Reviews
Just came back from this Spain and southern France trip. It was tremendous and I just wanted to compliment you on our guide. This is our fourth trip with Gate 1 and was probably the best. Our guide, Victor, was the best guide we've ever had with you or on any of the other trips we've taken with other agencies over the years. He was extremely knowledgeable and went out of his way to make this trip one to remember. Our bus driver, Julian, was also a pleasure to be with. With such a small group, it felt like we were traveling with family. Congratulations on the talent you employ.
Ronald S.I had a wonderful time. Everything was gorgeous! The tour guide Josep was incredible; very knowledgeable and well-informed on the sites, culture and he made sure every little detail was done to perfection so all guests enjoyed their visit to Spain & France. Josep made the trip a grand time for everyone. He has got to be one of the best tour guides in the world. I highly recommend him for Tour Guide of the Year!
Michele B.We recently completed the 9-day Paris, Loire Valley & Normandy tour and had a very positive experience. Simeon our tour manager, did an excellent job and is to be commended for his good work. This was our first time taking a tour with Gate1, and as a result of how impressed we were with Simeon, we plan to use Gate1 for future trips. He is a great ambassador for Gate1. Please convey our appreciation to him and also forward this message to his supervisors. Thanks.
Darrell S.Our trip was fantastic. Our tour director Simeone was exceptional. He was super accommodating, had exceptional knowledge of French history, and was just pleasant to be with. I will always stick with Gate one. Next stop Spain and Portugal. Thank you again for making this a dream vacation.
John N.We have just returned from an incredible panoramic journey of France. Our tour manager, Edo and our bus driver Kerry were among the best we have ever had. Our fellow travelers were respectful of one another, as highlighted by the fact that everyone was on the bus and ready to go early every single time. The tour itself covered over 3,300 kms, from Paris to the French Riviera to the Loire Valley. The hotels were superb as were the included and optional dinners. We came away with so many wonderful memories of the places we visited and the friends we made on our tour. We can hardly wait to explore more of the world with Gate 1.
Valarie D.It was excellent. We loved Paris. The food, the museums, the streets, well we just loved it. The high speed rail was very fun. South France was very interesting. Some of the foods were not our style but we were very happy to have experienced them. We are looking forward to our next Gate 1 trip
Samuel B.Such a good trip! Our driver, Shasha was the best ever! So smooth and expert a driver! Jordane was such a great guide with all his personal antidotes and knowledge of France and command of languages made it such a worthwhile trip. He gave us enough nap time but no one wanted to nap when he was recounting things. I really enjoyed his perspective and developed a real fondness for France during this trip. I would love to do a real food/wine tour of the country .Looking forward to our next Gate1 trip!
Sharon R.We had an amazing time in France and everything was perfectly executed. The beauty of France is unmatched and the thoughtful, knowledgeable and friendly care of our tour guide, Anne , made our trip wonderful and memorable. Thank you so much, Joanne, for assisting me with the booking! We love Gate 1!
Diane A.This trip FAR EXCEEDED our expectations. it was wonderful in every way from food right down to the bus drivers. Special recognition goes to our tour director, Craig who very professionally and capably gave us a trip of a lifetime experience. He always had a plan b in case plan a went awry, has masterful knowledge of the area and its history, has exceptional leadership skills, and always gave us 101%. I especially appreciated his appropriate incorporation of music while at Normandy as well as other times. Our stop on the way to Monaco for a glass of champagne is a beautiful forever memory. Craig is masterful in turning total strangers into a united family-which he had to do twice as the first portion of the trip merged with the newcomers of the second half. He was ever mindful of our safety (including keeping Covid at bay,) gave us great direction for free time and "on our own " meals, maintained a wonderful sense of humor, and piqued our interest at each and every stop. Gate 1 is very fortunate to have him and we are so grateful to have had this opportunity to tour and learn from this exceptional human being. This trip will be hard to top-but it also makes us just want more. We're searching now for our next adventure.
Mary C.We expected our Provence trip to be wonderful, but it was even more than that due to our tour guide Adoram. His knowledge of the history of France, Paris, Avignon, Aix, and Nice was truly incredible. He was able to share it in a way that always kept the attention, interest and involvement of our entire travel group. Additionally, he was always a step ahead in trying to accommodate the group's desires as to what to visit and where to dine. We were very fortunate to have Adoram as our guide and hope we meet up with him again!
Michael P.Gate1 did an excellent job with planning this trip. This was our first trip to Europe and it was amazing. All of the accommodations and services provided were Amazing. Highly recommend Gate1 to anyone and will definitely book with them again.
