First time going to Italy in March 2024. Family of 4, 2 kids. We booked a private tour while in Venice. We found the person through RS Guide book. We are determining start time and meeting location.
They asked for the address of our Airbnb.
Would you be ok providing that or would you pick a restaurant or shop near the Airbnb?
I don't understand. Are you concerned about giving the address of you Airbnb? Why?? What am I missing? I would not be concerned.
Hello jmarkey86,
Personally I would be fine with providing the location at which you're staying with a well known local guide. They are just trying to arrange a convenient place to meet and are willing to meet you at your location.
If you have any reservations however, I would just pick a nearby landmark/piazza/bar and arrange to meet there. You're the customer I'm sure they'll meet you wherever you want.
Think about getting a WhatsApp number or arranging some way to communicate with them when you're in country for any last minute issues.
Venice is amazing - have a great trip,
=Tod
Thank you both for taking time to respond. My concern was just someone having the address of where I’m staying and not knowing the safety/security of the Airbnb. Just felt the tiniest bit strange to give someone the actual address of where I’ll be staying with my family. Probably just me being paranoid taking my first European trip, and my first long distance stay in an Airbnb.
would you give the shuttle to the airport your address or a taxi driver? Is there something worse about a well recommended guide than a random shuttle driver or taxi driver?
Nigel - Thanks for the perspective!.
I work as a touristic guide and for us is always important define a meeting point. Often we agree with the tourists to meet at the hotel or B&B, so they can waiting me at the hotel lobby or in the apartment: so we receive the name or the address of the meeting point. Is a perfectly normal question from the guide point of view. In general is a form of kindness go at the location where the tourists are.
Other times we meet in a public place: a bar, a monument, the train station. Is normal. Not only for people warried of safety, but even because maybe the tourists has another activity before or are just arrived in the city.
So, feel free to agree for any meeting point, but don't be worried about the request.
It's natural to worry about about new and different things when you're taking a step to do something completely new.
Hotels in Europe are required by law to collect your passport information when you check in and Americans are famous for making this more of a big deal than it needs to be. Some people also really worry and puzzle over taking trains and buses and want to default to renting a car - which is expensive and troublesome - when they don't need one.
I always remind people that as exotic as these places feel when we visit as tourists these are just cities full of people who are living their everyday lives. They take trains and buses to and from jobs, friends, school, etc everyday and we're just visiting their hometown for a few days. Everyone here works, shops, cooks, goes out with friends just like we do so don't worry so much about stores, transportation or daily needs and just assume you'll be able to sort things out if and when you need to.
I do use a money belt and pants with an internal zippered pocket to keep passports and credit cars safe - even in places where it seems silly - to put my worries to rest and just relax about everything else and try to fit into everyday life as much as possible.
I'm a planner so I'd say plan and learn as much as you feel you need to beforehand and then just go and enjoy it. Things will go wrong, you'll mess something up but all of that is fine and virtually everything is fixable. And hopefully for everything that goes wrong there will be unpredictable things that will go your way as well and provide memorable experiences. As Ricks says just travel in a state of eternal optimism and enjoy all the aspects of the experience.
Have a great trip,
=Tod
"Probably just me being paranoid ...." For first time travelers, it is easy to be paranoid since most travel sites focus on the negative - pickpockets, scams, problems, etc. -- with very few comments on how smooth and non-threatening it was. Almost anything is always possible but the reality is that nearly all tourist will be fine - even the careless ones. We have traveled for nearly a year in Europe over the past 50 plus years. To the best of our knowledge we have never seen a pickpocket in action or any attempt on us. BUT -- doesn't mean I cannot have a problem on the next trip. Even Rick Steves admits to having been hit once in Paris. And we have never had a problem with short change or a taxi driver -- but next time?
We do taken some precautions -- dress appropriately, proper use of money belt, good situational awareness go a long ways in preventing problems. There is an old cliche around that sums it well --- "You cannot avoid looking like a tourist, just don't look like a stupid, American tourist." You will be fine.
