I'm looking at various guided tours in Madrid and Barcelona. Most have a specific prices and some like Runner Beans say give what you think it's worth. Two questions:
I'm not looking to cheap-out but want to be able to compare tours and decide which would best suit our needs.
Europeans seem not to tip guides for paid tours. Americans sometimes do. I've only taken low-priced walking tours, so I have no idea what goes on with pricier tours.
As for the "free" tours, Rick reported several years ago that the free-tour guides had to pay their company about 3 or 3.50 euros (I don't remember which) for every person who took the tour, however much they did or did not tip. What a racket! I try to avoid those tours, but sometimes they seem to be the only game in town. In that case I usually tip about what I'd expect to pay for a paid tour.
People seem to love the idea of a "free" tour, so the free-tour groups are likely to be larger than those on paid tours. In addition, I think you are a lot more likely to get a licensed guide on a paid tour. I just don't have total confidence in the accuracy of the information provided by unlicensed guides. On a "free" tour, the guide makes his living by entertaining one-time customers. It must be tempting to make things as exciting as the imagination allows. That said, I had no problem with the guides on the free tours I took.
We have hired guides for private tours, small group tours and “free tours.” We enjoyed every tour guide over the years. They were recommended by friends, relatives & this forum. We interview private guides & group guides. Since you are inquiring about Madrid & Barcelona we chose OGO Tours in Madrid & Runner Bean in Barcelona. We enjoyed both tour companies. They were engaging & knowledgeable. At the time we gave €15-20 tip. That said, you are not obligated to tip. We found we received valuable tips on restaurants, sites, etc. Over the years I recall we took a couple of guides to lunch in lieu of a tip. We had referred some friends to a guide in Budapest prior to our tour. Our friends said they brought specialty chocolate from home for their guide. We did the same. We are still in contact with several guides & continue to refer.
Edited to add: Another great resource that I have used to hire guides: https://sunsetsandrollercoasters.com/
Runner Beans offer paid and 'free' tours, they both are of great value and quality and their guides are quite knowledgeable, at least this is the consensus among many visitors that have used them.
Thanx guys. I appreciate the info.
