Livian Yrl
map-marker Navarre, Florida

Extras

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Gate1Travel - Extras
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Please bring plenty of extra money as the gate 1 Moroccan trip cost well over a thousand dollars for tipping as they suggest 7.00 dollars a day for your guide 2.00 dollars per day for the helper and 3.00 a day for your bus driver so our small group paid over 2,700.00 in tips not counting every bathroom and every porter nor camel leader, they are all marvelous people but gate one needs to be a little more honest about a paid for guided tour as the folks on the tour are actually paying all cost unless 2700.00 for thirteen days is average wage in Morocco but it's 700.00 per month, so gate one is surely not paying also..
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Cons:
  • Putting 3 people in a postage size room my brother
  • Sister and i crammed like sardines in a rom
Reason of review:
Not as described/ advertised

Preferred solution: Make others aware of all hidden cost as tipping is out of control on Morocco gate 1 trip

4 comments
Guest

That's is a bizarrely huge amount of tips! You include the entire amount for your group but don't say how large your group was.

We just did a two week tour to India and used their recommended amounts, plus added on extra for the guide and bus driver and helper and still gave them a total of under $400 for two people. Well worth every penny. They worked very hard to keep us safe (driving) and comfortable. (Cheaper than tipping on a cruise!) Our guide told us not to tip hotel porters or other people who helped us because Gate 1 gave them tips.

We still gave a few rupees.

They work very hard to make us comfortable and they never asked for anything. Some people on our tour didn't like being nickle and dimed for camera fees at monuments but personally I don't care about a few cents here and there.

Guest

Tips is salary for seasonal workers ( tourism season is mai to september only) - ensuring guests are getting experts , devoted , happy, experienced , trustable people to be looked after.

Tipping policy is clearly mentionned on the web site and this section could indeed be easier to find from the web site-

Could it be possible to include the tips and pre- paid them?

Guest

The tips are on every tour, everywhere. Typical tip for a day is around $10-12 no matter what agency. Be glad you weren't on a cruise because you would spend $25-30 daily on tips.

Gate1Travel

In regards to the tipping, we do regret any unhappiness. As indicated in the package, gratuities are not included although we offer suggestions, based on industry standards, in your travel documents we do stress that tipping is always a matter of personal choice. With that said, we will certainly review and share your concerns with the appropriate departments

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Anonymous
map-marker Fairmont, West Virginia

September 2016 France 11-day trip

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This was our second trip with Gate1. We went to Paris two days prior to the beginning of the tour. There was no one to meet us at Charles de Gaulle airport, and, after contacting Gate1, we were told they had no knowledge of a representative needing to be at the airport on the day we arrived. We have verification from this company for pick-up at the airport, so that will be ironed out.

Our tour guide, Rene-Jean, was delightful. He was knowledgable to a fault, and his charming personality made the trip more fun. He was always available to answer any questions. He tried very hard to please everyone on our tour.

The accommodations were hit or miss, which was an issue on our first trip with Gate1. We will not be traveling internationally for a while, so I cannot say whether we will use this company again.

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Reason of review:
Poor customer service
1 comment
Gate1Travel

While it seems you enjoyed your trip overall, as well as the services of your guide, we regret to hear of any issues or disappointment with your transfer and accommodations. Please know that we do not take your concerns lightly and have shared this feedback with the appropriate departments for review.

Mikalyn Dlo
map-marker Springfield, Virginia

Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone

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Just got back from their 8 day tour of Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone. It was our third tour with Gate1 and we were expecting good things. We used Gate1 to book all of our airline reservations. When we arrived in the destination airport of Rapid City, SD, there was nothing there to greet us at a strange ( to us) airport. Not a person. Not a desk. Not a sign. NADA! We finally dug through our travel documents and discovered that we had to call the hotel for a pick up. It took them over 90 minutes to show up :-(. When it came time to leave we realized that good ol' Gate1 had booked us on an 800 mile Westward air flight from Salt Lake City to Las Angles before flying a red eye coast to coast to our home near Baltimore. We spent almost 10 hours in the air to get home. Its obvious that Gate1 no longer cares much about its clientele. Their only concern is what's cheapest for them. We will no longer use Gate1 for our travel/trips. We encourage others to realize how much this company has deteriorated.
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Pros:
  • Our tour guide richard
Cons:
  • Travel and arrival
Reason of review:
Poor customer service
1 comment
Gate1Travel

While we do our best to provide as much information as possible within our travel documents, we are sorry to hear if there was any misunderstanding in regards to the transfer. As for the flights, please know at the time the reservation is created our system offers all of the options available at that time along with the best possible pricing.

