everyone in the group. An incident happened when my luggage got delayed in Split and our tour guide said that someone from 206 tours over there will take care of it . I was amazed that I didn’t have to do anything except wait . I travel at least 2x a year in EU and around the globe and this is my first delayed luggage and first storm encounter but overall everything went well. Thanks for 206 tours drivers and guides for always keeping us safe . And thank you again for always accommodating my aisle seat in the aircraft, that’s such a big deal for me . 

Rosemarie Garcia 

I had the wonderful privilege of being Spiritual Director on a recent pilgrimage to Greece in the Footsteps of St.  Paul.  I didn’t know what to expect, but my wonderful trip began when I arrived to Thessaloniki and was greeted by a kind and gracious 206Tours representative.  On arrival to the hotel I met and got to know a wonderful groups of pilgrims, and our tour guide. 

We had a wonderful group where prayer, fun, and sharing stories unfolded. They were a very kind, easy going group and we all got along.  I have to pay special mention to our tour guide, Kalliope.  She was absolutely fantastic – her knowledge of the places we visited, her kindness to the group, and the ease to which she carried out her responsibilities.  She was very kind a most helpful to me as the Spiritual Director, and she went out of her way to ensure everything was in order.  Our driver was wonderful, he assisted us in everyday he could.  The hotels were very comfortable, very helpful staff. I couldn’t ask for better.  

The highlight of the trip for me was in Athens where I got to recite St Paul’s ‘Men of Athens’ speech. That was very special as that reading resonates with my own ministry.   

This was my second pilgrimage with 206Tours following from my Holy Land trip in 2023.  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to go on the pilgrimage.

Fr. Arnold Rosney

  • From: Fr. Rick Gribble, CSC
  • Sent: Monday, September 30, 2024
  • Subject: Thanks Fr. Rick Gribble, CSC
  • Tour 56: Shrines of Spain

Dear Rinda,

I hope you are well.  This message is one week late, but I do want to say thanks for the opportunity to be the spiritual advisor for the recent pilgrimage to Spain.  We had a great group of pilgrims, a wonderful guide in Quico (and driver Miguel) and were blessed with good weather.  I always appreciate the special 206 touch in how you organize and manage the pilgrimages.  I look forward to my next opportunity to serve in this capacity.

God Bless,

Fr. Rick Gribble, CSC

Dear 206 Tours,

I would like to thank you for a seamless arrangement you’ve extended to me and my cousin Imee Taimanao during our Pilgrimage last August 26 to September 4. 

The tour was a very meaningful one to me as I celebrate a milestone in my career, 30 years of loyal service to my company.

The tour was well arranged from the trips, hotels, food as well as the team who assisted us, our driver Thurston and tour guide Patricia.  They both ensure we are taken care of and even went beyond their duties in ensuring that we are all safe.

To Fr. Carlos our spiritual director,  I thanked him for this amazing opportunity, each day of the trip reminded me that we are so blessed.  The Masses and daily prayers were well prepared. Always there to guide us and even assists in looking after the pilgrims.  

The journey was even more meaningful because I’ve met wonderful persons.

Thank you and I will pray that I will be given another chance to join another 206 tours pilgrimage.

Joy Lim

Greetings,

We recently returned from our pilgrimage to Poland ( and a half-day in Prague). What a wonderful and spiritually engaging tour.  From the flight arrangements (thanks Chris) to the lodging, to the meals, everything was outstanding.  Fr. Fritz was a joyful and pious priest, who not only celebrated daily Mass for us, he also led us in Morning Prayer, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet during our frequent bus rides.  Speaking of bus rides, our drivers, Tim and Martin, negotiated the highways and by-ways expertly, often in difficult weather and traffic conditions.  Many thanks to both of them.

Special thanks and kudos must go to our tour guide, Sabina.  Sabina is a true gift to the 206 Tours team! We had a large group, but Sabina handled the many varied requests and challenges presented with what I considered to be flawless grace, humility, and patience.  In addition, she was very knowledgeable about the many sights we experienced and always added a note of profound spiritual insight.  She is truly a special and holy person. 

We both hope to be on another 206 Tour soon (we already miss our fellow pilgrims)and hope we will be guided by Sabina once again!

Blessings,
Mike and Carol

Everything was just beautiful; Olga and martini were great. The places phenomena’s and everything was a great experience. It is always a pleasure to travel with you and Grace, amen allelulla. Blessings with love always.

-Elodia Gonzalez

Loved every minute of our pilgrimage. It was a holy time for prayer, fellowship, awe and wonder of our God, Jesus Christ and his saintly family.

Our TD Frederica was truly a perfect match for our group. We all connected as spiritual friends and the blessings extend beyond what we signed up for.

We will definitely seek out more once we process this time of spiritual awakening.

Peace of Christ

Eileen “Catherine “ Hall and Fred Hall

Thank you so much for an incredible experience. Fr. Lew was inspirational and a wonderful companion. Easy to talk to. So knowledgeable. 

Chryssanthi is a gem. What a delightful guide. She was so able to read the group and include extra information and picture stops when possible. We all laughed so much and enjoyed her vast knowledge of her subject matter. 

Drivers were professional, friendly and always felt comfortable. 

This was a moving journey. 

Jeanette and John Nichols 

Over the years, I have had the privilege of seeing so many wonderful places due to the kindness of 206 Tours. Please know I’m so very much grateful for the opportunity to experience the breath of God and His Holy Mother across this world. Thank you.

If there is ever an opportunity for another adventure that I can lead as a spiritual director please let me know. There are so many places I’ve never been and would be open to visit if possible.

Blessings and thank you for the trip to the El Camino earlier this month.  Dado was fantastic and the people as always were super.  Blessings.

Fr. Peter Glabik

  • From: Rebecca Berger
  • Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
  • Subject: Tour # 103: All Italian Shrines, September 1 , 2024 Rebecca Berger
  • Tour 103: All Italian Shrines

Hi Rinda,

I wanted to let you know that my clients had the most incredible journey on their pilgrimage! I am so impressed with 206 Tours and we are so grateful! 

Thank you,

Rebecca Berger 

Hello, I‘d like to respond with feedback on our trip to Europe.  This was a fantastic trip of a lifetime that exceeded my expectations by 1000%!  I loved every minute. Here are my thoughts:

The hotels were excellent (except the hotel in Weggis was nice but not air conditioned, and it was uncomfortably hot).

The breakfast buffets were phenomenal. The dinners were good, but not over the top.  I didn’t like any of the desserts.  It would be much better to be able to order off of the menu if possible. Some meals were a bit too late in the evening and/or we had to go straight from the bus to dinner without being able to wash-up after a very hot day, but I know this can’t always be helped.

The tour was organized and punctual. Plenty of bathroom breaks. Whisper sets worked well. Daily schedule was always available the night before. Our guide, Patricia, was really great—informative, available and organized

The bus was comfortable, except the AC did not work well (or the driver liked it hot).  And the water in the cooler needed ice—was always warm…..

At the beginning, I was confused about tips. Please make it clear that the suggested tip envelope is for the guide who is with us the whole trip, and it is not necessary to tip the individual guides at the various sites.

There was little time for shopping, especially in Altotting and Oropa. It would be nice if a little extra time could be built in to the schedule..

It would be nice to have a little time for Adoration if possible.

I would recommend this trip to anyone and would do it again tomorrow! 

Thank you so much for everything.

Marie Hill

I’ll be happy to post a review of my recent Pilgrimage.  This was my first with 206 Tours and hopefully it will not be my last. I was very impressed with the attention to detail taken by the Tour Director, tour guides as well as the drivers for the tour. They clearly made sure every need for every person was attended to. While the trip was very activity filled, it was spaced out evenly so that everyone was able to enjoy both group activities and times for personal meditation.  The highlight of my tour was the opportunity to meet the niece of Francisco and Jacinta in Fatima at her shop in Fatima where I purchased a Rosary. Can you believe I had the chance to take a photo and shake hands with a Saint’s relative!!! I look forward to joining another Pilgrimage soon.

Best,

Tony Lucca

Good morning Cara.

I am so glad to be back with 206 tours. You truly are a step above.

1. We all arrived safely at our destination together.
2. The service has been fantastic. Our tour guide is friendly, knowledgeable and professional.
3. The hotel is amazing. They have taken care of all our needs. It was so nice to have a spa last night.

Have a wonderful day, and thank you for organizing our programs of “Following in the footsteps of Paul.”
Peace in Christ  

Fr. Rob Irwin

Hi Ms. Cara ,
I just want to express my sincerest thanks for joining this pilgrimage. I was blessed that me and my husband and my sister were able to make it . This is my first pilgrimage experience. Although, my husband didn’t make to do the hundred percent attendance to the scheduled walking and visitation of the places still it was a happy and most of all blessed to me cause I was able to go and attended mass and procession to our Lady of Lourdes with my husband who was having a back pain problem that he can’t really stand long walking and standing. Thanks God he made it to go to see the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and attended the Mass and that I considered a fulfillment of my wish to bring him there and ask for healing.
I’m happy to meet everyone in the group for being friendly and who are all caring to each other. From Fr. Jeff, to Cathy, Annete ,Ted And Vanessa our very talented and caring tour guide and Pedro the best Driver you could ever have. I salute them all for all the services that they had to us . May God Bless everyone and keep us safe always . Thank you and it was a dream came true for me! Kudos to your 206 Tours!
God Bless and wish you all the best,
Ludinila Rivera

Thank you for reaching out.

All I can say is, “It did, and thank you”.  

It was truly an unforgettable journey, and it will stay with me for a lifetime.  It was very well organized, the staff and tour guides were tremendous, and I cannot say enough about their help and professionalism.  

It started with a very responsive and helpful booking travel agent, Rinda. Our tour guide, Leo was especially one of the most considerate and responsive guides I have ever seen. Our driver Juan was a very safe and timely driver.  Our spiritual guide, Father Randy, was always there to help us better understand and strengthen our prayers. 

You have organized and offered a wonderful experience for all those who are looking to reinforce and enhance their faith.

My best to your team and staff,

Sara

  • From: Eileen
  • Sent: Monday, September 23, 2024
  • Subject: Medjugorje Aug 27, 2024 Eileen
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Hi,

I would like to tell you about my Medjugorje experience.  Everything went very well.  Chris did an exceptional job at coordinating our trip.  The flights to/from Newark to Dubrovnik and back with United Airlines were excellent.  

The hotel was perfect, as was the food offered by the hotel.  Our server for most of our stay was Marco and he outdid himself.  The rooms were clean and comfortable.

Our tour guide, Andrej, was just the best.  He went out of his way to ensure everything was perfect.  He even got me a wheelchair because I had trouble negotiating all of the different surfaces, and walking for long distances.  He was knowledgeable about everything, pleasant, collegial, and professional.  The spiritual journey was exceptional.  I loved the outside Masses, especially the one at Mother’s Village, and also the Divine Mercy Chapel.  Father Eric did a good job.  He said the 10:00 am Mass one day at St. James Church.

I really enjoyed going to Cenacolo and hearing the testimonies of the men there.  I really enjoyed the Castle at Patrick and Nancy’s.  That was a huge highlight for me, as was the Oasis of Peace, the Divine Mercy Shrine, and the Blue Cross. I chose not to climb either Apparition Hill or Cross Mountain because they were too difficult for me.  That was okay though.  On one day, I prayed at the Blue Cross at the base of Apparition Hill, and the other day, I went to the Oasis of Peace.  It couldn’t have been nicer.  And of course, outdoor Mass, Rosary, and Adoration was just phenomenal. I enjoyed everything and hope to go back again next year.  I hope that I can get Andrej again as a tour guide because he was exceptional in every way.  Thanks for a great pilgrimage.

Kind Regards,

Eileen

  • From: Tina Hebert
  • Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2024
  • Subject: Response to Pilgrimage Review Tina Hebert
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje
Hi Sandra! 

   My experience with 206 Tours was beyond my expectations. From the time I booked this pilgrimage, through email correspondence, until my return home, I have no complaints. 
   Being able to be at Ivan’s guest house and chapel daily, I felt totally immersed in the best possible experience of the history, sacredness, and beauty of Medugorje.  Having four holy priests in our group was so amazing..  an opportunity to have more holy masses in Ivan’s personal chapel ..  something I don’t take lightly! 
    Our tour guide, Ivanka was wonderful. I’m sure she had many background kinks of her own personal nature and those of her pilgrims, but she remained consistent in patience,  and had such a calming demeanor. As a result, she set the tone for our whole group to have a very peaceful experience.
    Some of the pilgrims in our group arrived later than our first group, due to delayed flights ….and some of the people in our group did not get their luggage until halfway through the week. On our way home, we missed a connecting flight from Sarejevo (sp?) to Germany and the airports at both places were not as efficient as we hoped they would be, but we managed even though we spent around 24 hours getting home.  Still, I would guess this wasn’t your fault. It was a good opportunity to practice our virtues! 
   I would definitely use 206 Tours for future pilgrimages! Thank you all so much for a great trip!  I am hoping that in the future my husband and adult children can experience such a wonderful experience. 
   
   God bless you all for working so hard! 
Sincerely, 
Tina Hebert
  • From: Clifford Ray & Debbie Veach
  • Sent: Saturday, September 21, 2024
  • Subject: Tour 20 Great Shrines of France Pilgrimage Clifford Ray & Debbie Veach
  • Tour 20: Great Shrines of France

Hello,

We recently finished this pilgrimage (8/27 – 9/7).  We wish to shower deserved praise on our tour guide, Dado, and our priest that accompanied us, Father MJ from New Jersey.  Dado was very much a gentleman.  He was very patient and caring of everyone and very knowledgeable and handled all the twists and turns with ease and grace.  I don’t know how we could have done any better than Father MJ.  He was amazing.  Very personable & witty, very pious.  Daily Mass with him was awesome and he inspired us every chance we had in leading us in the Rosary.

It was a little bit of an endurance test at times but the amazing things we saw and experienced was well worth it.  I don’t know what we would change or leave out.

Clifford Ray & Debbie Veach 

  • From: Joyce Bonavoglia
  • Sent: Friday, September 20, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Fr. Charles Mangano and Fr. Tony Stanganelli | Tour 1 Joyce Bonavoglia
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

It was by far one of the best trips I have taken. The pilgrimage allowed me to see myself in a light I didn’t realize was possible.  I’m sure this will not be my last pilgrimage.  Fr. Tony and Fr. Charles made it very prayerful and fun.

Thank you again, for your assistance throughout this tour.

Sincerely,

Joyce

Dear Rinda,

I just returned this past Monday from Tour 67. Garabandal, Fatima, Lourdes, and Paris. I wanted to drop you a note to express my gratitude for a magnificent pilgrimage. It was a graceful time. Our tour guide Deb was the best. It was so wonderful to meet people who were brought together by their love of the Catholic faith. The celebrations Mass were a highlight especially the Mass in the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fatima. The food was plentiful and universally delicious. The only caution that people should know is that you are in constant motion. Be prepared!!!

Looking forward to my next pilgrimage in 2025 All Italian Shrines.

In Jesus and Mary!!!

Fr. Douglas A. Braun

Peace and all God’s good! 

I just want to offer a sincere word of gratitude to 206 Tours. As always the trip I went on was well organized and very much fulfilling. The walk in the Camino helped me realize the importance of keep going forward in life and ministry with God. Please know I am very grateful to the hard work and dedication of the tour Director Dado.  He was excellent and very much attentive to the needs of the people.
I’ve been on many pilgrimages with your company and I’m very grateful that you entrusted me with the task of being the spiritual father of all my trips I ever done.  I’ve met so many wonderful and kind people. 
I’m also very moved that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has approved the apparitions Medjugorje. I know this is special for you and your company being named after the first apparition of Our Lady.  
May the good Lord continue to bless your work and 206 Tours. 
In Christ,  
Fr. Peter Glabik

Dear Rinda,

Thank you so much for your prayers. 

I must express the deepest gratitude for the best tour guide and spiritual director I have ever experienced. 

Chryssanthi Tassiou is absolutely fabulous. She has such extensive knowledge, enthusiasm and spirituality that permeates to each of us. She expresses such care and concern for each and every one of us.  We are only on day five of our tour and I am continuing to be amazed at the depth of her knowledge and sharing it with each one of us. 

Thank you so much for such a generous and thoughtful tour guide. Fr. Lew and Chryssanti are a perfect blend and work so well together. It seems as though they can almost finish each other’s thoughts, and add to each others information from each of their perspectives. 

Blessings to you and thank you again. 

Lydia Abreu

This tour was much more than I expected.  

1) The accommodations were outstanding.  All of the hotel employees were very welcoming and accommodating. The rooms were clean and I always felt safe.
2) The food was unbelievably rich and more than enough. All of the meals were plentiful and so filling.  
3) The size of the group was manageable and allowed us to get to know each other.
4) The structure of each day with the checkpoints and breaks were comforting to know that a peregrino, if struggling,  would find aid in ample time.  It was such a welcoming sight to see the orange bus and Jose!
5) Father Daniel was an excellent spiritual leader.  His homilies were thought provoking and gave us food for the soul as we walked.  I enjoyed praying the Rosary as we made our way on the Camino.
6) Cristina was an absolute leader in every way.  She always gave us the details for the next day promptly. She provided us with laughter and encouragement; was always willing to help and wouldn’t sit down until every peregrino was taken care of.
7) I am thankful that 206 Tours provided us with walking poles as they came in very handy even though I had never used them before.  Plus the fact that cold water was always available on the bus.
8) The only thing that I would have liked better is if our flight from the USA would have arrived earlier in the morning instead of mid afternoon.  Those of us flying out of Dallas/Fort Worth did not get to participate in the city tour of Madrid.  The backpack while nice, was too big.  We didn’t need to carry as much with us, as the bus was always nearby.
I would highly recommend 206 Tours and plan to use them in the future for another trip.  Jose, Fr Daniel and Cristina were the perfect hosts and leaders for this trip.
Thank you 206 Tours for making my Camino very special!
Blessings,
Marilyn
  • From: Ammie and Jerry Laguilles
  • Sent: Monday, September 16, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrims' Testimonial: Tour 48-Fatima, Spain, and Northern Spain Ammie and Jerry Laguilles
  • Tour 48: Fatima, Spain, and Lourdes

Our 8th Pilgrimage with 206 Tours is now in the books.  Run by an amazing staff – from the Tour Guides to the Founder/President – 206 Tours never disappoints! Although we visited most of the Holy Sites included in this Pilgrimage three times before, each visit provided a new and different perspective that deepened our Catholic faith.  Being in a group of like-minded people coming from different demographic backgrounds, who shared nurturing perspectives about the Faith, provided a welcome respite from the daily encounter with people who view the world from secular lenses.

God Bless!!!

-Ammie and Jerry Laguilles

We truly had the pilgrimage of a lifetime!!! Our cups runneth over. Thank you 206 Tours for absolutely everything!!!

We are so grateful to 206 Tours for putting together an incredible pilgrimage for Chuck and me. The hotels, the food, the restaurants, the tour guides, the bus drivers, the priests…EVERYTHING far exceeded our expectations.

The one thing I wish we would have been made aware of is needing money to tip the extra tour guides for day trips aside from our regular tour guide. Also pockets on the seats on the bus in France would have been handy.

Thank you for absolutely everything and we are BIG FANS of 206Tours.
Tremendous gratitude and blessings,

Wendy and Chuck 

Thanks once again…after Guadalupe with you last year…this trip has been great..tho we missed our spiritual director Fr. Benedict…we enjoyed the educational tours of Medjugorje led by Andrei. God bless 🙏 

Carmencita Quesada-Fulgado

  • From: Fr. Jason Brilhante
  • Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2024
  • Subject: Lourdes & Medjugorje with Fr. Jason Brilhante & Lucy Simao Fr. Jason Brilhante
  • Tour 3: Lourdes & Medjugorje

Thank you for reaching out to me Piernha!

The pilgrimage to Lourdes and Medjugorje was absolutely excellent! All the flights went according to plan, the guides, Leo and Ivana, were amazing, the hotels were great, and the bus transfers were all done very well. I believe all the pilgrims enjoyed themselves and returned with many graces and happy memories from this pilgrimage. 

Blessings,

Fr. Jason Brilhante 

  • From: Fr. Jason Brilhante
  • Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2024
  • Subject: Lourdes & Medjugorje with Fr. Jason Brilhante & Lucy Simao Fr. Jason Brilhante
  • Tour 3: Lourdes & Medjugorje

Thank you for reaching out to me Piernha!

The pilgrimage to Lurdes and Medjugore was absolutely excellent! All the flights went according to plan, the guides, Leo and Ivana, were amazing, the hotels were great, and the bus transfers were all done very well. I believe all the pilgrims enjoyed themselves and returned with many graces and happy memories from this pilgrimage. 

Blessings,

Fr. Jason Brilhante 

I would like to commend Quico who did well in coordinating and leading well into the pilgrimage. He is such a nice asset to 206 Tours..I think everyone was endeared to him. We learned a lot from the local guides and that is quite awesome to know the history as we go along the pilgrims way. I believe I have more positive feelings to share about this pilgrimage..I wish to be in the future pilgrimages specially to the Scandinavian region..I have posted all relevant pictures on my FB page. Please feel free to use them for promotional purposes..God bless you all…

Fr. Lito Capeding

  • From: Lucy Simao
  • Sent: Friday, September 13, 2024
  • Subject: Lourdes & Medjugorje with Fr. Jason Brilhante & Lucy Simao Lucy Simao
  • Tour 3: Lourdes & Medjugorje

Thank you for taking the time organizing and making our pilgrimage so perfect. In Lourdes Leon was such a sweetheart. He was so attentive. Ivana was an amazing knowledgeable spiritual humble soul. The only complaint I have and many others in the group complained to me.  The air conditioning system wasn’t great. it was very hot and it was very uncomfortable to sleep. I had an amazing time..I would love to go back to Lourdes again.

Lucy Simao

  • From: Lisa and Carl Santoro
  • Sent: Sunday, September 8, 2024
  • Subject: Medjugorje Lisa and Carl Santoro
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Hi Piernha,

I want to tell you that we had a most spiritual and uplifting prayer experience!  Your tour company was professional and extremely helpful throughout our trip. Ivanka is an amazing tour guide. All the travel accommodations were smooth even though departing JFK we had a delay and our connecting flight was arranged through Croatian Air. Everything worked out well. The return flights were perfect. There were no problems at all. I would recommend 206 Tours to anyone who is thinking about traveling or if we plan any future trips. 

Thank you, also for responding to my emails and answering my questions. 

Sincerely,

Lisa and Carl Santoro 

Hi Piernha, 
Everything went smoothly, it was the best trip I’ve had, I loved every moment of the pilgrimage I feel refreshed, renewed and blessed .
The tour guides and bus drivers were very good, I must say a special shout out to Ivan,  wow!! So knowledgeable on the history and stories of all the places we visited, Mirela was sweet.
I’m looking forward to booking another trip in about 3 years to El Camino. Please send me information about said trip.

Thanks and God bless,

Karen Telman

I am completely pleased, from Hotel accommodations, food, luggage handling, skilled bus drivers , knowledgeable tour guides the attention to detail provided by 206 Tour’s staff, especially you Ms. Liz, is unparalleled. Everyone under the 206 Tours banner cares, from pick up to drop off making sure no pilgrim is left behind and have the experience of a lifetime.  The tour guides make sure that talk, prayer and rest is well balanced. This is my fourth pilgrimage with 206 Tours and I have not been disappointed once.

I can confidently say that the professionals that work for 206 Tours deliver quality and quantity!

I am looking forward to many more pilgrimages with 206 Tours.

Mrs. Milanka I pray God keeps inspiring you and your staff to take 206 Tours far into the future.

Thank you,

Ruth Smart-Baez

Dear Liz,

This was my first pilgrimage with 206 Tours, and I am now sure it will only be the first of many to come!  Dr. Scott & Kimberly Hahn’s Poland Pilgrimage, “In the Footsteps of St. John Paul II and St. Faustina,” was absolutely amazing!  St. John Paul II was my Confirmation Saint, and I had recently become more intimately acquainted with the story of Saint Faustina’s life and the revelation of the Divine Mercy, so I was immediately intrigued with this tour.  Having Dr. Scott Hahn and his wife on the trip was the final clincher!

What a fantastic pilgrimage it was!  Poland is such an exquisite country, and the places we visited were absolutely stunning and amazing.  It takes great love and deep devotion to create such beautiful churches and cathedrals, such as the ones we saw.  The artwork and icons were amazing, the number of churches and devotion sites were astounding!  I feel so much closer to my saint, St. John Paul II, since visiting his homeland, touching his reliquaries, walking and praying where he did.  Meeting Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, his Secretary and Aide, was an unexpected bonus.  It was such a worthwhile trip, and one I wouldn’t mind doing again!

It was also quite special that we happened to be in Poland for the Feast Day of Saint Maximilian Kolbe.  Niepokalanow is so lovely and peaceful, and the perpetual adoration chapel is absolutely magnificent.  I have never seen anything like it.  Every site, every chapel, was outstanding in its own way … from the Jasna Gora Monastery with its beautiful Our Lady of Czestochowa icon, to Wawel Royal Castle, to St. Mary’s Basilica, to the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy, and the St. John Paul II Center.  The Salt Mines Cathedral was quite remarkable, as well.  The trip couldn’t be more packed with amazing sites, each one as profound as the one before, and all a feast for the eyes.

Our local tour guide, Sabina, was an absolute angel. I was impressed with her from the very start when she had all our hotel room key cards ready and waiting for us, as we arrived.  She took care of everything, and made sure that everything ran incredibly smoothly.  She was extremely knowledgeable about her country and every site we visited, and was thrown so many random questions by us yet answered each with aplomb.    Herding our group was often like herding cats, but she did it all with grace, patience and sweetness.  She was there for us from the very beginning, and with us until the very last moment.  I felt very fortunate to be on Sabina’s bus.

I also really enjoyed having Fr. Dan Hennessey as our Spiritual Director, leading prayers and rosaries for us, and celebrating mass for us all every day. His upbeat nature and sense of humor made him an absolute joy in our group.  Since returning home, I have really missed those very comforting times of prayer and reflection with him.

Having the privilege to hear Dr. Hahn’s insights and ask him questions, both during the scheduled talks and impromptu on the bus, added immeasurable richness to our pilgrimage.  One of the highlights for me was the unexpected opportunity to have dinner with Scott & Kimberly Hahn at a table with them all to myself!  I was absolutely thrilled!  That was one of the most wonderful things about our trip … even though we had 60 people on 2 buses, we had many opportunities for connection with each other, and it still felt remarkably personal and intimate.

The accommodations and meals were top-notch, the luggage was handled for us at every stop, and the trip was beautifully managed.  The attention to detail was so appreciated!!  And did I mention my fellow pilgrims?  The folks on this tour were all so warm and friendly!  It was a fabulous pilgrimage that I will always remember, and hope to repeat again soon to another meaningful location.  I would not hesitate to recommend 206 Tours to everyone!  Thanks for everything!

— Ada Palles

This was an unforgettable and life-changing experience for me. As the pastor of a parish with Polish-speaking parishioners, i was looking for an opportunity to visit their homeland and grow in my appreciation for their rich culture and history. I was not disappointed! From the moment I arrived at the first of our many comfortable hotels, our guide Anna was attentive, knowledgeable, and gracious. Throughout the two weeks of pilgrimage she was extremely well-prepared, an expert at not only history but hospitality as well. She tried to teach us as much as possible while caring for the myriad details and needs that befall travelers, all with patience, a smile, and a contagious sense of humor.

We were able to immerse ourselves amid several landmarks, a balance of churches and cultural touchstones like museums and parks. These were all very walkable cities, and where we needed them the drivers safely and deftly maneuvered the streets of the major cities and highways we traversed, working in lockstep with Anna to show us as much scenery as possible. 

Our local guides were clear and enthusiastic about the religious and historical vibrancy of Central Europe, helping us to better understand the providence that inspired, sustained, and cultivated this amazing region for over a millenium. We breathed the rarified air of great scholars and saints, of composers and kings, and came away the richer for it. From the heights of Zakopane to the emotional depths of Auschwitz, we touched something ineffable, and returned home altogether changed. 

I highly recommend this trip to anyone curious about this region, often overshadowed by its famous western neighbors. Poland’s diverse integrity, Prague’s clean medieval modernity, Austria’s cultural wealth and Budapest’s bridged beauty- these places so graced by God and linked by good and bad history- are a must for anyone interested in seeing the world.

Fr. Rodriguez

  • From: Marie Menard
  • Sent: Sunday, September 1, 2024
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain and Lourdes with Optional Post Tour to Medjugorje and Dubrovnik with Fr. Dwayne Davis Marie Menard
  • Tour 37: Fatima, Spain, and Lourdes

It was great and was very happy that I booked my trip with 206 tour: over all with no exception everything was beyond perfection: the tour Guide, the driver guide, the hotels (including the waiters, servers, the boss boy, the maintenance of the room and their high class standards and services, the airplane Lufthansa was fantastic (service and the nutritional quality was superb etc.) I was totally satisfied no need of complaints in that domain. Our spiritual fathers were fantastic! Again I was entirely happy that I booked the flight/ trip with 206 tour through St Thomas Aquinas in Flatbush/ Flatland/ Hendrixson just to be specific.

The tour manager (Ms Liz and staff) were absolutely beyond rating I was very happy to have Ms Liz as a correspondent. If I miss to mention something don’t hesitate to bring it to my attention, 

God Bless!

Sincerely,

Marie Menard

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out for feedback about our recent pilgrimage.  We had an absolutely wonderful trip and would highly recommend it to others.  If it’s helpful, I have provided our thoughts:

Excellent Aspects of the Trip:

  • Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and incredibly organized, very friendly, and fun.
  • Our priest, Fr. Rodriguez was wonderful; his Mass celebrations in a different church each day were inspiring and beautiful and turned out to be my favorite part of the trip.
  • The amount of activity was truly amazing – so many tours and planned outings allowed us to see as much as possible in each day.  We felt we received very good value for the price of the trip.

Overall, our pilgrimage was very, very good and we really appreciate the efforts of our guide, our priest, and our bus driver.

Thank you!

Suzanne Antonello

Hi Rinda,

I just wanted to thank you for helping to link me with the pilgrimage. It was a transformative and beautiful experience. Thank you for all of the good work you do, and I pray that God bless you and everyone at 206. 

Thanks again!

Fr. Rodriguez

  • From: Ed & Margie Bochynski
  • Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2024
  • Subject: Poland with Dr. Scott Hahn Ed & Margie Bochynski
  • Tour 168: Poland

Good evening Liz and Natasha,

We got home from Poland last week and I wanted to thank all my friends at 206 Tour for a great job!  You are my first point of contact and so you are key in making sure everything is booked correctly – you did a magnificent job.  

Dr. Hahn and his wife Kimberly were so friendly and knowledgeable. One evening they joined our table for dinner and we became quick friends.  Two days later Scott Hahn came to our breakfast table and share how impressed he was with our conversation – Wow! Impressing Scott Hahn!! We didn’t see that coming.

Our Tour Director, Sabrina, she is a gem. For me, this was a very personal trip because it was a return to the land where my grandfather left back in 1897.  That is not a typo, it has been over 127 years since a member of my family returned to the Home Land for the first time.  I love Poland.  I love the People.  I love the culture.  And Margie and I want to express how important Sabina was to this trip.  She was able to tie everything together.  She is so warm and friendly and was able to adjust on the fly.  She is a keeper.  Margie and I felt so connected to her that she is invited to stay in our guest room if she is visiting the NYC/ LI area. 

The hotel selections were excellent.  They were all 5-Stars.  The people were so friendly and eager to serve.  Polonia Palace Hotel was magnificent but the Sheraton raised the bar a notch.  Food, serve and location were all fabulous, for example, to accommodate unpredictable weather, we need to leave the hotel early.  Sabina coordinated with the Sheraton breakfast crew to ensure they opened an hour earlier, thus ensuring we had something in our tummies before leaving for a long day.  Great job by Sabina and the Hotel.

As you are aware, this is my third tour with you in the last 15 months, (I am already eying Malta in 2025), and working with you, Liz and Natasha, has been a pleasure.  Having a tour Director like Sabina made everything perfect.

Oh, one more thing, our anniversary was during this tour.  Fathers Henry and Dan gave us special blessings and Sabina made sure the restaurant staff sang happy anniversary, complete with cake and a present.  Truly unexpected but so appreciated. 

Please share this email with Milanka and let her know I am organizing my 200 photos and will post them.  In the past she has enjoyed looking over my photos and enjoyed reaing about my experiences.  Love you guys.

Thank you all again.

Ed and Margie Bochynski 

Good afternoon, ladies.  Just wanted to send a quick note to say what a wonderful, spiritual trip we had last week.  Not only listening to Scott and Kimberley Hahn, but all the churches, chapels, convents, etc, and the haunting, moving visit to Auschwitz.  Dave and I are closer now more than ever to Sts. Faustina, Kolbe and JPII.  

I let all those who had never been on a 206 tour, that you cover all the bases and we just slide into  home plate.  Dave and I are looking forward to booking our next pilgrimage soon.  

I want to tell you how amazing Sabina was as our guide.  A lot on her plate but she handled everything with grace.  She is a wonderful spirit-filled soul who we all just love!  She’s a keeper!  She made the trip go effortlessly and we all appreciated her efforts.  

Fr. Dan was on the blue bus and he was very personable and joyful.

Again, thank you so much for making this happen. You are all the best!

Therese Klug

  • From: Fr. Daniel Hennessey
  • Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2024
  • Subject: Poland Pilgrimage Fr. Daniel Hennessey
  • Tour 168: Poland Pilgrimage

Dear Milanka,

Thank you for a beautiful opportunity to serve as spiritual director on the pilgrimage to Poland completed today. It was a wonderful experience filled with many graces—which I will be enjoying for a long time. It was very helpful for me in my vocation as a priest. 

The pilgrimage logistics were done very well and with great attention. The guides and bus drivers did an excellent job for us all. 

Thank you also for arranging to have an audience with His Eminence Cardinal Stanislaw. It was one of the highlights of the pilgrimage. 

I wish to especially point out the excellent work and dedication of our bus guide Sabina. She shared not only facts and information about the places we were to visit, but she did so with great love, faith, patience and spiritual attentiveness. She is a hard worker and showed a true desire to bring the pilgrims closer to Jesus. 

I prayed for you during the pilgrimage that your work will continue to bring glory to God and lead many people to conversion and awareness of the love of God for them. 

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Daniel Hennessey

  • From: Barbara Warren
  • Sent: Monday, August 19, 2024
  • Subject: El Camino - The Way of St. James – Santiago De Compostela with Finisterre & Porto with Fr. Sean Connolly Barbara Warren
  • Tour 78 - Camino: The Portuguese Route

Dear Alexandra:

The pilgrimage to Northern Spain for the El Camino and Porto, Portugal was my fourth pilgrimage with 206 Tours.  I had a great time as usual.  

Our Spiritual Guide, Fr. Sean Connolly (along with Fr. Liam Quinlan), our Tour Guide, Javier V, and driver, Juan, helped create a spirit of camaraderie amongst the pilgrims.  Love the spiritual and cultural information.  Both Javier and Juan were very responsive to the needs of the pilgrims.

And I have to say that of the four 206 Tours pilgrimages I have been on, the food in Northern Spain was the best!!

Regards,

Barbara Warren

  • From: Maria Santana
  • Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2024
  • Subject: Thank you Maria Santana
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Rinda,

I just wanted to say thank you for everything you all did to make our trip to Medjugorgie such an amazing experience. God bless you all!

Thanks,

Maria Santana

  • From: Fr. Joshua Whitfield
  • Sent: Monday, August 12, 2024
  • Subject: Medjugorje Jun 30, 2024 Fr. Joshua Whitfield
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Friends,

It’s been more than a month since we’ve returned from our pilgrimage to Medjugorje, and I just want to say that the pilgrimage was truly amazing. It was and remains a life-changing experience for me. I have honestly been thinking about Medjugorje every day since. Something happened to me on that pilgrimage, and I have been living in a new way. And so, truly, thank you for what you do and for what you gave me, bringing me closer to Our Lady and Our Lord.

Here is a video of my homily from the Mass I celebrated at St. James: https://video.marytv.tv/watch/mqO3m8sgde9 It was a real blessing and honor.

I will find a way back to Medjugorje, no doubt. However, I also wanted to say that if you were ever in need of a priest to help as a spiritual director for a retreat, I would be very happy to do so. Consider me at your service. I have led pilgrimages before, and so I’d be happy to assist.

But, more importantly, I simply wanted to thank you and assure you of my prayers.

