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Reviews 125
Dennis Armstrong
Sep 30,2017Excellent company, very responsive to emails. Booked two events with them at the San Fermin Festival, both good. I am from the UK and came across them via a web search. They certainly know this festival very well.
KJ
Jul 28,2017We normally do not provide reviews. In this case, however, we felt it necessary to provide our comments on the outstanding experience that Mark Regouby and his team at RunningOfTheBulls.com provided during the festival of San Fermin in July 2017. In short, Mark’s service, assistance, knowledge, and just general attitude were superb. He and his team were ready to answer all of our questions promptly and efficiently. They accommodated our every need and wish, and went out of their way to make our experience a once in a lifetime event. My wife and I participated in almost every opportunity Mark had to offer. Our viewing balconies to watch more than one bull run were just the ticket to see the run and gain a fuller understanding of the relationship of the run to the festival. I was well prepared for my own run by the Bull Run Route Tour guided by Dennis Clancy, an experienced and daring runner. On the morning of my run, Mark guided me to the square in front of Pamplona’s City Hall to make sure I was in the right spot to wait for the moment the police allowed us to find our running location; and then await the sound of the rocket when the bulls are released from the corral. The Hemingway Breakfast after my run was a relaxing for both my wife and I, and provided an excellent opportunity to eat good food, drink fine sparkling wine, and swap stories with fellow runners and those who watched the run. The Bullfighting 101 session with British bullfighter Alexander Fiske-Harrison was enthralling as well as educational, and provided us with a solid grounding to view a bullfight the following day. The bullfight itself was a unique and dramatic experience augmented by our excellent seats in the bull ring stadium. A bullfight is truly a three act tragedy, where you can see first hand the bravery of the bull and the grace under pressure exhibited by the matador. It is the personification of Hemingway’s “Death in the Afternoon”, punctuated by the sounds, sites, and smells of the bullring. The Torero and Bull Ranch tour was also a unique experience. Getting in to the ring with the “torero” was an adrenaline pumping experience and I for one got an appreciation for what a matador faces in the ring, although on a much smaller and safer scale. The Tapas and wine experience was a culinary delight. I attended alone, as my wife chose to stay at the hotel to rest. It turned out that the other four participants did not show up, so I had a one-on-one session with an extremely knowledgeable young woman who guided me through Navarran wines and local cuisine. It was a wonderful afternoon. We viewed the closing ceremony of the festival from a balcony overlooking the city hall. It was a moving experience and and although celebratory, a much more somber event than the frenzy of the opening ceremony. Our hotel fit our needs and tastes perfectly. Hotel Castillo de Gorraiz is located about 15 minutes outside of Pamplona proper in the Navarran hills. Therefore it afforded us a quiet retreat away from the hustle and noise of a city possessed by a 24 hour a day festival. The staff was extremely helpful and accommodating. It also provided a regular shuttle into the heart of Pamplona, so we could come and go as we pleased into the city. We also opted for the Running of the Bulls chauffeur service to and from the airport. In both instances the car arrived early and got us to our destinations quickly. In sum, RunningOfTheBulls.com and Mark Regouby are the only way to go if you are considering a trip to Pamplona for the festival of San Fermin. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Viva San Fermin!
Renee
Jul 25,2017This was my first visit to Barcelona and Pamplona. Festival Pros, now renamed Running of the Bulls, Inc, arranged for the activities in Pamplona Spain, for the San Fermin festival. Everything they arranged was perfect. We were booked for a balcony spot to watch the running of the bulls, a lunch with Tapas and Wine, and seats at the bullfight. Every event was perfect due to their wonderful planning and accommodations. They also held webinars once a week for many weeks prior to our trip to help us with any thing we needed to make sure we made the best of our visit. Customer service was the best I have experienced. The balcony apartment to watch the bulls run was elegant and really enjoyable. The host was Natalia, and I can't say enough about how welcoming she was and how much the venue added to watching the running of the bulls. The next event - Lunch with Tapas and wine, was really a two hour wine and food tasting with a lovely host- Gabriella - I hope I am not mixing up the host names- to guide us through the different wines in the region and the tapas they served. Mark had also booked us for the bullfight and of course we had perfect seats there, with many local fans around us that even shared their tapas and wine with us. Mark had also recommended Bullfight 101 which we were unable to go to, but then looked up information online about it which immensely helped us with what to focus on when watching. I would recommend attending Bullfight 101, I am sure it was 100 x better than the random website I viewed! Mark and Lynnette's communications before and during the trip were 5 star as well. You felt like you had personal tour guides for your trip and the response time was amazing. If you have an opportunity to use Festival Pros for festival events, I highly recommend them! I would say don't go to Pamplona without Running of the Bulls, Inc.
