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Custom trip to Barcelona, Paris & Germany

We had great weather except that it was really hot in Spain and Germany. In Barcelona we enjoyed walking in the Las Ramblas area and La Sagrada Familia was incredible!

The weather was cooler in Paris but still good. We walked to Notre Dame and then took a cab to the Eiffel Tower. We took the boat cruise a little before sunset and the sights were amazing!

It was a little confusing using the train to get to Disneyland but we made it. It is so beautiful there! The park was similar to Magic Kingdom so we were able to find most things easily. The new Space Mountain ride was so much more intense! Chez Remy was a really neat place to eat, even though it was expensive.

In Germany we spent the first 4 days visiting with Mom's friend. She showed us where they lived and where Mom and Pop met. We also met another friend of theirs and she told us about getting to interview Elvis when he was stationed there!

The last 4 days we explored castles around Germany with other friends.

It was a once in a lifetime trip!! Thank you Maureen Halsey and www.MemorableTravels.com for all your help planning this wonderful trip for our family!

Kay, Robert & Carol
Junction City, KY

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Gate 1, "11 Day Classic Greece with 3 Day Iconic Aegean Cruise Escorted Tour"
Honeymoon!

Our trip to Italy was wonderful thanks to Gate 1. We saw so much in such a short period of time and had access to places that we wouldn't have otherwise. Then there were tours that we would probably still be waiting in line for if we hadn't been with the group. Being with Gate 1 allowed us to bypass the long lines of people who had been waiting for hours and go right on in. This was specifically helpful at the Vatican, Michelangelo's David, the churches we toured, etc.

It is very hard to pick our favorite parts of the tour, but some things that stand out were a gondola ride with music, lunch at a Tuscan farm restaurant and winery with wine tasting, the Pantheon, exploring the cities at night after the crowds died down and the city was aglow, the medieval city of Assisi, the Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, (seeing this in person is so unreal I actually started jumping up-and-down when I spotted it from the rooftop of the Altare della Patria, a building dedicated to the king of Italy). It is amazing to see things in person that you've seen in television and pictures your entire life. They just don't do these places justice. There were times where I would become overwhelmed with emotion at the beauty of the things I was seeing and the amazement that things of this magnitude could be built or painted by hand and survive this long. These marvels were actually spared the bombings of World War II because of their beauty.

We also loved the group dinners that we had with everyone all together. We enjoyed the meals that the tour provided the most- trying to order on our own we still got excellent food but the provided meals were course after course of perfectly paired offerings and wines.  We will go back to Italy just to eat!

We thoroughly enjoyed all of the history that was given to us by our very knowledgeable guides. Our tour guide Antonella was very fun and made sure that we always had something to do or see whether it was scheduled or during our free time and we were looking for something extra to do. She made sure to point out interesting things on our journeys from one city to another. At times I would look up and notice I was the only person on the bus who was still awake but I was too afraid to sleep – everything around me was beautiful and I didn't want to miss anything! The day guides who spoke to us about the Coliseum, the Vatican, Doges Palace and St. Peter's Square, etc. were all very knowledgeable and told us more about these places than I could remember. Luckily my husband is a history buff and retained a lot of the historical facts as I was quite busy taking photos the entire trip. Having an ear bud to hear facts & instructions made traveling in a group of 27 very easy to maneuver.

The hotels were all very nice but our favorite was in Venice. It reminded me of a place that royalty would stay because of the chandeliers from the Morona glass factory in every room and the fabric on the walls and very majestic linens and draperies. We were very sad to leave when the water taxi came to pick us up and drive us to the airport the last day. We woke up early and walked to the bridge across from our hotel to take some final pictures of Venice and the sunrise. It was a view and a trip we will never forget.

Thank you Maureen Halsey and www.MemorableTravels.com , we look forward to working with you again for many more fun adventures to come!

Katy and Caleb
(Ella Kate Photography)
Frankfort, KY

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Gate 1, "11 Day Classic Greece with 3 Day Iconic Aegean Cruise Escorted Tour"

This year we had the incredible opportunity to visit Greece!  Our trip started out in Athens, where we were able to visit the Acropolis, which included the Parthenon, and the Acropolis Museum. We had a wonderful tour guide, Martina, who gave us a wonderful experience. We went to the Parliament to see changing of the guards as well as visited the Theater of Dionysus.  Later that evening, we got on the tram and rode out to the coast and had a lovely evening on the beach, dining on grilled octopus!

We then jumped on board a cruise ship to spend 3 days cruising to the Greek Islands.  We made stops at Mykonos, Ephesus, Patmos, Crete, and Santorini.  Mykonos was absolutely beautiful!  The white washed houses and the windmills were gorgeous.  We took time to grab a table by the sea and watch the sunset and have a glass of wine.  It was so peaceful.

We took a land tour in Ephesus to see the ancient ruins.  It was truly awesome to see how well they were preserved.  Our guide was very informative and we really enjoyed it.  We were also given the opportunity to stop at a local Turkish carpet making shop.  We were able to see how they make silk and the carpets.  It was a very neat experience.  In Patmos, we visited the cave of St. John, which was where he wrote the book of Revelation.  We also had a wonderful dinner seaside where we dined on Souvlaki.

We then cruised to Crete where we took a leisurely stroll through the city, had a coffee, and saw the sights.  Our last cruise stop was Santorini.  This was probably my favorite!  The scenery was breathtaking and the sunset was beautiful.  I will definitely be making my way back for a future visit to there and Mykonos.

After disembarking the ship, we did a 4-day land tour.  We saw the Corinth Canal and then traveled on to Mycenae where we were able to see ancient ruins.  We then traveled to Olympia where we were able to see the first Olympic stadium and the temple of Zeus!  We saw where they light the flame for the Olympics.  We also visited the museum.  We then traveled to Delphi, visiting the local ruins there, consisting of Temple of Apollo, theater, and stadium.  We also saw temple of Athena.  We then traveled to Meteora, where we visited 2 monasteries.  They were both absolutely beautiful and we were able to learn a lot about the art of that time.

