Reviews
It was great! I didn't have any expectations for an Independent Tour. It was really very nice. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.
Carol B.Our trip was wonderful. Once again, I always wonder if our Guide will be as good as our previous one as usual, they are. The food on this trip was outstanding. And Andrea went above and beyond to make sure everyone was always happy, and he constantly looked out for our safety. GREAT Trip. Looking forward to our next one.
Joseph H.This was our first time abroad and with Gate 1. Our trip was wonderful. Our tour guide, Carmine, was EXCEPTIONAL! He made the trip exciting.. Thank you.
Louis F.This was our first time traveling with Gate 1 and this trip exceeded our expectations. Our tour manager, Carmine, kept everything running smoothly and went above and beyond for our group. My husband and I decided to add an optional tour on and without hesitation Carmine accommodated our request and purchased any necessary tickets for our entry. We would love to go back to Italy and have Carmine as our tour manager! All of the other guides we had on our trip were fantastic! They answered our questions and made our tours fun and informative. Gate 1 made traveling to Europe for the first time feel accessible and approachable. We are excited to book another trip!
Julie L.We had a wonderful time. The others in our group were extremely nice and I believe we've made new life long friends. Anna our guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable. The itinerary excellent.
Dennis H.This was an adventure of a lifetime, our 23rd tour with gate 1. Our tour director, MAURIZIO, was an invaluable factor in making it so. He was the epitome of professionalism, equipped with technical competence, managerial savvy, and people skills. Moreover, he was always a gentleman, ever-ready to lend a helping hand. He was very caring and sincere. His passion for his work and his love of Sicily, we could witness each day. He tried and actually did his best, exceeding our expectations as he found serendipitous ways to enrich our experiences. He ennobled us, as well. I must say he is a tour director par excellence. Please share these comments with him and his colleagues. My husband and my brother who traveled with me share the same gratitude to and appreciation for Maurizio ; the same feelings and feedback we are granting to gate 1 for giving us such a professional, both competent and caring, as Maurizio.
Maria C.This was our first European trip and Italy has always been a bucket list trip for me as I am almost full blooded Italian. Mercedes and Isabella & Luigi were ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!! Mercedes specifically made our trip so easy and memorable! She thought of everything and even taught us some Italian! She even purchased little gifts at each city which are so memorable and we will never ever forget!! I would love to travel with her again! She had great suggestions, was always concerned about our safety and made every day fun!
Lynn A.The trip was excellent! I was worried about how it would go because I never booked a trip with a company before. As soon as we arrived to our first hotel all my worries turned into relaxation. I look forward to booking with your company in the future. Thank you for a great service. We flew emirates airline, and that was hands-down the best flight we have been on. All in all 10/10
Michael PritzIt was absolutely Amazing! Francesca was by far the best tour guide we had ever had. She was fun, went above and beyond for us, gave amazing recommendations for each spot we visited in terms of shopping, eating, things to do, etc. You can tell she really loves what she does and loves her clients. I want to book another trip in hopes to get her again!!!
Bradly T.Everything about this tour was beyond my expectations. Our guide, Giuseppe, went to great lengths to provide us with experiences much beyond expectations. The local guides were enthusiastic and engaged us with many historical stories. Our bus driver, Luigi, impressed us with his ability to navigate tight spots and arrange a fast tire repair when we got a flat on the way to Pisa. The accommodations were wonderful and the food/wine events truly memorable. We cannot thank everyone enough for such a great experience.
Dayna C.I just wanted to take this time to let you know that our group absolutely loved Marisa, our tour guide. By the end of the trip, she was like family to us. We were even sad that the trip was over and that we were leaving. We told her we would come back to Italy and do another tour with her. Marisa was very kind, attentive, funny, and patient. She quickly got to know know each of our names and even started to know our personalities and would even make funny jokes about each of us. We just felt like she wanted to get to know us. She was generous to give us small treats like candy so that we could try it. She even gave us little souvenirs like the Pinocchio toy and the red horn from Naples. Marisa was very knowledgeable and educated. Her tour was thorough and yet there was free time to go shopping. She was always helping us by giving us tips and suggestions. We were a group of 12 and for many of us, this was our first time in Europe. It was a busy itinerary, but yet Marisa made each day enjoyable. I just wish she was our permanent Gate 1 tour guide for all the tours you offer!!! Please let Marisa know that we miss her so much. She is now a part of our family and we will remember her forever. We hope to come back and do the Sicily tour with her in 2026.
Lynda J.The trip to Malta was amazing!!! Our guide for all of the options, Josette, was fantastic and shared the history of Malta in such an exceptional way. The pace of the trip was relaxed with plenty of leisure time and although it was an independent trip there was a lot of bonding within the trip with the fellow travels. Seeing Malta during winter was wonderful as the crowds were none existent and there were still so many beautiful Nativity Cribs and Christmas decorations still present to see. This was an amazing trip at an exceptional value and I am so glad I we were able to visit this amazing country. It was not a place on our travel bucket list, but the value of the trip made it hard to refuse and I'm so glad we got to visit and learn about the history and culture of Malta. Thank you Gate1 for another wonderful travel experience!!! You have never disappointed us and we tell everyone we can about your wonderful company!
Margaret H.We just came back from an independent by rail Italy trip which was excellent! We had travelled on the escorted trip before and thoroughly enjoyed this independent version. The instructions provided to find the railway stations, hotels, tour meet up sites were impeccable and easy to find. Thank you Gate1 for a memorable vacation!
Diane A.Our recent trip to Italy was everything we hoped for. Every aspect of the vacation was perfectly planned. Our meals and side trips were all spot on. Each of our guides in the visited cities were extremely knowledgeable, interesting and a pleasure to spend time with. Having said this let me say a few words about our Tour Manager Lorena . Lorena absolutely made our trip as great as it was. Lorena at every aspect went well above and beyond to make sure that all the planned activities were perfect. She made us feel so welcome like we were part of her family. I would certainly recommend to any friends and family to use Gate 1 for their future travel plans.
John P.My wife and I went to Dubai with Gate 1 at the end of April this year and I thought that nothing could top that. I was wrong! Our recent trip to Italy by way of Gate 1 was absolutely wonderful! Neither of us had been to Italy before and I cannot imagine how this trip could have been better. The accommodations at each location were beautiful, like 5-star hotels (which I suppose they were). I must say that the most impressive thing about the entire trip was the tour guides. They were very knowledgeable about the areas that they were showing us through. They were all very passionate about their country and the sights we were seeing while we were there. Despite my hearing problem, they were able to get their messages across to me with complete understanding. We will never forget Italy, especially Rome, after this visit. We have been telling everyone we know to check out Gate 1 for any travel needs. I cannot imagine that anyone could do better (probably no one could do as well) than Gate 1.
William G.It was amazing! I went because of Palermo but I stayed for everything amazing about Sicily! I'm a Greek/Roman geek and every day was filled with discovery and new treasures --the last one -the Roman villa -- was the most incredible collection of mosaics I've ever seen! Our guide was incredible - funny, smart, self-effacing and able to "mother" us into being on time every time. I am so grateful that you helped me get there!
Kathryn C.Thank you for asking. Our Italy experience was awesome! Francesca, our tour manager was knowledgeable, personable, courteous and prompt. From hotel accommodations to our tour itineraries we're top notch. All of the local guides were excellent in terms of their knowledge. This was our 5th tour with Gate 1. I am yet to find anything to complain about. Thank you for making the whole experience a pleasant one.
Asha P.Excellent. Kristijian was the best tour guide ever! Knowledgeable, courteous, personable, prompt, thoughtful, considerate. He was careful to follow up the rear of the tour group when we had a local guide in a city. This ensured that no one got lost or left the group. He posted the rotation schedule for the bus every day and that worked perfectly!. He posted the daily schedule and repeated instructions multiple times so that there was no confusion. This was especially helpful with our group because we had a fairly large number of travelers for whom English was not their first language. We honestly cannot praise him enough!
George A.Our trip to Italy exceeded all of our expectations. All of the couples, partners and single travelers in our group treated each other like family. We looked our for each other and made sure everyone was doing okay on a daily basis. All of the amenities were top shelf, from the hotels, transportation, restaurants, tours, optional tours and entertainment. It was a lovely selection of cities from Venice in the north to Rome in the south and all of the lovely cities in between. And last but not least, our tour director, Andrea. He was excellent, knowledgeable, funny, serious, stern but in a concerned way and a great leader. Thank you Gate 1 for making this Italy experience a success and the best ever.
Robert S.The trip was great. The hotels in Florence and especially Rome were very nice. The itinerary was great. The stops in Assisi and Pisa really added to the trip. Nicoletta was a fantastic tour guide and group leader. The best so far. She really added to the experience. I give her and the trip 5 stars.
John R.It was awesome, rejuvenating, wonderful! I am ready to book another hiking tour!
Joanna W.Loved it! Alice was an exceptional guide!