What was selected may have been the most cost effective option or it could have been, at the time, the most convenient flight.

Nevertheless, we do regret any inconvenience and can certainly look into other flight options for you in the future.

Jerre Tiy
map-marker Crossville, Tennessee

10 Day Peru Tour

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We booked a 10 day tour of Peru with Gate 1(our 3rd) and had a wonderful time with one exception. I fell ill with a foot infection. One the bus into Cusco we booked a half day excursion in that city the next a.m.. Two hours later a doctor(ordered in by our tour leader)saw me and ordered me to stay in bed the next day, thereby making me miss the excursion booked a mere 2 hours earlier. On returning the the US I requested a $54 refund and was rejected, this to a repeat and once satisfied customer. I guess Gate 1 does not know that there are other tour companies out there. Wow, what pathetic customer relations over a measly $54.
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Loss:
$54
Pros:
  • Tour was wonderful
Cons:
  • Shoddy customer relations
Reason of review:
Return, Exchange or Cancellation Policy

Preferred solution: Full refund

1 comment
Guest

After an exchange of emails this issue has been resolved satisfactorily. Yeah Gate 1.

Saira Iuk
map-marker Folsom, California

Mixed experience

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"Guide" in Venice took entire afternoon to hand out hotel keys. She wasted our time & tried our patience. The gondola ride did not have the promised music & singer. She said the music down river from us was also ours although, we could not hear it. Croatia guide was perfect; knowledgeable, organized, personable. Gate 1 overcharged on the published tour rate by $190 & won't refund. oo oooo oo oo oooo oooo oo ooo oo ooo oo ooo ooo oooo ooo ooo oo oo oo oo oo ooo ooo ooo oo ooo oo oo oo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo ooo oo oo oo ooo ooo ooo oo ooo oooo oo ooo
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Loss:
$339
Reason of review:
Warranty issue

Preferred solution: Full refund

2 comments
Guest

The customer service response was unsatisfactory.

Gate1Travel

We certainly regret any disappointment with the services provided. It does seem that a customer service representative has reached out to you to review your concerns regarding the cost of your package.

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Anonymous
map-marker Oro Valley, Arizona

Trips with Gate1

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Italy and France were great. Canada was the worst.

The guide was lousy and more interested in speaking Swedish to another passenger then he was in explaining things to us. At one point, he even admitted he forgot because he was talking to his Swedish passenger and he laughed about it. When we went to the gardens in Victoria, he changed the schedule so he could visit with his daughter. This meant we had an extra heavy day of sightseeing and nothing to do the next day.

At one forest, my allergies were really bad and I elected to remain on the bus rather than hike up to the waterfall through the forest, but they wouldn't allow me to stay on the bus! He was incompetent to say the least. I had more problems with the customer service reps who didn't respond to e-mails or answer questions. We are female seniors in good health, but got food poisoning in Italy from mushrooms.

We were completely ignored and they would not allow us to stay on the bus when they stopped for lunch.

Just the thought of food make us sicker and all I wanted to do was sleep.

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Pros:
  • Iteneraries were great
Cons:
  • Incompetent guide in canada
  • Customer service
  • Bus rules
Reason of review:
see my comments

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

1 comment
Gate1Travel

We certainly regret to hear of any lapse in service or disappointment with your tour. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Gate 1 directly via our “Contact Us” page on our website.

Anonymous
map-marker Ashburn, Virginia

Review in Travel Agencies category from Ashburn, Virginia

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On Tuesday 6/12/16, I called Gate1 and spoke to a rep. named Mika to discuss a tour to Jordan. The attitude of the rep. was really terrible. She gave me incorrect information and debated me about it. She placed me on hold to get additional information related to my query and informed me that she was in fact wrong. No apology was extended, no change of tone. This is not the first time I have received poor phone customer service from Gate1 reps. It really turns me off from this agency.
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service
4 comments
Guest

Call any US Government agency and ask a question. People that don't know the answer will place you on hold and then hang up after 5 minutes.