James W.Just a short note to thank you and comment further on my Northern France tour. First, let me say what a great job Anne did. She's very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and professional, especially in how she handled a Covid issue we had. Two thumbs up for Anne. And while my initial interest in the tour was the museums and cathedrals of France, everything Giverny and Normandy, there were several unexpected surprises. St. Malo was one of those. When I go to the UK I'll take the boat to St. Malo. Also, the Apocalypse Tapestry at Angers and the two overnights at the lovely and peaceful Chateau de Rochecotte in Saint Patrice. The secluded private chapel there on the second floor was very special. Chateau de Chenoceau was another beautiful and interesting surprise. Lastly, we had a small tour group that really hit it off and made the trip even more special. Thanks again for a great tour.
Christopher W.My wife and I had a wonderful trip with Laura, the gate 1 guide for our trip. She makes sure everything runs smoothly and her historical background for each location was so entertaining and interesting. It is clear that she did a lot of research and preparation for each location-exactly what we were looking for in our FIRST ever gate 1 trip. We will definitely do gate 1 trips again in the future.
Crystal L.The 9 Day France with the Loire Valley and Normandy tour was outstanding!! Craig, our tour guide was beyond amazing! He was knowledgeable, informative, helpful and established a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Isabel, our driver, was the best!! And, it goes without saying that all of the destinations were phenomenally beautiful. This was our 5th Gate 1 tour and we are already searching the options for our next trip!!
Carol L.We selected the tour primarily for the various sites to visit. Those did not disappoint. Nothing related to the trip came anywhere close to disappointment. It was spectacular. The people on board, all the Gate 1 staff were excellent, most knowledgeable, courteous, humorous. approachable, and folks you would truly enjoy spending a week or two with everyday. The bus was excellent and the driver the most amazing driver I have ever travelled with. Jenny our Tour Manger functioned like four or five people keeping everything on schedule, enjoyable, memorable, interesting, even fascinating. She knew how to handle people and keep them happy no matter what the circumstances. A true veteran and consummate professional who you could talk to easily with a fount of information.
John L.My wife and I want to let everyone know how much we enjoyed being part of the October "Kaleidoscope of France" tour group led by Craig. This guy is the perfect guide: an encyclopedic array of historical, geographical and cultural facts, coupled with the knack for communicating them in an entertaining, humorous and enlightening way. (And I can attest to the fact that he comes up with a lot of his stories spontaneously and extemporaneously. Very impressive.) He good-naturedly kept us on schedule during a logistically challenging itinerary, all the while dealing very resourcefully and compassionately with several situations that could not have been foreseen involving members of the group. The biggest challenge for us was to resist the temptation to 'hang with Craig', monopolizing his time, and to let him do his thing for the benefit of the whole group. A very cosmopolitan and likeable fellow, we started to miss his morning greetings as soon as our trip had ended. We wish him well, and we're sure that Craig will bring great enjoyment to many more tour groups fortunate enough to be led by him.
James W.We would like to give a glowing recommendation for our guide, Edo! We have done a lot of traveling around the world over many decades and know Edo is one of the best guides we have had. He is extremely personable and made us feel like he was escorting his friends through Provence. His knowledge of the area and ability to relate to the local people we met such as the owner of the bull ranch in the Camargue region, the lady at Mas de Cadenet winery, and many of the restaurants we ate at was wonderful. Edo arranged some fun, unique experiences such as riding in a classic Deux Chevaux from the Louvre to Montmartre, making chocolate and eating an amazing buffet dinner at L'Esperantine Marseille Chocolaterie, and playing Bolles near the Cathedral with the setting sun as our backdrop! He treated us to several small and delightful gifts like a bag of lavender, nougat candy, and cookies. Also, Momo was an excellent bus driver with a great personality.
Gary M.Oh it was incredible! Everything went so smoothly with no hiccups at all. We loved the hotel in Paris. It was way cool and modern and had a great breakfast! We also appreciated being close to the metro in both locations. It couldn't have been anymore of a seamless process!
Emilie M. Mesa, AZFabulous. Hotels were great and locations worked nice. Great value and memories. Another great experience with Gate 1!
Walter C. Ankeny, IAThe trip was great. We loved it all, Paris, Provence, Nice...hotels were fine, food great and our driver Alfeo was excellent. Best of all was our tour director, Anne. There are no words to adequately describe her contributions...let me just say she is a gem and Gate 1 is lucky to have her. Gate 1 has not seen the last of us. Till the next time...
Robert F. Hawley, PAMy trip was fantastic!!!. I had a great time. History became alive . The trip was informative, fun and relaxing. Our tour guide Isabel was amazing. She was knowledgeable, organized, personable and gave me a true feel of France ...
