Our trip to Germany, Switzerland and Austria was fabulous. Our tour guide Julian was extraordinary. He anticipated every need, made clear each day's agenda, entertained the group with numerous activities that facilitated laughter and friendships and educated us with his wealth of knowledge about the area. In addition he remained easily accessible to address all concerns at every minute of the trip. Regarding transportation, we found Thomas to be a very safe bus driver and one who was dependable and pleasant. All in all the tour guide and transportation services could not have been any better. Thank you Gate 1 for a wonderful travel experience and putting an outstanding staff in place for our travel.

Our Danube River cruise was fabulous, with perfect weather. Our cruise ship, the Monarch Queen, was top notch, as were our Cruise Director, Kris and our Activities Director, Niko! Special appreciation goes out to Amr, who took wonderful care of our dining needs. He will always hold a special place in our hearts. We cannot wait to book again with Gate 1. Your motto "See more of the world for less", definitely holds true, and makes you stand out as a "cut above the rest"! Thank you again, for making our 1st European Cruise a remarkable adventure!

I just wanted to send a message to please share with Senior Management. It's a message of praise for our Tour Leader Katarina. She did an excellent job in so many ways! We were a group of 42 traveling 11 days, visiting 5 Countries and 6 Cities during that time. This was my first Gate 1 Trip and I was a bit nervous that the experience might not be great trying to do so much in so little time and then in such a large group. Katarina was a true professional from the moment we met her until the end of the trip. She was supremely organized and always had me feeling safe and comfortable with all that was going on. To my amazement she was also able to keep us on schedule and enjoying ourselves throughout. Even the longer bus rides went smoothly with her accounting for our needs either sharing a movie or insights along the way or just letting us rest when we needed that. Another area where Katarina stood out was her kindness and generosity. Small gestures like having coins for us to use the public restrooms or bigger ones like acknowledging our 33rd wedding anniversary with a lovely note and bottle of wine. Also, Katarina has a great sense of humor and had us laughing particularly on the bus. Gate 1 is quite fortunate to have team members like Katarina supporting your tours and we as travelers were the beneficiaries which I very much appreciated.

This was my 1st group tour. Dennis was an amazing tour manager. He was so well organized, it made the trip easy. He got us to places on time and in front of the crowds, which I really appreciated. He gave us great advice of things to do on our own or places to eat. Dennis is really and funny and kept us very engaged with humor and insight into our destinations. His shoes will be hard to fill for any tour manager I encounter in the future.

My trip was the BEST! Switzerland has such natural beauty you can't help but love it. But what enhanced the trip was Dennis. He is one of the best tour guides I've ever had. Organized, knowledgeable, witty, informational, entertaining, helpful, safety first mentality, he goes way above and beyond what's expected of him. And an all around nice guy. I've been traveling around the world since I was 19. Eventually worked for the airlines and am a constant traveler. I say this not to brag but to make a point that I have experienced the gambit of fantastic trips to not good trips. This was one of the top trips I've taken. The itinerary was fabulous ( don't change a thing!) hotel's lovely, meals delicious and again Dennis made it all the more special. Can't speak highly enough about him. He's an Alpine Jewel. I love Gate1. This might have been my 10th Gate1 and I keep referring others to your company because you do it right. More of the world for less.

This was my 50th Gate 1 trip, and from the moment I was greeted so warmly at the Milan airport by our pre-stay tour manager Remo, I knew it would be special. Two nights in charming Baveno on Lake Maggiore, followed by two nights in lovely Lucerne before proceeding to Basel for a city tour and boarding of my home for the next week on the Rhine River cruise to Amsterdam, the "Monarch Empress". Your flagship and what a beautiful ship: pristine, comfortable, so well designed and with a crew that run it like a Swiss clock. There were so many standouts from start to finish, the great, efficient and personable crew led by our Ukrainian Capt. Igor, Pavel, Marius, George, Kris, Nora, Nura, the wonderful guys at reception, and all who did their part, our head chef and his staff and his delicious menus - every meal was so good and dinners were very special and wine plentiful, and of course not forgetting the G1 staff, our fantastic Cruise Director Soma, fun, knowledgeable, kind and supremely organized and the delightful Activity Director, Laura. Above all they are both just wonderful human beings. The Rhine River cruise is not as picturesque as the Danube, but it is the beating heart of Europe and there is a lot of commercial barge traffic and industry along the way, but port calls were very charming, well thought out and so interesting, and there is a very beautiful stretch between Rüdesheim and Koblenz with so many castles and a constant castle alert from our leader Soma! It was a fabulous trip and as always sorry to see it end, but I know that it is just until the next one and more adventures with G1 - my special thanks for this one and for truly being treated like a Queen, who doesn't love that!