Others make up an answer to get rid of you.

I always call at least 3 times and write a letter in order to get accurate information.

Reservation agents are usually entry level employees that have "cheat sheets" for common questions but only experience can answer the hard question.

Guest

I contacted them last year to clarify some information for a trip to Spain. The "customer service rep" was very rude, didn't want to answer my questions and kept referring me to the website. I chose not to take the tour with Gate 1 because of the reaction of the Gate 1 employee.

Gate1Travel

We appreciate you taking the time to bring this matter to our attention and we apologize for any lapse in service you may have received. Please be assured that this has been sent to our Reservations Department manager to review with the agent directly.

Guest

They do seem to have an attitude sometimes!

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Gwen Sez
map-marker Yorba Linda, California

Gate 1 did a switch-a-roo

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Gate 1 did this not only once but three times. First of all I booked a trip to Russia for my niece and myself with yours truly coming from LA and my niece coming from Omaha. We were booked to meet in Chicago and then flying over to Moscow together. Then about a week we were told that the airline had separated us to go over on separate flights and it was not their fault (a big lie) and I called the airline it was the Company's doing. But by then they had given my seat to someone else and they told me that because we were coming from different parts of the country they had to change planes. This is what they call in the car industry "bait and switch". They got us aboard together and then about a week later they separated us. So when the same scenario was thrown at me later at my Paris trip, I was ready for them...I got them to change the flights and to way it was originally done. My advice is watch every move they make and know and demand that they keep the original flights and plans in tact.
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Pros:
  • Tours in general
Cons:
  • Flight planning
Reason of review:
Problem with delivery

Preferred solution: Price reduction

1 comment
Gate1Travel

While we make every effort to maintain the original flights reserved at the time of booking, unfortunately, airlines can and do make schedule changes which are beyond the control of Gate 1 Travel. We do our best to also provide notification of these changes to our clients and ask that they contact us should they have any questions or concerns.

Anonymous
map-marker Marrakech, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz

Gate1travel - Review in Travel Agencies category from Marrakech, Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz

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I am currently on tour in Morroco with Gate 1 . The hotels you stay in over night are nice but the hotels where you stay 2 to 3 night are DUMPS.

Very unhappy. Wish the CEO had to come and stay in these places!

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2 comments
Gate1Travel

We certainly regret any unhappiness with your accommodations. Please feel free to contact us upon your return home so that we can review your concerns further.

Guest

So how much did you pay for your trip? Was it around four thousand for a week?

I was in Marocco 8 days for $4400.00 . Yes we had very nice hotels, 2 meals a days ,no dinner. And we had to pay some admission tickets. Would you like to come with my travel agency?

Never ever expect luxury for the price you paid. I just learned in 45 years of traveling- you get what you pay for.

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Anonymous
map-marker Santa Barbara, California

Nice trips with Gate 1 Travel, but consistent problems!

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I have done two trips with Gate 1. On the first one, to Myanmar/Burma, we were allegedly in Mandalay for 'two days and nights'. The truth of the matter was that we arrived late one evening, with just enough time to have a quick dinner and go to bed ASAP, as our wake up call the next day was at 5:30am!!! Then it was on to the bus and we toured ALL DAY up until 8pm!!! We did have a lunch break for a very mediocre lunch. Then back on the bus and returned to the hotel for a late dinner (again)! We again had to go to bed early for a 5am wake up call to make the plane to go to the Bagan Plains. Now I don't know about you, but only one day for seeing all the sights of Mandalay was not sufficient!!! It is a magnificent city and one day did not do it justice at all. So, despite a few misgivings, I did another trip with Gate 1 to India. We had exactly the same problem with 'alleged two nights and days' in New Delhi. Again, it was a 7am to 9pm day trying to squeeze in as many sights as we could, because we had to go to the airport early AM for a flight! Needless to say, one day in New Delhi is not enough time to do it justice! And, in this case, we didn't even get lunch! Our group was exhausted and not very happy!! To add insult to injury, we had four full days in Varanasi. We could have done Varanasi in two days - easily! So we had five trips to the River Ganges... way too much! What a pity Gate 1 doesn't seem to know how long to book in each area.
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Reason of review:
consistent poor planning

