Central & Eastern Europe

Reviews
My Classic Switzerland trip was awesome. This was my first Gate 1 trip and I was a solo traveler. The itinerary was terrific. Had something for everyone. Sabine our tour guide was great. Very knowledgeable. Of course the weather played a big part in this trip. Having investigated the weather for each stop beforehand indicated we would have rain, rain, and more rain. We had spectacular weather. Hardly any rain at all. The other travelers were terrific too. If I needed help everyone was more than happy to assist. Always had someone to eat with. Hats off to George and Ginger. They took me under their wings and it was appreciated. This will not be my last Gate 1 trip. Loved everything about your group.
Sandra P.The trip was great- Justin was the ultimate tour manager- weather was wonderful- and the sites were incomparable. I will most definitely travel with Gate 1 again and I would highly recommend to anyone. This was my first Gate 1 experience and I was extremely impressed.
Maryanne Q.Amazing trip, went with our friends on our first Gate 1 adventure. Your tour guide Mario is the best guide I could ever have imagined. Knowledgeable about the Baltics and it's rich, rich history culture and sites. Mario had thoughtful treats for us that represents the country we were in (a 'yum' box). We know a lot goes I behind the scenes, ie driver, baggage, comfort stops, local guides and much more. Gate 1 went beyond our expectations!
Michael D.It was a wonderful tour! Just what I always expect from Gate 1, and why you have all my business. Christina was an exceptional tour manager, and even though Simon (the bus driver) couldn't speak English, I loved his smiles that welcomed us back onto the bus each time. Looking forward to my next tour with Gate 1 - Kenya in October
Kathy A.My husband and I completed the 12 Day Classic Baltics with Krakow tour. It was a wonderful trip with an excellent tour manager, Leva. She was organized, efficient, educational and fun. She made us feel very welcome and safe. Everywhere we went, the people thanked us for coming and supporting their countries. Our favorites were the stop at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, visiting the pilgrimage site in Czestochowa in Poland, the somber visit to Auschwitz and the Wieliczka salt mines in Krakow. A great trip!
Jane D.This is our first time going on a Gate 1 tour. It exceeded our expectations. The tour was very well organized, from the flights into and out of Europe, the excellent hotels and their location, the local tour guides and the pace of the various sites we visited. Special mention must be made about the tour manager, Dean and Peter, the bus driver from Warsaw, Poland. Dean was excellent and extremely knowledgeable about every place we visited, going out of his way and guiding us on possible activities to do on our free time. He made sure the whole group was comfortable. Peter, whose driving skills were phenomenal, was a true gentleman, taking care of our luggage and distributing water bottles to all the tour members. My wife and I look forward to travelling with Gate 1 tours in the future.
Antonio P.We had a "fantastic" time!!! Our tour director gave 200% to make our 2 weeks in the Balkans, one to remember!! Sherban is definitely a prime asset for Gate 1! The driver Drakov was fantastic!!! And even though all sites and restaurants were great ...the wine tasting at Stobi and our dinner Artigiano in Tirana were by far the best I've ever had!!! Thank you for giving me the opportunity for this wonderful vacation!!
Jean S.As a person that has done 27 Gate 1 tours, I just returned from the 14 Day Majestic Balkans tour. I had already been to Romania and Bulgaria on a previous Gate 1 trip, but I still wanted to see Albania and N. Macedonia. The Majestic Balkans tour was fantastic in every way!! We had 15 amazing people in the group, along with our AWESOME tour guide, Serban. Serban was so knowledgeable about the history of each country, and he even spoke several different languages. He had a great sense of humor, a real LOVE for his job, a sincere concern that we were all safe and having fun, tons of energy, a connection with every personality in the group, and so much more!! The tour was full of historical facts and ruins, along with the modern day versions of each country. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone that would like to learn about, and experience, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Albania. I truly hope that you get Serban as your tour guide too. :)
Joan M.What a great adventure. This was our first Gate 1 trip due to COVID cancelling 2 Christmas Market tours and i can say it was the best trip i have taken. Gate 1 took care of everything. Great dinners and hotels. Our guide Claire was so knowledgeable and had a vast knowledge of all areas and had lived in many countries. Our trips and guides provided an excellent over view and we had just enough time to venture out on our own. You cannot beat the ease of these trips or the cost. This is an extreme value that most people cannot understand unless they try a trip with you guys. So happy we have a trip already books for 2 weeks in 3 months. Cant wait see you then Gate 1. Salute to all of you there from the booking agents to the flight folks and the actual boots on the ground the guides and coach drivers you all are top notch.