The Majestic Balkans was a great trip and Ana was the best tour guide that we ever had (all of the tour guides have been very good), this being our fifth Gate 1 Discovery.

Could not recommend George our guide more . He was absolutely a wonderful man . We travelled as a Group of 10 Australians . We would do another trip with George in a heartbeat . Our driver was fabulous and very nice man. We are now on our River cruise with gate 1

Just a few additional comments about our Rhine trip: Our room steward, Lily, couldn't have been more available, kind & cheerful, or hard working. She's an asset to your company. Krismanto, waiter, actively went out of his way to be kind, funny, & remembered your personal preferences ( my iced tea in the a.m.). He sought me out to ensure I had what I liked. Even when I wasn't at his table. He's a very hard worker & a ray of sunshine. He reminded me of my early cruising days with the level of service & attention to detail. Thank you Kris. At the end of our trip our driver was wonderful. His name was Robert. Excellent driver. Funny & kind. He even went out of his way to return items that my friend left in the van. Thank you Robert. Laura was our entertainment director. Another truly kind person. She just made things fun. From stretch / yoga in the a.m. to games & activities at night...she was great. Our only reservation about sailing Gate1 again was the lack of activities at night. With this new position ( & Laura especially), that was no longer a concern. Bart is pleasant & knowledgeable. Ever present. But, if you are observant, you realize how much work & coordination he does behind the scenes. Well done.

Just some special recognition for several individuals that always seemed to go out of their way to make this a wonderful experience. EVERYONE was amazing and attentive. But, Miklos, our tour director was superb in every way. Always available, upbeat, quick with answers and ahead of the game at every step. Loved being with him. In the dining room, we had the pleasure to be served by Dino, a most experienced and excellent captain of our table. He made every meal exceptional and so fun. Open, happy, smiling and offering advice and illumination when wanted. His level of attentiveness and powers of observation are off the charts. He sees everything and is there with what you want before you can even ask for it. He is more than a server but his serving skills are truly exceptional. His assistant, Joko, was the happiest person I saw every day. Same as Dino, attentive and always thinking ahead for my group. The housekeeping staff person, Desy, also made our trip more enjoyable. It's people like these that puts the overall experience in the A+++ category for me. I'll remember them all as we travel with Gate 1 again.

My husband's dream since he was a boy was to see the Matterhorn. His dream finally came true during our Switzerland Tour with Gate 1. Neither of us can put into mere words how fabulous this tour was. The cities, villages, hotels, food, the vistas and landscape were beyond what we had hoped for. This tour, and our tour guide Siobhan (pronounced Sha-vonne), exceeded our expectations and then some. I highly recommend anyone looking to do this tour watch the video of this tour on the Gate 1 site. It does a much better job than I could with the tour description. Our highlights of the trip were: #1 the Matterhorn, #2 Trummelbach Falls, #3 the Gornergrat Mountains. Every day was an exciting adventure. Siobhan not only showed us those items on our itinerary but also had many extra surprises to share with us as well. These are called the SSS's, for "Siobhan's Special Surprises". At almost every turn in the road, or street corner we passed, Siobhan had history or information to share. Not only was she a wealth of information but she has a great sense of humor too. She is a very caring person whose goal was to be sure each and every one of us had a fantastic experience. Siobhan took time to get to know each of us. She was always available for any questions we might have or issue that arose which she promptly resolved. A tour can be just a tour, or it can be an experience of a lifetime. I sincerely believe a knowledgeable, well prepared and caring tour manager can make all the difference. Another important person to be mentioned is our tour bus driver, Josep (no h). He made sure we traveled in a clean, comfortable bus. His excellent driving skills in many tight spots, often brought rounds of applause. This was our 2nd tour using Gate 1 Travel, but it won't be the last. We are already looking at other tours with them too. Some of our tour companions have done multiple Gate 1 tours, as well as a number of our friends, and they all swear by the quality and value offered.

