Go Ahead Tours

Pros: Extremely knowledgeable guides and friendly customer service!
Cons: I can't think of any. All my experiences have been great.

I have been on a few Go Ahead Tours and have always been extremely impressed with the quality and service. The one thing that stands above all else with Go Ahead Tours is the first rate guides. The Tour Directors are extremely knowledgeable about the areas. For instance in Costa Rica this past Spring, my guide was an ecologist and new how to identify all the different wildlife throughout the tour.
It was amazing! He could virtually see through Camouflage and was very patient in pointing out the animals. This is the best tour company- and I would definitely recommend Go Ahead Tours to any traveler who is interested in learning while vacationing.

Pros: Comprehensive coverage of Japan. Great hotels.
Cons: A very busy trip.

The tour covered all of central Japan - Osaka, Kyoto to Tokyo. Outstanding guide - very knowledgeable and considerate. Hotels were better than the average Go Ahead tour. One very unique visit to a group of Japanese women who fished by diving. Several excellent museums were included in addition to a number of Shinto shrines. A nice variety of dinners were included. The tour is busy and it is rated as a "4" in the brochure. It is worth paying attention to the activity ratings in their brochure.

Pros: Go Ahead Tours have been great in the past. Few problems in the field.
Cons: Office staff in Cambridge are impossible to deal with on this tour.

Go Ahead staff have been unresponsive to our needs for a family group tour of Landscapes of Britain and Ireland. We requested that arrangements be made for an 83 year old woman to be accompanied by a family member from Edinburgh, Scotland to London, England. Go Ahead has adamantly refused to do this and has separated her from the rest of the family for this leg. Additionally, Go Ahead has refused to arrange for a direct flight from London, England to Orlando, Florida for her. Instead they have arranged this leg so she passes through Washington, D.C., Dulles by herself, with a lay over, arriving in Orlando at midnight when transportation to her home will be very difficult. A direct flight on British Airways is available and would get her to Orlando by 3:20 PM. Go Ahead has a contract with British Airways, but refuses to even try to make suitable arrangements. We have used Go Ahead for six foreign tours in the past, but the Cambridge, Mass. staff have not really been helpful this time.

Pros: Gained a broad knowledge of Egyptian history and antiquities
Cons: A lot of walking and climbing and very early wake up calls.

Instructional,Adventurous, Rewarding are just few words to describe our tour to Egypt with Go Ahead. Arrangements, tour schedules, hotel reservation, worked like a clock. We were pleased to visit interesting places in Egypt without loss of time. Highly recommend this tour.

Pros: Efficiently run, enthusiastic guides, fantastic accomodations. Good value for money.
Cons: Van capacity slightly too high for comfort, but still, not really an issue.

Was my first package tour and am remarkably impressed with Go Ahead. Everything flowed smoothly with barely a glitch registered. From being met at the airport to having a day room provided at a hotel during long layover, this company thought of every detail. Kenya was a supremely comfortable place to visit due to knowledgable, helpful guides. They are always concerned that every aspect is perfect. I am a difficult person to please, but Go Ahead won me over. Highly recommended, both the tour and the itinarary.

Pros: It's very educational and enchanting so go out there and experience Ireland.
Cons: It was cold but not much people around. Before Fall should be perfect but crowded.

Greetings of Peace to all of you wishing to travel to Ireland!

Ireland was lusciously green and fresh. It really is enchanting especially how the island was formed since times past: from the ice age to stone age and today.

When we finally got re-tuned to our time zone here in Texas and told people about the experience, all we heard was: "...wish we went with y'all!"

The tour director - Terry - is a hilarious guide but also well organized; while Tom - our coach driver - was very polite and knew where to go all the time without incurring to accidents.

The rest of the group - 33 in all from 13 States - became instant friends and neighbors, and exchange of addresses in the end was inevitable and that's fine among us.

Thanks again to Go Ahead Vacations and we'll let you know when and where the next would be.

God speed!

Pros: Prices are very fair for all inclusions.
Cons: The only negative thing is possibly the size of the tours.

I am a single independent traveler. I have been travelling with Go Ahead Tours since 2003. "Wine, Waltzes and the Rhine" was the first one. I met so many wonderful people and enjoyed the tour director so much, I booked "Magic of Italy" for the following year. Again, excellent tour guide, great hotels..some took a bit of walking, uphill, I might add, but worth it as the hotel looked out onto the piazza in front of the Basilica of St. Francis. Marvelous! Next was "London, Edinburgh & Dublin". Everything is planned from airfare from hometown airport to destination, PU at airport, and most meals. The best of all was "Egypt and the Nile". Our guide was the very best, very informative and personable. The tours have an ample amount of shopping time available. At the end of your tour, they see that you are at the airport in plenty of time. Just everything was to perfection. As a single person travelling alone, I never felt alone.

