Excellent seats for superb performances of great operas in the best houses; the chance to explore and revisit inexhaustibly rich cities; the opportunity to meet and talk with small groups of like-minded enthusiasts from around the world; superb meals and five-star hotels: HAT Tours supplies all of these things, and more. But what is especially distinctive, and what will keep us coming back again and again, is the perfect balance of hyper-efficient organization with relaxed informality. The walking-groups and bus-tours are always there (and always worthwhile), but if you'd rather wander off by yourself to a gallery or go shopping, there's no hassle; if an unforeseen opportunity comes up to attend an extra concert or recital, tickets will be found; if you decide to extend your stay in order to take in additional performances, seats will be booked; if a problem arises, Grethe and Aspee will find a way to solve it. Coming across them on the internet in 2014 when we were searching for some way to get to an oversubscribed Ring Cycle in Vienna has been one of the happiest discoveries of our opera-going lives.