Our Tour Managers

Maritza Baumeister

Back in the early 1980s I worked for a travel agency in Munich, in charge of planning and guiding special group tours to America and Africa. After my husband and I moved to his hometown in Austria, I decided to conduct tours professionally for a while – this was 26 years ago. Speaking English, German, French and Italian helped and a profound knowledge of European history favoured tours to Central and Eastern Europe. What started as “a job for the moment” turned into a passion.

I did not read about changes in newspapers, I was there witnessing those events leading up to the fall of the Berlin wall. Words cannot describe the emotions when crossing the border after re-unification of the two Germanys. I admired the drive for freedom in Hungary and I saw Ceaucescu’s Romania go down. Happy moments which were followed by very sad ones when I saw Yugoslavia ripped to pieces in a cruel war. Now a wonderful young generation rebuilds these countries and Albatross had a fantastic tour visiting Croatia and Slovenia.

The Albatross doctrine to include visits to well known sites, thus offering the best to all participants, always appealed to me. Advanced bookings help to avoid long queues and there is plenty of time in places visited to pursue own interests.

We are often asked about our favourite places – but is there one? The serene beauty of the Baltic States, the mystic feel of old Prague, the wide empty spaces of Hungary’s Puszta and of course charming imperial Vienna. Italy is dazzling and Slovenia’s mountains remind us of old fairy tales. Do I have a favourite place in Europe? Not really and yet, sitting at the waterfront overlooking the sunset over the Adriatic Sea in Croatia is as close to paradise as one might get.

Eve Charlier

Hello, I'm of Anglo Indian origin born in India but now a resident of Andalucia, Southern Spain for the past 36 years. Home is an organic farm in the beautiful Andalucian hills shared with my husband, 3 dogs, 2 cats, 5 peacocks and a bunch of pot belly pigs! I studied languages and am bilingual in Spanish and English. A tireless traveller that started my wanderlust with sailing around the Mediterranean, afterwards spent 12 months working and travelling the width and breadth of the USA.

Continuing with itchy feet I then headed for Australasia, spending 24 months backpacking from North to South Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and returning to my native land of India and Nagaland many times.

I have been working as a Tour Manager for the past 10 years with various tour companies throughout all of Europe, Morocco and the Iberian Peninsular. I've recently joined the Albatross team and am very much looking forward to sharing with you my passion for travel and accompanying you on your discovery of Europe with Albatross.

“Eve was excellent, professional and nothing was too much trouble – she always went the extra mile. And she has a great sense of humour!” Jan

Yasmina Ouerdane

Originally from Algeria, I have been lucky enough to have lived in different countries with varying cultures and languages. I have lived in New York training as a dancer and studied in San Paulo in Brazil.

I am now based in London where I teach business English to foreigners and also work as a translator during off-season. However, I spend half the year living out of a suitcase, touring all over Europe as well as travelling all around the world. In fact every single one of my jobs has involved some form of travelling one way or another whether it be teaching, dancing or managing tours.

The majority of my tours take me all over France, namely, Normandy, the Loire Valley, Provence and Paris of course. I also lead tours in the UK and Ireland as well as Spain and Portugal.  While sharing my passion for art, culture, history and of course the local food in all the places we visit is a fantastic part of the job; the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and go on different adventures is by far the most rewarding thing during these trips

Darren Wheatley

I have worked as a tour manager for the last 20 years for a variety of operators and in recent years I joined the Albatross team working on their wonderful 18 day tour of Spain & Portugal. I also work in Germany and this year in Croatia. It's a great company to work for with wonderful hotels and locations to visit and friendly guests to travel with.

In my free time I enjoy photography so have the perfect job for that and also browsing antique markets around Europe. I have a real passion for travel and imparting interesting information and knowledge to our guests who travel with us. If you travel with Albatross you are sure to have a great time.

“Darren was exceptional, very knowledgeable, extraordinarily talented and fluent in languages, plus very helpful and caring.” Barbara

Deryck Brown

I have been a tour manager since 1980 when I started conducting tours to the Oberammergau Passion Play from Munich where I was living at the time. I soon moved further afield taking in the Alpine region and cities on the 'Grand Tour' like London, Paris, Florence and Rome.

