We just took our 7th trip with OAT but it may be our last. Things have changed and not for the better. They used to let you give them a credit card to hold the trip for 2 or 3 days. Not any more. If you need more time to decide even if it's later in the day they still will not hold the reservation beyond your telephone call and you can never call back the same person and get them on the phone. On top of that if you get a last minute "deal" they will not allow you to use your travel credits with them from previous trips. Our last minute "deal" was not even on the web site as apparently people canceled last minute. The disclaimer about not being able to use the credits that we had from another trip was buried in another section of the web site. I was told it is listed where the last minute deals are advertised but on our trip it was not because the trip was never listed on the web site AT ALL. After sending a letter and haggling with company officials they would not give in as their response was basically .....too bad read the rules.

The Northern Italy Dolomites Trip was good but far from great. OAT travelers who travel with them the most generally get the best rooms. On our trip many people had traveled more than our 7 trips with OAT, but somehow 2 newbies got a premium room in one of the well known hotels. OAT claims the hotel decides who gets these rooms based on what they send on to the hotel but somehow somewhere the skids were greased.
We complained to no avail.

We booked our airfare with them and stayed on in Venice 3 days doing what they call a "breakaway". However, while we were entitled to a free transfer to the airport they would not give us a free transfer into the City of Venice. The distances were almost the same. They said we had to go to the Airport and then make our way into Venice.
They would not even give us a free ride to the train station in Treviso which was 5 minutes away so we could take the train into Venice. They said take a cab even though they had 5 cabs leaving on the last day to the Airport.

On the last day they drove us on a bus for 3 or 4 hours and took us on a tour of an Apple orchard where it was at least 90 degrees out. Then gave us lunch and took us to a hotel in the middle of nowhere about 14 miles outside of Venice with nothing to do and then a farewell dinner. There was no time for the others not doing Venice post trip to catch a train and see a little of Venice since Treviso is maybe a half hour train ride. So basically the last day is a bus trip to nowhere and then they get rid of you the next morning even though we were within sniffing distance of Venice.

We stayed on in Venice for 3 days at an Air BnB. Cost plus meals and touring for the 2 of us was maybe $650.00 to $700.00. The OAT 4 day post trip to Venice was like $1800 per person! So do it on your own if you take this trip and if you want to see Venice.