Lori D.Fantastic! We had a wonderful trip! The package we bought is perfect for independent traveling. Documents and vouchers were flawlessly prepared, so the flight, car rental, and hotel check-in were easy. The Boston Hotel in Montecatini was friendly, clean, and served a wonderful breakfast every morning. We are, and will be repeat customers again in the future!
Molly C.It was really great. It was a wonderful first trip to Italy. It was really well-organized; we saw so many of the things that one would want to see in Italy. And it left me wanting to go back again some day. Our tour manager, Suzy, was fantastic. She was friendly, warm, very organized and knowledgeable, and was very good at keeping all the ducks in a row. And she also added a few extras that were not included on the original itinerary: 2 additional optional tours in Rome ("Hidden Treasures" and a dinner & bus tour of the city at night), a tour inside the Pantheon (not just "viewing" it from the outside), and she organized vans to take us back to the hotel after the Vatican and Piazzas & Fountains tours in Rome. Those vans were really appreciated after all the walking we had done that morning and afternoon. I was particularly excited to get inside the Pantheon! I give Suzy the highest marks! Our local guides, particularly Manuela in Venice, the guide in Assisi and Paolo in Rome, were really good. They were very knowledgeable and engaging. I look forward to another Gate 1 tour in the not-to-distant future.
Denise T.We would like to express our satisfaction with our first trip with Gate 1 which was exceptional. We can say that our trip was made memorable due to Suzy's amazing organizational skills and quality of information and events within the trip. Additionally, the comfort and ease of the motor couch transportation with Maritzio was so delightful which also added to the ease of the trip. We look forward to going on another trip with Gate1 in the future and would not hesitate to recommend the trip to others.
John C.I really enjoyed the trip. The staff was great. Looking forward to the next one.
Robert N.Oliviero was one of the best things about our trip! He really made the trip exciting, fun, memorable, and special! He flawlessly made a family of 40 very different people, and always made us feel comfortable and cared for! Oliviero was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and personable. He made us feel like we'd known him forever, and offered valuable insight into everything we did, and every question we had. I would 10000% recommend Oliviero, and would love to do many more tours with him as our guide! He is an incredible asset to Gate1!
Rebecca I.Our trip to Sicily was great fun. We had the privilege to travel with Tour Director, Marisa for a second time. She is the most amazing Tour Director we have come across in 18 trips with Gate 1 as well as other companies we have had the pleasure to travel with. She doesn't just tell historical facts of the area, she shares them in a story like fashion, making them fun and quite interesting. She was always ready with suggestions for things to do on our free time as well as restaurants we might like to try. You feel like you are traveling with a friend in their hometown, one who loves what they do and enjoys the people they are traveling with. Marisa is truly a treasure and we hope to travel on another tour with her soon. Gate 1 is so fortunate to have her as an Ambassador of their company. Please let her know how much we appreciate her and her knowledge.
Linda F.We rarely take tours and this was our first Gate1 trip. I am now a Gate1 convert! With Marisa, our fearless, warm, knowledgeable, funny, kind and organized tour leader, we saw, experienced and ate so much that we would have never covered on our own. She took off all the stress of traveling and made everyday the Best day to be in Sicily! Gate1 planned out each day with just the right amount of sightseeing, traveling, shopping and down time. Hotels were in great locations, which I appreciated much more than being somewhere fancy. Included meals exceeded our expectations, especially the ones in the countryside. Marisa immediately got to know all of us which instantly created a family atmosphere where a lot of tears and hugs were exchanged on the last day.
Constance M.My wife and I attended the enchanting Italy trip from 2 through 9 October. We had the absolute best tour director Adionesis. He was the most caring and thoughtful director. He personally assisted me a number of times. He showed he cared about every member of our group. He is the BEST! He earned a greater than excellent rating.
Randall K.It was wonderful. The weather was perfect. We did not expect the warm weather but a pleasant surprise. Giuseppe was our tour guide and he was excellent. He added such details that we would not have seen otherwise. He did not treat the tour like a job. You can tell he knows the history and gave vital information to make the experience more enjoyable and meaningful. He was very organized and gave specific instructions. The guides we had for the different cities were also very knowledgeable and entertaining. Thank you for your helpful tips. They made preparing for the trip much easier. We look forward to using Gate 1 in the future.
Kathleen M.This was our sixth trip with Gate1. The river cruise experience far exceeded our expectations .....on land or on the water our tour guides and staff were A+. The Monarch Princess crew was absolutely amazing- so friendly, helpful and upbeat! The total experience was superb!
