Gap Adventures anyone any experience

nailer8

Anyone out there any experience with travelling with GAP www.gapadventures.com in central america. Specifically Costa Rica.

Myself and my partner (both early 30's) have three weeks for our holiday. We are considering either their Volcano Adventure from Antigua to San Jose or their Costa Rica Adventure.

We were going to do a tour because time is limited and it seems you get more done in any given time on a tour.

However i am seeing mixed reviews of Gap tours on the internet. The risk is success or failure seems to depend almost entirely on the tour guide which can be brilliant or useless.

Anyone out there any advice.

baztard

I can't say anything about Gap as haven't tried them, but I can tell you about Costa Rica. Its a great place, you'll love, and it's also very small. So doing a trip like this by yourself is very feasible. Getting from anywhere to anywhere by bus is very easy and relatively quick. Theres no need to book ahead or anything like that, just turn up at the bus station and get one of the many very regular busses. Accomodation is also very easy to find, and you dont ned to book it weeks in advance, turning up on the day should suffice. And the best thing about not doing a tour is that your not tied down to someone elses schedule. If you like a place, stay longer, if you don't leave early. Save yourself a load of money and have a far better adventure without gap or any other tour company.

dory

I just read a really interesting blog on their website about the Peruvian mudslides, so thanks for posting their address.

You can never tell with a group travel thing for sure. You can read all the great reviews and research but still get a crap guide. So it's more about that than the company. That said, GAP are a well known company and they seem to do good work, bringing potential customers to buy from local people.

There is always an argument against group travel, but really if it's what you want then go for it. Some people don't have the time or will to plan these things, just want to enjoy it. It takes away so much planning and you really do get to see everything. I did one in Peru as my mother was only visiting for 11 days and I knew we wouldn't see everything in such a short space of time. Eventually we had to tell them to leave us behind on a day trip or two because it was too much!

My only fear is that someone would sign up for one and then find it is completely not for them. If you're sure then great.

nailer8

Thanks dory & baztard

There are a lot of pros and cons for group V independent.
For me on this particular trip the main reason I am choosing a group is so that all booking organisation etc is done for me.
2 1/2 weeks isn't much time and i didn't want to waste days organising travel & accommodation. I want to squeeze as much activity in as possible.

The only alternative to a group for me would be to rent a vehicle but i am not sure if driving in Costa Rica is a good idea.

If you are taking a year to go around the world where time is plenty full and money is tight, it's a different story.

The way i am planning on going now is booking the tour, in the unlikely event that the guide is a disaster we will leave it and take our chances fighting it out with the tour company to get our money back when we get home.

breadmonkey

nailer8 wrote: »

The way i am planning on going now is booking the tour, in the unlikely event that the guide is a disaster we will leave it and take our chances fighting it out with the tour company to get our money back when we get home.

I like it!

Dante10

nailer8 wrote: »

Thanks dory & baztard

There are a lot of pros and cons for group V independent.
For me on this particular trip the main reason I am choosing a group is so that all booking organisation etc is done for me.
2 1/2 weeks isn't much time and i didn't want to waste days organising travel & accommodation. I want to squeeze as much activity in as possible.

The only alternative to a group for me would be to rent a vehicle but i am not sure if driving in Costa Rica is a good idea.

If you are taking a year to go around the world where time is plenty full and money is tight, it's a different story.


The way i am planning on going now is booking the tour, in the unlikely event that the guide is a disaster we will leave it and take our chances fighting it out with the tour company to get our money back when we get home.

Not to burst your bubble or anything but be sure to read the dispute resolution clause in your contract with the company.....it is very likely that that clause will stuplate that the dispute be settled in law courts in a jurisdiction other than out own. I know this because Im after doing an Intrepid tour, which was excellent but nevertheless I always read the contract terms for the hell of it . Intrepid is an aussie company and contract stated that all disputes be resolved there.....not sure about GAP but I'd reckon its something similar.

enjoy the trip---im sure it will be great!

nailer8

In fairness that's all worst cast scenario. I wouldn't be booking it if I thought there was a likely chance of that happening.

However on the jurisdiction question I would have thought if you book it through an Irish travel agent it would be them you would go to first in the event of a dispute.

Irish Gunner

I am currently in Chile with a gap group. Yes it depends on the leader we have a good one but met groups who thought theirs was not the best.Also it depends on the group one I am on are quite good.Also they have different types I am on the basic so its buses & hostels everywhere. I was in the same boat as you did not have time to do the diy way so went with Gap

Dante10

nailer8 wrote: »

In fairness that's all worst cast scenario. I wouldn't be booking it if I thought there was a likely chance of that happening.

However on the jurisdiction question I would have thought if you book it through an Irish travel agent it would be them you would go to first in the event of a dispute.

yeh, its all worst case scenario for sure....hopefully it would never come to that.

No, your contract is with the tour company, the travel agent, is exactly that "an agent". Your contract is with the principal-ie-the tour company....and the contract you sign with them, always has a list of terms and conditions (which i advise you read) and will always state the jurisdiction in which the dispute is to be settled. Also, whatever you sign when dealing with the travel agent, will usually waive your entitlement to sue the travel agent, which in most cases will pass on liability to the tour operator anyways. Im not a solicitor (yet), but i reckon it would be possible to attach the travel agent as a co-defendant but that wouldnt go very far. Just my two cents and again, hopefully it would never go that far.

Hope you enjoy your trip.