Gate 1 Travel

Gate 1 Danube cruise - on Coaches because of Floods – Having traveled on a gate1 river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam in 2017 and having had a great and enjoyable journey we decided to again to go with Gate 1 on a cruise on Monarch Queen from Budapest to Regensburg. This was to occur in September 2024. We boarded the Monarch Queen, found our cabin, moved our gear into drawers, etc and proceeded to… Read more

the lounge to begin meeting our fellow travelers. We were somewhat dismayed when it was told to us that due to flooding it was possible that we would have to leave the boat and travel on coaches for the remainder of our journey. So we spent the night on the boat in Budapest. The service, food and entertainment on the boat were all of a high standard. The next day we were informed that the river had been closed and we had 2 options, we could continue by coach or option 2 was to take a credit for the cruise to use at a later date. There were to be no refunds available. Of the 150+ passengers approximately 60 took the credit and were to return to their homes while the remainder were to go forward by coach. We were on the Monarch Queen for a second night then boarded the coaches to continue the tour. The tour director and other staff were all excellent during the trip, as were the the local tour guides provided. We have no complaint about being put on the coaches for the trip although of course we were greatly disappointed that our expected luxury and leisurely cruise down the Danube had turned into a lot of road travel and living out of luggage. The hotels we stayed at were reasonable. For all but one days lunch we were each give 20 Euros which was fine. The big disappointment was the poor quality of the dinner and lunch meals provided to us. I think that Gate 1 cut corners and costs in this regard. Although we had an enjoyable trip with Gate 1 on the Rhine in 2017, I think that our 2024 trip will most likely put us off river cruising for the future.

10 day Central Thailand & River Kwai &Pattaya , Amazing holiday – Our tour manager ,KAEW was the best she went out of her way to make our tour the best experience, our driver PIRAYUT and our bus boy JUMP did the same. Everything was included and our tour leader brought local products for us to try so we got a local experience. This is a tour with doing very emotional at times. Show details

Perfecto – Cheaper then its competives staff are client focused, tours well organized, evening entertainment was far better then other river cruises we have been on. Gate 1 ticks all the boxes Show details

Great service – We booked a European tour with Gate 1 Travel for Dec 2020 departure. The tour was cancelled in July 2020 due to the Pandemic. We were given option of either full refund or voucher, we chose the refund option. After submitted a refund request online, we called Gate1 for a follow up, and the refund was dealt with promptly. Their staff answered our… Read more

call within a couple of rings, she was helpful and pleasant to deal with. We'll have no hesitation to choose Gate 1 Travel again.

This Company Will Never Return or Refund Your Money - DO NOT PURCHASE FROM THEM – This Company Will Never Return or Refund Your Money - DO NOT PURCHASE FROM THEM Be very careful when booking through Gate 1 Travel. They are quick to take the full balance of funds yet if anything requires cancelling (Covid19), it is near impossible to get your money back. We had a fully paid trip to Europe and as per their terms and conditions… Read more

requested a refund - 75% to be returned and 25% as a cancellation fee which we agreed to. After 3 months of correspondence where they kept promising to repay this we are now told that they do not even have our money and they are unsure as to where this is. Upon questioning them regarding invoices that have been issued and numerous emails that have been sent - they are now not responding to any requests for refunds. Be very careful as we will now have to go down the path of trying to get our funds back through the authoritative channels as their behaviour is unprofessional and borders on theft.

Another Covid-19 Victim – Our experience with Gate 1 is a little different. We actually won a 7 day European River Cruise. All booked up, paid extra $1700 for better cabin than supplied by prize and change flights from British Airway to Emirates. Excited about holiday researched things to do while in Budapest and Munich. Then Covid-19 hit. Originally they said holiday… Read more

could be held over as future booking. Then I was told that all I had with them was a $1700 credit - no cruise. I managed to get the extra money I had paid back from them in full but they are refusing to honour their commitment for the prize.

Cancellation Due to Convid - REFUND – Australia, Sydney We were booked for 12th March 20 (fully paid on 09 Jan 19, a year worth of interest) for our upcoming tour to Italy/15 days Croatia with Gate1 Travel. In light of the coronavirus, we were notified due to the increase of the virus cases in Italy, the United States announced a Level 4 Travel Advisory Do Not Travel for Italy on 1… Read more

Mar 20. Therefore, with immediate effect, all departures to Italy until March 15 including tours that fly into and out of Italy has been cancelled. We were advised, our reservation is fully refundable and refunds will be processed automatically. This process may take up to 15 business days. It was extended to 21 days. Now it might be extended FOREVER?? It has since been almost a month with lots of ONE way emails only without any success. This is very stressful and most disappointing having to chase for our refund, now daily. Gate1 Travel does not respond, nor does it takes any responsibility, or try to get your problem resolved. On this, I would strongly advise dealing with them for the near future, as they have terrible customer service, and once they have your money, they will try hard not to give it back to you.

