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Report: Review of my first trip with Overseas Adventure Travel - The Baltics

For comparison - I’ve traveled with Road Scholar (3), Gate 1 (2), Smartours (2), Odysseys Unlimited (1), and Rick Steves (1).

OAT is tied at the top of my list with Road Scholar. Why?

1) Small group size - there were 15 of us, with the max size being 16. We traveled around on a full size bus. 2) Itinerary - we stayed 3 nights most places. The itinerary was quite fluid - something I’ve never seen before on a tour. If one day had bad weather and the next day looked good, our Trip Leader would swap sites and move things around. As we traveled, she checked local event calendars and added in fun options many days. For example, in Helsinki, she saw a free evening concert at Church in the Rock, and offered to head over there with anyone who wanted to go. This fluidity made the trip even better. 3) Guide - One of the top two guides we’ve ever had. Friendly, funny, organized, and always planning, thinking, working to make the trip better. She clearly has a lot of freedom from the home OAT office to adjust, adapt etc. 4) Hotels - the first tour I’ve EVER taken with all solid hotels. Usually there’s at least one bad one. But not this tour. All nice 4 star hotels, good rooms, and excellent locations. I have no negative comments or suggestions for improvement on the hotels used. 5) Tour mates - luck of the draw, I know, but these people LOVE OAT. There are people on this tour who have done over 20 OAT tours and they rave to us about them. 6) Local guides - OAT provides more than I’ve had on any other tour. They were uniformly excellent - good English speakers and interesting. 7) Local speakers/lecturers - I loved these parts of the tour. They were all PhD holders in their topics and discussed controversial political/social things with us and let us ask all the questions we wanted. My tour mates asked great questions and I ended up learning a ton. 8) Meals - meals were smaller and simpler than on other tours and I loved that. On my last Odysseys Unlimited tour one evening, the appetizer was chicken nuggets and fries and then the main meal was a duck breast. Really. OAT often has lunch with just a bowl of nice soup, bread, coffee and a light pastry.

Would I travel with OAT again? Absolutely. In fact, I’m thinking of changing my fall 2024 from a Gate 1 to an OAT.

Well, that is a nice comprehensive overview of the way the tour worked and it would all appeal to me. If you change your next tour to OAT, it will be interesting to see if it conforms to this style as well. I am SO not a tour person but there are destinations where I would consider it - and recommendations from people I would trust are valuable. Thank you!

Sounds like my kind of tour and I am not a tour person, so far. Are you traveling solo, Valerie? Were there many couples?

OAT does attract a lot of singles since they don’t charge a single supplement. There are a lot of singles on the tour - some traveling with friends and some not. The tour looks like this - 3 couples - so that’s 6 people. 3 groups of 2 friends traveling together. That’s up to 12. Then it seems like there are 3 singles.

But everyone is inclusive, friendly, and no one ever eats alone if they don’t want to.

On the nights that there is no included dinner, our guide has sent out a WhatsApp text setting up an impromptu group dinner anyways…every single night. She adds optional activities for our down time almost every day.

I’m super curious if OAT trip #2 will have a guide this good. The tour members I have talked to say that they always have amazing guides.

Hi, Valerie. Thanks for sharing your OAT experience. I'm still on the independent traveler side but am considering trying the world of organized tours. It sounds like OAT would be a great place to start.

I loved my week I spend in the Baltics a few years ago. I'm headed over to read more about the trip on your blog 🙂... (URL in Valerie's profile for anyone else who is interested).

Thanks for the info, Valerie. We were scheduled for a monthlong OAT a tour to Morocco in 2020 and you know what happened next. We really, really liked their itinerary. It covered everything we wanted to see and do better than any other tour company. Unfortunately, getting our sizable deposit back in 2020 was a bear but I suppose a lot of tour companies were slow refunding money that year due to unforeseen circumstances. As an aside, I am enjoying your blogs of your travels with Ron.

