England & Scotland
Reviews
Our tour guide Debbie and bus driver Alan were top notch. They both went over and beyond to make our trip enjoyable and trouble free. We can't say enough about their expertise and friendliness. They are both great assets for Gate 1.
Teresa P.This was one of the best travel experiences ever. Your web description, paperwork and actual services and amenities all were perfectly in alignment and so useful. My wife and I were so please that EVERY aspect of the trip was already so well thought out .. the hotel, the transfers, the train, the locations ... perfect. EVERY contact ( hotel, transfer, tour ) knew about us right when we walked in ... no guessing or clarifying .. it was like they had expected us and were looking forward to our visit. Most importantly ...WHAT A GREAT VALUE. The independent travel gave us the flexibility we wanted, but, key aspects ( like flights and hotels ) were already set and the add on transfers and tour were seamlessly integrated. We have no idea how GATE1 does this at the very, very reasonable price that we charged. To heck with cruises .... GATE1 Independent travel is our new way of seeing the world. Thanks !!
Mark B.My mom, sister, and I had a WONDERFUL time in Paris and London. Our tour guide, Craig was amazing! From day 1 he made sure we were settled, had a map of the area, knew how to get around, gave safety tips and reminders, and every single restaurant he recommended was fabulous. Every single one! He is extremely knowledgeable about the areas we visited- during free time, we would tell him what our plans were and he gave helpful tips. My favorite was when we told him we planned to go to an Indian restaurant in London and he said it was often very busy so they give you a buzzer. The buzzer would work only in a certain range from the restaurant, and there is a pub with live music 2 stores down that it will work in! There is no way we would have known that , and it turned our dinner into a 2 part event. Additionally, I am a pescatarian and don't eat certain meats. Every group meal and afternoon tea, Craig made sure the servers knew and I had a replacement. In a large group, he really paid attention to the needs of each individual. I have done Gate 1 a couple of time before, but this is the first time I heard of the term "group harmony". We had a wonderful group with people from all over, and we all would talk and agreed that Craig is the best of the best! Thank you, Gate 1 for a trip we will always remember.
Andria Q.We had a fantastic time. Gate 1 put us in hotels in great locations - both hotels were near train and bus stations, and close to restaurants, pubs and shopping. It was an easy walk to all the major sights in Edinburgh. In Glasgow we could walk to shopping, transportation, and the Winterfest fair was just a block away. We have noticed that on our independent Gate 1 excursions the hotels are always well placed near transportation and eateries. Breakfast was hearty and the hotel staff very helpful. Our room was pleasant and clean. The hotel dinner menu in Glasgow was limited but enough to get a good dinner. We took advantage this once when we came in late, tired, and didn't want to head out again. We had soup and sandwiches, and both were excellent. We love the Gate 1 independent offerings. We have done many - and have booked another one for next spring. Thank you Gate 1 for making travel easy, fun and reasonably priced.
Katherine I.Just wanted to say I thought David was an excellent Tour Manager and he went above & beyond everyday. I've been on 8-10 tours, this being my first with Gate 1 and by comparison, I'd say David was one of the best Tour Managers I've ever encountered. He was willing to take tour members out every night to see a bit more of the local events, and took members to pubs and to hear music. I thought this went beyond because I considered him "off the clock" once we were checked into our rooms, unless there was a scheduled dinner. I thought this was very generous of him to give up his "free time" and keep members entertained instead of decompressing from the long day's events & travel. David is very personable and really made of point of interacting with everyone in the group. He really made a significant contribution to raising the overall level of the tour (& I'm not just saying that because he remembered my birthday on the 6th! LOL).
Catherine J.I just completed my first experience with Gate1 Travel and it will not be my last for sure...I want to send a special compliment to our tour guide, Elaine and our driver David. It was obvious Elaine loves her job and what she does. She was so very knowledgeable about our trip and was very organized. She made us laugh and did little things to make the trip so very nice. Please pass my compliments along to her. David was an excellent driver and made us feel safe. He was professional and we very much appreciated him!
Patti L.Trip was fantastic. Helen and John were good leaders. Great camaraderie. Learned a lot and enjoyed the scenery, and food (haggis was part of our first dinner!!!!). I've been talking about this trip with folks I work with and I believe they will looking into planning a Scotland trip soon!