great experience – We just finished our Gate 1, 16 day Budapest to Amsterdam river cruise with some friends. Very apprehensive initially as we were not into any form of cruising, but friends and reviews suggested we should try which we did when we saw how reasonable the prices were with Gate 1 compared to others for the same experience and package. We have only the… Read more

highest praise for Gate 1 Cruises's after our trip in October/November. Every day was a new experience in a different town or city.The rooms were very comfortable, always maintained by room staff who could not do enough for you. The food was excellent with so much variety and choices. The planning and organisation of daily events and nightly entertainment was as much as anyone could expect or want. With only about 130 people on board it was very comfortable with plenty of room and provide an opportunity to meet some wonderful people who are now friends. But the most important aspect of the trip was how all the amazing staff went out their way to make sure you were happy, highly recommended!

River boat cruise Budapest to Prague – Boat broke down first day. Took three days to confirm boat could not be fixed. Alternative bus trip was poorly organised with substandard accomodation. Offered very poor compensation. When things go wrong don't expect much from this company. Show details

Croatia and Slovenia – A very enjoyable great value tour starting in Dubrovnik and finishing in Venice. Mostly people from US and Canada on this small group Discovery Tour. Our tour guide was lovely and looked after us all very well - she was a local from near Dubrovnik and had a British accent - very easy to understand and provided us with much history and educational… Read more

info, as well as some harrowing personal anecdotes from the late 1980's. Very comfortable bus with an expert driver. Great hotels, except for Opatia, which I believe Gate1 are going to change. The optional side trips to Montenegro and Pula/Rovinje were worth doing. Just the right amount of free time and diy meals throughout the tour. A lot of customers do many repeat tours with Gate1. I can see why.

Loved it all – Booked two back to back Gate 1 trips based on price, destinations and reviews and have just returned. Was not disappointed at all. Everything was wonderful and excellent value. Most impressive was that I talked my sister and brother in law in to taking the tours with us. They have travelled extensively and only ever independently. They were… Read more

nervous about taking these tours. Well they were extremely delighted with everything and have now realised they couldn't possibly organise such wonderful accommodations, transfers, bus, sightseeing and quality of information provided by competent guides, on their own, and there is adquate free time allocated. The value is amazing. No other Aussies on the tours, but hopefully the word will spread - anyhow its part of the learning experience finding out about other nationalities and making new friends.

Will Definitely Use Gate1 Travel Again – Wife and I have just returned from a 17 night bus and river cruise from Warsaw to Prague. This was our first Gate1 Travel experience but certainly will not be our last. Hotels were all 4-5 stars and included Sofitels, Mercures, InterContinentals and the famous Hotel Imperial in Prague. The river boat is modern, extremely well maintained and our… Read more

cabin spotless and reasonably roomy with a great shower. Busses used were modern, quiet and luxurious. Organisation and supply of information was of exceptionally high standard. A good mixture of included and optional tours and free time to discover on our own. Onboard the ship meals are at set times with wine included at dinner only. All other drinks and at any other time you pay for. If you are looking for food and booze 24 hours per day then Gate1 Travel is not for you. The dinner menu and food quality I believe lets Gate1 down slightly, hence the reason for me giving my review four stars instead of five. Nothing wrong with the food I just think the menu could of been better. Others onboard thought the menu was great. In saying that it would not stop me from taking another river cruise with them. The price of this trip was considerably less that the big river cruise companies who continually advertise on Australian television but I doubt we got less value with Gate1 Travel other than booze 24/7. If you are not a big drinker why pay a higher cruise fare so others can booze themselves stupid. I certainly recommend Gate1 Travel and looking forward to planning our next trip with them.

Very efficient – I booked a trip with these people originally for a single person travelling through Russia along the Volga and then by land to Budapest. I then changed the booking to include my partner and then we changed the cruise booking to a suite rather than a cabin. The whole process was done without one single hassle from Gate 1. The whole trip was… Read more

fantastic, with no hassles along the way. Accommodation in all stops was terrific, nothing fancy but neither was it over the top. We would recommend Gate 1 and we will indeed be using them in the future for other European cruises.

Luck of attention – Memorable tour to Japan which deserves 5 stars,but luck of attention by travel agency left us wait in the hotel for 5 hours before we could check in !! Very much hope that gate 1 ,who organized our trip will do a better job next time and let hotel know on our early arrival so we can check in earlier or organize later flights. Show details

Certainly value for money! – My husband and I used them for15-Day Classic Spain & Portugal tour in June last and also for a river cruise on the Rhine in July. The only negative on the Spain/Portugal tour was the last hotel in Barcelona, Abba Sants Hotel, which was rated as a 4 star hotel but would barely rate 3 stars in the opinion of ourselves and others on the tour. It… Read more

would also have been better if the tour had included going inside La Sagrada Familia instead of just viewing from outside. Everything else was well organised by our wonderful Tour Director, Peter. On the excellent Rhine cruise on the "Monarch Queen" we enjoyed it so much that we have already booked a Christmas Markets cruise on the Danube for this year with Gate One. It was very relaxing and the food was "to die for" and far exceeded our expectations. The crew could not do enough for everyone and our guide was efficient and well organised. Our French Balcony cabin was very comfortable also. This company is fantastic value for money compared to other river cruise companies.

