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GetYourGuide Review: Things To Know Before Booking

Last Updated on April 21, 2024

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Some of us love to research before our trips while some of us hate it. To those who hate it, thankfully there are multiple online travel agencies that do all the heavy lifting. One of the most popular online travel agencies that has been gaining popularity ever since it was founded in the late 2000s is GetYourGuide .

In this article, we will explore what makes GetYourGuide tick, and what we think about it. You can scroll down to our full-fledged review if you don’t feel like reading the what, who, where, and how.

Also if you are starting out Digital Nomading solo we highly suggest looking into our Remote Year Review . Remote Year not only makes daunting solo travels easier but also gives you a taste of what being a solo traveler is all about.

Table of Contents

What is GetYourGuide?

GetYourGuide is an online travel agency (or an online marketplace) that sells activities or tours. More like experiences . These are guided tours you can partake in once you reach your destination. One website, thousands of experiences.

Now you may wonder whether they are legitimate or a scam. We don’t blame you for thinking that because that’s what plagues everyone’s mind when it comes to booking accommodation or any other service in a foreign destination. GetYourGuide is pretty legitimate. It was founded in 2007 and has more than 60,000 products worldwide in 150 countries, 22 languages, and 40 currencies.

In case it needs to be more clear, GetYourGuide is a third-party booking site that sells these tours. That means when you opt for a booking, GetYourGuide is the middle man (aka agency) between you and the tour operator or the host of the activity. The whole system works just like a flight booking or a hotel booking website.

All the activities/experiences are divided into four categories. Sports, Culture, Food and Nature.

The food section includes experiences like guided tours exploring street food in the Middle East or learning how to make macarons in a traditional French kitchen in Paris. Wine tasting, making pasta from scratch, exploring tapas bars, and so on. There’s a lot to explore here for those who are super passionate about food.

In the sports section, you can go from zip lining in the city to a guided walking tour of the Madison Square Garden. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. And in the nature section, you can opt for a dolphin-watching cruise, a trek through the mountains, or even enjoy a sunset by the bonfire. All these experiences so that you can be one with nature.

Finally coming on to the cultural experiences, you can completely immerse yourself in the destinations by learning more about their roots and history. Some of the experiences we discovered here include exploring Berlin’s street art scene, a bike tour through the nooks and crannies of Paris, and changing of the Guard Routine in London.

It’s a pretty robust offering by GetYourGuide. Something that would require hours of researching and planning is available to you at your fingertips through the GetYourGuide mobile app. Or you can even access the website and look up your destination.

All of these activities/experiences listed on the website are run by local companies and local guides. They pay a certain fee to have their activity listed on GetYourGuide. All in all, GetYourGuide is just a reseller. However, some activities are organized and run by GetYourGuide themselves which are listed as GetYourGuide Originals and are known to be of top quality.

How does GetYourGuide Work?

• At first, you start by browsing the activities you like. You can check out their reviews, compare prices, and dig a little more deeper. There are multiple activities/experiences revolving around the same tour. You can pick the one you like the most with the budget that you are comfortable with.
• Specify the number and type of participants, preferred date, and language (if applicable).
• Opt for your preferred option and select a starting time (if applicable).
• Provide your details for the booking.
• If you’re interested in a cancellation upgrade for added flexibility, you can include it in your purchase. (More on the cancellation upgrade later in the article)
• Choose your payment method and finalize the purchase.

That’s it. Nothing too complicated. You can either make the booking on your browser or you can use the mobile app.

The Finer Details

In this section, we will be going through the finer details that makes GetYourGuide stand out from the rest.

1. Everything is laid out

We couldn’t help but notice how each activity/experience is detailed under the ‘Important Information’ tab. Usually, it can be a huge bummer if you opt for one of these only to find out you didn’t pack the right gear.

Not only does it help in managing your expectations but it also gives you pointers and instructions so that you avoid any future inconveniences.

2. Cancellation Upgrade

Most of the activities on GetYourGuide come with a 24-hour free cancellation policy. That means you can cancel your booking until 24 hours before the activity starts to receive a full refund.

However, there are some activities/experiences where cancellation is non-refundable. In cases like these, GetYourGuide has partnered with Companjon Insurance to provide a Cancellation Upgrade .

At the time of payment, you can opt for a Cancellation Upgrade. You’ll have to pay an additional amount and the amount is determined by the type of activity. Note: Cancellation Upgrade is not applicable for all the activities.

With Cancellation Upgrade, you can rest easy knowing that you have the option to cancel your booking for any reason during the coverage period.

3. And the amount is fully refunded. The booking cost + the upgrade cost.

So in cases where your cancellation wouldn’t provide any refund, you can pay a little extra for the Cancellation Upgrade and have access to a full refund in case of cancellation. Kinda like insurance.

One drawback of this nifty feature is that the option to add a Cancellation Upgrade is not only limited to certain activities but also to those who are in the European Economic Area (EEA) at the time of booking. Hence you won’t be able to avail of the upgrade if you are booking from any other region other than EEA.

4. G Originals

If you are looking for quality, always go for GetYourGuide Original branded activities/experiences. These activities are hosted by the nice folks at GetYourGuide and they manage to ensure that the hospitality is always top-notch. The bar is set higher and you are more than likely to end your day with a smile on your face. Apologies if it sounds like we are marketing it, we were just blown away by GetYourGuide’s commitment to it.

Another benchmark for good quality activities/experience is the ‘Certified’ label. Activities/Experiences marked by the ‘Certified’ label are thoroughly vetted by GetYourGuide for quality. The only difference here is that the G Originals Activities are managed by GetYourGuide while the ‘Certified’ Activities are done by a third-party seller.

You can also filter all the activities with other labels like ‘Discounted Price’, ‘Likely to Sell Out’, and ‘Best Seller’. In order to look for a reliable, safe, and of good quality, we suggest filtering your results by ‘Best Seller’ and ‘Likely to Sell Out’.

4. Best Price Matching

You might want to buckle up your seats for this one. If you manage to find your booking elsewhere for a cheaper rate, GetYourGuide will refund you the difference. All you have to do is contact GetYourGuide’s customer care and forward them the link to the site where it’s cheaper. Upon verification, they’ll refund you the difference. No Questions Asked.

However, there are some terms and conditions to it. For starters, the location, number of participants, availability, and inclusions have to be exactly the same as your booking. GetYourGuide will check whether it meets their policy and then issue a refund if the criteria is met. Also, Best Price Matching does not cover discounts you might be eligible for on other sites.

5. VAT Inclusive Prices

Prices mentioned on the site and the app are always inclusive of VAT. You don’t ever have to worry about additional hidden charges or fees. Third Party Sellers who ask you to pay an additional fee during the activity are not legally allowed to do so and you can voice your grievance to customer care.

6. Is it Too Expensive?

Some may argue that going for these activities/experiences locally is a lot cheaper. While we may agree with that, you should bear in mind that there can be language barriers at your destination and a high likelihood of being ripped off in case you run into the wrong person. Hence, we believe booking your activities through GetYourGuide is simply better. And the gap between the prices of booking through GetYourGuide and through local isn’t that big either. You can also avail the different offers/discounts available on-site.

Sometimes you’ll come across situations where you are all set to book the activity well in advance only to find that the booking slots have not even opened up at all. In cases like these, you are bound to find the booking slots on GetYourGuide. If you tend to be one of those who like to stay ahead of the curve by booking everything well in advance, GetYourGuide bookings are the best way to go.

If you look hard enough, you’ll find some of the activities/experiences prices almost the same as the local prices.

Pros and Cons of Booking through GetYourGuide

Let’s be honest. GetYourGuide is not really perfect. Before we jump on to the reviews, let’s go through the advantages and disadvantages of using GetYourGuide. Let’s dig deeper and understand what makes GetYourGuide work its magic.

Pro – You’ll always be supporting locals

Most of us love to give back to the community whenever we travel. It’s also the fact that when you shop local, you completely immerse yourself in the rich culture and great vibes of the locale. And with sustainable travel being all the rage, shopping from MNCs is a big no-no.

While GetYourGuide may come off as a big corporate MNC, you can rest easy knowing that your purchases will ultimately end up supporting local businesses. As we mentioned earlier, GetYourGuide is a reseller. They sell tours operated by local companies, the very ones travelers might prefer supporting. Therefore, when you book through GetYourGuide, your funds essentially contribute to the backing of these local enterprises.

While these local companies do incur a fee for listing their tours on GetYourGuide, the benefits they gain far outweigh the associated costs. This is due to the fact that GetYourGuide stands out as a considerably more influential booking platform compared to most smaller companies. The exposure local businessmen are exposed to on this platform helps them attract a larger number of customers than they would typically receive.

Even the guides responsible for hosting GetYourGuide Original Tours/Experiences are locals.

Pro – You’ll be Spoilt for Choice

GetYourGuide’s website and mobile application are built in such a way that you will be overwhelmed with things to do. So many activities are listed that it basically cuts down your research time to almost nothing. Just type in your destination’s name and you’ll find a myriad of activities/experiences you can book.

Having all your options laid out on a screen is much better than walking everywhere and finding out the rates by yourself. All that energy expended for nothing. It’s even a bigger hassle if the climate of your destination is hot and humid. With all your choices laid out, all you need to do is select the activity/experience according to your preferences.

The website is pretty user-friendly and you’ll be booking activities in no time!

Pro – Authentic Reviews

Customers who have done an activity/experience through GetYourGuide can leave a review based on their firsthand experiences. While this may be normal for an online booking site, GetYourGuide only allows reviews from verified customers. That means if you haven’t made a booking through the site, you won’t be able to leave a review. We believe this should be the norm for all kinds of websites that offer goods/services but sadly it isn’t.

Through these reviews, you’ll get an idea of what the experience is all about and what are some of the things you should look out for. After all these reviews are from folks who have done these activities. Who better to listen to if not from the folks who have been there.

You can even search and filter reviews. With this feature, you can sort and navigate to those reviews with aspects that matter most to you, such as the quality of the guides, value for money, kid-friendly, and a lot more.

Pro – Browse with Filters and Labels

Filters and Labels are your best friend while navigating through all the activities. GetYourGuide has designed its website in a way that enables you to browse through the experiences according to your preferences.

You can filter your preferences with options such as:

Activities and tours can be further filtered by the language of your choosing. GetYourGuide offers up to a whopping 25 different languages. You even choose your preferred duration and the time of the day (i.e. morning, evening, etc).

Once you type in a destination name in the search bar, press Enter. After the search results are displayed, you’ll find an icon on the right side of the screen that says ‘Show More’. Upon clicking that, you’ll be further treated to an additional set of filters like ‘Categories’, ‘Attractions to Explore’, ‘Activities for every type of traveler’, and a lot more. You can even filter activities with ‘Wheelchair Accessible’, ‘Skip the Line’, and ‘Hotel Pickup’.

As we mentioned earlier, each activity is labeled as well. Some of the popular labels include ‘Likely to Sell Out’, ‘G Originals’, ‘Best-Seller’, and ‘Discounted Price’. You can search for activities using these labels as well as filters. With such a robust labels and filter system at your disposal, you can never go wrong in choosing your activity.

No more scrambling around meeting different vendors, and trying to bargain rates.

Con – Confusing Meeting Points

Many users have claimed that the designated meeting points are not clearly specified. In many cases, it was found that the designated meeting point was often shared among the various tours. There have been instances where one would stand in front of the Eiffel Tower, surrounded by 10-20 other tour companies. All these tour companies having a common meeting point can lead to a lot of confusion at the last minute.

While this experience isn’t solely attributable to Get Your Guide, we feel it’s worth mentioning for the purpose of caution. Get Your Guide consistently provides the meeting point and time for your booked activity, even sending a reminder a day in advance. However, it’s crucial to arrive well ahead of the meeting time, considering that multiple groups may be using the same meeting point, causing potential delays in finding yours.

Con – Same Tour Multiple Organisers

Some would say that this may not really be a con due to the saying ‘the more the merrier’. Nevertheless, we have decided to categorize it as a con because it did bug some of our team members. Sometimes, there can be multiple tours listed on the site on an X location. All the pictures may say they are radically different from each other but they tend to be the same tour hosted by different organisers. Don’t fall for the pictures and make sure you check the reviews before you move on ahead with the booking. Last thing you would want is double booking the same tour while it may seemed like you booked two different tours.

Con – Limited Choices in Lesser Known Parts of the World

As mentioned in the initial part of this GetYourGuide review, the platform stands out as an excellent choice for booking skip-the-line tickets, tours, and activities in major tourist destinations. It boasts a pretty solid selection of popular places like France, Italy, Spain, and all the other major tourist destinations.

However, if you are traveling to a lesser-known country, the platform doesn’t really sport a great collection. For example, if you search destinations like Ethiopa, Sri Lanka, or Goa, you may not find much. You’ll have to roll up your sleeves and go old school. And by that we mean, talking to the locals and finding out things to do. You’ll not be able to prebook anything and will most likely have to book directly with the operators after you have landed.

The encouraging news, however, is that this scenario is gradually evolving, with more destinations being added to Get Your Guide’s listings over time.

Con – Not a lot to do for Nature Lovers

If you are into activities like trekking, hiking, or rucking, we hate to break it to you but there are not too many options for these types of activities. GetYourGuide is a suitable option if you will be booking an activity from every category so you get the best out of everything. But if you are only into nature, then your best bet is to look into some other booking platform. It’s also important to note that this varies from region to region. Some regions may have a pretty robust offering for nature activities. But it can’t be said the same for all regions.

GetYourGuide is aware of this and they have been adding nature-centered activities from the past few years. So much so that the range of activities on offer has improved a lot and will keep doing so in the future.

What do the Travelers have to say about GetYourGuide.com?

Now that we have covered what GetYourGuide is all about, let’s dive a little deeper into what other travelers have to say about this super popular booking platform. We make sure that any review we come across is carefully vetted and then posted on this article. You see, we believe in authentic reviews and not the marketing carried out by the company or its partners. In this section, we assure you that you will be seeing the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Rated 4.0 out of 5 from almost 28000 reviews , it seems GetYourGuide has garnered quite a bit of reputation . If you still doubt whether GetYourGuide is a legitimate booking site or not, you can be assured that it is verified on TrustPilot. Trustpilot sports a pretty strict verification process.

Some of the recent reviews on Trustpilot are overwhelmingly positive. What’s more exciting though is the fact that the team behind GetYourGuide is pretty efficient at partnering up with vendors who take things above a notch. You’ll not just find the usual boring activities, but also activities and experiences that are totally unique and new on the market.

However, we did find a couple of reviews where a traveler had a negative experience. Here’s what they had to say:

Thankfully the customer was refunded promptly. However, we also like to point out that GetYourGuide is just a middleman, and the listing for this particular tour could be posted by the tour company itself.

While this customer was unhappy with her overall experience, what you can do to avoid situations like this is go for the Cancellation Upgrade . The whole purpose of this nifty little feature is to avoid situations like these and get a full refund.

Here’s what people at Reddit have to say about GetYourGuide:

Overall, the folks at Reddit have had a pretty positive experience with GetYourGuide.