Susan G.I wanted to be sure and commend Gate 1 for a fabulous trip to Scotland! We had a group of 9 of us in our party alone and it was our first time to the country and we all loved every second of it. Helen, our tour manager, and John, our driver were great. John was kind and would joke with the group and just had a great personality while continuously keeping us safe with his excellent driving. Helen was the most kind person. She was always available to the group for any questions anyone may have had. She engaged with all of us every chance she got and always had the best smile on her face. She made me feel like I had known her for years! She worked very hard changing some of our original plans that were effected due to weather and I much appreciate her doing that. I also really enjoyed all of the hotels that were selected for this trip. All were very comfortable and the locations were great because we like to walk to local establishments in our free time. I have recommended Gate 1 to many others (in fact, 4 in our group of 9 chose Gate 1 because of me) and I will absolutely continue to do so. Thank you for continuing to provide traveling the world at great prices!!
Heidi V.Our trip was wonderful! Our tour guide, David, was outstanding. He provided us with all the history, folklore and high points of all 3 countries while constantly keeping us entertained with music, trivia and jokes. He went above and beyond. Gerard, our driver, is the most skilled driver I've ever met. Always pleasant, happy and helpful, too. No disappointments, other than the fog at the cliffs of Moher , but that couldn't be helped. Highlights for us were the countryside and castles, our shortbread and tea stop in Scotland, the Titanic museum in Belfast, and the pubs and sheepdog demonstrations in Ireland. I was happy to meet PJ of Sweney's pharmacy fame at Kennedy's pub in Dublin. Gate 1 certainly finds the best people to make our vacations memorable.
Elizabeth F.Please convey to David Seagraves our thank you for the wedding anniversary song he played for us on 10/28. Went to thank him two times and forgot each time to thank him. David is, by far, the best tour guide that we have ever had in all our travels. Each day David invited us to join him during his free time to see more of the city. We have never experienced that before this trip. He had the group interact with his "Name the State." He played such great music during the drives that included songs related to Scotland and Ireland. If it was a person's birthday or wedding anniversary, he played an appropriate song. I loved his "Write A Limerick" contest. He sat and visited with the group and/or bus driver during the meals. I had a chance to talk with others after the tour. One man said David was by far the best tour guide he and his wife had had. One lady said David "was the best." Another traveler said David was great. A couple we traveled with heard a lady on the street in one of our cities say she had heard of David and wish he had been her tour guide. I loved his play on words. David has a good reputation. He knows his job very well and made our trip fun, interesting, and showed and explained the sights. He is personable, and he represents your company very well. Our bus driver, Gerard, was the best bus driver I have ever had. He was very personable, humorous, and drove safely. Will you email me that you passed my words on to the tour guide.
Nancy W.Our trip was FANTASTIC!!! There were 33 of us and we all got along so well!! No prickly personalities, no estrangements, no tardiness, just pure fun. Our tour manager David was amazing. He was so much fun and so knowledgeable. His jokes (no matter how bad), his music and the info he shared with us was so enjoyable. He made our group seem like one big happy family. He was always prompt, if not early, his communication with us was excellent. His passion for the United Kingdom was very evident and he was so good at sharing that. He set a very good pace for all of us and we saw so much. Our bus driver, Jared, was excellent as well. His rapport with David was so strong and the two of them made our trip extremely enjoyable. Jared worked so hard managing our luggage and was an amazing driver on the windy, narrow roads of Scotland and Ireland. He always looked out for our safety when crossing busy roads. He was always prompt and very helpful. Our tour guide in Glasgow, John, was so passionate and informative about his city. He is so proud of how Glasgow has grown during his lifetime and that pride clearly came through. His stories about legends added quite a bit of color for us and we really enjoyed his guidance around Glasgow.
Nancy O.The trip was great. We have covered lot of places an happy to be able to see UK and Ireland. The driver and the tour manager were excellent and knowledgeable.I would recommend this trip anyone who is interested seeing UK and Ireland. Eric, the tour manager is outstanding in managing the trip and providing in-depth analysis of various places. Joe, the driver, is outstanding in driving. He was able to manage to drive through narrow roads and mountains and hills.I would be happy to take another trip with GATE1, in fact I have reservations to see Portugal and Spain and then Japan next year. Thank you GATE1 for providing my wife and I with great European experience, This was my third trip with GATE1 and two more to go next year and so on.