Pax,

Fr. Joshua

Dear 206 Tours Team,

I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible opportunity to serve as a chaplain on the Marian tour, which included visits to Lisbon, Fatima, Spain, Lourdes, and Paris. This journey was profoundly enriching and spiritually uplifting for me.

Our tour guide, Ivan, was simply amazing. The way he narrated the historical facts of the different places we visited was truly exceptional. His knowledge and passion brought each site to life, making the pilgrimage both educational and inspiring.

Celebrating the Eucharist in the sacred locations we visited was an unforgettable experience. I never imagined I would have the honor of celebrating Mass in such revered places. Additionally, the encounters with various relics were an added bonus that greatly enriched our pilgrimage. Seeing the Eucharistic miracle of Santarem up close and being allowed to take a picture with Fr. Mike to share with the pilgrims and our home parishes was a highlight of the trip.

This tour provided me with a unique opportunity to experience a personal retreat, allowing for deep reflection and spiritual growth. My mother and sister, who accompanied me, also had a profoundly moving and spiritual experience. The staff at 206 Tours went above and beyond in accommodating my mother’s need for a wheelchair, ensuring she could fully enjoy and participate in the pilgrimage.

I must also commend our bus driver, Miguel. His skillful driving and cheerful demeanor added significantly to the overall positive experience. If I ever grow up, I aspire to drive like him!

I am eagerly looking forward to participating in another pilgrimage with 206 Tours, trusting that you will once again make it an effortless and wonderful spiritual experience. Thank you to the entire team at home base, as well as our tour guides, Ivan and Slavinka, and drivers.

Blessings to all,

Fr. Héctor, Mom and Zaide

I loved the tour.  The pace was great. I would recommend it to others.  Hotels were OK, they were clean, staff was nice.  However, I did miss having coffee in the room on the 1st two hotels.  Frederica was wonderful, she went out of her way to assist anyone who had questions, concerns etc. Amos, our driver was very pleasant and his driving got us there safely. As you may know I have asked to be informed whenever Fr Piotr is going to be the spiritual advisor. I have been on 3 pilgrimages with him, he is such a joy.

God bless.

Thank you.

Roxanne D. Lambert

Below is my evaluation of the tour of shrines of France:

  1. The information send prior to the trip was both timely and complete.  I was perfect in every way.
  2. The tour included the seven most important shrines, and all were made available to our group for a mass.
  3. The tour guide, Veronique, was excellent.  She provided valuable information at every shrine and when included lots of interesting information about the various towns and historic sites as we traveled on the bus.  
  1. The priest, Father Kirby, gave excellent homilies and was very friendly and accessible.

Linda

Thank you for the opportunity to give feedback on the tour.  Overall, my wife Laurie and I had a wonderful, fulfilling and spiritual experience.  It was especially so for me as my paternal grandparents were from Mexico and my father was born there in 1913.  Since my grandparents left Mexico in 1915 due to the extreme danger of the Mexican revolution, I grew up not hearing of the Cristeros movement in Mexico (1926-1929).  For me, this was a tremendous learning experience.  

We thought the tour guide Roberto was very friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and well informed.  He took really good care of us, and I would recommend him highly.  Our bud driver Ricardo was an amazing expert at maneuvering the bus.  He was a highly skilled and a very safe driver.

The following are items that we would have liked to see on our trip:

  1.  There were a number of times we were on the bus for extended periods of time.  It would have been very helpful to have had Wi-Fi available on the bus.  We  had that availability on our Fatima, Avila, Lourdes tour and it was very helpful to have.
  2. Since we were in Mexico, it would have been nice to have had the opportunity of having more Mexican food.  The food at the hotels was very nice, but it was pretty much American cuisine.
  3. The meals that we had always had a high calorie cake like desert at the end of the meal.  It would be nice to have the option of having fruit or ice cream for those of us who watch what we eat and try to avoid high calorie overly sweet deserts.

Blessings,

Joe & Laurie Sigala 

We were very satisfied with our recent tour!! Our Spiritual Director, Fr. Hector is great. Our tour guide Ivan and Slavica were superb. I don’t think we would do any tour other than 206. We’re hooked on 206, how we were taken care of to the end. We’re lucky to belong to a great group of pilgrims as well. There was a small hiccup because of the weather in PA, but that wasn’t something we could control. The rest of the tour made that part insignificant. The tour went beyond our expectation! Thank you 206 Tours!

Nora

Thanks Natasha, Lisa & Patrick – The National Eucharistic Congress was a wonderful, Christ filled event. Thank You All for all your hard work. Let us pray & hope, God willing, that we can all truly bring Jesus to all in our sphere of influence & re-evangelize our culture, top to bottom & bottom to top.  Cheers. Vivat Jesus. Jesus, Mary & Joseph; Pray For Us! ❤️🙏😇🇺🇸  

-Jim Cruickshank

I am very honored to say thank you to 206 Tours for such an amazing Pilgrimage on Tour 60. I have never experienced such an amazing Pilgrimage like this one. It was wonderful and so inspiring to the spirit.

I would also like to add my testimony for those that have never traveled with 206 Tours.

206 Tours is the best way to travel in Europe. They really know how to take care of their Pilgrims abroad.

I have done 2 Pilgrimages with 206 Tours and they both were very safe and great with wonderful company as well. I highly recommend 206 Tours for traveling out of the country. They are the safest.

I hope and pray God will give me another opportunity to travel with 206 Tours in 2 more years. I really love Spain the best it’s in my Soul.

Thank you so very much to all of you at 206 Tours that took the time to help me when planning my Pilgrimage with all the questions I had and great advice. Until the next Pilgrimage, I hope and pray with 206 Tours.

Lydia Rivas

Hi Milanka,
My sisters & I would like to thank 206 Tours for the wonderful and well-organized pilgrimage to the Marian Shrines of Portugal, Spain & Lourdes. It was indeed a memorable experience and a great choice with an awesome group of fellow travelers.  Our tour guides (Vanessa Teixeira & Patricia Falchi) and local guides were all very knowledgeable, particularly Vanessa, who was very patient at the same time. We also couldn’t ask for a better & safe driver, Juan, whom we all love from picking us to handling our luggage.  But of course, our pilgrimage will not be complete without the help of our spiritual directors, Fr. Victor Kynam & Fr. John Gillis. Thank you again and we look forward to another 206 pilgrimage in the future.
Sincerely,
Mendoza Sisters
Milanka,

Just checking in after a wonderful pilgrimage.
Thank you!!  The 55 / 5 tour was well-paced, informative, uplifting, prayerful, fun.  You gave us an all-star lineup of guides (Slavica, Ivan, Javi) who were just fantastic!  It was great!
– Fr. Mike Murray

Dear 206 Tours:

This was my third 206 Tour and, like the first two, it was great. I was very pleased with the outstanding customer service of our guide, Ivan Bosnjak. I can’t begin to tell you how much he contributed to our wonderful experience and the ease he injected into all events. He was knowledgeable, accommodating, and perhaps the best guide we have experienced in our ~10 pilgrimage tours with three different companies.

We will definitely be signing up for another 206 Tour next year (the Camino) and very possibly two since Ivan did a magnificent job of convincing us to visit the Marian shrine in Croatia.  We’ll call to see if there is any way we can be scheduled again on one of Ivan’s tours!

Thank you for a wonderful experience!!!!  You’ll see us again.

Steve

 

My name is Joy Le-mare. I booked 206 Tours for the first time, the tour was for Poland, Prague, Salzburg and Medjugorje. My experienced with this pilgrimage was wonderful. The Priest (Father Paul) was very good. Our tour guide (Sabina) was great she was on top of everything making sure that the pilgrims were safe. I’ve been on tour these past years with different companies, but there is no comparison to what I’ve been experiencing with this tour. From Poland to Salzburg same guide, same Priest and same driver. I can’t ask for more. I was very happy with their job. Anyway, I can say I’m looking forward to my next journey with 206 Tours, God-willing next year. Thank you for asking about my experiences with 206 Tours.

-Joy Le-mare

My husband and I participated in the May 18-June 5, 2024 Pilgrimage.  We highly recommend 206 Tours Company.  We originally had booked a Holy Land Tour which was cancelled due to the Hamas Terrorism and resultant war.  206 Tours offered a full refund/credit/rebooking of our pilgrimage.  We chose to rebook on the Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Shrines of Italy Tour. 

The booking process, pre-trip and tour information was complete and easy to follow.  The company was very responsive and prompt in addressing all of our questions.  All of the items (luggage tags, lanyards, travel information, etc.) necessary for our pilgrimage arrived a few weeks before travel. 

The professionalism, knowledge, courtesy & helpfulness of the Tour Company, Guides, and Drivers were exceptional.  The hotels were proximal to the pilgrimage sites which allowed us optimal time spent at the sites.  Each hotel was comfortable, modern and had courteous staff.  The Motor Coach was comfortable and clean.  The meals provided were reflective of the cuisine of each country. 

We want to especially acknowledge Vanessa, our Tour Guide in Portugal, Spain & France.  She was exceptional in her knowledge of each country.  She was readily available for any questions and needs.  Every day we were in the Bus she made it clear as to when the next “Rest” stop would be with clean and free restrooms!  This was very much appreciated. Her faith was evident throughout the tour.  It was sad having to say good-bye to her when we departed for the second leg of our Pilgrimage in Italy.  When I recall this part of our journey Vanessa is interwoven in each aspect.  We would love to have her as a future guide! 

Frederica was our Guide in Italy.  She also was an exceptional guide and representative for 206 Tours.  She was knowledgeable and accessible.  My husband became ill during this part of the trip.  Frederica helped us navigate Pharmacies and seeing a Physician.  She was patient, kind and extremely helpful during this “unexpected” experience in a foreign country.  She expertly juggled our needs with the needs of the Tour.  Our gratitude and appreciation are woven into our “Italy Experience”.

Kudos to:

Pedro- our Driver in Portugal, Spain & Lourdes.  He always had a smile and kept our Bus spotless, inside and out (clean windows!!).

Amos- our Driver in Italy.  He excelled with navigation of some very narrow & twisting roads.  He always had a smile. 

Our City Tour Guides were awesome and very informative.

We carry a deep appreciation for our Priests.  Fr. Ed Lamp was with us in Fatima, Spain & Lourdes.  He was very personable.  He made it a point to spend time and visit with each person on the pilgrimage.  His insights regarding our faith was deeply valued.  Fr. Dawid Kwiatkowski was our Priest in Italy.  He, too, shared his deep faith with us daily.  Especially during our time on the Bus.  Having a Priest on the Pilgrimage and celebrating the Mass daily defined our experience.

Another  important and lasting “gift” from this Pilgrimage was the time spent with the other Pilgrims.  Sharing our faith with others who deeply love the Catholic Faith was a wonderful and lasting reward from our Tour.  We highly recommend 206 Tours to others.  We definitely would travel with 206 Tours again.

-Mary & Tony Madrid

  • From: Fr. Arularasu Mathias
  • Sent: Monday, July 8, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje Fr. Arularasu Mathias
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Good afternoon Rinda,

Thank you for the opportunity to be the Spiritual leader to the group. 

I had a blessed time with the group. Many of them met me individually or as a couple to speak to me….for confessions or sharing or looking for spiritual directions. The guide did an amazing job. She was very patient, knowledgeable and protective of the group. I also spent a lot of time in the Confessional for the pilgrims daily, except when our group was busy with something or other. I accompanied the group to the Apparition Hill twice…tried to relieve the guide whenever possible. In short, I had a graceful time over there. I am looking forward to being a spiritual leader next year as per your needs….perhaps in the month of July (2025). I am flexible. Please keep in the loop if you are in need of spiritual leaders for any group. 

Thank you again.

Blessings,

Fr. Arularasu Mathias

Thank you for requesting my feedback on my Pilgrimage with 206 Tours.

This was my first pilgrimage, actually my 2nd in a lifetime trip across the continent!  I have dedicated most of my life to my career and when I retired, I wanted to go somewhere special.  It was originally Israel, but this trip was far beyond my expectations!!! 

The bus and driver were outstanding, if I had to give a 10 rating, it would be that driver!  He kept us safe and knew every inch we traveled.  Excellent!!!

Our Tour leader was the most patient person.  She exemplified a true Christian and treated everyone with love, care and kindness; at the same time keeping us on track!!!  I loved that!

The hotels were excellent.  The one I did not care for was the very last hotel on the list, Mercure Budapest City Center Hotel.  But, it was comfortable, the food wasn’t as good as the other 6 either.

I was so impressed with how organized each day was planned out.  My expectations were exceeded and the information before the trip was accurate with the walking; which I didn’t mind at all!  I loved keeping busy!!  This trip was a good mix of faith driven and enjoying other sites and restaurants along the way.  I loved the daily mass and a spiritual leader on board.

Luckily we had a smooth trip to and back to the states.  Long days, but we understood the plan.

Also, before the trip your assistants answering emails and phone calls were excellent!!!  The planning was very important and Tour 206 had excellent planners and made us feel safe. 

Another pilgrimage? If I do take another one, it will surely be with 206 Tours.

Thank you for your commitment!

-Lynn

Dear Liz and Natasha:

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you both for all of your hard work and effort in setting up and organizing this AMAZING pilgrimage!!  We had an amazing, amazing time…and as someone in our group said, ‘it was life transforming’, and truly it was just that….life transforming!! Each place we visited was so amazing in its own way. It’s going to take a couple weeks to digest all of it and reflect upon it. But it was so very blessed in so many ways!
Thank you so much for all you did in helping this pilgrimage become the amazing reality that it was. I am eagerly looking forward to next year.
God bless you and thank you!!
Father Mike 

Dear Cara,

I want to send a big Thank You to you and 206 Tours for a wonderful and blessed Italy pilgrimage with Chris Stefanick. When I signed up, I did not know what to expect, yet the pilgrimage was more than I could have ever imagined! I certainly did not expect to make lasting friendships in such a short period of time with fellow pilgrims. 

The tour guides, Ana and Vanessa, took very good care of all of us pilgrims.  I had the blessing to be under Ana’s care for the entire 14 days.  She was very knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions that we had. She continually called us Family which is what was formed in these 2 weeks. What impressed me the most is her attention to all of our needs.  For instance, on our last day in Rome we had our walking tour of Rome and by the end I could feel myself getting dehydrated. She helped me and 2 others find a cab so we could get back to the hotel. The following day, she kept checking in on me to make sure I had recovered. Later in the tour, we were at a wine tasting, and when I waved off the pasta as I was not hungry (because I had Gelato earlier) she immediately checked to make sure I was okay. Even at the Venice airport as we were departing to return home, though her job was complete, she still kept her eyes on the group of us that traveled with her. I felt so loved by her.

Antonio, our bus driver, was amazing. He made our rides so smooth.  I wish I could speak more Italian so to converse with him, but he took care of his passengers.  

Overall, the tour was wonderful. The downside was that there was so much to do, but little time to really sit and pray in any one place.  Some people said they would turn down the whisper and sit and pray, but i was always afraid I would get left behind if I did that. On the original schedule on the website, it had one day that we would have free time in Rome, however that did not happen. It was that day I had hoped to visit a few other saints in Rome, but I was able to let that go in the end. Rome was a go, go, go type of feeling.   

I was also impressed with the meals.  Crazy how y’all were able to find restaurants to take on 63 pilgrims.  I appreciated not having to worry about meals.  Having the 3 meals as part of the tour, was one of the factors that helped me to decide to sign up.  We all learned early on to ask how many courses were included in the lunch and dinners so to pace ourselves on eating.  Between the food and the concierge service everywhere we went, I felt spoiled. 

Thank you especially for the beautiful stop at the villa between Sienna and Florence.  To have an afternoon/evening to just rest and bond before the extended tour began was perfect!

Lastly, the local guides used in each city was appreciated.  Had I tried to visit these places on my own, I would have missed out on so much. They were very knowledgeable and friendly.  They kept a good pace where those who may have been slower like myself at times were still able to keep up. 

This was my first 206 Tours pilgrimage and I am sure this will not be my last.  I will highly recommend you to everyone I know.  I hope to save up money as best I can to join in with another Chris Stefanick tour.  Chris was very genuine as he took the time to speak and get to know each person on the tour with him.  If he does do another Italy tour, it would be good to have a plan for where he can do some talks. We didn’t get to hear him as much as hoped, as he shared with me that he had hoped to speak in the chapels after Mass, but we were usually ushered out pretty quickly.  I do know this was his first Italy tour, so these things could not be foreseen.  

I think this covers everything.  If you have any questions let me know.  I will be happy to share more if needed.  Thank you again for all that you did for me.  The only thing I had to do was pay, pack and show up.  Nothing can beat that.  

God bless you and the work that you do.  

Peace and Blessings, 

Sr. Alison Weber, SC

Hello,

206 Tours continues to amaze! The pilgrimage in early June to Greece – following in the footsteps of St. Paul – was not only perfectly orchestrated (with extremely knowledgeable and gracious tour guides) but was also the most inspiring pilgrimage – leaving me with a thirst to know more about St. Paul’s journeys, the Baptism of Lydia at Philippi, Revelations (St. John at Patmos) and the finding of the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus. I can’t stop thinking about the pilgrimage – and the impact this one trip had on me and the impact this pilgrimage may have in the future as I continue to learn – and talk with family members (using the FaceBook photos and videos) – evangelization in action! 

This is my third pilgrimage with 206 Tours and can’t wait to book another!

Tim and Mary Jo Knobloch 

Hi Rinda,

I wish to say a huge THANK YOU for allowing me to be the chaplain on the trip to Poland, Prague, Austria and Budapest.

I was enriched personally by my pilgrimage as well as being able to celebrate Masses in so many Sacred and Beautiful places.

I am amazed at how incredibly well your company is able to choose the best tour guides, hotels, bus drivers and agenda.  It all worked out incredibly well.  Sabina Balos was our tour guide.  She is incredibly helpful and kind.  She was so very easy to work with in terms of making the pilgrimage a deeply spiritual experience.

Many thanks for the incredibly generous stipend you sent to me. You are most generous and kind.

Whenever you need a chaplain please contact be as my suitcase will be packed within the hour!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Fr. Paul Cochran

Hi! I just wanted to tell you that we had a wonderful pilgrimage! My husband, 22 year old son and myself all enjoyed ourselves! Quico, Father Richard and Slavica were so nice, warm, fun, knowledgeable and thoughtful. They all conducted themselves as if their name was the name of the tour company and not 206 Tours. They all need a raise! I have been on five other pilgrimages with several different companies and your pilgrimage was outstanding! We also had a wonderful group of pilgrims and it was hard to say goodbye at the end. We will recommend you to our friends and will travel with you again!

-Kim, David and Jackson Deneka

This is just a taste of this amazing pilgrimage!   206 is so well done, Claudia was a blessing she knew and is from Greece and she was down to earth as well! 

You will get so much inspiration and the journey will require a lot of energy and good fitness!  The lunch stops along the way as you journey are unbelievable unique and the food is so good, along with places to shop, so don’t hesitate one bit on choosing 206, they take very good care of things and you!

-Maxine Rodriguez

My experience truly exceeded my expectations. I loved the country and all that it had to offer.

Thank you for making it all possible.

Kathy Zwanziger 

On April 28, 2024, my husband and I took Tour 55 to Portugal, Spain and France. We’d like to express our appreciation for the wonderfully run tour and particularly for the great service provided by our guide Vanessa Texeira who went above and beyond to assist us in anything we needed. We were also fortunate to have our driver Juan who was extremely knowledgeable of the traffic in the countries we visited and who stayed with us the entire trip. Unfortunately Vanessa left our group after Lourdes and the whole group missed her terribly.
We would like to recognize Vanessa and Juan as wonderful representatives of you company.
Tom and Martha Stapleton

  • From: Mary Jill Hanson
  • Sent: Friday, June 28, 2024
  • Subject: Review Mary Jill Hanson
  • Tour 97: Rome
I just returned (a few weeks ago now) from a quick tour to Rome.  I was accompanying two young girls – one almost 12, the other almost 15, one my goddaughter, the other a family friend.
The tour was wonderful, only too short. We fit quite a lot into the few days we were with the tour, and after I got back home, and realized all we had seen and experienced, I was in awe.  
Our guide, Federica, she was wonderful, so caring.  Our Rome guide, Tatiana (I think) was awesome, so knowledgeable, and gave us so much knowledge, every place that we went.  Though it was not as awe-inspiring as the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, the Catacombs were really wonderful, as was the Basilica of St. Paul. Our daily Masses were very special and familial.
The crowds and the heat were a bit overwhelming, no, I would say, way overwhelming – but in the end, the overall experience was worth it.  I learned so much, I saw so much, especially, seeing “in person” things I had seen in pictures for so many years.  
Mary Jill Hanson

Tour # 67 was a great spiritual and faith-history experience for us participants right from 26th May to 7th June. The various arrangements were superb with dedicated staff ready to assist. Our guide Quico demonstrated his versatile knowledge in social, political, and religious matters. He was very resourceful and made us enjoy our pilgrimage very much. It is important to highlight his sense of humour, kind-heartedness and collaborative skills throughout the pilgrimage. He made all of us feel at home regardless of our age difference. The drivers were very professional, well-composed and helpful. 

Liturgical activities and prayer participation were fantastic. Everyone attended mass and other gatherings with enthusiasm and eagerly volunteered for roles. The pilgrims bonded so well as if we all came from the same community. The expression on each person’s face at the departure showed how much we all enjoyed the pilgrimage and our gratitude to all staff. May Our Lady continue to intercede for each pilgrim even beyond the graces we received during this pilgrimage. 

I thank you for the opportunity to lead the Tour #67. It would be my joy if the opportunity comes soon to lead another pilgrimage. I look forward to it whenever you need me.

Thank you.

God bless,

Fr. Richard Baafi

The Pilgrimage was really awesome. Run very well. Priests, Driver, and Nena were awesome. I learned so much History about the Countries. It was really a trip of a Lifetime. Father Calloway is such a Great Priest. So Nice and made it very Special. The Weather was a challenge at times, being very unusually hot. Thanks for the Beautiful Memories and relationships made. 

God Bless,

Linda

I had a fantastic and very spiritual pilgrimage tour. Everyone, Everybody was very helpful on this tour. This includes all your guides, drivers, priests, photographer, restaurants, hotels. 206 went above and beyond planning tours, meals, transportation, Masses etc. The only thing was that it was very hot, making it hard to get around. All the people in Greece & Turkey were very nice to us. Felt very safe. Hope to go on more 206 pilgrimage tours.

God bless you all for your hard work. 

Judy Mares

206 Tours exceed my expectations. Our group is very good and caring. Emily our guide is excellent and our driver Mauricio is the best. Our Spiritual Leader including the Deacon are great. Looking forward to the next Pilgrimage. Thank you to all from 206 who is always there for us to help. Until next time.

God Bless,

Luz

The total experience was absolutely amazing.
Our guide Evie was very knowledgeable and well spoken, the best ever.
The driver we had when on the highways and around the cities was excellent.
Hotel accomodations and cruise ship cabin and all meals were wonderful.
It was a totally enjoyable and faithfully fulfilling experience.

God Bless,

Gloria and Rob Buchanan

Dear Team 206,

Thank You for the Scotland Ireland experience. I’m a little late to send this email as we had other plans to spend some time in France after Tour 217 ended in Ireland. We returned home only 3 days ago and have been recovering from jet lag.

Our Scotland Ireland Tour 217 exceeded our expectations. Some of the sites that were part of this pilgrimage were hidden gems; for example the Carfin Grotto and National Shrine of our Lady of Lourdes

This is our 9th pilgrimage with 206 Tours. Once you are with 206 Tours you are there with them for all your future pilgrimages because 206 Tours is the best for Catholic pilgrimages.

  1. Our Scotland Tour guide Ursula was very experienced; we could tell by the clarity with which she explained the history of our Catholic faith, culture, and traditions of Scotland.
  2. In Ireland, our tour guide Jeremiah had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital while we were at Rock of Cashel. Thanks to the doctor in our group and Fr. Jason who attended to him while waiting for ambulance service. It was good that we had a local tour guide during this situation; so we didn’t miss anything.
  3. The substitute tour guide, Gerry, was a 20-year experienced veteran with a sense of humor; we enjoyed him. But Fr. Jason tricked Gerry when he was explaining the tallest building in Ireland. That was fun!
  4. Overall, we had a very good experience despite the cold and rain on some days!  It was special for us – Fr. Jayson blessed us with two other couples in the group during a Mass at our Lady of Knock Shrine.
  5. Spiritual Director Fr. Jason was one of the three best Spiritual Directors that we will always remember out of nine pilgrimages we have done with 206 Tours since 2016.
  6. We made some new friends who love our Catholic faith & travel.

Thanks,

Nancy & Venkata

Hi Chris,

Thank you so much for all your help in answering all my questions and for helping me and my mom with our booking and arrangements.  We also appreciate Dan for sending us the document that we had requested.  As with our previous experience with 206, everything went well and beyond our expectations.  We love having Vanessa as our tour guide and Pedro as our driver.  Vanessa is very well organized, wonderful and outstanding.  Pedro is very kind and a safe driver.  We are very happy and grateful to have Fr. Edward as our Spiritual Director.  His homilies are very inspiring.  The local guides are great.  We enjoyed very much the company of the other pilgrims in the group and it’s been a great blessing to be with them throughout our journey.  Looking forward to another 206 pilgrimage in the future.

-Wendy

Hello Liz, 

My wife and I had a wonderful time on our trip. Our guide Christina was great and we really appreciated her efforts. We won’t hesitate to use 206 Tours in the future. That was our first pilgrimage and I am confident it won’t be our last. Thank you for reaching out and for a great trip. 

-Chris

ATTENTION TO DETAIL was the best way for me to describe my trip to Ireland. From the flight, to transfers, the hotels and meals and certainly our Spiritual Director, Fr. Jason and when our tour guide Jeremiah became ill and was re-placed with another super guide, Gerry! It was such a great experience. Thank you so much, perfect weather too, only one morning did it rain!!

-Linda

  • From: Chris Stefanick
  • Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2024
  • Subject: Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage Chris Stefanick
  • Tour 96: Shrines of Italy

Vacation is an escape from life, but a Pilgrimage is a way to embrace it more and deepen the intention with which you live all of life in a more incredible way. And I love the Psalm that “He has commanded His angels to watch you lest you dash your foot against a stone”. That’s what 206 Tours is for us. I’ve been using them for years for Holy Land Pilgrimages, this is my first time going to Italy. They just carry you along with their staff lest you dash your foot against a stone. It’s an incredible experience with angels in the background planning, carrying you through the whole thing so that you can focus on the most important thing: being a pilgrim. So thank you 206 Tours! 

Chris Stefanick

Hello Rinda, I was recently on tour number 200 in April to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. I loved every day of it. These were cities that I’ve always wanted to visit and I had a great time. My absolute favorite place was Germany. I love seeing the different churches there, the different stores, and getting to see some of the culture. I wanted to comment in particular about the tour guide we had in the city of Trier. She made the experience, fun, entertaining, she was extremely informative, and showed us a lot, and she was particularly attentive to me given my disability. She made the experience accessible for me in ways that I could not have imagined, so that in particular was a memorable experience. This is my second trip with this tour company and in the future there will definitely be many more. Once again, thank you so much.

-Sarah

The pilgrimage was really great. Father Dominic in Poland was fantastic, and Father Carlos in Italy was incredible! Really got to know them well and had some really meaningful conversations involving my discernment and vocation. The tour guides were also fantastic in both Poland and Italy. I hope to go on another 206 pilgrimage on the Camino (Spanish route) with the same guide and spiritual director from Italy on July 7 – 17th 2025 (Fr. Carlos and Cristina).

Hotels were good for the most part. The hotel in San Giovanni Rotondo was not as great, although I did like the fact that it was Catholic in theme and had a chapel. There was mold or mold stains in the shower all along the interior of the walls and the beds were pretty small, although I pushed two together to make a larger one so it ended up working out. The Rome portion of the pilgrimage is great but there is quite a lot packed into the two Rome days at the beginning. It would be a lot better to split that up into three days rather than two.

– John Fowler

Hi there.  My Pilgrimage was amazing!  I met so many wonderful people along the way who were walking the El Camino for a multitude of reasons.  We all have our own journey in life and I am so grateful my journey took me on the El Camiño.

Marta our Tour Guide was excellent.  She was so knowledgeable, kind, and patient that I always felt safe throughout the whole tour.  I’m attaching a picture of me that was taken by a young gal from Russia.  A complete stranger!  Once she caught up to me she asked me if I would like the picture.  It is my favorite picture from my trip.  I think it says everything about the El Camino journey.

-Mary Anne

Dear friends at 206,

Thank you for organizing an amazing Camino experience for us! Our trip had a “part one” with Magdalena Fikipczyk as the guide for me and Shannon Kinzey. We loved her – she was wonderful!

“Part two” was led by Marta Peregrin who was also an excellent guide! We loved her as well, and Fr. Michael Powell as spiritual director. We were very happy with the restaurants for both lunch and dinner. Our favorite hotel by far was Pazo de Bieite, but all the the hotels were fine. Both part one and two were wonderful experiences. Marta and Magdalena both went ABOVE and BEYOND to help us and accommodate our special requests. We had similar expenses with Joseph in Jerusalem in March 2023. The GUIDES are truly the magic of 206 Tours! Thank you for choosing the very best people to lead your tours. We look forward to our NEXT 206 Tours!

Kristen

We had a wonderful pilgrimage to Fatima. Spain, Lourdes & Shrines of Italy. 

The hotels were clean and the food was delicious. We were able to get our laundry done in Rome. 

Fr Ed and Fr. Dawid were excellent Spiritual Directors who facilitated the members to bond.    

Vanessa and Fredrica were wonderful tour guides. They were very knowledgeable and patient with the group.. They kept us on our toes! 

Air France flight from Atl to Paris the seats were too tight and we should have upgraded them.( our fault)

-Fran

  • From: Steve Hayes
  • Sent: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
  • Subject: Greece in Footsteps of St. Paul with Greek Isle Cruise & Medjugorje | May 10, 2024 Steve Hayes
  • Tour 162-A: Greece and Medjugorje

We are SO THANKFUL for the 206 Tours team…and they are a great team!  They gave us an incredible, positive, faith infused and first-class experience from beginning to end!  Everything from pre-planning, communication, travel, food, lodging, fellowship, on-the-ground and on-the-ocean transportation, as well as the fantastic Tour Guides exceeded our expectations! Don’t think twice about booking a life-changing experience with 206 Tours!  Thank you, 206 Tours Team!

Steve Hayes

Thank you so much 206 Tours! My husband and I are satisfied, happy and exceeded our expectations. 

NENA – our tour guide is awesome, patient and passionate about her job/role. 
BOBIS – our first driver was great, safety oriented and caring. He stands out!
HOTEL accommodations are comfortable 
TURKISH AIRLINE- is great.
ALL OF YOUR STAFFS ARE GREAT EVEN BEFORE THE PILGRIMAGE, they are courteous, pleasant & helpful when I called. Thank you to them too. Most of all, thank you to Father P. Nowak our Spiritual Director for our Blue Team. Father Nowak is a holy and blessed priest. I saw an aura of JP II ( St. Pope John Paul II) holiness in him and when he said the Mass. Transformed when he put his vestment before Mass. I told Father of this. First time I’d seen on a priest!
206 Tours is blessed to have Father P. Nowak. 
“Too blessed to be stressed.”, our daily word for the day and in between!, from Father Nowak.
Thank you so much Father Nowak. My husband and I really appreciate your kindness and blessings.
God bless 206 Tours and Staffs.
Luvi Soberano

Good morning Rinda:
I hope you are well. I returned from the Mexico pilgrimage yesterday. It was great and everything was excellent. Many thanks for this wonderful opportunity to minister to God’s holy people. This was my first experience and it’s a memorable one. Mr. Roberto Oliva is an excellent guide and a great person. I request to be included as spiritual director for the future. The good Lord bless you.
Fr. Ray

Dear Series Departures Team,

I had the most amazing time with the tour. Thank you for organizing such a wonderful tour. The sites were more beautiful than I could have imagined.

Father Chris was such a blessing. His masses and sermons were so moving and spiritual especially his sermon at Corinth for the married couples. Father Novak was also wonderful. Sharing the tour with the blue group (the other 206 tour) was also lovely. They were our extended 206 family.

Maria our tour guide took such good care of us. Maria was so well organized, and she told us what we needed to know at that time. She did not overwhelm us with too much info. We were also blessed with Nena the blue group tour guide. Again, it was so nice to see our fellow blue 206 pilgrims at the sites/hotels/cruise ship, at meal times, and at mass.

The hotels were nice, staff was friendly, and the rooms were comfortable. Some feedback on the cruise ship. There was no shampoo or hair conditioner in the cabin. The shower gel and liquid hand soap were the only toiletries provided. This was a small inconvenience but something I need to mention. I thought it was odd for the hotels to have the toiletries and not the cruise ship. I have been on cruise ships before where they had ample of toiletries for the guests,

I had a connecting flight from Athens to Thessaloniki. After going through customs at Athens, I needed to collect my luggage and recheck it for the flight to Thessaloniki. This should be mentioned in the “know before you go” section for travelers with connecting flights with nonpartner airline carriers.

For visiting St. Stephen monastery at Meteora, we females needed to wear a shawl on top of our long pants to enter the church. We were astonished that our long pants were not suffice in covering our knees. Fortunate for us, one of our female pilgrims had several shawls that she loaned to us. 

Thank you again for organizing such a wonderful tour. I had the most amazing experience and met such lovely people on this tour.

God bless you and the work you do for us pilgrims,

Rita

Thanks to all at 206 Tours for making our pilgrimage so special. We had a most memorable experience every stop we made.

The sites selected, the tour guides, (particularly Federica) the hotels, bus drivers, local guides, were all outstanding. We definitely understand that we were on a Pilgrimage, not a vacation. It was a life changing experience.

I would recommend you to other Pilgrims for sure.

God Bless you all.

Mark and Kathy Lyons

To the 206 Team,

We feel blessed and spiritually enriched from our “All Italian Shrines” pilgrimage to Italy.  Our tour guide Federica was caring , kind and made sure we got the most from every place we visited. We felt like her family and we all became family to each other during this pilgrimage!  Amos our bus driver safely traveled the hills, tunnels, curvy roads and traffic getting us to the many shrines throughout Italy.  Fr. Marcel Sang is a joy!  His knowledge and teaching of our Catholic faith inspired us all.  He taught us some beautiful prayers, how to sing the morning prayers, led us in the rosary and gave inspiring homilies.  All of the people on our pilgrimage were so inspiring themselves, and each of us got to share our lives together for a very special time. The views from our hotels in Assisi and Florence were incredible. It is a once in a lifetime pilgrimage which will continue to touch our lives as we remember the many Saints and holy sites we were able to visit!

Marie

Hello all,

We had a very homogeneous group. The tour guide, Leo, the local guides and drivers were all excellent.

Hotels and meals were great, except for the last evening meal in a restaurant in Paris on Sat 18. Service was very slow, and we were cramped at the table. The waitress announced from the onset just one glass of wine per person.  

We were fortunate with great weather early May was beautiful in Europe. We had a bit of a drizzly morning in Loyola and one evening in Lourdes, but otherwise, perfect.

It was a bit of tour de force (an effort) to have 7 hotels in 12 nights, but I at least slept well at night after all of the activity, unpacking and the like. No one complained, nor did I, but having 3 days in Lourdes was a sigh of relief as I heard from the folks.

All in all, out of 100 points, it was a good 99.9, except for the meal on the last evening. Am very grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to April 21, 2025, Classic Italy for the Holy Year pilgrimage.

Thank you very much and I hope that you have heard from the pilgrims with positive comments regarding my service to them during the pilgrimage.

Respectfully submitted,

Fr. Matt Mauriello

Hi Milanka,

Whenever you give me an opportunity to go on a pilgrimage, I work for you and your company and I do my best. I have years of experience working with your company. Sarah the tour guide was great. We worked well together, like hand in glove, so much so that some of the pilgrims thought that we knew each other from past pilgrimages. Thank you as always for giving me this opportunity to serve.

Hope all is well with you and yours.

God’s choicest blessings.

Fr. Carlos Rodrigues

Landed in Montreal [ me and three others].  Thank you for the privilege of nourishing the souls of the pilgrims.

Father Ed

We are back home, safely, and forever changed, thanks to you! We read St Paul as If we know him, and places like Ephesus, Corinth, Thessaloniki and Athens are now “part of our neighborhood”! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and love of history and Greece and Jesus with us!
God bless you and your family!
Fr. Victor Ulto

Great choice of pilgrimage with an awesome group of fellow travelers. If offered the opportunity I would travel again with Sara our tour guide and Fr Carlos our spiritual director.

