Private/Small Group Tours with a Driver Vs. with a Tour Guide

Hi all,

Curious what thoughts people have on private tours (particularly in Europe) that don't include tour guides, just drivers Vs. tours with a tour guide to accompany you into the sites. Since it costs extra to add a tour guide, just wondering if it's worth the extra expense since it seems drivers are also full of knowledge and can talk about highlights on the way to your destination.

Has anyone had both experiences, in any port, where they've had a better experience either way?

Thanks,

Kimberly

In countries like Italy and Greece, a "guide" must be licensed in order to enter museums, antiquities, etc. Requirements may also require a college degree.

Drivers are drivers. They may know how to get you there and some minimal knowledge about the nature of an attraction. But, if you want the "straight scoop," get a well respected guide (check with your hotel concierge months in advance).

Agree with the above post - drivers have zero qualifications related to supplying tourist info in general, so there's a much wider variance in how good the chat is in comparison to a qualified guide. Of course some jurisdictions let anyone call themselves a tour guide too - so reviews are crucial to ensuring you find somebody good - but especially in countries with licensing of guides you are guaranteeing at least a baseline quality level.

Plus, there's the improved safety of the person behind the wheel ONLY having the job of getting you X to Y safely rather than being distracted by entertaining you... and in European cities built long before cars, driving can be pretty hairy;-)

Best excursion we did driver was tour guide also , had 8 people went to pisa , Florence and a wine tasting at a vineyard, company was Papillion , we were in a new Mercedes van

Our last cruise we had a driver and tour guide in Greece and Turkey. Just the two of us in a very nice sedan. For us it is the way to go. I don't do tours on large buses.:):)

If you're going to book a private tour you may as well book an accredited guide. There are plenty of professional guide outfits listed on Tripadvisor.

With a guide you learn the history, hear great stories and often beat the lines and get into attractions quicker than if you went on your own.

Jonathan

Best excursion we did driver was tour guide also , had 8 people went to pisa , Florence and a wine tasting at a vineyard, company was Papillion , we were in a new Mercedes van

That sounds like an NCL excursion we did in 2013. The guide talked SO much on the bus, that when we got to Pisa ... she said we had to stand there and listen to her talk some more ... for an hour! DH stayed. I left. I could NOT take this woman's voice any longer!

I bought apples and fed the horses hooked up to the carriages. I found a bucket and filled it with water and gave them water. I shopped. I took pictures. Yes ... the locals laughed at me feeding the horses and petting them. Oh well, I had fun. When DH was finished, we sat in a restaurant and drank wine, had a snack and people watched.

On many tours we have completed, parking, if even available is at a premium. Therefore, we get dropped off at the door, with the guide, while the driver parks the mini bus.

In these cases, if the driver was the guide we would lose time while the bus was parked. Might cost a few extra dollars, but separate guide and driver is definitely worth it.

Finally the safety card - with some of the traffic conditions and quality of the roads, I really don't want the driver distracted giving commentary, answering questions, etc.

Once, a private tour got cancelled in Rome. We took a cab from the port into the city. A taxi driver admitted that he was not allowed to 'narrate' our trip. OK, but we asked him enough questions and he answered them and we got lots of information that way. It was a good trip, all things considered.

Jim

Here’s one thing bad about the driver also being the tour guide. In Tahiti, the driver/guide was so busy talking we got pulled over for speeding. Luckily he only got a warning.

Don

There are a wide variety of drivers on these types of tours. You may get one who speaks English well and can provide you with basic information about the sites. On the other hand, you can get one who doesn't do either of these things -- it happens, even occasionally with the very well reviewed agencies. Are you okay if that happens to you?

Which leads to the second point: some people really don't like or want all the detailed information provided by a real, licensed guide. (I happen to be an information junkie, so I love it; I also do a ton of research on my own before ever setting foot on the ship...) If that fits you, then perhaps a guide isn't truly necessary -- but I would still carry some backup information that you can use on-site in case your driver happens to be a dud and doesn't give you the info.

And finally, guides sometimes have more uses than simply providing information. For example, the Vatican museums are huge. If you were to try to visit every exhibit inside, it would take weeks. A guide can help "guide" you to the most important and well-known masterpieces without wasting time (which is important on a port day) as well as potentially getting you inside faster and knowing any short-cuts through the masses of other tourists.