Review Time
My wife and I just completed our 2nd Gate1 trip, this one the Heritage trip to Philly, Williamsburg, Gettysburg, Charleston, and DC. When asked what was our favorite stop, our answer: Valley Forge, Independence Hall, Museum of American Revolution, Historic Philadelphia, Gettysburg Battlefield, Monticello, Jamestown, Williamsburg, Arlington, Lincoln Memorial, Mall of America, Ford Theatre, the Smithsonian, Mt . Vernon and the Korean and Viet Nam tribute exhibits. There was more and it was wonderful and hard to believe we did this all in 8 days. Our tour guide was wonderful, everything was well-planned. Thank you, Joan Schultz and Gate1!
Very disappointed with Gate 1. We’re scheduled to tour Egypt in November. However, due to the the conflict that’s happening now with Israel in Palastine/Gaza and the West Bank, we are justifiably concerned about our safety. Our trip is fully paid, but we had humbly requested to reschedule for a later date to travel (Not asking for a refund) just to reschedule. Unfortunately for us Gate1 outright denied our request disregarding our concerns. The Arch insurance that’s offered through Gate1 essentially only covers Gate1.
We bought the cancel for any reason policy. We cancelled because we had to travel from NC to PA for my best friend's funeral. We were supposed to travel in October of 2023. So now we get a partial credit and a very small refund. Doesn't really do us any good because now it costs almost double for the same trip and we can't afford that. So we are basically out $1800 that we paid.
Our first trips with Gate 1 were great. The tour guides really took care of us and we didn't spend excessive time on the bus. Our latest tour to Greece was awful. The tour director did not communicate well. Telling us we would have a free lunch - when she meant to say we would be free for lunch on our own. We found out after we had to pay for the meal. Our hotel in Mykonos had a large pool of water in the bathroom. It was coming from the room above and there was black mold on the ceiling. It was reported (twice) and the solution was to give us more towels to place on the floor. Nobody seemed to care about the mold. One hotel didn't have hot water for the showers. This was reported to the front desk and the tour director. Writing to Gate 1 did no good. They send their generic "thank you for your input" email and nothing gets done - even when you ask them to call you. I assume they have changed management since our first trips and no longer care about the travelers as long as they get their money. Finally got a response from Gate1. The hotel with cold showers said it was never reported. The hotel with the mold and wet floor said they offered to move us to a different room. That never happened - they gave us lots of towels to soak up the water. Gate1 offered us $100 off of our next trip.Gate 1 replied with another "customer service will contact you" message. To date that has not happened. Horrible company and horrible customer service!!
Absolutely the worst! Don't bother buying trip insurance with them. It's a scam and when you try and cancel (even if you've purchased the Cancel for Any Reason) they give you the run around. There are so many exceptions that its pointless to even try. When I called to ask questions about fees the clueless rep told me they couldn't answer my questions and I had to call Arch Insurance. I called Arch and they told me they had nothing to do with setting rates for cancellation. That was all Gate 1. I've been calling and emailing for days and no one responds. .....Buyer Beware. Find another tour company
I'm very disappointed in Gate 1's lack of empathy and flexibility in allowing rescheduling of a trip to a Muslim country the week after the recent attacks in Israel. There have been many active protests and government support of Hamas at the destination. Visits to mosques and Jewish religious sites were included in the tour and no additional security was being offered by Gate 1. I was more than willing to postpone my trip or apply my total payment to another future trip. Instead, I lost over $4000 for the trip, airfare, excursions and transfers and was not given any other option but to forfeit more than 90% of my payment. I was also misled (by two separate agents) to believe that I would be refunded my airfare minus a $250 penalty. Instead, I now have a credit for a sum uncertain with no way to access it with an airline that only goes to one destination. The tragic events in recent days should warrant the ability to make changes in travel plans without excessive penalties. Gate 1's policies are unreasonable given the unprecedented times we are living in.
We took Gate 1 trip 16 Days Scotland and Ireland on October 2023 and it was outstanding. The hotel were well located and the food delicious. But what made this tour so special was our Tour Director Patrick King, he was professional, knowledgeable and very organized with a great sense of humor. He went above and beyond as a Tour guide ( Gate 1 is so lucky to have him)Our Driver Kevin Nelson was so sweet, funny and an excellent driver, we always felt safe with him.Again, Thank you Gate 1 for giving us a wonderful experience in Scotland and Ireland. Luz Babilonia.
We have taken six tours with Gate 1 and have never been disappointed! Unfortunately, I think people tend to come onto review sites when they are frustrated. However, having read some of the reviews, people blame Gate 1 for their own mistakes--eg. Not taking out insurance and then expecting the company to reimburse them. We have always been very happy with the hotels, tour guides and the excursions! Heading away with them in a couple more months again!
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
More of the World For Less!
rawaiproperty.com
skygeek.com
trippytourguide.com
headout.com
zenhotels.com
travelbag.co.uk
expedia-aarp.com
laudamotion.com
scottdunn.com
quickholidays.co.uk