I am considering taking my first "My Way" tour next year and have gone on several RS guided tours. For those who have done both types could someone explain what is a tour manager, the RS employee in charge during the tour? Does a tour manger lack the "regional" knowledge to give a tourist "sage" advise while visiting a specific region unlike what a RS tour guide could provide? My potential tour is the France My Way tour.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
12704 posts
My Way® European Vacations
Rick Steves makes it easy to see more of Europe's best sights in one trip with his My Way® European vacation packages. Enjoy the freedom to decide your own daily sightseeing priorities and pace while we provide comfortable rooms in centrally located hotels, private bus transportation from city to city, all breakfasts, and a Euro-savvy tour manager to advise you along the way. We deal with the logistics to make your travel dreams a smooth and affordable reality. Get the most from your limited vacation time on a My Way vacation from Rick Steves
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/my-way-european-vacations.
Posted by
Used to be Steilacoom, now it’s Las Vegas
2438 posts
We’ve done 2 My Way Tours (Spain & Italy) and 9 fully guided tours. Our two tour managers were both long time RS employees/guides. The Italy manager and his wife have been long time guides and the Spain manager has guided My Way tours for years and works in the office in Edmunds the rest of the year. RS used to offer travel consulting services and that’s what the Spain guide used to do, Each tour member is in charge of their own itinerary and then the manager helps facilitate I.e. the Italy manager suggested an area for a gondola ride and then spoke to the gondoliers to let them know we might be coming. . They hold office hours every morning in the breakfast room to help with questions, etc… The Spain guide arranged for some optional activities. They are there for emergencies as well.
We have done the My Ways as back-to-back tours for areas we want to explore more and because we need to set our own pace (slower).
Posted by
Utah via SF Bay Area
446 posts
Patty-- Since you have done 9 fully guided tours and I'm assuming they are RS? How did you like the "My Way" vs. The fully guided tour.
Like the OP, we are considering doing a My Way tour next year. We've done 3 RS tours so far and just really enjoy them so much. We would like to do the Alpine to get away from the city scenes and do some hiking and hanging out in the Alps. The My Way seems perfect for that and also biking.
Posted by
Freedonia
17621 posts
I can explain the difference......
I worked in the tour industry as a tour director/tour manager/guide.
A tour manager/tour director is the person who runs a multi-day tour and travels with the group from place to place. They are responsible for everything that happens once the tour departs. They usually have more training than a guide.
A "guide" is someone who takes you around a city or a sight for a short time. (Cities, museums, historical sights, etc.) They normally don't travel with the group overnight
Rick Steves likes to call his tour directors/tour managers--guides. He does that so he can compare them to "guides" from other companies. Not necessarily tour directors/managers. (What kind of training they get varies. Some are licensed professionals and some are only trained by Rick Steves.)
He calls the people running the "My Way" tours "tour managers" to differentiate from his guides because they do no guiding.
What is the difference between a tour manager and a tour director? Nothing. The term is interchangeable depending on which part of the world you are in.
Posted by
Atlanta
2626 posts
I have been on 14 RS tours, 1 My Way tour - My Way Alpine, and have loved them all. The Alpine tour Manager was very helpful in my planning for hikes and other activities. For example, in Salzberg, I wanted to go to Hellbrunn Palace so he helped me narrow down what transportation mode I should take, etc. In the Lauterbrunnen Valley, he was extra valuable in helping me decide what hiking trails suited my capabilities. The My Way Alpine tour allowed me to spend 4 hours at the Hellbrunn Palace whereas on a fully guided tour, our time would have been more limited. Don’t misunderstand me, I love Rick’s tours, but the pace is not your own. You can opt out of activities, of course.
Our Tour Manager organized happy hours in the hotel and a couple dinners that folks could join in if they liked. Most people did gather and it helped our group bond. We paid for our dinners even if he made the arrangements for us. I loved the Alpine tour so much I went on the 12 Days Best of Switzerland tour the first week of June just to get back to Lauterbrunnen Valley and Műrren!
I’m considering the 11 Days My Way Spain tour in the future.
Posted by
Chicago
3689 posts
With the My Way tours, there is a tour manager to offer suggestions, but it is not a guided tour. The My Way tours book the hotels and provide the transportation from location to location. You are responsible for everything else.
For example, for the My Way France tour you mentioned, when you are in Paris, it is up to you on what you will do. There will be no tour guide taking you around the city. The tour manager can offer suggestions and give advice on how to get from your hotel to X site.