Stay & Explore Western Europe
Introducing Stay & Explore packages, with all of the benefits of an escorted tour and the comfort of a central location without packing and unpacking. Stay in just one or two hotels to experience the best of the region. Enjoy the freedom to tailor your experience to your preferences, whether you seek leisurely exploration or immersive cultural enrichment.
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I just wanted to add a comment to my Bali vacation survey. The TM Rocky, Driver Rudi and local Guide Amy were fantastic!! They truly embodied the Bali spirit, and each did a terrific job of exposing us to Bali culture and beauty. They made a great trip even better and I truly appreciate their opening doors for us to experience Bali firsthand. Also, the staff at each hotel deserve extra thanks. Just great people.
Mark R.My trip was wonderful!! Thank you so much for arranging everything for my whole group. Our tour guide, Javier, was phenomenal. He went over and above to make sure we were taken care of, from beginning to end. I give him so much credit. Thank you to Gate 1Travel, you are awesome :)
Anna G.I cannot say enough good things about our group leader, Mira. She was organized, professional, knowledgeable, funny, friendly, and kind. She makes me want to travel again very soon! Thank you Mira!
Amy M.This was my first tour with Gate1 and my first tour since my honeymoon nearly 60 years ago. I was surprised by the diversity of the group, and they were younger than I had anticipated. There were 4 unaccompanied men, I had thought there would only be couples and single women. But what struck me most was how well they travelled. One lovely gentleman had visited an astounding 128 countries. The group was friendly and respectful, very caring, led by and encouraged by the Tour Manager. The tour manager was a delightful lady who loved her city and made much effort to make us feel the same way. She went above and beyond my expectation with her helpfulness, kindness, expertise and organizational ability. I am now booked for my 2nd Gate 1 tour.
Susan P.Thank you and loving the new Stay & Explore tours - deservedly very popular as such a treat to stay in one location for an extended time and take excursions from your base, both included and optional. This was a revisit to the French Riviera for me - have always loved Nice and was delighted that a few months before departure our hotel choice was changed to the fantastic Hotel Beau Rivage in Nice Old Town, steps from Cours Saleya market and one block from the seaside Promenade, and one block from Place Massena and its Christmas Markets which opened for the season during our trip - Restaurants, cafes and shopping all close-by and the hotel was just lovely, boutique in feel, great staff, comfortable rooms and a delicious buffet breakfast each day with served beverages. Location could not be beat! A lovely and charming tour manager, Raphaelle, who had great suggestions for leisure time and restaurants and a very competent driver Laure, always with a smile and keeping us safe with her great driving. Loved the revisits to Monaco, especially the Old Town, Villa Ephrussi in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, and the optional to the Citrus town of Menton near the Italian border. Exploring more of Nice is always rewarding too. This was trip #68 for me with G1 and as always, everything was flawless and enjoyed another excellent time!
Lorraine P.I just returned from Tastes of Bangkok - want to let you know that Kit is an incredible Tour Manager. Patient, informative, great sense of humor, incredibly knowledgeable. Very patient with herding cats!! Highly recommend this tour, it was amazing.
Margaret A.The trip to Bangkok, Thailand was fantastic. Our hotel was beautiful and so comfortable. The breakfast buffet was delicious. I have never been on a GateOne Tour before, but certainly will go on another. Our tour bus was so comfortable and the driver excellent. Our tour guide, Kit, was excellent. She had so much knowledge and made each day interesting and fun! Thank you Gate One!
Maria C.It was a very good trip. Our tour manager, Nicholas, was outstanding. The local guides were great. What a very nice hotel, Alvear Art. Overall, my first and explore trip with Gate1 deserves 10 stars.
Marvis O.Estefi was excellent!! She was knowledgeable, friendly, great energy, very caring and did a really great job keeping the group together, informed and on time. BRAVO!! Really enjoyed getting to know her and would definitely prioritize a tour with her again.
Jodi M.Edo was an exceptionally skilled guide. He chose excursions that featured fascinating historic sites, guiding us expertly via local guides through the key sites within a historical and cultural framework. His diverse choices included gorgeous medieval towns, a remote artist colony, a local Veterans Day celebration, a diverse communally-run town, a local wine-maker, and a family-owned cheese maker - all very eclectic and creative. Edo gave us a feel for the real France, and it was delightful. He's an interesting and generous man who made everyone feel included.
