About

About The Catholic Traveler

The Catholic Traveler does not refer to a single person, but rather anyone who is Catholic and Travels. This website, even this company, is here to help the Catholic traveler accomplish a meaningful and spiritual journey abroad. We specialize in European tours, but even for those unable to travel, we strive to provide a sense of being there through our Travelogue as well as our Travel Articles and Photos.

Now, a bit about the company. Mountain Butorac founded The Catholic Traveler in 2004 out of a love for his Catholic faith and his passion for travel. The Catholic Traveler is still quite young as far as tour companies are concerned. But already we have many happy and devoted customers. On nearly every trip, we have someone sign up who has traveled with us before. Every priest who has used The Catholic Traveler, has come back for a second, third and even some, a fourth trip with us!

As you can see on our Tours page, we do not offer hundreds of tours a year like most other tour companies. In fact, we offer very few compared to others. That’s because all our pilgrimages are custom designed and organized start to finish by the same person. Fewer tours means more attention is given to each pilgrimage. Whether it’s the planning stage, advertising, group meetings, the tour itself or the post trip follow up, each pilgrimage is given the attention it deserves.

About Our Pilgrimages

We put a lot of time and research into each of our tours. We not only want you to have a rewarding European tour, but also to grow spiritually during our time together. We know in some cases this may be a once in a lifetime trip for you and encourage you to compare our tours with others to find the tour that is right for you. Below are some qualities that make us different than other tour companies.

Spirituality
All tours will have an accompanying priest who will celebrate Mass with us each day in the beautiful churches throughout Europe. Since we travel with small groups, you will have more time to spend with our priest throughout the journey. Several months before departure we will post the priest’s name and a short bio so you will have the opportunity to get to know him.

Small Groups
Our groups are always small, usually around 25 people. Many other tour companies may have up to 50 people traveling on one bus. Traveling in a small group allows your guide to spend more time with you to ensure you are having the best possible experience. With our small group we will be able to sleep and eat in places large tour groups cannot.

No Hidden Fees
Everything we do as a group is already included in the advertised price. So you never need to worry about hidden expenses such as departure taxes, fuel, tips or drinks, which can add on several hundred dollars to the advertised price of other tours. Since we always stay in centrally located hotels, you do not have to worry about paying a fee to get into town during your free time.

Traveling as a Local
It is important to us that we get a true feel of the local culture. Throughout the trip we will stay in small charming hotels and eat alongside the locals in intimate restaurants. Our tours include plenty of free time and we encourage you to get out on your own and explore the neighborhoods. We want you to experience a city, not just see it from a tour bus. Don’t worry, our guides will be able to offer you advice on planning your time.

Two Night Stays in Central Hotels
Something we try to do with all our itineraries is to allow at least a two night stay in each hotel. We find people get more out of a tour if they have time to relax and explore each town they visit. We prefer quality to quantity and want to be sure you get the most out of each stop. Our hotels will most always be right in heart of the city. Many tour companies put their groups in big hotels just outside the city and charge a fee for the ‘optional excursion’ into town.