We really enjoyed the food on the trip.  It was wonderful.  We also had amazing Gate 1 tour guides who gave us a fabulous experience.  We would like to thank Maureen Halsey of MemorableTravels.com  for making this such a wonderful experience.  We are truly grateful!

Olivia and Cory
Pikeville, KY

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Norwegian Cruise Line 7-Day Western Mediterranean from Barcelona
Honeymoon!

Now that we are home and I have finally got some photos up, I just wanted to make sure I thanked everyone who helped ensure that this trip was a success! We had so much fun and it was worth the wait.

Thank you so much Maureen Halsey from MemorableTravels.com for all of your work, patience, and making sure that we made it home against all protests (literally!). You made sure that we had an amazing experience and we can't wait to book the next one!! You were SO amazing! Thank you again for all of your work.

Thank you,

Aimee and Kevin
Bowling Green, KY

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11 Day Athens and Mykonos with a 4 day Iconic Aegean Cruise
Honeymoon!

"Everything about our Greek honeymoon was absolutely fantastic! The scenery, history, food, people, ease of travel, I could go on and on. This honeymoon is something we will look back on for the rest of our lives in joy, and none of it would be possible without the hard work of Maureen! We never worried about a flight or ride; everything was scheduled perfectly through Maureen & Gate 1 and there was always a generous selection of entertainment and site seeing options. We recommend MemorableTravels.com to all, just as our friends recommended them to us!"

We look forward to working with you again! And, thanks for making our trip possible- it was truly wonderful!

Brooke and Aaron
Lexington, KY

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Sceptre Tours Ireland Family Package

Thank you for your all your help with our trip to Ireland-we could not have made the experience as enjoyable without your assistance. The hotels were well located for sightseeing and the O’Callaghan in Dublin was extremely nice with excellent service.

We had a wonderful time and were able to see a lot of interesting sights in the limited time of our trip. We visited lots of pubs and my husband never wants a potato ever again. Wherever we went the wait staff was able to provide food for the baby which is not easy with a 15 month old. We loved the west coast and if we ever go again, it will definitely be to the west and southwest, so you may be called on again.

Thank you so much Maureen and MemorableTravels.com!

Rhonda and David, Natasha, Morgan and Hudson
Versailles, KY

Elizabeth
Alexandria VA

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Italy Custom Private Tour Group
Rome, Positano, Tuscany, and Venice

Our recent trip to Italy was so fabulous. The majority of our group  (10) had never been to Italy and for all of them, it was the trip of a lifetime.

All of our flights were on time and fairly comfortable. We would probably book Premium Economy on all the long hauls next time just to get the extra room. The driver was waiting for us in Rome and Customs was a breeze.

Our hotel in Rome was in a great location however, we should have stayed in the hotel you recommended instead. The restaurant was under renovation but we were able to find several small  delicious osterias or bistros just a short walk away. It rained a lot but we just bought umbrellas and kept walking !

Our tour guide, GianLuigi and driver were waiting when we came down in the morning and we sailed past all the tourist lines at the Vatican and the Coliseum. GianLuigi had a great personality and was an excellent guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and educated on the history of all that was presented to us that day.

The morning we left our Rome hotel to meet the rest of our group at the airport, we were ready to walk a block in the rain to our small tour bus, but we were picked up at the door by a van  and transferred to the bus. We almost kissed the driver when we realized he was there for us !! It was this impressive attention to detail that made the trip so amazing.

When we arrived in Positano, we were charmed immediately by the Hotel Poseidon and its wonderful attentive staff. We were at once taken on a tour of the hotel and its amenities, including a very nice spa and pool. The property is classic, fabulous,  Italian and the views of the coast are spectacular. The concierge made us dinner reservations nightly and Le Terre (all the way up on the top of the hills) sent a driver for us. The food and atmosphere were great and the Maitre D', played the saxophone for us. Another memorable night.

When we returned to the hotel, we would have a drink at the small intimate bar or take it out to the pool where there happened top be a full moon. We also ate another great meal at Di Vincenzo, just a few doors from the hotel.

The following day, our guide Allessandro met us and we walked to the pier where we met Angelo and his immaculate boat. The ride across to Capri was beautiful and full of historical lessons by Allessandro. We took the chair lift to Anacapri and had lunch at the top just to soak in the gorgeous view for longer. On the way back we went to the Blue Grotto, which if you haven't seen you should. Our group was very impressed .

Next day, we toured Pompeii with Hector as our guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. I feel like I keep saying the same things about the guides and staff, but truly they were ALL wonderful. It was actually hard to believe! Once again, our friends were amazed at Pompeii, the history, stories and all the "rooms" we walked through.

It came time to transfer to Cortona and we were picked up by Gianni and Tomasso. The vans were comfortable and spotless and the drivers very personable and extremely knowledgeable of all the areas and small villages we drove through. They were very accommodating to our group with bathroom breaks, photo opps and great meal suggestions, detouring through small towns along the way. We spent much time in the vans with them,  they were delightful and very flexible with our schedule and itinerary.

Il Falconiere in Cortona was  unexpected elegance in the middle of a vineyard. It was like staying in the private villa of friends. The owners Sylvia and Riccardo greeted us on arrival and checked in with us several times a day. The web site does not do it justice. The property is exquisite and welcoming.

One of our favorite guides was Kate on our day tour of Florence. She was delightful and very smart. Once again, we had prepaid admission and vouchers and did not wait in line ever . Our group was quite impressed.

We went to several beautiful wineries in Montalcino, Montepulciano and Chianti, mostly recommended and reserved by Gianni. They were all well worth a visit and the ones we had lunch at were wonderful. The cooking class at a private home was so fun. The chef, Antonino and his wife Ruth were a pleasure and the property was beautiful. The food was too good to even try to describe.