Sara was non-stop seeing that our tours went on without a hitch from beginning to end. Her recommendations along the way always were well received and right on target.

Thank you and till we meet again.

Magda Nuñez

Hi, Cara!

We wanted to send a note of thanks for the incredible faith-filled pilgrimage to France with 206 and Franciscan University.

Experiencing the holy sights was simply amazing and, I think we three believe, life-changing. Each of us had different highlights but one thing that was consistent in our experience was the incredibly kind, capable, and exceptional care by Cristina, the skillful driving of Alvaro (so?), the welcoming hospitality and unique character of each of our lodgings. Franciscan rocks in our opinion. Kate’s joyful accompaniment helped put pilgrims at ease, the inclusion of the Khyms was a true blessing, and Father Nathan is a living saint.

An extra note, Cristina was incredibly helpful with our vegetarian options!

Thank you for helping to coordinate this amazing spiritual experience.

By the way….having now done 4 pilgrimages with 206 in the last 10 years or so (3 in just the last 13 months) we are big fans of the one bus. It just allows for smoother travel and more intimate faith and community building among the pilgrims.

Again, thank you so much for all 206 Tours does to help make each pilgrimage so meaningful!! 

God bless you and I hope we get to journey with you again sometime (I’m hoping Franciscan will do a Camino tour one of these days!)

Sue

Dear 206 Tours / Cara,

I am answering your request for a review of our recent trip to Greece and Medugorje with 206 Tours.  I had a wonderful time on the trip and feel like we had the best of the best when it came to our Tour Guides.  Throughout Greece, Chrysanthi was our Guide. Her knowledge of the history of Greece and Greek culture was amazing.  And, her archaeology knowledge was invaluable in learning about the ancient ruins.  She was so friendly and went out of her way to meet each of us and to help us to all meet each other.  She even organized bus games to keep us laughing.  Our group included different age groups and differing levels of mobility but she kept that in mind at all times leading us to elevators, ramps, and even rest breaks, when they were needed.  She is the reason we all bonded as friends and had such a memorable time.  You truly have a gem in her as a Guide.

Slavenka was our Medugorje Guide.  She was so perfect for our group.  She knew so much about the beginnings of Medugorje and even though I had been there before, I learned many things.  She is the only guide I have ever had on a Catholic Pilgrimage that actually prayed with us and that meant so much to me.  It was obvious she wanted us to not only understand the place, but also the message of Medugorje.  She is a true jewel in the 206 crown and you are blessed to have her.

Our drivers (sorry, I have no names) were all exceptional.  I absolutely felt totally safe at all times with them driving.  

As for the trip in general, I only wish we had been able to see less ruins in Greece (after 7 days they all look the same) and maybe explore an Olive Grove, or see where/how olive oil is processed, maybe even explore some more of the Greek Orthodox shrines (monasteries, convents, cathedrals).  More shopping time in the religious icon shops in Greece would be a good addition too.  The Celestial Cruise around the Greek Isles was beautiful and so much fun.  It was such a different experience from the land tour of Greece, I actually felt like I went on three separate vacations.  

Many thanks to 206 Tours and to all those that put our trip together.  We actually asked for adjoining rooms in hotels so friends could be closer together and you even made that happen.  I was very impressed with your tour service and all the employees associated with you.

God Bless….until my next trip,

Marian Byrd

Dear Rinda and the staff of 206Tours,

As always, the group of pilgrims and the guide, Slavica Marincic, were great.  She was very informative about the local situation and the faith of the people.  The individual local guides were also very good.  I was also very much aware that I was in a Catholic country. 

Being a participant, especially as a priest, on a pilgrimage is so different compared to being on a “tour.”  The expectations that people bring to the pilgrimage and our time together is different.  Because it is a pilgrimage, there is a certain quality and understanding to our relationship with one another.  There is a level of consideration and awareness of each other, and helpfulness, and it all adds up to allow our time together to be very positive, and I would say, grace-filled.  We are conscious that God is with us during this time and with daily Mass and rosary, sets the tone of our time together. 

Anyway, pilgrimages and quite different from tours, which are secular in nature.  I’m glad that 206Tours is dedicated to this ministry for the Church.  It allows people to explore their faith in different ways and experience this through other people’s cultures.  This last time I was deeply touched by the faith of the crowd at Medjugorje.  Also, I was asked there by the sacristan to hear confession  on the walkway outside the Church in English.  I did this for an hour and half, and I would say it was one of the highlights of my pilgrimage—to listen to the different experiences and challenges of people of faith from so many different countries.  I had one family of Irish Travelers; first time for me, and their deep faith touched me, as did their struggles.

On a more practical level, it always amazes me all the details and arrangements that go into a pilgrimage that allows for everything to go so smoothly.  When I go on a pilgrimage with 206 Tours it is always so dependable and, positively, predictable.

Again, thank you, and please thank Milanka Lachman and the staff for their dedicated ministry, for it is a real gift that enriches the life of the Church.

Have a blessed Memorial Day Weekend. 

Let us keep each other in prayer.

Fr. Joe Moons, C.P.

Dear Rinda, et al,

The recent pilgrimage to Santiago de Castella was excellent. I was particularly impressed by the group of pilgrims who were all faithful Catholics. Out of the many pilgrimages I have done over the years for 206 Tours, our group of pilgrims came together as one, assisting each other needs in loving care.

Blessings,

Fr. Greg

I am back after the 10-day pilgrimage (10-20 May) following the footsteps and sea routs of St. Paul in Greece and Turkey.

It was an excellent experience for all pilgrims. We had great tour guides, bus drivers, hotel stays. 

Everything had been well organized. 

I did not hear any negative  comments but only the best positive spirit from the participants. 

God was with us and guiding us throughout the travel (air, land and sea). We had a great weather.  

We had a great collocation with Red and Blue group. 

I personally had great spiritual experience guiding the group and celebrating Mass with them, praying morning and evening prayers, praying the Rosary, prayer before meals and other special prayers. I shared with the group the theological and biblical commentary, background of St.Paul’s Journeys and the context of the early Christian Church. I also gave a presentation on the difference between Eastern Orthodox Church, Latin Catholic Church and reasons for Schisms upon the request of the group. 

I sincerely thank you for having given me this great, memorable and golden opportunity to me. It also helped me personally in my spiritual journey.

Thanks again for helping thousands of pilgrims to get this spiritual, Biblical and theological, sacramental and catechetical experience and opportunity. I can see lot of conversation, transforming and renewal among the families and couples as I asked the group 

  • to renew their Baptismal promises at the Lydia’s Church where had Mass on the water creek. 
  • I also asked the group to renew their Marriage promises at Corinth as many chose for their wedding mass St.Paul’s letter to Corinthians on the theme of Love. 
  • We also renewal the Sacramental Graces of Confirmation on the Solemnity of Pentecost last Sunday. It was very meaningful. 

Thanks again 

Best regards,

Fr. Chris

  • From: Fr. Marcel Kofon SANG
  • Sent: Monday, May 20, 2024
  • Subject: Tour #103: All Italian Shrines 2024 Fr. Marcel Kofon SANG
  • Tour 103: All Italian Shrines

Dear Rinda, 

Greetings in Christ Jesus and may the Holy Spirit come and take control of all aspects of your life through the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

We are done with our pilgrimage and thanks be to God, all went well. We were blessed with good weather all through. It was a wonderful experience indeed. The people were lovely  and all took active part in the Liturgy,  praying of the psalms and leading of the rosary. I am always convinced that in the plan of God, nothing happens by chance; All is Divine Providence which brought us together as a family,  a believing community, supporting and encouraging one another by sharing our faith experiences. 

As Spiritual Director, l say long live 206 Tours and congratulations to the Administration for a wonderful organization of comprehensive Tours: spiritually enriching, historically enlightening, a real opportunity to appreciate the richness of art and culture. I am happy to be part of 206 Tours and would happily grab any opportunity which presents itself to be Spiritual Director. 

Thank you and remain blessed. 

Fr. Marcel Kofon SANG

  • From: Michael and Tanya Umbarila
  • Sent: Monday, May 20, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrimage Review Michael and Tanya Umbarila
  • Tour 169: Poland & Prague

My wife and I recently returned from our pilgrimage to Poland and Prague and we have to say it was one of the most memorable trips we’ve ever taken.  First of all, we would like for you to recognize our tour leader, Sabina Balos.  She is an amazing person and a great asset to your organization.  She is an incredibly sweet, caring, and very knowledgeable person.  She kept the tour going with great efficiency and provided a great amount of information about the tour process.  Her knowledge and the historical information she provided was absolutely amazing and allowed us to enjoy our trip even more.  The places we visited during our tour, as well as the hotel accommodations, were amazing and we feel were perfect for a pilgrimage. We greatly enjoyed the meals, especially the dinner and show at the Restaurace U Marcanu in Prague.  We had very few issues during the entire trip.  The only suggestion that we would make is to include soft drinks with meals for people who do not drink alcohol. Other than that, we had a great time and have been raving to our friends about 206 Tours.  We look forward to being able to take another pilgrimage in the near future, if it is God’s will.

Michael and Tanya Umbarila

Feedback from our 4/27-5/7 Camino Trip:

Our guide Daniel Lindh was exceptional.  He was experienced, personable, diligent and helpful.  His fluency in both Spanish and English was excellent.  He truly went the extra mile for his clients.

The tour guides for both Madrid and Santiago were both very good and I would recommend you hold on to them.

Meals were generally very good and we understand how you could gain weight on this trip. We could have used a little more diversity in the side dishes:  Less French fries and more rice, vegetables, etc.  For us, the supper time of 8PM was a little late, especially on the heavy walking days. The tapas lunch on the last walking day was a highlight.

Accommodations were very nice, with the Pazo de Brandeso being fantastic.  We can see why there were three nights there.  

Overall we were very satisfied with the trip and felt that it represented a good value for the price.  The information presented prior to the trip was comprehensive, timely and accurate.

-Stephen Stanko

  • From: James Compas
  • Sent: Friday, May 17, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home! | Marian Travel Services Pilgrimage to Medjugorje James Compas
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Piernha,

The tour was excellent. I really don’t have any comments to change anything. I thought we were very lucky to have been able to experience what we did. Maria, our tour guide, was excellent with much knowledge and very personable. Our food at the hotel was fantastic. 

I would highly recommend this tour to others. 

Thanks again,

Jim

Greetings!

Our tour was excellent! All accommodations were well-received and we had great tour guides! Visited sites are significant to warrant another trip!

Please take note that we did not anticipate multiple guides so tips were made, but were unexpected. I also recommend making notes about restrictions on tipping at restaurants and hotel services, not to mention unexpected services such as the grotto (water caves).

Our leader did an excellent job preparing the group as well!

Thank you again!

James

  • From: James Compas
  • Sent: Friday, May 17, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home! | Marian Travel Services Pilgrimage to Medjugorje James Compas
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Piernha,

The tour was excellent. I really don’t have any comments to change anything. I thought we were very lucky to have been able to experience what we did. Maria, our tour guide, was excellent with much knowledge and very personable. Our food at the hotel was fantastic. 

I would highly recommend this tour to others. 

Thanks again,

Jim

The pilgrimage from Poland to Budapest is over.
I hope that all participants are back home safely. It looks like they all appreciated their pilgrimage. Some are already planning the next one I would like to assure all the 206 Tours people that their work is appreciated Thanks to Sabina our guide. Her concern for everyone was appreciated. The bus driver did a very good job. May God bless the work of all 206 Tours organization.

Thank you,

Fr. Pierre Deglaire

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our Rome, Sorrento and Assisi April/May 2024 pilgrimage. Rinda and Jon and all the others at the home office who helped us plan and advise us on the trip were fantastic. I couldn’t believe we would receive email replies back at all hours. We got off the airplane, couldn’t locate driver, called the number you provided us and pronto we were on our way. Meeting Frederico as we entered the hotel lobby was a joy just by her friendly personality. We arrived at the last minute and joined our group for dinner and a late Mass. From then on it was a joy to be on the tour. All attendees were extremely nice and Frederico was attentive to every detail and always in good spirits. Javey our tour guide to Sorrento was also great, friendly and experienced. We can’t say enough about Father Jack. Would like to go on one of his tours in 2024.

Thank you very much everyone at 206. I left a Google review and hope I didn’t undersell the experience.

A true pleasure

Martin and Ann Zimmer

Greetings,

We want to thank you for a spiritually and enjoyable pilgrimage (Tour 60).  Of all the many reasons we enjoyed it (206 planning, accomodations, sights….), our guide, Leo Jiminez is the number one reason.  Not only is Leo professional, organized, and patient, but his historical knowledge and ability to tell-the-story makes him exceptional.

Thank you again and God Bless you,

Mark and Virginia Malham

I had fun with this tour.  I made a last minute decision to join this group.  They were all awesome.  Our tour guide, Ana, was very nice, organized, friendly and accommodating. 206 Tours, from my experiences, always have good tour guides who are always ready to help. I cannot complain with your drivers either.  They are very friendly and helpful as well.  I thought Federico helped me the most, especially going up the bus and going down.  He was always there for me.  Thanks a lot. If my body cooperates, I can go on tour every year. Even your staff are always very helpful.  I have joined your tour for the 3rd time already.  Thank you, Cat.

Jocelyn M. Minier

This tour was wonderful. it was very inspiriting and educational. Our tour director, Elenis, was great. She is very knowledgeable, friendly and thoughtful. I would highly recommend her.

One suggestion would be to offer a recording of her commentary. This way we could review and comprehend the information she gave. It was a privilege to be the spiritual director of this tour and please consider me for other pilgrimages.

Peace and prayers,

Fr. Desmond

I would like to give my impression of 206 Tours, recently my husband and I went on the Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage with 206 Tours, led by Father Jack Ho and tour guide Federica.  Curtis and I were not new to pilgrimages, and we knew having traveled with 206 Tours previously, that it was going to be great given the fact that the year before we went to Greece and walked the Steps of Paul in July, which was also wonderful and included the Greek Island Cruise.   I am not sure that I had specific expectations of this experience to the Shines of Italy, however I will tell you that this pilgrimage exceeded any possible expectations that my husband and I could have possibly had, it was just amazing, and the glory of God was evident in simply every moment of this pilgrimage, every single minute.   I will say that Father Jack Ho was one incredible Shepard/Priest, religious leader of this pilgrimage.  He led us every step of the way in prayer, holy mass, we had time to discuss the experiences as a group and really felt held and united in the holy spirit as we traveled together with people from all over the USA.  He brought music, song books helped us to get involved in serving at the masses, allowed us to step up and lead decades of the Rosary on the bus, it was so awesome.   Federica, our Tour Guide was equally amazing, she was so incredibly kind, you almost felt like she was family watching out for you.  Everything she did was a labor of love for our group, she would get up at 3 AM to help everyone get to the airport on time, she checked every bag to make sure it got on the bus from place to place and even bought the group cookies and foods that were important to the specific places we visited. Added to that she added little details in about her own life and the significance that the sites had for her and her family.   Everything on the pilgrimage was lovely, the hotels were clean and outstanding, the food delicious and huge amounts, the transportation was wonderful and the bus so comfortable, the local guides were amazing, the private masses in the holiest of places almost made you feel like you were in heaven, we even had time to have a bit of a party at a local vineyard one day and ate a very special lunch at a wine tasting.  I felt held by the holy spirit the entire time and so didn’t my husband Curtis. We are so grateful to God for this ministry of 206 Tours.  We would never travel with another group  given how the attention to detail in this pilgrimage really made it a life changing experience.  My advice to you out there who have not been on a pilgrimage is to be sure to go with 206 Tours, take the Shrines of Italy, you will be so happy, it’s the pilgrimage of all pilgrimages, perhaps you have already made a pilgrimage, I tell you our pilgrimage to Medjugorje prepared us for this pilgrimage to Italy, that is how I feel, I highly recommend this pilgrimage, 5 stars plus to 206 Tours and Father Jack Ho!  Thank you Everyone!  Just one last tip, starting walking go to the gym work out you walk a lot everyday and you deserve to be in good shape to make a trip like this, I am so glad I was fit for the pilgrimage.

-Gianna and Curtis Johnston

  • From: Jacquelyne Rocan
  • Sent: Friday, May 10, 2024
  • Subject: RE: Welcome Home! | Krakow & Rome Apr 4, 2024 Jacquelyne Rocan
  • Tour 173-R: Krakow and Rome

Hello – I am writing in regard to my recent tour of Krakow and Rome.  The entire tour was a wonderful experience and I appreciate all of the efforts of your team in organizing the tour. 

This was my first trip to Krakow and the experience overall was very moving and inspirational.  Our tour guide, Sabina, was so helpful, thoughtful, and generous with her time and attention to our tour group.  She ensured that the group’s needs were taken care of at all points during the tour. Also, I very much appreciated the change in the tour schedule that allowed our group to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine and the St. John Paul II Shrine on Divine Mercy Sunday.  Our group had a meaningful afternoon with the tours of both shrines, the opportunity to have confession, reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet with all in attendance, and the private Mass in the Divine Mercy Shrine.  We were so blessed to have these opportunities.  The hotel that we stayed at was in a perfect location and the staff was very thoughtful in helping with any needs.  The meals were overall great, although I would suggest that the schedule be reviewed to see if there could be a little more time provided for lunch or perhaps box lunches for the very packed days.

Rome was magical as always.  Cristina was a terrific tour guide — very thoughtful and helpful in taking care of our group, and a terrific sense of humor, which made our days brighter.  The local guide was amazing as well.  She was so informative and a very happy demeanor.  I appreciated the help with the trip to Monte Cassino, the transfer from there back to Rome, and the extra days in Rome.  The hotel and the food were great as always.

I appreciate all of the good work with the travel arrangements – no issues with getting to the tour, travel within Europe, and returning home.

This is my sixth tour with 206 Tours and I just want to say “thank you” for all that you do to organize these tours and support pilgrims throughout their journeys.  When I travel with your tour group, I know that all of the arrangements will be taken care of so that I can relax and enjoy the experience. 

Thank you,

Jacquelyne

206 Tours is simply Fabulous. We will definitely use 206 for our next Tour and if your reading this, you should use 206 Tours too!

My husband and I are picky travelers, we were so pleasantly surprised with our 206 Tour! There was absolutely nothing to complain about! Everything was Excellent!

All our accommodations were excellent. All meals were excellent with great and efficient service and lots of wine! Our Camino guide, Jorge, was spectacular. Jorge was kind, compassionate and he knows the Camino like the back of his hand. He is just a wealth of information. Our Coach bus was very comfortable, our driver, Santiago was with us every day and terrific. Our bus always had bottled water available, and was always attended by Santiago. The bus was accessible twice a day as we progressed along the Camino, which is great because it cuts down on what you need to carry on your back. With 206 Tours you want for nothing, they do a WONDERFUL job. 206 Tours covers absolutely everything. The tour was so well organized. Our experience was amazing.

Lynne Denker

Thank you so much for a great experience on our first Pilgrimage. It was great from the driver picking us up, to the driver taking us in the airport they are great. The driver for our motor couch ( Miguel ) he is the best. We couldn’t ask for better than him, we all love him.
      The hotels and foods are great. I don’t expect how nice they would be and it was really good food.
For our tour guide in Santiago Compostela he is wonderful, he really cared about us. He is great at his job. Our tour guide in Medjugorje ( Andre ) he is great we love him. He was so kind and very patient to us and vey caring. He did extra miles to help us and explain places. And to our Priest Father Henry Sebastian he is great.
Again thank you so much for a great pilgrimage experience we had. We will used 206 Tours again when we go for another pilgrimage.

Thank you so much,
Laura D. Sowers

  • From: Janice Arriola
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 7, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Fr. John Amsberry April 16-24, 2024 Janice Arriola
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

This was my first pilgrimage and overseas trip. Everything went smoothly and as planned from start to finish.

It was amazing to stay in Ivan’s home for pilgrims.  He was most gracious and attentive to us throughout the stay. Praying the rosary every day in his chapel and being witness while he had visits by Blessed Mother Mary was an experience I had not envisioned. While I personally cannot say that I felt her presence, knowing that She was there at the same time I was is remarkable to reflect on.

Because of this experience, I am more devoted to the Rosary reciting it twice a day and aiming for three times a day. Also, doing a fasting day once a week.

Ivanka, our tour guide, was equally gracious, attentive and of course, very knowledgeable on Medjugorje’s history.

We had delicious and filling meals every day. We were picked up at the airport and returned in a very timely manner. I would give it a 5 star rating for sure. Thank you for all the arrangements!

Blessings,

Janice Arriola

  • From: David & Susan Lydzinski
  • Sent: Monday, May 6, 2024
  • Subject: Highlights from Tour #98 "Classic Italy" David & Susan Lydzinski
  • Tour 98: Classic Italy

Dear 206 Tours,

We recently completed our Tour #98 “Classic Italy” a couple of weeks ago. Our tour guide was Cristina Calvo & our bus driver Claudio.  Here are some highlights:  

  1. Cristina Calvo – Excellent!!!  We can’t say enough positive things about Cristina.  She called us her family and she was definitely our mother for this trip!  Very warm, friendly, kind, thoughtful yet very professional – she knew what to expect and ensured that we did not have to face the unexpected.  Christina would frequently go ahead to the next venue in the city to ensure our tickets were ready and the venue was open.  She was very thoughtful with bathroom stops and even knew how much each one cost (if there was a cost).  Also gave us insight into the bar/coffee/pastry/gelati shops and going to the bathroom there.  The sights were amazing and Cristina would share history and information about the surrounding countryside as we drove through it.  When we had energy for more adventures in the evening, Cristina recommended additional walks, shops, sites, etc.
  1. Claudio – Very good humored, great driver.  Claudio kept the bus stocked with water which was critical.  Frequent stops for restroom breaks even provided lemon candies from Sorrento for everyone on the bus. 
  1. Father Roberts – Very good humored and friendly.  Fr Robert had spent a few years in Italy studying so he had some great suggestions on additional church trips, food/wine, etc.  His homilies each day were excellent.  He also kindly spent a significant amount of time with each person doing confessions as well as spiritual direction.
  1. Tour itself was excellent.  Just the right amount of everything and pace was very good.  We arrived a day earlier in Rome to do the Colosseum. You may want to add this in but that’s it.  The local guides were very good as well.
  1. Accommodations – very good, loved the hotels and locations.  We were surprised by the extensive breakfasts in each of the hotels (thank you).  Having dinner in the hotels most nights was appreciated to get to bed at a decent time. Food was mostly good but we would have appreciated more vegetables or salad. Many nights it was pasta, a main course of meat and potatoes, then dessert.  

Overall, we were very moved by our pilgrimage. In fact, we already booked a pilgrimage to Poland for 2025. 

Best Regards,

David & Susan Lydzinski

  • From: Lorne Leahan
  • Sent: Saturday, May 4, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home | April 14 - 23, 2024 Lorne Leahan
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Hi Jacob,

My wife and I enjoyed our Medjugorje Pilgrimage with Fr. Don Calloway. Our tour guide, Slavia, was awesome and very well-organised.

The meals, bus rides, special visits to the different chapels, Ivan’s talk and visitation, Fr Calloway’s talk and the various Masses he conducted were exceptional.

We are considering going on the 206 Tour’s pilgrimages to either Italy or Poland next year.

Thank you for a great experience,

Lorne

  • From: LaChita Calloway
  • Sent: Friday, May 3, 2024
  • Subject: 206 Medjugorje Pilgrimage w/ Fr. Don Calloway LaChita Calloway
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

I am so blessed & have immense appreciation & gratitude for 206 Tours & All Staff & Guides to have been able to go back to Medjugorje after many years & be amongst the beautiful pilgrim souls in our groups. Our 3 Marian Priests, Fr. Don, Fr. Tim, & Fr. Mike served us well & went out of their way to accommodate all on our journey together. It was genuienly refreshing to see that the prayerful & peaceful environment of Medjugorje has not changed, but increased with millions of pilgrims continuing to respect the gentle & loving generosity of the Croatian people. The continuing growth of infrastructure  & accommodations has positively reinforced the simplicity & value of a true pilgrimage. 

The Holy Family & Holy Spirit reigns in the hearts of the many prayerful & humble  pilgrims from around the globe in Medjugorje. 

Thanks Be To God, & Our Lady Queen of Peace & St. Joseph & Our Guardian Angels.

Love, & MIR 

LaChita Calloway 

  • From: Suzanne Burkett Boes
  • Sent: Thursday, May 2, 2024
  • Subject: My April 10 - 19 Pilgrimage to Medjugorje Suzanne Burkett Boes
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Good Morning 206 Tours,

I want to thank you for an incredible pilgrimage to Medjugorje in April.  I had a very special and holy time.  This was my second trip to Medjugorje, both scheduled through your agency.  Both trips were amazing and each a little different, which made it all the more special.

I would like to thank Chris for working so hard to get me a direct flight from St. Louis to Frankfurt.  I really can’t handle the Chicago airport anymore, and Chris went out of his way to keep me out of that airport.  I am grateful.  My trip started off with a wonderful young man named Andrew, escorting us from the Split airport into Medjugorje.  He was so kind, professional and knowledgeable.  I could have listened to his stories all day!  I am amazed at all the languages your guides speak.  They are so talented and intelligent.  

I stayed at Hotel Grace, which was wonderful.  My guide, Ivana, was so beautiful, kind and professional but the thing I loved most about her was her obvious love for The Blessed Mother and our Catholic Faith.  It’s very special to be around someone who lives her faith so beautifully.  I’m sure many pilgrims look to her as a role model for how we should be living our faith.  I found myself wanting to soak up as much time with her as possible!  I probably drove her crazy with all the questions I asked, but I wanted to learn as much as I could from her.  I will always treasure the time I spent with her, and I’m grateful for her patience she had with me and all the pilgrims in our group.  I’m sure at times we could be very challenging,but she never stopped being a total professional.  I’m also sure The Blessed Mother is proud of her and the work she does to spread the messages to everyone who travels to her village.  

Because of Ivana, our group had the wonderful opportunity to be present for an apparition with Marija.  That was probably the most special moment of my life and I will always remember that day.  

I will quickly mention all the drivers, servers and everyone involved in making my trip so perfect.  I don’t know their names, but am grateful to all of them.  I hope to go back to Medjugorje again someday, and I will be calling 206 tours to organize my trip.  

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Suzanne Burkett Boes

  • From: Elenita Harpen
  • Sent: Thursday, May 2, 2024
  • Subject: Medjugorje Pilgrimage with Fr. Donald Calloway Elenita Harpen
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Dear 206 Tours,

      This is only my 2nd Pilgrimage with 206 Tours… and like the First one, I love it!!!❤️ Everything was great…from lodging to food and of course, the Catholic aspect of the trip. I appreciate having Daily Masses, Confessions, Eucharistic Adorations, Stations of the Cross, Rosaries and inspirational talks from our Spiritual Director par excellence, Fr. Donald Calloway. You gave us the best, very knowledgeable and accommodating local guides especially Slavica!!!❤️❤️❤️ A special added bonus was having Fr Calloway’s beautiful and charming Mom mingling with all of us.
         Another facet of this Medjugorje Pilgrimage was getting all the other special perks like visiting and praying the Rosary with one of the Visionaries, Ivan in his private Chapel and being present for Our Lady’s Apparition and Blessing!!!💝 I can not think of anything more awe-inspiring!!!😇⭐️😇 We also were treated to an audience with one of the many recipients of Medjugorje miracles.
         Needless to say, I am a very happy Pilgrim while in Medjugorje and continue to be inspired by what I have experienced. My heart is forever grateful to 206 Tours for a truly exceptional Medjugorje Pilgrimage!!!❤️😇❤️

Sincerely Yours,
Elenita Harpen

My recent pilgrimage trip to Italy was absolutely amazing. From the moment the reservation was made the 206 Tours staff was accesible and very helpful. They answered any questions prior to the trip. I appreciate all of their arrangements with the airline, hotels, and tours in Italy, and the meals. They took care of every detail. The tour guide in Italy, Federica, was such a lovely person, caring, and she also made sure everything went smoothly everywhere we went. The hotels selection was great. They were clean, comfortable, and in a nice location. The drivers were also very good. The whole experience was wonderful. It was my first time in Italy and I enjoyed every moment there. Visiting the Basilicas, being able to see the Pope, all the art and history of Rome and the Vatican, as well as the traditional touristic places in Rome, it was all incredibly special. In Orvieto and Assisi, the scenery and the spirituality touched me deeply. I will certainly keep all those memories in my heart. Sharing those experiences with my local church group and our wonderful priests is definitely a blessing.

Thanks for putting this trip together and for all your work.

Sincerely,
Vivian Perez

Hi Rinda,
All is going well here in Italy. We’re currently in the Cathedral of Orvieto where one of the Eucharistic Miracles is displayed. We were blessed the celebrate Mass in the chapel of the miracle. Amy and Kyle from our group celebrated their 2nd Wedding Anniversary! 
Blessings,
Fr. Jack Ho
  • From: Diane and Garrett Smith
  • Sent: Friday, April 26, 2024
  • Subject: High Compliments for Chryssanthi! Diane and Garrett Smith
  • Tour 162: Greece

Dear 206 Tours,

My husband and I just completed our first (but not last) tour with 206 Tours. We completed the Walking in St. Paul’s Footsteps Tour (without the cruise option) through Greece. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, learned so much, and want to especially commend our wonderful tour guide, Chryssanthi. She was excellent! She was incredibly knowledgeable about Greek history, culture, and politics. She spoke excellent English, and was a fun and sparkling personality on our long journey through Greece. Plus she was so patient and considerate with our large diverse group. We had a family with young adult children, but also elderly folks in our group with serious mobility issues, and Chryssanthi did a wonderful job of getting us all from point A to point B without breaking up the group cohesion.

In fact, one of the ladies with mobility issues dropped her wallet in the street yesterday causing the tour to leave late. Several of us, Chryssanthi included, worked to help this woman recover her wallet (which contained her passport), and thankfully we were successful. Chryssanthi dealt with this emergency with a level head, sensitivity, and was creative in helping us catch up with the tour and plans for the day. 

Chryssanthi also did a great job of making the best of opportunities as they arose. For example, yesterday it turned out that the Metropolitan of Corinth was visiting at the same time we were and was conducting a tour was well. She politely arranged an introduction for us, and did a nice job translating for our American priest and Greek Orthodox bishops as they discussed theology, and ultimately, the bishop gave our group a blessing. What a wonderful gift!

Thank you for a wonderful first tour.  If you continue to have terrific leaders like Chryssanthi, I know we will certainly choose to tour again with 206. 

God bless,

Diane & Garrett Smith

I’ve been joining Pilgrimage tours since 2005 with 206 Tours and I find their services to be extremely excellent all the time from the beginning of booking the tour, flights, etc…They are so detailed that they will give/send you instructions before and after the tour. The owner Milanka Lachman, staff, tour guides are simply amazing — like Ms. Eleni in Greece. She is very professional, very detailed in her explanations in every site we go to, very timely so we could be ahead of the huge crowds in every site we went to…So far I’ve joined 4/5 pilgrimages with 206 Tours already and they haven’t disappointed me. Excellent services, accommodations in 5-star hotels, new tour buses, etc. They simply give me peace of mind and amazing experiences all the time! To me they are simply the BEST!!! Thank you so much 206 Tours.

Ninfa Noval

Cat,

I want to thank you for working with me and all the pilgrims to Shrines of Italy. It was a very moving and filled with the Holy Spirit time. All pilgrims were touched and changed forever. The mission that 206 Tours started continues to bring so many close to Our Lord and Our Lady. I cannot tell you the many ways we were all moved. To journey with Deacon Scott and Fr. Israel by the special places handpicked by Jesus and delivered by 206 Tours. May you continue to do his mission here on earth and until our next pilgrimage!

Very grateful and with so much to unpack for the next few weeks. Feeling very blessed!

Thank you team!

In Christ,

Sandra Koceja

Dear Cara,

I could not wait to write to you about how wonderful our Pilgrimage went having a lot to do with your organization 206!  We were all so impressed with our guides and the planning that went into everything before we arrived. We waited in very few lines and wasted little time for things to happen.

Our Spiritual Directors were wonderful having been to these places before and were able to spiritually guide us through this amazing trip. I have had friends who have made pilgrimages but not with your agency and I will strongly suggest they consider using your group without hesitation.

I have written to Our Bishop also explaining what a wonderful organization you have and how many other groups we met along our way using 206 that were pleased.

Please extend to everyone there that helped organize our trip how much we appreciated everything done for us. May God Bless you in your daily work to bring others closer to God.

My Best,
Rosemary York

Dear Milanka and Cara,

We’ve just returned from our pilgrimage to Italy and Medjugorje. I wanted to let you know how absolutely wonderful it went. The Lord truly blessed us and our Mother was very much taking care of us throughout it. I want to thank you and 206 Tours for providing such a top notch experience every step of the way. Our hotels were excellent, our tour guides knowledgeable and attentive, and the itinerary was well planned. I was especially appreciative of how helpful our guides were in adjusting to the little changes and requests along the way. Federica and Dado were amazing. Slavenka was very helpful and did a wonderful job. I cannot say enough positive things about them. Medjugorje was the spiritual highlight of our trip and many of our pilgrims had powerful experiences that deepened their faith. I personally experienced a renewal of my own love for the Eucharist and our Mother Mary. We have come home incredibly grateful for this experience.

I cannot thank you enough! It has made me want to continue to make pilgrimages to Medjugorje in the years to come and I hope to continue to do so with 206. Our people were all very impressed with the quality of care that we received.

May God bless you for providing such spiritually rich experiences for His people! Please know of my prayers for this important ministry you provide.

In Christ,

Fr. Eric

My wife and I would give the trip a thumbs up. We also would like to compliment our tour guide Sabina Balos.  She was excellent.

Thank you and God Bless,

Dan Strukel

Good morning Rinda,

I am always happy to help you. You are well organized. Thank you for rearranging the program for Divine Mercy Sunday. It was really a blessing for all of us. Almost all the pilgrims received the sacrament of Penance. Thank you once again for everything. 

Fr. Robert Ambalathingal

I am just returning from the El Camino and Fatima pilgrimage. The pilgrimage was an an amazing blessing to me! An experience I will take with me always!! I cannot express my feelings of gratitude for the experience!! Herman and Pedro were so wonderful!!!!

God Bless,

Shari

Hi Team,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead the pilgrimage from Poland to Budapest. It was good experience. I think everything went well. We had a very good guide Sabina and a very good driver Martin. Thank you and God bless you!

Fr. Robert Ambalathingal 

Dear Milanka,

I am writing to express our heartfelt gratitude to you and the 206 team for the incredible opportunity to visit Spain and walk El Camino. Your generosity and love have made this journey a truly life-changing experience, and I am deeply thankful.

206 Tours continues to be the best in the business, providing us with five-star service from start to finish. Our tour guide German was polite and friendly, ensuring that every step of our journey was enjoyable and meaningful. The driver was very attentive, making our travels smooth and safe. The hotels we stayed in were top-notch, offering comfort and warmth after long days of walking. Food is too much as usual, and the restaurants were the best.

This trip has left me (us) with unforgettable memories. Walking El Camino was a profound experience that I will cherish forever.

Once again, thank you for your kindness and dedication for 206, to give the best service you can.

Best,

Gio

  • From: Jerry Ann Hayes
  • Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome home from the pilgrimage to Italy with Dr. Scott and Kimberly Hahn Jerry Ann Hayes
  • Tour 92: Rome and Assisi

Liz and Natasha,

Thank you SO much for making this pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi and then to Florence and Venice possible for us!  We had a rough start with flights and then a rough return home with a rebooked flight!  I considered it part of our Pilgrimage.  Thanks, Natasha for arranging our outgoing flights at a time I didn’t think we were going to make it to Rome at all!!!

I am still processing all that we experienced and will for a long time.  The blue bus driver, Alessandro, and Quico (sp?) went above and beyond in assisting William in his pilgrimage. This pilgrimage has enhanced my spirituality!  I was enriched also with cultural and culinary delights!

Live, Love, Lake,

Jerry Ann Hayes

  • From: Karen Smith
  • Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024
  • Subject: Feedback Karen Smith

Alexandra,

I just wanted to let you know my clients are back from Rome and we have heard all about it! He said they had a wonderful time and enjoyed every minute.  My client said the tours you set up were the best he’s ever been on.  The tour guide was amazing.  They both enjoyed the taste testing dinner you set up and my client said he really enjoyed the French pastry shop which was close to their hotel, he said he enjoyed it too much.  My client also said the Hotel was amazing.