Ruth H.The trip was great!. Enjoyed the organization and surprisingly add on's. This trip was a bit warm, but seeing the sights help forget. Rocky, guide, Murjana, assist guide were both very attentive, full of fun and laughter. Anom the driver was fabulous, especially when it got to be our turn to sit up front of the bus. The group of travelers with us , also full of fun and adventurous. Another trip with Gate 1, that we enjoyed.
Emelda E.Our tour manager guide was outstanding phenomenal. I believe he's one of the top best managers that I have ever experience in all my travels. Highly recommend him. George was the best!
Candida L.Just wanted to write a brief note about our tour manager Nadine. We celebrated our 20th anniversary by taking this trip. Nadine went out of her way to recognize this and even got us gifts to celebrate the day. She also went out of her way to make sure our parents, who were on this trip, never felt like they were holding the group back and always making sure they were OK with the walking and hilly areas. Great job by Nadine. Also, it is a perfect location for the hotel in Ulm, close to shopping, grocery stores, banks, and places to eat. And our bus driver, very professional and safe driver.... always signaled when changing lanes and always maintained a safe speed. I loved the trip, looking forward to booking another one.
James J.We loved it! The weather was great; our tour leader Anne was very professional and knowledgeable. The hotel was in a scenic location across from the Promenade d'Anglais and the excursions were spot on. I would definitely consider another Stay and Explore Tour with Gate 1.
Ruth H.Our tour leader, Gwen, created a webpage for our trip, that included maps of the areas we were visiting, recipes for foods of the region, things to do in Toulouse, daily summaries, and more - it was really well done, very interesting, and such a useful addition for our tour experience! We really enjoyed seeing all of the places we went on this tour and found the most meaningful experiences to be in the small, inhabited towns (like Auvillar, Cordes-sur-Ciel, and Montbrun-Bocage) where we could talk with people about what their lives are like living there today. Our visit to Auvillar included being greeted by the Director of the Tourism Office - which was really an honor for us - and the Auvillar Museum was fascinating, hearing about how the town had come together to donate prized family possessions for the museum. Hearing about and seeing pottery was also interesting. We also really enjoyed meeting Irene at Le Clos du Marbier - she was so inspiring, warm, and welcoming (and her wine is excellent!) The farm visit was fun and interesting, and the cheese was fantastic! Opportunities to connect with local people really made the trip extraordinary and I hope Gate 1 will continue to include those. Dinner last night was at a local restaurant rather than at the hotel and that was a treat - the food was excellent, the location was perfect, and it felt like a celebratory sendoff. The hotel was perfect - central location, wonderful staff, comfortable rooms, excellent breakfast and bar. And lastly, we really appreciate and enjoy the Stay and Explore format - it is so nice to unpack once and be able to explore the town during free evenings - we hope that Gate 1 will expand their offerings on these trips!
Kathleen M.It was wonderful. So nice to stay in the same hotel for the entire time. Basque cooking is delicious and Santandar was beautiful beyond my wildest dreams. The Guggenheim is an experience unto itself.
Arlene R.Mira was the best Tour Manager ever, and this was the 12th Gate 1 tour I've taken. She went over and beyond what any tour manager has ever done on trips I've taken. She was so pleasant and ALWAYS willing to help with ANYTHING we needed and took genuine care and concern over any matter that was brought to her. I wish I knew of upcoming trips she was managing because I would definitely endeavor to make a reservation, just to have her manage us again. She is definitely an asset to Gate 1. Don't let her go!
Laura D.Our trip was wonderful! Macedonia is a truly beautiful country with a fascinating history and very friendly and welcoming people. Kudos to Gate 1 for the planning and staffing of this tour. This was our first Gate 1 trip, but I doubt it will be our last.
Steven R.My trip to Bali was excellent! Gusti is a wonderful guide. He is caring and full of knowledge. He answered all my questions. I learned so much about Indonesian culture. Both hotels were excellent and comfortable. The included meals were delicious. The final dinner was exceptional. Overall, the trip was great. I look forward to visiting Indonesia again in the future.
Kimberlee W.My trip to Prague was wonderful. I was able to learn more about my Prague heritage. Our tour guide Jana was very knowledgeable and I learned a lot about the history of Prague. She told us some very funny traditions they have in Prague which we would not have otherwise known. My favorite tours were to Cesky Krumlov and Dresden. I also need to give a shout out to our bus driver Dali. This was my 4th trip with Gate 1 and I have never been disappointed. I already have 2 more trips booked for 2026. Gate 1 just takes care of everything for you. I travel alone quite a bit and they make it seamless. Always looking forward to my next great trip with Gate 1
Cynthia F.The trip was amazing! I think it might be my best Gate 1 yet! Croatia is a beautiful country. I love the mix of history, current life and the blending of cultures. Nicolo, our guide, was AMAZING! So was Samir our bus driver. Their concerns for our safety, comfort, enjoyment and cohesiveness made every better better than the one before it!
Kathleen H.Our tour manager Nikoleta was a major contributing factor associated with our Slovenian trip. I consider this trip to be one of my favorite Gate1 adventures. Nikoleta is a gem!!
Deborah W.Our trip was absolutely wonderful, especially because of our tour guide, Abdu. His knowledge of the country and personalism in attending to our needs and desires went well beyond his normal duties. He was delightful to have at our side each day and we were amazed by the tours he arranged for us. We were thrilled to learn of the Moroccan culture and to witness the everyday life of the people of this region. The food, entertainment, and atmosphere were all exceptional. Every single detail will be remembered for a long time!
Janet P.This was our first trip with Gate1 Travel. Overall, our trip to Greece & Crete was wonderful. The 2 tour managers who were on our trip (Athina in Crete and Georgina in mainland Greece) were absolutely amazing. They were both very knowledgeable about the sites we saw. They provided content about the sites along with Greek mythology in a way that was fun and factual. They were both professional and personable. We very much enjoyed the various sites we visited and the hotels and food were excellent. We look forward to selecting our next overseas trip with Gate1.
Kenneth G.This was my first group tour. It was fun. I enjoyed all the different tours. The tour director, Ty, was extremely knowledgeable, incredibly helpful and just plain, who is great guy! The entire process, from start to finish, was easy and very well organized. I will definitely be looking for more opportunities to travel with Gate1.
Cassandra M.Decided to go to North Macedonia at the last minute and what a great decision. The people are so friendly and welcoming. The dollar is really strong there so everything seems a bargain. We always felt safe and Many thanks to our effervescent Tour Manager, Melania for making our trip special. It's very obvious she really enjoys her job and was so helpful. Highly recommended for a visit.
Donald M.This was our 8th Gate 1 trip, and we feel it was the best one ever. Our guides, Blaz in Slovenia, and Vivi in Padua were caring, kind, and made us all feel special, safe, and had such wonderful personalities. Everyone on both parts of our trip felt the same. Thank you for the gift of this trip. The tours were all interesting and lovely, and both of our tour guides went over and above with us each day.
Sandra M.Our Trip was Fabulous. !Our Leader Vera was the best ! She was well informed, kept the group together , and on time and kept us full of information. She also was very kind and personable. We hope are next trip will be with her!! She is the best , Aldo bus driver was great and local tour guide Andres.
Jeannie T.On all of our previous tours with Gate1, we have had excellent tour guides but on this tour, our guide Lucas was by far the best we ever had on Gate1 or any other tour we have been on. He is an exceptional employee and you are very fortunate to have him as an employee.
Jerry F.The trip was great. Perfect weather, great guide, wonderful food and the history is incredible. This was our first Tastes of... trip and the format worked out really well for Crete. The guide helped with arrangements for a car and driver for a group of us one of the free days. I would recommend switching Chania for Santorini.
Eileen W.The trip was wonderful! I really liked that I only had to unpack once. The tour was just the right mix of included and optional tours, so I felt like I had ample opportunity to venture out on my own. The hotel was fantastic. Perfect location next to the train station and a grocery store right behind it. The staff was friendly; the amenities were abundant (a candy bar!) and the accommodations top notch. Kurt, the tour guide, was knowledgeable and knew when to give information and when to be still to enjoy the journey. This was my first Gate 1 tour, but hopefully not my last!
Sandra L.Our trip was excellent. I think Gate1 has a winning formula with their "Stay and Explore" tours. Looking forward to seeing what other locations are offered.
Carol B.This trip was absolutely wonderful!!! Our Tour Manager, Elaine, was one of the best and just brought it all to life. She was intelligent, kind, patient, organized and so thoughtful. The small gestures and little displays of thoughtfulness added so much and her vast experience makes her an absolute gem! We all loved her! And our bus driver ( Kris from Poland) was just a delight and also terrific. The location of the hotel was perfect- close to the center of Oxford, comfortable with nice rooms and a good breakfast each morning, kind staff and it was clean. The itinerary was fantastic! We saw so much and truly enjoyed each and every visit! Bletchley Park was phenomenal and the stops in the Cotswolds were gorgeous. As well information provided by both our local Oxford Guide as well as Elaine on additional options for Oxford - things like arrival and departure times, restaurants, additional attractions to take advantage of in Oxford and free options like Evensong were invaluable to those of us who are planners and want to stuff as much as we can into our schedule. The variety of travel choices between included and optional excursions was just excellent and although we tend to prefer the Discovery tours due to small group size, it was a treat to stay in one hotel for the week.
Barbara S.Our 9 Day Taste of Southern Spain trip was fabulous! Every part of the trip from start to finish was smooth, well coordinated and fun. Our guide Raquel was so personable and quirky funny. Marbella is a great location for a stay and explore as it has so many interesting towns with both the mountains and the oceans. This was our first "stay and explore" trip and we loved not having to move hotels every two days. It's a great option. We are ready to go again and, as always, Gate 1 does not disappoint.
Carol B.It was amazing! The hotel was perfectly located, and it was easy to walk to restaurants, the beach, the old town and historic sights. Breakfasts were amazing. Our guide, Melissa, did an outstanding job of showing us the highlights and then letting us have time to wander on our own. I would recommend this trip to anyone. It is important to note that the walking was at times strenuous, so this is not a trip for people with mobility issues. Also, one reason it was great is that we were in one hotel the entire time, and all of the side trips emanated from there. I loved not having to pack and move every couple of days. Great job, Gate 1!
April K.I just wanted to thank and compliment Gate 1 for another epic and awesome tour. I find your company to be excellent to deal with, and the quality of the tours is always above and beyond Our hotel was changed on this tour to be Hotel Aston La Scala and I must say it was a perfect location. The hotel was very glamorous and the staff there were A plus. It was so central to everything and easy to access whatever you were looking for. Our room had the most amazing view of the square, old town and the Mediterranean Sea. I never tired of looking out at the beautiful scenery from our window. The sunrises and sunsets were amazing and we got to enjoy them each and every day due to the location of our room. I must say the breakfast that was served by this hotel was superb! There was a great variety of everything imaginable and the food was delicious, I looked forward to and enjoyed my breakfast every single morning!! This in my opinion was a great move on Gate 1's behalf to have changed our hotel!! I was truly satisfied staying in this beautiful place. Every tour I took and I did all except for the one with the meal (only because I am vegan and I don't like to make waves by not being able to eat the menu that is being served) where beyond amazing. With each passing day each stop to explore seemed to get better and better. I never had any bad experiences on any of our tours and I enjoyed each area immensely learning of the history and beauty each town offered!! Our tour guide Melissa was amazing and I personally think that she is one of the Jewels of the French Riviera!! She was friendly, professional and a joy to go on this journey of her enchanting country, France, with. She always went above and beyond to make our time in Nice and surrounding area nothing short of extraordinary. She made our trip warm, joyous and she has my deepest gratitude and admiration for all they she did while I was in France.
Susan M.Our travel arrangements were impacted by the Amsterdam work stoppages both going and returning. The people on your travel desk were fantastic; pleasant, professional, and reassuring that they would take care of us. Our trip coordinator, Mira, was so knowledgeable and went beyond expectations making concert and restaurant reservations. We also were impressed with two of our guides, Renata and Pavel. The hotel was comfortable, clean, with pleasant staff and great breakfast. The location on the tram line was perfect.
Peter S.A very good trip. Hotel was well located near many attractions with great breakfasts and bountiful farewell buffet. Tour manager Damir was fun, friendly and efficient. Even our bus driver Philip was fun and friendly.
Dave L.This was my first Stay & Explore Tour. The Netherlands is definitely a good country for this The Hotel was very good and convenient to the Utrecht Train Station, Old Town and the Mall. Numerous restaurants are within walking distance. Our TM was excellent! A very personable and friendly person. Always took time to talk to you and answer all your questions about the country and how to navigate public transportation. On the board in the Hotel Lobby, he had lots of useful information about places to see and things to do. We only did one optional tour on the last day, which was excellent.
Deborah R.We did the Stay and Play Buenos Aires, Argentina, we really enjoyed the whole trip, had enough time to rest and even did some of our own exploration of the city. Our Tour Guide name is "Sol", she is very knowledgeable about her country Argentina history and their culture and especially about Buenos Aires city. She speaks perfect English that really helps us with communication. She is very helpful with anything we ask, she has a very friendly and lovely personality. We also liked all our Local Tour Guides, and all of your added tours were really good choices. We ate a lot of good food throughout the trip. We had so much fun at the Estancia ranch and especially saw the "horse whisper" technique from the gaucho, the Tango Play, and dinner was the best.
Hue B.Asia, our tour Manager, is every tour manager trainee, should watch and learn from. She is prompt, made herself available for everyone at the end of the day, and has the knowledge of every minute details of the towns interesting "to do", places to eat, shopping for souvenirs, foods and stores' specialties, and especially how she sees things, places through the eyes of a new comer. She is great asset to Gate1Travel.
Sally G.It was absolutely wonderful! Mohammed, our Tour Manager, was outstanding! A true professional, with a kind, warm approach. All local guides & the excursions I participated in were also exceptional! I thoroughly enjoyed the Gate 1 "9 Day Taste of Morocco" tour!!! I am looking forward to booking my next Gate 1 trip!
Jane B.I loved this trip. This trip was entertaining and informative. The Tour Manager, Nikola, was outstanding. I've had many very excellent Tour Managers in all the Gate 1 trips I've taken and Nikola ranks right up there with the best. This was my fifth Gate 1 trip to the Balkans but the first time to Serbia. I'm so glad to not have had to go on another multi country trip just to spend a night or two in Belgrade. I really got to learn about Serbia and I loved it. I'd like to see a similar trip to Sarajevo.
Eric F.Had a great time and learned so much. The tour director, Michael, was not just the best tour director I've ever had whether Gate 1, Trafalgar, Globus, etc. He was the absolute best ever. What an outstanding and exceptional Tour Director!!! You have the best ever there working for you.
Ruthie S.My trip to Bali was the BEST! Our guide, Gusti, was smart, helpful and fun. The attractions were so interesting, the time was well thought out, never seemed rushed, but never got bored. Highly recommend.
Judith W.I want to commend Pebbles, our tour guide, on an excellent job during our stay in Switzerland. Not only was she knowledgeable, but she was courteous, conscientious in terms of our comfort and safety, funny, and she treated us like one big family. She made our stay pleasant and memorable and we hope to travel with her in the future.
Katherine H.I have traveled with G1 in several different ways but this Stay at the Scandic Hotel the whole time with excursions both in Copenhagen and into the surrounding area has to be my best experience with you. The hotel was clean, efficient and very Scandinavian and centrally located so walking the city was easy and the breakfasts on the 6th floor overlooking the canal were fantastic. Our guide Michael was attentive, informative, entertaining and he introduced us to many Danish treats we would not have tried on our own. He was a delight to travel with and Tim the bus driver was patient and made the trips outside the area feel very safe. All of the optional tours to the Viking museum, the castles and Maritime museum and the trip to Malmo and Lund in Sweden were well planned and broadened my understanding of the area and its history. The walking tours within Copenhagen gave a sense of place. Tivoli was delightful. The immersive nature of staying in one place for a week is a concept I hope you expand upon. I am certainly going to look for "Stay" tours from now on.
Karen P.I've done many trips with Gate 1. All of the guides have been excellent but our guide, Jenny, was SUPERB!!! She is a polished professional and so delightful. Always available but never intrusive. Her knowledge of the history and culture made the trip entertaining and informative. I also loved the location of the Radisson Blu hotel. Do NOT change the location. It's beautiful and only a short tram ride or bus ride to city center. Being by the beach felt more like a resort. It was nice to be out of the hustle and bustle of the city center at the end of the day. The sun rise over the water from the breakfast room was a beautiful way to start each morning. The view from the rooftop bar/restaurant was a peaceful ending to each day. I'm glad I was able to stay there on this trip.
Heather D.We would like to express our gratitude to Gate 1 for the excellent work that is done with all trips that my husband and I were taken over the last two years. We are very confident that the next time when we decide to travel we definitely will go with Gate 1. The hotels are chosen with a lot of thought to it, with the location, food, and cleanliness in mind. All the excursions are very organized and interesting. Great work Gate 1!!!
Tatyana F.Loved the trip and we had the best tour guide ever. Michael is the best!
Sandra K.