Our Verdict – GetYourGuide Review

For starters, we love the fact that GetYourGuide permits verified reviews only. When you are an avid traveler, one of your most primal instincts tends to be staying safe and not getting scammed or ripped off. GetYourGuide does not pull any stops when it comes to its legitimacy. From verified reviews to verified sellers, GetYourGuide has won our hearts due to its legitimacy alone.

Think about it this way. Viator is one of the leading and largest online travel agencies that also deals in tours/activities. While GetYourGuide may be much smaller in scale, their tours/activities are a lot more robust and unique . What’s more interesting is that all the activities/experiences on GetYourGuide are divided into 4 distinct categories – Food, Nature, Sport, and Culture. This makes GetYourGuide way more optimised and intuitive to use then Viator.

Hence, brownie points from our side for authenticity and optimization.

But we are not done yet. There’s more.

Coming onto the transparency aspect, GetYourGuide excels at laying out all the information on its website. Everything is mentioned so that you can manage your expectations well and have a good experience. All the activities/experiences are labeled and categorized well. And all the prices are VAT inclusive. One cannot get any more transparent than that.

Also if you are always on the hunt for better offers or prices, you can scope out other online travel agencies’ listings for a better price. If you find a website offering a better rate, take a screenshot and intimate the folks at GetYourGuide. They will match the price to that of the screenshot.

But why not book the activity directly from the cheaper website itself?

While you may get a cheaper rate from elsewhere, GetYourGuide’s customer care is prompt and efficient. When you are availing tourism services, prompt customer care service is a must. Not to forget that they are pretty well versed in English and you’ll likely have no difficulty in communicating your problem. So if GetYourGuide is ready to match the cheaper rate from the other site and sports a pretty efficient customer service, why not opt for GetYourGuide?

In our books, you can’t go wrong with GetYourGuide. They excel in a lot of things. But the most important thing at the end of the day is that you’ll have a pleasant experience.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

How do I book an activity on GetYourGuide.com?

Booking an activity is easy! Simply visit the website, search for your desired destination or activity, select the options that suit you best, and then follow the straightforward booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you’ll receive all the necessary details. You can even try booking through the mobile application.

What if I need to cancel or modify my booking?

You can review the cancellation policy on each activity’s page to understand the terms. Simply log in to your GetYourGuide account, go to “My Bookings,” and follow the provided instructions to cancel or modify your reservation.

Tip: Always make sure you opt for ‘Cancelation Upgrade’. In case of any unforeseen emergencies or unavoidable situations, you can cancel the booking without any worries and be eligible for a full refund.

How do I contact customer support?

Visit the “Contact Us” page on the website or app to reach out to support. If you find it difficult to navigate through the website, you can visit the link here.

How do I make the best out of offers/deals on GetYourGuide.com?

While GetYourGuide may offer some of the best offers/deals, you can also sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on all additional deals. Keep your eyes peeled for special promotions and bundles to make the most of your travel budget.

You can also take advantage of their Price Matching benefit. In case you find a better deal on any other website, you can intimate the folks at GetYourGuide.com and they will match the difference!

Do I need to print my tickets or vouchers?

Most activities on GetYourGuide.com offer mobile or e-ticket options. Simply present your digital ticket or voucher on your smartphone or tablet at the designated meeting point. Check the activity details for specific requirements.

Can I trust the reviews on GetYourGuide.com?

Absolutely. The reviews are submitted by real travelers who have booked and experienced the activities. GetYourGuide.com ensures that all the reviews are verified and only those who have taken the tour/experience are allowed to review.

How can I become a tour operator or list my activity on GetYourGuide.com?

If you’re a tour operator interested in partnering with GetYourGuide.com, visit the “Partner with Us” page for more information on how to join the GetYourGuide community. If you find it difficult to navigate through the website, you can visit this link here.

About Jeremy Noronha

Hey! I’m Jeremy Noronha and I’m a online marketer and full time traveler.

I’ve been living out of a single backpack traveling the world since early 2016. I used to work as Technical SEO Consultant (Former Head of SEO at Foundr.com) and travel blogger.

I now blog on JeremyNoronha.com writing about whatever is on my mind 😁

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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2024

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Executive Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Caroline has a passion for adventure travel and has hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the bottom of the Grand Canyon in pursuit of a good story. Follow her around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline .

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2024 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Adventure Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Adventure Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten-path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Adventure Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 8-16 people and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Adventure Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Aventure Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Adventure Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Adventure Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,014 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $799 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $749.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 10 million dollars to over 160 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-35 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience foodie trip of a lifetime Intrepid Travel’s South Korea Real Food Adventure , which includes time in three cities and an overnight temple stay.

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination. For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina).

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $6,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to closer destinations like Mexico or Costa Rica—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife & Nature: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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How to Choose the Right Tour Group

Group size, participants’ age range, style of travel and budget are among the factors you should consider when selecting an itinerary.

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

Tour companies that offer multiday trips arrange most everything for you: lodging, sightseeing, food and transportation. But group size, style of travel and budget are among the considerations travelers should assess before picking a tour. Read on for tips.

Big group or small

Start your research by thinking about how many people you want to travel with and what your tolerance is for the social demands dictated by group size.

Smaller groups can move more nimbly and possibly see more. But they can also be more intensely social as you spend a great deal of time with the same people touring and dining.

Larger groups tend to require more time to get around, but they can also offer more social variety — for example, you can change up your lunch partners more easily.

“Large groups offer anonymity, allowing travelers to choose their level of interaction,” said Deborah Miller, a travel adviser and the owner of Edge of Wonder Travels Unlimited in San Francisco. “Conversely, smaller groups foster intimacy among travelers, guides and the destination itself.”

Look for age-appropriate trips

Think about the demographics of your travel party and consider matching that to a tour company.

Operators often segment their trips by age under the assumption that similarly aged people have more in common or prefer the same pace. Road Scholar , for example, caters to an intellectually curious 50-plus crowd.

On the other end of the spectrum, G Adventures offers a category of trips for “18-to-thirtysomethings” and Intrepid Travel has trips for 18-to-35-year-olds.

With their inherent age spans, families can be a tough demographic to fit into larger group departures, which is why companies tend to break up family offerings by age group.

The active tour company Backroads has three age segments for families, including trips for those with children 4 to 19, those with older teens and younger adults into their 20s, and those with children in their 20s and beyond.

“By definition, that creates somewhat of an age segmentation among parents, too,” said Tom Hale, the founder, president and chief executive of Backroads.

Go general or specific

A popular option for first-timers, a general tour will hit the highlights of a destination, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris or major sites in Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan.

Beyond the general approach, alternatives abound based on themes, styles of travel or hobbies.

Themed trips include a culinary tour of Sicily , a deep dive into literary England , Europe’s World War II battlefields and how women live in India .

In addition to topics, trips often revolve around the means of travel, such as going by train , on foot or by boat (a category that can be further segmented by size, from a cruise ship to a barge or a kayak ).

Tours can also allow you to pursue an interest like swimming or knitting in a unique destination.

Analyze tour inclusions

Once you determine where and how you want to go, prices will range from budget to luxury.

“For travelers on a budget, large group tours tend to be the best fit because it’s a great way to see major attractions at a lower price point,” said Cheyenne Schriefer, a travel adviser and the owner of All Travel Matters in Golden Valley, N.D.

But not all tours are built the same. To compare them, consider what they include.

For example, G Adventures has a 10-day hiking trip in Switzerland from $1,799 a person and a 10-day hiking trip in Portugal for $4,499. The latter is billed as a luxury trip, so the accommodations are pricier, but it also includes most meals, transfers and activities. The Swiss tour offers more basic lodgings, transfers, optional activities available for a fee, and fewer meals.

“Sometimes fewer inclusions are better than more,” said Pauline Frommer, co-president of Frommer Media, which publishes Frommer’s guidebooks . She pointed out that restaurants that can accommodate busloads probably don’t attract local traffic and that independent sightseeing allows you to “wander through local neighborhoods to get the feel of local life.”

Expertise of the guide or tour leader can also alter the price and the experience. You can expect to pay more for a tour led by a specialist, such as an Egyptologist guiding a group along the Nile.

Gauge your level of independence

Do you prefer to follow a strict schedule that relieves you from having to find, say, a restaurant for dinner? Or do you appreciate some structure — like knowing your hotel reservations are covered — but also want free time to explore independently?

Tour companies run the gamut. Before booking, read the itineraries carefully to find out if the schedule is tight or loose. If that is not clear, call the company to ask.

For truly independent travelers, self-guided tours offered by companies such as Inntravel , Exodus Adventure Travels and Macs Adventure make your ground arrangements and provide an itinerary to follow. Popular in Europe, these itineraries tend to be inn-to-inn walking or cycling trips that include luggage transfers.

“Self-guided travelers are independent but love the support of having a trip arranged for them, and they don’t want to hike with a big backpack anymore,” said Jasper Verlaan, the U.S. sales director for Macs Adventure.

Ask for recommendations

If you’re still unsure about putting down a deposit once you’ve done your research, ask the tour company if you may speak to a past client.

“Ask for references,” said Lynn Cutler, the senior vice president of travel for Smithsonian Enterprises, which runs the tour company Smithsonian Journeys . “We’ll find them a traveler who has done this trip in the past and put them in touch.”

For more travel advice, visit our collection of Travel 101 tips and hacks.

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Ljubljana, Slovenia:  Stroll along the river, explore a contemporary art scene and admire panoramic views in this scenic Central European capital .

Cities With Great Beaches:  Already been to Miami, Honolulu and Sydney? These five other coastal destinations  are vibrant on land and on the water.

Southern France:  The Canal du Midi traverses the Occitanie region and gives cyclists of all skill levels  access to parts of France that are rich in lore .

Port Antonio, Jamaica:  The D.J. and music producer Diplo recommends spots in a city he loves  on Jamaica’s northeast coast. A dance party makes the cut.

New Mexico:  Visiting the vast and remote Gila Wilderness, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, is both inspiring and demanding .

Guided Tours Gain Popularity Among Millennials and Gen Z

Jesse Chase-Lubitz , Skift

June 26th, 2024 at 12:29 PM EDT

A new survey by GetYourGuide found that 70% of respondents have a plan to book a guided tour in the next year.

Jesse Chase-Lubitz

Guided tours are experiencing a resurgence, with Millennials and Gen Z leading the trend, according to a new survey from Berlin-based GetYourGuide.

Of 1,000 U.S. individuals who traveled for leisure at least once in the past 12 months, 70% planned to book a guided tour for the next year, the survey found. Roughly two in five of Millennials and Gen Z travelers surveyed booked a guided tour in the past year, the results show – that’s 40% of Gen Z and 42% of Millennials compared to 22% of Gen X and 22% of Boomers.

“Across the board, we see travelers expressing interest in authentic experiences where local experts can unlock something deeper about a destination,” GetYourGuide’s chief marketing officer Emil Martinsek told Skift.

Authentic Experiences

Travelers seemed particularly drawn to tours that brought them closer to the society or geography they visited. They prioritized a deep dive into the history of a city or landmark, experiencing local cuisine, and the opportunity to meet locals.

Walking tours were most popular with bus or boat tours following closely behind.

Out of those surveyed, 89% of travelers believed that a local guide is essential for exploring a new destination.

An Ongoing Trend

The findings track with a previous report , published by research and events company Arival in January. This study showed that Millennials and Gen Z are prioritizing guided tours, from culinary and shopping tours to eco and adventure tours. 

Arival’s 2024 U.S. Tour Taker Report found that the younger generation is shifting from sightseeing to experiential tours. Sightseeing tours remain the most popular overall, but that popularity is driven by people over the age of 55. Younger travelers are looking for something more active, experiential, or educational.

The trend is likely to stay positive. GetYourGuide’s latest study also showed that nearly all leisure travelers who booked a guided tour in 2023 plan to do so again this year. 

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Tags: culinary tourism , cultural tourism , gen z , getyourguide , guides , millennials , tour operator , Travel Experiences

'The Bear' season 3 features surprising cameo: Did you miss it?

"The Bear" season 3 is chock-full of celebrity guest stars and real-life chefs playing themselves, but one moment from the finale has fans lit up.

Spoiler warning! We will be discussing details from the season 3 finale of "The Bear" below.

In a blink-and-you-miss-it scene during the season 3 finale, Carmy ( Jeremy Allen White ) attends a funeral dinner for the fictional restaurant Ever run in the show by Chef Andrea Terry (Olivia Colman), who has decided to close up shop and retire.

The real Ever -- the actual one, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant co-owned by Chef Curtis Duffy and Michael Muser in Chicago -- is not closing, we should note.

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Jeremy Allen White, Matty Matheson, 'The Bear' cast open up ahead of new season

Carmy looks at a collage of photos featuring non-fictional chefs when, for a brief moment, a snap of Bradley Cooper in the 2015 film "Burnt" flashes across the screen.

In "Burnt," directed by John Wells, Cooper plays Adam Jones, a fictional down-on-his-luck chef who sets out redeem himself and restart his career.

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• May 03, 2024

There's no additional context provided as to why we see this reference to Cooper's "Burnt" character, and the actor himself doesn't make an appearance.

Does "The Bear" take place in the same universe as "Burnt," or is it some sort of inside joke either played by the characters within the show or the show's creator, Christopher Storer?

We'd like to order one explanation, please, chef.

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Get Your Guide in Review – The Pros, the Cons and trustworthy to book?

Welcome to our extensive review of Get Your Guide, a booking website to tours and activities worldwide.

In this review we want to check how reliable the service is. Is Get Your Guide trustworthy, safe, easy to use?

This is an in-depth guide, useful for everyone interested in booking any kind of tours and activities online.

Good to know : No one paid me to write any type of review. This is 100% my own handwritten guide, based on my own experience using Get Your Guide and other tour booking provider.

Get Your Guide is a website (and also an app) which aims to make the holiday activity planning process much easier.

Have you ever booked a holiday only to feel completely overwhelmed with the amount of activities and experiences on offer?

Then keep reading cause this guide will make your life easier!

I have used Get Your Guide many times during our travels, and many of our friends asked if Get Your Guide is a trustworthy company. That is why I decided to put everything together and review it.

Here I will let you know the pros, the cons, and how to use it.

So, here's what we will cover:

• What is Get Your Guide?
• Booking activities with Get Your Guide : from selection to payment
• My last Get Your Guide booking in The Colosseum (from booking to joining the tour)
• Is Get Your Guide reliable?
• Important things to check before booking
• Cons of Get Your Guides
• Discounts and offers
• Other booking platforms
• FAQ about GYG
• Final thoughts

Good to know : We will write the name of the platform as Get Your Guide, GetYourGuide or GYG for short. It is always the same platform www.getyourguide.com .

1. What is GetYourGuide?

Get Your Guide is essentially a personalized online agency which allows you to book endless activities, tours and experiences across the world.

It acts as the middleman between you and the travel companies.

Rather than searching on the internet for various activities and ending in different sites from different companies, you will have access to all the tours and activities in one single site.

Great right? Having all the activities and tours in a single platform will save you tones of time.

You will only have to concentrate to look which activity to join.

The truth is, Get Your Guide might not offer all the options you will have in some cities. There are always small companies which can only be found on site – especially on South East Asia or Central and South America.

Nevertheless, I found Get Your Guide is the platform with most activities, as well as many filters and marks which makes the decision process easier.

Especially when you have to prebook your tickets!!