I’m definitely intrigued by OAT. I loved how you and Ron had dinner in the home of a family, arranged by the tour. That’s an opportunity I’ve never heard of a tour providing, and I don’t know how you could do that traveling independently. The Baltics are such interesting countries and seem like a great place to take a tour and learn all about the culture, history and politics. I’ve really enjoyed your blog.

@Dave - OAT has some pretty eclectic itineraries and those are what I’m drawn to when I choose the tour part of our trips. I’m always looking for the tours that connect cities that are harder to connect and the tours that get me out in the countryside since I don’t rent a car when we travel and can’t do that.

@Laurel - I’m traveling with my partner, Ron:)

@Mary - I’m glad you’re liking it! It’s way more detail than I can fit on this site. I read tons of OAT refund horror stories during COVID too and it made me nervous. But I have TWO neighbors in my complex - both of whom have traveled with OAT numerous times since COVID (about 7 trips between the two neighbors) and so I knew that they are now running solid trips, despite what happened during COVID.

@Carroll - Thank you! The dinner with the Lithuanian family was an absolute highlight and I will definitely be doing it again on the next OAT tour I book. I was so unsure about it that I was thinking of just bowing out - but I’m so glad I didn’t.

Valerie, thanks so much for this review! I've booked an OAT tour to Egypt and Jordan in early 2025, and this confirms what I've read about OAT from others. Especially that it attracts many solo travelers, which I'm happy about. :-)

This will be my first organized tour so I'm really glad to read your thoughts about it. As it stands, I'm getting more and more excited about my tour, so again, thanks for this! I'm glad you have had a great experience! Heading over to your blog now!

I have travelled with OAT on 4 trips, and based on those trips, I would say they are one of my favorite tour company. We have also done many trips with Road Scholar (US only) and find them to be tops for education. We are doing Mexico City with Road Scholar in January.

Why OAT: focus on the 'unusual' in their itineraries, small group, most tours are long enough (12-15 days) to get a 'feel' for the area, flexibility in changing schedule when it benefits the tour, no single fee if you book early enough (and often whenever you book), like-minded travelers who focus on the culture of the area and not concerned about shopping. I just finished the Baltics Trip and it was my least favorite, but still good ... so that tells you what you might expect. It was good and delivered what I wanted (learn about the Baltic countries) so no real complaints. Turkey (or maybe India) was my favorite. :)

There are so many good tour companies, with each of them often being unique in their approach.

Valerie this will be so helpful to people and glad you were pleased with your tour. I will be curious if you do another OAT tour if it gets as high marks as this one. I know you are picky (like me) about food and hotels. Lane from this forum ( blogs at Lane is Going Places) has also done several OAT tours and seems to really like them. As you know, we are doing our first Road Scholar tour in January to Mexico. It gets very good reviews. I’m curious if it will change my mind about Mexican food, my least favorite ethnic cuisine.

After reading on the forum here that they refused refunds to people after OAT cancelled trips at the start of covid I'd be wary of booking with them.

See for example https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/rs-tours-compared-with-overseas-adventure-travel-tours-update https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/overseas-adventure-travel-refund

Valerie! What a wonderful time you had! I can understand almost bowing out of the family dinner. I just don't like those but glad you did. I have been on one family dinner with Rick's Village Italy tour which was fine in spite of my being reluctant to go.

Off to read your details!!!

Wonderful post, Valerie, sharing your comparisons & highlights of this company’s tours.

I really enjoy traveling independently while I can, but I agree that there’s places where it’s just not convenient with my method of traveling by train.

A former co-worker also really likes traveling with OAT and recommended them when I was first considering my 2024 options.

Thanks for this review, Valerie. I prefer a tour when traveling with one of my longtime friends, but I have covered too much of the ground of the Rick Steves tours that she would take. So I'm interested to investigate the OAT itineraries for places she and I can go. And we don't room well together, so the no-single-supplement sounds good too.