I just want to say thank you so much for everything you did and for your patience with me.  I appreciate you more than you will ever know.  

Thank you so much again.

Karen Smith

  • From: Maria Jaeger
  • Sent: Sunday, April 7, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome home from the pilgrimage to Italy with Dr. Scott and Kimberly Hahn Maria Jaeger
  • Tour 92: Rome and Assisi

Dear Liz,

Thank you and you’re welcome.  Father Richard was great.  I really enjoyed this trip.  All of the people on the pilgrimage made it special.  It was unfortunate that our flight was canceled, but with international travel you always have to be prepared for the unexpected.  It did not diminish my experience.  I’m just glad it happened on the way home instead of when we started our journey.  

Thanks again,

Maria

  • From: Vince & Lupe Valencia
  • Sent: Friday, April 5, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome home from the pilgrimage to Italy with Dr. Scott and Kimberly Hahn Vince & Lupe Valencia
  • Tour 92: Rome and Assisi

Thank you SO much, Liz!  It was certainly a very rewarding experience that will remain in our hearts and souls for the rest of our earthly lives.  Everything was done so professionally by 206 Tours, our guides, our drivers, our spiritual advisor, and of course the entire Hahn family!  Thank you for such an amazing and class act tour.

Lupe Valencia

Hi Liz,

I just wanted to let you and 206 Tours know what a wonderful experience I had on my Rome Pilgrimage a few weeks ago.  In particular, I want to thank you for your diligence and care in addressing my needs at the last minute.  I would not hesitate to recommend 206 Tours or to schedule another trip myself.

Thank you for a very memorable experience,

Bill Richards

We had a wonderful time in Mexico. All of the arrangements went according to plans. The email with all the essential info before the trip was excellent.  The hotel Sheraton María Isabel was so nice and the food and service were excellent. Our tour guide was well informed and friendly. Our bus driver drove very safely. Our priest and tour director did a wonderful job keeping our group engaged. Our coordinator Cat applied our frequent flier numbers after reservations were made and was very responsive to my last minute requests. The backpack was great. We will definitely travel with 206 Tours again.

Thank you for a wonderful trip.

Mary and Keith Karst

The pilgrimage was well organized and all inclusive. I felt very safe and informed. Roberto was excellent. He was very knowledgeable and tended to our every need .  Antonio was a very skilled driver and very helpful.  I would definitely recommend 206 Tours for the magnificent religious experience and ease of travel.

Respectfully,

JoAnne Keller

St. Lawrence Group Pilgrimage

Good evening,

I want to thank you with all my heart for this wonderful experience I had on this pilgrimage. I could feel the presence of our Lord and our Mother through everyone around me. We were a very large group for sure, however that sense of togetherness was palpable to me; it did not matter you were on the red, the blue or the yellow group, we were one, we were pilgrims praying  together, sharing a meal, and being there for each other. It is so easy for a pilgrimage to become a sightseeing trip; as Fr. Calloway told us on the first night to remember mostly that we were on a pilgrimage; whatever church we visited we were given time for personal prayer, I appreciated that a lot. Since we spent most of our day traveling, prayer was very important, and our priests made sure it happened.

Talking about the priests, they were wonderful, a shout out to them, real shepherds. I thank the Lord for them and pray for them. Thank you Fr. Calloway, Fr. Tim and Fr. Angelo, thank you.

A big thank you to our guide Roberto, our driver, I apologize, I think Marco, and Liz, I have no words, their availability was unbelievable. 

Everything was great at the hotel, the restaurant personnel was wonderful, welcoming, and the food was good.

Thank you 206 Tours, I had the most wonderful experience as I said before.

God Bless

Nicole Victor

Thank you for making my recent trip to our Lady of Guadalupe a very blessed and memorable experience. My co-pilgrims are so loving, friendly and we bonded almost instantly. Roberto/Guide and Ricardo/Driver were equally wonderful; hotel accommodation is the best. Overall, 206 Tours continue the good services you do.

-Maria Gracia Juarez

 

Dear 206 Tours,

Thank you so much for allowing me to provide positive feedback on our recent Medjugorje Pilgrimage with Father Dawson and Father Miles through 206 Tours.  Most importantly, everything was so spiritual and amazing!  We are looking forward to another pilgrimage back there or to the Vatican or Holy Land with 206 Tours.

206 Tours did an excellent job from our first email encounter all the way to this final feedback email.  The communications from Cara, the gift 206 shoulder bag and the help with our travel arrangements on our way there due to weather delays, etc showed that 206 Tours really valued our business.  With the group of 47 of us making the pilgrimage, the red/blue 206 shoulder bags were so helpful in identifying our fellow passengers through the busy airports and ensuring that we did not leave anyone behind. 

The flights, transportation to/from the airports and through the Security Checkpoints in each Country went well with no complaints.  Our wonderful Tour Guide (Dragan Zovko) was so knowledgeable and always seemed to be one step ahead of us in all our daily activities to ensure minimal disruptions and maximum exposure to our daily schedules.  He was well versed on everything and his personality was perfect for this group of Pilgrims from Louisiana.  He quickly bonded with all of us and was so enjoyable to be around.  I do want to also make note that his strong Catholic faith really added to our overall spiritual experience of this trip.

The Hotel Grace was excellent and I am glad we stayed there.  The Hotel Grace Staff were professional and welcoming to us and ensured that our stay with them was topnotch.  The daily breakfasts and dinners were delicious and we left the table full each morning and night.  The wine selection was excellent too!  The Hotel Grace accommodations were very good.  From our rooms to the daily room service, food, drinks, etc, there were no complaints and when we make a return trip, I know where I want to stay.  Hotel Grace was next to St. James Church and the Chapel, which made it so easy to walk to whenever I wanted.  Even the distance from Apparition Hill from the Hotel was an easy walk.

206 Tours also did an excellent job with ensuring we had bus service to take us around to other areas that we wanted to experience such as Cross Mountain, Divine Chaplet Chapel, and Dubrovnik.  I felt complete safety in the hands of our bus driver.

Overall, a most wonderful pilgrimage and thanks to 206 Tours for everything you have done to make it such a memorable experience.  I have recommended 206 Tours to some friends of mine who are looking to book a pilgrimage soon (I gave them Cara’s email).

Thank you again and may God continue to bless 206 Tours.

With kindest regards,
Jason and Nancy Amato

It was a wonderful pilgrimage, everything about it was perfect.  It was my first trip with 206 Tours, and I hope to travel with you again.

Many thanks to all involved,

Marlene Riley

  • From: Rev. Wilfredo (Freddie) Decal
  • Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home! | Fatima, Spain & Lourdes, Jan 26, 2024 Rev. Wilfredo (Freddie) Decal
  • Tour 37: Fatima, Spain, and Lourdes

Peace and All Things Good!

Our recent pilgrimage to Lourdes, Fatima and Spain was a grace-filled experience. Leo was a kind, knowledgeable and hospitable tour guide, and the group was spirit-filled and striving to deepen their faith through the pilgrimage. We got along well and everyone was punctual and amiable. I give thanks to the Lord for the wonderful experience of being a chaplain to this group.

With warm regards and best wishes, I remain, In Our Lord and Lady,

Rev Wilfredo (Freddie) Decal

Dear Rinda,

I hope you are well. Please pardon my delay in offering my gratitude to you and 206 Tours for allowing me to be chaplain to the pilgrimage to Mexico City and its environs, January 25-30. We had a wonderful group, some 22 pilgrims and myself. We bonded well and I believe all had a very good experience. The driver of the bus, Marco, was incredible to say the least. Negotiating through the unbelievable traffic of Mexico City, where the infrastructure simply is not sufficient for the population, was something to behold. Our guide, Roberto, was also a very good fit for the group. He was helpful in every avenue and very respectful of me and the pilgrims. In short, it was a very good experience.

I do, however, once again want to thank you for allowing me to serve in the capacity as spiritual director. I have enjoyed each and every opportunity that you have given me and I look forward to future possibilities, including my trip to Spain in September.

Thank you again and God bless you.

Father Rick Gribble, CSC

  • From: JoNell Doucet
  • Sent: Friday, February 2, 2024
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Fr. David Dawson and Fr. Miles Walsh JoNell Doucet
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

All I can say is amazing!!! I wish there was a survey!! Everything was perfect!!

Our tour guide was absolutely awesome!! Without Dragen, I know our experience would not have been the same! Hotel Grace was wonderful! The staff, food, accommodations was helpful and professional with that warm friendly touch!!

206 Tours scores a 10 out of 10!!

JoNell Doucet

  • From: Pauline Pratt
  • Sent: Monday, January 29, 2024
  • Subject: Feedback Pauline Pratt
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Hi Cara,

I have to tell you that my pilgrimages with Father Murphy to Medjugorje refresh my soul. He gives us projects to do that help us to examine our lives and become closer to our God. He takes us to places that fill us with the beauty of the Lord. 

The whole 206 tour experience has been a blessing for me. Hotel Grace is very comfortable and clean and all the people who work there are friendly and make us feel right at home. If we have a problem they are right on it. 

It all starts with a text to my friend Cara…

Pauline Pratt 

Thanks to you and your team, we truly had a memorable trip to the Home of Our Lady of Guadalupe! Jesus, our guide was GREAT with his knowledge of the area and his expertise in handling our group and helping the driver navigate the traffic and crowds. He was certainly befriended by our group and we got to know him and his family history 🙂 Our pastor, Fr Wilhelm, was made for the Mexican people, as everywhere we went he was approached for a blessing of some sort by young and old alike – they could sense his devotion to Mary!

The bus and driver were wonderful and the accommodations and food were top notch – we actually bumped into one of our past Bishops, who now is an Archbishop in Denver, and was on a pilgrimage there also. 🙂

Once again, Thank You, for a great experience – I am already skimming the 206 Tours Pilgrimage master list looking for our next adventure for the Mary Makers!

Take Care and God Bless,

Dean Bittner

  • From: Barbara Warren
  • Sent: Wednesday, January 3, 2024
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home! | Fatima, Spain, Lourdes, & Paris Pilgrimage with Fr. Sean Connolly and Fr. Liam Quinlan | October 18 - 31, 2023 | Tour SC101823 Barbara Warren
  • Tour 40: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Paris

Hi, Cat:

I know this is late in coming, but I wanted to let you know that the pilgrimage to Lourdes, Fatima, Spain and Paris was wonderful.  Our spiritual directors, Fr. Sean Connolly and Fr. Liam Quinlan, were excellent.  They, along with our 206 Tour Guide, Javier, were knowledgeable about all our destinations, both culturally and spiritually, and helped to create an upbeat atmosphere of camaraderie among the pilgrims.  This was my third pilgrimage with Fr. Connolly and 206 Tours and I can’t say enough good things about Father and 206 Tours.

Our bus drivers were excellent drivers and were very accommodating regarding handling our luggage.  Our driver for most of the pilgrimage was Juan and, I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch the name of our driver in Paris (it might have been Philippe).

Regards,

Barbara Warren

Happy New Year! 🙂

I posted my gratefulness to all the organizers of this wonderful pilgrimage on Facebook “last year”! 🙂 

What a wonderful experience! It was a blessing to be part of the Purple Bus!

This was my 4th pilgrimage with 206 Tours, and I hope it won’t be the last!

May God bless you, your family, and all at 206 Tours! You guys are so wonderful 🙂

Dear Patrick,

The pilgrimage was superb!  The tour guide, Luis, was knowledgeable with history, culture, and the faith.  He had great humor and we always felt well cared for.  The Sheraton was clean, gave great service, and the food was delicious.  I would highly recommend 206 Tours to anyone who wants an authentic Catholic pilgrimage.

Thank you to Johnnette who was so warm and approachable.

I extend my sincere appreciation to all the people behind the scenes to make this trip unforgettable.

Hi Jason, 

Maria was hands down one of the best (if not the best) tour guide I’ve ever encountered. She was engaged, funny, caring, organized and very knowledgeable. She made the trip absolutely stand out and the experience was certainly magical and blessed. We had a hiccup with my luggage in one of the hotels and she jumped on it quickly, kept calm and resolved the issue seamlessly. I’ve seen other travel coordinators get flustered in situations like that. But not Maria, she was a true professional! I would absolutely recommend that she be the tour guide for all Greece trips!  Equally so, Father Michael was the best spiritual director! He made us all feel like family and truly connected to Jesus. He is just such a special and caring shepherd of God. I feel very blessed to have gone on such a wonderful trip made extra special by both Maria and Father Michael! 

God bless and Merry Christmas! 

Lucia 

  • From: Johnnette Benkovic-Williams, President & Founder of Women of Grace
  • Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2023
  • Subject: Follow Up - Women of Grace Pilgrimage to Mexico City - December 8 - 13, 2023 Johnnette Benkovic-Williams, President & Founder of Women of Grace
  • Tour 206: Mexico - Our Lady of Guadalupe

Hi Patrick,

Francesca and the Tour Guides were great. Everything good comes by way of the Cross, and we were abundantly blessed throughout. Thank you for working so diligently with us, and to make this such a Special moment for Women of Grace – and for all of our pilgrims, too. The attention to detail, and the lovely extras, truly made this a unique and Holy moment for all of us.

It was lovely to work with your team in Mexico. The Women of Grace Team felt a special bond with your Team there. I look forward to another pilgrimage soon … possibly in 2024. I have some ideas…..

Blessings, joy, and peace in this Holy season!

Johnnette Benkovic-Williams

Thanks so much!

  • From: Danielle Heeran
  • Sent: Friday, December 15, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from your Pilgrimage to Mexico with Fr. Alan Tremblay, and Thank You! Danielle Heeran
  • Tour 206: Mexico - Our Lady of Guadalupe

Hello! 

Easiest review ever! Javier is a gem. He is so special and really made the trip what it was. I felt safe with him. He took care of everything so we could focus on being pilgrims. I had a life changing experience and I know Javier was a big part of that. Jesus was also a fantastic driver. We were in the best hands! Thank you all so much. 

Sincerely,

Danielle Heeran

The pilgrimage was very successful and rich in graces for the pilgrims.  First time I heard so many confessions.

Roberto is a great guide!  Now I’ve got two guide buddies, Roberto and Javier.

The hotel as well as all accommodations were excellent.  The pilgrims all appreciated everything that was done.

In spite of a wee setback we all had a prayerful experience.

Father Ed

God bless 206

  • From: Gary Markiewicz
  • Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from your Pilgrimage to Mexico with Fr. Alan Tremblay, and Thank You! Gary Markiewicz
  • Tour 206: Mexico - Our Lady of Guadalupe

Happy to provide some feedback.

Our guide, Javier, was fantastic. Very knowledgeable, personable, helpful and adaptable. His ability to solve issues quickly was not only impressive but almost unnoticeable due to how seamlessly he was able to improvise solutions. As a person that works in a Health and Safety conscious industry, I was impressed with his attention to health and safety hazards and proactiveness with reminders about trip hazards and vehicle hazards while walking about the city.

I’m not sure I have a most memorable part, but the ones that stuck with me and moved me were (not in any particular order) the Chapel of the Holy Rosary, the viewing of the original organ in one of the cathedrals, the vision of Fr. Pro’s remains and tour of the small museum, all of our beautiful masses at the various churches and crypts, and of course getting to view the Tilma. The last church we visited where the healing water was located was a real treat due to the street festival!

I can’t think of a challenging part, maybe not having as much time to view the Tilma as I’d like but being that it was during such a high volume week with celebration that was to be expected. Javier did the best anyone could to provide us with the best opportunity to view considering the circumstances.

I was surprised (happily) by a few things. All the meals were fantastic and the places we ate at were great! The hotel was way better than expected (almost too nice) and the bus driver and his bus were top notch!

Gary Markiewicz

Greetings from California,

A month ago I was in Italy with the SHRINES OF ITALY pilgrimage. Everything went well.
The group was small, everything went smoothly. The 206 Tours guide was very good and very attentive to the needs of the people, the guide for Rome was excellent.
My stay in France went very well. I bought there a book by a French author: Didier van Cauwelaert, “L’insolence des miracles”. A book published in October 2023 He speaks a lot about the miracles of Padre Pio, and others: Carlo Acutis, the miracles of the Eucharist, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego….. how the church quite a few times has difficulties in recognizing these miracles. Unfortunately the book is only in French.
Thanks for organizing this collection for the guides, I hope that the guide from Jordan is also included.
Many times during these two months I thought of 206 Tours and these guides affected by the events of October, this time of advent and Christmas are a time of prayer for peace.
I still feel very good and would like to participate in a pilgrimage next year between mid April and mid June.
Let me know if you have something…
Merry Christmas to you and all the people of 206 Tours. Peace on earth to people of good will.

Father Pierre Deglaire C.S.Sp

TO 206 Tours:
I am writing this email to thank several people from our recent pilgrimage to Fatima, Spain, and Lourdes. 
1. Special thanks: Steve Shawl from Medjugorje pilgrimages. We used him for a trip to
    Medjugorje and it was fantastic. He therefore made all arrangements for the Fatima, Spain,
    and Lourdes trip thru 206 tours.
2. Our trip with 206 tours was fabulous.
    A. When we landed in Portugal Daniel (Guide) was there waiting for us. He was
         extremely thorough and helpful throughout our entire journey.
    B. Father John Gillis (Canadian) was brilliant. He did so much for me it is unimaginable. 
         He made several suggestions to help me thru what I thought were tough times as a
         child. He recommended Restore to Glory podcasts, which I have listened to almost 45
         podcasts. His sermons during our daily masses were enlightening. I would highly
         recommend him to anyone if they were to go on a pilgrimage and he was the priest. 
     C. Our experience was so good, me and my wife plan on going on another pilgrimage
          thru 206 tours next September to Hungary, Germany, Austria, etc.
Thanks for all you do,
David Brant
  • From: Carmen Alfaro-Morawski
  • Sent: Friday, December 1, 2023
  • Subject: Review of our 206 Tour #40 thru Portugal, Spain and France (Fatima, Lourdes) Carmen Alfaro-Morawski
  • Tour 40: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Paris

Dear Sir/Madam,

Our tour to Lisbon, Spain and France (#40) was a beautiful, inclusive, and well-organized tour.

Everything we did and visited was outstanding. It was as pleasure and a privilege to travel with a priest who provided friendly guidance, the daily Mass Service, prayers, etc. The whole trip was a success spiritually and sightseeing as well. 

This is my first trip with 206 Tours but I am extremely pleased to have joined it and being part of it. Thank you to all the staff who helped worked out the ins and outs of the trip and the staff who were our tour guides and the drivers. All of them were of excellent character, knowledgeable and their work was first class. 

I also want to praise the individual tour guides who for a few hours would be taking us around to explain and show certain special places during the different stages of our trip

It was a pleasure to be part of 206 Tours for Lisbon Spain and France (#40) . THANK YOU again.  All went well. 

Carmen Alfaro-Morawski

Our tour was life changing and a wonderful and unforgettable spiritual experience. We saw so much and had such great pilgrims to share our journey with. Leo was so knowledgeable and shared with us so much to enrich our tour. He kept us going through many challenges. He really did an amazing job!

Father Charles was absolutely perfect to lead us spiritually. So grateful to have him traveling with us each day. His Masses truly made each place extra beautiful and special. 
So grateful and blessed to go on this trip. Extraordinary on so many levels. We Loved it!!!
Thank You to all that planned all the places we visited,  especially where we had Mass each day. Hotels and food were ALL fantastic!!! God bless you all for putting together this trip of a lifetime 🙏 This trip meant the world to us! Super Awesome!
Sincerely and Gratefully,
Tina and Jim Lukco
  • From: Don Goduti
  • Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2023
  • Subject: Re: We'd Love Your Feedback on Your Pilgrimage with 206 Tours! Don Goduti
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje
Hi Kristina,
The pilgrimage to Medjugorje with 206 Tours was all that you described in the descriptions and more. The guide, Slavo, was excellent because of her local knowledge and having experienced much of what has been going on in Medjugorje since it all began.
Our flights worked out as planned, the hotel and food was excellent and our ground transportation from and to the airport was excellent.  Despite the commercialism surrounding the town itself you do come away with a peaceful and joyful experience.  That primarily came from seeing the thousands of  people attending religious services on a daily basis.  To me it represents how the people in the surrounding areas have adjusted their lives to the new way Mary has asked them to live to please our Lord.
Thank you for putting quality and keeping quality in your tours.  May God bless you all for what you do to provide a unique pilgrimage experience.
May God’s grace fill you.
Don Goduti

Hi Kevin, 

How are you?  The tour could not have been better.  Praise God. Ivan our tour guide was absolutely amazing.  The greatest thanks to him for being open to the Holy Spirit and for sharing so much knowledge and love of our faith.

Also, I am so thankful to Fr. Patrick Keane. I cannot say enough good about him.  My daughter accompanied me on the tour.  I felt the grace of God every moment.  Truly a miracle. Thank you for a blessed tour.

Sincerely,
Angela Gatenby

I was very happy and satisfied with the Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe; the tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the city of Mexico and the history of the churches that we visited. I’m so amazed with the beauty of the churches and its altars.  I will be booking for another visit to the Lady of Guadalupe in the near future. 
Romadonna
  • From: Fr. Charles Puthota
  • Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2023
  • Subject: Re: E-Ticket confirmation for Charles Puthota Pilgrimage 206 Tours Inc. Order #459627 Fr. Charles Puthota
  • Tour 40: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Paris

Dear Friends at 206 Tours,

Thank you for all your wonderful help.

The pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain, Lourdes, and France (October 29 to November 11, 2023) was a big success. 

The pilgrims were highly satisfied. 

Thanks for all the meticulous arrangements and well-organized plans you and your teams had made. 

Warm regards,

Father Charles Puthota

  • From: Susie Howard
  • Sent: Monday, November 20, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from 206 Tours! Susie Howard
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

This was my 4th 206 Tours Pilgrimage and can’t wait till my 5th! 

-Susie Howard

  • From: Fr. Brian Smail
  • Sent: Monday, November 20, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from 206 Tours! Fr. Brian Smail
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje
This was my 4th time leading a 206 Tour.  I must say that 206 is consistently excellent in every way!  I have done the Holy Land Twice with 206, also Footsteps of St. Paul, and now Medjugorge.  The latter was my first time there and it was truly a life-changing experience for me.  I love sharing these experiences with my fellow pilgrims, praying with them (Mass, rosary, etc.), and celebrating our Catholic faith throughout the journey.  206 always prepares an outstanding itinerary, accomodations, etc.  I was thrilled to be able to experience Medjugorge with the group.  For me, climbing Apparition Hill alongside my fellow pilgrims and experiencing the peace and joy at the top is something I will never forget. And being a Franciscan priest, I was deeply touched by, and proud of, the 800 year legacy of the Franciscans in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
I look forward to leading another 206 pilgrimage whenever you need me!
God bless you in this wonderful ministry!
Fr. Brian E. Smail, OFM

Dear Rinda and Dan,

Warm greetings from Germany. I wanted to thank you for organizing the pilgrimage to Guadalupe. It was fantastic! The group was very nice and quickly became “one body in Christ.” Everything went very well.

I might reach out again for a tour to Compostela (Camino) in the future to see whether you need a priest.

Best wishes and blessings,

Fr. Marco

Hello!

We were on the tour to Italy in September. We had Luigi as our Tour Guide and Fr. Guido Gockel as our Spiritual Director. I honestly can’t remember the name of the driver. All of them were OUTSTANDING!  Luigi was entertaining and extremely knowledgeable. He was funny yet we had a deeply spiritual pilgrimage. We listened to music, watched religious films on the bus, and prayed. Fr. Guido made sure that we did Morning Prayer, Rosary, and Evening Prayer. He did sermons on the bus as well as a making sure we had daily mass. The driver did some fantastic driving and navigated some tricky curves and parking with such ease. 

We also want to do a shout out to your staff because we had a later flight but instead of putting us with the 4am bus, we went on the 7am bus. We really needed the extra sleep and spend less time at the airport. Just the way you all planned the trip and provided wine, etc was so wonderful and thoughtful!! We are never going to tour with any other company but 206 Tours!! Just for an aside, the people that we traveled with said the same thing too!!

God Bless,

Gene and Theresa Blahato

  • From: Fr. Jeffrey Kirby
  • Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023
  • Subject: Marian Shrines Pilgrimage Fr. Jeffrey Kirby Fr. Jeffrey Kirby Nov 8, 2023
  • Tour 37: Fatima, Spain, and Lourdes

Everything went very well on the pilgrimage! It was a wonderful time for everyone!

I’m very happy with the work of 206 Tours! You run an amazing company!

Thank you for all you do!

In Christ,

Fr. Jeffrey Kirby

Dear Milanka,

Greetings! Thank you for your phone call. 
Everything went very well on the pilgrimage! It was a wonderful time for everyone!
Christina was an outstanding guide! Is it possible for her to serve as the guide for the pilgrimage this June in France?
I’m very happy with the work of 206 Tours! You run an amazing company!
Thank you for all you do!

In Christ,

– Fr. Jeffrey Kirby
  • From: Julianne and Antonio Hernandez
  • Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023
  • Subject: Thank you 206 Tours - Loved our pilgrimage Julianne and Antonio Hernandez
  • Tour 37: Fatima, Spain, and Lourdes

Dear Jason,

Wanted to thank you and 206 Tours.  Our trip to Fatima, Spain and Lourdes was simply FANTASTIC!!  Everything was perfectly planned…206 Tours perfectly planned the itinerary, air travel and tours.  Leo, our guide, was wonderful, organized and fun….he made each day unfold seamlessly.  Father John was a fun, energetic person and a great priest/spiritual advisor.  The group of fellow pilgrims from California were wonderful travel companions and welcomed us ‘Floridians’ so warmly 😊.  

The trip was very spiritual for us.  Cannot put more of that into words.  These are beautiful countries with so much religious history that I never knew or even cared about.  We feel very blessed to have visited Fatima and Lourdes.  It was very powerful.  I am so glad that Salamanca, Avila, Burgos and Loyola were also included;  I have become interested in the lives of St. Teresa and St. Ignatius and am reading their books to learn more about them.  

Thank you again for all that you and the rest of the 206 Tours team do.  Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas!!

Sincerely,

Julie and Antonio Hernandez

  • From: Patrick and Bonni Esquibel
  • Sent: Monday, November 6, 2023
  • Subject: Tour 103 Feedback Patrick and Bonni Esquibel
  • All Italian Shrines Pilgrimage

Hello Series Tour Team,

This was our first time to visit Italy and we were very excited to visit all the Italian shrines. Any time we can gain knowledge and continue our education about our Catholic religion and history we welcome it with open arms. It was all we expected and more. We gained valuable information about our saints and history. Kudos to all our tour guides for sharing a wealth of knowledge with us. If we would have traveled on our own we would have missed many points of interest and in some cases not even know what we were looking at. 

Thank you to our priests, tour guides, and bus drivers who transported us safely to every location.

Thank you 206 Tours and looking forward to our next Pilgrimage.

Patrick & Bonni Esquibel

  • From: Sandra Hill
  • Sent: Monday, November 6, 2023
  • Subject: Classic Italy Tour 98 Sandra Hill
  • Tour 98: Classic Italy

Hello 206 Tours,

I am thankful for the opportunity to have been among the Pilgrims of Tour 98 Classic Italy. I met wonderful people from all over, Australia, New Zealand and many different areas in the United States. I learned so much about the history, culture, art and beauty of Italy through the guides that were brought in for each place. Alessandro our guide was well organized, attentive, and professional.  Claudio our bus driver navigated the roads with ease, keeping us safe. 

We had Mass every day in the most beautiful churches in the world.  Our spiritual guide/ priest, Fr Edmund Luciano through his homilies brought the scriptures alive by applying it to modern day events.  He spent time with each one of us and I enjoyed his company.

It was an unforgettable experience to be able to follow in the footsteps of so many saints, Popes, and blessed people.  Thank you 206 Tours to everyone who made this trip possible.

God Bless,

Sandra Hill

My husband and I had a wonderful time as we toured France with Cristina and Fr. Tuan.  We learned so much, we saw so much and we are so appreciative! 
We chose 206 Tours, again, as our first tour with them throughout Spain was exceptional. We loved our guide for Spain, Javier and we loved our guide for France, Cristina.  Truly they worked so hard to provide for us a seamless experience. Traveling with like minded, faith filled,  people is such a gift. Thank you for all the work you do behind the scenes to make such a pilgrimage available. God bless you!

Katy McGovern

Our group seemed very happy and satisfied with our trip.  Good comments on the guides, and the sights and experiences.  Also, good comments on the hotels and food.

I was glad about all the arrangements.

Thanks to 206 Tours for a memorable trip!

Fr. Mark Osterhaus

Hi Jason,

My name is Mike DeLooze. My daughter Ashley and I went on tour #37 Oct.15th- Oct.24th. Our tour guide was Miguel, and I wanted to let you know how impressed we were with him. He was very personable, knowledgeable, and attentive to any and all of the needs of the whole group. He definitely represented 206 Tours in fine fashion. We enjoyed our whole experience. It was far more than what we ever expected and have told several members of our church that we highly recommend this tour. Thank you for a wonderful once in a life time trip that I got to take with my daughter!

Blessings to you,
Mike DeLooze

Dear Jason and co,

Greetings in Christ Jesus and may his peace reign with you.

I am grateful to God and to you for the opportunity l had to be the Spiritual Director of Tour #96 All Italian Shrines.  The group of people l met together with the Tour Leader Javier was wonderful. The time spent together was quite enriching. Every pilgrimage is an opportunity to encounter the Lord, to walk in his footsteps by walking in the footsteps of his saints who lived in this world like us and encountered joys and sorrows like us. As such, we walked, we invoked the Lord and we give him thanks for the blessings received. It was an opportunity for us to encourage one another as the Scriptures tell us: ” Every day as long as this today lasts, keep encouraging one another” (Heb 3:13).

I would say, it was well organized and that all went well. I was later informed that some members of the group were infected with covid.That was unfortunate, but thank God they are all fine. It was a wonderful experience for me as it was my first time leading as a Spiritual Director.  I look forward to other Tours with 206 Tours.

Peace and blessings. 

Fr. Marcel Kofon SANG. 

  • From: Natalie Owings
  • Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2023
  • Subject: El Camino The Way of St. James with Fr. Gervan Menezes and Michael McCusker | October 12 - 22, 2023 | Tour MM100923 Natalie Owings
  • Tour 70: El Camino - The Way of St. James - Spain

Thank you Cat & Alexandra! 

The pilgrimage definitely exceeded my expectations.  All was just beautiful – the tour guides, the bus drivers, the Mass locations, the accommodations (some more amazing than others of course, understanding we got the best of what was available on the Camino 😃)  I know giving feedback on improvements, no matter how small, are always helpful, but I honestly don’t have any.  I will search 206 Tours on social media and be certain to give a review.  Did you happen to hear about the birth of the calf from Marta or Quico!  Michael and I were incredibly blessed to be witnesses.  So awesome!  The Camino does truly replicate life in so many ways.

Thank you for the personal touch of the photos below.  By the way, that’s my son Michael in the photo below who was blessed to serve with Fr G at all the Masses!!  He was so humbled when Fr G asked.  So many blessings!  😊 😊 😊 Still processing all the memories, and suspect I will for years to come.

With much appreciation, and continued prayers for you, your family, and all the team and their families at 206 Tours.

In Christ,

Natalie

  • From: Martina Millard and Gavin Butcher
  • Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from 206 Tours! Martina Millard and Gavin Butcher
  • Tour 99: Rome, Sorrento & Assisi

Dear Jason,

We arrived home in Australia and it took some time to readjust to southern hemisphere time.  However, we were very happy to have joined the tour and will promote 206 Tours with our friends. We weren’t quite sure what to expect when our original tour (100) was cancelled and we found ourselves with a different tour group – but our email communication was always effective due to 206 getting back to us promptly and organising everything for our change of tour.  When our backpacks arrived, we felt secure in the knowledge that everything would go to plan. We read all the information that was sent to us and it equipped us very well.

Every transfer that was arranged (beyond that of the tour schedule) to accommodate our needs went precisely as planned.  At no stage were we left wondering what was happening.  When we arrived in Italy, 2 days ahead of the rest of the group and saw the person holding to 206 sign, we were very relieved and our confidence in our plans with 206 was validated.

The days on the tour were unforgettable.  We were with a wonderful group of Americans and will remain in touch with many of them.  Our tour guide, Alessandro, was knowledgable and efficient.  He was very professional. Our bus driver, Caludio, was and expert at negotiating the Italian way of driving and kept us safe at all times.  Safety protocols were followed very well.  Each day was mapped out for us the previous evening, so that the next day was clear.  Every day was jam -packed, but the presence of expert guides for the days meant that we had access to wonderful information, excellent seats and no waiting in queues.

For us, the journey into the roots of our faith was significant. Daily Mass and spiritual experiences will stay with us for some time and have had a profound impact on our Catholic identity and its meaning for us in the world both within our small sphere of influence and more broadly.

We are very grateful to have been made aware of 206 by our priest and may choose to travel with you again in future.  We learned both the advantages and disadvantages of being part of a group tour (something we had not done before) and the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages.

Thank you for your efficient communication, organisation and overall coordination of our experience in Italy.  

Kindest regards,

Martina Millard and Gavin Butcher

The Mexico Pilgrimage was never simply a journey through physical space to a holy place. Because the true purpose of every church and  pilgrimage destination is a journey of inner transformation. I believe that this experience will help deepen my faith and love for our Lord Jesus and Mother Mary. 

The managers and staff at 206 Tours are all exceptional. As well as the local guides (Roberto and Arturo) are not only experts, but also important links to  the peoples and cultures of Mexico. 

I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a spiritual leader of this pilgrimage. Thanks to 206 Tours. Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!

Rev. Fr. Lester Evangelista

  • From: Fr. Jim Marshall
  • Sent: Monday, October 30, 2023
  • Subject: Greece Pilgrimage | Tour JM101323 Fr. Jim Marshall
  • Tour 160: Greece Pilgrimage

Good afternoon, Cat

I just want to tell you that our trip to Greece was a blast. It was probably the best pilgrimage I have been on which is saying something. Nena our tour guide was exceptional as well. She took great care of us. The food was quite good as well which is not always the case on these kind of trips as I am sure you know. The group plans on getting together later this year for a reunion and I will let you know how that goes as well.

Thank you for everything and God bless you.

Fr. Jim Marshall

This was my third trip to Israel but under 206 Tours this time and I’m very satisfied with the service … from the accommodation, to the tour guide, Yousef, who was very knowledgeable about his part and I learned a lot from him, very informative including the Bible as we visit each site. He was very patient with us, the driver kept us safe in all the travels. I have no complaint about your company. Father Eugene, our spiritual guide is excellent and preferred to have your company. I highly recommend 206 Tours.

Esprellas

We cannot thank enough Fr. Joseph, Fr. Piotr along with our wonderful guide Miguel for an amazing pilgrimage to Spain and Fatima. Monserrat, Toledo and Fatima were among our favorites but to be able to walk along the Camino if only for a few miles and attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. James was in itself a gift.  You can never visit Fatima just once so this was a bonus added on to Shrines of Spain.  This was not a pilgrimage on our list until Fr. Piotr and Leo (our guide) recommended while on a previous pilgrimage with them and so glad they did! It is a pilgrimage we recommend.

Thank you to the entire 206 family who know how to plan and organize pilgrimages so the only thing pilgrims need to do is pack and arrive at the airport!

Al and Anita Karle

Thank you so much for the wonderful experience!  I really appreciate all the information you sent ahead of time, letting us know what to expect and how to prepare for our trip in terms of currency, clothing, etc.  I felt that I had everything I needed. 

I knew Fr. Kirby from the Morning Offering, which is one of the main reasons I signed up for the tour.  (The destinations Fatima and Lourdes were another ) 

Our tour guide, Christina, was fantastic!  I hope that, if I take another 206 tour, she will be the tour guide again.  She was always cheerful and helpful.

Tahira Haroon

  • From: Michelle Schick
  • Sent: Friday, October 27, 2023
  • Subject: Marian Shrines Pilgrimage with Fr. Jeff Kirby, and Thank You! Michelle Schick
  • Tour 37: Fatima, Spain, and Lourdes

Dear Olivia:

Thank you for your welcome!  Our experience was amazing and beyond what I could ever have imagined.  I am so grateful for your company that organizes these tours as there is no doubt you are leading pilgrims to our Lord.  

Our Spiritual Leader, Father Kirby, was wonderful and welcoming.  Our tour guide, Cristina, went above and beyond to make our trip the best possible.  