Prasad K.This was my first trip with Gate1 and I was a solo traveler. This tour exceeded my expectations. One of the things I liked best about this tour is that I was able to be in one location for an extended period of time. This is my preferred way to travel. I hope that Gate1 will offer more tours like this.
Marsha M.Out trip was wonderful! We went to so many beautiful places and had so many wonderful experiences, thank you. Our Tour Manager, Mathew was a fountain of knowledge and a great guide for each place we visited. He also surprised the group with many little touches and stops along the tour. We will look forward to another Gate 1 trip sometime in the future. Thank you for all of your help in planning the trip.
Deborah R.I want to make sure Gate 1 Travel knows what a valuable asset they have in our Tour Manager Debbie. Debbie was not only a highly effective manager of the tour in terms of logistics, she is personable, compassionate, and funny. Her voluminous knowledge of Great Britain encompasses geography, history, culture, etymology, geology, popular culture, government, economics, and botany. She kept us entertained and informed throughout every moment of the tour, but also knew when to give us time to rest and just enjoy the scenery. Her commentary was given in a natural and conversational way, never feeling rehearsed or forced. Her enthusiasm for the subjects she was discussing was genuine and fresh, something uncommon with tour guides. In terms of managing the tour, we always knew what was on the schedule, where to be, and when. We feel our time was utilized to its fullest, something that greatly increases the value of the tour for the price paid. Debbie is not only an amazing ambassador for Gate 1, she is a credit to the U.K., representing her home in a way that left us excited to make another trip in the future. Our Gate 1 Tour was an amazing success thanks to Debbie.
Jennifer K.Thank you for an amazing trip! It's the first time we have travelled internationally since Covid. Scotland was beautiful and so rich with history. David, our guide was perfect. He told us so much about the history of Scotland. He was well organized and kept the tour on time. Chris, our driver was the sweetest person. She kept us safe and you could tell she was a very experienced driver. All the hotels were well located. We particularly loved the ones in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The optional tour of the Kayleigh was definitely a fun time and a highlight of our trip. Thank you for organizing such a great adventure.
Ruth B.Wanted to tell you how delightful our tour agent was. Adoram he went above an beyond as a tour guide. He made our trip very memorable. He was very knowledgeable about the areas we visited, and added special little touches to make our vacation even more special. I can't say enough about him.
Judy Z.Another outstanding trip - G1 trip number 51 for me! I am English born, but took this, my second UK trip with G1, as there is so much that I haven't seen and Southern England fit the bill admirably with many castles, historic homes and sights with great tradition and history. The tour was beautifully paced, and after many trips where you are constantly on the go, this one allowed for a really nice amount of time in every stop, guided visits and free time for shopping, a leisurely drink or lunch, which is not always the case and is a bonus! Hotels were well located and very nice, included meals were also quite good, I counted five included dinners and the fish and chips dinner in Brighton and the farewell dinner in London were especially delicious. Our tour was led by Mark, who was an exceptional tour manager and person. He had a great manner about him, was knowledgeable, supremely organized, funny, very clear and kept everyone happy. Our driver Glynn was excellent, safe and personable and we were in great hands. I saw and learned so much, experienced many new sights and loved it all - every day brought something interesting and fun. For anyone who is looking for a very well paced tour, with a nice mix of sights and free time, look no further than this one, it ticks all the boxes! Thank you as always!
Lorraine P.Super. Our guide arranged events flawlessly; our stops were historic; Scots we met were very pleasant and so polite. Went to the Edinburg Castle military tattoo: best show we have ever seen. Overall a + 10.
Robert F.Trip was amazing. We needed more time to see everything in London, so I guess we have to go back! We are already thinking about where to go next and Gate 1 will be our first option for planning the next trip (but not till 2024 some time).
