Service for guides. Private guides and where they live. You will lose insurance

Going to the capital of Russia, we ask many questions: choosing a hotel, buying tickets for transport, choosing food places, but with such a question as choosing places to visit, there are certain difficulties, what to visit? What to see? - but maybe it’s worth a little change the last question itself. Choosing an experienced guide is what will help to solve several problems that arise before us. An individual guide in Moscow will help us get acquainted with the cultural attractions of the capital, tell us about their features and history.

But how to make the right choice? A guide to Moscow must certainly possess a large store of knowledge, because in Moscow there are a lot of places of interest, a broad outlook, because historical sights are usually ambiguous and you should not have only one point of view on them. To choose a really worthy guide, you need to contact a worthy tour desk, where there are quite high requirements for this position, trainings and various historical seminars are constantly held with employees.

If you want to organize an excursion for a foreign guest, you need to contact the Association of Translation Guides in Moscow, the official website on which you will find a good guide who understands a foreign language. A translator guide will help a foreign guest, get acquainted with the sights of the capital and learn more about the history of our country.

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Going on vacation to an unfamiliar country, each of us wants to get as many positive emotions from travel as possible. Therefore, many prefer to entrust their acquaintance with the sights with a professional guide who not only tells about the history and culture of Aboriginal people, but also shows the most significant places, helps in difficult situations and gives some valuable tips on how to behave and what to avoid.

Going on vacation to an unfamiliar country, each of us wants to get as many positive emotions and impressions from the trip as possible. Therefore, someone carefully examines all available information about the chosen country before the trip and plans excursion routes on their own, while someone prefers to entrust their acquaintance with the sights with a professional guide who will not only tell about the history and culture of Aboriginal people, but also show the most significant places, will help in difficult situations and give some valuable tips on how to behave and what should be avoided.

As you probably already understood, this article will focus on guide profession, whose representatives can be safely called "guardian angels" of hapless tourists who manage to "get lost in three pines" and get into the most ridiculous situations "out of the blue."

What is a guide?

A guide is a specialist who accompanies a tourist (or a group of tourists) on excursions, on hikes, car tours, etc., and introduces him to local attractions, culture and traditions. Quite often, the guide also has the responsibility of organizing leisure activities.

The name of the profession comes from the French guide (leader, guide), which almost completely reflects the essence of the guide. When the first guides appeared reliably unknown, however, there is an assumption that the need for them arose simultaneously with the ability to travel over long distances. It is known that the services of the crowned special ones who traveled abroad always provided lodging to the meeting party, which not only acquainted senior guests with local sights, but also provided them with any feasible help.

Over time and as a result of the development of tourism, there was a need for professional guides, as a result of which this profession appeared. Profession today guide   It includes several narrow specializations, among which the guide-translator, guide-guide and guide-naturalist are especially in demand.

The duties of a modern guide include: meeting tourists on arrival, organizing sightseeing tours, escorting during excursions or walks, getting to know the peculiarities of local culture and customs, ensuring the safety of tourists, etc. That is, for a tourist group, the guide becomes a real leader, on whom the overall impression of the trip and the place of rest depends.

What personal qualities should a guide have?

It’s not difficult to guess that since guide work   involves communication with a large number of people, a representative of this profession must not only be sociable, but also a very interesting conversationalist, able to captivate listeners with his stories and convey valuable information to them. In addition, the guide should have such personal qualities as:

• artistry;
• responsibility;
• punctuality;
• equilibrium;
• good memory;
• erudition;
• goodwill;
• tact;
• patience;
• resourcefulness;
• intelligible and competent speech.

Since the guide has to deal with a variety of people during work, knowledge of the basics of psychology and the ability to neutralize any conflict will not be out of place. If we talk about the requirements for the physical preparation of a guide, then the representative of this profession should be hardy and not get tired during long walks. The guide will also come in handy with an excellent sense of humor, which will help him always be in a good mood, regardless of the difficulties and difficulties that have arisen. Well and most importantly, the guide should love not only his work, but also the area with which he acquaints tourists.

The benefits of a guide profession

Talking about benefits of a guide professionFirst of all, it is necessary to note the lack of routine in the work. In contrast to the adjacent specialization of the guide, where the specialist sometimes has to conduct the same tour from year to year, the guide himself draws up a route in which tourists often make their changes. Also, the advantages of this profession include:

• communication and acquaintance with a large number of people;
• the opportunity to practice foreign languages \u200b\u200bwith native speakers;
• decent level of remuneration;
• the opportunity to travel a lot and discover new tourist destinations;
• work in the fresh air;
• great prospects for the development of its own tourism business.

Disadvantages of a guide profession

Disadvantages of the profession of a guide   no less than advantages. What is the need to work at any time of the day and in any weather. The well-known proverb "the wolf feeds the legs" fits this profession very well, as the salary directly depends on the quantity and quality of the tours: went to work - received payment, did not leave - did not receive. Do not forget that the guide:

• very often left without breakfast or lunch (while tourists have lunch, the guide often has to solve organizational issues, or look for those lagging behind a group of tourists);
• should smile with a smile at any questions of tourists, even if they, in his opinion, are stupid and tactless (that is, one cannot demonstrate a bad mood and irritability);
• responsible for the safety of tourists, who, incidentally, are not always distinguished by prudence and discipline;
• almost all day he says and tells something, and this is a very big load on the vocal cords.