Carol M. Brooklyn, NYMy trip was wonderful. My grandson loved the Normandy beaches and the cemeteries. I loved Mont St Michel best. Then of course there were Versailles and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Our tour guide, Jenny, was exceptional in explaining things on the bus, giving us instructions at each place we went, and taking a personal interest in each of us on the tour. The whole trip was more than I had expected and was a great time to bond with my almost 13 year old very active and intelligent grandson. He charmed all the older folks on the tour because he is not afraid to talk to adults and they loved it. Thank you for arranging such great tours and tour guides. This was my 6th Gate 1 Tour and it won't be the last. The only thing I wish could have been different was to be able to see the military side of Versailles as well as the apartments.
Sylvia K. Edgewood, WAThe entire trip in France was fantastic!!! Everything was perfectly planned and organized. The tour manager, Siméon, was very knowledgeable about the history of every city we traveled. He took great care of everyone and made sure that we were all comfortable. That is very impressive and we all felt cared for. Siméon is very kind and polite. He looked out for us during all city tour and made sure that we were all okay. He was very organized, punctual and always on-time and every city tour was perfect, thanks to him. Our bus driver, François, was amazing! Always took out everyone's luggage. Greeted everyone and helped people come out of the bus comfortably. The ride was always smooth and we slept throughout the drive. We wish François all the best! This is my 3rd tour with Gate 1 Travel and out of the three, this was the best one! All countries are very beautiful, however, the tour manager and the bus driver are the ones who make the tour memorable and special. And I must admit that France was unforgettable, all big thanks to Siméon and François! Merci beaucoup! :)
Anna Z. Aventura, FLWe had a wonderful trip. This was our first time using Gate 1 and it won’t be our last. We found the 2 night stays in location great. Every place we stopped we enjoyed the sights. Our favorite stops were Mont St. Michel, Giverny & Nice. We did all the optional tours & enjoyed them all. Our tour director Anne was instrumental in making our trip. Her professionalism; knowledge, sense of humor & caring nature was a credit to her. All in all a great trip, thank you.
Vince & Sue C. Breakfast Point, AustraliaJon and I had a wonderful tour of northern France. The hotels were excellent, and the guide, Laura, did everything she could to keep everyone well organised and ease our way. She also had tremendous knowledge and taught us a lot about every location. Everything went extremely smoothly, including check-ins to hotels. The sites we visited were fantastic.
Antoinette P. Canberra, AustraliaFrance was amazing!!! Loved every minute of my visit. Such a beautiful country. The art and history was stunning. Edo, our tour guide, was the best!!! He was so kind, funny and knowledgeable. I could take another tour with him as our guide.
Stephanie V. Jeffersonville, INWe had a wonderful trip. Our first Gate 1 trip was everything we could ever wished for. Anne our Tour Manager was the best. She was full of information, engaging and so much fun. She cares for her group like a mother hen, anticipating our every need and being available and caring in every situation. She is the best and I am looking forward to be blessed enough to have her as a TM sometime in the future. Anne well done!! I was pleased with all aspects of the tour. Our flight on Air France was great. Accommodations were very good. The local tour guides were knowledgeable. Alain our bus driver was fantastic. Driving a bus through such narrow streets, turning on a dime, just amazing. Our tour was well planned, and the lovely French countryside and so many Chateaus and Cathedrals will live forever in our memory. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to France. We had a good group led by a Fantastic Anne ... Gate 1 you have a gem in Anne.
Marie B. Port St. Lucie, FLIt was wonderful! AnneMette made the trip educational and fun. We’ll use Gate 1 again if all guides are as competent, organized, and caring as AnneMette was. Enjoyed all the sites we visited and explored. Amazing trip!
Lynn F. Damascus, MDWe had a great trip. France was beautiful, great food, people, weather and we visited some really interesting and unique places. Laura, our tour guide, was fantastic! The best I think we've ever had, and we've had a lot of great tour guides.
Druci R. SN LUIS OBISP, CAWe loved the trip. Had excellent weather and a wonderful, organized, personable, and knowledgeable tour guide (Corinna). I came away with a whole new (positive) picture of France as a result. The hotels were wonderful, the meals very good, and the sites were beautiful. This was our second Gate 1 trip and we'll be seeing you again in another location!
Bret B. Vandalia, ILIt was fantastic! Anne was an amazing guide. She was so attentive to everyone’s individual needs and request. I really enjoyed the small group. The itinerary was excellent. We learned so much about WWll in Normandy, experienced the beauty of Monet’s house and garden, and stayed at a gorgeous Chateau in Loire Valley, it was a perfect trip that I will be recommending to everyone!
Allison S. Ann Arbor, MI.I had a fabulous trip to France! Can't say enough about it. Our guide, Sophie Lataste, was the best, and our drivers, Gary and Momo, were excellent. The itinerary was all I could ask for -- just a stupendous tour of France. And the hotels were well located and very comfortable.
Susan B. Cambridge, MAAbsolutely fantastic! I was pleased with everything Gate One arranged. It went like clockwork. Our guide Edo was delightful! Another local guide in Paris named Nicola was excellent. We were so impressed and exhausted. Perfect! Thank you for preparing an excellent program. Our group seemed to be seasoned travelers having gone to numerous Gate One experiences. I understand why. Wonderful value too.