Erin S.Enjoyed our trip to Scotland. Mike is an excellent tour guide. He was very helpful and informative. His sincerity came through when he arranged excursions not listed. For the purpose of bringing highlights to the tour. He will be fondly remembered. Also the bus driver John, his ability to handle the bus was reassuring while on the narrow roads. John is friendly and welcoming
Gloria P.Jackie was our tour manager, and we just want to let you know how fantastic she was! She made our first Gate 1 trip, a trip to remember! Jackie was so fun, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout our entire 16-day trip. Our driver through Hannon, Robbie, was just as fun, knowledgeable, and helpful. These two people are great representatives and treasures of Gate 1 Travel.
Mary F.Our tour manager, David was very passionate about what he was doing and so knowledgeable. I've learned so much from him on the history on so many things. He was the best tour manager so far!
Marianne B.My partner and I just returned from our 10 day tour of Scotland with you and there are not enough positive superlatives to express our appreciation. Everything, everything was wonderful. Debbie, our tour manager, was phenomenal, from her great personality to her knowledge of the history of Scotland, its topography, flora, fauna, etc., etc. And what energy! Marcin, our driver, was also phenomenal. He also has a great personality, and we felt safe with him. And Scotland definitely has some narrow roads that he had to negotiate. Everything was so well planned and executed. The hotels were all clean and comfortable. The food was good. We even tried a little haggis! Not my thing, but we tried it. We definitely saw a lot of Scotland, and what a beautiful country with such friendly people. This was our third tour with Gate1, the others being Croatia/Slovenia and Sicily, which were also wonderful by the way, and we will definitely be back if our ages allow. Thanks again!
William H.My wife and I just finished our 8 day trip to England and Scotland to celebrate our 25th anniversary. I can't say enough good things about our guide Elaine, our driver Alan and the various guides we utilized throughout the tour. The hotels were excellent and the itinerary was well-developed to allow for individual exploration when you wanted it. We enjoyed the dinners and appreciated the random samples of items on the coach that were unique to the area we were visiting. Alan's driving, especially in the small roads of the English countryside, was perfect and Elaine's stories broke up the time nicely in long journeys towards our destination. We really enjoyed our first experience with Gate 1 and will be back again!
Keith L.I wanted to make sure that you know what a great team Jon & Jim made. They were what made the trip so wonderful. As they had not worked together as a team before, they were wonderful together. Both were friendly, courteous, and engaging. They had a lot of energy to make sure we were always aware of times to meet, where to be, handling of our luggage, getting our room keys, etc. It was enjoyable to have them as our guide and driver, kuddos to your staff for putting them together as a team, as it made the trip even better than it was.
William L.We recently returned from our 14 Day England, Scotland and Ireland tour completing our 14th trip with Gate 1 Travel! Like the other trips, this one was a good value and provided us a comprehensive visit to the UK. Our tour guide, David did a fine job of keeping our group on schedule and well-informed about what to expect at each step along the way. He was knowledgeable and shared a lot of historical anecdotes with a bit of humor keeping the group interested and engaged. Our coach driver Joe was proficient and flexible- altering planned routes when needed at the direction of local guides. Each of the local guides were knowledgeable and articulate in showing us around their respective cities. Our hotels were conveniently located- especially the Tower Hotel in London on the River Thames at the foot of the Tower Bridge and adjacent to The Tower of London. We found the Glen Keen Sheep Farm peat harvesting and sheep dog demonstrations quite interesting along with tea, scones and Irish music following. We'll long remember our final night at Taylor's Three Rock with a fine dinner and lots of Irish music and dancing. We look forward to our next adventure with Gate 1 Travel.
Stanley B.My first time traveling with gate keepers, it was seamless. This will be my travel company of choice from now on!!!
Christine D.We had the best time ever. Our tour guide, Dave and bus driver, Alen were so jolly and accommodating. We had a group of 41 and I can truly say we traveled with the nicest folks. Everyone was so cordial. The hotels were better than expected in most cases and the staff at the hotels were very helpful. Dave and Alen kept us all happy and helped us find good places to eat and see on our free time. I believe we have made some friends for life on this trip. We are looking forward to booking another vacation with Gate 1 soon.