Where can I get a guide profession?

In order to become a guide   it is not necessary to receive a special education. It is enough to complete special courses, pass an examination for professional suitability, and you can begin to work. Practice has shown that the knowledge and skills acquired in the courses are quite enough for the first time. The further career and, importantly, the guide’s salary level depends entirely on his ability to improve himself and his desire to constantly improve his skills.

All independent travelers are different, but they have one problem - judging by the tourist forums. There was not enough time, it turned out to be uninteresting, they got lost, did not know ... The questions are also the same: how to find, how to get there, expensive or not, is it worth the time? And half of these problems can be solved if you find a good private guide. Where to find him and how to find out?

To someone, a personal guide will seem a whim - there is the Internet, with it you can independently create a route and find out details about the city or country. However, a private guide company has important advantages. For instance:

• no need to shovel a mountain of literature and sites, so as not to disappear in a strange city;
• lack of a language barrier with local residents;
• the guide knows local features - prices, tricks and potential dangers;
• a private tour may be cheaper than an organized tour;
• access to places where they are not allowed without an accredited guide is opened;
• individual approach - the route will be tailored to your desires and interests;
• accompanying not only tourists, but also those who came to the city for work or treatment.

In short, a good guide will turn a looking tourist into a connoisseur of the city, make sure that you have a delicious lunch and are not exhausted in the search for decent souvenirs.

And where to find such a guide?

1. Using word of mouth

Trite, but - contact your friends, ask on forums and in thematic groups of social networks; good specialists are usually heard.

2. At the exchange of translators

It would seem that the professions are different, but there are always people on such sites who are ready to introduce customers to the city (they charge hourly fees for services).

3. On specialized resources

In the catalogs of excursions and guides you will find unique routes across hundreds of cities - sightseeing, museum, gastronomic, extreme - as well as people who lay them. Often, registering a guide on such a platform is a paid pleasure, which allows the resource to filter out people with frivolous intentions. On the guide’s personal page you can see what services and where he provides, description and cost of excursions, as well as reviews. The disadvantage of this method is that the resource commission will be included in the price of the excursions.

There is an online platform that simply “brings you” with the guide: you only see his photo and the cost of services, the rest you will already know when communicating. Airbnb's startup is focused on recreational activities and various local events where locals will take you. And on this site guides offer not only excursions, but also master classes.

4. On the spot

The method is suitable for popular tourist cities and travelers who are ready to take a chance. You need to go to the most tourist place, find a Russian group with a guide and ask him for recommendations - you will probably be immediately offered a familiar specialist. The disadvantage of this method is that you do not choose your guide, so it is more likely that your ideas about the ideal excursion diverge with him.

How to find a good guide on the Internet?

So, you looked after the guide in the right city, went to his website, blog or page and are trying to determine whether you will find a common language by greeting and publications. Here are a few criteria for a good guide:

• the presence of a license (in itself does not promise a great excursion, but gives access to some castles, palaces and parks, and adds a professional points guide);
• prices are not lower than average (too small amounts should alert you);
• politeness, literacy and neatness;
• the guide has video and photo reports about excursions;
• interestingly tells;
• can meet you at the airport or train station;
• does not ask for an advance payment;
• offers non-standard excursions and non-tourist routes;
• knows local prices and cuisine and can tell where it is tastier and cheaper;
• offers excursions on various modes of transport - by water, by tram, bicycle or even segway;
• shares reviews of tourists and photos with them;
• tells not only about the beauties that you will see, but also about how to dress for the tour and what to bring with you;
• works with a microphone.

Compliance with all these points does not guarantee that you have found a good guide, but it says that a person loves his job and knows the needs of tourists. Good luck with your acquaintances and interesting trips!

In an independent trip, many consider the search for a guide an optional and even superfluous task, because a map of the city can be taken at any hotel, and Wikipedia can find out the history of the Colosseum. And the guides, in the end, did not stop releasing, now even in the form of applications for smartphones. But an excursion is not necessarily an old-fashioned move from cathedral to museum and from museum to cathedral. A good guide will allow you to set priorities in planning a visit to a city or country, look into places that guidebooks don’t write about, and just learn more about the place you arrived in. Editors along the way   I tested in my experience several ways to get on a tour in Russian and English in an unfamiliar city, and here are our recommendations.

Where can I find a good guide

• on a free group tour of the city;
• on the Internet on sites of online booking of excursions;
• on a paid group or individual tour, which can be purchased directly on the spot.

