I am wanting to book a private tour through a recommended Rick Steves guide. In Rick Steves current book the price is quoted a half a day tour for €180. When contacting the guide, I was offered 2 1/2 hour tour for €180? Does this seem right? I thought it would be 4 hours. What are your experiences on the time allowed for 1/2 day tour with guides referenced in his guide books?
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
6597 posts
The RS recommended guides have no affiliation with RS, other than he/his employees have vetted them. Occasionally, the recommended guides are local guides for RS tours. The guides can change their prices and you may not have the most current guide. And actually, there can be parts of the most current guide that are out of date. I've been planning a trip to Portugal and I've found hours have changed, businesses that are no longer operating, etc.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8130 posts
The price is what they say it is. Figure even the "2023" edition of the book has prices that are a year old, or more.
They made an offer, you are free to accept or not accept.
If you are motivated, if you go to the RS "Shop Online" Tab to the left, then Guidebooks, Italy, and then the appropriate guide, there is a section that has updates (Rather lengthy I see), and a link to provide feedback. You can provide feedback, they may add it as an update.
Posted by
Sunriver
1321 posts
Just as a reference. We booked a private tour with ToursbyRoberto. There were 6 of us - he picked us up in Florence (he wasn't too happy about that). It was $900 for 6 or 7 hours.
Posted by
Vignola, Modena, Italy
557 posts
Mostly in Italy is considered "half day tour" a tour who last about 2.5 / 3 hours. Even because for the most of people listen a guide for a so long time is stressful! If you start the tour at 9 usually at 12 you are done.
A full day is calculated on 6 hours with a lunch break.
Of course the most of guides operate in free market, so everybody can decide it's own rate and length of the tour. Depends on many factors and even which tour is (imagine 4 hours listening a guide explaining paintings at Uffizi: are like 4 hours of lesson without stop!). Depends even how busy is the guide, if there are other tours after your (and the guide has to suddenly cut and say goodbye) or not.
In general an average cost for a guide is around 50€/h, so for a HD often is around 150€, but depends by cities and kind of tour. So 180€ is not scandalously high.
I suppose you are in two, so I understand that is a huge cost for a couple. Remember even that a guide often works for groups, where the same cost is split into several people. A small group of 20 people pay less than 10€ for the same tour and appear cheap and fine. From the point of view of a guide the effort and stress is exactly the same having 20 or 2 people for 3 hours, so is normal that the rate is the same.