Having arrived in another country, tourists often do not even realize how interesting they could make their trip, depriving themselves of the many problems that await in a foreign land. Some choose organized group tours, considering this option the only optimal one, while others make their own route and go to comprehend it on their own. But is their choice so rational? Judge for yourself.
Before deciding how to organize a trip, it is worthwhile to thoroughly think over each travel option.
Independent travel
Independent travel
Let's say you went to conquer new lands on your own. It’s good if you happen to be in a European country and at the same time have basic knowledge of the English language – in this case, you can always find your bearings on the spot and ask local residents for help at any time. But what if your path lies in an exotic country with a language unknown to you, a completely different way of life and customs? The language barrier will become a big problem for you, as a result of which you will have to put a lot of effort into finding out everyday trifles. In addition, it will take you a lot of time and effort to prepare for an independent trip – you will have to collect information yourself, draw up a route and immerse yourself in its study, search and book flights and hotel rooms, view maps and guides. Sometimes all this takes many months – however, for some, such preparation is of particular, gambling interest. Finally, an independent traveler always runs the risk of incurring unplanned expenses and spending ahead of time, thereby remaining without shelter and food.
At the same time, with the participation of a private guide, all these and other difficulties are eliminated by themselves: the problem disappears knowledge of the language, the route has already been developed taking into account your wishes, the most advantageous tickets and hotel rooms have been booked and paid in advance.
Organized tour
A group of tourists at the entrance to the museum
Another opposite is participation in organized tours. Of course, group tours suggest an already known route with clearly planned stops and times, everything is predictable and there is no room for frightening uncertainty. But is this type of travel really that exciting? Will it be worth those months of your conscientious work in the name of recreation? Will it bring those impressions and emotions that were so long-awaited? Surely the answer is obvious to you: a set of large tourist groups always involves standard routes, scarce surface excursions and rigid time frames.
At the same time, individual excursions or trips in small groups make it possible to independently plan a route, from a private guide you will receive a lot of interesting, not “overwritten” information, hear interesting stories related to a particular attraction and, of course, get a boost of positive emotions from communication with a person who is truly interested in his job.
Traveling with a private guide
As you can see, already at the initial consideration, the advantages of choosing a private guide are obvious. Now let's make a comparison in more detail.
Time aspect
Spend time while traveling “wisely”
Let's imagine a person who has been preparing for a long-awaited trip for months, and maybe even years, honestly earning money for his vacation, expecting to get the most out of it. And now, having arrived for a few days in this wonderful region, he wants to do everything: to warm himself on the sea beach, and hit the extreme, and taste exotic dishes in some local restaurant, and admire the natural beauties, and just walk along unfamiliar streets some city.
Now imagine what constitutes an organized tour. The lion's share of the time here is spent not even on the excursion itself, but on logistics: the sightseeing bus makes stop after stop, picking up new tourists, time is spent getting in and out of the bus, waiting in line at souvenir kiosks and restrooms, searching for those who are left behind and lost.
With a private tour with a guide, every minute of your time is spent efficiently. Where an organized group of sightseers makes 4-5 long stops, a tour with a private guide deftly flies through the most interesting places, making 3-4 times more stops, visiting such corners where all the most interesting is hidden, and absorbing a huge amount of information. As a result, with a private guide, the sightseeing tour becomes richer and brighter.
Financial aspects
Often a private tour can be more profitable than an organized tour
Surprisingly, even financially, with proper planning, a private tour can be more profitable than an organized tour. You simply gather a group of friends, acquaintances and like-minded people, coordinate the route and planned stops with the guide, and the cost of an individual excursion is distributed by the number of people in your group. As a result, traveling with a private guide costs you less than an organized tour, while allowing you to see many more interesting places and get a lot more impressions.
Morale
A private guide will suggest an itinerary based on your wishes
Of course, the ultimate goal of any travel agency is income, and, based on this goal, it is more efficient to fill a full bus of tourists than to waste gasoline. In addition, the services of the driver and guide are paid in advance, so any free seat on the bus is regarded as unprofitable. As a result, the tour group is a large company with different, sometimes radically opposite interests. For example, some people are interested in an overview of local shrines, others are interested in the historical subtleties associated with a particular attraction, and others are eager to immerse themselves in the local color – take a walk around the bazaar, breathing in the aroma of coffee, tea and spices. Naturally, it is almost impossible to please everyone within the framework of an organized tour, therefore the tour itself is doomed to be too superficial.
On the other hand, a private guide, by asking you just a few leading questions, can plan an individual route tailored specifically to your interests and wishes. This person remembers that the guide is not only a professional in his field, but also a creative person. His work is his passion, he studies the latest news, research results with keen interest, builds a new route or improves the one already passed. Finally, an individual guide is your good companion, turning the trip into an adventurous and memorable adventure, as well as a faithful assistant who can solve any unexpected difficulties on your way.
So where can you find private guides?
We recommend looking for private guides on the following websites:
experts-tourister.ru
Tripzaza.com
bestprivateguides.com
Here is an example of the work of a professional guide: