3 answers
Voc
Student
Landrum, South Carolina
42
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What is it like to be a travel guide
I want to be a travel guide when I grow up
#travel
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3 answers
Marcin Nadrowski
Engineer
2
Answers
Łódź, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland
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Marcin’s Answer
I have always wanted to follow my paths, not the beaten paths, to interest tourists not with standard places, but to be able to show the true face of a given city
Nicole Stevens
Registered Medical Assistant
7
Answers
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Nicole’s Answer
I’m not a travel guide, but I would think some basics would include knowing how to talk to people and being personable. Since you are a student, I would think about possibly taking some classes about different cultures and/or some geography classes. If you have a specific area you want to be a guide in, start learning the history of that area. Finally, reach out to local tour guides. See how they started on their path. Good luck!
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
845
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi Voc,
While I have never been a travel guide, I am an avid traveler and have been in the presence of many types of travel guides. I've met guides who have made it a career and some who only do the work in the summer (or high season of where they work). I think that you need to consider a few factors when you think about becoming a travel guide - what kind of guide you want to be and where you want to work.
When I think of travel guides, there are a few different types of guides that I think about.
1 - The City guide - I have taken bus rides around cities on services like HOP ON/ HOP OFF. These individuals give scripted 1 to 2 hour tours while driving a bus. Some tours like this also have someone driving the bus and someone guiding the tour. Another interesting city tour that I took was with a man who was a professional photography and he took me on a photography tour. We both had cameras and he took me to specific locations. In addition, he took pictures of me in beautiful places so I didn't just have weird selfies of myself at locations.
2 - The Day Trip guides - I have been on several day long guided tours as well. My favorite company is Gray Line Tours in cities where they are available. These are tours lasting up to 12 hours. Like the day city tours, there is a guide - driver or two people doing those roles. The challenges presented here are the interactions with the locations that you visit and being able to change locations if one doesn't work out. This kind of tour has much more interaction between the guide and the staff at locations, since it often includes a meal or two.
3 - The multi-day, multi-city tour guide. I have only taken one of these but I was lucky to have the most incredible guide. She was a single guide for 40+ people, have of whom were under the age of 14. She did most of the work but worked in tandem with a bus driver. This was an 11-day, 9-city tour in Spain. She had to handle us and discussions with hotels and restaurants throughout the tour. In addition, she connected with a local tour guide in every city, so she would not have to be an expert in every city. Finally, she had to be knowledgeable enough to change plans. During our trip, a day set aside for being on a beach fell on a stormy day. She wanted to make sure that we had the best trip so she coordinated overnight to have our group go to an unexpected location for the day. That takes knowledge and a good network of contacts and support from your employer to get it right, which she did. And of course, she was fully bilingual with her American customers and her Spanish partners in Spain.
I offer those as some considerations for you to visualize how the job can be. For me, guides represent knowledge and safety. I have traveled alone many times and having a guide to take care of me has been a blessing.
Gloria
While I have never been a travel guide, I am an avid traveler and have been in the presence of many types of travel guides. I've met guides who have made it a career and some who only do the work in the summer (or high season of where they work). I think that you need to consider a few factors when you think about becoming a travel guide - what kind of guide you want to be and where you want to work.
When I think of travel guides, there are a few different types of guides that I think about.
1 - The City guide - I have taken bus rides around cities on services like HOP ON/ HOP OFF. These individuals give scripted 1 to 2 hour tours while driving a bus. Some tours like this also have someone driving the bus and someone guiding the tour. Another interesting city tour that I took was with a man who was a professional photography and he took me on a photography tour. We both had cameras and he took me to specific locations. In addition, he took pictures of me in beautiful places so I didn't just have weird selfies of myself at locations.
2 - The Day Trip guides - I have been on several day long guided tours as well. My favorite company is Gray Line Tours in cities where they are available. These are tours lasting up to 12 hours. Like the day city tours, there is a guide - driver or two people doing those roles. The challenges presented here are the interactions with the locations that you visit and being able to change locations if one doesn't work out. This kind of tour has much more interaction between the guide and the staff at locations, since it often includes a meal or two.
3 - The multi-day, multi-city tour guide. I have only taken one of these but I was lucky to have the most incredible guide. She was a single guide for 40+ people, have of whom were under the age of 14. She did most of the work but worked in tandem with a bus driver. This was an 11-day, 9-city tour in Spain. She had to handle us and discussions with hotels and restaurants throughout the tour. In addition, she connected with a local tour guide in every city, so she would not have to be an expert in every city. Finally, she had to be knowledgeable enough to change plans. During our trip, a day set aside for being on a beach fell on a stormy day. She wanted to make sure that we had the best trip so she coordinated overnight to have our group go to an unexpected location for the day. That takes knowledge and a good network of contacts and support from your employer to get it right, which she did. And of course, she was fully bilingual with her American customers and her Spanish partners in Spain.
I offer those as some considerations for you to visualize how the job can be. For me, guides represent knowledge and safety. I have traveled alone many times and having a guide to take care of me has been a blessing.
Gloria