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

Anonymous
map-marker Las Vegas, Nevada

Worst booking process ever

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I just booked my first trip with Gate 1 after having traveled with a competitor for many years. I must say I'm extremely disappointed already and we have not even left. I booked a special package to Bangkok and input the dates I wanted to depart and return. The package showed available and I paid it in full. Additionally, I then purchased the connecting airfare separately in order to connect to Los Angeles. A day later I received a phonecall that my hotel package was not available for the dates I had purchased the airfare and there is an error? I have a hotel package starting two days after arrival to Bangkok and departing two days after my flight departs Bangkok? How is this even possible when nowhere in the entire booking process does it tell you there is a conflict? Additionally it includes airport transfers on the hotel days, not the days we actually arrive and depart from the airport in Bangkok? If my return flight is November 26 I am not able to make an airport transfer on November 28? I called reservations and been offered a refund but I really wanted to take my children on this trip. Additionally we have already spent money on the connecting flight that are not refundable because Gate 1 confirmed the trip!!!! I think its quite ridiculous to be honest and would have expected a different solution than a refund and/or offer to pay additional hundreds of dollars to correct your mistake. I wrote and email and wanted to be contacted by a supervisor or someone who can take care of this or at least work with me for a solution. I was sent an email back with no greeting, just station we can refund you or you can pay more to get the right dates. No refund for the 2 nights I am not using because my flight departs two days before those dates???? I now have to find my own hotel to cover the first 2 nights at my own cost but I also asked if we could at least get the airport transfer on the correct dates. I received no response to this, sent via email...... I work in travel for a living so its even more frustrating when you can't get a response or reason with anyone at Gate 1. I guess there is a reason to why they don't publish any email contact info on their site. At this point, I don't even know if my trip is still happening because I have not been told if the ticket was issued. So I will have to set time aside today to call and try to figure out Gate 1's mistake.
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Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Deliver product or service ordered

3 comments
Guest

Hello, did you get any new information about this trip? I was thinking about booking with them.

Gate1Travel

We do sincerely apologize for the lapse in service you received. We do understand that a manager from our reservations department has reached out to you in order to address your concerns.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Gate1Travel

Did Gate1 resolved this issue?

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Kiani Bbr
map-marker Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

POOR Customer Service! Had to Cancel a Trip of a Lifetime with my family

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Let me be brief: *Insufferable hold time on phone to book *Agent took me through booking process and when we enter credit card it was not available *Suggested alternative date. Of course, more expensive. Had to check with others on trip so could not commit. *Booked trip online. All is great except the air arrangements had us arriving a day late!!! How the system selected the BAD flights is beyond me and every time I ask that question I'm told "I selected the flights". I assumed the system would not give me flights that would not work with my hotel arrangements, funny me. *I received a confirmation and then I book my domestic air travel to LA to meet the flights. *Received a call from Gate 1 that said are you aware you book flights that arrive a day after your hotel reservation. I said OK how do we fix it? She said she would book me the day before. I thought WOW what good customer service but then she said it would be $25 pp for the change. I was not please because surely they would not allow me to book an incorrect flight and why was that the first option????? I felt I was paying for the company's mistake. I asked to speak to someone who could address the problem. I was directed to Ms. Paske (after another 15 minute hold). She informed me under no uncertain terms that I made a mistake and must pay! In addition she said I had till 9:00 PM or tough luck. I felt I had a gun to my head at this point and was getting madder. *I called the airline to explain my situation (No hold time by the way!). The Customer Service representative was great and said I could move my flight to the previous day no problem. *I decided I'd pay the $25 keep the reservation and complain later since I had a gun to my head. *Called Gate 1 again. I asked Ms. Paske what number I should call to authorize the change and to cancel and she said the same number. I express a displeasure with the wait time but she insisted. So I go through the INSANE phone system and it says the estimated wait time is 45 MINUTES! I hung up and imputed the option for the Company Directory and was connected to Ms. Paske's voice mail of course. By the way, the "Employee Directory" option is a black hole you can never escape back to the main menu so you have to hang up and dial again. No was to short cut the system so I had to bury up and go in "on hold ***" My estimate wait time was still 45 minutes. I'm getting madder. Someone answers the phone and said she could help me. She informed me the price was now $29.90 pp for the change. I assume it went up while I was on hold. I was very mad now. Not that made any difference to anyone at Gate 1. *Now I wanted to cancel and get a full refund but I had to call the airlines again and see if I could cancel the reservation. Got right through to their customer service and they fixed me up. What a concept!! *Called back to Gate 1 already frustrated and, you guessed it, can't get a human being and yes, estimated wait time 45 MINUTES *Select the option existing reservation thinking someone would surely want to be prompt in servicing and existing customer. Wrong! Waited on phone now I'm up against the Ms. Paske deadline of death so I went to the website and entered a customer request by email. *Finally someone answered the phone and I informed them I was mad and was canceling my reservation. She said she could not do it. More frustration. Transferred again with more time on hold. More frustration. Asked to speak to Ms. Paske and was informed she had left for the day. I was sure she told me she would be there until 9:00 to enforce the deadline. I said who can I tell my frustrations to and was directed to Breece (after another hold, of course) * He pretty much told me the same story and Ms. Paske but he did listen but again pretty much indicated that "the flights I selected were wrong" and pay up. He assured me I would receive a full refund and I appreciated that. I would much rather take the trip but at this point I did not want to do business with Gate 1 *Bottom line--lost a repeat customer over $25!! I will not be a customer of Gate 1 and I will not recommend to any of my friends. It seemed to me that someone would want to fix the problems. I was told very busy so the hold times are longer. Why not another number for existing reservations, problem reservations, trouble shooting, etc.? Air fares are changing every minute! When booked incorrectly why not fix the problem. The company knew there was a problem. They called me. But it became my problem to fix. But sir YOU picked the flights. I can tell you that nobody would believe the "system" would pick a flight as the first option that arrives a day after your hotel reservation. I'm telling you that is a problem that needs to be fixed for your future customers *I wish I could express to you in words how the last three hours dealing with this issue has frustrated me. I seems to me someone needs to know about this stuff and maybe try to address these issues. The impression I get is that guidelines and systems are more important that customers at Gate 1. It is a shame. *I would appreciate a response from someone in the organization that could maybe address these issues with me. Thanks
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Cons:
  • Poor customer service
Reason of review:
Poor customer service