Valerie, Thanks for this report. I'd never thought of looking at OAT. I've been searching for a good Northern Ireland tour. Theirs is the best I've found so far, even if I then have to do Ireland, also. Nonetheless, I am still looking for a solely Northern Ireland tour if any exist...

@Wray - Here you go - Road Scholar has a Northern Ireland tour: https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/22092/the-best-of-northern-ireland-past-present-and-future

@Mardee - a lot of people on this tour have done Egypt and Jordan with OAT and loved it. Morocco seems to be another favorite. I’m definitely doing their Morocco tour in March 2025.

@Tammy - If I don’t move the fall Gate 1 to an OAT tour, the next one will be Morocco. I think almost everyone on this tour has done Morocco with OAT and loved it.

@Pam - we did! And now we get a week in London!!!!!!

@Jean - Thanks! I like independent travel too but we’ve lately found it fun to do 1 week on our own, a two week tour, and then another week on our own. Best of all worlds!!!!!

@CWSocial - I’ve got a list of about 5 OAT adventures I plan to thoroughly research when I get home from this trip. They do put together some good itineraries!!!!!

@Valerie. Thanks for the Road Scholar info! I don't know how I missed that. That being said, there is something about it that doesn't excite me, but the OAT one does. I had been hoping SeymourTravels would have one, but not at present. I'll keep looking. Besides, I've never been to Ireland so perhaps I shouldn't rule the OAT tour out.

Thank you for posting this Valerie. We were signed up for our first OAT tour to Morocco in March 2020 and had issues recovering money from them. After that experience, I’ve been reluctant to book with them again, even though I’ve seen some very interesting tours. I’m likely to be traveling solo in the future, so the free single supplement and lots of singles is also very appealing to me. I will definitely give OAT another look due to your experience as well as others who have chimed in!

I have found it useful to look at the Road Scholar and OAT itineraries for ideas when planning my independent trips.

Morocco seems to be another favorite. I’m definitely doing their Morocco tour in March 2025.

I would love to go to Morocco! I couldn't do the March 2025 one, but will keep that one on my radar. Thanks!

@CindyP and John - I had also followed their refund stories on this site and on other travel sites and they definitely scared me. I hope that OAT’s behavior was an extreme example of things gone awry during COVID. I only gave them a chance because of the numbers of tours my two neighbors have done in the last 2 years.

I’m glad I did! And one other note - a lot of OAT reviews are complaints of their air connections they set up when you buy air as part of your package. I buy my own airfare - I don’t trust any tour company to do it the way I like. All the tour companies I like - Odysseys Unlimited, Road Scholar and now OAT? Well I hear air travel stories from my tour mates about connections and layovers I would never book.

I've taken 3 trips with OAT over the past three years (Egypt, SE Asia, and "Crossroads of the Adriatic" (former Yugoslavia)), and they've been great. For two of them I used their air, and they provided good routings at what I thought was a fair price. For SE Asia I did my own air, but that was because I was able to use miles for a business class ticket, rather than any concern about OAT's arrangements. I didn't hear any of my fellow travelers complain about their OAT air arrangements. I did have a COVID-affected trip, but didn't ask for a refund. I just postponed to a departure the following year, at the same price (i.e., the money I had paid for my 2020 trip, paid for my 2021 one instead). That worked out well for me.

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.

The Scoop: What to Know About Overseas Adventure Tours (OAT)

This small-group specialist runs tours to all continents..

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• Looking at an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour, but want to know more about this small-group tour company?
• Here’s everything you need to know about the tour company, all updated for 2024.

Overseas Adventure Travel —more commonly referred to as OAT (saying the letters as opposed to naming the grain)—is a small-group tour specialist with tours on all continents. As its name suggests, tours with Overseas Adventure Travel tend to be fairly active, so participants should be comfortable with six to eight hours of activity each day, including walking distances ranging from three to six miles.