We recently returned from our second Danube River cruise and wanted to compliment you on your hiring such talent in in the Cruise Director and Activities director capacities. Martin was the perfect combination of professionalism and presentation as well as one of the most knowledgeable guides we've ever had (and this was our 10th trip with Gate 1) . His group clear and "non-repetitive" presentation style enhanced our trip tremendously with his appropriate humor, information, group management and availability to make our trip so easy and memorable. It was also great to see Amir (from our 2019 trip) and experience his friendly and amazing energy and activities onboard the ship once again. We were also extremely impressed with the quality of the MS Governess, the ship's captain and crew, and everyone from the behind the scenes people in the kitchen and housekeeping to the waitstaff in the restaurant, bar, and reception desk. We traveled with family to whom we had recommended this trip, based on our previous cruise on the Empress, and this trip is one to remember for all of us. Thank you! We are currently looking forward to our next trip in September with Gate 1 and planning more for the future! Keep up the quality so we can enjoy "more of the world for less" without compromise!

I just wanted to take this time to give a SHOUT out to our amazing tour director Agnieszka. I have just returned from my 21st Gate1 tour and once again I was not disappointed. I am a longtime customer and it is because of the caliber of your tours and specifically the directors that keeps me coming back year after year. This year I was once treated to a A+ caliber tour from Gate1. I had the fortune of having Agnieszka in charge of my tour. We were provided with suggestions on the evenings when Dinner was not included, she totally spoiled us introducing her beautiful country by providing local candies, offering contests (I can attest to being the proud winner of a contest). When I return from a trip and CANNOT wait to go back, Gate1 has done something right. In this case it was offering this amazing trip and having Agnieszka at your lead.

It was wonderful as usual! I always think the tour manager on my most recent trip is the best I've ever had but I honestly don't know how anyone could be better than Egis was. He was, of course, very competent, organized, and thorough in his management of our large group and all the itinerary pieces. And his knowledge of the history, culture, and geography of the region was unsurpassed. Our driver, Marian, was very friendly and equally as competent in the job he did for us. We got everywhere safely and on time and I appreciated the clean windows for viewing all the amazing scenery we drove through. I have to add that Egis went so much further than what was required of him. So many extra gifts, guidance, and tour add-ons he gave us - including a special visit from his delightful parents and little dogs, with authentic Lituanian refreshments on a long travel day. What impressed me the most about Egis was his excellent character and his genuine caring and compassion for each of us. I felt personally cared for and watched after by a true friend who made sure my every question was answered and every need met. This was my husband's first international tour and i could not have been more pleased with the way Egis made it perfect for him. Then, to top it off, he surprised us with two beautiful souvenir gifts to take home and remember him and the trip with. Thank you for providing me with such an exceptionally talented and wonderful person for my 15th Gate 1 tour!

This was the first Gate1 trip for our family of four. 2 adults and 2 children 12 and 14 years . The Not only was the tour very interesting and educational. Also the organization of the tour deserves the highest rating possible. Starting with choice of hotels, tours quality, excellent food, great bus drive Marayan, high quality tour guides. But most importantly we would like to recognize our tour director Egidijuis (Egis). He made this trip exceptional! He took care of the group 24/7, offered a lot of additional sightseeing and shared his knowledge of all 4 countries and their customs and food! He treated us every morning with a local treat! He deserves the highest rating! We have traveled with other tour companies before but we're never treated to such royalty like Gate1 provides! This encourages us to book many more trips in the future with Gate1!