Colette P. Eaton, COWonderful!! Jenny, our tour guide was fantastic. This was our 5th Gate 1 trip and perfect as always. We are already planning our next Gate 1 trip.
Terrence R. Lockport, NYOur trip was GREAT!!! It was pretty cool, windy and rainy some days there, but I know that Gate 1 didn't have a thing to do with that. Ha. Our tour director, Ann, was fabulous. She was very knowledgeable about the places we were visiting, and she was super nice as well. She had a great attitude and was very accommodating to everyone on the trip. I would give her an A plus for her job. Our bus driver, George, did a great job of keeping us safe and getting us where we were scheduled to be on time. I would give him an A plus as well. Our bus was very comfortable and it was easy to see the beautiful scenery with the nice, wide windows. I loved that they had cooled bottled waters for us every day. Our hotels were great too. Several people on our trip had been on Gate 1 trips before, and they all had nice things to say about Gate 1.
Linda B. Magnolia, TXOur trip was wonderful! My daughter and I are very satisfied with everything from the point of contacting Gate 1 to book our trip to our return, the airline, the hotel and Gate 1 personnel provided excellent service. I plan to explore other places through your agency. Feel free to post my comments as a review.
Joanna C. Orlando, FLMy vacation was great! Everything was well planned and I feel like I was able to see as much as I possibly could. The tour guide was very pleasant, informative and accommodating Thank you
Margaret S. Hoffman Est, ILIt was fabulous! Paris was a photographers dream and the Normandy war sites were very moving. Our guide, Craig, was top notch and out hotels were very comfortable. It was a memorable trip!
Dana L. Johnston, IAIt was a fabulous trip! Excellent tour manager, good hotels in great locations, and wonderful itinerary. Another outstanding experience with Gate 1.
Gail M. Louisville, KYCouldn't have been any better! The tour guide was incredible: knowledgeable, compassionate, well spoken, well educated!
Beatriz B. North Bergen, NJWe have a wonderful trip in Paris France & Rome Italy, it’s pleasant memory to remember, thank you so much for arranging all our itinerary, including pick up from the airport to the hotel & vice versa. You’ve excellent job.
Emmanuel A. San Francisco, CAOur trip was fantastic! Thank you, we had such a wonderful time and cannot wait to travel again. We had never traveled outside of the US before and this was a trip of a lifetime and a dream come true!!
Elaine S. Seffner, FLWe had the loveliest time! The whole trip from start to finish was absolutely wonderful. I'm missing Paris already! Our guide, Anne Mette was fantastic. We highly recommend the tour!
Melissa H. Mooroolbark, VICOur trip was mind blowing! A fantastic odyssey in a beautiful and multidimensional country. Our tour guide Corrina and driver Francois were unbelievably awesome!!!
Richard Alan S. Carlsbad, CAWe had the best time. We saw sooooo much. Everything was perfect and well communicated about what we would see and do. The tour guide was so informed and gave us great info. Loved it. So maybe next year London or Ireland!
Carol D. Nashua, NHWe had a GREAT TIME in France. The itinerary was perfect and we enjoyed the opportunity to experience different regions and their unique history and cuisines. Due to this positive experience, we are considering similar tours in other European countries.
Connie L. New York, NYThere is no doubt whatsoever that we had the very best Gate 1 had to offer on out Classic Tour of France. Gate 1 should be grateful that they have in their employ our tour manager, Craig, and his accompanying drivers, Alain & Daniel. Craig's knowledge of the history made our trip one that was fuelled with the rich history of France and an enviable memory for dates and the names of the nobility. He successfully combined with this an engaging personality. I observed, from my own work experience, his ability to respond with sincerity to anything that was asked of him. Importantly, he clearly enjoys his chosen occupation and that shows at all stages of his tour management. This is our second Gate 1 tour but not our last.
Miroslav K. NSW, AustraliaExcellent! The accommodations were comfortable and clean. Paris is beautiful and we used the train system to get around. It was a wonderful experience.
Douglas S. Las Vegas, NVThe trip was wonderful. We saw so many beautiful cathedrals and the memorial in Normandy was wonderful. Paris of course was wonderful as well. Our tour guide was so well educated, informative and caring, a sweet, gentle soul. We all loved him.
Lisa P. Newfoundland, NJOur trip to France was fantastic! We were thrilled by all of the sights--it was a wonderful way to experience the beauty of France and the history of the Normandy beaches and the American cemetery. However, the very best part of the trip was our fabulous guide-Simeon! He was charming, warm, informative and entertaining while explaining the sights as well as French history and culture. Our bus driver Derrick was also great! We could not have had a better tour!
Mark L. Crofton, MD