Linda J.Just wanted to express my pleasure with the whole gate1travel experience. Riccardo, our tour manager, was a excellent manager/guide! Everything was smooth, we kept on time with everything, couldn't have experience as much as we did without this tour. Logistics were excellent! Thank you Gate1Travel, and a huge thanks and respect for Riccardo our tour manager!
Andrew LI loved our tour guide Uta so much and just wanted to let you know personally how wonderful she was! She walked all over Venice with, selected our boat to have musicians for our gondola ride, gave amazing suggestions for free time adventures in Rome and got along so well with everyone. We had such a great group of people on the trip too. This was my 4th Gate 1 trip and it was by far the absolute best!!! Uta made it amazing! I will definitely go on more Gate 1 trips in the future and recommend Gate 1 to all my friends!
Wendy D.We want to thank you and our wonderful tour guide Alessandro as we just finished the Sorrento walking tour. The hotel and room was a special surprise and made our trip extra special. Alessandro was amazing and the daily tour guides were wonderful. We loved the itinerary, the hikes, lunches and all the special touches. Thank you for a wonderful memory.
Susan B.My trip was great . Alexdrano my first tour guy in Sorrento was fabulous. And my second tour was great also Mario my guide was also fabulous.
Mary T.On behalf of my husband and I we wanted to personally thank Linda, our tour guide, for everything! She was amazing, super friendly, extremely helpful, very informative, and genuinely loves her job! We were the youngest guests on the tour and were celebrating our honeymoon! She made us feel very special!!! Thank you Linda and Gate 1 Travel!
Elena T.I could not let time go by without praising you for hiring a tour manager like Alice! Alice was amazing. Aside from her bubbly personality, she was so informative. She constantly shared information about Italy as we rode or walked. We learned about its history, educational system, retirement, working, current events and much more. She is a wealth of information and obviously a very intelligent woman. It's obvious that she loves her job. She brought the group into a cohesive unit and made my trip very enjoyable you are to be commended for having Alice on your staff. I would love to take another trip with her.
Joanne S.It was a fantastic trip. The Montecatini hotel and city were great, as were the sights and attractions of the nearby region. Our self-designed trip extension turned out extremely well, as we overnighted and toured in and around Vada, Rome, Naples, Florence, Como, and Milan. In total we were gone 24 days, with 22 overnight stays. The Gate 1 package was an excellent foundation upon we built a once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable trip.
Horace C.We just wanted to let you know on a personal level how much we enjoyed our recent Enchanting Italy group tour with your company. Neither of us had ever used a guided tour in our travels, and booked with some trepidation...but Tour Manager Lorenzo made our journey just incredible. He kept everything going smoothly, kept the group round up to prevent delay, and gave us incredible context for "where we were" and what it meant. His command of English language and willingness to give insight into Italian language and culture is the primary reason we would consider a guided tour again, rather than just traveling on our own. Perfecto!
Michele R.Our trip was wonderful!! Marianna, our tour manager was phenomenal. All the guides, exceptional and Gabriella in Rome an absolute standout. We so enjoyed all of them, especially Gabriella. Marianna was attentive to all which has to be quite a feat given so many to keep track of. She made you feel at ease and knew she had everything under control. I had gotten sent another gate 1 evaluation, but I can't find it. I wanted everyone involved in our trip to know how much we appreciated them.
Denise P.Perfect Perfect Perfect!! We give every aspect of the experience the highest possible rating. Tour Manager Sergio was fantastic - knowledgeable and organized! He timed our meeting places and times efficiently, so we were not waiting around. He narrated interesting facts, stories and history (quite a comedian!) on the bus rides while giving us time to rest. He gave good advise for restaurants, shopping and activities during our free time. He addressed all of our personal issues. The hotel accommodations were all excellent. The group meals were in delightful hotels/restaurants with a wonderful variety of food. All of the cities had something to offer. Daily itineraries were thorough, educational and engaging. We enjoyed all optional excursions. Tour guides were well chosen. Thank you for the vacation of a lifetime! We already tell people to choose Gate1.