Barbara W.This was our first Gate1 tour and first group travel experience and Patrick, our Tour Director, and Gerard, our coach driver, made our 16 Day Scotland and Ireland trip a wonderful experience! Patrick was at the hotel to greet us when we arrived in Edinburgh the first morning and made sure our jet lagged selves got our luggage stowed and gave us all the info we needed to get off to a good start. He was always so well organized and clear in his communications to the group. He even was in the lobby at 5:30am on our last day in Dublin, ensuring we got on our airport transfer. What we loved best about Patrick was all the knowledge and history he shared with us, sprinkling in humor and music, to help make what we were seeing even more meaningful. We wish we would have recorded his 'rams in a Mini Cooper' story as it still makes us laugh to think of it. It was relaxing to not worry about confirming hotels, tickets to attractions, transportation, etc., because Patrick was on top of it all. The schedule of stops was planned so well to try avoid crowded times at popular sites. Patrick also had great suggestions -- and maps -- for free time, which we appreciated. We applauded our driver, Gerard, many times on the trip as he maneuvered narrow roads, tight turns, and impossible parking spots and want to give a shout out to him here. He was always smiling - with a twinkle in his eye, got to know everyone, always ready to assist with luggage or on the steps. The bus was always spotless and we always knew we would arrive safely at our next destination. Patrick and Gerard were a great team and a favorite memory is driving back from our farewell dinner in Dublin when Patrick started singing "Molly Malone" and Gerard stepped in to lead us in all the words and the whole group sang along. The entire trip -- Patrick and Gerard, the local city guides, the nice hotels, the sites visited -- was well done and we felt a good value. We will definitely consider Gate1 again!
Bradley P.I just returned from our 8 day London/Paris trip, and as always, was very delighted !. The Gate 1 tour guides have all been exceptional, and Simeon was absolutely wonderful! Our group dinner the first night in Paris was THE BEST one so far!( THIS WAS MY FOURTH TRIP WITH GATE1) The food, local entertainment, and staff were all THE BEST and was the perfect evening to begin our trip. Our hotel in Paris was nice, but the one in LONDON was FIRST RATE ALL THE WAY!!! i ABSOLUTELY LOVE GATE 1 AND HAVE SUNG THE PRAISES OF YOUR COMPANY TO ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! I look forward to many more trips with Gate 1.
Gloria P.I completed my 10 day trip to England and Scotland, and must give a shout-out to our guide Christina. Christina was AMAZING. She was full of spirit, smiling all the time, enormous energy, and one of the best guides I've ever had. Christina was knowledgeable and made her job seem so easy, and I know it was not, and a very busy trip, but she smiled the whole way through. I thank her for making it memorable with interesting facts, along with the local guides who were excellent also. Thank you to Christina and Gate 1 for the memories.
Christine I.This was my very first Gate 1 travel experience, and I could not be more impressed. Elaine (leader), and Allan (driver), made this trip as unique and enjoyable as the sights. Elaine is a total joy to listen to, she knows her history. Just when a drive is getting a little long, Elaine knows exactly when to interject a little history and humor to pick things up. Allan- I cannot say enough about how professional, personable and actually funny he is. I never once questioned my safety with him behind the wheel. My wife noticed that every morning, the windows inside and out were cleaned, coach interior was cleaned, waters were filled and he was ready to go. The banter between Elaine and Allan made for a really fun and educational trip. I will gladly book with Gate 1 again. You made our vacation special.
Paul P.This was our first Gate 1 trip. My husband and I brought our 25 & 26 year old sons on the Classic England and Scotland tour. It was fantastic! Gate 1 didn't miss one highlight in London, Bath, Stratford Upon Avon, Liverpool or Edinburgh. Tea and scones at the sheep farm in the country were really wonderful. ALL of the dinners were delicious. Dave our driver discovered a tire puncture during a safety check and Elaine our tour manager went above and beyond to make the group comfortable and well fed while the tire was replaced. Because of the delay we were to miss sightseeing in Liverpool (which was the only reason our boys came along). Elaine arranged for the tour the next morning. Our boys are professional musicians in the States and Elaine pulled a lot of strings and arranged for them to perform on stage at the Cavern Club in Liverpool!! It was a night for all to remember!! Thank you Elaine! We will be traveling with Gate 1 again!
Denise C.We had the BEST time visiting England and Scotland!! Our Tour guide was Christina and she was wonderful!! Highly recommend her to anyone!! This was our 3rd time traveling with Gate 1 and we will have many more in the future!! Thank you for always making our vacation trips so wonderful!
