In my experience, Go Ahead posts the hotels online 30 days prior to departure and also emails if you are booked. Additionally you can contact them prior and receive the name(s) of the hotels they have used in the past.

Their tours are good value for the $$$$ though they are getting more expensive. If you repeat book there are loyalty discounts.

I let them book my flights and they've always accomodated my requests for airlines and layovers pre or post tour.

Go Ahead is most definitely NOT a sham! I have been taking tours with them since 2006. The prices ARE outlined on their website, quite clearly what is and what is not included.

Re: Tipping, the range of $7-10 per day is there because, well, some deserve more or less depending on how good they are. Liken it to tipping at a restaurant; sometimes you tip 15% and other times maybe 20% or even 10%. Same logic applies here.

Re: tipping at restaurants - We tip wait staff at home and why would you think it is a sham to tip wait staff while on vacation? Not sure why you are questioning that. Tipping your waiter is in no way connected to your tour director or Go Ahead.

I can't speak to the hours at the Toronto office, but could it be that you misunderstood that EF staff are available 7 days a week by phone, but the offices M-F?

I highly recommend Go Ahead and EF Tours. I am very happy with them and so are all the hundreds who have traveled with me.

I have used this company (2 tours) and have visited their website on multiple occasions. I find that they are pretty straight forward on what is covered and what isn't. Of course you have to read the website. As a lawyer, I think their website is pretty upfront. I noticed that you went on a lot about tipping. If you don't want to tip, it's not required. Plenty of people don't tip. That's why it is called a tip! I personally always did if I enjoyed the service. If you don't like GoAhead tours, don't use them. Maybe after all this time you should just let your anger go and get over it. Life's too short. Take a vacation (one that doesn't involve GoAhead tours). To everyone else, my experience was excellent and I think that they are a reliable company.

I’ve taken 4 trips with GoAhead tours and have been very satisfied. I experienced no extra costs other than what was advertised in the tour description, ie, extra truly optional excursions. The tour directors and tour guides have always been excellent and well worth the tip. I always felt very well taken care of and that my satisfaction with the tour was GoAhead’s utmost goal.

I went to London, Paris, and Rome with them. I also did Greece and Egypt and had a wonderful time! It's no scam. They were amazing! I'm planning Peru with them next year.

Go Ahead Tours is the adult version of EF tours, which does all the student tours. They are amazing and I highly recommend this company from both sides. Ask for any info you need and you'll get it.

I went on a tour of Southen Africa. I will not book with them again. I I booked a tour of Argentina and Peru.

I paid a deposit and then they changed the schedule.

They did not refund the insurance, even though the Go Ahead Tours changed the scheduling.

Then I found out that the trip was cancelled and the purchasers did not receive the trip insurance either.

Now, back to the Safari trip. The itinerary was changed on this trip also at the last minute numerous times.

Some of the accommodations were below par.

The top complaint I had was the tour guide made anti Semitic remarks. I callled the company and they did nothing.

Do not go anywhere with this company.

My sister and I did our first tour with Go Ahead Tours to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji and it was FANTASTIC!

It is impossible to give detailed up front pricing as everyone comes from different areas so the flights costs vary and everyone does different optionals which also changes the price. The Go Ahead Staff were excellent, attentive, did not pressure us and helped us choose flights, times, and optionals that fit our budget .

On tour our guide Australian Sally Innes, was great! She gave us detailed schedules, was available 24/7 and worked extremely hard to accommodate the different requests of people on tours. In fact we met many repeat customers on the tour and are thinking about using them again. 5/5. Top Marks to Go Ahead!

I have been on tour with GoAhead 3 times. The 3rd time was last week. Within 48 hrs of returning home I have already booked my 4th tour. This time to Ireland and Scotland, which I have visited twice on my own, but I love the style of GoAhead and look forward to going with them in 2020. I have signed up 4 family members and more friends to go with. I am stunned anyone found this to be a scam. After travelling with them I have found that when you pay, you get what you paid for. I am very satisfied, I see no scam whatsoever and can only think . . . .WHEW . . . .so glad this angry person was never on any of my tours. So much detail and so much anger. I don't even want to imagine all the complaints from every single meal, to every blow of the wind or rain drop. Life isn't this hard. Life is so much easier than this. Someone called their office that one time they were all out, and the day someone must have accidentally left the doors unlocked. It happens and it doesn't mean it is a scam operation. LOL

I have just seen this post, it's an old one but I just have to put in my two cents' worth. I have used Go Ahead Tours five times in the past 20 years. The trips were: Northern Italy, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Puglia, and Croatia. Each one met or exceeded my expectations. Sometimes there might have been a couple of things I was unhappy about over the course of the entire tour, but they were negligible. The tour guides were always top notch, hotels good to excellent, restaurant choices also good to excellent. I like the idea of paying for optional tours because I can make my own choices. I also like the opportunity of finding our own restaurants on occasion, though almost all the time our restaurants chosen by Go Ahead were wonderfully representative of each region. Our tour guides were all extremely professional, personable, and helpful. And I have never had any problems with the people in the office when I've contacted them. In fact, they were very kind when an unexpected physical disability (temporary, fortunately) caused me to postpone my trip by a full year. it was a very distressing situation that was handled in a professional manner. Also, I always extend my vacation after the tour; it has been anywhere from 5-12 days in the past. They are very helpful with the arrangements and book me on my flight home from whatever city I want! I plan on another trip with them in the near future, though I can't narrow down where yet.