Preferred solution: Price reduction

1 comment
Gate1Travel

As you can imagine, the call volume does increase significantly when packages are offered that are highly discounted. That said, we certainly regret any lapse in service when you tried contacting us.

Please know at the time your reservation was created online, our system offered all of the options available at that time along with the best possible pricing.

As we understood your concerns, we offered several options in which we understand a full refund was eventually provided. Nevertheless, as we do take you comments seriously and we have shared your feedback with our Reservation Management Team for review for the future.

Shalisha Gia
map-marker Lubbock, Texas

Italy trip

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Updated by user Mar 29, 2016

forgot to mention the trip coordinator that gave us a summary, criteria for the weeklong trip. Much of what she said was difficult to understand and much was left out, ie where to buy the bus tickets in Florence and exactly where the bus was.

Many thought we were getting a bus exclusively for us.

How to cross under the train tracks in Venice. If I go back with Gate1 I will be more educated on this.

Original review Mar 29, 2016
Over all I give them a 3.5 out of 5 stars. First the pros, no problem with the paperwork, documents that were sent. A few times there were updates to the flights but these were minimal and airline schedule and flight number changes. Planes were clean. Two of the destination hotels were a 3 star, the Florence hotel was a 4 star. For Europe that is good. The walking tour guides were excellent. My passport was stolen and I called Gat1 for help, they were very good with the info I needed to acquire a replacement. The bad; the Venice hotel was next to the train station but not enough info given to us dumb travelers to get there easily. Young Italian men hawking their wares and "helping" with your luggage and then not leaving without a tip. I would rather had been on the Venice island not Venice Mestre(mainland). Arriving at Florence train station there was no direction where to go on a city bus. TERRIBLE! Always take a taxi and not the city bus. Horrendous experience on that. We all took a taxi back to the train station. After getting off the train in Rome we had to walk 4-5 blocks with bags. It looked like a walking train on the streets toward the hotel with bad sidewalks. The Rome hotel was ok but way too far for anything. It was on the far east side, Vatican on the far west, ancient Rome on the middle and Jewish Ghetto/ Pantheon between them. Overall, a good trip for the money. Gate1 NEEDS to have a person at the train stations helping/directing where to go. I, along with the other 20 others, would have spent a few extra dollars for that. Pick a hotel center Rome, take taxis from and to train stations, stay on the Venice island.
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Reason of review:
Fair pricing
1 comment
Gate1Travel

Although it seems that you may have purchased an independent package, which does not include the level of service that our escorted tours do, we do appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback. Naturally, we will share your comments with the appropriate departments as we are always looking for ways to improve.