Vincent R.I have traveled quite a bit, but I have to say, this was by far the best trip I've been on. Our Director Julian was outstanding. He made us comfortable, made sure we were always together and safe. He deserves a medal and a raise. He is one of the nicest persons ever. We all loved Julian and Conrad our bus driver. Kudos to them, our trip will definitely be one of the most memorable for years to come. Thank you. I will be traveling more with gate1.
Odein S.WOW !! What a fantastic trip. Even with , or maybe because of Covid restrictions Gate 1 pulled off the Best Christmas Market tour EVER ! Our tour manager Thomas from initial greeting at the hotel till the final night was the picture of friendliness, punctuality, working with each and every obstacle as nothing more than a ripple in the Rhine. For having to adjust to new places , new driver and 13 new friends we had a Great time! Thank you so much for your knowledge, the sincerity, your stories AND all those bus goodies !! If we could pick the pair to travel with again it would be Thomas and Pavlo!
Kent W.Our tour guide for the Alpine Christmas Markets was Thomas and I cannot say enough good things about him. It was extremely challenging with the Covid requirements changing daily and sometimes twice within the same day. He was constantly on top of this, checking what was required of us. He was able to get all of our U.S. CDC Covid vaccination cards converted to a European printout with a QR code which was required for every place that we entered. We were later led to believe that only EU people were supposed to have this. Having it, though, made our travels and entry to events so much easier. He also made sure that everyone had the required tests. I had to take three but there were others who had to take five and he stayed on top of every bit of this. I had to have a 24-hour negative test that was later than the others in the group and he personally walked me to the facility that evening and then helped when I was having trouble registering due to my phone. He was also intelligent, fun, and very well organized. Thomas is definitely a "keeper."
Ellen M.I would like to extend my graciously thank you to Kayo, our tour manager for a wonderful Christmas market trip in Berlin, Prague and Krakow during this difficult pandemic time. Kayo is thoughtful and a good planner to attend the minute details of the needs for all our group members so that we are worry free and just to enjoy our long waited vacation. Our diver, Cashmir, kudos to his absolutely superb driving skills who brings us swirling through the narrow streets in Prague square. Unbelievable! Hat tip to Cashmir. I seriously couldn't think of anything that Kayo could do better than what he already did for us under the current circumstances and limitations. Thanks for giving us such a memorable Christmas market trip and we made some new friends too.
Hayley L.Our trip really could not have been any better. Any superlatives are inadequate to describe how good the trip was. All of the sights, hotels and restaurants were terrific. Our tour guide Nikola was absolutely the best we have ever encountered, and any tour guide in the future will have to go a long way to measure up to Nikola. His knowledge of all of the countries along with his energy, enthusiasm and sense of humor made the trip very pleasant for all of the group. He is a real asset to the Gate 1 organization. Also kudos to our driver Michael; he maneuvered our bus with professional expertise throughout the small serpentine roads of the 4 countries. This was our first Discovery tour, and in one word it was fabulous.
John C.Our tour leader, Jolanta P., was truly wonderful ! She was very helpful, caring, informative, and kept our group on track. She went above and beyond by providing us with maps, things to do, and local history, as well as providing treats to sample. This was a good tour, but Jolanta made it great ! Our bus driver, Andrej, was very skilled at operating the coach, and saved our group time by taking alternate routes when we encountered delays.