OAT has a great reputation for its solo guest focus (more on that below), and offers a generous number of no-additional-cost single spots on its tours. It also has women-exclusive departures on many itineraries.

BEST OF THE BEST: Best Tour Companies for Guided Tours

On OAT tours, accommodations tend to be less about amenities and more about authenticity. Another thing to note is that airfare is often bundled into the up-front price of the tour (unless you specify that you want to book your own travel). OAT is one of the family of Grand Circle Corp. companies, also including Grand Circle Travel and Grand Circle Cruise Line.

TourScoop Takeaways

• Countries: OAT has tours on every continent 
• Tour Size Average: OAT specializes in small-group trips of no more than 16 people. Its small-ship tours are aboard 50- to 98-passenger ships max out at 25 travelers. 
• Tour Type: Coach, van, small ship, rail, and air

Credibility Check

Overseas Adventure Travel is BBB accredited with a rating of A+. It’s an active member of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). The OAT website posts verified guest reviews on each tour page (sometimes with hundreds of reviews) so it’s easy to see what past travelers think of each tour. 

Tour Destinations

For 2024, OAT has 80 itineraries that include tours on every continent. Some of the most popular tours are to destinations in Italy, Egypt, and multi-country tours in Africa and around the Adriatic. 

Overseas Adventure Travel gives all its tours an Activity Level Rating that ranks tours from one (easy) to five (strenuous) to help travelers find the right fit. It has both women-only departures and many no-additional-cost single traveler spots on tours. 

There are multi-country and single country tours. On many tours, OAT creates spaces for discussion and learning with its Controversial Topics program that covers topics such as Scottish independence on its Scotland Revealed itinerary and female genital mutilation on its Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari tour. 

Tour Guides

OAT’s tour guides are called Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and have a range of skills, certifications, and experience specific to the tour destination and experience. Trip Experience Leaders focus on both the logistical and the experiential, and help connect travelers with destinations by sharing firsthand insight that brings a destination to life. 

Inclusions/Extras

Inclusions are tour-specific (there’s a “What’s Included” section on each tour’s page), but generally include round-trip flights, many (but not all) meals, transportation, accommodations, activities, and gratuities for local guides, porters, etc. As with most tour companies, gratuities for trip experience leaders is separate. 

Typical Travelers

OAT’s guests are mostly American travelers aged 50 and older. In the last few years, Overseas Adventure Travel has seen a major jump in the number of solo travelers—more than half of all OAT guests are now solo travelers, and 80% of these solo travelers are women.

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OAT does right by its strong solo traveler base —in 2024, the company is offering 25,620 single spaces—91% of which are free (the remaining 9% of single spots have what OAT says is the lowest single supplement in the industry). And a number of itineraries also have women-exclusive departures. 

Communication

After booking, travelers have access to all trip details through the “My Planner” section on the website. The section includes details like flight information, destination weather, and itinerary information.

Then, two weeks before departure, travelers receive all their final documents, and are also contacted by their Trip Experience Leader. Any additional questions can be directed to OAT’s customer service email or phone number.

Loyalty Program

OAT’s loyalty program is the Sir Edmund Hillary Club . Membership benefits kick in when travelers reserve their third trip, and increase after traveling with OAT five and ten times. Benefits include credits to use on future trips, travel credits, exclusive gifts, and priority luggage service. 

Private Options

OAT offers Personalized Private Adventures for groups of five to 10 people. These private departures are available using existing itineraries, and include a dedicated Trip Experience Leader. The private group premium amount depends on the number of travelers in a group. Some of the most popular private tours include Ultimate Africa , Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes , and Japan’s Cultural Treasures . 

Sustainability Efforts

OAT is part of Grand Circle, and participates in the Grand Circle Foundation , which supports projects around the world focused on water and sanitation, education, community development, renewable energy, the protection of indigenous cultures, conservation, historic preservation, and disaster relief.