Anonymous
map-marker Pewaukee, Wisconsin

9 Day Golden Triangle of India

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This was my fourth and last time traveling with Gate 1 Travel. Since the age of 17 (in 2008), I traveled with Gate 1 Travel to South Africa and Swaziland, Brazil and Argentina, Peru, and India. When I turned 20 years old (in 2011), I started exploring the world on my own – without a guided group tour. I was able to visit the same countries and the same attractions as advertised on Gate 1 Travel, but for much less. On a mission to visit every country in the world, finding the best deal is most important to me. Gate 1 Travel does not offer the best prices for airfare or hotels. After being able to score better deals, I dumped group travel all together. During this time, my parents traveled with Gate 1 Travel to Ecuador and Vietnam. It was time for another family vacation, and my mother was most interested in India. Chicago is a long way away from India, so we decided to also visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives while in the area. Given my laziness during this vacation planning process, I decided to book the 9 Day Golden Triangle of India tour with Gate 1 Travel and then continue on to Sri Lanka and the Maldives on our own. One of the benefits of organized travel is that planning a trip is as easy as clicking the “confirm” button on the webpage. It does not take a lot of time or thought.

When it comes to airfare, book your own. Gate 1 Travel offers “Air & Land” packages. However, a simple Google Flight Search (which uses ITA software), will result in cheaper flights than offered by Gate 1 Travel. The “Land Only” packages do not allow for deviation from the organized hotel options. Outside of group travel, you can find hotels for much less than advertised on Gate 1 Travel. Our schedule allowed for 6 days in India, which would mean we had to leave the tour early. Although we were not staying at the last hotel in the itinerary, we still had to pay for it. Aggravating, but understandable – Gate 1 Travel tours are booked as packages after all.

My mother, brother, and I arrived in India knowing what to expect. I booked our own transportation from Indira Gandhi International Airport to The Park hotel in New Delhi, since I wanted to pay less than Gate 1 Travel advertised. Transportation is widely available at the airport. We arrived at the hotel on Day 3 of the tour around 01:00 in the morning. Days 1 and 2 on the itinerary are counted as travel days. The tour began on Day 3 with an Old and New Delhi City Tour. India is a third world country; and that is something you need to keep in mind while traveling. I had the opportunity to travel to some of the richest cities in the world as well as to some of the poorest.

Breakfast at The Park hotel was exceptional. Then again, I had just returned from a month long overland trip through East Africa. After breakfast, we met our guide and were escorted to the bus. I am not sure when Gate 1 Travel started mandating a seating chart for the bus, but none of the tours I completed with the company ever enforced a seating chart. During the trip I was told what to do, when to do it, and where to sit. The last time I had to sit according to a seating chart was in middle school. I understand the reasons why Gate 1 Travel thought it was a good idea to implement a seating chart, but the way it was executed could not work. According to the seating chart, my family would have never seen the front of the bus, completely defeating the purpose of a rotating seating chart. Susceptible to motion sickness, I needed to sit in the front of the bus, especially given the distance we were driving on this tour. I communicated my concern to the guide before boarding the bus and she simply told me there is nothing that she can do. [Insert curse word]. She would not even accommodate me with a medical problem. Absolutely ridiculous. Later on in the day, a passenger got sick on the bus and needed to immediately use a bathroom – it was an emergency. The guide stated the driver could stop in 15 to 20 minutes. Please tell me how an emergency is supposed to wait? Mind you, there was a bathroom on the bus that was supposed to be accessible for emergencies.

We spent two nights at The Park hotel in New Delhi. Day 4 included a long bus ride from New Delhi to Jaipur. We were leaving New Delhi early, so we had to wake up early for breakfast. We get to the breakfast area and it is closed. Turns out, the guide provided the group with the wrong time for breakfast the night before. About half of the Gate 1 Travel group was waiting in front of the “closed” sign, aggravated and complaining. When the hotel staff finally reached the guide, she apologized and blamed hotel management for the miscommunication. You would think the guide would have the integrity to take responsibility for the mistake and not blame someone else for incorrectly providing information to 20 plus people.

