Overseas Adventure TravelReviews of oattravel.com

Great trip to the Baltic Capitals, but there was an issue with a lost passport on our last day causing our trip home to be delayed by one day. OAT cancelled our flights (versus rebooking them) and we had to pay an additional $2,484.02 in airfares to get home. We've been fighting it for a couple of months, but no luck - OAT's customer service is terrible.

After researching OAT’s European cruises on Travelzoo, I noticed a significant discrepancy in their advertised rates. Packages were promoted from $995 per person for select dates, but when clicking through to the OAT website, actual prices for similar itineraries were much higher—often starting above $3,000 per person, even after advertised discounts. This made me feel that the marketing strategies might be misleading for travelers expecting a low-cost experience. If you’re interested in a European cruise during the low season, consider flying over and booking directly with local agencies or cruise operators. From my experience, this often results in better deals and more transparent pricing than booking through large travel websites or agencies advertising “special offers”. I’m glad I read reviews and did some research before making such a substantial commitment, and recommend others take the time to compare prices and read recent traveler experiences before booking. For the best value, don’t be afraid to explore local options once you’re in Europe.

Two weeks prior to take off, OAT shortened the itinerary by one day. Since I bought my own airfare, it was too late to change. This left me in a scramble to find a hotel to cover their lapse. Two of the meals were cheap buffets. Never again. Very poor communication with Boston Headquarters. Guides can't help with any problems you might have with the headquarters.

I just came back from the "Japan Cultural Treasures" trip on August 31st. 2025. I'm very happy I listened to one of my friends who is a seasoned traveler with OAT. She was right; everything during the trip was better than expected. The hotels chosen were excellent. Super clean, with a lot of amenities, great professional personnel offering impeccable service. The transportation used during the entire trip was very comfortable limo-type vehicles with good air conditioning and polite drivers. Japan is heaven for vegetarians like me. Our experienced leader went out of his way to make sure my requests were met. The pace and daily itinerary were exactly as specified in the Itinerary Booklet. The highlight excursions were super interesting and full of cultural information. Our experienced leader was perfect in all aspects. He was energetic, professional, very flexible, and concerned about the well-being of all the participants. Always providing the best information about the sites visited. Always giving the best suggestions for free-time adventures. On more than one occasion, he used his personal time to go with us on the free activity chosen by the group. This was my first international experience with OAT. I am extremely pleased with my Japanese trip. I'm booking my next "Egypt, Jordan, Israel adventure" with OAT. I know I won't be disappointed.

I decided to book my airfare through OAT because the travel agent assured me that seats on all 4 legs were included in the price - this made their pricing competitive, although higher-cost than booking the airfare directly. I received a written confirmation showing all 4 seat assignments. When I viewed my reservation on the airline website, 2 of the seat assignments were missing and I was required to pay the airline to secure them. OAT refused to acknowledge their responsibility for misinforming me and would not issue a future service credit for the amount of the seat charges. The customer service agents claimed there was no "proof" that the original agent had assured that seats were included, even though I had written documentation. They stated that OAT had no control over carrier seat transactions even though I was assured that their price included these seats. Agents are poorly trained and provide misinformation; they are condescending when one calls with a problem.

A trip to Uzbekistan. The guide was excellent and I loved the country. But Overseas Adventure Travel chose some subpar hotels and offered me no option except use of Turkish Air, which has a notorious and ongoing problems with bedbug infestation. My business-class ticket DC to Tashkent return was outrageous at more than $6000 and I did indeed get bitten by a bedbug on my right hand on the return trip. As a travel agency OATS had to have known of the problem. I can only think they must have a hell of a deal going with the airline.

I booked a trip with OATS in December 2024. When I booked with OATS their operator assured me that I could cancel the trip and obtain a full refund as long as i cancelled 90 days prior to departure. I sent a letter no response, so I called, then I filed a complaint with better business bureau.

Update. I received a partial refund but they never did accept any responsibility for not helping the day of the issue. I will travel with OAT again. The tour was amazing but I will never use them for airfare. I agree my issue was unique but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Don’t book airfare with them. I never left the airport despite getting there three hours early. United couldn’t check my luggage through to Palermo. Lufthansa couldn’t see an issue. OAT said deal with the airlines. When I finally missed my flight the airlines said only OAT could fix it but OAT said there wasn’t a problem and I would have to pay another $3500 to rebook. They said to use them for airfare that they would stand behind it but no luck. Book through the airlines. I was so looking forward to the trip but I can’t risk more money only to know I’m on my own if there is a problem.