You get what you pay for - is that right?

During the week I heard a story from one holidaymaker who booked what he thought was going to be a romantic holiday for him and his wife to Paris! Some would say you get what you pay for but surely that's only right when you have consciously chosen a particular product?

Yes, the dream of French Cafe living, walking along the River Seine, and visiting the Louvre and a great hotel  all turned sour for this one couple who:

1. Found that their 'cosy' Parisien hotel was not actually in Paris at all, but some distance outside the City;
2. The hotel was based in an outlying suburb of Paris and a good 40 minute ride on the train;
3. The hotel was dirty and its furnishings old and dated;
4. The adjacent buildings were pock-marked with bullet holes;
5. They could hear gunshot at night;
6. A look on Trip Advisor reveals the same experiences from other holidaymakers;
7. Other holidaymakers were warned not to walk at night in the area;
8. One holidaymaker reported that they had been mugged!

You can understand why this couple were upset, particularly when they confronted their 'travel company' who claimed that it was not their problem.

Quite frankly, this travel company should have found what I found - a little care by them would have delivered a memorable experience, instead all this couple can remember of Paris is the nightmare!

Paris is a wonderful destination and is full of great hotels and interesting places to visit, I should know, I have been there many times, but companies like the one that sold this holiday sully a hard-fought reputation!

For this couple, we have given them help in understanding their rights under the Package Travel Regulations and will be there for them if they have further problems with that travel company!