Mark R.We were seriously hyped to make a trip during Covid-times. We specifically selected Switzerland to visit as a single, safe, superior, expensive country. Also, that major attractions are outdoors, free from Covid risk. Still, we were again seriously concerned about getting there dodging a phalanx of regulatory travel obstacles, and once there, how we would manage the bureaucracy of national medical rules. But, after the initial indoctrination of procedures by our trusted travel guide, Fred and seeing how easily we guests adapted, t'was smooth sailing on placid Swiss lakes and down-skiing on incredible snow-capped Alps. What makes a tour of like this successful? For us: Obtaining a memorable impression of places during the limited time available. This tour succeeded excellently, a quick and spare overview of Switzerland. Our most wonderful surprises: the beauty of mountains and valleys, the power of money and industrialization. Our companions were uniformly a very experienced group which made our travels all the more stimulating. The tour guide is key to obtaining a rapid cultural impression. Our very experienced guide was Fred (from neighboring Austria), an exceedingly personable retired-CEO who was a fountain of understandable history and geography enroute. For the safety and security of guests, he conscientiously repeated instructions and directions to shepherd us during peregrinations. Regarding planning, we luckily benefited from rare perfect weather, especially in the mountains, and from strategically located, superior hotels selected for us by Gate1. The number and quality of included meals were just right. I missed museums we normally visit. But wake-me-up! In Switzerland it's the mountains and nature that are de-rigeur! Riding the bus was a minor disadvantage, required to transport us from place to place, but was such delight to enjoy the beauty of the passing valleys, mountains, sky, lakes and scenery. A surprising aspect of this swift journey is how small Switzerland really is... we covered a mere 1100km or 680 miles during our sighting of 9 locales. Perfect tours are those you perfect yourself. For us this 10-day excursion succeeded as a gem of an overview of Switzerland. We will travel with Gate1 again.
Tibor K.I had a marvelous time on the 12 Day Classic Romania tour 9/16-9/27. Both our guide Iuliana and our driver Radu were amazing. Iuliana was upbeat, knowledgeable and caring; I enjoyed her sense of humor and the stories she shared with us. I am very glad Radu was driving and not me on those curvy mountain roads! He also had an excellent command of the English language and was very friendly and willing to engage with all of the tourists. You have wonderful ambassadors for Gate1 in these two, and I hope you appreciate them as they deserve to be.
Regina S.It was amazing voyage. As always Gate 1 provided excellent service. Monique, our tour guide made sure we were all safe. She and our bus driver Irene provided outstanding service. As always, I'd like to say thank you to Gate 1. You guys are amazing. We are looking forward to traveling with you, as long as we are going to travel. That was our 25th trip, looking for at least 25 more.
Regina RWe had a great trip to Prague. Beautiful city and great beer. Our hotel through Gate 1 was nice and located next to the oldest brew pub in the city that was established in 1499. We got lucky with the weather, it was in the 40s-50s. Great trip at a very good price.
Steve P. Lansing, MIDan and I really enjoyed the trip. The cruise boat was clean and inviting. Loren was always informative and helpful to all of the group on the tours in each city stop. The crew on the boat was wonderful made sure all passengers were comfortable. The chef and kitchen staff were great serving the perfect portion of tasty food. We had a great and relaxing time. Would recommend this to friends and family.
Regina M. Lillian, ALWe loved the experience, and Julian, our tour manager, was AMAZING! Cannot say enough great things about him and how organized and knowledgeable he was throughout the entire trip! This is my third time with Gate 1 and was yet again, a successful trip! It was our honeymoon and the way this was organized was perfect for us and still allowed for plenty of free time. My husband was very impressed and we are already starting to plan our next Gate 1 getaway!!
Abby L. Gilbert, AZIt was awesome and totally exceeded our expectations. Noel is a real asset to your company always congenial, patient and full of knowledge. Have been recommending Gate 1 to all of my friends and several are looking to plan trips with you! Thanks again for this most wonderful experience.
Katherine D. Miami, FLWe had a great time! Loved Budapest and Prague. Hotels were great. Good that it’s close to bus and trains. We took advantage of them. My phone calls with your staff were always pleasant conversations and they always took care of my needs in a timely manner. I’m very impressed and would definitely use Gate 1 again. We got you through Groupon. Keep the prices affordable! Thank You Gate 1!
Jean D. Gainesville, FLThe Swiss Alpine Jewels trip was wonderful and so scenic. We really enjoyed ourselves and pleased with what we saw, stayed, and the schedule. This tour exceeded our expectations in general, but even more so because of our Tour Director, Dennis, who was above & beyond his expected or required duties.
Bill B. Burlington, NCThe trip was wonderful. Noel was amazing and took such good care of all of us. The rooms, the tours, the knowledge Noel had for his country and for Europe. The local tour guides and the introduction to their towns and the history lessons were fantastic. The bus driver was patient and kind. He kept that bus so clean and kept us all safe. Good job Gate 1!!