We spent a lot of time on the bus. The distance between New Delhi and Jaipur and Jaipur and Agra called for two travel days (Days 4 and 6). Aside from the unreasonable seating chart, the bus was comfortable. The seats reclined and were kept clean. These long bus rides allowed for plenty of time to learn about India. During the bus rides, we were given the opportunity to learn about our guide. Correction: during the bus rides, we learned every personal detail and story about our guide – so much for learning about India. At least now, I can share personal stories about someone else’s life when I am asked about the trip. I cannot speak to facts about India, but at least now, I can tell you about arranged marriages and wedding planning. Please excuse the sarcasm. As a guide, I believe it is important to be personable. You want your customers to feel comfortable and to be able to relate. I enjoyed listening to stories first-hand, but at the end of the day, I traveled to India to learn about the country. The magnitude of personal information shared was a bit annoying. Towards the end of the trip, a passenger interrupted “story telling time”, and only then did the guide realize it was overwhelming.

The itinerary. The itinerary for Gate 1 Travel tours cover all the main tourist attractions. Given the large amount of attractions and limited time, the tour disclaimer warned of the fast pace. On a mission to see the world, my travel-style is often fast paced. I had no problem with the pace of the tour. I understand why some passengers voiced their negative opinions regarding the pace, but I knew what to expect. I booked the optional tours on Days 5, and 7 to fill up our free time. Additionally, outside of the organized and optional tours, we ventured off on our own to explore some more. The two optional dinners: Dinner at Local Jaipur Restaurant with Traditional Folk Dance and Dinner at Local Agra Restaurant with Bollywood Dance were very disappointing. At both dinners, we were seated in a room and provided with bland Indian dishes while watching a dancer perform. The food was horrible and the dancers looked anything but excited to be there.

The food. I love Indian food. And, I love spicy food. By spicy, I do not mean “white girl” spicy, I mean real spicy. Everything prepared for Gate 1 Travel was bland. I was looking forward to eating real Indian food in India. Instead, the meals included in the itinerary were Americanized dishes. Where were the spices that India is famous for? I brought this up to the guide. She suggested that at each restaurant she would speak to the chef to customize and prepare my dish separate from the group. I was thankful that a solution was proposed; however, the curries and chutneys prepared separately arrived at the table after I finished eating at each restaurant. Disappointing.

In Jaipur, we stayed at the Ramada Jaipur and in Agra at the Trident Agra Hotel. As a businesswoman and travel writer, my work follows me outside of the country. For the price that Gate 1 Travel customers overpay for hotels, Gate 1 Travel should select hotels that offer free Wi-Fi. It is no secret that people are obsessed with technology and communication, so it should be no surprise that everyone complained about not having free Wi-Fi.

Other things that annoyed me: the guide insisted on a “bus bazaar” at almost every tourist attraction. Not only did this take up time, but also we were all capable of buying our own souvenirs. Additionally, during the trip, the guide invited a young boy onto the bus to perform a magic trick. Placing customers on vacation in the position to give away their money is ludicrous. Obviously, we are a bus full of fortunate people that will give up our money out of guilt. The bus also stopped on the side of the road to watch a monkey do a trick. Afterwards, the guide stated that we should tip because these performers do not entertain for free. I did not support the performers the guide brought onto the bus or stopped for, because if people keep supporting this, the guide will continue forcing passengers to pay money to people she deems deserving.

Furthermore, the following is something that has aggravated me on all Gate 1 Travel tours – I think it is absurd that Gate 1 Travel takes their passengers to factories that end in time consuming and overpriced shopping opportunities. For instance, we stopped at a marble factory. Inside, we had the opportunity to witness a staged setting of laborers working on a marble piece. Yes, watching the workers manually create a craft was interesting; however, the sole purpose of Gate 1 Travel taking us here was to make commission off anything purchased. These factories that we stopped at (marble, carpet, textile), up charged every sale item. Most of these ignorant travelers will buy something; and then, Gate 1 Travel wins. My family and some other travelers refused to go inside the shops that Gate 1 Travel brought us to. Not only is it a complete waste of time, but you can buy any of these items outside the factory for much less.