The most memorable part of my trip would have to be the nightly lit processions with so many other Christians singing praises to Mary and all in different languages. 

I can’t think of anything that was too difficult.  Maybe our connecting flight back home where we only had 40 minutes to get to our next flight and we had customs to get thru, but we did make it.  The stewardess was very accommodating in that they let us move up front once everyone was seated.

I was surprised by how much we were able to pack in in such a short time.  My main purpose was to go to Lourdes, so experiencing Fatima and all the other amazing places just added to the experience.  I was so inspired by the people who have gone before us that have built these beautiful Basilicas and left us the legacy that they have.

My only suggestion would be that you do not need $50 in ones as most of the candles in the churches required Euro coins.  I came home with almost all of my ones and fives and they were bulky.

I received blessings beyond measure on this trip.  To be able to bring home Holy Water from Lourdes and place all the intentions that people sent me with to both the apparitions, meant so much and has meant so much to the people that I have shared with.  I can’t thank you enough. God bless you all and your work!

Peace be with you,

Michelle Schick

  • From: Anita and Glenn
  • Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2023
  • Subject: Medjugorje with accommodations at Ivan Dragicevic's Oct 9, 2023 - Oct 17, 2023 Anita and Glenn
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Hello dear Sandra ,

We cannot give you praise enough for the 206 tour to Medjugorge. First we met Ivanka when we were so travel weary and her warmth and spirit soon brought us to anticipate what we were to enjoy. Ivan and his wonderful kitchen crew revived us with such fresh and delicious food that we were to enjoy our whole visit . I have to also thank them for so graciously making veggie soup and alternative meals for us. We cannot thank Ivan & Ivanka enough for making the Medjugorge experience alive for us. They are living history and their spiritual inspiration is unmatched. Also thank you for your help in extending our trip for a few days in Split. The Hotel Luxe was excellent and the city intriguing and fun. Many thanks for everything!

Anita and Glenn

Cat and Alexandra,

Thank you and all of the 206 Team for a very memorable, physical, spiritual and emotional pilgrimage.  Martha and Quico were wonderful as were our drivers Juan Louis and Raul.  Everything was planned out with near military precision. 

The 3 night stay at Pazo De Bieite was so wonderful. The staff there were amazingly concerned with our comfort and wellbeing, everyone from the man and woman running it to the servers and other staff.  Beautiful location. Wish it were not raining so much so that I could explore more.

Thank you all again.

Semper Fi and Vivat Jesus,

Bill Strebel

Liz,

I cannot say enough good things about Vanessa as our guide!  She took care of everything and had us on the move.  She was wonderful 10 out of 10 for sure!  Antonio our bus driver also was great!   Really enjoyed the trip it was perfect.   

-The Baker’s

Hi Danielle, 

It was a wonderful experience. Tour was organized and very good drivers and tour guides. Most especially our tour coordinator Leslie was great! Very friendly, courteous and professional. Thank you so much. 

Virgilio and Yolanda Ong

  • From: Fr. Richard Baafi
  • Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from 206 Tours! Fr. Richard Baafi
  • Tour 168: Poland Pilgrimage

Dear Jason,

Thank you for your email. Our pilgrimage to Poland (Tour 168) was highly successful. It was a great spiritual experience. The pilgrims were full of enthusiasm and actively participated in all religious and social activities with joy. 

Our tour guide, Sabina Balos, was very articulate and meticulous. Her contributions positively impacted the overall success of our pilgrimage. In my estimation, this pilgrimage renewed the pilgrims’ faith and hope. Similarly, the pilgrimage offered participants the opportunity to increase in historical, social and religious experiences. Indeed, our Poland pilgrimage was extraordinarily memorable and unique. 

I thank you for the opportunity to share the gift of my priesthood. It is my prayer to have such future opportunities as a spiritual director. 

Thank you. God bless.

Best regards,

Fr. Richard Baafi

My wife and I recently took a 206 Tours pilgrimage in Poland. We were in a small group of pilgrims but everyone was friendly, enthusiastic and reverent.

Our Spiritual Leader was Fr. Richard. His homilies were fresh and relevant. He was enthusiastic about his priesthood and was friendly and approachable.

Our Tour Guide was Sabina Balos. She was very knowledgeable and expressed that knowledge in a conversational manner rather than a lecture. She was willing to do whatever it took to make each day a successful experience. Her deep faith came through in her words and her actions. She contributed a great deal to making this tour a rewarding and unforgettable experience.

Chuck Phelps

Few experiences in life have an impact that dramatically changes your life on all levels of living- physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.  The footsteps of St. Paul pilgrimage is one of those rare life-changing experiences for me.

The opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist in so many sacred places- Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, Crete, and Thessalonika where St. Paul preached was breathtaking and soul enriching.  When I read his letters, I now have an entirely different perspective.

Eleni Maousidou was outstanding to collaborate with on the pilgrimage.  She was a veteran and I was a rookie.  She was highly informative, very friendly, possessed a wonderful sense of humor, and knew how to avoid tourist traps and crowds in order to make our visits educational and enjoyable.

The hired tour guides were also excellent.  The pilgrims were kind and friendly.  I had three deacons assist me at the altar. Several pilgrims (12) sought spiritual guidance, the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (16), and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate this pilgrimage a rip-roaring 10.

I hope that I will have the chance to work with 206 Tours in the near future.  Kindly let me know if that is a possibility.  Many pilgrims (10) asked me to let them know when I will be leading another tour.

Thank you for this spiritually enriching experience. I am grateful to 206 Tours for this wonderful opportunity.

Fr. Tom Heron

Hi Piernha, 

We hope and pray that all is well with you. 

We had an enjoyable, faith filled pilgrimage. Thank you for all the help you gave us to make it happen. 

Some of our fellow pilgrims already expressed their desire to join us on our next pilgrimage without even knowing where we are planning to go. Thank you. 

God bless. 

Chiqui and Carmelita

God bless you all! This was the most inspiring and fulfilling trip I have ever taken!

I’m also very grateful to all of you for all the assistance before the trip! Best Tour agency I have ever used! 

Thank you so much!! 

Maria Gabriela Acurio

Hello Liz,

I just wanted to send my heartfelt gratitude for your assistance and patience in facilitating our trip.  The pilgrimage was amazing and very uplifting. I am greatly blessed for the opportunity to visit the holy places of Our Lord, Our Virgin Mother Mother and our beloved Saints.

I enjoyed our group and absolutely loved Vanessa and Raul. Of course, we appreciated Fr. Samuel’s spiritual guidance, Masses, daily Rosaries and Stations of the Cross.

Thanks again and best regards,

Marnie

  • From: Cindy Costello
  • Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2023
  • Subject: Medjugorje with accommodations at Ivan Dragicevic's Oct 9, 2023 - Oct 17, 2023 Cindy Costello
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Dear Sandra,

The pilgrimage to Medjugorje was filled with graces and beautiful experiences.  What an unforgettable gift to stay with Ivan!  

It is difficult to name just one meaningful experience, but the first that comes to mind is being able to be present during Ivan’s apparitions, and to see and hear him explain about our heavenly Mother with such humility.  It was such a grace to witness his mission in life, and how he is responding with such generosity.  To see him share his home and his gift of service (all the meals and all his time with us)….was a true gift to me.

My favorite experiences revolved around time for silence and prayer–all the wonderful opportunities and places for that.  Since I love nature and the outdoors, to hike up Apparition Hill and Cross mountain in prayer, was a memory I will not forget.

Last of all, I would just tell other pilgrims to Medjugorje to be open to whatever our Lord and our Lady wish to do in their hearts while they are there.  To just be carried by them and by the will of God.  To take the opportunities to pray…to see each encounter with individuals as His gift, and to rejoice in the universal Church which is “on display” there–with all nations and tongues praising God.

Our tour guide Ivanka was an inspiration–guiding us both physically and practically as well as spiritually and from her heart.

Thank you for all that was provided through 206 Tours.  I felt well taken care of, and informed.  

Sincerely,

Cindy Costello

  • From: Linda Whitner
  • Sent: Friday, October 20, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Helen Zec Linda Whitner
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Hello- the trip was everything I had imagined plus more. It was so nice to be around so many God loving people both young and old.  I can’t wait to go again!

Linda Whitner

Thank you so much for all the assistance for our pilgrimage. We had our follow up meeting and it was amazing. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the entire trip! There were no negatives. The guides were outstanding and the hotels were reported to be wonderful.

We are planning another pilgrimage and to the person all want to use 206 Tours. That speaks volumes about your wonderful handling of the trips. Natasha and Liz have a wonderful day and God Bless you both.

Thanks,

Tom

Thank you, Jason. My wife, Michelle, and I enjoyed a wonderful experience made possible by 206 Tours. Our Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage (September 30 to October 9, 2023) was everything we expected and more. We especially appreciated the spiritual dimension, which was made possible by Monsignor Kee. His Masses, homilies, and blessings gave our pilgrimage the guidance and meaning that we found so helpful. The logistics provided on the Camino by 206 was superb – the meals, lodging, and transportation were superb. The Tour Guide, Alex, was an excellent leader and teacher; and or Driver, Pedro, was both very skilled and friendly. We found our group to be delightful – very easy to get along with. We highly recommend 206 Tours to people interested in pilgrimages.

The only glitch that we experienced concerned the change in flights and airlines in our departure from home. The original British Airline flight was cancelled one day before departure. We were not alerted of the change in airlines to American and Iberia. We noticed it in an Email with a new flight schedule, but the changes were easy to miss. Fortunately, we were paying attention and called British Airway to resolve the issue.

With gratitude,

Valentin and Michelle Varela

  • From: Maureen O'Brien
  • Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje Maureen O’Brien
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

This pilgrimage was fantastic.  There were a lot of us, 53, but we were all one very happy family.  Already so many have asked me to put them on the list for next year!   We had many old friends, but many new friends do as well.  Jelka’s House is my favorite, and I think all agree.  She and Drazen were as hospitable as ever, and how they produce such great meals in that small kitchen is amazing.  Slavenka was her usual excellent self, such a dear friend over all these years and a perfect guide.  Our priests, Fr. Ed Riley and Fr. Tom Reilly, were always there for us and we are most grateful for the wonderful blessings we received through them.  And we were blessed with a third priest, Fr. Bill O’Donnell, who came as a pilgrim for the first time! 

All was very smooth, great flights, great accommodations, great priests, great guide, great pilgrims. 206 Tours is still the best after all these years!  

Love to you all at 206! 

Maureen

Dear Rinda,

I hope you are doing well. I am fine by divine grace.

Our pilgrimage to Poland was highly successful. The pilgrims were full of enthusiasm and participated actively in the activities. Our tour guide, Sabina Balos, was wonderful and very efficient. Her deep knowledge, faith, and detailed attention to every participant’s needs made the pilgrimage extremely memorable and unique. 

I thank you for the opportunity to share the gift of my priesthood with the people of God. I pray for future opportunities. Thank you. God bless.

Best regards,

Fr. Richard

  • From: Fr. Emmanuel Edi
  • Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from 206 Tours! Fr. Emmanuel Edi
  • Tour 97: Rome

To the One, Eternal and Immortal Trinity be glory and praise both now and forever.

Permit me to use this opportunity to thank the entire 206 Tours family for the privilege to undertake this pilgrimage being the second occasion. My heartfelt gratitude goes also to the pilgrims with whom I journeyed. This year’s pilgrimage exceeded my expectations. I have been in Italy for four years now and never dreamt of having the opportunity of visiting the places that this tour afforded me. Most fascinating of all is the privilege of celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Mass in those most sacred and revered churches and sanctuaries we visited. It is an experience I will live to remember and treasure. For me the whole moment was a period of a divine encounter. It was indeed a wonderful, spirit-filled and refreshing moment. The voiced testimony of many of the pilgrims made me realized that it was indeed a remarkable time. I would also like to commend the optimum cooperation I enjoyed from all the pilgrims and the tour guide, we were like a family throughout the whole time. Overall, it was an amazing trip and an enriching one at that. Thank you once again 206 Tours for this great privilege, looking forward to more of this in the years ahead. God bless you and all yours. May God continue to use your good platform to enliven and strengthen the true faith in the hearts of His people, amen.               

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Emmanuel Edi

I want to thank all at 206 Tours, who were involved in addressing the change in plans when the conflict broke out affecting Tour 158.  Your prompt reaction and the handling of the impacts were greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The day trip to Baptismal site in Jordan, probably exceeded what we would have experienced on the Israel side. In addition to seeing the site of the first chapel there, our tour guide, Omar, was able to get permission for Father Jim to say Mass at the river. Having your representatives Jadoun and Laith meet with us in person was most helpful.

FYI, I found the Landmark hotel better than Crowne Plaza, but glad you were able to find us lodgings. Room was more spacious at Landmark and it had wider selection on the buffets.

I am sharing your great response with friends and family.

Thank you.

Bill

  • From: Julie Zackrisson
  • Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Optional Post Tour to Dubrovnik with Julie Zackrisson, Fr. Luke Clark, & Fr. Joseph Scordo | September 27 - October 8, 2023 | Tour JZ092723 Julie Zackrisson
  • Tour 1-B: Medjugorje and Dubrovnik

Dear Cat and Alex,

Our pilgrimage absolutely exceeded our expectations!  We had a wonderful time!  The weather was perfect. The hotel and its staff were great!  More than anything, our guide, Mirela, was fabulous!  She shared from her heart and was so knowledgeable about the events of Medjugorje.  We couldn’t have asked for more!  We truly love her!  She is a very beautiful child of God!

We can’t thank our Blessed Mother enough for the blessings that flowed through Her hands!  They truly kept flowing and flowing!   She and our dear Lord are so good and so generous!

We had a fun time in Dubrovnik too on our last day!  Those who wanted to “walked the walls”.  Others sat and enjoyed the atmosphere, conversation and wine!  Our hotel was lovely and the food was so much better than I remembered it.  (I may have remembered it wrong, because it was so good!)

I thank 206 Tours for giving us a fantastic and deeply spiritual pilgrimage!  

Love,

Julie

  • From: Gabriella Malara
  • Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with Accommodations at Ivan Dragicevic's Home Gabriella Malara
  • Tour 1: Medjugorje

Hi Sandra,

Thank you for all your assistance. It was a wonderful pilgrimage. And the tour guide was the Best! We appreciated her immensely. Of course staying with Ivan and the whole prayer experience is beyond words. We are grateful and hope to go back next year.

Thank you again.

God bless,

Gabriella Malara

Good Morning Piernha,

In the uncertain times of COVID-19, I prayed and asked God for an end to the pandemic and the possibility of finding another partner who could facilitate my mission of taking people all over the globe to encounter Christ.  On a whim, in my rigorous online research, I randomly stopped scrolling when I reached 206 Tours in the search results and began a conversation with Natasha, and the rest is history.  I returned on October 4th from a wonderful Spirit Journey crafted by your team of pilgrimage experts, and my pilgrims are already asking ‘where next’ and ‘how soon’.

I am writing to thank you for your rigorous work with me and your patience in discerning my needs.  Everything that we did was different: the method of communication between our two entities, the process of customer engagement…everything.  Your steady, upbeat, calm demeanor and assistance were a lifeline for me as I navigated the days towards take-off.

I thank you for the beautiful experience that your hard work crafted by sharing with you feedback from my parish priest as I returned to Mass last Sunday.  He said, “ Diane, welcome back!  I can see the Holiness you received on your trip on you.’

Thank you, Piernha, Natasha and 206 Tours.  I will continue to pray for all of you always.

Salve Regina!

Diane

We just returned from a pilgrimage to Lourdes, Paris and Lisieux and are very satisfied. The pilgrimage was spiritually powerful indeed.

The Chaplin Fr. Piotr Paciorek was fantastic. He allowed me to assist at all Masses which was an incredible grace. It was through Fr. Piotr’s guidance that I was selected to repose the Blessed Sacrament at the main (25,000 people) Basilica Eucharist Procession. I will never forget that experience and have Fr. Piotr to thank.

The tour guide Miguel Martin was very helpful and attentive. He made sure we were where we were supposed to be and did it with grace and a smile. Nice man.

The individual tour guide specialists at each location were wonderful. Their insights helped us all have a more powerful spiritual experience.

All in all, a great pilgrimage and will recommend 206 tours to my friends and family.

God bless,

Deacon Mike

David & I just returned from our 206 Tours trip “In the Steps of St. Patrick” throughout Ireland, culminating in our visit to the Shrine of Knock.
We cannot aptly express our sincere gratitude for this phenomenal journey, that is truly unforgettable.
Thanks to all of 206 Tours, but in particular, to the most EXCEPTIONAL Guide, Ms. Karen Coakley.  She kept us to a schedule so that we missed nothing of the culture & historical sites, while being so knowledgeable & personal.
Please extend our deepest thanks & appreciation to her for an unforgettable memory that will be forever in our hearts. 
With sincere thanks,
Karen & David Heil

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Sept 11 – 20, 2023)

Dear Patrick,

My wife and I had a wonderful pilgrimage to Israel!   I want to acknowledge particularly our Guide, Usama.  He demonstrated near encyclopedic knowledge, and we gained a perspective of many historical, archeological, religious, social, and contemporary features of the Land.  We learned about the life of the people in the Holy Land, throughout the last 4000 years! We learned so much. Usama was extraordinarily genial and kind, and throughout our tour, he had our best interests at heart. Usama was most impressive, and he is a great asset to your company. Even when our friend had a slight medical issue, he displayed poise and was a calming influence for the entire group of pilgrims. He deserves the highest accolades.

Beyond that, we really appreciated how he and Said handled logistics throughout our Tour.  We felt safe, and confident. And we had many blessings on our journey. Our pilgrimage was a joy, and I wanted to write and provide you and your team at 206 with this feedback.

We pray that all your personnel in the Holy Land are kept safe. May God end these recent actions swiftly, as it hurts the heart, and it hurts our Brothers and Sisters in the Holy Land. We are much more attuned to that in these days.  

God bless you, God keep you, and all the 206 Family.

Yours sincerely,

Thomas & Christine Lopez

Dear 206 Tours friends,

Once again, I had the pleasure of traveling with 206, this time to the Holy Land. Like always everything was well and professionally organized. Help in the airport after arrival in Tel Aviv to go through immigration was very appreciated.

It was a pleasure to listen to George’s comments on every holy place we visited. Very professional. We always felt safe in the bus thanks to our driver.

Hotel, service and dinners were excellent. And something to admire to watch Jews celebrating New Year with whole families.

Thank you for the opportunity to visit and offer Masses in all the holy places so precious to every Catholic.

Wishing you God’s blessings in your future work,

Fr. Eugene Grytner

Good morning ladies,

I had to take a quick moment at my first opportunity to thank you for that memorable tour you structured for us pilgrims from Saint Joseph Marello parish. You outdid yourselves! Everything about the tour was perfect! There have been so many happy reports from all of our Pilgrims, Father Phil and Deacon Jeff as well as the other 22 of us. We are all very, very, very, very pleased.

Jorge Martin, our tour guide, was remarkable.  We loved him from the first day!  Likewise, your scheduling of our walking days. Although we initially were worried that the days would start too late for us, you were right, your plan worked perfectly. We soon adjusted to Spain’s schedule and the late dining!

Thank you, thank you for putting together this remarkable tour! We will be looking at other pilgrimages for the future through 206!

Best regards and God‘s blessing on you both,

Jann Nicholls

206 Tours Team,

Lisa and I loved this Holy Land experience! We cannot thank you enough for all the great work you did planning and coordinating this amazing spiritual adventure. Our Tour Guide (Yorgos) and Spiritual Advisor (Fr. Eugene) were incredible. We learned so much, and feel that the daily schedule with time for prayer and Mass (in addition to the important sites) made this trip one we will talk about for the rest of our lives.

The hotel (Inbal) was awesome, with great good and accommodations and the size of our tour group (13) was perfect. We will recommend this Holy Land tour to all our friends as we look for another 206 Tours to take.

Don’t hesitate to have any of your future guests call us. We would be happy to provide more detail.

Andy & Lisa Hiles

  • From: Dawn McManus
  • Sent: Wednesday, October 4, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje with accommodations at Ivan Dragicevic's Sep 25, 2023 - Oct 3, 2023 Dawn McManus
  • Tour 1 - Medjugorje

Best trip I have ever been on. Life changing. Could not have been better. So grateful, and what a blessing your company is. 

In Christ, 

Dawn McManus

Dear Jason,

The trip was amazing, enlightening, and exhausting.  Our tour guide, Tony, was terrific and on top of every detail.  Our driver Antonio kept us safe despite some very winding roads.  One of the best parts was hearing what other pilgrims had to say about other 206 tours they’d taken.  We are making a wish list.

Thanks so much,

Jeanine & Scott

Dear Jason, Chris and Team,

I sincerely thank you for the professional and outstanding organization of my pilgrimage to ensure I had a spiritually rewarding tour!!! Everything was seamless. My travel experience to the shrines of Italy and Medjugorje from August 14 to 28 left an indelible mark on my heart, never to be forgotten.

Although you provided contacts at every stage, I never used them, not even once, because everyone was on time and in place when I needed them.

The choice of accommodation was marvelous. Le Meridien Visconti Hotel, Rome, Centro Spiritualita Padre Pio, San Giovanni Rotondo, Hotel Giotto, Assisi, and Villa Grace, Medjugorje, were welcoming and the hospitality was unparalleled.

Your choice of Spiritual Director (Fr George Dunne) and guides, including Federica and Andrej, must be acknowledged. They spiced everything and made the experience wonderful.

I am already planning another pilgrimage in the coming year. I have also encouraged family members and friends to use your agency anytime they want to travel.

Thank you again for your help and care.

Remain in His Grace,

Christine Kamwendo

206 Tours Comments:

Overall, tour was outstanding and well run. Hotel, transportation, food (all meals) and schedule were great. Could not have asked for more and definitely received my money’s worth! I would un-hesitantly recommend 206 Tours to anyone and will consider booking another pilgrimage with you in the future.

Our tour guide, Yorgos Chermantas, was truly outstanding and continuously went well beyond the norm to make this pilgrimage special in every way. He is personable,  knowledgeable and able to quickly react to a changing situation. His understanding of the religious, political, historic and cultural climate of the era when Jesus was alive added tremendously to our experience. He did not hesitate to share this and described every event, person and place visited with understanding and insight beyond what is written in the Bible or Sacred Books. 

Brian Maher

Good Morning.  A note of appreciation for all your help.  It was a wonderful tour. Our guide, Vanessa, was the best.  Everything was spectacular from tours, food and sites.  We had a few hiccups with the plane but all worked out. 

Thank you again for making all this happen and especially working with me to get Uriel in the group

God Bless,

Catherine

Dear 206 Tours,

My friend and I planned and prepared for months to get ready for the Camino.
When we arrived, we had nothing to worry about but walking and packing our bags each day! Everything else was taken care of by 206 Tours outstanding staff.

Father Matt was our spiritual director and took that role seriously with daily mass, offering confessions and any advice or guidance we needed. We love him!

Jorge, our guide was outstanding in every way! He took care of each pilgrim and was extremely attentive to every need. I can’t imagine anyone exhibiting such a spirit of caring and charity! He had excellent relationships with each restaurant and hotel staff resulting in outstanding service! We love him!

Our bus driver was also amazing! By the time our pilgrimage we were sad to depart our fellow pilgrims who had become like family! Thanks to all for an amazing experience which will be memorable for many years!

Warmest regards,
Nancy

  • From: Carolyn
  • Sent: Friday, September 29, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Poland with Fr. Doug Grandon and Carolyn Pierini Carolyn
  • Tour 168: Poland Pilgrimage

We had an incredible blessed pilgrimage with 206 Tours!  Viola, our guide, was fabulous!  Still getting over jet lag but will certainly review our pilgrimage soon on Facebook and Instagram for 206 Tours!

Fondly,

Carolyn

  • From: Diane Lambert
  • Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023
  • Subject: Re: Welcome Home from 206 Tours! Diane Lambert
  • Tour 98: Classic Italy

I had a wonderful time during the pilgrimage to Italy.  It was very enriching both spiritually and culturally.  Our tour guide, Tony Giuliani, did a great job helping to make the tour very enjoyable by connecting us with the culture of Italy as well as ensuring that we experienced all the spiritual sites on the tour.  Father Carlos helped us also to connect deeper to our faith with our daily masses at the beautiful churches we visited.  We also felt safe with our bus driver, Antonio, driving us many miles through Italy.  This was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.  I feel very blessed to have gone.  Thanks also to 206 Tours for all the organizing that went into making it a memorable trip.

God bless,

Diane Lambert 

206 Tours have outdone themselves again in organising another fantastic pilgrimage tour. The hotels were very comfortable and so were the breakfast and dinners. We paid for our lunches which was okay however the tour guide (Eleni Maoussidou) should have given us the opportunity to select the lunch venues maybe a food court where we could select whatever we want instead of taking us to one restaurant with restricted selection of food.

Our Spiritual Director: Fr Lito Capeding was wonderful. Very friendly and approachable and tried to get as much time to meet our spiritual needs. I would definitely like to sign up for the next pilgrimage if he is on it.

The Greek Isles Cruise was a bit rushed but that was expected. The best part of the tour was the visit to Kusadasi – Ephesus (Mary’s House). A very big thank you to 206 tours for organising us to celebrate mass at Ephesus, that was amazing!

Kind regards

Denis

Hello,

I’d like to take this opportunity to give some feedback regarding the above referenced Camino which took place September 5 through 15, 2023.

This was my first Camino and I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt a deep sense of physical and spiritual accomplishment. 

I’d like to highly commend our Tour Guide, Cristina Calvo. She was well organized, personable, and flexible. She ensured that we were all well taken care of. On the last day of our hike, she was flexible enough to allow us pilgrims to hike the entire way into Santiago de Compostela rather than take the bus for the last couple of miles as originally scheduled. For this, I am extremely grateful because part of the sense of accomplishment (both physically and spiritually) was seeing the spires of the Cathedral in the distance as we hiked to the top of our last hill.

Sincerely,

Marianne Sham

Our tour guide Jorge was amazing. I liked that we formed together as a group like a family. We are still in touch with each other. Our bus driver, Pedro was great.

I thought the Pilgrimage was perfect. Fr Matt was great too.

-Pam

 

Hi Jason and team,

Thank God for the blessing of a wonderful Camino.

Jorge and Pedro were excellent as well as the pilgrims and the weather. Looking forward to serving as a spiritual director in 2024, the Lord willing. Thanks for the opportunity. As mentioned, was a blessing for me.

God bless, 

Fr. Matt Mauriello

The trip was great. Cristina went above and beyond to make adjustments on the fly-particularly the last walking day where Mass was scheduled late morning in one location which would have made the walk during hotter weather and much later.  Instead she found an alternative by having Mass in the early evening and allowing the walk to begin earlier in the morning.  Made all the difference for a lot of us. That was just one example of her leadership.

Overall this trip was another A+ trip with 206.

Jim Stam

 

Dear Milanka,

I write to thank you and your organization for an incredible Holy Land Luxury tour. My husband and I are telling everyone we know to take this pilgrimage.  It touched us on so many levels and far exceeded the high expectations we had. From start to finish, we were impressed and delighted. Let me highlight a few areas: 

Upon receiving our flight information, it became obvious that it made more sense to just fly directly out of Newark versus leaving from Philadelphia and taking chances on connecting flights.  Chris Wright resolved this for me during a simple, eight-minute phone call.  A live person answered the phone, listened to my concern and resolved it!  I am very grateful and surprised by this uncommon customer service.  I was the one who elected to originally fly out of Phila, not knowing a direct flight was available in Newark by easily driving 30 minutes further. 

Having guides meet weary travelers at the airport and then return them to the airport to guide them through the unfamiliar steps was very much appreciated. 

The pilgrimage itself exceeded our expectations!  Every stop pulled back a veil.  Attending Mass in our Lord’s tomb was the most emotional spiritual experience.  Renewing our wedding vows at Cana touched me deeply. I could go and on about how powerful the packed pilgrimage was. 

Our tour guide George (Yorgos Chermantas) was fabulous.  He has a gift of being able to relate to a group of various ages and backgrounds and blend a group of strangers into a family by mid-week.  He is extremely articulate, knowledgeable and responsible.  George took the pilgrimage to another level with his charismatic gifts.  He assisted fellow travelers all week with whatever issue arose (heat, missing luggage, travel advice, where can I buy this? Delayed flights…) with a genuine kindness. You have an excellent tour guide in George.  It was a privilege to be on his tour.  I would be remiss in not complementing our driver who was excellent and kept us safe the entire week.  Between George and our driver, I felt completely safe on our tour and that had been my main concern prior to the trip.  I cannot understate the gratitude I feel for both our tour guide and driver. 

Finally, kudos to the Hotel Inbal!  Hopefully we will make this pilgrimage again and we will insist on the Hotel Inbal. The food was fantastic!  So fresh, so delicious and so much variety.  I would get to breakfast the moment it opened so I could enjoy it until we had to get on the shuttle.  I miss the breakfast and dinner buffet tremendously.

Thank you, Milanka, for all the extra effort your company puts into its pilgrimages.  Your company is definitely five stars to us.  We hope to enjoy many more pilgrimages with 206 and only regret not starting sooner. 

Sincerely, 

Kelly and John Hullihan 

Hello,

I want to give the highest accolades to our tour guide for the Michael Brown Shrines of Italy tour, Frederika. I cannot possibly say enough good things about Frederika!  She was extremely intelligent, organized, knowledgeable, and kind.  She worked non-stop on our behalves, never wavering or complaining.  What a privilege it was to be on a tour with her, Michael Brown, and Fr. Trujillo, an absolutely amazing team.  

Please pass this on to whomever it should go and everyone in authority.  Bravo, and keep up the great work!

In the love of Our Lord Jesus and Holy Mother Mary,

Katie Saunders

Hello,

My husband, mother and myself was so WOW’d by our trip with your company! In the beginning, Greg Terrebonne was very engaging and his excitement was infectious, so with our interest we were quickly pulled in. He followed up with everyone and ensured our every question was answered. Our one reluctance early on, was the prospect of having three legs to our flight. We were later blessed that alternative flights were provided which eliminated one leg leaving two easy stops both coming and going and are appreciative for the accommodation.

Looking back, the most vital piece, in my opinion, was our tour guide, Madj. The wealth of his knowledge, paired with his easy delivery was extremely profound. Another noticeable piece that added a flavor, was his local connection to people and shops. Without that, I’m not certain we’d have been able to do things such as having Mass INSIDE Jesus’ tomb. Madj provided a tour of his home country, the places we were eager to see, plus so much more. He had what we thought were reliable solid answers to every question we had and never grew impatient in answering the many our group threw at him. He catered to us way more than I ever expected! He carried a messenger bag that I jokingly claimed was magic in the variety of things he could produce from cough drops to whisper components.

The one tiny things that could’ve enhanced our experience was if an American type food option could be offered occasionally. Not being a huge fan of Mediterranean fare made it a bit monotonous. However, for those who liked it, it was pretty and plentiful.

The three of us agree, that while cradle Catholics this trip has tremendously intensified our faith and we’ll be telling our family and friends what a remarkable journey 206 provided.

Heaping many blessings onto 206!

Angie Chiasson

  • From: Kevin
  • Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Portugal Kevin
  • Tour 36

Cat and Alex,

Yes, the trip went very well and your help was greatly appreciated. It was such a relief not to worry about logistics and then trying to figure out how to get the best knowledge from the area. David, our guide, did a nice job on that as well.

Thank you again for your help.

Kevin

Dear Rinda,

I hope you and your colleagues at 206 are doing well. I write to give you a brief summary of my recent pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain, and France. First, I want to again thank you for the opportunity to serve as a spiritual director. The places that we visited, the churches where Mass was celebrated, and the wonderful pilgrims who populated the tour were all terrific. In every respect, the pilgrimage was wonderful. I want to complement our guide, Javier, who was excellent. His expertise, knowledge, and friendliness were appreciated by all. Everything went very smoothly, largely because of his guidance.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve 206 and the pilgrims. For me these opportunities are very special and I treasure the time I have with the men and women with whom I travel, and certainly appreciate the beautiful and sacred spaces we visit.

Sincerely in Christ,

Father Rick Gribble, CSC

Milanka,

I guess the most journalistically accurate way of describing our 206 Pilgrimage, at least from our vantage point, and the feedback we’ve gotten, is: “enormously successful.”

Once more you and 206 showed why you have the reputation you do, and why you have succeeded for so many years — decades! — in a great ministry.

It was expertly done, and as you promised, Federica was totally excellent (so humble). Thank you again for putting together a most fruitful trip — and a great side trip to Sicily.

I prayed for you and 206 at our stops.

 God’s peace to you, your wonderful staff, and also to Judith for her assistance.

As always,

Michael and Lisa Brown

  • From: Fr. Jason Brilhante
  • Sent: Monday, September 18, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Medjugorje Fr. Jason Brilhante
  • Tour 1 - Medjugorje

Thank you for reaching out to ask about the pilgrimage to Medjugorje! It was fantastic! Slavenka was our tour guide and Lucy Simao our group leader. They both did an outstanding job looking after all the pilgrims in the group. 

Hotel accommodations at Grace were great and the food delicious. On Friday, one of the pilgrims celebrated their birthday and Slavenka ordered a cake to celebrate with everyone. That was very thoughtful of her and 206 Tours. 

Thank you and everyone at 206 Tours for an excellent pilgrimage to Medjugorje! 

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Jason Brilhante 

I just returned from a 206 tour to Portugal, Spain and France with Father Lawrence Lew.
I just want to send a review in and say how magnificent the trip was….
Father Lawrence made all the difference. His Dominican education made him perfect for teaching us, preaching amazing homilies during Mass, having the most beautiful reverent masses and even hearing him pray in song. His voice is amazing. His personality was perfect for a tour group. It was my sisters first pilgrimage and she was blown away by father who inspired her and edified her!
Great choice in a priest!!!
Also Quico is AWESOME as well. So funny, intelligent and so very patient with us!!!
Love 206 tours.
In Christ,
Carolyn

It was great!

-David Sawyer

Hi Danielle,

I can’t thank you enough for your kindness and thoughtful preparations of the trip. I’m writing to let you know that we are all back home safe. 

Overall, it was wonderful pilgrimage, everyone had a great spiritual experience. Hats up to 206, yourself, and Leo Jimnes for you made this pilgrimage a huge success. Churches, hotels and places we visited all of them had been very fruitful and inspiring. Thank you for all your help and support. Looking forward to having few more pilgrimages in the near future.

Blessings 

Fr. John Peter Pragasam 

  • From: Gi
  • Sent: Monday, September 11, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Paris Gi
  • Tour 40

Hi Piernha, just wanted to let you know Marianne and I had a wonderful time. Father Tony, and Father Charles, of course, were the best spiritual leaders we could’ve had. Quico was amazing. He went above and beyond. So blessed to have been provided this opportunity to become closer to God thanks again for answering all my unlimited questions.

Gi

  • From: Manuel and Marili Dimatulac
  • Sent: Friday, September 8, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima-Spain-France Tour Manuel and Marili Dimatulac
  • Tour 40 - Fatima, Spain & France

We had a wonderful experience on our recent pilgrimage and we are looking forward to our next trip with 206 Tours.

This was our first pilgrimage and it went over and above our expectations.

The tour guide, Leo was very knowledgeable.  Our bus driver, Jose, was very friendly and kept us safe during our bus rides.  Our spiritual leader, Fr. Leo was wonderful.  

Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Regards,

Manuel and Marili Dimatulac

Hello,

I wanted to write to express what a fantastic experience we had on our first 206 Tour in August. My mom and I went to Fatima, Spain, Lourdes, and Rome. The whole thing was well organized and informative. Our guides and spiritual director were amazing. We loved it!

Thank you again for everything.

Helen Mann

  • From: Carmine
  • Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Paris Carmine
  • Tour 40

We are back home.

The pilgrimage was powerful; we look forward to another one in the future.

We want to thank 206 Tours and especially Piernha Marc and Sandra Lippold for the care that they took to smooth out our trip. We were especially impressed that Ms. Marc telephoned me in Rome to ask if there were any problems because our return flight to JFK had changed. I assured her that it was at our request since my wife was not feeling well.

Quico, the tour guide, was superb; he is an asset to the company. The bus driver was very cooperative too. Fathers Charles and Tony were excellent spiritual directors.