Of course, if you want some adrenaline activities, there are better platforms out there, like Adrenaline Hunter , but if you are looking for the common activities: main sights tickets, bike tours, food experiences… Then Get Your Guide is your place.

2. Booking Activities with Get Your Guide

The process in booking an activity with Get Your Guide is simple and straight forward:

• You select the activity
• book with your name, email and credit card
• receive your confirmation email

Easy peasy and fast, I would say.

Before hitting the booking button, you will have to choose your perfect activity, of course. Some sights are listed multiple times. That is because it is different tours or just an audio guide and such. Make sure you read properly what you are about to book.

In our Step 2 choosing the right tour I go into detail.

What I really like about Get Your Guide is their information they show. For instance, they show highlights of the tour, what the tour includes (and what it DOES NOT include!) and the meeting point.

They also show “Important information” at the bottom. A great summary I wish many more websites would add. Here they summarize for instance what is not allowed on the tour. That can be “shorts” when visiting a church or mosque for instance.

Then they show “know before you go”, covering important notes like opening hours, the validation of the ticket and such. Very, very handy and easy to read!

Let’s see how to find, choose and book an activity on this platform step by step.

• Search and filter
• Decide which tour / company to join
• Look at some reviews (but don’t get crazy about that!)
• Select your tour and pay
• Receive your tickets

Step 1 – Search and Filter

When searching for your perfect travel plans on www.getyourguide.com , Get Your Guide has ensured that the process is simple and straightforward for everyone.

All you have to do is type in your destination or preferred attraction and dates in the search bar and you’ll have all the activities and tours at your fingertips.

I just did a screenshot so you can see the website and where to type:

Filters you should use

With so many great options to choose from, you may be a little spoil for choice!

However, no need to worry as the guide offers a great filter system which allows you to create more personalized options for yourself.

Make sure you use the filters.They will help you range the activities and find your perfect plan.

Here is the list of different filter options:

1. You can filter by interests such as:

2. Activities and tours can also be filtered by languages – and they do offer up to 25 different languages.

3. Select your wished time periods for individual activities: they range from less than an hour to a full day or even multi day.

4. Filters also include:

• Private Tours,
• Wheelchair Access,
• Hotel Pickup, and
• Skip the Line

5. You can filter also by get your guide reviews for individual activities by:

• Best rated,
• Worst rated,
• Most recent and

6. You can also filter reviews depending on the type of traveler such as:

• Group of Friends and
• Solo Traveler

Whilst scrolling through options, several activities have different labels that will give you some insider information, these labels are:

• ‘Likely to Sell Out’,
• ‘Bestseller’,
• ‘ GetYourGuide Original ’
• Discounted prices

These different labels might help you choose the activity on your destination, or give you an idea when if you have to book earlier to assure your spot.

When an activity is marked as “ likely to sell out ” it is recommended to book as soon as possible.

Normally, the Bestsellers activities are the ones with the best reviews and usually the absolute Must-Dos in the city.

This can be the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and Colosseum in Rome. This could be also sights with very limited access like the Camino del Rey in Malaga, Spain or, again, Colosseum in Rome.

Read : One Week in Spain – our recommended itinerary

Good to know : I noticed the label “likely to sell out” is not a marketing trick to make you buy faster! They only labelled very few ones that actually sell out quickly.

After all, the Colosseum in Rome has now limited access for “only” 5000 people per day. Pre-booking is mandatory – if you want to enter!

In case of doubt which activity to join, this label can be your lifesaver.

Good to know : I found this website listing only all the Get Your Guide Originals .

Step 2 – Decide which tour to join

GetYourGuide is fantastic for the hundreds of options available to book.

Although, the amount of choices means you will likely come across different options for the same popular attraction.

It’s important to be aware of the differences in pricing, length of time and features for individual attractions so you can find the best option for you.

Same Attraction with Different Options?

Not everybody wants the same kind of tour, right?

Here are a couple of examples to show you the variety on offer so you can choose wisely.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona at Get Your Guide

You will find all these options under Sagrada Familia tickets :

• Fast Track Guided Tour ,
• Guided Tour with Tower Access,
• Fast Track and Passion Tower Access ,
• Skip the Queue Guided Tour,
• Small Group Guided Tour,
• Fast Track Entrance Ticket

The prices goes from €22 – €60 and the different tours include different options.

The title will give you an idea but you can read what does the tour include on each one, as well as the duration, and the reviews. The get your guide Barcelona reviews are important to read.

All this information will help you decide more accurately.

Smart trick : Always visit the main landing page they created for the sight you are interested in. You can find this on the upper-left part, below the logo. This is the so-called “breadcrumb” link.

The structure usually is: Country > Region > City > Sight

So, in our case: Spain > Catalonia > Barcelona > Sagrada Familia

Alright, let us have a look at another popular example.

The Gondola Rides, Venice at Get Your Guide

Read : One Week in Venice – our complete itinerary

You might think a gondola ride is a gondola ride. But of course there are many different ways to experience a gondola in Venice, such as:

• Venice Traditional Shared Gondola Experience ,
• Gondola Grand Canal Ride,
• Private Gondola Ride For Up To 6 People,
• Venice Grand Canal,
• 2 Hour secret tour + Gondola ,
• One Hour Boat Tour

All the different tours offer different options, such a shared gondola, and exclusive gondola, only riding on the grand canal or even a shared gondola with maximum 6 people.

Prices range from €32 – €115 and you can read all the details about what is included on each tour description.

Now, for the Gondola Rides there is no landing page listing all possible tours. A pity. So, what do we do?

In this case I would keep an eye on the number of reviews and ratings. The ratings should be only a few month old – max!

Good to know : When looking at the ratings, and the last one was written in 1954, skip this tour!

Step 3 – Reviews

The ratings on each activity as a whole will give you a rough idea about how beloved the activity or tour is.

As Get Your Guide mostly acts as the middleman between the customer and tourist companies, it’s also helpful to look at some reviews made from the customers.

These individual comments left by past travelers will give you insights and opinions.

This shouldn’t be a problem as there are thousands of reviews to help you make your decision. But

Don’t go crazy reading so many reviews…

We always read the most recent ones to check they are accurate with the main review score.

Reviews for each tour/ activity are based on:

• Organization
• Value for Money

You can always have a look at the top reviewed activities on each city to help you select your activity or tour. After your own tour has finished, you can also leave your own getyourguide review.

Here are a few top reviewed activities in some of best cities in Europe:

Barcelona, Spain: + 750 activities

The most popular are:

• The Fast Track Sagrada Familia Ticket with an average rating of 4.7/5 from over 14000 reviews.
• Park Güell comes in second with a rating of 4.3 /5 from over 8700 reviews.

Paris, France: + 800 activities

• Most popular activity is the Louvre Museum: Timed Entrance Ticket with an average rating of 4.6 /5 from over 12700 reviews.
• A close second is the Eiffel Tower: Second Floor Priority Access .

Rome, Italy: + 800 activities

• Overwhelmingly most popular option is the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel & Saint Peters Guided Tour with an average rating of 4.5/5 from over 28000 reviews.
• Another popular option is the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Fast Track Ticket Options (€28) with a rating of 4.4 /5 from over 22000 reviews.

Again: Don’t get crazy reading too many reviews.

I normally do a general check to see how many stars overall the activity has and then read max 4-6 reviews, one of the reviews with a bad rating to check when it was written and what the complain was about.

In a nutshell, for the ratings pay attention to:

• number of review
• overall ratings
• the complaints
• date of last review

Step 4 – Select your desired option

After deciding with is the best tour or activity you wanna join on your travels you simply have to press the book now button.

Yes, it is so simple, just press that button on the right side and the tour will be added to your chart.

On this moment you could continue buying some other tours or just pay for that one pressing the checkout button.

Payment with Get Your Guide

As well as having no restrictions in activity options, there are also no restrictions with payment.

You are able to pay via:

• credit card,
• debit card,

You have no need to worry about security either as Get Your Guide promises that all payments are secure and encrypted.

However, as activities and tours should be booked in advance, it is not possible to pay upon arrival.

Step 5 – Tickets

Hurray, we have completed our booking. We chose the tour, we paid. Now what?

After completing your payment, Get Your Guide will send you an email confirmation.

I cannot believe I have to say this, but do not add your weird-spam email. You will need this confirmation email!

The email will be like this one:

For most of the activities you will receive an instantly confirmation, others may take up to 48 hours. This is because the provider has to check availability once again and may have to organize a few more things.

Once the booking is done, you do also have a direct link to the app, so you can download it and have your ticket there to show the day of your booking.

Bear in mind the tickets on the app can be shown even off-line, so it is great for traveling.

Good to know : You need battery on your phone to show the ticket. Makes sense, right?! So keep this in mind for the day of your booking. Imagine you arrive and your phone is dead…not amusing really.

If you like being organized and booking way in advance, bear in mind you may only get the confirmation within the same month as the booked activity.

Meaning, if you book an activity more than one month before, you won’t get the details until one month before the activity will take place.

If you download your tickets on the app, you will be able to access your tickets online or on your mobile phone, even when offline, so no worries about lack of WiFi!

There needn’t be any stress about arriving at the meeting point either.

All the necessary information can be found on the activity pages within the section ‘When You Get There’ which includes details on meeting points and a map.

Also, when booking, you will receive a confirmation like this one.

You can save your ticket as a PDF directly on your phone. Wait until you receive the email, or click to get your Mobile ticket, which will redirect you to your mobile store to download the app.

One day before your activity takes place, Get Your Guide sends you a reminder email. That emails shares again the meeting point, the voucher, and even the expected weather for the next day.

That is pretty cool!

Click on the photo below to get a better idea.

3. My Last GYG Booking at Colosseum in Rome

While I booked several times my sightseeing at this website, I want to focus on my last booking. This was at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

First things first: IT.WAS.AWESOME!

The booking went smoothly, and we entered. However, one couple did not…keep reading!

We checked the different tour options for Colosseum in Rome. They have an extra page for all the Colosseum Tour options .

You can choose between the

• simple entry ticket
• entry ticket with Audio Guide
• Small group Tour
• Bigger Group Tour

We chose the guided tour of Colosseum with Roman Forum and Palatine Hill .

Why did we chose this one?

Well, we checked the reviews and these kept mentioning the excellent guide. We also planned enough time for this sightseeing. And most of all: We wanted to have a guide explain more details and were interested in all 3 sights.

Perfect, tour is chosen!

We then checked the possible dates. That was no big issue really, since we were ahead of time and enough slots were still open.

We paid, received our confirmation email and hurray, we will enter that iconic sight! Already excited.

Now, the day of the tour arrived.

We had a bit of an issue on finding the meeting point. It was said the meeting point is “Arch of Constantine”. Problem here was, there were many other tour providers. Every tour provider had its own color and sign.

We checked again the confirmation email.

The company was “ Gray Line I Love Rome “. Another backpacker came over. He saw we were also looking for someone. It turns out, he was looking for the same tour provider.

We kept looking for around 10 minutes, asked around. Then we spotted them, sitting still in the shadow. As we were ahead of time, they didn’t want to be waiting in the sun.

Okay, no big deal. But we got nervous a bit. Anyways, it all turned out well. We got our earplugs so the big group of around 15 people could hear the guide properly.

What about that couple that could not enter?

One couple came over and wanted to join. They showed their ticket they bought on Get Your Guide. Problem: The ticket was valid for the 8am tour. Our was the 10am tour.

And, unfortunately, the ticket is only valid for that specific tour. BUMMER! They seriously could not join us.

It was not the tour providers fault; it was not Get Your Guides fault. That was the travellers fault: They haven’t been on time.

The guide felt bad, everybody felt bad for them.

I also like to mention, when the tour started and the guided handed headphones out, I was certain I won’t like this group-touristy tour.

I was so wrong!!!!!

The tour guide Laura was amazing! She had fun facts, explained everything in detail and yet simple enough that you won’t get dizzy from all the historical names.

I also booked my Pompeii Tour with get Your Guide. This was super easy too.

There is even printed Get Your Guide Logos at the entrance, pointing to the pick-up of the audio guides.

So, in a nutshell : The last booking, as every booking with get Your Guide we did, went smoothly. The tour was fun and even better than expected. You see, some sights even have the GYG logo printed out and will point you in the right direction.

4. Is Get Your Guide reliable?

I never had any issue booking with Get Your Guide.

Nevertheless, bear in mind the reliability of Get Your Guide very much depends on individual experiences and the type of activities you want to book.

How to get an accurate feeling of the tour you wanna join?

Here we look at some essential points to be aware of when booking with Get Your Guide:

Always check previous reviews for individual activities so you can avoid any negative experiences.

Have a look at the overall rating, and read 3-4 reviews to make sure the book is what you are looking for.

Price guarantee

Get Your Guide as a lowest price guarantee which could be “tricky”.

The ‘lowest price guarantee’ only applies to the price for the same activity by the same tourist company.

Due to conversion rates of currencies, you may also find a tour somewhere 10 cents cheaper or more expensive. But well, 10 cents…

5. Things to check before booking

We do always recommend you to check the Terms and Conditions of your desired activities.

On Get Your Guide platform, on any tour agency you go, or any activity you wanna join (in your life).

Nobody enjoys reading them but reading the small print can definitely pay off.

To make your life a little easier, here is a list of the most important things to know before booking:

#1 information policy

Get Your Guide has no liability for any errors on their site and no responsibility for third party content.

This means if there is any misinformation on their website, they don’t necessarily need to take responsibility for it.

That would mean, for example, that if the tour says that it includes a water bottle and then you do not receive it, you should claim it to the company directly, not to Get Your Guide.

#2 your information is required

Bookings require registration in which you must enter your email and accept the terms and conditions. You must also be over 18 to register.

#3 best price guarantee

Get Your Guide claims to offer the lowest prices, therefore if you find a lower price they promise to pay the difference.

#4 Prices include taxes already

All prices include VAT and taxes, although you may be charged less or extra depending on the conversion rate.

#5 it’s a booking portal

Since Get Your Guide is acting as the middleman, they make it clear that suppliers have the right to exclude you from any activity with no refund if you don’t meet personal requirements.

Read always if there is a personal requirement.

6. Cons of Get Your Guide

In this section I want to include a few things the portal could do better. Is Get Your Guide trustworthy? Yes, it is.

I want to focus more on a few usability things that could improve the overall experience.

Same tour several tours

As mentioned before, Get Your Guide can list one sight several times. This is because different suppliers offer different tours. It can be a 3 hour guided tour through Sagrada Familia or just the entrance ticket.

I mentioned this before.

While this can be cool for comparing on what tour you want, it can be also confusing. It is really a minor thing.

Meeting Point/ Company can be confusing

When we booked our tickets for Colosseum with Get Your Guide, the meeting point was not as clear.

It is fair to say, this was not Get Your Guide’s fault. The tour provider did not write the best description. We were in front of the Colosseum, and there were at least 5-15 other companies. We started asking and asking, looking for t least 10 minutes until we found the correct one.

At that point, we got nervous. Therefore, always be on time or better, come before the actual meeting time to make sure you have a back-up time.

Many different types of tours and sights

As an inspiration for things to do, Get Your Guide works great.

However, when you only want the main sights and museums, Tiqets is the better option. They really only offer the regular, must-dos in the city.