CULINARY ADVENTURES: Best Tour Companies for Culinary Tours

Health and Safety Practices

On OAT tours that include time onboard a ship, additional precautions include crew trained on best health and hygiene practices to prevent onboard spread of illnesses, nightly electrostatic disinfection of public areas, and disinfection of high-efficiency air filtration systems before each sailing. The OAT website is the place to go to read more about the current health and safety practices for land and ship tours.  

Family Companies

The Grand Circle family of companies includes Overseas Adventure Travel , Grand Circle Cruise Line , and Grand Circle Travel .

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Is OAT travel in bankruptcy

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Overseas Adventure Travel Questions & Answers

No. Not in bankruptcy.

Not that we know of. We just came back from a trip to the Arctic and have 3 more booked and paid for.

Not that we know of. We have 3 future trips booked (and paid for) with them.

Considering the superior quality of service I (we) received during my(our) recent 2 weeks trip to Mongolia, it absolutely didn't appear to be so. On the contrary, at the hotel in Ulaabaantar, the city capital of Mongolia, I noticed 4 other different OAT groups of 15-16 people, staying at same hotel during the highly popular Naadam Festival.

Have not heard anything about that. They recently hired a few dozen people to help with the volume of calls and improve customer service. Many people have been on multiple trips with OAT. While the travel industry greatly suffered with Covid it seems it is coming back big time.

I do not know but hope not.

I don't think so. I went to Tunisia in April 2023 with OAT and it was fantastic!

Vantage Travel is

Don't know but there are sooo many negative reviews. Too bad- so many of my friends were happy with OAT in previous years.

I do not think so. My trip went well. Call them and ask.

I do not know. I first heard that rumor 2 years ago

Not that I'm aware

Not that know of!

We have not heard about bankruptcy. Customer service has greatly improved. We are currently on a trip and everything is wonderful... So far!

I havent' heard anything about bankruptcy. In fact, we just completed a small ship cruise last month and had terrific service - nothing was reduced or short changed. They continue to be our favorite travel group.

I have not heard that OAT is in bankruptcy, nor have I seen any news to such.

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4 Phone Calls, 8 hours 23 Minutes On Hold

Customer service, has OAT even heard of this concept? The cover letter that came with my final documents has NO CONTACT information for OAT just in case a customer needs to reach out. No email. No phone number. This SCREAMS: “We have your money, and we don’t care to service your needs.” I had to resort to the numbers available on the website. Here’s my call log: • June 7, 2022: called 800-221-0814 at 1:05 pm, on hold for 3 hours 16 minutes. An automated message told me I had reached the maximum hold time, was being disconnected, and someone would call me within 72 hours (NO ONE EVER CALLED ME BACK!). • June 8, 2022: called 800-221-0814 at 9:03 am, on hold for 2 hours 14 minutes. Could no longer stay on hold, as I had to attend a meeting. • June 10, 2022: called 800-955-1925 at 9:01 am, on hold for 2 hours 8 minutes. Could no longer stay on hold, as I had to attend a meeting. • June 11, 2022: called 800-221-0814 at 9:01 am, on hold for 1 hour 5 minutes. Despite having followed the prompts for needing to speak with someone about the airline reservation portion and departing within the next 4 months, still got transferred from one agent to another and put on hold yet again. I also tried sending an email. The automated response was that someone would respond within 15 business days. Really, 3 weeks to respond to an email? Would Alan & Harriett Lewis, the owners of OAT, have persevered if they were customers? Called 4 times and stayed on hold for a total of 8 hours 43 minutes? ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT BECAUSE IT WAS NOW SO CLOSE TO THE DEPARTURE DATE, CHANGES WOULD NOW BE AN ADDITIONAL $$$. All of my time and effort were futile. Back on August 14, 2017 OAT posted an apology for poor service and long hold times on their website titled "We Owe You an Apology - Addressing our service issues." Yet, once again, OAT has the exact same problem. Why didn’t OAT learn the value of that lesson the first time? Shameful for a service business to not prioritize its customers. And this didn’t just happen, it’s been going on for months (just look at the reviews posted on TripAdvisor). OAT is in serious need of a customer service make-over, starting with the website as well as competent staffing. There is no chat feature on their website, nor the ability to send an intranet email. Customers traveling within the next 30 days are not provided higher priority than someone traveling 4 months from now. It is obvious their needs are more immediate. This isn’t rocket science. For heaven’s sake, OAT needs to step in to and up to today’s technology expectations for a multimillion-dollar travel company. Believe me, an apology will not repay me for my effort, frustration, disappointment, and time spent apparently uselessly trying to reach OAT. Results count, excuses do not. I am stuck traveling with a company that does not have the capability of helping its customers.