Comparing our recent Gate 1 Rhein River cruise with another Legendary Journeys Danube River cruise gives me a basis for comparison. Your river boat has more amenities with 2 lounges,2 main outdoor seating/viewing areas, and 2 coffee dispensers. Gate 1's cabins have more storage and bigger showers. The food selection is better on Gate 1. And, finally, the Gate 1 river boat crew provided better service and was more friendly. The bottom line is we received a more relaxing and memorable trip than anticipated which now allows us to "spread the word " about this Gate 1 trip. Keep up the great work!!

The trip was fantastic! Dennis, our tour manager, was top notch and made our vacation so memorable. He provided great leadership, guidance, and commentary.. he even provided great recommendations on things to do and places to eat and shop during leisure time. I can't wait to take another trip with your company. He was even great with my children (11, 13, and 18) who came with me. Deni's vast knowledge of Switzerland allowed us to have seamless travel, we were always ahead of the crowds in all locations.

Our Danube River Cruise was wonderful. The ship, Monarch Governess was clean and in good condition. The staff was excellent, especially the dining room staff, Ega, Dino and George. They were very friendly and personable, while at the same time being very professional and providing excellent service. The chef, Ketut, prepared delicious meals every day. We also would like to compliment the pastry chef, whose name we do not recall, for making the most delicious desserts. Our cruise director, Soma, was a lot of fun and full of information and advice. We will be recommending Gate 1 river cruises to our friends and family, and we are already thinking about booking the Eastern Danube cruise in the future. Thank you!

Our trip was lovely! I loved being on the Monarch Queen. The crew was warm and friendly. The accommodations were terrific- well thought out and so clean and comfortable! Thank you Gate1!

I wrote a review about our 9-day Danube River Cruise that I would like to submit. Please see below. My husband and I are 70, and we had never gone on a cruise before. When choosing one, I knew we didn't want to be on one of those floating cities with ten different pools and a zillion people. We wanted something with a few planned excursions and some free time - a good combination of activity and relaxation. Also, our early-30s kids were going with us, so we didn't want it to feel too "senior;" however, my husband has some walking issues, so we had a concern about the pace being too fast. One of my friends, who is an experienced cruiser, suggested looking into Gate1 river cruises, so we did. When we signed up for the 9-day Danube River Cruise, we didn't know exactly what to expect, but I'm happy to say that the experience exceeded our expectations. From easily finding the Gate1 representative at the airport when we landed and being shuttled to the boat to the departure on the last day, everything went like clockwork. The boat was very in excellent condition, the rooms were comfortable, the crew provided stellar service, and the food was excellent. Dinner time was relaxed and intimate, without formal attire, which was what we were looking for. We were kept abreast of the next day's activities in a group meeting each evening, so we knew where to be and when. The crew was especially professional, pleasant, and helpful. Our cruise director, Mick, was willing to drop everything when he was dealing with something very important, to contact someone at Gate1 who could help with a flight change issue for us. Danielle, the activities director was perfectly suited for that role; he was very creative, personable, and kept the evening activities lively and fun. Our waiters in the dining room, Budi and Albin, were excellent and gave us very personal service. The bar servers, Alexander and Jacinta were very attentive and fun. ALL of us, including the young people in our group, loved it. It was everything we wanted! My friend who recommended Gate told me it was "the best cruise ever," and I believe that sums it up! We absolutely loved it and would do another one in a heartbeat!

One of my best Gate one tours because everyone one on the boat really cared that my travel companion and I had the best time. At all times our needs were met. A big thank you.

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for Krisztina and the unforgettable trip from Munich to Budapest aboard the Monarch Queen rivers cruise. It was an incredible experience, and I can't thank her enough for being our tour director and guide throughout this journey. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication truly made this trip exceptional. Her storytelling and insights about the places we visited brought history and culture to life, making each destination even more meaningful. The attention to detail and seamless organization of the itinerary made everything run smoothly, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the beauty of the cities and landscapes along the Danube. The Monarch Queen was an impressive vessel, and the cruise itself was a delight. From the breathtaking views on the sundeck to the comfortable cabins and delicious meals, every aspect of the journey was top-notch. Krisztina went above and beyond to ensure that each traveler felt comfortable and had their needs attended to. Her friendly demeanor and approachability made us feel like a close-knit group, forging lasting connections with fellow travelers.