Stella was a personable tour guide in Siena and covered a lot of ground and history in a short amount of time even with our disruptive group. Sometimes it was like herding hamsters. The bakery windows and shopping were sometimes too tempting.  But she was great.

Gianni dropped us off in Venice and the Hotel Palazzo Sant'Angelo was again fabulous. The staff was unbelievable. As soon, as we got to the room, the desk called and offered to make dinner reservations. The recommended restaurants were great and the staff could not have been nicer. The morning we left (at 4:30 am) they insisted on having breakfast ready for us even though we told them not to. Amazing service !   Ivano, our Venice guide was good also.

At the end of the trip, everyone kept repeating how amazed they were that every single driver, guide, hotel, hotel staff, admission procedure, meal,  flight, check in went without a glitch and that every single person we had contact with made our trip awesome !! Including you and Perillo. They are still telling anyone who will listen!

We cannot thank you enough !!

Grazie, Graie Mille,

Rhonda, Marc, Julie, David, Sue, Joseph, Heidi, Bill, Christine & Jim
Solon, OH
 

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Sceptre Tours Ireland Honeymoon Package

We loved our entire honeymoon trip to the beautiful country of Ireland!  The highlights for us were Glendalough, so quaint and lovely, and the towns of Kilkenny and Waterford, which were so picturesque.  We also loved our tour of the Waterford Crystal Factory, the gardens at Blarney Castle…so beautiful, and the town of Blarney. The Cliffs of Moher and Inis Oirr, one of the Aran Islands, were so extra special. Such dramatic landscapes!

While traveling throughout Ireland, we also found some great places to eat. Some we recommend are: the Hibernian Pub in Kilkenny, McDermot's in Doolin, and Dirty Nelly's in Bunratty.

We also really enjoyed the various B&B’s we stayed at all around Ireland. We thank you so much, Maureen, for all your help arranging our “perfect” honeymoon and highly recommend you and Memorable Travels for sure!! We will contact you when we are ready to travel again.

Ali and Kyle
Versailles, KY

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Irish & British Focus Escorted Tour
CIE

Maureen, I can't say enough about our recent trip to Ireland and England with the CIE tour. Arriving in Dublin, our first stay was in a little town south of Dublin called Dun Laoghaire, right on Dublin Bay in a lovely hotel (Royal Marine) built in the mid 1800's.  Here we met our tour director and the other 29 people that were on the tour. The people we were with and our guide were all so friendly and the service was terrific.

All our hotels were just lovely with large rooms and a nice view of each city. Food was just spectacular! The dinners at the hotels were all several courses. We had two banquets, one outside Dublin at Taylor's Three Rock, which included Irish dancing, singing and even Irish coffee!  The one in Wales at Cardiff Castle was really spectacular with Gaelic singing and dancing. I was even called up on stage to participate!

I also enjoyed the Skellig experience and learning about the monks that built Mt St Michael. We saw the cliffs of Moher, Roman Baths, many castles, lots of shopping and going to some pubs. There were NO hidden costs, everything CIE told us was included and really was and also all was done so well. The entrance into different places like the Book of Kells and Stonehenge all went smoothly, no hassle, no problem. We both just had a marvelous time.

Thanks again for making it so easy for us to enjoy ourselves. We'll do it again sometime.

Ann and Anne
Ft Wright, KY
 

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France Vacation, Custom Itinerary-- fall 2015 –Paris, Bordeaux, and Sarlat

Maureen with Memorable Travels arranged a wonderful 16 day trip for four of us to France this fall.  Maureen skillfully arranged things so all went very smoothly for everyone during the entire trip.  We stayed 4 days in Paris at a perfectly situated hotel in a lovely part of town near the Luxembourg Gardens --- the St. Germaine area. Walking in this area and throughout the city, visiting museums, galleries, and shops and stopping at sidewalk cafes for coffee or wine were perfect ways to spend the days and evenings.  Andrew and I took a spectacular 5 hour tour of Paris which Maureen had arranged:  2 hours on a small sightseeing bus, one hour sailing on the Seine, and, at the end, were whisked to the Eiffel Tower, where we hopped on an elevator ahead of the long lines of others waiting for admission, to our lunch on the 2nd floor, by a window overlooking the city.

After we left Paris we took a train to Bordeaux for three days, again staying at a centrally located hotel and spent one wonderful day with a small group touring wineries in the region and stopping for a delicious lunch at a small country inn.

Throughout the trip we had so much excellent food and saw so many things, ranging from the bustle and beauty of Paris, to things seen from our car during peaceful drives to small cities in and around the Dordogne area. Many of these small towns retained much of their medieval architecture, including remnants of the walls which had surrounded the cities in the past. In Sarlat, a town southeast of Bordeaux, we stayed for a week in a delightful and roomy house from which we travelled by car nearly every day to one or another of the lovely towns in the area, often driving on roads running alongside one of the province’s rivers, the Dordogne and others.  One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Font de Gaume caves, one of the last remaining prehistoric caves open to the public. The cave’s walls are decorated with prehistoric paintings, lovely images of animals created by ancient artists of the area. It takes some effort to participate in a tour—no prearranged booking and some long waits for small tours led by knowledgeable guides, but it was well worth it!

Also, all across the Dordogne region, the countryside, the views, the food and the people were all we could have wished. Sarlat, where we stayed, is a fairly small and ancient town -- picturesque and beautiful. The town had so many good restaurants (most a brief walk from our house) that we tried one or two each day and still had to leave others unexplored at the end of trip. Often at the end of a vacation I am very happy to be returning home however, at the end of this trip I so wished I could have stayed longer.

Maureen is so knowledgeable and so accommodating (and has amazing patience and flexibility, especially when dealing with a group of people with diverse interests and requests) that we will never again attempt to arrange a vacation without her help. We thank her for everything!