Europe vs Rest of World

I found that Get Your Guide is super helpful for European sightseeing. For the Asian market, it is not as useful. That is because in Europe many sights have to be pre-booked and it requires a lot of preparing.

Not so in South East Asia, for instance.

If you plan to attend a pub Crawl or enter a museum, there is rarely anyone that would require a 2 months prebooking.

7. Discounts and Offers

If you are a savvy traveler, this one’s for you!

There are hundreds of activities, tours and experiences on Get Your Guide, so you should make sure you are getting the very best deal.

Be careful, as some activities offer very similar experiences but for different prices.

For example, the ‘Sagrada Familia Guided Tour with Tower Access’ and the ‘Fast Track Guide Tour Sagrada Familia with Towers’.

Both activities last for 90 minutes and ability to skip the queue; however the former is priced at €54.67 and the latter €50.

Only a small difference, but be aware that there could potentially be cheaper options on the Get Your Guide website for the same or similar activities.

There is not a price filter on the website. To score the best price on this case, add Sagrada Familia as a keyword and have a look at the different offers. You can find all Sagrada Familia tickets online English here.

Price Comparisons

When booking basic entrance tickets, which do not include extra features such as guided tours or private groups, be sure to compare to the price from the source first.

A popular entrance ticket to the Louvre Museum in Paris is featured on Get Your Guide for €17 + €3 booking fee. On the other hand, if you pay on the official website or at the museum itself, you will only pay €15 – €17.

Similarly, an admission ticket to Park Guell in Barcelona will only set you back €13 on Get Your Guide, however a timed entry ticket on the official website will cost you a mere €10.

You are paying for the convenience of having your ticket confirmed on the email or app, avoid the queues… or even the availability!

Read this important part : On my last trip to Rome I could only enter to the Colosseum because I booked through Get Your Guide .

When checking for tickets on the official website, tickets were sold out.

Fortunately, I had a look at Get Your Guide and there was a tour available.

I had to join a guided tour to see The Colosseum, but… I could get in!

Even better, I got a really good tour. I mentioned this before. Yet again, I never imagined I would like a guided tour, but all the information our tour guide provided was awesome.

Bear also in mind, you can also get audio-guides tour on Get Your Guide. That means, normally, you will skip the long queue to pick up the audio guide on the site.

That happened to me in Pompeii. The queue was around 20 minutes long, but the pick up for my audio guide with Get Your Guide was empty.

I could skip the queue just showing my confirmation email on the pick up point.

Special tickets for main attractions

As mentioned, on my last trip to Rome, I could not find Colosseum tickets directly on their official website, but I could find them on Get Your Guide.

Why? Well, there are many cases and explanations, here you have 3 examples:

1. Tour operators buy group tickets and they resell them to individual people. That way, you can get a better deal as individual traveler.

2. Some tour operators buy group tickets for 25 people but they do only have 20 customer. They resell these 5 extra tickets on the platform.

3. People cancel 24 hours before the activity and Get Your Guide is able to resell the ticket and refund it to the first buyer.

That are some reasons why you can also find some reduced prices on Get Your Guide that you won’t find anything else.

It is a totally valid offer and a great way to find tickets for those attractions that might be sold out even on the official pages.

8. Get Your Guide Contact

If you’re looking for help or have a complaint, there are plenty of ways to get in contact with Get Your Guide.

Their contact number is open 24/7 for 9 different countries, including a separate line for other international countries.

You can also send them a message through their online website or send them a WhatsApp to an English speaking representative.

9. Other Travel Booking Sites

GetYourGuide is one of the most popular choices when it comes to booking activities for your holiday.

Nevertheless – and obviously – there are many other sites you might consider before deciding which platform is best for you.

Here is a brief breakdown of other sites to give you the chance to compare.

• Walks of Italy
• Airbnb Experiences

Viator is a well established booking site which happens to be owned by the popular review company TripAdvisor.

The site offers access to a total of 200,000 activities, so you won’t be short on things to do.

There is an extensive filter option on this site which means you will easily be able to find something for you.

The 24 different filters include:

• Kid Friendly,
• Outdoor Activities and
• Water Sports

To make things even more simple, you can also filter by destination, recommendations, nearby towns/cities, dates, prices and customer reviews.

Similarly to Get Your Guide, Viator also claims ‘lowest price guarantee’.

You can still be sure to find some great deals on Viator. It is certainly a worthy competitor to Get Your Guide.

Get Your Guide vs Viator

The website of Get Your Guide looks more friendly and easy to use than Viator. So in the battle of GetYourGuide vs Viator, I would go for GYG.

Personal opinion : I think that Viator looks old school and I find the information on Get Your Guide easier to find and comprehend.

There are also less reviews on viator than GetYourGuide. However, the viator reviews are also useful to read. It seems like it is about the same audience and similar type of traveller.

Viator is most used in USA, while Get Your Guide is more used in Europe.

Our Verdict : We prefer Get Your Guide over Viator!

Tiqets is another activity booking site with plenty of good options to choose from around the world.

The main difference between Tiqets and GetYourGuide is that the former has less options for the same attraction and therefore less reviews overall.

Here is a complete Tiqets review .

There is also no filter for activities, though you are able to easily search for specific attractions.

Tiqets prides itself on ‘no printable’ tickets, instead you can access your ticket by SMS, e-mail or the online app, no fussing necessary!

Contacting Tiqets is also made easy with contact numbers for 7 different countries which can be found on their website.

Tiqets may be a smaller company, but it might get you quicker responses when you need them.

A possible downside to Tiqets is that they claim they are not obliged to exchange or refund tickets and that this can depend on the supplier.

Tiqets can also charge an 8% cancellation fee, so try avoid cancelling if you can.

Tiqets is certainly on a smaller scale than GetYourGuide. However, there are still plenty of great activities and tours available,which should be straightforward to find if you know what you’re looking for.

Our Verdict : Tiqets is a great platform we use!

Klook is a great activity booking platform which differs slightly from the previous sites as it has a special focus on Asian countries.

As you enter the main page, the focus on Asia is evident with all the images and recommendations.

This means you have some fantastic options and more than enough reviews if you’re looking to travel around Asia!

Unfortunately, there aren’t as many options for Europe, which means less choices for the same attraction and less reviews.

Despite this, Klook claims that all activities are hand-picked by their experts around the world, so there is certainly high standards to meet.

When searching for activities, the handy filter divides activities into 5 main categories:

• Attractions and Shows,
• Tours and Sightseeing,
• Activities and Experiences,
• Best Food and Must Eats,
• Transport and WiFi)
• and many more detailed sub-categories.

These detailed categories mean you are bound to find something to suit your interests.

Other benefits of Klook include their claim for ‘best price guarantee’ and promise to refund the difference if you find anything cheaper. Again, it will be only apply if you compare the same company tour.

On the subject of payment, Klook accepts 12 different currencies (excluding many Southern Asian currencies) and you can pay with credit or debit card and PayPal.

A distinguishable feature of Klook is that you can gain ‘Klook Credits’ everytime you pay for an activity or invite a friend to sign up to Klook. You can use these credits when booking activities.

A great personalized touch to reward you for using their site.

Our Verdict : When travelling in Asia, Klook is a great option!

4. Walks of Italy

As the name suggests Walks of Italy focuses on the beautiful country itself. If you want to focus all your attention on Italy, look no further!

We wrote a big review of Walks of Italy as well. Since we joined many of their tours, we thought we owed this to our readers.

The site specialises in tours and activities in the top Italian tourist hot spots:

• Vatican City,

Despite the focus only being on Italy, don’t let this fool you into thinking this is not an established booking site.

Walks of Italy has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence for the last 4 years. On top of this, the site also has thousands of reviews available so you can be sure everything is legit.

You are able to filter options whilst searching by:

• Most Popular,
• Highest Price and
• Lowest Price

A great tool for those wanting to save money, right?

To give you an idea of the price range, in Rome the highest price is €176 and the lowest is only €30, not too bad!

The majority of tours and experiences are given by established tourism companies, however, unfortunately tours are only conducted in English.

This is great for English-speakers, who don’t have to wait for information to be translated, but will certainly be a major problem for those non- English speakers.

If you wish to cancel your activity, you can expect to receive a full refund if requested 72 hours prior, and for a private group, 1 week in advance. You can also contact Walks of Italy via email , U.S phone number or international phone number which are both available on their website.

Walks of Italy is a fantastic option for English-speakers wanting to experience Italy in an interesting and informative way.

Additionally, with the many positive reviews, you have plenty of reassurance of having a good experience.

Our Verdict : Small, reliable, cool! The tours are not for budget travellers though 100% worth it!

5. Airbnb Experiences

Airbnb was originally created to give you the chance to swap hotels for everyday accommodation and live like the locals.

Their Experiences is no different as many of the tours, activities and experiences are given by local people with local insights and perspectives.

Therefore, Airbnb experiences includes less generic tour companies, and more unique experiences with a personalized touch.

The filter is sorted into 15 different categories which include:

• Health and Fitness.

If you’re hoping for more alternative options, this site is perfect.

You will find experiences such as:

• Beach Sunrise Yoga in Barcelona
• Explore Japanese Street Food in Tokyo
• Retired NYPD Mafia Crime and Food Walk in New York

These obscure experiences not only give you a one-of-a-kind perspective of your destination, but also gives you the opportunity to meet some fascinating people.

All experiences can be booked on the website or mobile app.

The downside to this site is that since many hosts are locals and not established companies, the question of safety and reliability can come into question.

To be safe, it’s recommended to read the many customer reviews carefully and check the verifications.

Each host can be verified according to different factors such as Government I.D, Email Address, Work Email and Phone Number.

You can also read information provided by the host about themselves.

As well as Airbnb Homes, Airbnb Experiences also provides an experience protection insurance of up to $1 million in case of any bodily harm or property damage.

Need to cancel? You can get a full refund if you cancel up to a week before.

You are also able to reschedule 72 hours prior in many cases. It depends on each experience, so you must read the conditions of every interesting experience that might appeal you.

Airbnb Experiences is perfect for anyone who is willing to go off the beaten track and experience something different and memorable.

You will have the chance to really immerse yourself in local culture and way of life, just remember to check the reviews.

We joined different Airbnb experiences in Dubrovnik, Ercolanum (near Pompei), Naples, Rome… and we must say we had a local experience in all of them except Dubrovnik.

In Dubrovnik, it was a company that simply advertised on Airbnb Experiences as one more channel to reach their costumers, so we do totally recommend you to read the reviews before booking it.

Our Verdict : There can be cool and unique tours! We book the regular tours and sights with Get Your Guide or Tiqets. But for unique activities, Airbnb Experience is a great tool!

If you wanna try an Airbnb Experience you are in luck! We got you an special discount:

Are you on Airbnb already?

Read here how to get a discount even if you have an Airbnb account.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

We collected also the main frequent questions about GetYourGuide :

1 – Does GetYourGuide run it’s own tours?

As you are searching for activities, some will be labeled ‘ GetYourGuide Original ’ which means the tour is run by them.

2 – Refunds

Conditions on refunds can depend on the supplier, although typically if you cancel 24 hours prior, you will receive a full refund.

You are likely to receive no refund if it is less than 24 hours or you don’t show up.

If the supplier cancels due to unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather or strikes, you will receive a full refund.

Suppliers also have the right to exclude you from the activity if you don’t meet personal requirements, if this happens you are not entitled to a refund.

Refunds will typically appear in your account between 3-4 working days.

3 – GetYourGuide Contact and Customer Service

The contact number is open 24/7 with numbers for 9 different countries, this includes:

• USA ( +1 844-326-5840)
• UK (+44 (0) 20 3962 0237)
• Spain (+34 911 23 56 12)
• International (+49 (0) 30 56839445)
• WhatsApp (+49 151 23457858) – which is only available through English messages

4 – Payment

You can pay through credit or debit card, PayPal and Google Pay through the website or get your guide app. All payments are encrypted and secure.

5 – How to handle a complaint?

The best way to handle a complaint is to contact the customer service GetYourGuide through their phone number, email or WhatsApp.

Remember that many issues could be the fault of the supplier rather than GetYourGuide itself.

6 – Can you book Last Minute with Get Your Guide?

This really depends on the product. Most likely you need to book 1 day ahead. In most cases you cannot book and show up 5 minutes later.

That being said, it really depends on the product. If it is a group walking tour without a special entrance to a sight, then it should be possible.

If it is a limited entrance ticket to, I would not recommend to book last minute.

In general, it is advised to book at least 1 day ahead; especially in high season. High Season in Europe is usually the summer months, July and August.

Get Your Guide Promo Code

Of course we all love a nice discount. Our Getyourguide promo code already expired; we know, it is a pity. At the moment we do not have any valid promo code for Get Your Guide.

We will share all discount codes we receive in our newsletter . You can subscribe for free.

GetYourGuide: Final Verdict

Who is Get Your Guide perfect for?

If you’re the type of person who seeks to get the most from their travel destination, to learn the culture and explore the popular tourist hot spots, this site is ideal.

However, spontaneous travelers may not be so suited to GetYourGuide as the site requires booking, organizing and planning in advance.

Many activities are also structured and involve groups of people, so wandering at your own pace may not be on the cards.

Above all, the site itself is professional , trustworthy and has many reviews to attest to this.

It’s also really easy to navigate and will give you plenty of options to choose from.

In addition, you don’t need to worry about not finding something suited just for you.

As prices can differ, always be sure to compare to other attractions and check the reviews to be certain you’re getting what you pay for.

Aside from this, it’s definitely worth having a look, you may be surprised by the amount of things you can do on your next holiday!

More useful guides to travel Europe

Besides these top things to do in Europe, we have written more useful guides for you.

• Best things to do in Spain
• Best travel websites for Europe
• Vrbo – the better alternative to Airbnb? Read my full review of Vrbo
• Discover Cars – the easiest way to rent a car in Europe

– – – pin it now, read it later

Travel Europe Smarter in 2024

Safety: Travel Insurance Hey Mondo and Safetywing are the best travel insurances.

Find better Flight Deals Famous Skyscanner is the #1 tool to find great deals for flying to Europe.

Need a Guide? Take Walks run small walking tours all over Europe. They offer high-quality walking tours with exceptional guides.

Need internet in Europe? Unleash your mobile freedom in Europe with Airalo.com eSIM card with instant activation, comprehensive coverage, cost savings, and unmatched convenience, all in one tiny chip! More info and discount code here.

More Money-Saving Travel websites

Check out our guide to the best 16 Travel Websites for Europe . Bookmark this site; it will easily save you money using these recommended websites.

BEWARE! Get Your Guide pulled a switch on me that cost me 90 Euros. I book a full day tour with hotel pick up. The hotel was in Port de Cap d’Ail, Cap d’Ail and the tour departed from Nice. LESS THAN 24 hours before the trip, the company send a note that they are NOT providing pick up. My spouse called and was told they changes plan because more people were leaving from Nice. WHAT! They had our hotel info for WEEKS IN ADVANCE. Now we have to reserve a cab at 90 euros one way because of Get Your Guide’s unreliable and inappropriate business practices,

This is really odd, this should not be happening with Get Your Guide. In fact, I believe this was the agency cancelling your pick-up, not Get Your Guide. Have you contacted Get Your Guide directly, and the agency? I will send you an email, I would like to know more about this case, so all of us travelers can avoid such things!