Karen D.I am writing to you after a wonderful trip to Southern Italy including Pugilia and Campagnia. Simona was our tour guide and I can't say enough things about this wonderful, amazing young woman. I have done 4 or 5 trips with Gate 1. Every tour guide has been great, but Simona is outstanding!!! She is kind, caring, compassionate, patient, and the most on task, thorough Tour Guide I have ever worked with. I can't say enough good things about her! Her wealth of information on Italy is unbelievable. She and all the local guides that she worked with were excellent! I feel like I took a college course on the history of southern Italy and passed the course with an A+. She even came to the airport with us to make sure we had no problems on the day of our departure. On the day of our arrival, we were 5 hours late and missed our orientation dinner. Our transfers were at the airport to get us even though we were so late. She was at the hotel in Bari when we arrived even though it was very late and gave the info we needed that night. She met us at breakfast very early the next morning. She even brought us up on all the info given at the orientation dinner so we had no questions at all. Well, another thoroughly enjoyable trip with Gate 1!!!!!!!! We are already thinking about our next trip! Thank you again for some wonderful memories to add to our collection!
Carla R.Our trip was amazing. Our tour manager Letizia is incredible! Her care and concern, and personal touch in making the trip manageable and special for our entire group was above and beyond expectations. My wife and I would really like to communicate to Gate1 how amazing she is, and that she should be commended by the company. She is amazing!!!
Jeff S.We just got back from our first Gate 1 experience in Italy, and our guide Gabriella was AMAZNG!!! my husband and i just got married in January and she did the sweetest little gestures to make such special memories for us. She handled every situation with such confidence and structure and we have never had a guide as fun and kind as her! Thank you Gabriella from the bottom of our hearts! We can only hope to have you as a guide again in the future!!!
Ashley H.My daughter Rene and I could not have been happier with our 11 day Enchanted Italy tour with Gate1 Travel. Every aspect of our trip met or exceeded expectations and we would not hesitate booking again for another adventure. Our hotel accommodations were accurately described and truly comfortable. I must take this opportunity to thank our Tour Manager, Michela, who, in my estimation, went above and beyond for the entire 11 days. Mikie made us all feel special and encouraged us to interact with the entire group. Miki was organized, knowledgeable and arranged for specialized tour guides that enhanced our visit. We count ourselves lucky to have had the bests. I cannot thank our driver Luigi enough for getting us safely to each destination. His driving skills were unrivalled. With sincere appreciation for this special experience with Gate1 Travel.
Patricia W.I would like to acknowledge our tour manager Giuseppe on our Discover Sicily and Malta Tour. He was very professional, knowledgeable and very personable. His attention to detail was excellent. He was very organized and took care of the group wonderfully. I would like to thank Giuseppe for providing us with a great tour. We had a wonderful time in Sicily and Malta and hope to return one day.
Veronica M.Just a short note to let you know we had a fantastic time in Italy. It was everything we could have imagined and more. We met a bunch of beautiful people in our group and plan to stay in touch with most of them. Our tour guide Francesca was the best, she made every minute of our excursion very special. We can't say enough good things about her. Our bus driver Ivano was great and had a lot of laughs on our night trips. The local tour guides were so personable with a wealth of knowledge in their area of expertise. Lastly we want to thank you for your guidance and patience with us setting this whole experience up for us. As first time travelers to Europe you made it so simple for us to understand. We are looking forward to working with you again on our next journey.
Michael D.I just want to mention what an excellent human being our tour guide Marisa is. For one, Marisa is likely your best tour guide on staff and my tour mates and I felt so lucky to have her. Marisa is so knowledgeable about the history and culture of all regions of Italy. To add to that she has a great sense of humor, is witty and is an amazing storyteller. Even though she quietly worked behind the scenes, to highlight maps or check on our suitcases for example, our group could see that she worked very hard on the details of our trip. She is an all around GREAT tour guide. She made you feel as if you were a friend and made our group a family in the short time we were together. Marisa was consistently energetic, joyful, consistent, knowledgeable, timely and with a great sense of humor. I hope that she get the best benefits from Gate 1 and that she is taken care of as well as she takes care of her tour groups. Marisa is a gem, as original as the beauty of Italy. Because of her, my husband and I are sure to return. And my daily life in America is with newfound appreciation for all that is Italian!
Susan H.Our trip was fabulous and spectacular and exceeded our expectations. Thanks to our excellent guide, Suzy, and all the other guides for the various cities we visited, we were enlightened to the culture of each region. The visit to the winery in Tuscany is a memory forever as is the boat ride around Capri. The fact that we entered various sites the first thing to avoid crowds, and often were the only ones at those sites such as the Roman Forum and the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's, was an added bonus. The accommodations were terrific, especially The Grand Hotel Vesuvius in Sorrento with the bay and Mt. Vesuvius view. From start to finish, it was the best trip we've been on. Thank you to all for putting together a perfect vacation.
Christine K.