Ann, Lexington, KY, Andrew, Frankfort, KY, and
Mary and John, Louisville, KY

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Enchanting Italy Tour
Gate 1

Our amazing 10 day trip to Italy began in Venice, which was absolutely gorgeous.  It was nice to be in an area without vehicles, where you had to either walk or go by boat to get to various locations.  Just riding the boats from one location to the next was an experience.  We chose this tour, based on Maureen's recommendation, and we were able to meet our tour group and guide the first night during dinner.  Our guide was Mercedes Medici and she was absolutely FABULOUS.  While in Venice we took a boat ride to the island of Murano where we saw glass blowing demonstrations, which was very exciting.  We then toured St Mark’s Square where we saw the Golden Basilica of San Marco and the Doge’s Palace.  The architecture was absolutely gorgeous!  Our afternoon was spent on a Gondola ride on the Grand Canal with an Italian singer and accordion player.  We were told to “get lost in Venice,” so we did just that!  We spent the remainder of our time exploring the city and sampling the local cuisine, especially the gelato. 

After Venice, we traveled to Florence, but along the way we stopped in Tuscany and Pisa.  The Tuscan landscape is breathtaking!  We visited a Tuscan farm for what was one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever had, with wonderful wine as well.  We were able to see the vineyards and olive trees where they make their olive oil and grow grapes for their wines.  We then stopped in Pisa to see the famous Piazza del Miracoli with its Leaning Tower as well as the Baptistery, the Duomo, and the Monumental Cemetery.  All of the architecture was very beautiful, and it was nice to see the leaning tower that you had heard of all of your life.  We then made it to Florence where we were able to explore the city on our own for the evening.   We were able to find an amazing restaurant and dine on a traditional Florentine dish, Ribollita, which was delicious!  We spent the following day, which was my birthday, touring the city of Florence.  We visited the Accademia of Fine Arts, where Michelangelo’s David is housed.  We went to the magnificent Duomo and viewed the Baptistery’s renowned “Gates of Paradise.”  The tour continued with a walk through the open air museum at Signoria Square.  There was so much wonderful art and architecture to see!  We spent the afternoon on an optional tour at the Uffizi Gallery, and we greatly enjoyed it.  We were able to see very famous works of art and hear about the artists and what the paintings and sculptures signified.  The evening was spent having dinner at a Tuscan Villa which served the absolute best food and wine I have ever tasted in my life!  It was just delicious!  We had entertainment as well, which sang Happy Birthday to me which was very special!

We then departed Florence to travel to Assisi.  The landscape here was absolutely gorgeous!  I took tons of pictures but none of them do it justice!  We explored the city and went to the Basilica di San Francesco where the tomb of St. Francis is held.  Afterwards, we traveled to Rome.  We were able to visit the Vatican Museum and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, which were breathtaking!  We also went to St. Peter’s Basilica and were able to see Michelangelo’s Pieta, which was very compelling.  We spent the afternoon exploring the city with another couple on the tour group, going to various churches and other landmarks.  We went to the Pantheon, it was closed due to it being a holiday however, we were able to admire if from the outside.  We also saw the Trevi Fountain, which was being refurbished at the time, but we were still able to toss in our coin.  The following day we spent touring ancient Rome.  We began at the Roman Forum, then onto the triumphal Arch of Constantine.  We then went to the Colosseum...just awe-inspiring.  We toured the ruins of Rome, as well very interesting.  The evening was spent at a restaurant where we were entertained by Opera singers throughout the meal.

Our final day in Italy was spent traveling to Naples and Pompeii.  We were with another tour group this day because our original group was going to a different location.  We were able to see the city of Pompeii that was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in 79AD...remarkable.  The architecture they have been able to unearth is just unbelievable.

Our trip to Italy was absolutely perfect.  We didn’t see one drop of rain the entire time.  We had a wonderful group of people to tour with and our guide was the best.  It was easily seen that if you didn't travel with a group, there is so much you would miss out on.  Everything was laid out perfectly, so when we arrived at a location, we met with the local guide for the day while our original guide would get our tickets and anything else we need so we could get inside quickly.  All of the local guides were very knowledgeable and made the tours very interesting.  We would definitely travel with this tour company in the future!

The food in Italy was the best we have ever eaten.  We indulged in lots of pizza and pasta and finished each meal with either gelato or cannoli’s, which were amazing!  The dining experience itself was great.  You are never rushed at a restaurant because they consider you to be their guest-they never bring you your check unless you ask for it.  It was interesting to see that wine was cheaper than water, and they don’t believe in taking anything “to go.” 

We were always asked which city was our favorite and we could never answer that because they are all so different and known for various things.  Each city has aspects that you love about it so it’s very difficult to compare them!  If we are able to go back in the future, we would re-visit them all except Pisa , just because once you’ve seen the leaning tower, you are good to go!

A HUGE THANK YOU to our travel agent Maureen for setting us up on this wonderful trip!  Everything always goes so smoothly, and we definitely had the trip of a lifetime!

Olivia and Cory
Pikeville, KY

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Image Tours Heart of the British Isles

We had a great trip!  Starting with the built in extra time in the layovers
in Detroit - made things less pressing - to the tour guide, the bus, the
other people in the group, the weather, the hotels, the food, the
entertainment and, of course, the many sights we saw!

My outstanding memories in particular were Stone Henge - awesome! - Kissing the Blarney Stone and the step-on guide getting us down so that the Queen's Band marched and played right in front of us. (Had we been closer to the changing of the guard, we would have been back in the pack and not seen anything.) Each day we moved two seats back instead of the usual one. That way, as you know, we got to meet different people across from us quicker and it was more equitable.