In the late eighties I became something of an expert on Eastern Europe, often travelling to the USSR and other countries of the Communist Block and of course I found it fascinating observing the great upheavals there from first-hand in the early nineties!

Throughout my career I have tried to keep in touch with 'the old country' and regularly conducted tours of Britain and Ireland.

I have always enjoyed my job, seeing new places and watching them change and of course constantly meeting new people, mostly from Australia and New Zealand. Each tour is an education for me, no matter how many times I visit a place, there is always something new to learn, often from clients on the tour.

I enjoy conducting Albatross tours because they offer something a little different from most other coach tours. The pace is generally more relaxed and the places visited often more for the serious traveller, sometimes a little off the beaten track. The three and four night stays in hotels make the operation of the tour less frantic than many other companies!

My educational background was in languages, Spanish and French to degree level, and in later years I have added German, Italian and Russian to various levels. This means that since student days I have always had a soft spot for Spain, especially the South, Granada, Sevilla etc, but nowadays feel just as happy in the rolling hills of Tuscany or the vibrant but friendly atmosphere of Munich.

One lesson I have learned over the years is that the vast majority of people we encounter in other countries are overwhelmingly friendly when we show a genuine interest in their lives and culture. I have never had the impression that one particular nation dislikes tourists from a certain country. Respect their traditions, and we will get along fine!

Gilberto Bionda

I come from a small village in the mountains of Northern Italy near to the Swiss border. Italy is a truly beautiful country and I love it; we are so lucky to have the culture, arts, history and nature.

Since I was a boy, having an outgoing personality, my passion was to travel and see our beautiful world. After initially working as an accountant for several years I decided that I needed to change career and find my true vocation. I travelled extensively visiting all five continents and doing several jobs before taking a position as a tour escort, which turned out to be the perfect career for me.

For the last 9 years I have worked as a Tour Manager in Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. I am proud to be working for Albatross Tours which has delighted me for the quality of design of the tours, the style of tour, the guests and the great staff.

I particularly enjoy being by the rivers which were so important to the development of Europe and visiting the beautiful cities on them such as the Loire Valley and the chateaux, Kòln on the Rhine and others as the Seine, Rhòne, Salzach, Inn and of course the Tiber in Rome.

I love my profession which allows me to meet new people, communicate my knowledge of the places we visit, show my enthusiasm and devotion to my profession, while enjoying every single day.

“When you do what you like best, you do it with all of your heart”.

“Gilberto, our Tour Manager was amazing. He was so good with everyone and was knowledgeable, helpful and absolutely reliable. He is a very special person who made our tour excellent.” Cheryl

Gina Braim

I'm originally from the city of Coventry in England but have been living since the seventies in Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol. I feel very much at home in the mountains and enjoy showing our travellers the magnificent scenery of the Alpine regions, which incorporates not only Austria, but Switzerland, and other countries in Central Europe. 

I joined Albatross Tours in 2000 and have been working since then on both the Europe, Britain & Ireland and Christmas & New Year programmes. I love being part of the Albatross team and I particuarly appreciate their philosophy of longer stays, frequently staying in hotels which posses traditional charm plus their policy of including famous sights and unusual attractions which are often add on optionals with other tour operators.

The central European Alps, as well as being historically fascinating, are so beautiful and filled with waterfalls, trout filled streams, medieval villages and castles and as I love hiking, this is the perfect area for me. I don't believe anything can compare to a sunrise or sunset over the mountains. I love to share all this and much more with our travellers.

Helen Sheehan

I started out in 1993 as a tour guide and I am a French and Italian speaker. Previously I taught English as a foreign language, and have undertaken various tours which include Regional Italian tours, Tuscany and Evirons, Rome to London, Spain, France Holland, Scotland and Ireland.

Karen Newman

I was brought up in England and Holland and then studied in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. My upbringing has given me a deep understanding and knowledge of European traditions and culture. With much experience to now be a very experienced tour manager, I have taken groups to such diverse destinations as the Galapagos, Antarctica and Borneo.