It was a beautiful trip. Well prepared by our trip manager and her assistant. We really enjoy the trip. Very appreciate our manager Marina and her assistant Angela shared both their knowledge about the region we visited. Great job. Special thanks to Marina and Angela.

It was superb. I will book another walking tour with you in the future.

Terrific tour for several reasons: number of participants and all congenial, interesting, ready to share photos, pay for refreshments, assist as needed and just all fun. Our guide, Martina, was the best. Having Boris also added to our pleasure as he was supportive, interesting and a pleasure to be around him. Many of the individual guides were also great presenters with informative talks. Thank you. The tour itself selected interesting aspects of Slovakia and did show some highlights of Prague. Prague is a destination in itself. Accommodations were all satisfactory- some more than others. One or two depending on the location of your room was very noisy but still ok. Thank you and I plan to spend more time with Gate1. Talking to some of the travelers on this inspired me to take some of the trips they have previously enjoyed with Gate1.

My trip was fantastic with no disappointments. The boat was clean everywhere; the food was varied and well prepared; the daily and optional tours were interesting and well described by the local guides, and the hotels were well chosen for location and amenities. The trip was my first with Gate1, and I don't see the need to look elsewhere on future trips. My highest compliments to our Cruise Director, Adrian, who left no stones unturned when it came to the safety of the passengers; the efforts to make everyone feel comfortable and satisfied with the trip, and her daily reminders of being aware of personal belongings and their location. She went out of her way to always answer a question or concern with the utmost patience, considering she was tending to 120 travelers. I can't name all the ways she contributed to the success of everyone's trip, but she truly was a great part in making it a wonderful and unforgettable experience. In addition to Adrian, I can't forget to mention the Entertainment Director, Daniele. He was an absolute delight and his comedic ability put everyone in a jolly and friendly mood. He truly enjoyed making us all laugh and have a good time. To that I can add, he was a warm hearted and empathetic man when a situation called for it. His responsibility to help ensure passengers belongings got transported with each new location was never neglected. He is a real asset to Gate1. Lastly, but certainly to be remembered, was our housekeeper, Satria. He was always cheerful and friendly and it was always pleasing to come into our well-appointed room, which he refreshed and tended to at least twice a day. He did a great job. All of the staff are to be commended for their friendliness, efficiency and a job well done. Gate1 has my 100% satisfaction. I hope to see you again in 2024.

Our trip was excellent! I would have to say that the on-ship experience greatly exceeded our expectations. We cant come up with a single disappointment in terms of food, quality of room, or service. Cruise manager/trip leader was excellent, and waiters and all service people were excellent, very friendly and caring. Low water did keep us from sailing all the way to the last port, but that was not Gate 1's fault. In fact, they adjusted things relatively smoothly. The weather that we encountered was nothing like what we saw predicted prior to leaving the US, so we ended up being over-dressed for the mid to high 90s that we faced for the majority of the trip. Again - not Gate 1's fault. Would we do another Gate 1 river cruise? Absolutely - though we might opt for a more predictably cooler time of year. Finally - thanks for all of the support and info you provided, the questions you answered, leading up to the trip. It all surpassed our hopes.

I would like to expand on my recent survey and say our tour guide Just was over-the-top great. We've always had VERY good guides but he was kind of special. I appreciated how he always made sure we were looked after, safe and sound, whether it was navigating public transportation or crossing a busy street! His friendly demeanor kept up a great vibe with our group. Everyone seemed to be having an excellent time throughout the trip, very much due to his leadership and personality. He always had great recommendations for food/restaurants. What I loved the most was his effort to always make sure our time in any one place surpassed expectations. It's actually some of those times that I think back on most fondly.

OUTSTANDING. My tour guide Julia was Just AMAZING her knowledge professionalism, and just her effervescent personality made the whole trip the GREATEST TRIP TO CHECK OFF MY BUCKET LIST. Please acknowledge her for her total commitment to her profession. We were 41 people on this tour and she had everyone just come together like we were all of the same family. her knowledge of every where we toured and her ability to know her people on the tour was just an unbelievable talent. Every night I would sit outside and enjoy the the night and a Cigar and she waited until everyone was safe back in the hotel. Talk about COMMITMENT!!! Again Please Congratulate her and Thank her again for me.