Date of experience : July 02, 2022

Policy over humanity or common sense

This letter is effectively what was communicated no less than 8 times in writing and conversation to OAT representatives up the chain, beginning 19 days before the trip. OAT was IMMOVABLE on allowing us to find an alternative travel companion and it was 100% due to rigid policy, not real barriers. We never expected a refund and wouldn't have blamed them if we could not fill my spot. They refused to even give us the opportunity. Appalling and sadly representative of their customer service. Congratulations, you lost two customers and one long time referral source. I only think it is fair that folks know the nature of the company at this point. An absolute shame. As a dedicated Edmund Hillary member of OAT with a history of introducing countless friends to your service including 4 who booked trips, I am writing to express my deep concern over the handling of our Galapagos trip booking in light of a recent medical emergency. This situation not only highlights significant gaps in customer communication and care but also underscores the need for immediate, effective action. Timeline of Events and Communication Issues: Initial Contact on 11/22: We contacted OAT 19 days before the trip, scheduled for 12/11, as soon as it became clear that extended surgical complications would prevent my travel. Policy of No Refunds or Changes Under 30 Days: We were informed that the trip is non-refundable under 30 days, which is understood. However, OAT also refused to allow a replacement traveler, posing zero risk to the company. Both of us called, met with the same response. Response from Exceptions Department on 11/22: The no-change policy was reiterated by the Exceptions Department on the same day. Written Escalation on 11/22: Both parties sent written letters to escalate the matter. Delayed Response Until 11/29: We did not receive any response until 11/29, with OAT mentioning the inability to make changes 12 days before the trip. Policy vs. Practical Reasons: The response seemed more policy-based than practical. We offered to cover the cost for a replacement traveler for the internal Galapagos flight, which was declined. The rep always returned to the policy prohibiting it. She further added we do not sell trips within 30 days. Upon looking the next day, I found no less than 7 different itineraries with no less than 13 different trips that I could have booked within 30 days. Further Escalation Request and Conversation on 11/30: A further request for escalation resulted in a 23-minute conversation on 11/30 without any change. Given these circumstances, I propose the following practical solution: Future Travel Credit in Exchange for Re-Selling My Space: If finding a substitute traveler is unfeasible, I suggest OAT resell my space to another interested party, crediting me for a future trip. This solution aligns with my preference and ongoing loyalty to OAT. The lack of a constructive response and rigid adherence to policy without considering exceptional circumstances is alarming. It not only affects this immediate trip but also impacts my ability to continue advocating for OAT in good conscience. An amicable and prompt resolution to this issue would speak volumes about OAT's commitment to customer satisfaction and flexibility. Unless there is a prompt and constructive resolution to this matter, we will be forced to escalate our concerns further. This includes reaching out to higher management within OAT, engaging with consumer protection agencies, sharing our experience through travel forums, and social media for breach of service. Our preference is to resolve this amicably, yet the current trajectory leaves us little choice but to pursue these avenues. I implore you to seriously consider these options and respond in a manner that reflects OAT's values of empathy and customer support. Your immediate attention to this matter is not only appreciated but necessary for a resolution that respects both parties' interests. Thank you for your understanding and prompt attention to this critical issue.

Date of experience : November 21, 2023