Linda J. Lakeside, CAThe Germany, Switzerland and Austria trip was our 15th trip with Gate 1 Travel. Our tour manager Noel was by far one of the best. He was friendly and professional. He commanded control of the group from day one. He stressed safety repeatedly throughout the trip. He gave us plenty of information for each country without overwhelming us. He was able to create harmony among the group, which allowed the tour to be very enjoyable.
John W. Rancho Cucamonga, CAWe had a wonderful trip and enjoyed the experience. Our tour manager, Lidia, was wonderful. Her easy manner and smiling face made the hassle of early mornings and busy schedules worth the effort. This was our first Gate One tour, but, because of Lidia, probably not our last. Additionally, our bus driver, Andrew, was friendly, helpful and an expert in his field.
Steve H. Athens, TNOur trip with Gate 1 river cruises was amazing. The boat, captain, staff, chef, and cruise director were professional, well-informed, and friendly. Lorin, the cruise director, really made our trip. All excursions, guided tours, and transportation were flawless. It was an incredible trip and we will be back. Way to go Monarch Princess!!
Gerald & Krista C. Beavercreek. OHOur trip was amazing! Monique was an excellent tour manager and I would absolutely recommend her and want to experience other itineraries with her. Our driver, Remo, went above and beyond expectations, ensuring we arrived timely and safely at our destinations. The two of them made this trip an unforgettable experience and Monique truly brought our small group together into an impromptu family.
Selena W. Princeton, NJVery enjoyable. Charlotte, our tour guide, was the best guide we have had on our 11 Gate 1 trips. She made sure everyone had a good time. Charlotte was very organized and provided details such as next day weather, what to expect in the places we went to, and numerous options for our free time.
Francis R. Lancaster County, PAThe trip was excellent. Justin, the tour guide was superb. He helped my friend and I many times, was very knowledgeable and gave details of history wherever we went. The local tour guides were also fantastic. The location of the hotels were perfect and the quality of them was superior. Charles, our bus driver was wonderful. The bus was always clean, the water bottles were constantly replenished. He had a nice, kind personality. Would love to have Justin and Charles on another tour. It was a wonderful experience.
Marsha W. Howell Township, NJMy trip was wonderful! It surpassed any expectations I had. This was my 8th Gate 1 trip, and I want to especially acknowledge our guide, Georgi, who was truly outstanding in every way and a real asset to Gate 1. He made the history come alive and the current politics of each country fascinating. He was friendly and caring and so enthusiastic about everything. He was the best!
Antonia J. Glen Carbon, ILThe trip was fantastic- one of the best trips we ever took. The river cruise was terrific- the cabin, dining room and lounges were beautiful. The ship crew was so friendly. The food on the ship was excellent. Our cruise director, Katerina, worked so hard to make every one happy and she succeeded. The evening entertainment with Amir was so much fun. We are telling our friends to take a river cruise with Gate 1.
Amy Y. Scarborough, MEOur trip was great. Charlotte, our guide, was very special. I’ve taken many trips and all our tour guides were very good. Charlotte, however, was bubbly, very caring, always on top of things and personable with all her passengers. Our hotels were always in a good location and comfortable according to American standards. The breakfasts were great as always and the excursions and general timing throughout the trip was perfect.
Barbara F. Escanaba, MIExcellent, enjoyed it very much. Appreciated all the effort staff made right across the ship. Also the booking process, payment process - absolutely everything was easy. Thank you Gate 1. We loved how organized everything was and big credit and thanks to absolutely everyone on that ship ... Love you Gate 1. You will be seeing us again.
Lyn Q. Parrearra, AustraliaIt was beyond our expectations!!! The ship was beautiful, all the crew were so friendly and Alex, our tour director, was fabulous. We had an absolute wonderful time. Already looking for next years vacation.
Frances K. Ruskin, FLWe would like to thank Gate 1 Travel and staff for a GREAT vacation. This trip to Switzerland was everything we had hoped it would be and much more. The itinerary was well planned and allowed for group and personal experiences. We will definitely be traveling with Gate 1 again!
Anthony and Kim D. Saltville, VAWonderful! All we have come to expect with Gate 1 and even more. We were blessed with a wonderful Tour Guide Iulianna who not only provided us with excellent information, but was kind, thoughtful, and a great communicator. Romania is a beautiful country that I would recommend seeing! Would go again!