Respectfully,

Carmine and Estrella Crudele

My name is Jo Heller Orr and I was on the tour to Portugal, Spain and France during July 2-15. Father Jay Harrington was our Spiritual director and Leo Jimenez was our guide. The trip was amazing. Every facet of the tour was perfect from hotels, transportation, and meals. Leo was exceptional. His knowledge was outstanding. His presentations were personable as well as informative. What impressed me most was Leo’s ability to meet the individual needs of such a large group. He not only coordinated people coming in and leaving the group but was aware of the individual needs of each person. Leo made the tour!!! I selected the trip because of Fr. Jay. He served as a temporary pastor at my parish in 2021 and talked about his experiences with 206 Tours. Everyone in our group fell in love with him immediately. Fr. Jay and Leo made a perfect combination as leaders.
I loved being on a tour that was Catholic oriented. Attending Mass daily in the various cathedrals was the highlight of each day. The experiences I had on the trip have enhanced my worship now that I am home. Thank you. I am blessed to have been a part of this incredible tour.

Jo Heller Orr

Dear Rinda,

I trust this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the Spiritual Director for the recent Pilgrimage to The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. It was truly an enriching experience, and I am honored to have been a part of it.

I would like to extend my appreciation for the exceptional efforts put forth by Olga and the driver. Their dedication and creativity were instrumental in navigating the challenges posed by varying road conditions. Their adaptability and steadfast commitment to the journey ensured that we overcame any obstacles with grace and continued on our path. Olga’s remarkable organizational skills and her unwavering support for the group made her an outstanding guide, and I am grateful for her contributions.

The camaraderie among the pilgrims was heartwarming. Their harmonious interactions and cooperative spirit made this pilgrimage a truly blessed one. I was particularly delighted by the presence of Bishop William Medley from the Owensboro Diocese in Kentucky.

As a priest, I am consistently inspired by the profound faith and kindness exhibited by the pilgrims. Their unwavering devotion and compassion towards one another remind me of the goodness that exists within our Catholic faith community.

I wish to extend my thanks to 206 Tours for entrusting me with the role of Spiritual Director for this pilgrimage. It was a privilege and an honor to accompany this group on their spiritual journey. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to serve in this capacity once more in the future.

May God’s blessings continue to shine upon us all.

With warm regards and heartfelt prayers,

Fr. Joe, C.P.

Good Afternoon:

I had a wonderful trip, especially enjoyed 3 days on the cruise ship.  Fr Piotr is a wonderful spiritual advisor and I look forward to going on another pilgrimage with him.  All the guides were amazing especially Eleni and Nicholas. 

My only recommendation would be to either add another day or two to the tour.  We really had no time to spend on Santorini island.  The cable car is exciting but takes up so much time.  When we got off the boat taxi, we had to rush to get in line for the cable car (we were in line about an hour), had Mass then, had to go back and wait in line for the cable car (about 2 hours) to get back to the cruise ship via a boat taxi.  No time was available to explore the island. We were so late, the cruise line held the staff to accommodate us for our dinner. We ate after nine o’clock.  Staff was very gracious, but they had to get ready for the morning departure, we felt uncomfortable for them and kind of rushed our meal.

This was my second tour with 206 and look forward to another.  I meant what I said about Fr Piotr, if he is booked on another tour, I would appreciate a heads up.  I would enjoy going on another with him.

Thank you Milanka and staff of 206 Tours!  My pilgrimage (Tour #37CM081323) with Fr Charles Mangano and Fr Tony Stanganelli was just what I needed!  Our Tour guide Quico was outstanding! He was calm and patient with the over 48 anxious excited and at times demanding pilgrims! He joined in all our rosaries and chaplets as well as morning and evening prayer. He was most reverent at the churches we celebrated mass in…. The local guides, Mafalda (in Lisbon) were proud of their cities and eager to share the history of the locales.

Having known Fr Charles and Fr Tony for many years, I was eager to be with them on pilgrimage! Their holiness and zeal for Our Lord and Lady mixed with love for the Jesus in us all as well as their humor and patience helped all the pilgrims find the peace and graces necessary in our individual journeys. 

206 Tours is the only pilgrimage company I will ever travel with! Communication from your company (From your booking agent- Pierhna to Sandra) was always clear and should we have questions they were answered promptly and with the detail necessary to allay our traveling fears!  

God Bless and May Our Lady continue to bestow her graces upon 206 Tours!

Mary Ellen Fosso 

Dear Esteemed 206 Series Tours Team,

Greetings of peace and wellbeing, from Rome, the Eternal City. It is my great pleasure to share with you my testimonies on the 206 pilgrimage tour held here in Italy, from August 1-13, 2023. Interestingly, it was my first outing serving as Spiritual Director with 206 Tours.

First, I would like to most sincerely thank God for His divine guidance and protection. I thank Milanka Lachman for the great initiative and vision in founding this pilgrimage organization. It was amazing meeting with her and her dear husband and having them participated with us actively at Mass on August 1 at the Church of Sacro Cuore di Gesù in Prati, here in Rome. Special thanks to all of you the 206 Series Tours Team for your wonderful job, creativity and the disposition to help realize the vision of this holy pilgrimage body. The organization and services offered during the tour were amazing.

Serving as Spiritual Director to this pilgrimage tour offered me a unique opportunity of celebrating the Holy Eucharist in the Sacred Basilicas and Sanctuaries we visited. It provided me and my fellow pilgrims the special privilege to seek and implore the intercession of the Saints to whom these Holy Places are specially dedicated. I was highly fascinated by all the activities we embarked upon: the celebration of the Holy Mass, the praying of the Holy Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, etc. 

The active participation of the pilgrims in common liturgical spiritual activities, the Holy Mass, the Rosaries, the Stations of the Cross etc. impressed me. Even when there was a sudden downpour at San Giovanni Rottondo in the Stations of the Cross, the pilgrims were happy and saw it as God’s blessings upon His children. Some persons among the pilgrims willingly volunteered to serve at Mass. Special thanks to the permanent deacon Mitch who assisted me at Mass and to Greg, Matthew and the young Samuel who served as minor ministers. Our celebrations of the Holy Mass most times attracted some persons to joined us even the non English speakers.

Finally, I would be highly delighted to travel with 206 Tours Pilgrimage again in the future so that we can all continue to unite and strive as one family to realize the vision of this agency and in building Christ’s kingdom across the world and at the end of time gain eternal life in heaven. 

Thanks most sincerely for the opportunity given me to serve. Rest assured of my continuous prayers and Masses for you all and for 206 Pilgrimage Tours. Pax et Bonum! 

Yours faithfully in Christ

Fr. Basil Ejim 

  • From: Aura Guerra
  • Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2023
  • Subject: Medjugorje Pilgrimage Aura Guerra
  • Tour 1

Thank you so much 206 tours. Medjugorje pilgrimage was wonderful, blessed, awesome, and enjoyable and I can keep on and on and on. I did not expect much since was my first time and did not know what I was going to face but definitely, it was more than anyone could imagine. The wonderful tour guide (Andrej) is very communicative, informative, friendly, and understandable. , magnificent hotel service and the employees were amazing. Everything was 10 plus from beginning to end. For my son and I, this was a wonderful experience and so much Blessing. Definitely will book again.

Thank you so much,

Aura Guerra & Marley DeLaRosa

  • From: Linda Kuenning
  • Sent: Monday, August 21, 2023
  • Subject: All Italian Shrines Pilgrimage Linda Kuenning
  • Tour 103

Hello – I recently returned from Tour 103 – All Italian Shrines. It was AWESOME! Fredricka was our tour guide and she was fabulous! She even stayed with us for two hours at the airport in Venice as we struggled with Air Canada to get us on our flight.

Our daily agenda was clearly communicated. We were given ample free time to explore on our own. The hotels were good (although not air conditioned like we are used to in the States); but hey; that’s part of experiencing a different culture….right?? I traveled with my son; his wife and their 3 teenage children. I prayed for a great spiritual director who would relate well with the teenagers. Fr. Basil was our man!! While we did struggle to understand his English; especially during his homilies when we tended to be in rooms that echoed and he tended to speak faster; he was wonderful in relating to and including the kids. I only have one suggestion for improving our experience. There is one place in your What to know area under Bring Small Bills: It recommends US dollars for bathroom stops. I found that most bathroom stops we made required Euro coins……so I do recommend that change.

I’m not sure I have a favorite stop as each city and it’s story were amazing. The Eucharistic Miracle and Michaelagelo’s David were spectacular. We did do a side trip to the Colosseum which the kids loved so I recommend trying to include that in future itineraries. It was very educational to hear the history of Rome and see the ruins. I think it is important to have a well balanced itinerary between culture, history and spirituality.

I hope to travel again next year with another son and his family. We will definitely consider 206 Tours. Do you offer any deals for repeat customers? Thanks again for an amazing experience and hopefully the spiritual seeds that were planted in the teenagers will continue to be watered by their parents 😊

Blessings!

Linda Kuenning

  • From: Fr Dwayne
  • Sent: Monday, August 14, 2023
  • Subject: Egypt and Jordan Fr Dwayne
  • Tour 156-j

Hey Natasha and Liz,

Hope all is well. Sorry for the craziness of the flight. Thank you for working things out. 206 is truly the best. I am truly loving Egypt and the Hotel that you all picked for us, I can’t wait for them to come and enjoy it as well. You guys always go above and beyond. Please be assured of my prayers for you all.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Fr. Dwayne

  • From: Janie
  • Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Janie
  • Tour 111

Hi Liz & Natasha,

This was my fourth pilgrimage with 206 tours, but my first experience as Pilgrimage group coordinator. My sincere thank you for your guidance and support!

Although we had a 5 hour departure delay due to weather, from the minute we landed in Tel-Aviv we had the best experience. Our group was met at the airport and supported through the process, George our tour guide met us just outside at arrival hall and our experience began. This experience went beyond our expectations, with every attention to detail from the moment we landed.

Expecting to have mass at the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised with a trip to Magdala where Father Jaime our Spiritual Director and Deacon Garcia celebrated private mass. George, our tour guide was outstanding! He was kind and gentle with exceptional knowledge making the Bible come alive. Nazeeh our driver was the perfect gentleman, engaging in the places to visit. George and Nazeeh make a great team making this a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Our hotels were centrally located allowing for leisurely walks reflecting on the days activities and opportunities for private prayer.

Our Spiritual Director Father Jaime and George our tour guide complemented each other perfectly giving our pilgrims an experience of a lifetime.

As we continued to Medjugorje, Slavenka was exceptional as well, allowing for flexibility to accommodate weather conditions with activities and experiences.

Thank you so much for your exceptional service and attention to detail.

Blessings,

Janie

  • From: Janet Mabry
  • Sent: Monday, August 7, 2023
  • Subject: The Best Shrines of France Pilgrimage Janet Mabry
  • Tour 5

We wanted to take a minute to say Thank You ! We L O V E D every minute of our tour. Obviously, it takes an entire team to pull off something that grand. We only know the face of the people that were with us and while we are grateful to all we are especially grateful for our tour guide Allessandro! He was fantastic. He was kind, fun, yet firm and he did a marvelous job of communicating and getting us where we needed to be. What a special Pilgrimage this was and we will cherish all of it for the rest of our lives. So very special and so very emotional. Sincerely we cannot say thank you enough. We hope to join you again sometime.

God Bless you in your efforts to educate us!

With great appreciate,

Paul and Janet Mabry

  • From: Pepper Mulherin
  • Sent: Monday, August 7, 2023
  • Subject: Medjugorje Pilgrimage Pepper Mulherin
  • Tour 1

Hi Danielle:

Did the tour exceed my expectations, I’m not sure: I had lofty expectations. Was it worth it (time, money, effort…)? ABSOLUTELY!!

Our tour guide, Ivan, was ridiculously knowledgeable. Without him, so much would have been void.

It wasn’t “chamber of commerce” weather (rained every day I believe, and cold). It wasn’t obvious holiness. It was peace. Peacefulness and peace were present tangibly. It was a feeling even more than a destination.

People expected me to share more about the experience than I did. My brother joined me, and family kept saying he was telling them so much about the experience, and why wasn’t I saying more? I do not know how to share it. I don’t think it is meant to be shared; rather, it is meant to be evangelized. I didn’t realize it had touched me within significantly immediately. It is kindling still. I am thankful and grateful for the experience, for your 206 Tours, for the cohort I traveled with—every single one of them, for our guide and priest, and trying to give glory to God.

Pepper Mulherin

  • From: Ana White
  • Sent: Monday, August 7, 2023
  • Subject: Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage Ana White
  • Tour 96

Hello there!

It’s been two weeks since we are back from the Shrines of Italy. What an amazing experience! Going on a Pilgrimage with Fr. Patrick Keane is a blessing itself. Federica, our guide, was incredible. She went the extra mile to make everybody comfortable, keeping with everyone who got distracted and got separated from the group. The same with the different guides we had in so many places, they new the material and keep it interesting. Thank you so much for another wonderful experience. As usual, with each Pilgrimage, I feel I am growing in my faith and learning so much about our religion. Visiting Padre Pio, San Benedict Saint Francis, St. Michael’s mountain…. The Vatican!, just to name few of the many shrines I was blessed to visit and learn about the lives of the Saints. We had a big group, about 44, which included kids. Seeing families together praying and sharing this experience was priceless.

Thank you so much! I’m looking forward to the next 🙂

Ana White

  • From: Fr. Michael Freihofer
  • Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2023
  • Subject: The Best Shrines of France Pilgrimage Fr. Michael Freihofer
  • Tour 5

Hello, Jason and Series,

As you know, I traveled to France with 206Tours from July 7-18. This was my third time working with 206Tours.

I am so thankful to the company. All three pilgrimages have been great. This last one was outstanding. It even exceeded my expectations. We had so much “spiritual fun” that I created a summary document and sent it out to the pilgrims.

Our tour guide Alessandro did a great job. The local tour guides were very passionate about their roles also.

My own parishioners who went on the tour asked when we were going to do the next one!

Peace of Christ,

Fr. Michael Freihofer

  • From: Karin Seubert
  • Sent: Wednesday, August 2, 2023
  • Subject: The Best Shrines of France Pilgrimage Karin Seubert
  • Tour 5

Dear Jason,

Thank you for the email. Our pilgrimage was absolutely amazing and exceeded all expectations – which were already very high given our fantastic experience in the Holy Land in June 2022. The pilgrimage was very impactful for my spiritual life, and has borne fruit already: two of the special intentions that I prayed for throughout the pilgrimage and especially in Lourdes have had unanticipated positive news. One of the treating physicians has called the infant’s progress miraculous. God is so very good!

I cannot say enough positive things about our tour guide Alex. He was kind, helpful, and amazingly informative throughout the pilgrimage. I am very hopeful that our paths will cross again on a future 206 Tour.

I look forward to traveling on pilgrimage with 206 Tours again in the future, and have been daydreaming of organizing a parish or deanery trip in the future.

God Bless,

Karin Seubert

  • From: Zita Habijan
  • Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Zita Habijan
  • Tour 111

My 1st impression with our tour guide Sami Backleh is everlasting bec. of Sami’s concerns, ethical compassion, kindness to us (group). All our questions were answered appropriately with honest essence of love, willingness to elaborate & expand our stored biblical knowledge, provided the group super understanding towards all aspects of our daily travels (10 days). Sami has the very amazing, impressive, excellent, full of knowledge re: Our Lord Jesus life. Sami captured my undivided attention & if ever I will have another chance to renew my pilgrimage, I really want Sami as my tour guide again! Sami deserves a raise $$ & a plaque or certificate for a job well done!

Our dear Father Stephen Ozokoye (spiritual guide)is an extraordinary priest (love him dearly),plus his daily Homily- so easy to understand & so inspirational in our daily life being with us for days wishing can be longer together! Father Stephen deserves a raise & a certificate as well!!! Our great drivers especially Nor, Basel +1 Airport pick up who kept us all safe during our daily travels, I am thanking them All & pls.

Preserve them as well. Your company has excellent people promoting your pilgrimage!!!

Zita Habijan

  • From: Debbie Domenico
  • Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Poland, In the Footsteps of St. John Paul II & St. Faustina with Fr. Dawid Kwiatkowski Debbie Domenico
  • Tour 168

Hi Cat,

I am not on Facebook and I don’t know how to do Google or Yelp but I wanted to share what a fabulous pilgrimage we had to Poland with Fr. Dawid. Can you help me out? I must say 206 Tours was the best. We loved Agnes, our guide and everything was perfect. But I would like to share somewhere that others may do the Pilgrimage to Poland.

Thank you and Alexandra for all you did. It was truly the best pilgrimage I have ever been on.

Debbie Domenico

  • From: Ricardo Morales & Nora Morales
  • Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Ricardo Morales & Nora Morales
  • Tour 111

Thank you so much!!!!

It was our first time to walk where Jesus walked. What a wonderful experience!! It went far beyond our expectations. We had an excellent Spiritual leader – Fr. Benedict Croell who led us through prayerful few days. Our tour guide, Sa’id did an excellent job! He is very informative and very helpful. We stayed very satisfied at our hotels. And the meals were great. We sometimes wonder if Tour 206’s expenses were more than what it cost us.

The members of our tour group became our family for 2 weeks.

We cannot imagine being in those places where we only hear at Church. It was an emotional, spiritual journey! Thanks, again to all of you!!♥️🙏

Sincerely,

Ricardo Morales & Nora Morales

of California

  • From: Ken Odibu
  • Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023
  • Subject: Rome, Sorrento & Assisi Ken Odibu
  • Tour 99

Thank you for reaching out. I have since returned and on holidays now.

I thank God for the blessings that we enjoyed on the tour. It was quite beautiful and enriching to share and deepen our faith together. It was a journey of renewal for me and recollection as well. I thank 206tours immensely for the opportunity given to me to lead and provide spiritual guidance on this tour to many families. You have been the best tour group and the future is even brighter as many pilgrims continue to rate your services as the best they have had. Not a single bad review from my years of association with 206tours. I am proud of you. On our last tour, the pilgrims were well behaved; Federica our tour guide was excellent as usual, the drivers too and the choice of sites to visit and the hotels. The logistics too was well coordinated.

Thank you immeasurably for the opportunity and thank you for the amount of work put into each tour project. May God bless you exceedingly.

Fr. Kenneth Odibu

  • From: Odibu Ken
  • Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2023
  • Subject: Rome, Sorrento & Assisi Odibu Ken
  • Tour 99

Dear Jason

Thank you for reaching out. I have since returned and on holidays now.

I thank God for the blessings that we enjoyed on the tour. It was quite beautiful and enriching to share and deepen our faith together. It was a journey of renewal for me and recollection as well. I thank 206tours immensely for the opportunity given to me to lead and provide spiritual guidance on this tour to many families. You have been the best tour group and the future is even brighter as many pilgrims continue to rate your services as the best they have had. Not a single bad review from my years of association with 206tours. I am proud of you. On our last tour, the pilgrims were well behaved; Federica our tour guide was excellent as usual, the drivers too and the choice of sites to visit and the hotels. The logistics too was well coordinated.

Thank you immeasurably for the opportunity and thank you for the amount of work put into each tour project. May God bless you exceedingly.

Fr. Kenneth Odibu

  • From: Joseph Phillips
  • Sent: Monday, July 24, 2023
  • Subject: Lourdes, Paris & Lisieux Pilgrimage Joseph Phillips
  • Tour 8

Hello,

Yes everything exceeded our expectations. There is no way we could have seen and done all we did in the time allowed without expert guides and local drivers as provided by 206tours. The itinerary was expertly arranged so we could visit the maximum practical number of holy sites, emphasizing the most important. Food, hotels and airlines were expertly selected and arranged. I hope we can take another pilgrimage before our time runs out!

Thank you and God Bless us all!

Joe and Maureen Phillips

  • From: Paula
  • Sent: Friday, July 21, 2023
  • Subject: Shrines of Spain & Fatima Pilgrimage Paula
  • Tour 57

Danielle, this Pilgrimage was just incredible! The first part was wonderful, appreciating the history, the beauty and each other. We saw beautiful sites and celebrated Mass in just unbelievable places. But the last 2 big stops, Santiago and Fatima just strengthened my faith in the continued presence and work of the Holy Spirit through out the world. Celebrating the Pilgrims Mass with so many from all over the world that walked the Camino was just beautiful and saying the rosary together with so many people from different languages was most moving! I felt like we were doing exactly what our Blessed Mother asked of us!

Great job! And our guide was great!

Thank you,

Paula

  • From: Fr Jay Harrington
  • Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Paris Fr Jay Harrington
  • Tour 40

Dear Friends at 206Tours,

Thank you once again for the privilege of accompany pilgrimage #40 traveling to Fatima, Lourdes, and Paris as well as other places. We were blessed with excellent escorts Leo and Vanessa and competent and safe bus divers including Miguel, George, and Katherine. The food was delicious and the accommodations very comfortable. More importantly, the pilgrims and I felt blessed to visit the various sacred sites. As one of the couples said, “This journey has been amazing”. God bless you in your important ministry of helping people nurture and strengthen their faith through engaging and beautiful pilgrimages.

Sincerely,

Fr. Jay Harrington, OP

  • From: Anhthu Tran
  • Sent: Monday, July 17, 2023
  • Subject: Rome, Sorrento & Assisi Anhthu Tran
  • Tour 99

Hi Jason,

Thank you for checking in and sorry for the late reply! My daughter and I had a wonderful pilgrimage experience with 206 Tours! We were thoroughly impressed with the quality of care and coordination of all the tour guides and bus drivers, from start to finish it was totally stress and hassle free, we always felt safe and well-cared for, all hotel accommodations, foods, and bus rides were excellent and the people serving us were so courteous and nice. Federica was so organized, responsible and kind, she always took care to ensure our comfort and enjoyment, as well as having our restroom need provided for. Ulysse was knowledgeable and entertaining; Mary and Maria were superb with their English and taught us so much info about Pompeii and Assisi. What a great group of people you have working for the company, I truly appreciate them.

This was our first trip to Italy and we were a little anxious about traveling abroad; however, I will not hesitate to go again with 206 Tours for all the pilgrimages to come and would wholeheartedly recommend your company to everyone else I know.

Warm regards,

Anh

  • From: Fr Cochran
  • Sent: Monday, July 10, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain & Lourdes Pilgrimage Fr Cochran
  • Tour 37

Hi Jason and everyone at 206,

I had a terrific experience at Fatima, Lourdes, Loyola, Avila and everywhere else we went to!!!!

You did a terrific job taking care of all the details so that I could lead the pilgrims on a spiritual experience. Everything worked out terrific. I think everyone was extremely pleased with everything.

The tour guide was terrific offering many wonderful explanations of the sights we were visiting. The bus drivers were very nice and very careful in driving.

After the pilgrimage i stayed a few days in Paris, and the plane was delayed a day leavingPparis. American airlines was very helpful in getting me a hotel and providing me with two meals until the next day when my flight took place.

I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunity of leading the pilgrimage.

Sincerely,

Fr. Paul w. Cochran

  • From: Phyllis
  • Sent: Saturday, July 8, 2023
  • Subject: Shrines of Spain Pilgrimage Phyllis
  • Tour 56

Good morning Danielle,

This response to you at 206 Tours is far from a complaint!! This pilgrimage was the most wonderful trip I have ever taken. From the very beginning there was peace as we moved around Spain. The transportation was excellent, our bus driver Nelson is an accomplished bus driver as well as he has respect for how fast he drove. I really did not think I could do a bus tour because of the speed I saw these buses being driven at in the US. Nelson was just the opposite – I was never afraid while in the bus even on those winding drives up the mountain. Jesus was our guy! He is knowledgeable, clear with instructions and kept us safe. Every day he offered restaurant suggestions, cautioned us on ‘pickpockets’ and was available to help with food restrictions. Not just once but each time it came up. He is the BEST! A very kind hearted man that offered extra help to the older pilgrims. Our hotel accommodations exceeded my already high expectations, the food and the coffee were excellent. In all honesty, I can not find one thing about this trip that I did not truly enjoy. Whenever possible I will travel with 206 Tours and hopefully meet up with Jesus and Nelson on my next adventure.

God bless you and all those behind the scenes for making this an outstanding experience for me.

Until we meet again,

Phyllis

  • From: Rose Frampton
  • Sent: Thursday, July 6, 2023
  • Subject: Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage Rose Frampton
  • Tour 96

This was my first pilgrimage. I hadn’t been out of the country in over a decade and I had never been to Europe. I was so nervous, especially since I was traveling alone with my 15 year old daughter. From the moment we arrived at the airport, our guide, Deborah, made us feel safe and welcomed! She was so kind, patient and nurturing, always checking in with us to see if we needed anything or had any concerns.

Our trip was very well organized. All of the guides who were in charge of giving us tours of the many places we visited were very knowledgeable. I can’t imagine trying to organize visits to all the places we visited on our own!

We walked quite a bit everyday but Deborah, our bus driver and the other guides made every effort to get us as close as possible to the places we visited and even told us how many steps we would need to climb to view certain areas.

In regards to customer service, I had some questions before and after I booked the trip and each email was answered promptly. Overall, this pilgrimage was the experience of a lifetime and I highly recommend 206! I will absolutely use them again!

Rose F.

  • From: Matt
  • Sent: Wednesday, July 5, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Matt
  • Tour 111

Dear 206 Tours Team!

We are still processing our Pilgrimage and how amazing our experience was. This has been a bucket list trip for a very long time, and started with us booking the trip in 2018! Then of course Covid delayed us two times and our 3rd time we were able to add two of our kids to the Pilgrimage, which we believe was God’s plan for us all along. With all that, 206 Tours was always very responsive and helpful as those difficult times and rescheduling must have been stressful on their side as well. On our Pilgrimage we were paired with a small group of 10 other amazing people and we got to be a “Holy Land Family”, and grew closer together each and every day. Our tour Guide George and driver Nazeeh were OUTSTANDING, our kids fell in love with them, and they were always so kind, gentle and patient with everyone in our group. The knowledge George had was impressive and we learned so much, and the Bible came alive for us. We have been praying and reading scripture since we have been back and we can now visualize where these events had taken place. We will highly recommend 206 Tours to anyone that wants to travel to the Holy Land (or any pilgrimage for that matter). I do not know how they did it, but everything ran so smoothly, we rarely had to wait for anything, it was like we were VIP and seemed to be first in line everywhere we went. In addition, the food and the hotel accommodations also exceeded our expectations, we can’t wait to plan another pilgrimage with 206 in another part of the world soon, and we hope to gather our Holy Land Family for a Reunion sometime in the future as well.

Thanks again for an amazing experience!

Matt

  • From: Lydia Parker
  • Sent: Wednesday, July 5, 2023
  • Subject: Shrines of Spain Pilgrimage Lydia Parker
  • frcalloway

Dear Cat ~

Enjoyed a fabulous Tour and thank you so much for sending these 2 group pictures. Father Calloway is the best along with Alessandro’s, our tour guide. Super wonderful and I along with my daughter Kelly and niece Laura also enjoyed all the Shrines, Masses, Rosary and Divine Chaplet that Fr. Calloway said on the bus. Looking into booking another 206 tour soon…

Milanka and her husband were as dear as can be. She even wanted a picture of us to send to Fr. Calloway…

Thank you again Cat.

May Our Dear Lord Bless You…

xxx Lydia Parker

xxx Lee

  • From: Ruth Connell
  • Sent: Wednesday, July 5, 2023
  • Subject: El Camino - The Way of St. James - Spain Ruth Connell
  • Tour 70

The 206 tour was amazing and rewarding in ways I never expected! First of all, our tour guide, Jorge, was meticulous in explaining arrangements history and making sure we were all aware of them. He also kept track of each of us every day, was a charming host at meals, and was full of good and interesting information. He was surprised that we had only one male–it may have made for more bathroom stops! The priest, Fr. Corwin Low, said mass each day, and was a great hiker. He was animated and was a great addition to our group. The bus driver was quiet but very nice and he did a great job with the bus. The food and accommodations were very good.

The trail itself is lovely; the scenery amazing! It was a fabulous group and an altogether wonderful trip! A few days after my return I was approached by several women from my church who asked me to talk with them about the trip–I am looking forward to that!. I’m sure that, if they take the pilgrimage, they will enjoy it as much as I did.

I can’t emphasize enough how much richer the trip was because of Jorge and Father Low.

Ruth Connell

  • From: Milagros Parker
  • Sent: Tuesday, July 4, 2023
  • Subject: Great Shrines of France & Medjugorje Milagros Parker
  • Tour 20-a

Hi Jason,

My France and Medjugorje Pilgrimage last month was excellent. The tour guides and drivers are all great!

Quiko our tour guide in France is very professional, knowledgeable, compassionate and understanding.

Quiko is excellent all around!! 👍🎉

Andrej, my tour guide in Medjugorje is great! He is professional, compassionate, helpful, knowledgeable, energetic and respectful. He worked long hours to help me without issues.

Andrej is awesome !!! 👍🎉

M. Parker

  • From: Mike
  • Sent: Monday, July 3, 2023
  • Subject: Shrines of Spain Pilgrimage Mike
  • Tour 56

Danielle,

Just wanted to say that the pilgrimage far exceeded any expectations that I had. At times it was overwhelming with the sights and history from the guides each day.

The most important part of the trip was the attention to the pilgrims from Pablo and Jesus! I can not say enough that would do justice their dedication and attention throughout the trip. I know it can be like herding cats at times, but they were always patient and made sure the group stayed together.

I can’t say enough about the trip, but most importantly how lucky we were to have the 2 best tour guides that 206 has!

Mike

  • From: Elizabeth McDowell
  • Sent: Monday, July 3, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Elizabeth McDowell
  • Tour 111

Jason,

My trip to the Holy Land was more than I expected. The hotels were wonderful; service, food, cleanliness, were exceptional. Our tour guide was the best. George was topnotch; the perfect guide. If only I could remember the interesting tidbits he told us about all the places we visited. Our driver, Nazeeh was the perfect gentleman. I went on a trip to Medjugorje with 206 tours in 2012 with Wayne Weible, and this was even better. I will recommend you to all my friends.
I have no complaints, only great memories.

Thank you,
Elizabeth McDowell

  • From: Carmen Fraser
  • Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Carmen Fraser
  • Tour 111

Dear Liz and Natasha,

Everything was fantastic. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about my experience. Everything was well plan and the tour were informative.

God Bless you!

Carmen

Thank you Cara for reaching out to me. The pilgrimage was amazing! I tell everyone that it was a trip of a life time. Our tour guide Demetrius was certainly the best of the best! Don’t know if I’ll ever meet anyone again with that much knowledge of a country, and everything about it. He was so kind and had the best personality. Our bus driver did an excellent job and was so kind and caring as well. Our priest as well as deacon were such wonderful spiritual directors. Now to Chris Stefanick. What a gift our Heavenly Father has given him as well as everyone he comes into contact with. He’s a guru of an evangelist! Lastly, you as well as everyone else at 206 tours do an amazing job! Everything in the pilgrimage is so well organized and ran thanks to all of you!!

Jo Ann

  • From: Moira
  • Sent: Friday, June 23, 2023
  • Subject: Jordan & Holy Land Moira
  • Tour 158

Hello Cara,

I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to respond – it’s very hard to put into words what this trip meant to me. It was awesome and I’m still digesting the experience.

I do want to say thank you to you and the entire 206 Tours team for a flawlessly run trip — everything was seamless. The tour guides and drivers were all amazing — I can’t imagine any better. I appreciated so much the help we had at the airports to facilitate entrys/departures between countries. Fortunately I didn’t have any problems whatsoever bringing my medicines with me – that was one concern I had.

The main difficulty I felt was the airport at Istanbul — getting rom gate to gate was rough. I wish that there were either a shorter layover or one long enough to catch a quick peek into Istanbul itself. Egypt air was definitely not the same quality as Turkish Airlines.

Thank you again for putting this trip together in a way that felt effortless – so we could truly focus on the pilgrimage– yet I know that there were a lot of logistics and hard work behind the scenes.

God bless,

Moira

  • From: JoAnn
  • Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2023
  • Subject: Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage JoAnn
  • Tour 96

Danielle,

Just returned from our 206 Tour. It was excellent. I just wanted to thank you for all you did to make our trip so wonderful. I was a little nervous about all the different connections we needed to make on our own in Venice, but you executed every little detail with people meeting us. Our guide in Venice was excellent and everyone was very helpful in getting us where we needed to be next.

With much appreciation,

JoAnn & Dale

  • From: Pax
  • Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Assisi, Rome and The Holy Land Pax
  • Tour 118

Dear Alexandra,

Peace be with you! I just want to sincerely thank the good Lord for you and for all the hard work you put in to accommodate our requests before and during our blessed pilgrimage. I studied in Rome and so I wanted to share with the group the city that I came to love not realizing how much some of the itinerary changes impacted you and your team. You all really went the extra mile to help us experience these two cities of grace–thank you, we will be ever grateful, and may the good Lord bless you for all your kindness and generosity!

Pax,
Father Michael Hendershott, S.T.L.

  • From: Buen Camino
  • Sent: Monday, June 12, 2023
  • Subject: El Camino - The Way of St. James - Spain Buen Camino
  • Tour 70

Dear 206 Tours staff,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to comment on my recent pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago with 206 Tours. I must say, it exceeded my wildest expectations in every possible way.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deep gratitude to our Spiritual Director, Father Ivan Dawson.

His wisdom, guidance, and unwavering faith truly enriched our journey.

Father Dawson’s profound insights and compassionate presence made our pilgrimage an unforgettable spiritual experience.

His devotion to our group and his ability to foster a sense of community among us was truly remarkable.

I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our outstanding guide, Jorge.

His extensive knowledge of the Camino, its history, and its spiritual significance added a layer of depth to our journey.

Jorge’s infectious enthusiasm and genuine care for each and every one of us made our trek all the more memorable.

His leadership and constant support were invaluable, ensuring that we remained on the right path, both literally and figuratively.

As we embarked on this pilgrimage, I had certain expectations regarding the accommodations and meals. To my delight, both aspects exceeded all expectations.

The accommodations arranged by 206 Tours were of exceptional quality, providing us with comfortable and welcoming spaces to rest and rejuvenate after each day’s walk.

The thoughtfulness and attention to detail were evident, making us feel truly cared for throughout our journey.

Now, let’s talk about the food! I must confess, the culinary experiences along the Camino were nothing short of extraordinary.

From hearty regional dishes to delightful local delicacies, every meal was a feast for the senses. The flavors, the freshness, and the presentation were simply outstanding.

I indulged in each bite, savoring the remarkable gastronomic treasures the Camino had to offer.

In fact, despite our daily walking of 75 miles, I must admit that I gained a few pounds. But it was all worth it!

My pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago with 206 Tours was an extraordinary experience that surpassed all expectations.

The combination of Father Ivan Dawson’s spiritual guidance, Jorge’s exceptional leadership, the comfortable accommodations, and the outstanding culinary delights made this journey a truly transformative one.

The memories that were created and the lessons I learned will continue to inspire and guide me on my spiritual path.

In conclusion, I have taken 5 pilgrimages in the past, none were with 206 Tours. None of my previous pilgrimages equaled the quality of the tour with 206 Tours.

206 tours stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Buen Camino

  • From: Mary
  • Sent: Friday, June 9, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Greece and Greeks Isle Cruise Mary
  • Tour 161

Hi Alexandra,

It attests to our shared pilgrimage experience of appreciation for 206 Tours (which I voiced to all throughout and especially in my final remarks of acknowledgements on the bus to the airport prior to departure), for the experience of our communications/interactions (206, mainly via you with me) throughout this organizational process (an unexpected pandemic interfering with original years/plans!) and continuing to this year’s beautifully experienced reality throughout Greece and the cruise following, with the professionally and personally especially great tour guide, Nena not the least among the satisfaction of having planned this through 206 Tours.

I don’t recall a single complaint which in itself, is amazing!

THANK YOU for a WONDERFULLY BLESSED PILGRIMAGE experience!

Nena’s attention to detail and consideration of daily schedules around our voiced needs (Fr.’s talks, etc.) was superb! By far, she was the best I’ve experienced to date in the better part of a decade and I have been most pleased with 206 Tours!

More when I have time -and I will be looking for some quotes for our next considered pilgrimage very soon!

God bless!
Mary

  • From: Kathleen McCaffrey
  • Sent: Wednesday, June 7, 2023
  • Subject: Fulfilling trip to Italy

Good morning Piernha! We are home after a very fulfilling trip to Italy. All our accommodations, tours, and travel plans were comfortable, knowledgeable, and timely. Our heads are exploding with all the knowledge shared with us. The weather contributed to an enjoyable vacation. We never encountered an issue throughout the next 2 weeks.

Thank you for all your efforts to provide us with a most enjoyable visit through Italy.