Janney, the tour guide, was very knowledgeable, sensible and yet fun and
witty. Somehow "Does anyone know a limerick?" came up as we tooled along. No one else said anything so I reassembled my mind back to the fifth grade and told her I had one - had made it up for class. I wrote it on my iPad and handed it up. She read it to the group. So on the last day, I had written one about her - keep in mind, I am NOT a poet. Those were the only two I had ever written - and read it to the group.  We had fun.

I discovered, I'm not a long-term traveler. After a week, I missed my
husband and home (and dog) but took advantage of all that the trip had to offer and, obviously had a Trip of a Lifetime. And Anne and I traveled well
together!

Thanks for all of your help leading up to the trip!

Sue, Deland, FL & Anne, Lexington KY

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Tour of Ireland

We had a good trip to Ireland, a good tour guide and a great group to travel with.  I would recommend C.I.E., for the British Isles, they offer quite a nice trip.  CIE is using a driver/guide now and, although he was very good, we had 50 in our group, and we sometimes felt this was a lot for one person to have to keep up with.  There was also another coach with 45 people and a driver/guide doing the same trip we were doing, at the same time.  This was a very popular itinerary and I believe people know Ireland is a safe place to visit, which it is! 

One issue we had was that we would have liked to have had more daytime free time on our own. There were only two days when we had an afternoon to do as we liked.  I always research where we are going and pick out some things we would like to see if we have free time, so I am a little disappointed that we did not get to do all of them this time. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin was on my “bucket list,” and we did get to go there, bypassing Guinness and Jameson, since we had already been to Guinness and were going to Jameson for dinner and a show that night.  The brochure says “free time” but too often the free time turns out to be nights when you are on your own for dinner and then can do what you want. This is the way most group tours are, though.

All and all it was a good trip and we will let you know when we are ready to travel again.

Elsie and Leon
Frankfort, KY

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Greek Adventure
with 4 Day Aegean Cruise

Greece was AMAZING! Zack and I were really happy with Gate 1 and the level of care/direction we got while over there. We enjoyed a perfect balance of exploring and relaxing. It was a great honeymoon! Thanks so much for helping us!

Our honeymoon began with by seeing many historic ancient sites in Athens such as Panathenian Stadium, Presidential Residence, ruins of the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch, Acropolis and Acropolis Museum. We then boarded our ship and headed to the beautiful island of Mykonos, where we spent several days exploring one of the most picturesque areas of the Cyclades archipelago.

After a few days of touring, relaxing on the beach, and enjoying the night life in Mykonos, we embarked on an Aegean cruise where they first visited Kusadasi, Turkey to explore Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, and the House of the Virgin Mary. Then to Patmos before going on to Rhodes to experience its medieval Old Town, preserved in and around the walls of a Venetian castle, built by the 14th-century Knights of St. John as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Citadel of Rhodes.

We also visited Crete, & Santorini for some breathtaking sea views over the cliff sides.

Pictures of us are at the Parthenon in Athens, from our balcony at our hotel in Mykonos and of us in the beautiful village of Oia in Santorini.

Marci & Zack
Lexington KY

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Tour of Ireland

We wanted to thank you for arranging our 16 day trip to Ireland.  We had an
amazing time and was very pleased with our tour company, Odysseys Unlimited.
Odysseys does small group tours which are limited to 24 people.  We had 23
fellow travelers which was the perfect number for us. 

We have travelled with Odysseys before.  A big plus is that your hotels are
always in the city center close to restaurants, museums and shopping.  The
itinerary was well paced and included many of the top highlights in Ireland.
We particularly enjoyed the Aran Islands, Kylemore Abbey, Dublin and a sheep
dog demonstration.

Thanks also for arranging the trip we did on our own from Dublin to Belfast.
You had us purchase train tickets before we left the states so we were
assured a seat on the train.  There was plenty of room for our luggage and
it was in eyesight.  The Fitzwilliam Hotel in Belfast was in the city
center.  We had to take a cab from the hotel to the Titanic Museum but
otherwise, we were able to walk to restaurants and shops.  Thanks too for
arranging the tour up to The Giant Causeways which included stops along the
way where Game of Thrones was filmed.

We had a great two weeks in Ireland and we look forward to working with you
again on more trips.

Bonnie and Jim
Louisville, KY

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12 Day Classic Greece & Mykonos
with 3 Day Aegean Cruise

My husband Brian and I are so lucky to have had an amazing honeymoon that we have always dreamed of. We knew we wanted to take a longer time off in one of the few times that our jobs would allow us to. When we sat down to talk about where we wanted to go we knew Brian loves Greek history and I love beach, water, and cruises. I let Memorable Travels, our travel agent, know about our wishes and by the next day they had found this fabulous trip for us. It was great working with Memorable Travels and having a honeymoon registry where family and friends could put money towards our trip as wedding presents. They updated us every time someone put a gift towards our trip and were great with providing necessary as well as extra information to prepare us for the trip. They were great with responding quickly to any questions and I wasn't afraid to approach them about anything.

Our tour operator, Gate 1 Travel, was fabulous and we plan to continue to use them as well for our future adventures! It was great not having to worry about any of our hotel reservations or transportation and there were great Gate 1 agents along the way to keep us comfortable and make sure we were right on schedule. Our trip started with us in Mykonos, the fabulous Greek Island where we were able to relax and unwind on the beautiful beaches with the white washed buildings in the background. We took the optional tour from Mykonos to Delos island and I highly suggest taking it to see the birthplace of Apollo. We even got to see a pink pelican in Mykonos which is very rare to see. We boarded our Louis Majesty cruise in Mykonos and went on a three day tour to several of the Greek Isles including Kusadasi, Turkey, Patmos, Santorini, and Crete. It was wonderful hitting up a Greek island in the morning, relaxing on the deck or getting a massage on the boat, and then hitting another island in the evening. Some major highlights from the cruise were climbing the Volcano in Santorini and swimming in the hot springs and seeing Ancient Ephesus in Kusadasi, Turkey.