Terrible and expensive Australia tour – First and last Gate One tour! let me count the ways: Expensive and many meals cost extra that weren’t included. Some hotels were excellent and others were terrible, both accommodations and meals. Lots of extra costs for tours not included. Too much wasted time spent flying and in bus, not enough included sightseeing. Expected free water… Read more

daily that we didn’t get and had to buy on our own.

Needing to fly back to Auckland to get on plane from Auckland to LAX.

Very disappointing and expensive trip with Gate One. Very disappointing and expensive.

Could have included more since price was high to begin with.

Have been on other tours with other companies that included more and were better value.

This trip was disappointing and felt mickle and dimed by all the extra expenses and quality for the cost.

Great value for money – We have just returned from a 13 day trip to China and It was my second experience with Gate 1 Travel. The booking process was simple and quick, and the staff I spoke to in Melbourne were more than happy to answer questions and offer advice and service. The tour guide(s) in China were very friendly, well informed and very attentive to all our… Read more

needs. The sites we visited were completely as advertised by Gate 1, and the accommodation and transport were not to be faulted. I will gladly recommend Gate 1 to friends and family. I will also be checking for other holidays with Gate 1 Travel, Australia.

EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY – We recently did an Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise with Gate 1 Travel. Couldn't fault it! All staff went out of their way to be helpful. The cruise director was outstanding!! And, the price was the cheapest I've seen for a cruise such as we did. The cabins were lovely and very comfortable. All meals were included and unlimited… Read more

beer/wine/soft drink with dinner.

Most of the excursions were included, with some optional ones also available.

I booked online and had no trouble with documents (emailed to me) or anything else.

I would most definitely use Gate 1 Travel again!!

Stumbled on to the best travel tour agency by chance – Gate1travel have given us a truly wonderful holiday experience in Spain and Portugal, efficient and deliver everything they say they will... And more. The tour manager, Carmen Martin was a true treasure who looked after us from start to finish and made sure we gained the full pleasure of a well run and well planned tour. If you want a wonderful… Read more

travel experience, then don't hesitate trying Gate 1, I think they are new to Australia, but have been running tours for many years and their experience is very evident. We stumbled on to them via a banner ad and so glad we did, have used a well known Australian company previously with disastrous effect and had almost decided to stay away from organised tour operators, but would happily use Gate1 travel again and again. Worth taking a look at their tour offers and if you see something you like, try them, they're are just great.

Really good service – Just returned from a 21 day safari holiday to Kenya and Tanzania with Gate 1 Travel. I was very happy with the service received from Gate1 when booking and prior to leaving. Received lots of emails reminding me what to do and a 26 page printout of what to expect whilst travelling. Drivers on our safari were fantastic. We had different drivers in… Read more

both countries and they were all wonderful. All had a great sense of humor and spoke excellent English. Even taught us some Swahili. Vehicles were always clean and very comfortable. Accommodation was great. Stayed in some tented resorts and they were so comfortable. also stayed in luxury resorts. We had a 10 hour layover in Nairobi waiting for our flight to Tanzania so we were put up at Crown Plaza in a day room to rest and refresh. Overall a great experience. I would definitely travel with Gate1 again.

Very Good Travel Agent – We have booked travel with this company four times and plan to use them again. We have also met other travellers who have used this company 20+ times. Their pricing of various trips is great value and are very well organised. The guides are great and we have always felt safe and well looked after on our trips. So far that has been… Read more

Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand, Mexico, Russia and very soon Sri Lanka.

The accommodation has always been of high quality and usually all or most meals are included. The tour busses are great and usually include a toilet and sometimes WiFi too.

I have no affiliation with the company except as a returning customer and I strongly recommend viewing their website. They also have a YouTube Channel which has videos of many, but not all, of their destinations.

Australian customers have tipping and gratuities built into the price, so no worries about tipping. They also have weekly specials and you also get an extra 5% discount when you pay the fare by direct bank transfer.

As an example we did a 13 day river cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in Sept 17 which included all meals, a beverage with lunch and dinner (beer, wine or soft drink) and return flights from Brisbane - Russia with Emirates for approx $3800 per person. The only out of pocket expenses were some excursions and personal purchases e.g. beer/wine from the ships lounge and souvenirs. Probably the best holiday we have had so far.

I strongly recommend you check them out!!