I am also a regular and enthusiastic visitor to Australia and New Zealand. As a firm Francophile, I love the joie d'vivre, the beautiful countryside and naturally French cuisine. I am looking forward to sharing all 'La Belle Francaise' has to offer, from Chateaux to Champagne and much, much more.

“We were blessed with a very good tour manager. Karen would be the best I have encountered in my travels and nothing was too much trouble.” Yvonne

Monica Ediers

Being a Tour Manager for the past 28 years, with trips to various destinations from South America to South East Asia, safaris in Africa, and Europe my greatest passion, it is one of the most fulfilling and fascinating professions that exist.

Not only the enjoyment of travelling and learning different cultures, but the social factor involved.

I love people, like to interact, socialise make a tour fun and enjoyable, like smiles on clients faces. I also like the organisational side of it, being fluent in Dutch, French, German, English, and Italian certainly helps.

My passion is Europe with its uncountable riches in history, art (I have an Art degree), culture, gastronomy, music, customs and many more. I like to share this knowledge to give more insight and meaning to the places to my passengers. My favourite country in Europe is Italy because of the abundance of above.

Nothing is more satisfying then seeing people enjoying their time in Europe in a more leisurely style, concentrated on one particular area and discover it in depth as offered by Albatross - only one company where the word means exactly that LEISURELY...with the 2 and 3 night stays. So clients go home not only with a new deep insight of a part of Europe but also with a list of new made friends and looking forward to a visit in another part of exiting Europe with Albatross!

Stephen Newman

From early days on the old hippie trail from London to India (and on to Australia) I have been hooked on the excitement and adventure of travel. I possess in depth knowledge of many countries and favourites include India, Vietnam, South Africa and Italy. Being a huge sports fan, I have visited Australia on many occasions, including several Ashes series - just don't mention the cricket! With my knowledge of the traditions and heritage of Great Britain I am enthusiastic to show visitors the landscape, share the literature and to ensure it is a rich and enjoyable experience for everyone.

Reinhard Held

I started work in tourism in Italy as a guide for excursions in Tuscany. Later I became a tour manager and for many years I have been conducting tours in Europe, mainly in the German-speaking countries and Italy. Since 2007 I've been working for Albatross, handling European Summer as well as Christmas tours. I like working for Albatross: I like the product as well as the philosophy behind it, I like the people who travel with Albatross and the people who work for Albatross. As a native of the Austrian Tyrol I love the mountains and therefore I especially enjoy handling the 'An Alpine Adventure' tour. I also like to do the 'Black Forest, Bavaria & the Tyrol' tour and the 'Italian Grande' tour.

Victor Seedman

Originally I’m from Yorkshire. I love the tranquillity of the Dales but it was always the moors I used to ramble as a lad, the open country that told me there was a world out there waiting to be discovered. My father used to say I am like my granddad, a great traveller in his day.

My first job after moving to London was washing dishes at the BBC's Broadcasting House. By the mid-‘80s I was conducting whistle-stop tours of Britain and Ireland for American forces personnel based in the Rhineland.

I still get the same buzz from leading a tour as I used to, and I am delighted to be with Albatross Tours where it is far more easy-paced than with other companies, we have time to enjoy the sights at leisure.  What I love most about my job is seeing people’s pleasure in being inspired by the same places that move me, Tintern Abbey, say, or York.

My favourite part of mainland Europe is the Italian lakes, with the Alps as backdrop, beautiful villages with ancient churches, lush gardens and cities going back to Roman times.

Antonia Scetta

I am an Italian speaking tour manager and I have been working in travel since 1995. I first began doing local guiding for agencies on Lake Garda in which then transformed into taking tours for British and North American passengers. I have done many long haul tours such as South Africa and the far East - Cambodia, Vietnam and China.

“Our tour manager Antonia was brilliant! Probably the best I have experienced in all our travels. Her knowledge, enthusiasm and interaction with the group made this tour extra special.” Allan

Richard Ellis

I first came to live in Italy in my early 20s and fell in love with the country. I both worked and studied at University there. Life took me back to the UK, but I continued to work in travel for some years before settling down. I returned to tourism five years ago and although much has changed Italy remains as fascinating and beautiful as ever.