Thanks a lot, Matt

GetYourGuide – Bogota trip scam- 10 February 2020. Bait and switch On Sunday February 09, 2020 while in Bogota I was looking for a tour that would allow me and my husband to visit some attractions outside Bogota. Initially I found a tour which had only the Salt Cathedral. That tour ” Bogota Salt Cathedral Small Group Tour with Entrance TIcket” was listed at: $60/per person. I DID NOT WANT THIS TOUR! Since every review I read recommended Lake Guatavita as a must see attraction, I kept looking for a tour which included both. I continued to browse GetYourGuide website for a tour which included both locations. I was glad to find such a tour, and I selected a tour titled : “Bogota: Zipaquira, Salt Cathedral & Lake Guatavita Tour” duration 8-10 hours. Everything in the title, full description, highlights indicated that the sites will include the Zipaquira, Salt Cathedral & Lake Guatavita for $135.71/per person. I used my TJMaxx credit card and I was charged $271.42 Next day, Monday February 10, 2020 the tour guide picked me and my husband from our hotel Ibis Museo at 9:00AM. We headed towards the Salt Cathedral. Once our visit to the Salt Cathedral was done the guide asked us if we want to stop on the way back to have lunch or go back straight to the hotel. To our shock, we were very confused as we knew that Lake Guatavita was part of the tour. After going back and forward with the guide as far the content of the tour we asked to return immediately to the local agency’s office “Gran Colombia Tours”. +57 321 252 88 06. Carrera 3 #11-32 Bogotá, Colombia. There we spoke with Juan Sebastian who was one of the managers. After we showed him all our screen shots, he went on GetYourGuide website and he confirmed that the tour we booked “Bogota: Zipaquira, Salt Cathedral & Lake Guatavita Tour” clearly had BOTH destinations listed, but on his end he only got confirmation for the Salt Cathedral. He called GetYourGuide and tried to explain that we were right, and every advertised part of that tour included both destination. We continued to speak with the Customer rep from GetYourGuide, her name was Anjanette. GetYourGuide rep kept insisting that the tour only included the Salt Cathedral, and there was an option to pick destinations, later in the booking process, despite the entire advertised tour clearly stating : “Bogota: Zipaquira, Salt Cathedral & Lake Guatavita Tour”. We requested to speak with a manager as the GetYourGuide customer rep Anjanette kept denying any deceiving practices and blamed against clear evidence that GetYourGuide used misinformation and deceiving practices. The manager’s name was Ian. Despite trying to explain that the Tour title nor any further description did not say “OR” Lake Guatavita, and that geographically based on Google maps, visiting ONLY the Salt Cathedral would NEVER take 8-10 hours – the manager from getyourguide.com kept insisting that the tour only included the Salt Cathedral. Although the manager from the local provider “Gran Colombia Tours” Juan Sebastian continued to explain to GetYourGuide that it was clear to him that all our screen shots proved that we were led to believe that we booked two destinations, he was not successful in getting GetYourGuide admit their misinformation and deceiving practices. No offer or attempt to reimburse us was made by GetYourGuide.

My personal experience is that they refuse to give you a refund during Covid19. I had called ahead of time to cancel all of our tours. One was missed. Today, they email me a voucher for 24- hours knowing full well that Americans cannot fly to Italy right now. When I tried contacting I went back and forth over 10 times with a screenshot of my phone call to them on June 14th. They will only give me a voucher. I did the right thing, calling 12 days ahead of time, but are refusing to give me a cash refund. I find this practice to be deceitful. Especially during a pandemic, they should be contacting customers with 48- hours to verify if they’re even in the same country as the tour! That would ensure that the customer has 24 hours notice to cancel, if one was missed.

Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience, it’s important to know this. Matt

I would not have written this if the reason was not worth it. I used “get your guide” serice in Turkey; they will try to scam you any way they can and i testify to this because i was scammed with the price. I purchased some of their services online and paid for it online and was looking forward to enjoying my trip with my daughter. to my surprise, AFTER my trip or actually the last two days of my trip they contacting me asking to pay for some of the services i received because it was not part of the package or not what i thought it was for, bla bla bla. they kept on contacting me for days after i left Turkey asking to pay, which they end up charging my credit card. i am in contact with my credit card disputing the charges.

Hey Mohamed,

Sorry to hear this. This sounds very strange; so the provided added you to some other travel package which was more expensive than the one you actually booked? Or was it simply a wrong place to begin with?

Either way, it does not seem right to me to charge you afterwards more. Please let us know how the dispute is going.

Safe travels

I was also scammed by Get your guide. $800 paid when they told me they couldn’t accommodate our party AFTER they let me book. I immediately requested a refund and called – they said I canceled only one Jeep (the one that couldn’t accommodate us in the first place) which didn’tmake sense. We rented two jeeps to accommodate 8 and if we all couldn’t go, then we couldn’t just send 4 kids. It was such a work-around and impossible to speak to someone. We were never refunded for the other jeep tour($400). I’ve send numerous emails and submitted contact forms and they never understand what I am trying to explain. As a nurse, I worked really hard on a covid floor to take this trip and they wouldn’t even refund us so we could enjoy something else, together. It was really disheartening.

This does not sound good at all and makes no sense, you are right. Where was this trip to?

Thanks for your feedback and first-hand review of Get Your Guide, Matt

Good News! They refunded the remaining $400!

Yeah, Rachel, this is wonderful news, happy to for you!! Thanks for sharing as well :))

Hi, GetYourGuide is another broker. Like tripadvisor expedia any many more. Poor tour operators, having to pay more than 30% commission just to have their activities sold by parasites. At the end of the day it’s you who pays more for a tour. Search and contact directly local tour companies and guides and save 30%. People spend hours on their phones, but are to lazy and busy look for a local guide/tour company. Help the local people who are the soul of the industry.

Hey Alexander,

What a great comment! Insulting both the company doing your sales and your customers by calling them, at the very least, lazy. There are certain advantages of using a safe platform like GYG. For instance, travelers like us can read reviews and compare. This quality assurance is crucial, and bad tours will not get any more business.

Booking platforms like GYG and others are an absolute necessity and crucial for the traveler’s safety and experience.

Safe travels, Matt

Do not book with this company. They refused a refund when my wife got a migraine the day before our event in the Florida Everglades and the hotel and other tour graciously understood how sudden and debilitating migraine headaches can be. Get Your Guide asked for hospitalization record! Then wanted medical certification for that day. I sent her doctors note and Relpax prescription but they still denied it. Very poor service as well. Don’t use. Book directly with tour operators and avoid third party nightmares when plans unexpectedly change.

This company is scam, be aware they won’t refund you anything

thanks for your feedback. GetYourGuide is not a scam. Do you have more details of the issue you are having? Refunds are always complicated and need to be checked before. I know it is a tricky topic. Happy to hear more details of your experience.

Thanks for putting all this great info. I am curious as to what exactly GYG Skip the Line feature is. Is that a fancy way to buy online to avoid staying in line at the ticket booth? Or is there a special treatment for GYG ticket holders to avoid some lines? What might another line than the ticket line be? For example, at la Sagrada Família if we buy tickets from their site, do we not have the same convenience?

Great questions! I wish I could give you a definite answer, but the truth is, it really always depends. Sometimes the sights put special offers on GYG, and therefore it is much better to go with GYG. Sometimes, tour operators add special packages to GetYourGuide, like Park Güell entrance and Sagrada Família in one with a Tour Guide. This is then very interesting and could be even cheaper.

The website of Sagrada Família is a bit of a pain to use. It was a bit painful to get the tower tickets and such. But this may have changed.

Oh and it is worth it 98% of the time to book online instead of when you are there. Often, especially super popular sights like Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam or the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, have super long queues. So watch out for these popular skip the line tickets. Even if those would be €2 more expensive, it can easily save you 1-2hours waiting in a boring line.

Last but not least: Always read the section “what is included” and “what is not included”. This is crucial for every single tour you book on GetYourGuide!!

I used GetYourGuide for an airport pickup in Paris. They were given all of my flight information during the booking. An airline caused flight delay made us an hour and a half late. According to the company they will only wait one hour and left us. Be aware they they will not refund your money even though they would have know the flight was delayed if they bothered to check (being an airport pickup service wouldn’t they?). The funny part is they told me the driver stood there for 1 hour knowing we wouldn’t be arriving. Either they are lying or the driver is dumb.

They refuse to refund my money.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. Truth be told: This seems to be the provider’s fault! You are right, this is not acceptable, especially since the driver knows when your flight will arrive.

GetYourGuide has here no control other than making sure that their partner (the provider) do a good job. Did you contact GetYourGuide directly or the transport provider?

This is more of a warning than a question. We had booked a day tour from Lisbon to Sintra (8/17/22) for 14 people using GetYourGuide. We were at pick up for 8:20 along with another group, we went from bus to bus trying to locate ours. We started calling at 8:25 and they said we left at 8:25 and sent us an email at 8:29 saying we are leaving. They told us to take the train and we could pick up tour there.

We did this and were told our tickets for Sintra Castle didn’t exist. We paid $1200 for this tour. The people answering the phone were not helpful and left 16 people stranded.

Thanks for sharing, Kelly. A pity to hear this story. Hope you enjoyed Lisbon, nevertheless! Do not let bad agencies ruin your well deserved holidays! Did GYG clear with the agent what happened and refunded? Would be great to know.

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How Much Should You Tip on a Guided Tour? All Your Gratuity Questions Answered

Everything you need to know about tipping on a guided tour..

The Scoop: What to Know About Trafalgar Tours

When you book a guided tour , it may seem like you’re covering most of your vacation costs before you even depart. Most tours include accommodations, trip leaders, local guides, transportation during the trip, admission fees, and many meals all in the upfront cost. But the addd cost of tour leader tips and other customary gratuities can sneak up on you unless you’ve factored them in at the beginning.

Inspired by my own frustration about the vague information available about how much to tip on guided tours, I’ve compared tipping guidelines and recommendations from a dozen different tour companies to create this tipping guide for tours. You can use it to get a sense of tour operator tipping norms and then plan accordingly.

BEST OF THE BEST: 15 Best Group Travel Companies for Guided Tours

Which Gratuities Are Covered in Most Tours?

Many tour companies build tips for support staff into the tour price. That could include hotel staff, waiters, and sometimes (but not always) bus drivers. If your guided tour has a dedicated motor coach driver for the entire trip, for example, you may be expected to tip the driver in addition to your guides.

And almost none of the tour operators I spoke with include the priciest of all tips—tour leader gratuities—into the cost of a tour. The exception is Road Scholar , which includes group leader gratuities in the up-front tour cost. 

Which Gratuities Are Not Covered in Most Tours?

Beyond the above-mentioned exceptions, most tour companies do not include tips for guides and hotel housekeeping. Often, these people rely on tips as a vital part of their income, so it’s important to set your own budget accordingly to make sure you’re tipping at an appropriate level for their service.

• Tour Leader/Director: I’ll go into more detail below about tipping tour leaders, but in terms of the biggest gratuity expense to budget for on a tour, this is it, since the customary amount may well be in the hundreds of dollars.
• Local Tour Guides: Some tour companies will include local tour guides into the gratuities covered in the cost of the tour, while others say you should tip local tour guides individually. If you’re expected to tip local guides on your own, the daily amount usually falls somewhere in the $2 to $10 range. Local tour guides tend to be used for day tours, so you’ll want to tip them at the end of the day, as you may not see them again.
• Hotel Housekeeping: In-room tips for the cleaning staff aren’t generally paid by tour companies. TourScoop’s sister site FamilyVacationist has an explainer about hotel housekeeping tipping etiquette , but generally speaking the customary range is $3 to $10 per day depending on the hotel class. 
• Independent Meals: Learn tipping customs for your destinations before you go, since you’ll likely have some meals on your own and will want to be able to tip or not tip as the culture dictates. 

Why You Should Always Tip Your Tour Leaders

Ask a tour company why you should tip your tour leader and you’ll likely get some version of, “Well, it’s the customary way to thank them for all their hard work” or “It’s how you show appreciation and gratitude.” 

Intrepid Travel goes a bit deeper on its explanation, noting that “tipping is still a big part of leaders’ overall income” and that tipping locals for their guiding services is actually a powerful way to inject cash into the local economy. Since tip money doesn’t pass through a third party, the money “either go[es] straight to the leader, or get[s] divided up among your porters and local guides.”

A great tour leader turns a good experience into a great one, and it’s natural to want to make sure they feel appreciated, even if you have some resistance to the structures that require guests to heavily subsidize these hard-working wonders.

How Much to Tip Your Tour Leaders

The less helpful but most accurate answer to the question of how much to tip your tour leader is that information about tipping is generally found in the final documents you receive before your trip, so be sure to read those pages carefully when you get them (usually somewhere between a month and two weeks before the start of a tour). To give you a ballpark estimate, though, the daily per person tip for a tour leader tip should be somewhere in the range of $7 to $12, with $10 per person per day being the most widely recommended amount. 

GO IT ALONE: 10 Best Travel Companies for Solo Travel Tours

That amount can add up quickly, especially if you have more than one tour leader and/or are traveling with a family group . For instance, Adventures by Disney (which is refreshingly up-front about its tipping recommendations) pencils out gratuities for a 10-day tour with a family of four at $720 to $880, since its family travel adventures always include two tour leaders. That can be sticker-shock territory, which is why I suspect so many tour companies are so cagey about how much to tip tour leaders. 

How and When to Tip on a Guided Tour

Some companies—including Trafalgar , Globus , and Collette —may give you the option to pre-pay tour leader tips with your credit card at the time of booking. On the one hand, that’s great, since it means you don’t need to carry around cash to give at the very end of the trip. On the other hand, it pokes holes in the industry-wide story that the tip is tied to the service you’ve received.

Most tour companies still recommend tipping your tour leader at the end of the tour. Plan to tip in either the local currency or U.S. dollars if it’s a widely accepted currency in the destination country. Some tour leaders also accept Venmo or PayPal.

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Tour Scoop’s team of travel experts brings you in-depth tour company overviews, tour itinerary reviews, the latest tour news, and travel tips and advice written just for guided tour travelers like you.

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Money blog: Greece introduces six-day working week

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Leave a comment on any of the stories we're covering below.

Wednesday 3 July 2024 15:58, UK

• Greece becomes first EU country to introduce six-day working week
• Marks & Spencer knocked off top spot as new grocer of year named
• RAC says people who fail driving test should be charged more for re-test
• Young people offered half price Amazon Prime membership
• Supermarkets reveal refund policies if deliveries come late

Essential reads

• Cheap Eats : Two Michelin-starred chef reveals his favourites in Birmingham
• Women in Business : 'We don't get invited to golf' - The women who coordinated pregnancies to start virtual cancer care business and raised £5m
• Basically... What is income tax?
• Money Problem : 'I hired a car via EasyJet but they are directing my complaint to someone else - what can I do?'
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

Greece has controversially introduced a six-day working week for some sectors. 

The legislation, which came into force at the beginning of July, aims to boost productivity and employment. 

Employees of private businesses that provide around-the-clock services will have the option of working an additional two hours per day or an extra eight-hour shift.

The change means a traditional 40-hour week could be extended to 48 hours per week for some companies. 

Food service and tourism workers are not included in the initiative.