Renee M.I wanted to give more feedback about our outstanding guide manager Lenny and our driver Kevin! Lenny went above and beyond to give us an amazing vacation and experience in Scotland and Ireland! His knowledge of history and personal stories about the lands and history added so much to our trip. I would recommend anyone I know to book with trip with Lenny as their guide! Also, Kevin was an incredible driver! He was funny, kind and kept us all so safe in the motor coach. Those roads are so narrow and Kevin navigated it all so well. Having Kevin as our driver definitely added to our trip. Without these two guiding us I doubt our trip would've been as memorable. Thank you Lenny and Kevin!
Erin C.We want to add comments to our survey about our wonderful Guide, Patrick. He was an outstanding tour guide--friendly, knowledgeable, and insightful. He was able to provide wonderful commentary, while knowing when the group just needed some quiet time. This was a long trip with many moving parts and connections. He made all of these details work flawlessly with absolutely no drama. Patrick's stories, history lessons, sheep facts and music really made this trip for us. Mark celebrated his birthday on this trip and Patrick made sure it was special, along with a bagpipe rendition of Happy Birthday! We also want to compliment our driver Robbie--he was an amazing driver on those winding Scottish and Irish roads! He was a fantastic addition to the tour! Thanks for making this trip for us!
Mark L.Our tour guide, Colm was just the best. He went over and above to make sure every person had the best experience possible. He truly cared for each of us. He not only knew all about the places we visited, he knew how to add information to our ride on the couch each day. He went out of his way to help my friend so she could enjoy the tour as much as she was able. His support made this trip a wonderful one for both of us. The bus driver, Gerard was courteous and very helpful getting us in and out of the coach. He was always there to give a hand up. This was our first Gate 1 tour. It was over the top fabulous because of these two men who truly cared about making the tour the best possible. Thanks to all. I tell all my friends how wonderful the tour, our guide Colm, and our driver Gerard were.
Susan T.We just returned from the 8 day London/Scotland tour and it was a fantastic! Elaine, our tour guide was exceptional and made the tour fun, exciting and we all learned so much. Elaine's knowledge of both England and Edinburgh made each of the tour spots come alive. The hotel accommodations were perfect and located in convenient locations to restaurants and shops. We were so sorry to see the tour come to end and we can't wait to go on our next trip with Gate1 Travel. Thank you for providing exceptional tours and tour guides like Elaine.
Wendy Y.Our trip to Scotland was great. It's a beautiful country and Gate 1 did a great job of showing us the highlights. Our tour leader, David, was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor, and our bus driver, Paul, did a wonderful job especially in some tricky places. If only you guys could control the weather, you'd be beyond perfect.
Mary C.We loved it! We had Phil, an excellent tour guide in England and Scotland, and Ally also was an excellent tour guide in Ireland. We saw so much and enjoyed our learning and the beautiful countries!
Donna Q.It was Awesome! We had a great group of 33 people. Gerard was the best, safest, friendly and jolly driver we could have asked for. Lenny, our tour guide Is who really made this trip awesome. His history knowledge exceeded my expectations. His inclusion of every single person on the bus was top notch. I appreciated how he went above and beyond at every stop, The fact he was willing to walk around with us and showed us each city and the best pubs made it totally fun, even while being caught in a torrential rainstorm. As he stated, it was like being a little family, we truly were a family!!
Amber N.It was the most amazing experience we've ever had although this was my 3rd trip to Europe but this time, with my husband. Thank you Gate 1 Travel for the wonderful accommodation. Adoram was our Tour Director from Paris to London and he did a wonderful job. Kudos to him! I even left my sunglasses in the tour bus , the driver's name is Ashian, while on tour to Stonehenge. My husband told Adoram and the next day I got it back. We found out Ashian came back just to dropped it off to Adoram in the hotel. Thank you so much to Ashian! We were 3 couples that went together on this trip as well.