Kathleen P. Ballston Lake, NYWe had a great time on the Monarch Baroness. Arrived to an immaculately clean ship kept that way by hardworking house staff. Cabins were very comfortable with better storage than I expected. We were blessed with mostly good weather & no problems with low or high water levels. Special mention to our cruise director George. The guy has everything covered & does it with good humor. Ably assisted as he was by activities director Laura. Would happily take another European River cruise with Gate 1.
John & Sharon N. Carlingford, AustraliaThe tour was GREAT, and made even more enjoyable because of the skill and local knowledge of our Tour Manager, Beatrice, and skillful careful driver Barnard. We have had a great time, saw incredible sights, stayed in wonderful hotels, and had one of the most enjoyable tours ever.
Charles M. Denver, COWe had such an amazing trip! Everything was wonderful. The car rental experience was the most pleasant one I've ever had. The hotel was clean and located in a great location. ... We loved the bartender Mario and visited him every night! Whether we visited Heidelberg, cruised the Rhine, or hiked the Black Forest, we were never too far away and it was always a gorgeous, scenic drive. We are all completely bummed about returning to work and school tomorrow, but we all agreed it was one of the best vacations of our lives!
Lisa K. Lyndhurst, NJThe Majestic Balkans trip was terrific. Our tour leader Georgi was extremely knowledgeable about all 4 countries visited. The accommodations were excellent ... The dining experiences were also terrific. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and I will not hesitate to take another Discovery tour with Gate 1. Turkish Air was also excellent.
Charlotte E. Dennis Port, MAOur trip was wonderful! Our connections we're flawless, the hotel accommodations we're lovely, the ship was beautiful, our hotel manager/cruise director was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and efficient, the local guides were very good, the food and drinks were great as usual and the entire ship's crew were a joy to be around. Thank you Gate 1!
Joe R. Weaverville, NCOh my this trip was so great. One of our best ever Gate 1 trips! The itinerary was perfect. Perfect pace, not rushed in any of the stops. Perfect amount of time on our own to explore. The food was so amazing! This trip made me want to go back to each of these four countries to explore more. Albania was a special treat because I had no idea of what to expect ... Our Tour Manager, Ana was exceptional. She was knowledgeable, helpful and just fun to be around. I would highly recommend this tour! Thanks again Gate 1 for keeping travel affordable and allowing us to see so much of the world.
Kimberly L. Fulton, MDOur trip was great. Thank you Gate 1 for providing wonderful customer service and a delightful itinerary on which we felt safe and learned lots of information about the countries of Netherlands and Belgium. We will use Gate 1 again soon.
Sharon R. West Kingston, RIThe trip was wonderful. Galina worked very hard to give us excellent tours on everything. I am very impressed with her - she is a very knowledgeable and hard working guide ... I call her my Russian mother. The tour was the best I have had.
Carol S. Alexandria, VAOur Poland trip was terrific! It far exceeded our expectations and I can’t talk it up enough to friends. That part of the world is so rich with history we loved it.
Debbie C. Oakland County, MIAwesome! This was the best guided tour we have ever done. We had a great travel group. Michael, our tour leader did a stellar job. Whatever you are paying him….double it. He’s worth it. We saw a part of the world that we knew little about but were fascinated to learn. We will have memories that will last a lifetime. We are already encouraging our family and friends to take the same trip. Keep up the great work. We look forward to our next Gate 1 Travel adventure!
Timothy R. Janesville, WIOur trip was fantastic! We had a wonderful week in Germany (went by way too fast). My wife and I were talking the other night while we were showing our parents some of the photos we took, and we were in agreement that we would both absolutely travel through Gate 1 again in the future. Our tour guide, Noel, did a wonderful job--he kept us on schedule and kept us engaged and laughing. Only wish I could have spent another week traveling around Europe with him. Overall, I wouldn't have changed a thing about our time in Germany. It was a trip we will always remember.
Collin M. Glen Burnie, MDI had a wonderful time on my trip. Everything was very organized down to the most minute detail. Our guide Fred and driver Atila were very professional and courteous and made sure all of us were well taken care of and comfortable. It was a lovely experience. I will definitely recommend Gate 1 to my friends.
Adalina M. Miami Lakes, FL