The pro-business government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said the measure is both "worker-friendly" and "deeply growth-orientated". 

However, unions have criticised the move, saying it bucks a global trend of workforces exploring a shorter week. 

Giorgos Katsambekis, a lecturer in European and international politics at Loughborough University, told our US partner site CNBC it was a "a major step back" for a workforce that is already working the longest hours in the European Union.

Marks & Spencer is offering 20% off its new school uniforms to help parents get ready for the new school year.

The average cost of school uniform in England has dropped by 4% in 2024, according to a survey by The Schoolwear Association.

However, the average cost of compulsory secondary school uniform and sportswear items for a child starting secondary school in England is still £92.35 per pupil.

That can be a big expenditure, especially for families with multiple children.

M&S's discount excludes footwear, hosiery, underwear, outerwear, accessories, school bags and lunch boxes.

Asian-inspired eatery Itsu is looking at plans to double the number of its stores in the UK.

The chain is considering opening 80 new restaurants and has appointed Savills to advise on its expansion plans.

Itsu is looking to strengthen its foothold in London, where the majority of its restaurants are based, as well as growing its presence in new locations with flagship stores in big cities.

Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Belfast are among the UK cities currently without an Itsu store.

Kate Thompson, property director at Itsu, said: "At Itsu, we are focused on making the joy of delicious, health[ier], Asian-inspired food available to everyone across the UK and beyond.

"We look forward to working with Savills to help us deliver on our plan for growth."

A motoring research charity says a case should be made for raising driving test fees for learners who repeatedly fail.

The RAC Foundation said this would encourage prospective drivers to wait until they are ready to pass, easing the "unacceptable" backlog of tests in the UK.

Last month, AA Driving School said it obtained Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) figures suggesting the average waiting time for a test at the start of February was more than 18 weeks.

A ban on driving tests during COVID  lockdowns plus a driving examiner strike has led to a bottleneck of demand.

Before 2020, the average wait time was six weeks, from booking online to turning up at the test centre.

One way of addressing the issue, according to RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding, is to consider additional fees for those with several previous failures and even to offer a rebate to first-time passers.

"Forget about all the traffic jams out on the road, there is now an unacceptable amount of congestion in the test system with learners often waiting many months for a slot," he said.

"In part these jams are being caused by people who have failed multiple times and come back to take a test that might be their fourth, fifth or sixth attempt, or even greater."

Government figures show 93,204 practical car driving tests taken in the year to the end of March were at least the candidate's sixth attempt at passing.

Under the current pricing plan, practical driving tests cost £62 during weekday daytimes and £75 during evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.

Marks & Spencer's title as Britain's grocer of the year was taken away yesterday as Sainsbury's took the crown for the first time in nearly two decades.

At a lavish ceremony held at the Royal Albert Hall, Sainsbury's took home the top prize in the Grocer Gold Awards ahead of M&S, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and social enterprise The Company Shop.

The supermarket was praised for being the only "big four" supermarket (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons) to have gained shopper spend from both Aldi and Lidl amid the cost of living crisis.

"Restoring growth while increasing profits is not an easy thing to do at the best of times, but especially with the highest inflation in decades, and the discounters - and other rivals - also opening a significant number of new stores," said Adam Leyland, chair of the judging panel.

"But Sainsbury's has given shoppers permission to enjoy its wide range of food and drink through much more competitive pricing, most notably the launch of Nectar Prices last April, and its impressively rapid rollout."

Other awards handed out on the night included Britain's favourite supermarket, which was won by Tesco for the 10th year in a row.

Tesco also took home the award for employer of the year for its "pioneering" work in supporting diversity and inclusion as well as its support to young people, competitive pay, and step up in maternity and paternity benefits.

The award for customer service was won by Waitrose, while the Grocer Cup went to Greggs CEO Roisin Currie, recognising the success Greggs has had going from a high-street bakery chain into the UK's biggest fast food chain.

Santander has become the latest lender to announce cuts across a range of its mortgage products. 

The high street bank has said selected residential fixed rates will be reduced by up to 0.16% on election day.

The move, which comes after three other banks cut rates this week, could "ramp up the battle" between the UK's biggest lenders. 

Halifax and NatWest slashed rates by up to 0.23%, and Clydesdale Bank by 0.38%, earlier this week. 

"This is Santander reacting to its competitors and joining the rate reduction party," the managing director of Yellow Brick Mortgages, Stephen Perkins, told Newspage. 

"This move from Santander has the potential to ramp up the rate battle between the UK's biggest lenders." 

He said more cuts were likely, ahead of the expected base rate reduction in August. 

"Things are really hotting up now in the mortgage market," he added.

Simon Bridgland, director of Release Freedom, was less impressed by the move, saying it they are "abysmal rate reductions". 

"Any poor soul wanting a remortgage or existing Santander borrowers in need of a new deal will just have to stay on the higher existing rates," he said. 

"Residential lenders need to jump to it and drop rates further." 

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

The index that tracks the share price performance of the 500 largest companies listed on US stock exchanges reached a new high last night. 

The rise followed comments on lowering inflation from the head of the US central bank, known as the Fed, which sparked market optimism. 

Some of the world's biggest companies make up the index, Microsoft and Amazon being two prime examples. 

Tesla's comeback in the form of a more than 10% share price rise will also have helped the new S&P 500 record. 

Its shares were at a five-month high after the electric car maker beat Wall Street expectations as price cuts helped stimulate demand.

Here in the UK, both the FTSE100 and 250 indexes are up 0.49% and 0.47% respectively. 

The biggest faller on the FTSE 100 list of most valuable companies was JD Sports which has had a run of losses for more than a week. Today its share price was down 3.61%. 

Bad news for motorists continues as the oil price tipped higher again today, reaching $86.64.

Anyone going on holidays to a country using the euro or importing goods from the continent can get €1.1797 for their pound. 

Sterling has crept up against the dollar this month with a pound buying $1.2691. 

Oreo has released a new limited edition vanilla latte flavour.

The product is already available in select supermarkets and combines a double cream vanilla filling with a vanilla latte one.

Each pack comes with 16 biscuits included and has a recommended retail price of £1.39. 

Becky Latcham, brand manager for Oreo, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to introduce Oreo's latest innovation.

"We know Oreo fans love to be playful with the way they eat their cookies so we couldn't resist putting our own spin on the original cookie that people know and love."

People aged 18 to 22 are being offered a half-price Amazon Prime membership in a bid to make the subscription "more accessible to young people".

It means anyone in this age bracket can get things like free next day delivery and Prime Video for £4.49 a month (£47.49 per year) instead of the usual £8.99.

"We're always looking for ways to provide more value to our customers and offering 18 to 22-year-olds 50% off Prime membership helps to make the wide range of Prime benefits even more accessible to young people," said John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon. 

He said at an "important time" in their lives, helping young people save will "make a big difference" whether they are heading to university, starting work or moving away from home.

The half-price offer has been open to students since 2014, but this is the first time the company has offered it to all 18 to 22-year-olds.

Every Wednesday we ask Michelin chefs to pick their favourite Cheap Eats where they live and when they cook at home. This week we speak to Aktar Islam, chef patron of Opheem - the first Birmingham restaurant to be awarded two Michelin stars. 

His entry coincides with him being crowned UK chef of the year at The Cateys last night - congratulations, Aktar!

Hi Aktar , c an you tell us your favourite places in Birmingham  where you can get a meal for two for less than £40?

I'm a big fan of Tiger Bites Pig . Grab a counter seat and watch them smash out some of the best Taiwanese bao buns in the UK. My favourite is the chicken - it's seasoned with Sichuan chilli oil and topped with chicken crackle. I could eat one every day.

Bonehead is the best fried chicken spot in Birmingham. Their Bonehead and Hothead seasonings are corkers. I usually get the burgers or the strips with a side of Nashville fries. If I'm feeling brave I'll get a pickleback too, but they are punchy!

Qavali is an Indo-Persian restaurant which takes its inspiration from the Indian subcontinent and uses spices and techniques rooted everywhere from Turkey to India. Marinated meat is grilled over charcoal, and often served in richly spiced sauces and broths. I'm a meat eater, so nothing makes me happier than a big plate of grilled meat and this is my go-to.

What's your go-to cheap meal at home?

I tend to cook with a lot of pulses when I'm at home. I usually opt for a roast vegetable and lentil dish. I just grab a tin from the cupboard and use any vegetables that I have knocking around. I add garlic, cumin, and chilli. It's so simple and flavourful. Serve with a roast chicken - perfect.

We've spoken to lots of top chefs and bloggers - check out their cheap eats from around the country here...

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7 Essential Questions To Ask Your Tour Guide Before Booking A Trip

October 3, 2023

Are you planning an exciting adventure to a new destination and considering booking a trip through a tour guide? While the idea of a guided tour can offer benefits, I’m beggggging you to make informed decisions to ensure your trip goes smoothly. I booked my trip to Peru using guide Guru Explorers and had a phenomenal time. To help you prepare for your next travel experience, I’ve compiled a list of seven essential questions to ask your tour guide before making a booking.

• Exact Price Breakdown : Before committing to a tour, ask your guide for an itemized breakdown of prices for each activity and transportation included in the package. This information is essential for understanding where your money is going and allows you to manage your budget more effectively. It’s always a good practice to know the details of what you’re paying for.
• Private or Group Tours : Determine whether the tours are private or group experiences. Private tours can be more personalized but often come with a higher price tag. Your guide may initially recommend the most expensive option, so it’s important to inquire about group tour alternatives. This way, you can choose the option that best suits your preferences and budget.
• Activity Timings : To plan your day effectively, ask your tour guide for the start and end times of each activity. Having a clear schedule will help you make the most of your time at each destination and ensure you don’t miss out on anything. It also let’s you know how tiresome the tour will be. I accidentally booked a tour that started at 4 am. Mistake!
• Inclusions : Don’t be caught off guard by hidden costs. Ask your tour guide about what is included with each tour. Some tours may seem incredibly affordable, but that could be because they exclude essential elements such as entry fees, meals, or transportation from your hotel.
• Dress Code and Cultural Norms : Different destinations have varying dress codes and cultural norms. It’s important to know how to dress appropriately for each tour. For instance, if you plan to visit a temple, you may need to have your arms and legs covered. By asking about dress code requirements, you can avoid unexpected expenses like purchasing additional clothing upon arrival.
• Tour Guide’s Involvement : Clarify whether your tour guide will be the person accompanying you throughout the trip or if they subcontract tours to other companies.
• Cancellation and Refund Policies : Life can be unpredictable, and you may need to make changes to your itinerary after your trip has started. Ask about the tour company’s cancellation and refund policies. Knowing the terms and conditions for modifying your plans can help you make decisions with confidence.

By asking these seven essential questions, you’ll be better prepared to choose the right tour guide for your travel adventure. Ask allll the questions you need to make sure you feel fully equipped to take on the trip. Safe travels! ✈️🌍

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• Best Online Advisor for Low Fees 
• Best Online Advisor for Diversified Investing
• Best Online Advisor for 529 Plans
• Best Online Advisor for Financial Planning and Personal Development
• Best Online Advisor for Retirement Saving
• Why You Should Trust Us

Best Online Financial Advisors 2024: Find the Right Fit for Your Needs

Paid non-client promotion: Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate investing products to write unbiased product reviews.

What Are Online Financial Advisors?

A financial advisor is a catch-all term that includes financial planners and investment advisors. Most online advisors offer investment management — whether it's carried out by a human or a sophisticated computer algorithm — and financial planning services or tools.

Types of Online Advisors

The main types of online financial advisors are: 

• Robo-Advisors: Automated investment platforms (aka robo-advisors) use algorithms to generate a custom investment portfolio based on an individual's risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. Robo-advisors typically offer low-cost ETFs as a cost-effective way to instantly diversify an investor's asset allocation and mitigate risk. 
• Human Advisors (Virtual): Financial advisors that offer personalized financial planning and investment advice online through virtual meetings, email, and other virtual communication channels. 
• Hybrid Models: Some online brokerages offer hybrid financial advice, combining automated investment advice and management through a robo-advisor and one-on-one consultation from a human advisor. 

Benefits of Using Online Financial Advisors

Online financial advisors allow you to ditch the in-person hassle and access expert financial guidance from your phone or home computer. Online financial advisors leverage investment technology and generally low-cost compared to traditional in-person consultants.  

Not only does it make investing more affordable for many individuals, but clients can more easily adjust and monitor their investments on their own time. Robo-advisor and hybrid online advisors typically offer online dashboards and tools for convenient managing and monitoring. 

Compare the Top Online Financial Advisors 2024

For this list, we didn't consider online advisors that match clients and advisors for comprehensive financial  planning services, such as Zoe Financial or Facet Wealth . Instead, we focused on tech-driven firms where you can access an automated and personalized portfolio and consult a professional for advice when needed.

Here are our top picks for the best online financial advisors as picked by Business Insider editors in 2024.

SoFi Automated: Best Online Advisor for Low Fees 

SoFi Automated Investing supports individual investment accounts, joint accounts, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and 401(k) rollovers.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No account minimum or management fees to invest
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Goal planning and automatic portfolio rebalancing
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Range of other account options across SoFi website
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. SoFi offers complimentary CFP access across all accounts
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No tax-loss harvesting
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No socially responsible portfolio options

SoFi Invest is one of the best investment apps and the best investment apps for beginners. It's a great platform for US investors who are looking for an intuitive online trading experience, an open active or automated investing account, and assets like cryptocurrencies.

• Promotion: None at this time.
• Consider it if: You're new to investing and want to leave the trading decisions to professionals.

SoFi Automated Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage accounts , traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SEP IRA.

SoFi stands out for its lack of advisory fees, free one-on-one consultations with CFPs, portfolio diversity, and goal-planning features. SoFi builds a personalized investment portfolio based on your risk tolerance, goals, and time horizon. Additional SoFi membership perks include loan discounts and career counseling. 

What to look out for: SoFi doesn't have tax-loss harvesting features and limited portfolio diversity. 

SoFi Invest review

Betterment: Best Online Advisor for Diversified Investing

Betterment offers individual or joint accounts, IRAs, trust accounts, and cash reserve or checking accounts.

$0 to open, $10 to start investing ($100,000 for premium plan)

$4 per month (or 0.25%/year) for digital plan; 0.40%/ year for premium plan; 1%/year for crypto portfolios

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimum for standard investing account
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Goal-based planning, tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving, and socially responsible investing available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Access to certified financial planners
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Mobile app with external account syncing options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You'll have to pay to consult a human advisor, unless you have the premium plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $4 monthly fee (or 0.25% annual fee)

Betterment is best for hands-off investors who want to take advantage of professionally built, personalized ETF and cryptocurrency portfolios. The platform offers CFP access, so it could suit those in search of additional guidance from human advisors.

• App store rating: 4.7 iOS/4.5 Android
• Consider it if: You want access to robo-advice with multiple service levels.

Betterment Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, inherited IRA, and trust.

What stands out:  Betterment is a robust trading platform offering premium plans with unlimited access to CFPs through phone or email. Investors can use the platform's goal-setting feature, ESG investing, automatic rebalancing, and easy-to-use financial dashboard. 