1. Participation in a free group city tour

In almost any city that attracts a more or less stable tourist flow, there are free group tours in local, English and sometimes other languages \u200b\u200bpopular in the region (all of a sudden you know them better than English). Somewhere to participate in them, you need to pre-register online, but often it’s enough to come to the right place at the right time, which Google and colleagues can easily tell you by the query “city” + “free tours”. For example, every day at 11 a.m. a man with an orange umbrella will be waiting for you in London at the Churchill Monument for an excursion to the royal palaces, and every Saturday at 10 a.m. you can join a tour of the New York quarter of Greenwich Village, where they lived, drank and created hipsters and rock stars of the 60s. At the end of the tour, participants are usually invited to independently evaluate the work of the guide and determine the cost of the tour.

In addition to the obvious economic attractiveness, it is also worth noting the high quality of such excursions. As a rule, guides are really in love with the city and spend extremely fascinating tours. The organizers are also interested in the fact that free tours do not disappoint tourists, since such tours are an excellent marketing tool.

The downside of free tours is the lack of flexibility. If the tour time or route does not suit you, you will have to choose another option for exploring the city. Also, you will not be able to enjoy the tour if you do not speak English at a sufficiently high level.

2. Booking excursions on the online service

Over the past few years, several platforms have appeared that act as intermediaries in the search for a guide. When organizing a trip, we recommend that you study and compare the offer in the city you need on several sites. If you are satisfied with the tour in English, you can use international resources:

We will consider the main services focused on the search for a Russian-speaking guide:

• Experts.Tourist.

The slogan of the Tripster project: "Unusual excursions from local residents." In fact, on the site you can find both quite standard sightseeing tours, and truly outstanding offers for travelers who are no longer interested in a walk around the main attractions. At the time of publication of the article (June 2015), more than 2 thousand excursions in 307 cities were presented on the website. Tripster is simple and convenient to use. To organize a trip you need:

• choose a city;
• choose a tour (description of the tour and reviews from other travelers are available);
• place an order with the date and any additional questions to the guide;
• receive confirmation and answers to questions from the guide;
• pre-pay 16% of the cost of the tour.

After confirming the order, it becomes possible to communicate with the guide by phone or e-mail. We also note the presence of special projects and offers. We were especially captivated by the Moscow course "Six meetings on architecture for people who are not used to being interested in it." There is also a section "Community of Travelers", where you can get an answer to a question from local residents and other tourists.

Editors along the way   I used Tripster services on one of my recent trips and was pleased with both the service and the guide. At the time of preparing the material, the service had only one drawback we noticed - a small coverage.

Experts.Tourist

The “Experts” project is part of the multi-functional Tourist resource, on which you can find everything in a row on the theme of travel: from travelers' blogs to taxi reservation services from the airport. According to the creators of the service, the “Experts” project allows you to find not only a guide, but simply “your own person in Havana”: an interpreter, shopping guide, expert. According to information on the site as of February 2015, the service offers more than 12.5 Thousands of excursions in 114 countries. Verification by the editors along the way   in selected areas, it is doubtful whether these figures are realistic. So, for example, the service says there are 32 excursions in Zagreb, although there are no companies or private guides from this city registered on the site. However, some destinations are indeed presented much better than on Tripster - for example, the countries of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia).

Unlike Tripster, which is primarily aimed at travelers who are interested in unusual excursions, the Experts project. The tour operator is organized in such a way as to become an attractive promotion tool for travel agencies and private guides. Each guide has its own page, as in a social network, which contains a list of excursions, reviews of other tourists, the guide’s story about himself, contact information, copies of licenses and certificates. Having chosen a destination, the user sees a list of guides and travel companies offering services in this city, and a brief reference about each guide: the number of excursions and reviews, knowledge of languages, the availability of documents confirming professional suitability. Description of excursions can be seen only after going to the guide page. You can send a message to the guide through the website or contact directly - the contact phone number and email address are usually indicated on the guide pages. The service also allows you not to choose a guide immediately, but to place a request for a tour specifying the city, date and number of participants.

Advantages of the Experts service. A tourist is a large selection of standard sightseeing tours, a large amount of information about guides, the ability to immediately contact the guide directly by phone or email.

In our opinion, Experts. A tourist is less attractive for experienced travelers who are interested in non-standard excursions, but they will definitely not let you get lost in a strange city.

In addition to these sites, there are several more similar with Russian-language excursions:,.

3. Acquisition of individual or group excursions on site

For those who do not like to plan every day in advance, there is always the possibility of acquiring a tour on the spot. Booklets with advertising of excursions can almost always be found in hotels and hostels, the main tourist places of the city. Travel agencies' offices are often located on the main streets of the city and near attractions. As a rule, you can sign up for a group excursion in a day or two. Editors along the way   thus went on day trips around the city and to neighboring cities, and even to neighboring countries. Sometimes with the help of booklets in the hotel you can find unusual offers - for example, bicycle or themed tours. Having abandoned the preliminary planning of excursions, the following risks should be considered:

• a small number of tours in Russian (with the exception of destinations with a large flow of tourists from the CIS countries);
• low availability of private tours during periods of high tourist season due to the large number of preliminary applications;
• an incomprehensible situation with the quality of such tours - guides are not motivated by either reviews on the Internet or payment on the basis of "liked - did not like"; ask about the quality in fact no one.

Summing up, we note that none of the options considered is better or worse than others. Choose the one that is most convenient for you.

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