The Monarch Empress was so comfortable, the staff & crew were very friendly and helpful, the service was exemplary, and the delicious meals were presented beautifully. We enjoyed each ground tour and learned something during each one. Our tour director was Bart. He was always helpful and available for questions, was very patient, had a great sense of humor,. We appreciated Chris in the dining room, who seemed to know all the traveler's names. The activities director, Nad, was extremely energetic and talented. Justin took such good care of our room!

Thanks for asking about my trip. I had a wonderful time; the whole experience was enjoyable. The Monarch Empress is a lovely ship. Though the cabins are not quite as spacious as those on the Monarch Queen we were very comfortable. A 2nd chair in the room would have been great, and if possible a little space between the twin beds. All the crew worked to make our trip the very best. The meals in the dining room were excellent, tasty, with sufficient variety and choices. The Maitre de, Krismanto, and his team did an exceptional job. The food was always fresh and delicious, the service was attentive and helpful. It was lovely to have staff who remembered my name and preferences, particularly Claudiu. The tour leader, Bart, saw to it that our trip was memorable and a great experience. He was always well organized with a well designed program of tours and activities. The local guides chosen, brought to life the history and culture of the places we visited and added to our enjoyment of the trip. We enjoyed the benefits of Bart's knowledge and experience of Europe in general and the locations we visited, and he was always helpful to us in so many ways.. Nad is a great activities director and was always looking for ways to include us in interesting and fun activities. Bart, the captain, hotel manager and maitre de, as a great team, were able to ensure that we continued to enjoy our program under the difficult circumstances of a power failure. Their ability to adapt and adjust allowed us to continue seamlessly, without inconvenience and is a credit to all concerned. I highly recommend Gate 1 Travel, and in particular, the 16 day Classic European River Cruise and look forward to my next trip with Gate 1 Travel.

Just returned from a wonderful trip to Romania and our guide Christina was fantastic she was so very kind and knowledgeable about all the places we went to..I am telling all my friends they need to go to Romania and book through Gate 1 and hopefully have Christina for their guide!!

My trip was absolutely splendid, thank you! I've answered the survey with the numerical ratings of everyone, but just wanted to write and say how wonderful Nora, our Cruise Director was. She was so knowledgeable, warm, friendly, and super organized. She knew exactly how much information to share with the group each night, setting us up for the next day, and was super helpful answering all of our questions or supplementing our materials with marked up maps of places to go, etc. Daniele planned excellent fun events for us in the evenings and he was also very helpful on our tours and other excursions. He was hilarious. Both Nora and Daniele worked so well with ALL the passengers. Watching them converse (and laugh) with different groups of people or helping certain passengers in different situations was very inspiring. (I wish I could be that good with people!) Lastly, Ismail kept my room SO BEAUTIFULLY CLEAN. I felt like a princess. Like Nora and Daniele, he was also super friendly and helpful. The waitstaff were excellent as well, but I never mastered all of their names. Everyone who helped and/or served us in the dining room or bar was just lovely. And the food was DELICIOUS. I've never been on a cruise before, but I most certainly will go on another one (with Gate 1 of course) because of the fascinating places I visited (which were made all the more interesting by the tour guides, Nora, and Daniele's extra information) but mostly because of the warm welcome I experienced aboard ship. Thank you. And please, please send my extra thanks to Nora, Daniele, and Ismail.

Last month, we booked another vocation with Gate 1, the 12-day Holland, Germany, Luxembourg & Belgium, and this was our #5 times with Gate! It was really an amazing trip, and thanks in large part to our excellent TM, Eric. Eric was accurate, on point, professional, knowledgeable, resilient, thoughtful and overall, he was an outstanding professional. He diligently worked and was thoroughly prepared for each day, anticipating any risks along the way. Eric's deep understanding of the local culture, history, and traditions added a whole new dimension to our travel experience. The whole tour was planned, organized as well as executed perfectly! As our TM, he brought the region to life with his extensive knowledge, captivating storytelling, and infectious enthusiasm.