Kathleen McCaffrey

Our pilgrimage was absolutely amazing! We loved our guides, Frederica and George. They really went out of their way to make it a wonderful experience. They were knowledgeable, patient, and fun. We loved Assisi, Orvieto, and Norcia. Rome was a blast, very active, and an unforgettable experience. The food in Italy was delicious. Also, our local guide in Rome, Tatiana, was superb. The Holy land was so impactful and life changing. It really brought the Bible and rosary to life. Our whole group was so touched by visiting all the places Jesus had been. We all loved the boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. It was a great surprise! Gethsemane was also incredible and being able to kneel at the rock Jesus prayed at was most memorable. George was the best! He was so touched by our group and we had a hard time saying good bye to him. He was so caring and stayed with us at the airport to make sure we got through security without any issues. Absolutely loved this unforgettable pilgrimage!

Christine

  • From: Eileen and George Boylen
  • Sent: Wednesday, June 7, 2023
  • Subject: Medjugorje Pilgrimage Eileen and George Boylen
  • Tour 1

My husband and I went on pilgrimage with Father Ed Murphy and 206 Tours. Despite the fact that it was cold and rainy the whole time (unusual for May) it was an incredible experience. Father is so inspiring and giving of his time. He said Mass for us in a different church every day, prayed with us after dinner, led discussions, and went on virtually every excursion. We were so blessed to have him!

Slavenka was our tour guide and she was fabulous! Her knowledge of the history, not just Medjugorje but Bosnia/Herzegovina, was so impressive and helped to put a lot of things in context. She was always cheerful and pleasant and did everything she could to help make it an enjoyable experience. I had a medical situation while I was there and she jumped to assistance finding me the resources I needed and the transportation to get there. She did much more than just guide the tour. The drivers were great but we had different ones throughout the tour so it’s difficult to remember names.

We loved the Hotel Grace. The room was very comfortable and well-appointed and the hotel in general exceeded our expectations. The hotel staff bent over backwards to serve us and they were very nice as well. Our only reservation is that we felt the food could have been better.

I would definitely recommend 206 Tours and would happily travel with them again.

Thank you,

Eileen and George Boylen

  • From: Fr Willy
  • Sent: Monday, June 5, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Fr Willy
  • Tour 111

Dear Natasha and Liz,

I pray this email finds you well.

I am writing on behalf of the entire group to express sincere appreciation and gratitude for the wonderful Holy Land Pilgrimage you arranged for us. The trip was truly an uplifting spiritual experience. We enjoyed the accommodations, the activities and the various sites that we visited. We had an amazing time and truly appreciated all the thought and effort you put into making it a memorable journey.

It was also an immense pleasure to work with the tour guide Rajai Manzo and the bus driver Nazeeh Sayed. They both are two wonderful men who impressed the entire group by their generosity, humility, patience, great sense of humor, communicative and organizational skills. I have attended various pilgrimages in my life, but I have never met such a great tour guide and bus driver, and I think everyone in the group would say the same. I hope they make other pilgrims happy, as they made us happy during those 8 days in the Holy Land.

Fr Willy

  • From: Pat V.
  • Sent: Friday, June 2, 2023
  • Subject: Poland and Medjugorje Pat V.
  • Tour 168-a

Dear Judith and Natasha,

Our Pilgrimage DID exceed our expectations!  Our sweet group never had a twisted ankle, got sick, were late, had a delayed flight, or any problem at all…except it rained EVERYDAY.

I believe everyone experienced the peace in Medjugorje and the huge bronze statue of the Risen Christ was weeping; they all took a turn to gather a drop or two of His right side while weeping. The healing Mass with Father Ed Murphy at the previous church of Father Jozo touched all of us.   SO many categories to complement you on that it seems only right to detail and number them:

1. Ivan is just a gem, always clear about our daily schedule, and a very knowledgeable historian, It didn’t rain all day our first day in Medjugorje so we got to climb Apparition Mountain…and several went back again, even in the rain.  Our day in Dubrovnik was our only sunny day and it was a perfect day trip, with our own Mass with Father James in St. Blaise Church and the exquisite small altar.  That local city guide covered a lot of ground in an hour or so and was excellent.  We had a total of about 3+ hours which was just about right for the Mass, guided tour, and free time.

2. Sabinia is absolutely delightful, also always welcoming with a huge warm smile…despite all the rain!  I think we were all dazzled by Poland and the years of Christianity with a Catholic church on almost every corner.  It’s impossible to rate these two guides because they each are not doing their job for the money…they love their country and the group they are in charge of…”shepherding” if you wish…for a very short period and they give 100% with very long days in a “brief sprint of time”.  All the local guides at each site did a great job with all the detail, each unique in their presentation…especially loved the little nun at St Faustina’s chapel and the older monk at the Jasna Gora Monastery.

3. What was in the daily Poland itinerary was incredible.  As a small group, we thought it was paced very well and never seemed rushed.  I was particularly amazed at each and every time we had a scheduled private Mass for Father James, the altar was ready…with candles lite, wine and water on the altar, etc.  Father could vest up and be ready in minutes to celebrate Mass.  That’s years of your organizational skills on display, Natasha!

4. Our one sunny day in Dubrovnik was a highlight…everyone in the group seemed delighted to visit this historic walled-in city on the Adriatic. The choice of the day fit perfectly into our Medjugorje schedule…not at the beginning and not the last day.  You kindly included my friend to join me that day without cost, Kathy Lauwers, who is a dear friend and was in Medjugorje that week with her husband…they have adopted a young boy in the Children’s Village and come frequently to see him.

5. Rosa “held court” at the very inviting Sulic Pansion!  Our rooms were so clean and well done, our corner table for 9 was always delightful with those platters of great homemade food.  Great location, charming hostess, and every effort to make us welcome was extended.  The huge coffee machine for lattes, etc. was appreciated by the group.  I left a very large room tip just for my cleaning gal and she was in tears.

6. The Warsaw “splurge” of the Mamaison was elegant and being very tight on time, a perfect location to start our “old town” tour right there!  The supper was as beautifully done as were the rooms.  The last hotel, Radisson Blu, was a 3-night stay and dazzled us with a written menu each night of gourmet suppers.  Wine and water being included each and every night was mentioned by several as “how nice it was to come down for supper and have no extra expense”.  Several told me that they had never had the quality of the food on this trip, compared to other world tours they had been on.

7. We were all impressed with both the Luthansa and the Austria Airlines.  Bathrooms were clean from the start of the flight to the finish.

8. Now that we are all home, glowing reports keep coming.  I see 5, sometimes 6, out of our 9 at daily Mass with Father James…the nice part about having our own parish group…the good rapport will be there forever.

In conclusion, so many thanks for walking me through all the beginning steps of our venture.  The “stamp of approval” comes from all of us for the exceptional planning and performance by 206 Tours.  When you say the guide will be there at the airport, the guide IS there!  I’m already thinking of next May ’24 parish pilgrimage…

In Christ and Mary,

Pat V.

  • From: Tim and June
  • Sent: Thursday, June 1, 2023
  • Subject: The Best Shrines of France Pilgrimage Tim and June
  • Tour 5

Tour was fantastic. Our spiritual director, tour guide and driver were exceptional. The accommodations were great; the meals were very good ; and the entire pilgrimage ran perfectly. Daily Mass at so many different churches was spiritually uplifting and the final Mass in the Cathedral at Santiago will be one that we always remember. My wife and I were very impressed by 206 Tours.

Tim and June

  • From: Linda D.
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Dr. Scott Hahn Linda D.
  • Dr. Scott Hahn Pilgrimages

Dear Liz,

Thank you Liz, for taking care of the Monday night ‘cancellation by the airline’ fees. (Transportation and hotel). Everyone at 206 Tours has been so helpful and kind. Especially when we called and woke Natasha at 3am – we were abandoned by the United Airlines but not 206 tours. Thank you, thank you!

This was our third pilgrimage with 206 tours, thank you for guiding us on our spiritual journey.

Linda and Dave D

  • From: Nora
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Nora
  • Tour 111

What a wonderful trip I can not say enough about our guide Yoseph in the holy land he was so knowledgeable I am 84 years old he went out of his way to accommodate me and others I will never hear the gospel or say the rosary the same I now picture the different sites its made the time of Jesus so real and emotional I felt safe and well taken care of I would go anywhere with 206 tours thank you.

Nora

  • From: Kathleen B.
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land with Dr. Scott and Kimberly Hahn Kathleen B.
  • Dr. Scott Hahn Pilgrimages

Hi Liz and Natasha,

The Pilgrimage was amazing! We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it! 206 Tours did a great job…everything was very organized…we couldn’t have been more pleased!

I am getting ready to register for one of the 206 Tours to Medjugorje that takes place in September. I will be attending with a friend of mine. I told her I’d feel very comfortable with 206 Tours, after the wonderful experience I had in the Holy Land.

Thank you!

Kathy

  • From: Fr. Robert Ambalathingal
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
  • Subject: Greece Pilgrimage Fr. Robert Ambalathingal
  • Tour 161

Hi Team 206,

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to lead the group to Greece. I had a wonderful experience. The pilgrimage of footsteps of St. Paul was really educational. The tour was well arranged. We had a great tour Manager Maria and an excellent group. Thank you for everything.

God bless you and your families !!!

Fr. Robert Ambalathingal

  • From: Kean Knerr
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
  • Subject: Walk Where Jesus Walked

It is with great pleasure for me to provide feedback on how the pilgrimage experience has changed my life and outlook on things.  First, I want to thank all parties involved with making this the most awesome experience of my life.  From the beginning till the end, it was truly First Class all the way.    I originally booked this tour in 2019 but due to the COVID restrictions had to postpone it numerous times, but I am glad I waited, it was remarkable.  Once I began the actual journey it was flawless, from the pick up at the airport in Tel-Aviv to the return to the airport, everything ran like clockwork.  Our guide Josef Kurt was extraordinary, his knowledge of the history of each place and his ability to make the Bible come alive and make sense by tying all of the Old Testament to the New Testament, shed a whole new light on my understanding and experience.  My scripture reading will never be the same now that my mind has been opened.  It was like Jesus explaining the scriptures to the travelers on the road to Emmaus.

I was so impressed with everything, I would rate it a 5 Star experience, the hotels and food were way beyond my expectations.  First Class all the way.   I actually kept a journal of everything and prepared a presentation to align with my pictures which is a 3-hour session.  I presented it to my church in Florida and it was extremely well received.  This accounts for my delay in responding sooner, it took a great deal of time to put all of the pieces of the trip together to align with the journal.

To share some of my feelings about the trip I am including an excerpt from my journal reflections:

“This trip has forever changed my life. I look at the Bible, Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and Mass and they have a whole new meaning for me since I actually walked where Jesus walked. It is now my time to preach the Fifth Gospel.  The Fifth Gospel is the sharing of this pilgrimage and the experiences I had while in the Holy Land.  It is the experience of walking where Jesus walked and contemplating the events that occurred at the sites that we visited.  It is the sharing of this experience, not unlike what the first disciples did after the resurrection; and continuing to preach the gospels through the way we live to the ends of the earth. “

 I would highly recommend this pilgrimage to anyone and would love to share my experience further if needed.  Thanks for a wonderful, life-changing experience and I look forward to the next pilgrimage I take with 206 Tours, Inc.

Kean Knerr

Dear Liz and Natasha,

Thanks so much with your help for this pilgrimage! I confess that I had worries before going that I had spent too much money, but that all went away when Dr. Hahn starting talking about the Our Father as we looked out over the Sea of Galilee and it just kept being great. Surely a life-changer for the better !

Blessings to you! Deacon Joe, Berta and Heather.

Joseph Calvert

  • From: Jose
  • Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2023
  • Subject: Portugal, Spain and Lourde Jose
  • Tour 37

Dear Danielle
My husband and I had a marvelous trip to Portugal, Spain and Lourdes
It was heaven on earth from the day we left to our arrival home.
We had the best guide Cristina she made us part of her family through out the whole trip.
We also had an excellent bus driver David through out the whole trip
We also had an extraordinary spiritual guide who was our pastor Stephen Banjare.
God bless your 206tours

Jose & Maria

  • From: Lisa Sengenberger
  • Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Lisa Sengenberger
  • Dr. Scott Hahn Pilgrimages

Dear Liz and Natasha,

We have only positive feedback to give regarding the pilgrimage! It was incredibly well-organized, our tour guide Joseph was so knowledgeable and attentive, and the Biblical Feast at the end was both a wonderful experience in itself and also a wonderful way to end the week by having fun with all of our fellow pilgrims after getting to know each other all week!

Lisa Sengenberger

  • From: Tom and Theresa
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2023
  • Subject: Rome pilgrimage Tom and Theresa
  • Tour 97

My wife Theresa and l were absolutely overjoyed at the great team at 206 Tours. They were knowledgeable and fantastic.

Another time we will use you again.

Again, thank you all and God bless.

Sincerely,

Tom and Theresa

  • From: Tonia & Chuka
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2023
  • Subject: Jordan & The Holy Land Pilgrimage Tonia & Chuka
  • Tour 158

This trip is the best ever for my husband and I! You were on top of your game on every aspect of our pilgrimage to Jordan/Holy Land (Tour 158)

Our flight was a little too long, New Orleans to Newark to Vienna, Austria to Amman, Jordan but the moment we got to Jordan everything was just smooth sailing. From the airport agent to the tour guide, Khader,to meeting the rest of the crew, to the hotel, to dinner, we were totally impressed. Fr. Jack, a young and vibrant priest from Australia was on fire! He exhibited some fire works to our already inflamed Spirit. He was chosen for our pilgrimage. He even made a song pamphlet for the beginning and end of the Holy Journey. We were blessed to have him!

As we get ready to cross over to the Promised Land it was bitter sweet. Sad to say goodbye to our friend Khader but joyful anticipation to see what God promised us which was indeed fulfilled. In the Promised Land we were greeted by our young vibrant Yoseph (Joseph). He knows the place like history book, took us everywhere. My husband and I and other couples in our group renewed our wedding vows at Canan and celebrated another mass, thanks to Fr Jack by the Sea of Galilee, at Magdala! If you leave me I’ll write a book narrative. Just know that I have sent your website to everyone I’ve talked to about my trip even strangers I met at the airport on our return flight from Newark to New Orleans. They felt something inside and asked where I was coming from. I did not hold back. Of course they asked for your info which I gladly collected their phone number and texted them your website.

May God continue to endow you with His graces for helping the world see God’s Word bestowed on Earth. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

With love & appreciation,

Tonia & Chuka

  • From: David and Susan Bissmeyer
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage David and Susan Bissmeyer
  • Tour 111

Liz / Patrick / Natasha

Hey team, Susan and I had a most amazing trip to the Holy Land last week with Team 206 and Scott Hahn.

Not sure how things could have run any better.

Thanks

David & Susan

  • From: Patricia Baloga
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Patricia Baloga
  • Tour 111

Hi Liz,

The pilgrimage was amazing! Everything was so organized and was all I hoped it would be. Thank you for the pictures!Our guide was Michel who was outstanding!

Thank you for everything!

Patricia Baloga

Liz and Natasha,

It was a great pilgrimage! Remy in Jordan and Michel in Israel were really good guides. However, the real hero’s were the drivers!

Thanks for all you do and for answering all of my questions. We met some new lifelong friends on the trip.

Such lovely people.

Blessings

Gerrie

  • From: Jill
  • Sent: Monday, May 22, 2023
  • Subject: Poland, Prague & Medjugorje Jill
  • Tour 169-a

Hello!

My mom and I have just returned from our pilgrimage to Poland, Prague and Medugorje. As I contemplate our journey and begin to reflect on the many fruits, I cannot help but think of the entire staff of 206 Tours. As we journeyed through a land filled with Catholic saints and martyrs and where Mary reigns as Queen, I felt like I was still missing something that was right in front of me. Then it hit me! It is the staff of 206 Tours. The staff responding to my emails, all of the drivers, the tour guides, the staff at Hotel Grace in Medjugorje…everyone was authentically living out their Catholic faith through 206 Tours.

I would highly recommend 206 Tours to anyone considering a pilgrimage. 206 cares about all of the details of your journey and that includes the people that they choose to surround you on your faith journey.

May God bless each one of you!

Jill

  • From: Fr.Chris
  • Sent: Monday, May 22, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain, Lourdes & Paris Fr.Chris
  • Tour 40

Good morning

After successfully completing Tour 40, I came back yesterday from Paris, France.

It was an excellent Pilgrimage. Everyone repeatedly praising Tour 206 for the best arrangements.

Everyone is so happy with the holy places we visited, hotels we stayed and the journey in between.

Thanks for all your excellent coordination, efforts and perfect planning.

We could feel God was guiding us on our way and everyday of Tour 206.

Thanks for providing me with the opportunity of serving as a Spiritual Guide. It was an excellent experience and holy moments of encounter with our pilgrims – many one-on-one meetings, counselling, confessions, spiritual direction, advice etc. Everyone liked this pilgrimage very well.

Best regards,

Fr.Chris

  • From: Virginia
  • Sent: Monday, May 22, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima & Lourdes Virginia
  • Tour 34

Good Morning,

The recent tour that we joined to Fatima, Lourdes and much more was well beyond my expectations. I had a wonderful time and will cherish this experience for years to come. Our tour guide, Francisco, was extremely knowledgeable, caring and friendly. The entire pilgrimage was well organized, spiritual and enlightening.

Thank you,

Virginia

Danielle

I just wanted to write a note to tell you that the trip COULD NOT have been better. It was an outstanding experience at every level of the way. Thank you so very much to taking care of every detail. And if you are able to contact our guide, HABIB, please let him know of his excellence. He was stellar.

Heartfelt thanks

Carmen

  • From: Fr. Richard Baafi
  • Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2023
  • Subject: Prague, Salzburg, Vienna & Budapest Pilgrimage Fr. Richard Baafi
  • Tour 187

Dear Rinda and Danielle,

I am glad to inform you that our Prague-Salzburg-Vienna-Budapest pilgrimage was a great success. Even though the weather was sometimes rainy, we had a wonderful pilgrimage. All participants were very happy to share in this amazing time of grace. I must commend our guide, Viola Kaczmarczyk. She was extremely helpful, patient and articulate.

I thank you for the opportunity to share the gift of my priesthood with the people of God. I look forward to helping again in future. May God bless 206 Tours and the staff.

I pray for you and remember me in your prayers as well.

God bless.

Fr. Richard

  • From: Fr. Pierre Deglaire
  • Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima & Lourdes Fr. Pierre Deglaire
  • Tour 34

Good morning Rinda,

I am back from Fatima and Lourdes, if the beginning of the pilgrimage was a bit chaotic with the flight Newark Lisbon cancelled (it is the third time I have a similar experience) everything else went smoothly, WE were in Fatima at the time of the anniversary of the apparitions and to be in a crowd evaluated by EWTN to 230.000 people is an experience unforgettable. In Lourdes when we arrived we were surprised to meet soldiers from many countries including Vatican Swiss guards and american marines participating in the international military pilgrimage,marching in the streets of Lourde, some of them with their own music. they were 14.000 military people I believe, it’s also a unique experience.

People expressed their satisfaction at the end of the pilgrimage.

David was a very good and helpful guide..

It was not my first pilgrimage in these two places and Everytime I go back, it’s a unique experience and I really enjoy it.

A great Thank you to 206 Pilgrimages

My prayers accompany the 206 people who make these pilgrimages possible..

Father Pierre Deglaire

  • From: Jill Brien
  • Sent: Friday, May 19, 2023
  • Subject: Poland, Prague and Medjugorje Jill Brien
  • Tour169-a

Hello!

My mom and I have just returned from our pilgrimage to Poland, Prague and Medugorje. As I contemplate our journey and begin to reflect on the many fruits, I cannot help but think of the entire staff of 206 Tours. As we journeyed through a land filled with Catholic saints and martyrs and where Mary reigns as Queen, I felt like I was still missing something that was right in front of me. Then it hit me! It is the staff of 206 Tours. The staff responding to my emails, all of the drivers, the tour guides, the staff at Hotel Grace in Medjugorje…everyone was authentically living out their Catholic faith through 206 Tours.

I would highly recommend 206 Tours to anyone considering a pilgrimage. 206 cares about all of the details of your journey and that includes the people that they choose to surround you on your faith journey.

May God bless each one of you!

Jill Brien

  • From: Mike
  • Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain & Lourdes Pilgrimage Mike
  • Tour 37

Hi! All in all, it was a magnificent experience and Quico, our guide from Lisbon to Lourdes was wonderful! This was our third tour with your company and we tell everyone we know to use your company if they are looking for a great experience!

Thanks again

Mike

  • From: Susie
  • Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2023
  • Subject: Mexico Pilgrimage Our Lady of Guadalupe Susie
  • Tour 206

Thank you 206 for an amazing pilgrimage to Mexico City to visit Our Lady of Guadalupe. I made the trip with my daughter, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I am so impressed with the care and details of the entire 206 staff. We especially loved Roberto, our guide. He was so attentive to the needs of the group and shared excellent historical stories of all the places we visited. I am looking forward to possibly booking another adventure to Spain next summer. Blessing for all you do.

Susie

  • From: Ed.Koenke
  • Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2023
  • Subject: Medjugorje Pilgrimage Ed.Koenke
  • Tour 1

It was a deeply profound Spiritual experience. Compliments and gratitude to our tour guide Slava and our spiritual director Fr Daniels. I would definately travel with 206 again!

Ed & Mary

  • From: Maria
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain & Lourdes Pilgrimage Maria
  • Tour 37

It was a holy, fun and overall magnificent pilgrimage!

You selected an amazing Priest/Monk (Fr Greg) and Tour Guide (Quico).

Your itinerary was excellent and the hotels were great! You have an excellent company, I will definitely plan another pilgrimage with you in the future.

Thank you for making my 70th birthday gift to myself memorable!

Maria

  • From: David
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
  • Subject: Ireland & Medjugorje David
  • Tour 202-a

Hello Danielle

Yes the tour of Ireland & Medjugorge was wonderful. Father Dominic was great. The weather held off much rain so that was good.I plan on going to Greece with 206 Tours next year God willing.Thanks for your email.

David

  • From: Dina
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain & Lourdes Pilgrimage Dina
  • Tour 37

Just had to take the time to say how wonderful the pilgrimage was .. beautiful and faith filled experience.  Quico was a great tour guide.  I will book another pilgrimage in the future.  I was on another pilgrimage with 206 my parish used for the holy land and that was also a wonderful experience.

Blessings

Dina

  • From: David Jaminet
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
  • Subject: Ireland & Medjugorje David Jaminet
  • Tour 202-a

Hello Danielle:

Yes the tour of Ireland & Medjugorge was wonderful. Father Dominic was great. The weather held off much rain so that was good.I plan on going to Greece with 206 Tours next year God willing.Thanks for your email.

David Jaminet

 

  • From: Kathy Catugal
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
  • Subject: The Holy Land & Medjugorje Kathy Catugal
  • Tour 112

Aloha to all of you at 206 Tours,

Yes, all I have to say about my pilgrimage with 206 Tours is that it was 100% a Blessing.

From the time I first booked the Tour, to the very end, 206 took care of and took great interest in my satisfaction and my wellbeing on the entire trip. I was completely happy. Our Tour guide, Jeovanni, was a wealth of knowledge and support for everyone on our tour of 27 people. He was a very genuine individual. His heart was in his work! And our Spiritual Advisor, Father Peter was always there if you needed spiritual guidance or just a friend, he was amazing and also had a wealth of info regarding all of the spiritual sights.

Again, from the initial booking through all of the update and follow everything couldn’t have been better.

I thank you all for you guidance and hospitality and for all that you do as individuals and as a team. I look forward to my next pilgrimage with 206 Tours.

Kathy Catugal

  • From: Fr. Phil
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Poland & Medjugorje Fr. Phil
  • Tour 168-a

Dear Piernha,

Just a quick note to thank you and 206 for an awesome Pilgrimage. Everything was perfect.

The guides were superior, accommodations outstanding and food was excellent.

I don’t know how it could have been made any better.

My group and I will be making a decision about a Pilgrimage we will want to make in May of 2024.

Once again, thanks for everything. Things couldn’t have been better.

God Bless,

Fr. Phil

  • From: SUSAN SPINA
  • Sent: Monday, May 15, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage SUSAN SPINA
  • Tour 111

It is so hard to process and describe the incredible experience, both spiritually and emotionally, on this pilgrimage.

Our Tour Guide, Yosef Kurk and our Spiritual Director, Fr. Joel were both outstanding,.

Yosef was a walking encyclopedia with his knowledge of the History of the Holy Land and presented it in a very informative and sequential manner. His knowledge of the Bible goes with out saying. Plus, he had a tremendous personality complete with patience for those of us who had “overload” with all the information he imparted.

Many of our friends and family have inquired about our trip and as my husband has said numerous times. “No adjectives could adequately described our journey.” Our reply every day was a blessing and brought us closer to God. Mass was celebrated by Fr. Joel, at the Main Altars in the Churches we visited. Especially moving was our private Mass in the Holy Sepulcher Church with the Franciscans, their choir and Fr. Joel participating the the Mass. It was a High Mass at 7:30am scheduled after our 4:30am Via Dolorosa walk. Fr. Joel involved us in the Mass, as members of our group were asked to plan the songs and he assigned readings. How special for my husband to do a reading in the Church of the Transfiguration and hold the chalice for Fr. Joel during communion. Another member of our group was given a reading during the Mass in the Holy Sepulcher. So moving and thoughtful for him to have us partake in these wonderful experiences.

It’s a wonder how anyone would doubt their faith after seeing, walking the path that Jesus walked, which was brought to life by the guidance of Yosef and Fr. Joel. The whole pilgrimage brought full circle the beauty of Israel, the peacefulness of the sites we saw and the Agony Jesus experienced so we could “live”.

206 Tours was first class in all aspects from arranging out Flights to the First Class Hotels and also the incredible meals. We were told by other travel agents, not to miss having dinner at the top of the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem . How fortunate was our tour to stay there and enjoy the exquisite meals 3 days. The hotel was so conveniently located right across from the New Gate into Old Jerusalem .

This pilgrimage changed our lives. We brought home with us a greater understanding of our faith and a peaceful heart. Thank you for making that happen.

Susan

  • From: Fr. Maciej Zajac
  • Sent: Monday, May 15, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain & Lourdes Pilgrimage Fr. Maciej Zajac
  • Tour 37

Hello Rinda

Just want to say thank you for organizing such a great group and a beautiful pilgrimage to Fatima and Lourdes and all other places we visited. Our Tour Guide Vanessa was fantastic and it was a truly enriching experience to go to such Holy Sites with the 206.

Blessings for the Ascension week,

Fr. Maciej Zajac

  • From: Gina Gangnier
  • Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2023
  • Subject: Trinitarian Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Gina Gangnier
  • Tour 111

Dear Cara,

The Pilgrimage was beyond my imaginable expectations! Sister Magdalit and Father Jacques were a wealth of Biblical knowledge and knew Israel like the back of their hands. The Hotels were perfect! They were in the perfect locations, and made it easy for us to dive into the moment as well as being close to the important places we wanted to embrace. This was a trip that needed the extra thought, and Sister Magdalit thought of everything! My husband and I learned so much from her, we are truly different people because of her. Father Jacques carried the Holy Spirit with him to everywhere we went. I physically felt the Holy Spirit’s presence the entire trip. There were different intensities of him with our whole group, and you could visually see it. I don’t have the words to describe the experiences we had, but I can tell you it was above and beyond! Not only did we go to the places mentioned, but we saw other added interests. Every door was opened that could be. Our bus driver, Humid was very considerate in all his actions. He would go the extra mile and make great suggestions along the way as well. I felt sadness when it was time to go. The Holy Land was like my home I didn’t know I had. We definitely want to return, God willing.

Gina Gangnier

  • From: Sue Ellen Castellan
  • Sent: Friday, May 12, 2023
  • Subject: El Camino - The Way of St. James - Spain Sue Ellen Castellan
  • Tour 70

Some people that you meet leave a special impression. I’d just like to take an opportunity to compliment our tour guide, Jorge, from our El Camino tour which just completed. Jorge was amazing in his ability to meet the needs of the large and varied group he led. He was always joyful, patient, kind, helpful, and organized. He also genuinely related to all his pilgrims in a personal way, and cared for the needs of some who needed special consideration. Jorge was considerate, interesting and knowledgeable. He definitely added an awesome quality to the pilgrimage. I am sure my whole tour group would agree.

Sue Ellen Castellan

  • From: Marge
  • Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2023
  • Subject: Fatima, Spain & Lourdes Pilgrimage Marge
  • Tour 37

Hi Natasha & Liz,

I wanted to be sure to let you know that our pilgrimage was a great success!

It was full of so many extra special blessing AND healings! Amazing healings that I’d love to share once I come off Cloud 9😇! The graces keep on coming!

Our tour guide, Cristina was awesome! She was full of knowledge and so much fun. She quickly became part of our family! Everyone was very happy! Our 102 year old did wonderfully too. There was an incredible amount of walking with inclines. Some had to get used to it, but overall everyone rallied and were just so happy for the experience!!

Thank you again for all your hard work and dedication to making sure things ran smoothly! Can’t wait to go on pilgrimage again soon!

Thanks and God bless!

Marge

  • From: Elenita
  • Sent: Monday, May 8, 2023
  • Subject: Jordan & Holy Land Pilgrimage Elenita
  • Tour 158

A very huge thank you to both of you for letting us go on with this trip! Danielle, you are amazing when you reserved those 10 seats to Vienna and Amman for us! There were so many flights that were cancelled before we got into WA. The line at the customer center was so long and rebooking was a nightmare. Your foresight in reprotecting our flights early made it easier for us. Thank you to both of you for your patience, esp with me calling you at odd hours and on Sunday! Everybody had a wonderful time. Our guides are amazing! Laith was such a big help in getting my luggage back! And Nassif made sure everybody got taken cared of at the airport! Your staff is awesome!

Thank you, thank you, thank you again and again!

God bless!

Ellen

  • From: Arlete
  • Sent: Monday, May 8, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Arlete
  • Tour 111

Dear Cara,

Thank you for your email and for ALL your help with this trip to the Holy Land.

It was a wonderful experience for me, we visited so many beautiful places!

The trip guide, George Filmon, did a fantastic job!!! He was a very pleasant person with a great deal of knowledge. He shared with us that he attended a Catholic school. I really enjoyed talking to him.

The bus driver, Shaddy was very pleasant as well. He was a careful driver and he kept us safe every day. We were very fortunate to have such a great team to help us.

Also, we met Andrea at the airport upon our arrival in Tel Aviv and she was very nice and helpful. She had lived in Brooklyn, New York.

You did a wonderful job organizing this trip for us Cara and I wish you many blessings. May God always bless you!!!

My sincere appreciation for all your help!!!

Warmest regards,

Arlete

  • From: Jorge and Mary Chapa
  • Sent: Thursday, May 4, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Jorge and Mary Chapa
  • Tour 111

Hi Piernha!

I have been asked many times since we came back home how the pilgrimage was and it is really hard to describe with words, the best I can say: It is a huge blessing in our lives!!!

My wife and I want to thank you and the whole 206 Tours team for making this pilgrimage the blessing it is for our lives and those related to us.

Having our great driver Farid taking us from place to place without any problems, having our guide Giovanni explaining many things and taking care of us and the logistics and of course, having Fr. Peter Dugandzic guiding us spiritually and offering Mass every day has been an excellent experience.

Thanks to God and the cooperation of the 206 Tours team, everything went smoothly even during a change of plans due to the two days of rain we experienced. The change or plans gave us the opportunity to visit a couple of extra places not originally included in the itinerary. Farid and Giovanni did an excellent job with the change of plans.

The itinerary is well planned, the instructions were clear and that helped to have a pleasant and smooth pilgrimage.

We are thankful for all this and for having met the other pilgrims, we felt as if we have known each other for long time.

We will certainly refer our friends to 206 Tours and will be using your services in the future.

We thank God for your services and please extend our recognition to the whole 206 Tours team for all you do.

God Bless!

Jorge and Mary Chapa

  • From: Miriam Kelly
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
  • Subject: Poland Pilgrimage Miriam Kelly
  • Tour 168

Cat,

Anna, our tour guide was absolutely delightful! What a Blessing and and an excellent guide. Robert was wonderful as well.

Thank you.

Miriam Kelly

  • From: Stan Drosky
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
  • Subject: Poland Pilgrimage Stan Drosky
  • Tour 168

This trip is one Sharon and I will remember forever. Our faith has been strengthened after visiting many of the holy places. We now have a deeper understanding of many of the works of the various Polish saints.

I was very impressed with how everything was organized Our guide, Anna, was excellent. She was knowledgeable about the sites we were to visit and very well versed in the history of Poland. Our driver, Robert did a great job maneuvering the bus over what looked to me to be very challenging roads.

It was a plus that Michael O’Neill was part of our group. He added a lot of information and gave a couple of talks while we were traveling through the countryside.

Stan Drosky

  • From: Jan Nudo
  • Sent: Wednesday, May 3, 2023
  • Subject: Poland Pilgrimage Jan Nudo
  • Tour 168

The pilgrimage to Poland was everything I could have imagined. 206 Tours did a wonderful job and our Tour Guide Anna was amazing! Everything was organized and her professional attitude as well as concern for us all as we traveled, was like a mother keeping track of her children. I learned so much from her about Poland and it’s history as well as it’s customs, foods and celebrations. Her knowledge of the saints and churches as we visited some of the most incredible and beautiful places was wonderful! So pleased we had her!

Thank You 206 Tours,

Jan Nudo

  • From: Michael
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2023
  • Subject: Poland Pilgrimage - The Land of Saints Michael
  • Tour 168

Hi Piernha!

Thank you and the whole team at 206 for the wonderful pilgrimage that you organized. Everyone on the trip had a great time.

Anna K. was a perfect Poland tour guide – she was extremely knowlegeable and courteous, and handled all things that came her way. Robert was an excellent driver and Alex did just fine as well in Lithuania.

I really enjoyed Fr. Vivacqua – he and I worked together very well. I gave a number of presentations and did Q&A on the bus and he handled prayers and Mass. The two groups merged together nicely and everyone seemed to get along really well.

Thank you again for all you did – it was well worth the wait!

God bless,

Michael

  • From: Fr. Matt, TOR
  • Sent: Tuesday, May 2, 2023
  • Subject: Rome & Assisi Pilgrimage Fr. Matt, TOR
  • Tour 92

Dear Cara,

The trip was great. Federica is the best tour manager / guide I’ve ever worked with. She’s an amazing and holy woman, she cared for each of the pilgrims, and got us where we needed to go on-time and she kept us together in the craziest of circumstances including the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum. Y’all have a great pilgrimage company, that is for sure.

It was also a joy to work with you. It was my first time working with 206 and I am impressed!

In Christ,

Fr. Matt, TOR

  • From: Fr. Tony – Association of Miraculous Medal
  • Sent: Friday, April 28, 2023
  • Subject: AMM Pilgrimage to Lourdes, Rome, Medjugorje & Split Fr. Tony

Dear Cara,

I enjoyed the pilgrimage so much! While I had a few mobility issues, that did not stop the benefits of my time with the pilgrims. Each of our stops were great. I had been to all three sites before, but each came alive again in new and unexpected ways. The procession at Lourdes was truly amazing. Rome, well it was Rome! St. Peter’s Basilica was magnificent. Truly a joy. Medjugorje was so warm and peaceful. The pilgrims and the local villagers were just amazing. The countryside of Bosnia was inviting was beautiful and inspiring. This was a great spiritual and rest-filled time.

Thanks for making everything come together.

Fr. Tony

  • From: THOMAS KOUSTMER
  • Sent: Monday, April 24, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage THOMAS KOUSTMER
  • Tour 111

The trip was perfect. Everything was better than we expected. I have highly recommended to family and friends. The best part of the trip was the guide Sami Backleh. He had wonderful knowledge of both scripture and the history. I highly recommend him to your company. His love of the subject was infectious . Not to mention his wonderful personality. In fact if he was your guide again I would take the same tour again.

Tom Koustmer

Dear Danielle,

The Holy Land Pilgrimage was my favorite out of 4 pilgrimages I have attended.  Sami was the best tour manager.  Father Kwiatkowski was an excellent Spiritual Director.  Our bus drivers Hossein and Shadi were perfect.  All aspects of the trip were well executed!  Please congratulate the 206 team members for me.

I will always remember!

God bless you and 206 Tours!

Karen

  • From: Karen Lewis
  • Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Karen Lewis
  • Tour 111

Dear Danielle,

The Holy Land Pilgrimage was my favorite out of 4 pilgrimages I have attended. Sami Backleh was the best tour manager. Father Dawid Kwiatkowski was an excellent Spiritual Director. Our bus drivers Hossein and Shadi were perfect. All aspects of the trip were well executed! Please congratulate the 206 team members for me.