Pros: David Macchi, Sabino, Great food, Beautiful hotels in Tuscany
Cons: Long bus ride from airport to Tuscany

My husband and I just returned from a Go Ahead Vacation Walk through Tuscany with David Macchi as our guide. David Macchi is far better than any guide we have ever experienced. He is very well informed, did a great job re: history and was warm, funny, kind, clear, organized and patient. And he could sing!

We have traveled abroad a lot and had many guided tours, but this one topped them all.

The combination of David and our bus driver Sabino was wonderful. They were so willing to help us and were so much fun. These people are keepers. We are recommending this tour to everyone we know.

Mary Murray

Pros: Flexible schedule, varied options, plenty of free time. Great tour guides. Fair pricing. Helpful staff.
Cons: Nothing worth a mention.

We have just returned from our fourth Go-Ahead tour. We have found each to be a bargain, with super guides, a wonderful selection of options if we choose and plenty of time for individual choices. Accommodations more than adequate. Headquarters staff always most helpful and informed. The itinerary is well timed and comprehensive.
We have used both tours and city-stays. Highly recommended.

Pros: the schedule, the location of hotels near the center of town, our Guide!
Cons: we would have liked a nonstop flight to New York (from Calif)

I would like to highly recommend our guide, Allie Lister, on the Enchanted Ireland tour. She was a great guide. She was cheerful, outgoing, helpful, prompt and easy to work with. She helped us with personal requests and helped build a sense of unity within our group. Most importantly, she was an excellent teacher. She had visual aides she passed around, games to get everyone involved, and informative and easy to follow lectures to keep us entertained during long drives. Sign her up for more tours! She is a gem. Sincerely, Nancy Kelley

Pros: Reuben White, Paris, Go Ahead took care of us and our luggage
Cons: The bathroom in London wasn't the best, but it wasn't horrible.

I'm a 25 year old female that took the Go Ahead Tour of London, Paris, and Rome with a friend in May 2007. This was both of ours very first European trip and it was amazing. Go Ahead was fantastic and did everything they said they would. Our tour guide was Reuben White, which was one of the reasons our tour went so smoothly I'm sure. Go Ahead really did pick us up and our luggage and take us to our hotels in each city. Reuben was even with us to the very end; right up to the security check point to fly back to the U.S. I have a favorite memory of each city, but Paris was by far my favorite. It was a dream come true to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I think that my friend and I explored more of London, and that is probably my biggest regret. I wish I would have spent more time in Paris and even Rome for that matter as a local. I would definitely recommend Go Ahead Tours to anyone. I'm sure they are the only company I will be traveling with in the future.

Pros: The accommodations were very good to excellent,the itinerary excellent,the pace,perfect.
Cons: Some optionals not appealing,the best one not available.Too many people smoke in Europe.

On our 4th tour with Go Ahead Vacations we were very pleased with this trip.Always good value,the itinerary was excellent.Our tour guide did a great job.He was very attentive and made us all feel that he was our personal guide.
He made himself available in the most friendly and courteous way.
The four cities we visited were so beautiful.The rides to them were scenic with just enough narrative to make them that much more interesting.Four cities and three currencies was fun.

If you haven't yet taken a guided tour,you'll do well to choose Go Ahead.If you have,you'll recognize and appreciate quality service and value.
We'll be booking our 5th trip with Go Ahead very soon.

Pros: Good planning, good tours, good facilities, good personnel. A great way to learn and enjoy.
Cons: The coffee in one hotel wasn't too good.

Our trip to Venice, Florence and Rome with GoAhead proved to be a great way to celebrate our anniversary. Accommodations, tours, travel and free time were all just right to suit our desires. The tour director was quite personable and did a great job of seeing to our needs and wishes. We certainly will use GoAhead for our next trip.

Pros: The tour guide and local guides are smart, responsive, patient and make the tour.
Cons: You are traveling in a group, and at times must accept the group needs.

Our Go Ahead Eastern Europe fall trip was simply wonderful. We had previously gone with Go Ahead to Portugal, and found that a wonderful, educational and pleasant tour. This trip exceeded our high expectations. Our tour guide and local guides were bright, responsive, attentive and focused on our interests. Our bus was clean, new and comfortable. The hotels were adequate for the most part, and very good in several instances. The balance of guided time and free time was just right. But most of all, the consistent, helpful and reliable people with Go Ahead are such a delight. We expect a lot from a tour provider, for a modest price, and Go Ahead has been wonderful. The ads are very accurate in describing what you see, the status of the hotels and the side trips available.

Pros: The nice balance of guided tours and free time.
Cons: None

When planning our London, Paris, and Rome trip, I was not certain if I should use a tour company or set up the trip on my own. I decided to use Go Ahead Vacations because of the combination of guided tours and excursions with plenty of time on our own to do as we pleased. Ailbe, our tour director did an excellent job. Even though the bus company in London fell through one day, Ailbe and Keith (the city tour guide), quickly made alternative arrangements for the group and we finished the day satisfied customers! The tour guides at each city were very knowledgeable and friendly. I would recommend Go Ahead Vacations to anyone who is planning a trip abroad.