We got off the cruise in Athens and boarded a bus tour with Gate 1 Tours. We had a fabulous bus driver and tour guide and met so many wonderful people on our four day trip. We toured Mycenae, Kalambaka, Meteora, Olympia, and Delphi. We got to see so many amazing ruins like the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, Temple of Apollo in Delphi, and the amazing monasteries in Meteora. We got to make many stops along the way at amazing local restaurants and shops to see wine, icon, and pottery demonstrations. My husband loves the Spartan history and we were so excited to stop at the Battle of Thermopolyes.

We ended our bus tour in Athens, Greece and spent the last two days of our trip here. We went on a guided tour to the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum. We were so amazed by the view from the top of our hotel where we could eat and see the Acropolis. We hit up the Plaka and did some great shopping! We also had an amazing time at the National Archaelogical museum where we got to see ruins from so many of the places we had been on our trip, especially the Golden mask of Agamemnon from Mycenae.

We had the trip of a lifetime that we will never forget and I wish every moment that I was still in Greece!

Christina & Brian
Lexington KY

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Tour of Ireland

Our trip was amazing! We were excited and expected a lot before we got there, but once we were there, it exceeded all expectations. Samuel just kept looking around and saying that it was better than he ever thought it could be.

There were so many parts that were our favorite, but two stick out in my mind. The first was when we stayed at Dromoland Castle and they found out we were on our honeymoon, they upgraded us to a room in one of the towers of the castle. We just kept saying we couldn't believe we were staying in the tower of a castle. So awesome! The second was when we went on a whale watching tour while we were in Baltimore. It was with Nic Slocum of Whale Watching Tours-West Cork. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who will be in that area.

We want to thank you for doing such a great job in helping us to plan our honeymoon. Ireland was a fantastic choice and we can't wait to go back in a few years. In the meantime, we are already thinking about where we plan to go next and can't wait to work with you again.

Thanks again,

Lyndsay and Tyler
Danville KY

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Globus Italian Mosaic Tour

We had such a wonderful time. In fact, I would have to say that the Globus Italian Mosaic tour was probably my favorite trip so far, even dealing with the crowds and the August heat. We were part of a delightful small group of 26, small enough to bond and develop friendships with our travel companions. Thank you so much for taking care of all the details of our trip. It was fabulous!

We look forward to our next trips to destinations yet to be determined, and it’s such a pleasure knowing that you’ll make all of the arrangements for us.

Thanks again for everything!

Debbie and Jerry
Nicholasville, KY

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Italy, Custom Itinerary

Italy was amazing! You were right about having plenty to do in Rome! Gosh, we felt like around every corner there was something to see, a fountain, a museum, an obelisk, a piazza, a ruin. It was almost sensory overload there was so much. I love how they blend the past and present so seamlessly and make you feel like you're a part of history. So neat.

The Hotel Donatello was charming and everyone there was so nice. If you speak to Carlo and all of the staff please tell them how much we enjoyed our stay and can't wait to come back. Thanks too for the nice note! It was so great to see kind words from you on our nightstand. The tours were excellent and the beach was beautiful. The directions to get there were very helpful. The only thing I perhaps wouldn't recommend to someone else would be the open tour bus from Rome Open Tour. They had vendors on the streets at the stops selling tickets to people to get on even though the bus was way overcrowded as it was and people were having to stand all smushed together.

The boat tour was amazing though and made the rest worth it. The Tiber is beautiful and the boat was not at all crowded. I think it was because the vendors were just recruiting people to buy day passes for the bus, not including the boat. We saw so many amazing sights and got to hear about everything we were seeing on the river through our headphones. It was the trip of a lifetime and we can't hardly believe it's over. Andy wants to go to Vegas next (maybe in winter) so I'm sure I will be contacting you again!

Thanks so much for everything!

 

Michelle and Andy
Lexington, KY

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Tour of Ireland

Our trip was amazing! We were excited and expected a lot before we got there, but once we were there, it exceeded all expectations. Samuel just kept looking around and saying that it was better than he ever thought it could be.

There were so many parts that were our favorite, but two stick out in my mind. The first was when we stayed at Dromoland Castle and they found out we were on our honeymoon, they upgraded us to a room in one of the towers of the castle. We just kept saying we couldn't believe we were staying in the tower of a castle. So awesome! The second was when we went on a whale watching tour while we were in Baltimore. It was with Nic Slocum of Whale Watching Tours-West Cork. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who will be in that area.

We want to thank you for doing such a great job in helping us to plan our honeymoon. Ireland was a fantastic choice and we can't wait to go back in a few years. In the meantime, we are already thinking about where we plan to go next and can't wait to work with you again.

Thanks again,

Jessica and Samuel
Lexington KY

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Italy, Custom Itinerary

We enjoyed our trip to Italy. We are used to having to arrange everything ourselves so it was so nice to have things so well-planned. I know we had more time for sight-seeing and having fun since we did not have to make arrangements once we were at our destinations. Things went so smoothly.

We were thrilled to see so many places and things that we had read about all our lives such as Michelangelo’s David, the Sistine Chapel, Pompeii, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Grand Canal. Here are 3 photos: an overlook above Florence, Mount Vesuvius from Pompeii and the Grand Canal in Venice.

Thank you for all of your good advice and attention to detail. You arranged a wonderful trip for us.

 

Jim &Ruth
Frankfort, KY

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Gate 1 Escorted Iberia Tour
Spain and Portugal

Thank you so much for the Madrid welcome home postcard.

All in all, we did have a fabulous trip. Seville was my favorite spot, and Toledo was Jerry’s favorite. The optional trips were all wonderful. We would definitely tour with Gate 1 again. In fact, our tour guide, Nicolas, was the best tour guide we’ve ever had. He was terrific and did a great job. Our least favorite day was the day we went to Morocco. Actually, I should change that. Jerry’s least favorite day was our first day in Madrid, the first day of our trip, when he was hit by a pickpocket for $950. We have taken many trips and have read about the risks of pickpockets; however, you never really think it’s going to happen to you. But this time it did! It was a real learning experience, but we did not let it ruin our trip.

It was really a wonderful trip, we made lots of new friends, and we enjoyed it very much. We took over 750 pictures, and here are a few of them.

You are a pleasure to deal with, and we look forward to having you take care of all of our future travel plans ... to destinations yet to be determined.

Deb and Jerry
Nicholasville KY

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Italy, custom itinerary

I want to thank you for your major part in assisting us in planning our wonderful trip to Italy. It was all I wanted it to be. The air trips were certainly tolerable and the time went by fast. Navigating the Paris airport did not prove overwhelming. Venice was lovely and so unique. Florence was beautiful and easy to get around, especially thanks to Megan. Rome was also easy to navigate with a map. We even used the metro bus. The various city tour guides were passionate and very informative. Riding the trains was a good experience. Overall I rate the trip a 10 out of 10. I took no less than 3000 pictures! Attached are a few.

Your suggestions and tips were invaluable.

Thanks again. We look forward to our next adventure.

Barb, John, and Megan - Frankfort KY
Michael - Louisville, KY

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FRANCE and ENGLAND

I want to tell you that everything went really smoothly on our trip. You did a terrific job putting everything together and it was very easy to follow the instructions and use the vouchers, etc. It was so good to have our metro passes, Brit Rail passes (which we used all 4 days) and the Brit Heritage passes to enable us to not waste time doing what we wanted to do. The van pick-ups went without a hitch from Paris airport to the hotel and from the hotel in London to Heathrow.

The folks at both hotels were friendly and helpful (especially the one in London--I would recommend it highly.) We did end up upgrading our room in London because it was tiny. We had managed for 3 days with a small room in Paris but I didn't want to do it again in London since we were going to be there for 12 more nights. Upgrading gave us a much larger room with a view of Hyde Park and we had some room to hang our clothes, drawer space, etc.

Your advice and suggestions proved invaluable and we are really appreciative for your patience and help. Again, thanks for all your help. I have recommended you to several folks already. Hopefully, you will get some business from them.

Jean and Bill
Versailles KY

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Germany and Austria

We had a wonderful time in Germany and Austria. First photo was taken in the salt mines in Berchesgaden. I had been there before 40 years ago, but could not go down the slides because I was pregnant....this time I did. The slides are at about a 60 degree angle, so you are almost laying down. Was great fun. The rest of our trip was terrific as well.

Thanks,

Sheila and Genne
Frankfort KY

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Image Tours
WW II Memorial Tour of Europe

This exciting trip was certainly the best and most enjoyable tour I have ever taken. I would highly recommend it to anyone having an interest in WW II and seeing some of the most beautiful places in Europe. Pieter, our European guide, was prompt, pleasant and accessible as well as extremely knowledgeable. His insights into WW II were fascinating. All the tour staff, guides, and you as my local travel consultant, were great to work with from start to finish. Accommodations throughout Europe were excellent and the bus was always clean and comfortable.

My personal highlights were the Beaches at Normandy and the Military Cemeteries as well Nuremberg. How wonderful to see these places personally. I highly recommend Image Tours and Memorable Travels and look forward to my next trip with them .

Thanks,

Walt
Lexington KY

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London, England

The bus driver and tour guide for the full day Magic Of London Tour were so helpful. The tour covered not only the highlights of the city but the history of England in general. Our guide seemed to know everything.

A tour like this one is a great idea if you have limited time. We saw more on the tour than we could have navigating London on our own. Our favorite part was going down the Thames river and then tea at Harrods. Wonderful experience!

 

Tammi, Ben, Ashley, Alyssa, Ben, Jr., Stephen, Nathan & Jason
Taylors, SC

Mary & Thomas
Bryceville, FL

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PARIS, FRANCE ... THE HOTEL SULLY ST GERMAINE

Our trip was great! We saw almost all of the big sights, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre, and others I'm forgetting. The metro wasn't too bad to navigate, but we did get lost on the train once.

We met a great group of Parisians who helped to show us around. We had international service added on our cell phones so they worked pretty well. Our hotel was excellent couldn't have asked for better!! We made great friends with one of the concierges. The hotel was clean, very nicely decorated, good location, great breakfast- yogurt, fruit, coffee, juice, breads, and cheeses.

Catherine, Rachel & Lauren
Lexington KY and Sarasota FL

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Italy Honeymoon,

Thank You so much for all your hard work on our honeymoon to Italy. It was a great success, and truly a 'memorable travel'. I appreciate your willingness to help after the trip had started, while the Hotel in Milan was not as big a deal as we thought at the time, it was great to have someone answer the phone, and immediately do everything possible to help us out. It was a very nice hotel.

I would also like to give you some feedback on the hotels we stayed in while there. The hotel Mariano in Rome, was clean, nice breakfast space. While the room and bathroom were a bit small, the staff and service were excellent. I would have to give it an A- for location,while in China town, a bit ironic while in Rome, the closeness to the bus and train terminal made getting around town very easy. As well as a quick trip to catch our train to leave. The transfer from the Airport was on time and very pleasant. A very well dressed, polite, 'Hot young Italian' as my wife says. lol. Overall I would have to give the Hotel 2 stars. The Grand Hotel Plaza in Montecatini, Tuscany was very nice. A nice restaurant, staff was excellent, great location, nice room. The only downside, was that our room was directly across from a bar, and sleeping before 1 or so in the morning was tough. But overall a three star rating is true for this one.

The best Western in Venice, was close to the terminal, a true plus in Venice. The staff was wonderful, very clean and nice garden in back while the room was extremely small. While I assume this is true for most of Venice, due to limited space, we barely had room for our luggage. and it made it hard to move around the bed. Overall I would have to say this made it a 2 star at best.