Day 8 called for a bus ride from Agra to New Delhi-Gurgaon. Prior to arriving in India, I arranged for a private transfer back to Indira Gandhi International Airport since we had a flight to Sri Lanka that evening. The driver (not associated with Gate 1 Travel) arrived on time and took us back to Delhi. During the drive, I concluded that this would be my last time traveling with Gate 1 Travel.

Organized travel has its benefits: it is easy and does not require much thought; everything is planned for you. However, everything is planned for you. If you enjoy having everything planned for you – what to do, when to do it, and even where to sit – Gate 1 Travel is the company for you. Organized travel includes a guide. Guides can be informative and helpful or they can be rude and give off a negative tone and attitude. Unfortunately, it is a gamble, and we did not get lucky this time. Organized travel offers comfort. You stay at familiar hotels and eat familiar foods. If you do not like to get out of your comfort zone, stay at Americanized hotels and eat Americanized food , while overpaying for airfare, hotels, and activities – Gate 1 Travel tours are for you. Organized tours are not for everybody. This trip was a reminder of why I plan my own travels.

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Reason of review:
Bad quality
3 comments
Guest

Great review! I dislike organized travel for the same reasons as stated.

Guest

You sound like a giant, annoying snob!

Gate1Travel

We do regret to hear of any disappointment with your recent escorted trip to India. We will certainly take your comments into consideration when planning future programs.

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Anonymous
map-marker Sacramento, California

Unprofessional tretment received from gate 1 on international travel trip of a 30 days tour

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we purchased 2 tours from Gate 1 in October of 2013 for four people beginning on June 27, 2014, starting from Sacramento to Rome, Venice, and continuing to Athens,Creete, Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, ending in Athens, and followed by the second tour which started in Athens and continued to Meteora, Delphi, Kalambaka, Athens, and with a three days stop in Paris in our way back home to Sacramento. It was of course, international tickets, or that's what we thought, until we were getting the plane in Athens, in our way back home,when we realized that Gate 1 had purchased local tickets for us which did not allow luggage. They charged us each 45 Euros per person for our single luggage. We contacted Gate 1 immediately, and tried to get the 45 Euros per person refunded to us, but they never did. We feel that it was totally unprofessional on their part, especially when they did not even bather to ask us about any options before the ticket was purchased. If they had asked us, the extra amount to be paid would had been 30 dollars per person, instead of 45 Euros! You purchased such a tour from them, expecting them to really use their knowledge to find you the best offer, and they don't. Also, we got stuck in Creete the day that we were supposed to take the ferry to Santorini, and it took all day for them to get back to us to tell us that there was nothing to do that day. We had to contact my son in the states in order to find out that there was a flight to take from Creete to Santorini, and even when we gave them all the information about the flight, including the price and of course, that we were willing to pay the difference, they still took so long to get back to us that we ended up paying more for the flight.
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Loss:
$220
Pros:
  • Tour people in greece
Cons:
  • International luggage charges
  • Refund policy
Reason of review:
Problems with payment

Preferred solution: Full refund

2 comments
Guest

We just came back from a wonderful, informative trip to Iceland. However, we were not informed by Gate 1 that there were various types of Economy tickets.

We had NO idea that they had booked us on a new classification of Economy called Economy Light which allowed NO free checked luggage. When we got our invoice it stated Economy tickets which we expected...no mention of type of Economy. When we checked in we were told it would be $69.00 per bag checked and the same for our return flight. Gate 1 states they are not responsible for airline fees but they due own their clients a notification of the class of their tickets.

Of course the airline followed their fee requirements but we were never informed of our ticket class. Other travelers in our group had Economy tickets too and were not charged because they had regular Economy tickets.

There were not informed of the types of Economy tickets either. I will never use Gate 1 again.

Gate1Travel

We do regret any unhappiness with the fees paid for your luggage. Unfortunately, as much as we wish otherwise, these charges are dictated by the airline.

For this reason, we always suggest that you check in advance if you are concerned about size or weight restrictions of hand and/or checked luggage. As baggage fees vary we also include information on our website that shows the baggage fees for each airline.

Our staff works very hard to make alternate arrangements for our clients when service are interrupted such as the ferry not operating due to the high winds. We are pleased that they were able to assist with the flights however we certainly regret if this was not done in a timely fashion.

We will certainly review this with our team.

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