Thoughts on hiring a guide

I like the hop-on-hop-off buses to get a general lay of the city. I would recommend the one in Rome, but in Barcelona since the city is so large they have one company that does 3 lines (all on 1 ticket) and another that does 2 lines. We went with the one that does 2 lines and in retrospect I think I spent too much time on the bus (each line takes 2.5 hrs or so). If I was doing it again in Barcelona I'd just ride one of the lines. As for tours, I'm a big fan of walking tours and have never been disappointed. The RS book recommends tours that you can just show up and pay, as well as others for which you need a reservation. You can also find tours listed in other books, on the web, etc. I think you get a lot in 2 or 3 hours walking and listening to a guide explain what you're seeing, as well as enjoy the ability to ask questions. IMHO this beats walking around with 2 or 3 pages from a guide book hands down! I've never hired a private guide since that is out of my budget range.

Guided walks (or even hop-on/hop-off busses) make a lot of sense. It puts the sites in perspective and makes everything much more interesting. I study like crazy before going on a trip but I don't like being the de facto guide and interpretor for others who didn't take time to learn about the destination. I'm perfectly happy listening to a local's take on everything. Hiring a private guide is beyond what I normally budget for a trip. We found a guide in St. Petersburg and reserved a two-day tour with eight strangers to make the cost more reasonable.

I read like the dickens first and sometimes feel that I know more than the guides when my wife really pressures me to take one. Additionally, guides have you as a prisoner, you get what they want to talk about and they think you should see. Most of he time, I have my own focus (screw the art, where's the old stuff?) I've found them useful in really off-the-wall parts of the world that are fifty miles from the closest point I figure I can reach. Nobody, absolutely nobody, can make you apprectiate Barcelona. Edit: What Brad said about being the interpreter - - it stinks. I've done it with friends and a non-english speaking guide. Words just go in my ear in one language and out my mouth in another - - I usually have no idea what either of us has said since there's no time to digest or reflect.

I suspect this is a personal thing, but my family has really enjoyed the guided tours we have taken. That being said, all were fairly specific, that is touring a limited area vs a whole city tour. In London and Paris, we did relatively inexpensive two hours walking tours (London Walks and Paris Walks). Even though my kids are teens, we did a family walk of the Latin Quarter in Paris. It turns out we were the only ones that showed up for the tour. Honestly I think the fact that it was designed to appeal to multiple ages made the tour better; something for everyone. We did this our second time in Paris, but the tour covered an area we hadn't explored much during our first visit. In Rome we did a private tour with Context, covering the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. It was definitely expensive, and probably a bit too long (four hours), but my family all agree that it was a highlight of our trip. Context knew ahead of time the ages of our kids, so again in was tailored for a family. Our guide was a Rome native and an archeologist, and she was great.

It all depends on how good the guide is. I would not hire anyone without a lot of information from people who have hired the guide before... the amount of history in Rome is overwhelming for example.....someone who can put it in to an understandable context would make the trip better for everyone.. my first hired guide added so much to my last trip I would do it again if I was sure about the quality of the guide

We always try to get a guide on our first time visit to major cities, and we've never regretted it. I'm sure we've been lucky, but all of our guides have been knowledgable and fun and have added tremendously to our experience. We've found that a half-day tour is usually just about right.

Thanks for the responses. I had forgotten all about HO/HO buses. (Especially considering I've recommended them many times for people who have only a day in Paris.) Maybe that's a better choice for us with limited time. Ed - could you clarify what you said about nobody being able to make me appreciate Barcelona. Do you not like the city? It's been about 7 years since I was there with my sister (who had been studying abroad in another part of Spain). I have such a hard time understanding why it's such a "hot" destination right now.

Any city that has a HoHo bus will probably also have tour companies offering walking or bike tours at a similar or lower cost. I would choose those over a bus tour anyday, cause you get to ask the guide questions, you often get to go inside of churches or other buildings, plus they are far more interesting than a recording. I always do a walking tour when I get to a city. It gives me a good orientation, gives me more ideas about what to do with the rest of my time and the guides usually have good inside tips about local events. It is always money well spent. If you have a group of people or special interests, then hiring a private guide can be very worthwhile. People spend so much money getting to Europe and then spend so much of their time just trying to find all the things they want to see. A tour can help you make more efficient use of your time and make your trip even more memorable.

How old are the kids? Will they be willing to stay with a guide for an hour or 2? Podcasts may be another option, as you can stop and start them when you want.

Maureen - my kids are 7, 9 & 11 and have large attention spans. We've done two short guided tours at National Parks in the US, and they've enjoyed them. There seem to be some compelling arguments for why I should pursue this more. Seems like the right thing to do is see if I can find a reasonably priced option with a good reputation. Thanks for all the responses.

I always really enjoy walking tours or biking tours, i read a lot on the destination before i get there but my husband does not, so he enjoys tours a lot. My son has been traveling with us since he is 9, he prefers the biking tours, he really pays attention to what the guide is saying on any tour, and remembers it too!
We hired a guide in Rome (Ron) he was worth every penny!

Dina, I generally enjoy walking tours and try to take them when they are available. The Barcelona tourist office offers a number of themed tours. I can't comment on their quality as the timings of these tours did not work for my last trip, but they were reasonably priced (around 10 EUR or so).

I have been a research-and-do-it-yourself kind of person as I wasn't impressed with the info I got on many tours. But then I did a Rick Steves tour and experienced a well-trained and educated local guide. Now, if I have the chance to get a local guide I grab it. I really appreciated the information from our Berlin Guides. Pam

I prefer the HO/HO bus tours of a city. In a museum or a gallery, I enjoy looking at the 'objects' in peace and quiet rather than being lead around with a group (or solo) and having everything explained to me. I enjoy reading tons prior to a trip and know what I want to see. My favourite walking guides are the type like at Edinburgh castle where they guide you around for an overview and then cut you loose. This is the way I prefer to sightsee.

I've found that well educated guides add significantly to my experience, even when I'm well acquainted with the subject matter. The task is to find a well educated guide. I've had excellent experience with guides from Context Travel in several cities. You might check their website.

I think of myself as a do-it-myself person. My wife and I plan our trips and we almost always drive ourselves BUT when we have been able to use a guide there is no question that it has expanded our expierence and relieved a lot of stress. It is a little like using a GPS to find your way on the highway.

If your really not crazy about Barcelona I would suggest going to Park Guell, I'm sure you all would enjoy it, the park is so unusual. Take bus 24 from Placa de Catalunya NOT green line L-3. I would pay 10 euro for this outting but the park is free! Google for pictures , have a great day!