What to look out for:  Accounts with a $100,000 balance can upgrade to get advisor access, but the annual fee increases from 0.25% (an industry low) to 0.40%

Betterment review

Wealthfront: Best Online Advisor for 529 Plans

Fund your first taxable investment account with at least $500 in the first 30 days of account opening and earn a $50 bonus.

$1 ($500 for automated investing)

$0 for stock trades. 0.25% for automated investing (0.06% to 0.13% for fund fees)

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Low annual fee for investment accounts; crypto trust investments available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Tax-loss harvesting, portfolio lines of credit, 529 college savings plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cash account
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Mobile app and investing and retirement tools
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You need at least $100,000 to utilize additional investment strategies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No human advisor access

Wealthfront is one of the best robo-advisor options if you're in search of low-cost automated portfolio management, and one of the best socially responsible investing apps for features like tax-loss harvesting, US direct indexing, and crypto trusts.

• Consider it if: You're balancing several goals and want to streamline your finances.
• Promotion: Fund your first taxable investment account with at least $500 in the first 30 days of account opening and earn a $50 bonus.

Wealthfront Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, trust, and 529 savings plan .

Wealthfront is one of the best online financial advisors for college education savings and cryptocurrency trusts. You can borrow up to 30% of your investment balance at a low interest rate with a portfolio line of credit. Wealthfront also offers personalized recommendations with smart financial planning software. 

What to look out for:  On-staff financial advisors don't offer personalized advice

Wealthfront review

Ellevest: Best Online Advisor for Financial Planning and Personal Development

Ellevest offers two investing portfolios to fit your needs.

$1 - $240 (varies by portfolio)

$54 - $97 annually; $5 or $9/month

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Personalized, automated investment advice with a $0 minimum requirement
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Monthly plans include discounted access to certified financial planners
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Automated IRA accounts and 401(k)/403(b) rollovers available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Private wealth management for individuals, families, and institutions who have at least $1 million to invest
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No active trading opportunities available; money is mainly invested in stock ETFs and bond ETFs
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You can only open individual investment accounts and retirement accounts; joint accounts or custodial accounts not available

Ellevest is one of the best robo-advisors for goal-focused investing. It could be a good fit if you want automated investing and retirement accounts.

• Consider it if: You're looking for a one-stop shop for financial planning.

Ellevest offers individual taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SEP IRA (all held at Folio Investments).

Ellevest is a comprehensive financial advisor and trading platform built around women's unique needs and challenges. Investors get access to an extensive library of content and advisor-led workshops. Additionally, Ellevest offers a socially responsible investment portfolio and monthly progress reports. 

What to look out for:  Financial coaching costs extra (but members get 30%- 50% off). Access to retirement account management requires an upgrade.

Ellevest review

Ameriprise Financial Investments: Best Online Advisor for Retirement Saving

Ameriprise Financial Services has been operating for 130 years Ameriprise Financial Services is licensed in all 50 states but only has 10 physical locations throughout the US; it's currently headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Varies by account

$500 annual advisory fee, 2% AUM

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Access to personal finance research and investment tools
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Fiduciary financial advisor access
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Various account and investment options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. High account minimums
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Difficult to navigate website
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complex fee structure

Ameriprise Financial Services is a brokerage and financial advisory firm best for experienced, passive investors interested in using the site's financial planning services, wealth management tools, and fiduciary advisor access.

Ameriprise Financial Investments offers three managed account options that can be opened as an individual brokerage account, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Simple IRAs, SEP IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 529 plans, and Coverdell education savings accounts (CESA). 

Ameriprise Financial Investments is one of the largest registered investment advisors in the US and is best for experienced investors looking for advanced charting and investing features. You'll get access to fiduciary financial advisors for consultations or account management. 

What to look out for: Ameriprise 's managed account fees are high, and it has a complex fee structure. 

Ameriprise Financial Services review

How Much Do Online Financial Advisors Cost?

Financial advisors providing financial advice often charge by the hour, typically between $100 to $300. Advisors creating a comprehensive financial plan tend to charge a flat rate between $1,000 and $3,000. 

If you hire an advisor to manage your investment portfolio, you'll be charged a percentage of your account balance, typically between 1% and 3% annually. In comparison, that's much higher than the fees that the best robo-advisors charge; you get the added benefit of building a relationship with a trusted source who can adjust your strategy as needed, provide personal recommendations, and answer questions when they arise.

How to Choose the Best Online Financial Advisors

The best online financial advisor for you depends on your goals, risk tolerance, investments, and time horizon. If you're a new investor interested in passive investing, an online robo-advisor is likely a good place to start. On the other hand, if you're looking for professional insight and a customized financial plan, you're better off with access to a human advisor through phone or video calls. 

You can also meet with an expert in person for financial guidance. So if you prefer to meet face-to-face, here are some tools to find some in your area:

• This is a database of all CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals who are authorized to use their CFP® marks by the CFP® Board and are accepting new clients.
• Using the advanced search function, you can choose from over 40 focus areas you're looking to get help with and include your current amount of investable assets.
• Click here to visit the CFP Board website .
• This database helps connect young professionals — those in generations X and Y (millennials) — with individual advisors.
• Every advisor holds the CFP® certification, is a fiduciary , does not require a minimum net worth to take on new clients, and does not earn commissions.
• Click here to visit XY Planning Network .
• This platform maintains a database of fee-only financial advisors, not specifically CFP® certificates, who commit to a fiduciary oath once a year. 
• You can filter by location to see a list of advisory firms in your area.
• Click here to visit the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors website .

Online financial advisors are generally trustworthy. The best advisors follow the fiduciary rule, meaning they operate in their clients' best interest and are fee-only. This means client fees are their only compensation, and they don't earn a commission when they invest in certain funds or buy financial products.

Not everyone needs a robo-advisor, but beginners or passive investors looking for a hands-off approach to stock trading may prefer how cost-effective and convenient robo-advisors are. Affordable financial advisors can be hard to come by, so robo-advisors are a great alternative for many people. However, a financial advisor may be better if you need specific advice on your finances or investment strategy or if you're too overwhelmed or confused by your money to plan for retirement or invest in the stock market. 

The cost of an online financial advisor varies from platform to platform and advisor to advisor. The cost largely depends on the services, licensing, account balance, and complexity. Robo-advisors typically charge lower fees than human advisors. 

Why You Should Trust Us: Our Methodology

We Reviewed the best online financial advisors using Business Insider's methodology for rating investment platforms . We compared a long list of Registered Investment advisors (RIAs), considering fees, investment selection, access, ethics, and customer service. The best online advisors have top marks in all five categories. Investment platforms are given a rating between 0 and 5.

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How to look for the qualities of an effective tour guide operator when hiring

By Kevin Tjoe — 24 Jun 2018

amadeus   tips   tour guide   tour operator

Updated June 2022 – Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt like giving up on hiring your next tour guide. When you on-board new hires, you’re hit with the realization that they’re just not a good fit, killing any sense of confidence you had about finding the best person for the job. It’s daunting enough finding a new hire – never mind going through the on-boarding process all over again when it doesn’t work out.

Well, there’s good news: selecting your next tour guide role doesn’t have to be that hard. With the right set of criteria of tour guide skills at your disposal, you could easily find the best tour guide for your business, all without the hassle that comes with having it not work out.

Wondering what personality traits do tour guides have that will reveal their future success or failure? To help you answer this, we’ve outlined 10 important qualities of a good tour guide. 

With these tour guide characteristics tips, you’ll know exactly what makes a good tour guide and have the proper tools in place to hire someone who will exceed customer expectations and customer satisfaction. 

1.  Enthusiasm

One of the most fundamental tour guide characteristics is enthusiasm.

Customers can tell if a tour guide doesn’t want to be there. Considering that nobody wants to feel like their presence is a nuisance, it is impossible to provide customers with a fun and engaging tour if it’s obvious that their guide would prefer to be at home.

On the other hand, enthusiasm is contagious. If a customer notices that their tour guide is as excited to be there as they are, they’ll feel a lot more satisfied with their overall experience. Enthusiasm fosters an authentic connection between the tour guide and customers. It’s also the backdrop of all of the other essential characteristics of a good tour guide. An enthusiastic tour guide will be not only willing but excited to grow their skills and engage with the customers.

2.  Organization and punctuality

Besides dressing themselves well, this involves setting expectations prior to the tour – informing customers of location, time, and length of tour, what they need to bring, and any rules or special considerations (if your online booking system doesn’t automate this for you). Your tour guide needs to have organisational skills to be able to run through the structure for each tour in advance.

Ultimately, one of the key characteristics of a good tour guide is effective time management skills and punctuality. They shouldn’t make customers wait for them, and they should end the tour on time.

How punctual are they when it comes to their appointments with you during the interview process? This is a good indicator of how they will be when running your tours.

The speed with which they speak and move the tour along should also be just right – it can’t be too fast or too slow. You don’t want your customers to get bored or feel rushed through certain parts of the tour.

3.  Prepared for anything

A good tour guide is adept at improvising, no matter whether it’s responding to hiccups in the tour’s timing, unexpected customer questions, or responding to crises. It’s key that your tour guides are capable of efficiently detecting and responding to any crisis, no matter how big or small. They should also have a comprehensive understanding of your company’s tour guide insurance policies and how this may relate to their work.

Unexpected situations can crop up where medical assistance is needed. Every guide should know First Aid and carry the appropriate equipment. Can your candidate attend to the injured using this equipment? If not, are they willing to attend First Aid training prior to starting?

4.  Can read the room

A good tour guide will take the initiative to learn about customers on the tour, then include universally relevant information to tailor the examples they use to make it more personal. They need to be aware of who they’re speaking to, the audience needs to see that your tour guide engages with all the attendees.

5.  An engaging storyteller

Obviously, you don’t want people to become disinterested whilst on your tour. Your guide’s personality is a huge part of that. Can they make the tour more interactive? They should be able to invite questions and use demonstrations to help tourists to learn by themselves. 

One of the most essential qualities of a good tour guide is a great customer service experience and the ability to hold good conversations. It’s also important that they have a passion for travel as this will keep the audience interested and engaged .

Make sure that they themselves are interested in the subject matter, because they need to be enthusiastic about what they’re saying.

6 .  Knows their stuff

Another one of the most important characteristics of a tour guide is their ability to retain information.

Your guide must be able to recite facts from memory and be clear in delivering them. Facts have to be accurate – otherwise, they should be able to say they aren’t sure and get back to the customer asking.

Of course, you can’t expect your tour guide to know everything from day one. But hiring a tour guide who demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning and has clearly researched your tour company prior to their job interview, is key to ensuring that your staff are committed to learning and understanding the tours they provide.

7. Multilingual

While it may not be a necessity, speaking multiple languages is an excellent and particularly useful quality of a good tour guide. A multilingual tour guide will dramatically broaden your target audience and help welcome people from varying backgrounds to your tour.

A tour guide doesn’t need to be fluent in dozens of languages for their lingual skills to be handy. All tour guides should at least have a conversational grasp of commonly encountered languages. This knowledge becomes extremely useful if someone has an emergency.

8.  Leadership and initiative

Since they’re managing a group of people, the ability to have a certain level of authority is crucial. Tour guides must be able to lead a group of people without being condescending, snobby, or aggressive. If something unexpected happens on the tour, a good tour guide will be able to take charge in an assertive manner to ensure that all customers receive the right directions.

9.  A good sense of humor

Whilst they don’t have to be total comedians, tour guides need to be quick witted so they can throw in friendly jokes or light banter with the customers. Again, it’s not a stand-up routine, so they should also know when to be quiet. You can gauge this aspect of their personality when they interview for the job.

10. Willingness to learn

 A key part of your tour should be collecting feedback and using it to make it better. Your tour guides should be open to change based on customer criticism – without taking it too personally.

Of course, the ideal tour guide will look differently for each tour operator company as some traits are necessary for certain activities but not others. However, there are certain qualities of a good tour guide that transcend time and place: enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, leadership skills, and punctuality.

Now that you’ve found what makes a good tour guide, it’s time to ensure that your newly hired tour guides are given the right tools they need to succeed.

Rezdy’s all-in-one online booking software simplifies the management of your tour company so you can ensure that your customers receive a satisfying experience. Curious to see how Rezdy can help your tour guides succeeds? Start a  FREE 21-day trial  or  book a demo so you can  experience first-hand the benefits of automated activity booking websites.

If you enjoyed this article then make sure to follow the  Rezdy blog . There are a lot of marketing tools and tour operator tips designed with businesses like yours in mind.

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How to Get Rid of Groundhogs Effectively and Humanely in 8 Steps

By Danielle Fallon-O’Leary , Evelyn Auer

Updated on Jun 30, 2024 12:30 AM EDT

9 minute read

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›

Project Overview

• Groundhogs can wreak havoc on a yard, but getting rid of them can be tricky.
• Homeowners can deter groundhogs using repellents and harassment methods to encourage them to move elsewhere.
• Trapping and relocating a groundhog is an option, but there may be state requirements about how to do so safely and humanely.
• If other methods fail, homeowners are advised to contact a wildlife removal professional to help remove groundhogs from their yard.

But what attracts groundhogs to people’s yards? It all comes down to the answer to one question, and that’s “What do groundhogs eat?” A woodchuck’s diet consists of flowers, vegetables, twigs and bark, bugs, and even plant seedlings—so much of a home garden is fair game for these critters, which is why they often make their home near someone’s garden. Deep tunnels and nibbled crops are two telltale signs of a groundhog problem. But luckily, there are a few ways to combat this situation. This guide explains how to get rid of groundhogs and keep them away for good.

When people think of groundhogs, they may picture Punxsutawney Phil or think of the fascinating history of Groundhog Day . But groundhogs, also known as woodchucks , do more than just (allegedly) forecast the seasons. If they wander into a yard, they can cause a significant amount of damage to a home garden. They can even undermine the structural integrity of sheds, driveways, and foundations.

Time required: 3 to 5 days Difficulty: Beginner to intermediate Estimated cost: $150 to $200 for removal; cost for preventive measures (such as building fences) will vary

Tools & Materials

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• Fresh fruit
• Solar stakes
• Motion-detector groundhog repellent device
• Electric wire
• Rodent repellent (options include ammonia, red pepper flakes, talcum powder, and garlic)
• Groundhog trap
• Fencing materials
• Hardware cloth or chicken wire

Before You Begin…

Before starting the groundhog removal process, homeowners will want to consider the following:

Tips for Getting Rid of Groundhogs

• Groundhogs can easily be mistaken for other similar rodents, such as gophers, voles, and moles (if moles are the primary culprits, the best mole repellents may get rid of them). The rodents’ appearance and tunnels or mounds can help homeowners differentiate them and apply the appropriate removal solutions.
• Consider the season and timing. Groundhogs reproduce from late winter until the spring or early summer and hibernate in the winter. The most humane time to get rid of woodchucks is from mid- to late summer to avoid separating a mother from her babies.

Safety Considerations

• While groundhogs, like other rodents, are not a significant source of infectious disease to humans, they occasionally can carry rabies. It’s advised to treat any unprovoked attack as a potential rabies exposure.
• If homeowners are not comfortable with removing groundhogs themselves or cannot safely implement the strategies below, they are advised to seek professional groundhog removal services.