The 11 Day Classic Poland was everything we hoped for and much more. Marta, our tour director, was the best and made the trip! She obviously cared about each of us and worked tirelessly to ensure we all had the best visit possible. One of the things we appreciated most was learning the history of Poland, how it was under various occupations, how it has overcome the tragedies of WWII, communism and about its culture and traditions. Beautiful country and beautiful people. Thank you, Marta, for making our trip to Poland such a memorable visit.

Just wanted to let you know that our Tour Guide Asia and our driver were the best we have had so far on Gate 1. I have taken 12 trips with Gate 1 and am going on another one in September. All our guides and drivers have been good but these two far exceeded all of them. We were a group of 17 and there was not one complaint.

I recently had the pleasure of joining a tour with Gate 1 Travel to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and I must say that our tour guide, Greg, was truly exceptional. From the moment we met him, it was evident that he has a genuine love for people, cultures, and being a Gate 1 tour guide. One of the standout qualities of Greg was his extensive knowledge of each country's history, as well as their current cultural and economic status. His expertise added immense value to the tour, allowing us to gain a deep understanding of the places we visited. Moreover, Greg's willingness to invite questions from the group fostered an environment of active learning and engagement. What truly set Greg apart was his ability to immerse us in the culture of each country. Through the use of music, food, and drink, he skillfully brought the destinations to life, allowing us to experience their unique essence. Additionally, his utilization of maps, personal stories, and anecdotes created a rich and vibrant tapestry of information, making the tour both educational and entertaining. I appreciated Greg's attention to detail and his commitment to ensuring the group had the best possible experience. He went above and beyond by offering restaurant recommendations, suggesting alternative sight-seeing options, and providing clear directions. It was evident that he genuinely cared about each person in the group and their individual preferences and needs. As our family's ancestry is Lithuanian, I was particularly touched by Greg's thoughtfulness when we entered that country. Upon learning about our background, he made a point to speak to us specifically about the food, language, and other aspects of Lithuanian culture. This personalized touch created a strong sense of connection and made our experience all the more special. Based on my experience, I wholeheartedly believe that Greg is an incredible asset to your travel agency. His passion, knowledge, and dedication to creating memorable experiences make him an outstanding tour guide. I would not hesitate to recommend any group tour led by Greg, as I am confident that he will provide an exceptional and enriching journey. Thank you for providing us with such a remarkable travel experience, and please extend my gratitude to Greg for his exceptional guidance.

This river cruise was my first and won't be my last. I had an excellent experience due in large part to the amazing crew, cruise director (Bart), and activities director (Nick), who were always available with a smile and good cheer. Despite losing hot water twice, the staff was immediately on it and forthcoming with updates throughout. I want to make mention of two exceptional local guides - Jacob at Kinderdik and Mary at Antwerp - who were EXCELLENT! I am impressed with Gate 1's attention to detail, smart thinking about everything, and always willing to go the extra mile. We arrived very early on Day 1 and were welcomed into the lounge until our room was ready. We had a late afternoon flight on our last day and were able to stay aboard ship through early afternoon. Gate 1 thought of everything. Thank you for making my first river cruise a very happy memory!

This is my 5th trip with Gate 1, and I speak highly to everyone who wishes to travel solo or accompanied by a friend or significant other, the tour guides have always been top of the line, and this time was no different. I look forward to my next trip. Thank you!

Our Gate 1 experience touring Poland was just wonderful. Lidia was absolutely one of the best guides we have had, although all our adventures handled by Gate 1 have had extremely personable, knowledgeable guides. One could tell that Lidia loved her homeland and was very proud of how her country had endured so many battles and so much destruction, only to have rebuilt every time, becoming better than before. And Mario ("Super" Mario as we called him) was a magician at maneuvering the bus through tight city corners and really handled various traffic problems with ease. One of the best parts of the trip was the size of the group. There were 24 persons of varying ages and physical capabilities; it would be nice if all your tours would have a maximum of no more than 30 people. Our Poland group was able to generally stay together and show up on time which made it nice for everyone. There were three of us traveling together and sharing a hotel room and we were very satisfied with the accommodations at all the hotels. All had nice restaurants and the breakfasts provided were very satisfactory; the hotel in Krakow even opened their restaurant a few minutes early on the Sunday that we left so could have a quick, hot breakfast. Very accommodating (thanks for arranging that, Lidia!!!) We will continue to recommend Gate 1 to anyone who will listen and look forward to booking many more vacations with you!!