I will always remember!

God bless you and 206 Tours!

Karen Lewis

Thank you Danielle, the pilgrimage was all I had hoped for.  I wished I had not waited so long to go!  Our guide Yousef , gets 10+ rating for his knowledge, kindness, and patience with us.  My brother, sister-in-law, and my best friend joined me on this journey, and they are not Catholic, but enjoyed all that was provided with our day excursions, rooms, and meals.  The bus rides were comfortable and the driver did an excellent job getting us to all of our destinations safely.  I have used other companies in past pilgrimages.  This was my second one with 206 and I’m glad I chose your tour group for our trip to Israel.  To be where Jesus lived, taught, and died is a true blessing and I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity.  My faith and love of God is stronger having seen the promised land!  Thank you for providing such an excellent experience,

Jeri

WE WANTED TO EXPRESS OUR PLEASURE AND GREAT EXPERIENCE ON OUR WAY ! FR GERRY AND CHRUSTINA WERE WONDERFUL..WE WOULD POSSIBLY DO THE PORTUGUESE WAY WITH CHRISTINA ..SHE WENT OVER AND ABOVE TO ACCOMMODATE US ALL WITH EVERY DETAIL PERFECT …THANK YOU

LIZ AND MIKE

  • From: Ned and Elaine
  • Sent: Friday, April 21, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Ned and Elaine
  • 206tours.com/pilgrimages

Yes, our Holy Land pilgrimage exceeded our expectations and we were blessed to be able to share the experience with all our fellow pilgrims.

Ned

  • From: Tom Scheuring
  • Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to The Holy Land Tom Scheuring
  • Tour111

Dear Liz & Natasha,

I was very blest to be on this past Pilgrimage, March 25 – April4, 2023. It was a most wonderful experience.

Fr. Michael was an outstanding Spiritual Director. His Masses and homilies were quite amazing, so reverent. His great love for the Eucharist touched us all and strengthened us.

Penny did a fantastic job in working so well with Fr. Michael and Mary, our Guide. It was great that we could celebrate her birthday on our final night. In her most loving way, she made sure that each one of us was doing well, always looking out for our wellbeing.

Mary our Guide: I can’t say enough about Mary. I wish the tour was a semester course taught by Mary. She is so extremely knowledgeable of the Holy Land, has such a wonderful demeanor, and totally unflappable. She even had to handle her son being hurt at school. She watched over us when other groups were around, making sure we were together and kept our place in line as a group. Even when she had to search out someone who was late getting back to the bus, she was always smiling and never got upset. She kept us all peaceful and calm. Her knowledge of every place we went to was quite outstanding. She never paused in sharing about a site, being totally capable of sharing the full picture. She often spoke of the words of a site and their etymology and meaning from or in Hebrew and/or Aramaic. I can’t imagine a better Guide.

It was a very blessed experience for me. What 206 provided materially was a big help, from the books, guide to the Holy Land, back pack, etc..

Thank you so very much,

and God bless your work.

Tom Scheuring

  • From: Mary Beth and Tom Wilson
  • Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Fr. Dawid Kwiatkowski Mary Beth and Tom Wilson

Hi Alexandra,

We wanted to take a moment to express our thanks and gratitude for an amazing pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  You were wonderful to work with and made our trip planning so easy.  Thank you for being attentive to our special requests and travel concerns.  All of our connections and accommodations were great.  I know there is so much more you did behind the scenes and we are grateful for all that you did.

Fr. Dawid Kwiatkowski was a great inspiration to us as we felt a deeper connection to Jesus and the Holy Land through his teachings and especially his daily gospels.  We are very thankful that Fr. Dawid was our spiritual director on this pilgrimage.  He kept us focused and mindful of the reason we were on this journey.  Thanks to Fr. Dawid our hearts are bursting with love for Jesus and the Catholic faith and all its teachings.

Words cannot express the gratitude we have for our guide, Sami Backleh.  Sami is a wealth of information when it comes to his country, the Holy Land, the Bible, walking with Jesus, and all the cultures surrounding this area.  Sami was always kind, cheerful, attentive, understanding, patient, joyful, and professional.  He was a magician when it came to getting our group to the right place at the right time. He seemed to be loved by fellow guides and students we’d run into along the way.  They would tell us how wonderful he was and what a great teacher and how lucky we were to have him.  We couldn’t agree more.  Sami truly made this pilgrimage amazing!  We feel so blessed to have had him as our guide through the Holy Land. He is the best and we would highly recommend Sami Backleh for any of your tours.

 

Thank you again for everything.

God Bless,

Mary Beth and Tom Wilson

  • From: Mike Fellows
  • Sent: Sunday, April 9, 2023
  • Subject: Christmas and Easter Mike Fellows

Danielle,

Probably one final thank you for all you and 206 Tours did. It was hard to imagine how much we would appreciate this pilgrimage  as we started to plan for this trip nearly a year ago. w We we went through Advent and Easter time and  how much more our appreciation for the gospel became as we recognized locations sites and sounds of the Holy Land. At every opportunity we get we recommend 206 Tours and taking advantage of a trip to see where our faith began.

Mike and Eydie Fellows

  • From: Carol Mansfield
  • Sent: Thursday, April 6, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Carol Mansfield
  • Tour111

Hi Cara,

The Pilgrimage was wonderful. Everything from the flights to the accommodations, the Mass celebrated by Father Mark and our guide and driver. Rami is truly a treasure. His knowledge of the land and the scriptures is astonishing!

We had a good fun group of Pilgrims too! Everyone seemed so upbeat. It’s left me with memories that will last forever. Just to think, we walked where our Lord walked!

Thank you for your hard work in making this happen.

God bless

Carol Mansfield

  • From: Dr. and Mrs. Rafael Chan
  • Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2023
  • Subject: Pilgrimage to Mexico – Our Lady of Guadalupe Dr. and Mrs. Rafael Chan
  • pilgrimages.com/decastro

Dear Piernha,

Our recent pilgrimage to Mexico City for Our Lady of Guadalupe was very well organized and one of the tours that we had truly enjoyed.

From the very start of the planning and efficient work from your office and execution of the plan was well executed. Thanks to you, Dr. Moneta de Castro,

Father Pedro Martinez, our tour guide Roberto and Driver Cesar we all fulfilled our expectations.

My wife and I will highly recommend your tour office.

Once again, Thank You.

Dr. and Mrs. Rafael Chan

Hi Danielle,

First of all, we’d like to thank you for the help you provided us as we prepared for this adventure.  You were prompt in getting back to us and all the communication was much appreciated.  Kudos to you!

We want to let you know how very much we loved this pilgrimage! It was the most beautiful experience and a journey that we will always treasure.  We did come home exhausted, but that probably means the pilgrimage was a success.  We are finally feeling more rested and wanted to send a quick critique, (not in any particular order).

The guides and drivers were amazing, knowledgeable, respectful and sensitive to our needs.  We were a large group, but they managed everything so efficiently.  We wish we could have absorbed it better; it was truly so much to take in.

It felt like there were many thoughtful touches throughout the pilgrimage; specifically: there were special prayers at the various sites–and this may have been because of our spiritual guides–but it was wonderful to renew our baptismal promises at the Jordan River, to pray the Our Father in the prison cave, to renew our vows, complete with veils and roses at Cana.  The early time for the Way of the Cross was appreciated as well as the Holy Hour at the Church at Gethsemane and the High Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  Sailing on the Sea of Galilee and having the crew raise the American flag and singing the National Anthem also meant a lot to us.

We loved the backpacks and all the extras too–the rosary and booklets etc.

Packing so much into the pilgrimage days was great and left us wanting more and also to learn more history now that we are home.  We always felt safe, probably due to our capable guides and drivers.

The food was amazing and it was much appreciated to have the lunches arranged.  We all felt we were eating too much, but looking back we felt it was needed nutrition for all the steps we took!  Interestingly, we did not gain weight either.

The hotels were very nice and staff helpful.

Thank you for all your attention to detail and for making this a once in a lifetime experience.

We will be forever grateful!!

God Bless you,

Jim & Mary

  • From: Najat
  • Sent: Monday, March 27, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Walk Where Jesus Walked! Najat
  • pilgrimages.com/frcoiro

Thank you 206 for organizing this pilgrimage.

Mary Theresa and I enjoyed every moment and every single site.

Rami is an exceptional tour guide with a contagious deep Faith and conviction. We were in awe of his historic knowledge of the events that happened at every holy site and we appreciated his explanation of customs and traditions at the time of Jesus which enabled us to understand more fully the context and background of life in the days of Christ. We loved how well prepared he was every single day, informing us of what to expect, what to watch for, what to do and what not to do. He was spot on 100% all the time. 206 tours is lucky to have Rami. Mousse, our bus driver was simply amazing, caring making sure we were comfortable and hydrated everyday. He was kind, respectful and always lending a helping hand literally and May God bless him for maneuvering this big bus around those narrow windy roads. We were so blessed to have our beloved Pastor with us who guided us in prayer at the beginning of each day, and celebrated daily Masses in the most beautiful churches extracting the most beautiful meaningful lessons in his homilies bringing us closer to Jesus. Deacon John this humble faithful servant was also a blessing to all, he always had a listening ear and a lending hand to Father Mark and to each of us pilgrims. I personally enjoyed talking to the locals in my native tongue and was touched by their warmth kindness and resilience. This was a pilgrimage of a life time. I certainly have a new and deep appreciation of the mission of tours like this to help and uphold the presence of these Holy grounds for generations to come. I feel a deep sense of connectedness to my Lord and Savior and to the Land in which he grew up, lived and died to save me and all who want to be saved. Thank you and God bless you! Thank you for the goodie bag and for the pilgrim certificate.

Najat

  • From: Patricia & Jim
  • Sent: Monday, March 27, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Patricia & Jim
  • pilgrimages.com/frdufner

Greetings Danielle,

We had an amazing faith filled experience and I hope everyone is given the same joy!

Thank you for all your hard work!

Patricia

Danielle – what a ride.  Really words aren’t enough to describe what I saw and felt.  Such beauty.  Sa ‘id was amazing!  So personable, knowledgeable, and patient.

I enjoyed working with you and I’m sure we will be doing it again!

May God bless your Lenten Journey!

Jean

Good Evening,

I want to thank you and 206 Tours for organizing a fantastic pilgrimage.  Both of the pilgrimages that I have been on with 206 went as flawlessly as possible.  Everything was handled very thoughtfully.  And people were able to enter into a prayerful and impactful pilgrimage.

Keep up the good work.  Yorgos and Sa’id were fantastic.

Sincerely,

Fr. Michael

Hello Danielle,

I want you to know what a wonderful time I had on my Pilgrimage. I was so impressed with 206 tours. Everything ran like clockwork and our guide Said was incredible. The trip was truly a blessing.

Thank you

Laurie

  • From: Maryann
  • Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2023
  • Subject: Rome and Poland Pilgrimage Maryann
  • Tour 168

Danielle,

The entire 206 trip tour was majestic!! Poland and Rome was everything I hoped and prayed for. Our tour guides and bus drivers were awesome and worked so hard for us. Please be very proud of them and express my gratitude. I would repeat my exact tour again.

Maryann

Hello Danielle,

I just wanted to thank you for all that you did to ensure our large group of pilgrims (93) had a wonderful trip to the Holy Land. It was fantastic! I’m trying to burn through the jet lag but couldn’t let too much time go by without thanking you for the trip planning that took place prior to us departing. I’m an organizer and planner by nature and KNOW it was a HUGE job to put it all together, especially for such a big group, and I truly appreciate your efforts. I usually do all of the trip planning for our household so it was great to just sign up, pay up and get on the plane without much effort on my part.

I also wanted to say that our guides, Yorgos a.k.a. George, and Sa’id, were FANTASTIC! Their Biblical, historical, cultural and regional knowledge were exceptional. As I told many of my traveling companions, it was like drinking through a fire hose each day for me. I also told them that those two guys know more about what’s going on in the world than the collective “brain trust” at the US State Dept.! They were extremely patient with us; with such a large group it was often times like herding cats. I know they had long days and sometimes short nights to get us to all of our destinations and they deserve a bonus for guiding us so well. The drivers were great too! I wouldn’t want to be driving that long bus on those small, windy roads and switchbacks but they navigated it all with ease.

My husband and I traveled with a friend group of eight. (We were on the green bus with Yorgos). We all were impressed with the hotel accommodations and food. I especially liked the different restaurants located in the towns we were traveling in just to get a good feel for the culture in Israel. All of the food was good too. I don’t even want to know how much weight I gained along the way!

I don’t want to come off of this honeymoon high from my pilgrimage there as my faith was deepened and I feel closer to Christ than ever before, for which I was hoping. A truly beautiful experience that will be forever seared in my memory along with the numerous photos and notes I took along the way. Now I’m trusting in the Lord to answer my pilgrimage intention.

Thanks again for all you do and for 206 Tours. I’ve been spreading the word about your company so others can have a similar, wonderful experience.

Cori and Dan

  • From: Vivian U.
  • Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Vivian U.
  • Tour 111

Good Morning,

I hope both of you are doing well!

The reason for this email is to express my sincere thank you for the most glorious trip I could have ever experienced…..

The trip has deepened my faith in God tremendously!!!

I also want to acknowledge our Guide “ Habib”. There are no words to express the gratitude we all felt for his professionalism and his abundant Bible knowledge. As I would always say, he is a walking Bible!!!!

And for me, It all began with the first words he uttered welcoming the group by saying welcome brothers and sisters to Jerusalem and then said, ” welcome home”. Wow!!! that meant the world to me.

I would think you already know the treasure/gem he is to your company/ group and how I think he deserves the this heart felt acknowledgment.

Thank you all, for making the trip possible after 3 years. May you continue to help other pilgrims in their journey.

My prayers and blessings to all of you!

Warmly,

Vivian

This pilgrimage was fantastic!!!!! All went beautifully and our guide Giovanni was beyond spectacular. Nothing but praise for everyone’s hard work.

Many, many thanks,

Adair

  • From: Janet Prouty
  • Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
  • Subject: Science of Sainthood Pilgrimage Janet Prouty

To all at 206 Tours, Grace and blessing to you all.

The pilgrimage was a gift from Jesus to me.  He showed me the places where he lived, ate, preached, performed miracles, prayed  and suffered.  By all accounts, I should not have been on this pilgrimage, but Jesus said, “Let me help you experience everything you are able to.”  Both Giovanni and Joseph worked together to accomadate me and include me in most of the activities.  Their care and concern splilled over into the rest of the pilgrimage group.  Every single one of the pilgrims at some point walked with me, helped me walk up or down, navigate steep steps and generally encouraged me to continue. Even though I had to sit out several sites, I never felt alone or excluded. And of course, I can not forget the promptness with which the staff in Israel handled the cancellation of our Tues night flight, finding a hotel with late checkout, treating us to lunch on Wed. and once again getting to the airport.  I have a friend who experienced a similar situation, except she was on her own finding a hotel.  What a blessing your staff is!!  Also, I want you to know that all the 206 Tours guides, drivers, and staff are some of the most joyful Catholics I have encountered..

By all rights, I should not have gone on this pilgrimage–the hills alone were enough to kill me.  But somehow, Jesus meant for me to able to on this particular pilgrimage.  Thank you all for allowing me to have this experience.

God bless you all,

Janet Prouty

To all at 206 Tours, Grace and blessing to you all.

The pilgrimage was a gift from Jesus to me. He showed me the places where he lived, ate, preached, performed miracles, prayed and suffered. By all accounts, I should not have been on this pilgrimage, but Jesus said, “Let me help you experience everything you are able to.” Both Giovanni and Joseph worked together to accomadate me and include me in most of the activities. Their care and concern splilled over into the rest of the pilgrimage group. Every single one of the pilgrims at some point walked with me, helped me walk up or down, navigate steep steps and generally encouraged me to continue. Even though I had to sit out several sites, I never felt alone or excluded. And of course, I can not forget the promptness with which the staff in Israel handled the cancellation of our Tues night flight, finding a hotel with late checkout, treating us to lunch on Wed. and once again getting to the airport. I have a friend who experienced a similar situation, except she was on her own finding a hotel. What a blessing your staff is!! Also, I want you to know that all the 206 Tours guides, drivers, and staff are some of the most joyful Catholics I have encountered..

By all rights, I should not have gone on this pilgrimage–the hills alone were enough to kill me. But somehow, Jesus meant for me to able to on this particular pilgrimage. Thank you all for allowing me to have this experience.

Janet

  • From: Nancy Coelho
  • Sent: Monday, March 20, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage with tour guide Sami and Fr. Dawid Nancy Coelho
  • Tour 111

Hello Milanka ,

Greetings from Holy land!

Before proceeding to Jordan and Greece with 206 Tours, I wanted to take a moment and appreciate Fr. Dawid and our tour guide Sami. Today we had our mass inside the Holy Sepulcher at Jesus’s Tomb; that was the high point of our tour. Fr Dawid’s homilies were very inspiring. He is a very interesting and holy priest. I can say this because of the many pilgrimages we have been on with 206 Tours.

We were pleasantly surprised by Sami; his deep knowledge of archaeology, geology, and theology of Holy Land is very much appreciated because of his teaching background at the university and also his educational background. Sami’s connection with people/security personnel really made our trip hassle free. I know you value our feedback. I thought our comments might aid in choosing good spiritual directors and tour guides helping future pilgrims with meaningful experiences.

You will get more feed back from us from Jordan and Greece.

Much Love

Nancy + Venkata

  • From: Ann S.
  • Sent: Friday, March 17, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Pilgrimage Ann S.
  • Tour 111

Hi Natasha

I made it home safely! Thank you so much for your extra help through the night and additional assistance for our group! Please pass along to the rest of the 206 Tours team! Giovanni and Joseph were amazing tour guides! And Farid and our bus drivers were the best I’ve ever seen! Looking forward to travel with you again.

Ann S.

  • From: Carol Mazikowski
  • Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land and Rome Carol Mazikowski
  • Tour 114

Hi Danielle,

Thanks for the invitation to review my pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome. Did it exceed my expectations? Where do I begin?

I cannot possibly remember all of the wonderful, happy, blessed moments that occurred on this, my first pilgrimage. I am so glad I booked it through 206 Tours!

When I booked as a solo traveler who had never been overseas, I was a little nervous. So many worries!

Almost from the moment I collected my baggage and entered the arrivals hall at Ben Gurion airport, my worries disappeared. There was Habib, our guide, waiting for me and the others who had taken the same flight. We were bused to the hotel, and a short time later we met the rest of our group and Father Andrew at our first Mass together. With each shared meal, with each expedition from one holy site to the next, with each Mass that we celebrated as group, our bond of friendship became stronger. By the end of our time in the Holy Land, I felt like a kid leaving summer camp – leaving her new wonderful friends behind and hoping to see them again next summer.

Our Holy Land guide, Habib, is excellent. He could not have been more gracious, accommodating, and fun. What I learned from him and the holy sites we visited, I could not have learned through years of studying the Bible at home here in the U.S. If I had to grade Habib, I’d give him an A+++. We visited so many churches and other sites, it could have seemed like a big blur of sightseeing activity, but the trip was so well planned it didn’t seem like that at all. Habib’s lessons about each site were meaningful, well taught, and insightful. I cannot say emphatically enough how great it was to have the “Whisper” devices so that I didn’t miss a word. I love that we had prayerful moments and scripture readings at each of the churches. It was so meaningful to have Mass celebrated each day by Father Andrew. Having each liturgy so thoroughly match the location where we celebrated Mass was very, very special. I really felt as if I were growing closer to Our Lord Jesus day by day. A few of the activities that stand out most in my memory include: a) Singing the Ave Maria in the wonderfully rich acoustics at St. Anne’s b) Sitting behind the altar during Mass at the Church of the Transfiguration c) Gathering around and touching the rock of agony during Mass at the Church at Gethsemane d) visiting the Holy Sepulcher and having Mass inside the tomb and e) praying the Stations of the Cross on the Via De La Rosa. Two additional special highlights occurred at our Notre Dame hotel. Father David gave us a tour and explanation of the Shroud of Turin exhibit. That was very moving. We also had the great privilege of meeting the artist, Daniel Cariola, and being some of the first pilgrims to see his AMAZING, awe inspiring Pentacost project in progress.

The hotels at which we stayed were beautiful. My room at each was clean, comfortable, and restful. The lobby at each hotel was beautiful, welcoming, and comfortable. We were spoiled in so many ways, but mostly by the food! The buffets were splendid — more choices and more delicious food than imaginable. The bread was astonishingly great. Nowhere in America will you find bread as hearty, fresh and flavorful as the bread we had every morning and every evening at our hotels. The rooftop restaurant at the Notre Dame hotel was my favorite. We were spoiled by wonderful abundant meals and wine. And, we were spoiled by terrific wait staffs at each hotel. Even our lunches – out in local neighborhood restaurants throughout Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and elsewhere — were delicious, and the service was exemplary. Mufeed was our driver. He got us safely and so skillfully to all the sites we visited! He could not have been more pleasant and gracious. It was always good to come back to the bus to be greeted by his smile. The last day of our trip, Habib and Mufeed picked us up in the middle of the night to get us to the airport. That’s dedication. Everything about The Holy Land tour with 206 Tours absolutely exceeded my expectations!

About a dozen of us continued on to Rome with 206. Rome was spectacular. Hotel accommodations were very nice. Staff was very kind. Food was great! Wait staff was excellent. Our days were jam packed. It was great to explore four major basilicas and churches, the Vatican Museum, and the Pope. It was nice to have a little free time in the afternoon to shop, explore and experience some of the tastes of Italy. Mmm gelato! The art at the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica is incomparably, stunningly, beautiful. Every square inch of St Peter’s is dedicated to beauty. So splendid, it is indescribable. St John Lateran, St Mary Major, and St Paul Beyond The Walls are gorgeous, too. Climbing the Holy Stairs is an experience I won’t forget. Our 206 guide, Federica, was delightful, so kind, so friendly, and so helpful. Titiana, our official Roman guide, was very knowledgeable, patient, and kind. I learned a lot from her. Father Piotr is a wonderful priest and spiritual director — so intelligent, so learned, yet so easy to talk with. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Rome. However, it all went by too fast!

Initially, when I booked my pilgrimage, I’d asked for Tour 118, The Holy Land, Rome, and The Shrines of Italy. Due to lack of enough pilgrims having chosen the same, the third leg of the journey, The Shrines, was cancelled. At the time, I was offered the choice to do only the Holy Land and Rome on the originally chosen dates, or to choose a later date for the triple tour. I am so very glad I chose the first option! I met the most wonderful fellow pilgrims, whom I now call friends. Whenever I think of them, I smile. This whole experience has made me so happy, so full, and yet so yearning to learn more about our Catholic faith and to daily take one step closer to Jesus, closer to that elusive goal of holiness. I’m so glad I threw a coin (a sheckel) into Trevi Fountain! I was back home only one day when, just before Sunday Mass, I saw a flyer in the vestibule at my home parish. Our own pastor, Father Bing, is planning on taking a group of parishioners on a pilgrimage to The Shrines of Italy with 206 Tours. Italy, here I come again!

Carol Mazikowski

  • From: FREDY
  • Sent: Thursday, March 9, 2023
  • Subject: Land of the Lord FREDY
  • Tour 111

Good Morning Liz and Natasha

I have not words to express my gratitude for such an amazing time that the group and I experienced these past days. Everything was perfect, on time, with great quality, friendly and love. The hotels were fantastic. Our Tour Guide, Habibi an extraordinary and knowledgeable person. The food very tasty. Our driver. gentle and nice. Well, everything was perfect even the weather.

For this reason I know that more parishioners will be interested to do it next year. I will not be able to do it but I am copy Fr. Ruben, who is my Parochial Vicar, because I wish that he can have this unforgettable time in the Land of the Lord.

My group found this text from the Museum and I want for you to enjoy it in thanksgiving for your services and especially for the deep care that you and your company showed to us in this pilgrimage.

The Thanksgiving Scroll

1QHA 9-12

I am dust and ashes what can I plan if you do not wish it

What can I devise without your will

How can I be strong if you do not make me stand

How can I be learned if you do not mold me

What can I say if you do not open my mouth

How can I answer if you do not give me insight

See, you are the prince of God’s in the king of the glorious ones

Lord of every spirit

Ruler of every preacher

Apart from you nothing happens and nothing is known without your will

There is no one besides you

FREDY

  • From: Fr. Jhon
  • Sent: Thursday, March 9, 2023
  • Subject: The Thanksgiving Scroll Fr. Jhon
  • Tour 111

Good Morning Liz and Natasha

I have not words to express my gratitude for such an amazing time that the group and I experienced these past days. Everything was perfect, on time, with great quality, friendly and love. The hotels were fantastic. Our Tour Guide, Habib an extraordinary and knowledgeable person. The food very tasty. Our driver. gentle and nice. Well, everything was perfect even the weather.

 For this reason I know that more parishioners will be interested to do it next year.

 My group found this text from the Museum and I want for you to enjoy it in thanksgiving for your services and especially for the deep care that you and your company showed to us in this pilgrimage.

The Thanksgiving Scroll

1QHA 9-12

I am dust and ashes what can I plan if you do not wish it

What can I devise without your will

How can I be strong if you do not make me stand

How can I be learned if you do not mold me

What can I say if you do not open my mouth

How can I answer if you do not give me insight

See, you are the prince of God’s in the king of the glorious ones

Lord of every spirit

Ruler of every preacher

Apart from you nothing happens and nothing is known without your will

There is no one besides you

Fr. Jhon

  • From: A and JC
  • Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2023
  • Subject: Jordan & The Holy Land Pilgrimage A and JC
  • Tour 158

Dear Natasha and Alex,

I hope all is well!

We wanted to thank you for the wonderful pilgrimage!

We don’t have enough words to express our gratitude!

Everything was fantastic Our tour guide Wissam was amazing, knowledgeable he was very kind, he cared for us, also we had great drivers, we felt safe the whole group was very happy!

The Hotels were amazing as well as the food!

Our tour guide In Jordan was especially great too!

Everything was well planned. We really appreciate it what you did for us!

We really felt the presence and the love of God in every holy site that we visited, we feel very fortunate and privileged!

We can wait for our next pilgrimage to Turkey.

With gratitude

A and JC

  • From: Chuck and Lizabeth
  • Sent: Thursday, March 2, 2023
  • Subject: The Holy Land Chuck and Lizabeth
  • Tour 111

Liz,

Wanted to give you some feedback on the tour. It was FANTASTIC!

Our guide, George was outstanding. He was extremely knowledgeable of all sites visited. His Catholic perspective was important. His comments were always additive and insightful. He never tried to outshine our spiritual guide, Fr. Gregory.

The bus driver, Rahed (sp?) was skilled and patient. I felt at ease to leave valuables on the bus when at locations.

The accommodations were somewhat spartan but befitting a pilgrimage. The hotel food was very good. Restaurant food was very good. I normally eat only two meals a day. On this trip I ate all three and still lost five pounds due to the activity level.

Your arrangements for wheelchair assistance worked perfectly at all airports.

Travelling with Type 2 diabetes never presented a concern. I felt my insulin supply was secure.

George provided distilled water for my CPAP at both locations. I needed 2 liters total due to the low humidity there.

Lizabeth and I want to thank you for your personalized attention for our trip. I usually get overwhelmed by apprehension, planning details and schedule execution. On this trip I didn’t need to get distracted and was able to concentrate on the spiritual aspects.

I definitely recommend your agency. What distinguishes 206 is attention to detail: name tags, backpacks and clutches, hats, certificates, plenty of water for hydration, religious reading materials, mass arrangements, etc. I was impressed how you took care

Thanks again!

Regards,

Chuck and Lizabeth

  • From: Pat and Bill Johnson
  • Sent: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
  • Subject: Wonderful Holy Land Pilgrimage Pat and Bill Johnson
  • Tour 111

Dear Natasha and Liz,

We want to express our thanks and appreciation for all you did that made our St. Mary Help of Christians Holy Land Pilgrimage a truly blessed experience.

The hotel accommodations at Magdala and at Notre Dame were outstanding. All of our pilgrims, and especially Fr. Wilson and our two seminarians were thrilled with the beauty and availability of the chapels at each hotel. These added immeasurably to the richness of our entire spiritual experience. The service offered us at both hotels, and especially at Notre Dame was exceptional.

Our guide, George, was also excellent. All of our pilgrims expressed great satisfaction with his knowledgeable descriptions of all of the sites, and his Catholic and Biblical understanding also always put them in the proper spiritual context.

We particularly want to thank you for the extra effort you put forth in arranging for the expeditious return of one of our pilgrim couples following an extremely painful fall that was functionally debilitating. It was amazing to see that you were able to arrange all the aspects of their return, including doctor examinations, new and updated flight arrangements, and special assistance through the airports within just a few hours of our first call to you! That did wonders to provide comfort and quickly calm their anxious concerns. You certainly delivered an answer to our prayers in that circumstance.

May God bless you abundantly,

Pat and Bill Johnson

  • From: Cara Camden
  • Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
  • Subject: Travel Insured International Cara Camden
  • Tour 111

Good morning and blessed Ash Wednesday! I just wanted to let you know we got completely reimbursed from Travel Insured International for the delay in our trip to Israel. I had very exact receipts and details of the delay including emails from United about our cancelled flights, rental car, gas, meals, and hotel stay. 206 Tours also responded quickly with the
Costs of the missed tour. We were very pleased with the expediency and thoroughness with all parties. It was well worth the purchase price especially with how we ended up going to Detroit, etc…. All expenses covered! Thanks for your help and feel free to share our story. We are glad we took your advice and bought travel insurance. God Bless, Mary Siegel

Cara Camden

 

  • From: Kathy Clark
  • Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023
  • Subject: Mexico Pilgrimage Our Lady of Guadalupe Kathy Clark
  • Tour 206

Hi Danielle,

I just wanted to Thank You for the great work you did to make our Pilgrimage to Mexico City so successful. My daughter Lisa and I appreciated all you did. The accommodations were great and our guide and bus driver were amazing. The hotel food was very good and the service was great too. The outside restaurants we ate at were wonderful and we so enjoyed them, especially our last night farewell dinner. So again 206 came shinning through for all of us from St. Joseph Marello Catholic Church in Granite Bay, CA. God’s Blessings.

Kathy Clark

  • From: Anne Marie
  • Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land Tour Anne Marie
  • Tour 111

Thank you, Jenny. You guys at 206 are great at what you do.

Only 16 days till we leave!! And I feel prepared.

Anne Marie

  • From: John S.
  • Sent: Friday, January 20, 2023
  • Subject: Mexico Pilgrimage John S.
  • Tour 206

Hi Jenny,

The recent tour to Guadalupe was very well organized for 3 buses of pilgrims such as myself. The itinerary met and exceeded expectations, even with one day having to be shuffled because of international leaders meeting in Mexico City.

I made new friends from the other buses and made many good friends from the yellow bus. Father Calloway is the most humble, giving of his time to all that encountered him, including myself. I found time daily to get a few moments of his wisdom and wit, without taking up too much of his valuable time. Father Alexander was a wonderful addition to the tour and I found individual time with him on several occasions.

Yellow bus driver, Juan and guide Jose, accompanied by Sabrina were true professionals. Getting to and from the airport was very organized and much better than other travels through the years from various companies.

I hope to book another tour later this year in addition to the Footsteps of St Paul I booked today for June 2024. Thank you all for a faith filled, spiritual, renewal journey to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Blessings,

John S.

 

  • From: James Adair
  • Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2023
  • Subject: Franciscan University Pilgrimage to the Holy Land James Adair
  • Tour111

The Tour was super fantastic and very meaningful. Father Dave, Father Joe, Giovanni and Tim and Omar were outstanding. Giovanni had it just right. The accommodations were great. This tour was a home run for sure.

Thanks Cara 👍

Also the singing and guitar music by Mary and Anna really added a significant plus to the meaning of our tour . They added greatly to the tour’s success.

James Adair

  • From: Greg Wurth
  • Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
  • Subject: Rome pilgrimage Greg Wurth
  • Tour 97

Hi Cara,

I am writing to tell you how pleased I was with Frederica as our tour guide on our recent pilgrimage to Rome.

She was phenomenal and beyond all expectations. Her caring attitude was evident in every step we took. Always watching closely to insure our group was together and safe. With a group of almost 40 people this was no small task, especially with me being part of the group.

Frederica was very professional and attentive to all our needs. She answered all our questions and was not afraid to say when she did not know the answer immediately, but always checked into it and got back with us in a timely manner.

She provided great information as we rode to our destinations, but was careful to let each specific tour guide do their part, as to not steal their thunder, Which I thought was very respectful of her.

She was great at getting people in the group to be where they needed to be on time and always with a smile.

I felt very comfortable coming to her with any request. She was always very responsive, personable and approachable.

I really can’t say enough about how pleasant and personable she was. She helped to provide a memorable experience.

Thank you for your time.

Take care,

Greg Wurth

  • From: Cindy Miller
  • Sent: Monday, January 16, 2023
  • Subject: Holy Land tour Cindy Miller
  • Tour 111

Danielle,

It was the most wonderful trip we have ever taken. Our tour guide, Joseph could not have been better. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and we always felt like our safety and well-being were his top priorities. The hotels were fabulous. We hope to take another 206 tour in the future.

Cindy Miller

  • From: Thomas Collins
  • Sent: Friday, January 13, 2023
  • Subject: Lourdes, France and Paris Thomas Collins
  • Tour 8

Hi Natasha

We took the tandem Lourdes-Paris pilgrimage, and our group kept using the same word to describe the experience: Magical.

Lourdes was so enchanting, peaceful and transforming that after three days I could have boarded the plane home happy and contented. Thankfully, we instead went north to charming Normandy and found Lisieux and especially Mont St. Michel gratifying and delightful. The American Cemetery is not to be missed.

The biggest surprise was Chartres (Mary’s veil!!) and while Paris divided our group into love-it or don’t-love-it — count me among the latter — I wouldn’t have missed the Miraculous Medal Shrine for the world.

Big credit goes to our guide, Javier Valdivieso, who was knowledgeable, spiritual and joyful and who instilled a sense of comfort with his mastery of six (yes, 6) languages. I’d go back to Lourdes in a second and would consider traveling anywhere on the continent with Javi leading the way.

Thank you,
Tom Collins

  • From: Fr. Ken
  • Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
  • Subject: Compliments of the season! Fr Ken Odibu Ken
  • Tour 37

Dear Rinda,

Compliment of the Season! I trust you are all doing well. Thank you for the Christmas wishes and prayers.

The year ended well with a beautiful tour (tour 37 to Portugal, Spain and France). Thank you immensely for the opportunity to be part of the tour. It was a beautiful experience; well organized and put together. The tour guide was excellent, the driver too and the pilgrims. Everything went well to the glory of God. thank you to all of you at 206tours for the wonderful work you do. May the new year be filled with abundant goodness for you and your families. I am grateful and I look forward to more opportunities in the new year.

Thank you and God bless.

Fr. Ken 

  • From: Kristine Bruce
  • Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2023
  • Subject: 206 will be the only tour group I use and recommend! Kristine Bruce
  • Tour 111

Hi Milanka,

I just wanted to let you know that the Pilgrimage last week was phenomenal! My husband and I brought our three adult children, ages 22, 19, & 17. We all had an AMAZING week. This was the second trip for me and my husband. We had a great experience in 2019 with a different tour group, however, this trip with 206 was even BETTER!

Here are some things we liked better…

1. Sophie Hotel in Tiberias was great! We loved that it was a little smaller than Olive Tree. (Olive Tree was good, but it is big, crowded, and loud. Not a deal breaker, but just not as quaint as Sophie.)

2. We appreciated that all the meals, including lunch, were included. Pete especially liked the wine with dinner.

3. The entire trip in the Holy Land went so smoothly. We were so impressed with that. As far as I could tell, not one single thing went wrong.

4. Habib, our tour guide, was off the charts amazing! He was everything you would want in a tour guide. It was super great that he is Catholic, so he was able to teach us about Catholic things. In addition, he is well versed in the Bible. He made connections from a variety of Bible passages and locations. He was good at keeping the group engaged by asking questions and answering questions. In addition, we had one pilgrim who was older and a little unstable. Habib was always checking on him and many times helping him up and down stairs, etc. He was always on time, friendly, organized, etc. I seriously cannot think of one single complaint about him.

Thank you so much for all the work you and your team put into making this an amazing trip! From now on, 206 will be the only tour group I use and recommend!

Kristine Bruce