Private excursions with or without a tour guide??

Hi all,

Curious what thoughts people have on private tours 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

Hi all,

Curious what thoughts people have on private tours 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

We have taken tours both with a driver and guide and just the driver. In my opinion you get so much more out of the place you're visiting if I have a guide with you. They are able to point things out from moment to moment that you don't get on your own.

Our worst experience was visiting the forum in Rome without a guide. We had been given basic information on the way there, but once inside, we really didn't know what we were looking at. It was still very interesting and beautiful, but we would have gotten so much more out of it if we had a guide with us.

IMHO it's worth the extra money.

Thank you, luvtravel88, that is a very excellent point!

This is exactly why we did mainly ship tours on our Mediterranean cruise. By the time we added a tour guide so we understood what we were seeing along with a driver, the tours were really expensive. We had a pretty quiet role call, so not many opportunities to share either. My husband's not really a big tour guy, so we balanced ship tours in some cities (such as olympia) with self tours in places that Rick Steves that good audio guides (such as Athens- he has the acropolis as well as the agora and a city tour). They can be downloaded to your phone in advance so you don't even need an internet connection. We took public transport and used the audio guides, but you could also combine those with a driver.

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Audio guides are a great idea, illiniwahoo! I will look into that as well. Thank you!

It's been several years since we went, but at the time I didn't find any besides Rick Steves that you could get in advance. And I didn't research in advance what attractions had them for rent. I really like Rick Steve's because he has both city walls and single attraction guides. Just remember to have everyone bring their own headphones and download in advance onto their device. Only I had them, so my husband and I each took one earbud, which would have been fine, but in really crowded places like the acropolis, it was hard to stay that close together all the time. I just checked my app. He only has Athens tours in Greece. He has a bunch of cities in Italy covered if you are stopping in some Italian ports too.

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Get the guide, sometimes the drivers are just fancy taxi drivers that alot of times don't speak english....You will not be sorry by spending for the guide as well!!

We are considering using a tour guide operator in Rome... and just taxi to the meeting points outside of the 2-3 major sites that we will try to squeeze in. Too bad I am NOT an early person. Mornings are difficult for me... I would love to do the one offering of special authorized early-entry (and also, thus, quicker) guided tour to see the Sistine Chapel !

I looked into the one most very highly recommended tour operators, and while they should be very very good, knowledgable, speak fluent English, etc... They simply are not licensed/allowed to tour inside the sites. And, they are not cheap either!!!!

I am looking forward to Santorini, and I believe I am seeing on tour operator who has licensed guides, not just drivers.

I will have to double check to see how guided the tour operator I have on my list for Athens????