Catherine Gourley
Jul 12,2017My husband and I used RunningOfTheBulls.com to book our July 2017 Pampalona experience. From the very beginning, it felt like we were the only clients of Mark. Mark and his teams responces were always detailed and prompt. 110% suggest this company to anyone from new travelers to experenced travelers. I really loved the feeling of still being "independent" during the day but for the 'major' things like finding our balcony, Mark walked the group of us right to the doors! We opted to sign up for almost everything that was offered, but never felt obligated to! Huge Plus! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that if you are going to do it...REALLY DO IT! Mark & Team provided a website & app that had our customized itinerary that had maps, addresses, overviews of everything. So helpful in a busy lively environment. I will be telling the story of the incredible experience of Pamplona for the rest of my life! Our itinerary review: •Private Car Shuttle: We had a driver waiting for us with a sign and our name in the train station - couldn't miss it! Drove the both of us in a black Mercedes to the hotel. The train stations were packed so not having to worry about finding a taxi was a relief! •Hotel: Castillo de Gorraiz - luxurious. Hotel staff very friendly and accommodating! Upon arrival, Lynette was seated in the lobby and was able to answer any of our questions about transport, tickets, balconies, meeting times etc. Hotel set out an expresso machine each morning for the folks going to the bull run since it was earlier than their breakfast. Far enough out of the city to get a good nights rest. A+! •Bull Run Route Tour: We met with Dennis, a seasoned runner. We weren't planning on running, but we knew so little about the running of the bulls that we tried to soak up all the information we could. This was great to do prior to seeing the run because you knew exactly where the bulls were housed the night before, where they were running from, what the cannons meant, etc. highly recommend even for non runners!! •Dinner & Fireworks: Dinner was a great way to meet a few fellow travelers and have some familiar faces around town. The cocktail hour/welcome drink time had a flamenco dancer and singer that was just a wonderful experience! The fireworks from the rooftop were the best place to be! Since my husband and I had a long following day we left a little early to grab the shuttle and the streets were packed! So we know from both locations - the roof is the place to be! •Balcony: WOW! What an adrenaline rush! Superior spot right at the corner of Estafeta!! Each spot had a English speaking host and ours provided coffee and pastries. •Hemingway Breakfast: DELICIOUS! Here you could talk about the run with other fellow travelers, swap videos/pictures. The run is so quick you don't have enough hands to get everything! The lines other places were SO LONG and chaotic that having something planned really helped. •Torero Training & Bull Ranch Tour: We were able to actually get in the 'ring' with baby calves and learn the techniques of the matadors. The food they provided was so bad, I ate all the sausages in sacrifice for everyone else (obviously sarcasm). This was so fun and a great way to spend the afternoon away from the party - bar scene. • Bullfighting 101: This was a last minute booking for us since I was VERY skeptical about the bullfights in general. Figured...let me prepare myself with education and knowledge and see where it takes me. This was the BEST thing I could have done to prepare for the bull fight. During this hour you learn about the religious history and what to expect. The hour long meeting with Alexander outlined the three acts of the fight, what each one symbolizes and the purpose of it. If you do anything "extra" DO THIS! • Bullfight....like I said earlier, I was VERY skeptical. I honestly didn't think I would be able to watch this. I fully expected myself to dig my eyes into my husbands shoulder and leave crying. After going to the bullfighting 101, I looked more at this event as an art (right?? a complete 180). We opted for the Palco seats because if you are going to go - why not go all out? These were great because they had actual seats to sit in, and had a bathroom for the Palco area (always a plus). You sit close to the president of the arena, so the action of the matadoras were always in your direction. Hope you find all this info helpful!!
1395 Brickell Avenue, Suite 800, 33131, Miami, US
https://www.runningofthebulls.com
LB
Sep 30,2017My family of five, two teenagers and a five-year old with their parents, rented a balcony through Mark to watch the Running of the Bulls. What an awesome experience! Mark set us up in an awesome hotel; he and his staff stayed there as well and they were on scene for checking in; he was with us on the shuttle being transferred downtown early in the morning; he even walked everyone to the door of the apartment where the balconies were situated. Talk about hands-on experience! At the outside door of the apartment was an employee of Mark's who walked us into the apartment and gave us the full history of the event, answered any and all questions. In the months, weeks and days leading up to the event, Mark or his staff were always prompt to answer any and all questions. Do not fret about using Mark for your hotel and balcony reservation. We had an amazing view of the bulls and the whole lead up to their running by. My family will never forget this experience!!