Loida S.Our trip was great. Of course, it was an unusual time in Edinburgh. My husband and I were there from Sunday night prior to the tour, meeting friends from England on that Monday, spending time with them, and then joining the Gate 1 tour. As it happened, we were fortunate to view the Queen's procession on the Royal Mile from a vantage point of one story up, at the window of an Indian restaurant, thanks to a young woman we met that morning. Two of my many pictures are attached, where you will see the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as well as her children, Andrew, Princess Anne and King Charles. It was quite an experience. As far as the Gate 1 tour went, we had the most amazing Tour Manager, Matthew. He was quite engaging, interesting, helpful, and truly one of the best we've had, and this was my 16th trip and my husband's 14th. I did Alpine Christmas markets with a girlfriend, and Spain with a granddaughter. Matthew arranged for us to view the Westminster Abbey service of the Queen's funeral and arranged for lunch. He had arranged for lunch in another spot as well, both as surprises for us, knowing it would have been very difficult for us to manage on our own. When several of our stops were closed due to circumstances, he juggled the schedule and kept us busy. A highlight was a visit to a sheep farm for a demonstration of the border collies at work. We especially enjoyed feeding the 4-month old hairy coo and kisses from a 4-week old puppy. Matthew is definitely an asset to Gate 1.
Ann G.We had a wonderful trip, 16 day Scotland & Ireland! This was our 10th Gate 1 trip and our tour manager Patrick was the best tour guide. He is very knowlegeable, shared history & people with a great sense of humor. And he handed out all informations we needed at each destination. Also he shared music pertaining to where we were. Patrick showed up the last day to make sure everyone get the transportation to the airport safely. Our driver Gerard was exceptional, greeted each of us with a warm smile everyday and always at the door to assist whoever needed help. Looking forward to our next Gate 1 trip!
Jae L.It was FANTASTIC!!!! The tour guide, Alasdair was EXCELLENT and the driver, Marchin was SUPERB!!! They were a PERFECT TEAM!!! Made everyone feel taken care of and safe.
Samuel E.I just wanted to take a minute an express my absolute delight with my trip and the Gate 1 travel experience! Definitely met and exceed all my expectations. This was my first trip abroad and will certainly not be my last. I also wanted to recognize our trip manager "Debbie" for her excellent management of the entire trip and all the little "extras" she added to take the experience to the next level. She is wonderfully knowledgeable with a great sense of humor which made the coach rides so fun and something to look forward to. Our driver "Dan" was a jewel as well! Best vacation ever! Thanks!
Kendra B.We had a great trip! Once again, Gate 1 provided an excellent experience. Christiana was truly an EXCEPTIONAL guide. No really, really exceptional. She was knowledgeable, providing the perfect details on both history and the people. Christina's attention to detail, insight, friendliness, and provision of wonderful side excursions solidified our belief that Gate 1 is the right company for us. She is one to keep on board! Our driver, Alan was very good. He gave us confidence that we were in good hands, kept the bus clean as a whistle, and had a good personality. I loved all the walking about. We got to see much more than we would have otherwise. Our free time was really good. A thank you to Christina for her professionalism, knowledge, humor, delightful personality, and dedication to providing a great experience.
Janeal J.Our tour guide, Patrick was knowledgeable & passionate about Scotland and Ireland. He was very quick to answer questions and convey much local history. Patrick is truly fantastic and was very caring for all guests. Also, the bus driver, Jim, was as good as they come. Would travel with him anywhere!! Great trip and would recommend to anyone.
Daniel P.Jamie K, tour manager, was the best tour guide during our whole 14 day trip. She constantly went above and beyond and I truly felt cared for. She'd bring little local snacks for us to try, read us a children's book to demonstrate Scots, sang Irish jingles to us and taught us so much about the local culture. I felt like she loved her job and could feel her passion for the local history. She even booked us a local guide in York, Sarah, that isn't normally included in the tour. Sarah brought that little city to life and was so bubbly. I wish all the best for Jaime and will think of her often! I know being on the road during touring season must get tiring but you'd never know it with Jaime. I felt so lucky to have her as our tour manager! Joe, our driver, kept the bus so clean and always had cold waters in hand for us. He never let us cross a street without him as our crossing guard and had a great rapport with Jaime. It was like we had a comedy team at the front of the bus! Also, his driving was spectacular and he got the bus our of some tight parking spots while making it look easy. Thank you, Gate 1, for booking these two and retaining them as employees. They brought the tour to life and they deserve all the recognition.
Sarah S.