The B&B in Candia, Canavese was very nice. While hard to find and not marked well, the owner came and met us to follow her there. The accomodations were quite nice, modern and comfortable. The website and travel guide are somewhat misleading though. You had to lean to see the lake from the patio, and the Castle that is shown is about 45 minutes away. We were under the impression it was very close. While there was an old church and midevel tower above it, they were not available to tour. For our purpose of staying there, it was perfectly located though, so no gripes really. Also the Alps were very close, and it was a very pleasant surprise to catch some sunsets on them. Also, the resaurant we went to on the advise of the owner, Il Cantun, was absolutely wonderful. They spoke no English at all, and our Italian wasn't much help, but we all laughed and had a great time. He is a wonderful Chef, in a very unexpected place.

The best western near the Airport was great. wonderful room, excellent resaurant, and great staff. A true 3+ hotel. The hotel we stayed at in Florence, we literally turned around and found it, Boccacia Hotel, was outstanding. We didnt have a chance to get to the restaurant, but the room was absolutely beautiful, and the location was great, close to the markets and the terminal.

Chris and Andrew
Lexington, KY

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Ireland Driving Tour

We traveled to Ireland in February on a tour that provided hotel accommodations for two nights each in three different parts of the country which allowed a wonderfully broad view of the beautiful isle. The weather was perfect and the time of year allowed us to explore freely without the throngs of tourists you are likely to encounter in the summer months.

This was the perfect tour for those who like freedom to explore at their own pace but still want some structure built in. Having a rental car allows you to visit the places you are most interested in whether it is the abundant churches and abbeys, museums, and/or more abundant pubs. The hotels were lovely and the full Irish breakfasts were substantial enough to take us through most of the day.

There was time at the end of each day to meet up with other tour participants in the hotel lobby, library or pub to compare notes on places we all went or planned to go to the next day. It was the best of both worlds, independence to travel at our own pace along with full assurance that the hotel accommodations would be consistently comfortable and accommodating.

Lynn- Lexington, KY, Marion & Jimmy- Frankfort, KY, Ann- Louisville, KY,
Mary Fran & Madeline- Chicago, IL

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Ireland

We had a wonderful trip to Ireland. The weather co-operated nicely and we saw most of the Ireland perimeter. The guide-driver was very pleasant and gracious and all the accommodations were very satisfactory, some with pools and hot tubs.

As could be expected, some parts of the itinerary could have been lengthened or shortened depending on individual interests, but the entire itinerary certainly gave one a broad look at the Irish landscape, history, and culture.

Thanks again,
Sandy, Paul
Owenton, KY

Thank you for your postcard and everything that you did to help us have such a wonderful trip. It was glorious! We had good weather, great accommodations, scrumptious food, and a driver/ guide who kept us on target so we wouldn't miss anything. He was very informative and helped create a spirit of sharing and friendship among those on the trip together. I would recommend this tour to anyone!

Peggy, Craig & Shannon
Louisville, KY

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Amsterdam, Rhine River Cruise, and Paris

Well, we made it and are back home safe and sound. All in all, a good trip, thank you for arranging everything, the hotel, the shuttle to DeGaulle, the train from Basel to Paris, etc. It was very good to go to all of these places, and good to get back home.

Vollrad Castle is where we had a wine tasting. Breisach is the village (just across the Rhine from Colmar, France. See bottom left picture) where my Father was born. He emigrated to U.S. in 1913, (Thank Goodness). During WW II I flew on a couple of missions where we tried to blow up the bridge that crossed the Rhine here. Very nice to see these areas under current circumstances.

Thanks again for all your help in planning our trip.

Rose and Jerry,
Lexington, KY

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Disney Magic Mediterranean Cruise

Our family Disney cruise trip in Europe was the all out best, beyond our expectations! It was definitely magnificent. Our children and grandchildren were absolutely thrilled to pieces with the entire trip. I think the best part was seeing these wonderful sights through the young people's eyes. There were just a couple of days that we were dragging, like the day we went to Pompeii, then Sorrento and on to Capri where there was a long wait for the ride up the cliff to the village. Everyone perked up at each new wonder though.

Of course, Rome was a high point for all of us. The trip into Rome was ten times better on the train and quicker. We were pleased with our tour and jimmy and family were ecstatic with their VIP tour of the Vatican museum and Sistine chapel. The Disney ship is far and away the best choice for families with young people. Other cruise lines we have taken do not come close.

One of my favorite photos is the one below of the girls in their new French dresses bought in Marseille.

Our trip out to Montserrat from Barcelona was also out standing and the mode of travel quite unique. Shore Trips (a private tour company set up by Memorable Travels) worked out very well and hopefully we'll use them again for future travel.

Thanks again for an all around wonderful experience.

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Thanks again,

Nancey, Jim, Melissa, Libby & William- Frankfort, KY
Jimmy, Kelly & Melissa Ann- Lexington, KY

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Amsterdam, Netherlands

I want to thank you so much for arranging my trip to Amsterdam. The Novotel Hotel was first class. The staff was friendly, the room was spacious, and the TV sound was piped into the bathroom, a feature I appreciated. Although I have had buffet breakfasts in other European hotels, nothing has ever come close to the breakfast buffet at the Novotel. It would be impossible to sample everything that was offered. There is even a children's' buffet, placed at their level, so they can get their own food. The Tram is less than a block from the hotel, and it is about a 15 minute ride to the Centrum. Everything was very convenient, and I will not only do business with you again, I will also refer others.

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Wanda
Georgetown, KY

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Carnival Cruise, Israel and London, England

You have been a lifesaver as far as travel is concerned. I stopped
travelling at a certain point in my life simply because I just didn't
like doing all the planning such as comparing plane and hotel rates. It
has been so nice to be able to turn all that over to you and just go on
the trip and have fun. Thanks again for all your help.

Laura
San Antonio, TX

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