Bus lacked promised rest room

I went on the tour “Imperial China & the Yangtze River” with Go Ahead Tours, Oct. 5-22, 2007. Go Ahead’s hotels, riverboat and Chinese guide Jonathan all were very good. The buses, however, were not.

The 2007 brochure stated, on page 120, “Private motorcoach with reclining seats and restroom.” I called Go Ahead to verify this before sending my deposit. I was assured there would be a rest room on board. (I was concerned because of the scarcity of public toilets in China.)

Before sending my final payment, I called again and an agent assured me that there would be a rest room on the bus.

The final documents I received two weeks before the trip included a sheet that read, “Private motorcoach with reclining seats.”

Worried, I called and was again told that there would be a rest room on the bus. The Go Ahead agent added, “Besides, they make rest stops every hour and a half.”

As it turned out, two hours proved to be the norm, and one day it was three.

This tour is listed as “challenging.” And I was equal to it. I climbed 1,600 uneven steps — cane and all — to the top of the Great Wall and 1,600 steps down. But I never expected to suffer from cramped legroom, toilet anxiety and bladder discomfort.

ANDREA BUCHER-McADAMS

New York, NY

ITN sent a copy of the above letter to Go Ahead Tours (One Education St., Cambridge, MA 02141) and received no reply.