Our Entertainment Director Daniele made our trip very special. Memory of each passenger by name made everyone feel special. Plus he seemed genuinely interested in talking to us. His humour was constant and so entertaining. Our dining experience was superb with the personal service we received from Firman and Heri. They remembered our special likes and their smiles and good humour were infectious. Firman even made paper flowers for the ladies out of napkins. We entered the dining room early to ensure we had their table Very enjoyable trip except for some unusually cold rainy weather.

In Amsterdam we had nice weather, were greeted by the Monarch Queen staff and enjoyed the half day tour of the city, especially the canal tour. Each stop along the rivers was memorable even though the weather didn't cooperate. Rain most every day didn't stop us from enjoying the sites. But the sun finally came our to end our trip in Budapest. One highlight was as we entered the Danube we were notified that the river was too HIGH to get under the next bridge. No one had expected that!!! Soma, our cruise director, and staff made arrangements for all of us to stay in Lenz while the captain waited for the water to go down in hopes of guiding the boat under the bridge while we continued our day touring. He was successful and the next day we returned to the boat. Everyone was cheering! Have to say all of the travelers on our tour took it all in stride and heard no complaining. Hats off to the crew that made that all happen. The Gate 1 staff was amazing! From the captain to the hotel director to the wait staff, all made us feel so comfortable and pampered. Soma, our cruise director, went out of his was to attend to every detail. He was very knowledgeable, helpful and very approachable. He truly enjoys his job. And then there was Danielle, the activity director. He knew all our first names by the second day. What a character. He made everyone laugh all the time. He and Soma have worked together on and off for five years and were good friends. Their chemistry showed as they worked together as a team. We hope to meet up with them again on another tour. We're so glad our rescheduled cruise was 14 days instead of 7. It was so relaxing and enjoyable we had a hard time leaving.

Our trip was, in a word, fantastic!!! While the destinations exceeded our expectations, the best part of the trip was our Tour Manager, Sherban. I cannot begin to express our appreciation for Sherban's organizational skills, knowledge, ability to rapidly resolve issues which arose on our trip, sense of humor, professionalism, and winning personality. We have had excellent tour managers in our previous Gate-1 trips, but Sherban is in a class by himself. By the end of our trip we considered Sherban to be more than just a tour manager--he is now a valued friend.

I'd like to commend our guide, Leva, during our trip to the Baltics & Poland, April 9 -April 18. Please share this email with Leva and her manager. I gave her a rating of Excellent in all categories of my post-trip survey, but wanted to share that she went above and beyond with many elements of our trip. One example is that after arriving in some of the cities, she offered walks (on her own time) to notable sights not covered on the formal tour. She educated us about extreme hardships in various countries during war times...but in addition, she shared first-hand family experiences. I really appreciated that, as younger guide likely wouldn't have had those life experiences. She did extra things like celebrating a traveler's birthday, and getting up in the (very) early morning to see groups off to the airport. She was genuinely so friendly and so organized! I've traveled a fair amount; Leva and Gate 1 are high on my list.

My trip was excellent. The itinerary was very well planned, the hotels were centrally located, and the food was good. The success of the trip in large part, however, can be credited to our tour manager, Julian. He was extremely knowledgeable, his commentary was always informed, interesting, and humorous. It made the trip lively and brought the participants together into a closer-knit group. He has terrific people skills: is kind, concerned, yet consistent in his expectations of the group. In short, he is the best tour manager I've ever had, and I've been on at least five other Gate1 trips and several with other companies. I would seek him out for other tours if that were possible. Gate1 is very lucky to have Julian in their employ.