STEP 1: Prevent nesting by maintaining your yard.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to groundhog removal. Groundhogs will use any yard debris they can find to make a nest. Keeping a tidy lawn that’s free of wood or leaf piles and garbage can help homeowners prevent these rodents from nesting in the first place. Groundhogs may also burrow underneath homes or garages—if there is already a groundhog nest somewhere in the yard, homeowners will want to fill in any holes and block off the area to keep them from returning to the spot.

STEP 2: Use repellents to keep them away.

While there are no commercial chemical repellents designed specifically for groundhog removal, products designed for other rodents may do the trick. For homeowners who have dogs, another option is to sprinkle dog urine or fur around the groundhog’s nest to indicate that predators are nearby. Bobcat urine can also be purchased from home improvement or hardware stores for this same purpose and may be even more effective. Epsom salt is a useful groundhog deterrent and repellent that many homeowners may already have on hand. Ammonia, red pepper flakes, talcum powder, and garlic also make suitable woodchuck repellents and are often found in the home.

According to experts, antifreeze can be an effective groundhog poison; however, it’s not recommended because dogs are attracted to its smell and taste, and antifreeze is lethal to dogs, so homeowners will want to try one of the other (more humane) repellents instead. Another option is a motion-detector groundhog repellent device that sprays water or flashes light to startle unwanted guests when they get close.

To get rid of groundhogs, homeowners will want to plan out an exit route away from the property, then place the repellent in the burrows nearest the property. They will place another repellent in burrows farther away (closer to the exit) 1 or 2 days later, repeating the process as necessary until the groundhogs are gone. It’s advised that homeowners exercise caution when plotting out an exit point, or the woodchucks may become the neighbors’ problem.

STEP 3: Drive the groundhogs out of their homes.

Making a groundhog’s home uninhabitable can drive the critter out. One standard solution is flooding the groundhog hole with water, which causes a woodchuck to look for drier land. Another option is to fill the groundhog burrow with dirt or rocks.

Ideally, fumigation will only be performed as a last resort, and always by a wildlife removal specialist. The fumigation process is not only dangerous to humans but can be lethal to animals. It is also likely to wreak havoc on the lawn. According to Thomas Ward III, a training specialist and biologist with Critter Control , the solution to a wildlife nuisance does not have to be deadly to be effective. “Just because we’re solving a wildlife problem doesn’t mean we have to hurt the animal,” he says. “We’ll always look at options that don’t cause direct harm to the animal.” If using a professional, homeowners will want to make sure that the company they choose tries all non-lethal methods first.

STEP 4: Scare groundhogs out of their homes.

Another option is to scare groundhogs out of their burrows, encouraging them to take shelter elsewhere. While visually based scare tactics such as scarecrows and pinwheels do work in the short term, they rarely provide lasting relief as the critters get used to them. Auditory and tactile tools, such as solar stakes that send out ultrasonic pulses, tend to be more effective in the long run for scaring away groundhogs and other digging pests. But Ward advises that these tactics can be limited in their usefulness: “Sometimes harassment methods work; if you bother [the groundhog] enough, it might go away. That can be hit or miss because it doesn’t really direct it where to go; it’s just directing it away, so you might send it to your neighbor’s house.” The groundhog would then become the neighbor’s problem, and there’s a chance they will inadvertently drive the rodent back into your yard.

STEP 5: Trap and relocate the groundhogs.

A more foolproof way of protecting the yard from these pests is by physically relocating groundhogs from the property altogether. Ward says, “The typical method for trying to remove a groundhog would be a cage, or what we call a box trap, to capture and relocate a groundhog.” If a homeowner is wondering how to trap a groundhog themselves, the process involves setting up groundhog traps near the burrow entrance. A piece of fruit works well as groundhog bait; these critters can’t resist a juicy piece of cantaloupe.

Once trapped, the animal can be released a significant distance away from the property so it can’t find its way back. First, though, homeowners will want to make sure groundhog relocation isn’t illegal in the area. “You have to make sure [that state regulation] allows relocation or translocation of an animal because those regulations vary by state,” advises Ward. In addition, the Humane Society of the United States advises that relocation is not recommended in the spring and early summer because it could result in an orphaned litter that will die without their mother. Relocation can also disorient animals and lead to their untimely deaths. In general, it’s recommended that homeowners leave wild animals alone unless they are causing damage to the property. In some cases, however, relocation is the best solution to get rid of groundhogs.

Homeowners who are uncomfortable relocating the animal themselves or are unsure of how to get rid of a groundhog legally in their state will want to enlist the help of a wildlife removal specialist.

“Just because we’re solving a wildlife problem doesn’t mean we have to hurt the animal. We’ll always look at options that don’t cause direct harm to the animal.” – Thomas Ward III, training specialist and biologist with Critter Control

STEP 6: Prevent groundhogs from coming back by installing fencing.

In-ground fencing is one of the most effective options for keeping groundhogs out of gardens; however, it’s important for homeowners to take additional measures so the creatures cannot burrow underneath or climb over the fence. Before installing fencing, homeowners will want to ensure that there are no inhabited burrows in the area—otherwise, the groundhog may end up trapped inside the yard instead of out. Homeowners can do this by loosely placing material such as newspaper or grass clippings at the burrow entrance, then observing over a period of a few days to see whether the material has been disturbed.

Once it is clear that there are no groundhogs living in the yard, it’s time for the homeowner to erect the fence. Hardware cloth or chicken wire are both affordable and effective options. Perimeter fences will need to be at least 3 feet high and buried 12 inches underground. The top 15 inches of the fence can be bent at an angle to discourage groundhogs from climbing over. An electric wire placed 4 to 5 inches off the ground around the fence provides additional protection. Hardware cloth can also be buried 1 foot into the ground to limit burrowing under decks and foundations.

While many homeowners may be able to put in a fence themselves, the best way to ensure that the fencing is installed correctly is to enlist the help of one of the best fence companies in their area. Time is of the essence when dealing with groundhogs and other nuisance wildlife, so having a professional take care of the project quickly and efficiently may save a homeowner’s garden from significant damage. If a homeowner puts up the fence incorrectly, the time and money saved by going the DIY route could end up being negated by repeated groundhog removal costs.

STEP 7: Plant natural groundhog deterrents.

Anyone who has looked up “how to get rid of groundhogs naturally” has probably read about plants that deter groundhogs. “Repellents and deterrents have limited effectiveness in my experience,” says Ward. However, they can serve as an additional line of defense in conjunction with other methods. Groundhogs dislike the smell of herbs such as mint , sage , basil , rosemary , thyme , chives , and oregano . Planting these around the border of the yard or in places that need protection (such as a vegetable garden) may keep groundhogs from wandering in. But homeowners will want to note that a female groundhog is not likely to be deterred by something as trivial as an offensive odor if she is protecting her babies.

Often what is more effective than adding a deterrent is removing elements that are attracting groundhogs to the yard in the first place. For example, the ground underneath an apple tree that sheds fruit and leaves can turn into a groundhog snack bar. Clearing the yard of anything that could double as food or shelter for a groundhog will make it much less appealing to the rodents, and therefore decrease the likelihood of a groundhog returning to your yard (or a new one coming to take the original one’s place) once you’ve gotten rid of the rodent.

STEP 8: Call in a wildlife removal professional to help humanely remove groundhogs for good.

From a distance, groundhogs can seem cute and cuddly, and homeowners might be tempted to get close or interact with them. But Ward advises homeowners to take caution. “Groundhogs do get pretty big,” he says, as well as mentioning that they have a forceful bite. He goes on to say, “I always recommend caution when homeowners do something themselves, not because of lack of capability, but because you’re putting yourself at a bit more risk than you might want to or not realizing the potential risk.” He recommends weighing potential risks against calling a professional and letting them take care of the problem. It’s important for homeowners to remember that groundhogs are wild animals that do not always act predictably, especially if they are rabid. The best wildlife removal services like Critter Control or Terminix will be able to advise homeowners on the safest and most effective course of action to remove groundhogs. They can also help to identify wildlife as it can be difficult for inexperienced homeowners to tell the difference between gophers vs. groundhogs or groundhogs vs. beavers. The process for getting rid of gophers is similar to getting rid of groundhogs, but a professional can identify the animal and suggest the best methods for removing them from a property.

While groundhogs can be a nuisance, homeowners can use the above tools and strategies to prevent and get rid of them for good. Keeping a neat lawn, planting natural deterrents, and installing the proper fencing can go a long way in stopping groundhogs from entering in the first place. If the above strategies are beyond a homeowner’s comfort level and expertise, it’s advisable for them to look up “groundhog removal near me” to find a professional with experience to help.

Your Biggest Questions About Heat Pumps, Answered Your Biggest Questions About Heat Pumps, Answered

By Tony Carrick

Anker’s New Home Battery Tower Is a Sleek, Modular Step Toward Complete Energy Independence Anker’s New Home Battery Tower Is a Sleek, Modular Step Toward Complete Energy Independence

By Chase Brush

How to Do Laundry: A Step-by-Step Guide on the Right Way to Sort, Wash and Dry

All the best tips and tricks to treat your clothes with care.

Even if laundry is your most dreaded household chore, there's no way around it: Your clothes, towels and bedding will continue to pile up until you clean them. Because of this, the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab is always on the hunt for ways to make laundry day less of a chore, routinely testing essential products like washers , dryers and detergents , to find the best ones for every need and budget. With decades of testing and expertise under their belts, our cleaning experts have determined the steps you should take to effectively clean and dry your garments, no matter the type of machinery, fibers or amount of time you're working with.

Read care and fiber labels.

First things first, look at the care and fiber labels, often located on the side seams, back neck or back waist of garments. Together, these little labels tell you everything you need to know about your garment, including the fibers it's made out of along with recommended washing and drying techniques. Instructions are often spelled out, but sometimes labels are just a list of laundry symbols. In this case, follow this guide on how to decode laundry symbols:

Every now and again, you might not have labels to turn to, like if you cut it off prematurely or the writing has been worn away from repeated wear. If you don't have a label to use as your guide, start with the most delicate washing and drying method to ensure that you don't ruin your garments. But if you feel it's safe to take things one step further, follow these guidelines that align with the specific fiber that you're working with.

• Cotton: hot, warm or cool water; high, regular or low dryer temperature.
• Linen: cool or warm water; tumble dry low or air dry.
• Nylon: cool or warm water; medium or low dryer temperature.
• Polyester: cool or warm water; medium or low dryer temperature.
• Rayon: cool water; tumble dry low or line dry; hand washing is recommended.
• Silk: cool or warm water; air, line, or dry flat; hand washing is recommended.
• Spandex: cool water; line dry.
• Wool: cool or warm water; tumble dry low or dry flat; hand washing is recommended.

Sort laundry.

Properly sorting your laundry requires a multi-step process. Start by sorting out the darks, lights and colors. Darks include anything with deep-colored dyes like black, red, navy, brown or dark gray. In addition to all-white garments, the whites pile should include pastel shades, cream, beige and light gray. Colors include anything in between like pink, lavender, orange, yellow, light blue and light green.

When it comes to garments with multiple colors (think: a shirt with black and white stripes), perform a quick test to make sure that colors won't bleed: Place a drop of water on the item and blot with a paper towel. If color doesn't come off, then you can wash it with whites and lights, adhering to the guidelines on your garment's labels.

Then sort each pile by fiber type. Pull out any delicates that could be damaged by coarser fibers as well as items that should be hand-washed. Heavier, coarser fibers take longer to dry, so removing them will also prevent you from over-drying more delicate fibers. Also, keep in mind that you should never mix "lint-givers" (towels and rugs) with "lint-receivers "(knit and corduroy).

From there, take out any heavily soiled garments. Really dirty items — whether stained, sweaty or extremely smelly — should always be washed separately from lightly soiled ones.

Before moving on to the next step, give the care and fiber labels another glance to make sure that everything in your laundry pile calls for the same water temperatures and drying times.

Pretreat stains.

It always pays off to spend extra time caring for your clothes before throwing them in the washing machine. If you notice any stains, whether fresh or dried, follow these stain-specific guides to get rid of them, stat.

Get Rid of the Most Common Stains

How to Remove Blood Stains

How to Remove Red Wine Stains

How to Remove Coffee Stains

How to Remove Grease Stains

How to Remove Sweat Stains

How to Remove Ink Stains

Pick the right detergent and fabric softener..

All laundry detergents claim to remove stains, whiten, keep colors bright and generally refresh garments. The problem at hand: There are hundreds of detergents to choose from and some work better than others. That's why the Good Housekeeping Institute routinely tests laundry detergents to find the best ones on the market, taking into account different needs, price points and ingredients. In the most recent test of 42 laundry detergents , the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab determined which ones work best for every need, budget and concern.

Although some people may skip fabric softener (sometimes called "fabric conditioner") altogether, it's recommended if you want to keep fabrics soft, reduce friction and keep wrinkles at bay. It pays off in the long-run, too: With consistent use, fabric softener, like GH Seal Star Ultra Downy Free & Gentle Liquid Fabric Softener, can extend the life of your most-loved garments. There are a few instances when you shouldn't use fabric softener like when you're washing microfiber, sportswear, towels, flame-resistant clothes (specifically children's sleepwear) and water-repellent fabric.

Select the water temperature and cycle on your washing machine.

Each washing machine manufacturer tries to make their machines unique, which means cycles can vary from one brand to the next. Today's washing machines are pre-programmed, as the wash time, water temperature and spin speed will pop up as soon as you select a cycle. You can override these selections to a certain degree if, say, your clothes are heavily soiled and need a longer wash time than the normal cycle calls for.

Read your washing machine's user manual to learn the differences between the wash cycles. When deciding which is best, consider the durability and soil level of your items. In general, the more durable (towels, sheets and heavy cottons) and dirty the items, the longer and hotter the cycle should be. If you're working with delicate, stained or bulky items, keep the following cycle descriptions in mind (but know that they may differ for your washing machine).

• Delicates are typically programmed with a cool or cold water temperature, but you can typically change it to warm. This cycle has a gentler agitation and a slower spin seed to prevent damage.
• Casual or Permanent Press Cycles cool the water gradually and have slower spin speeds to minimize wrinkles.
• Stain Cycles start cold to keep stains from setting in and then heat up gradually to fully remove stains.
• Bulky Bedding Cycles may add in a second rinse or increase the spin speed to extract more water than a normal speed cycle.

The Right Way to Clean Hard-to-Wash Items

How to Wash Delicates

How to Wash Sheets

How to Wash Jeans

How to Wash Pillows

How to Wash a Backpack

How to Wash Cloth Face Masks

Load items into the washer or hand wash.

Take these steps before you throw your garments in the washing machine to ensure an easy, damage-free wash.

• Check buttons, pockets and zippers: Help clothes keep their shape by emptying pockets, zipping zippers and fastening button on jackets, knits and pants. If you have time, fasten a few buttons on shirts and blouses. Always remove belts from dresses, pants and robes, and wash them separately.
• Turn certain items inside out: Anything dark (jeans, especially) or embellished should always be washed inside out to preserve color and detail. Do the same with items where the inside neck or sleeves get especially dirty.
• Stick delicates and small items in a laundry bag: Protect delicate items (underwear, bras and other lingerie) from damage by placing them in a mesh laundry bag before washing. While you're at it, round up small items, like socks and fabric belts, and add them to the bag to make sure they don't get lost in the wash.
• Measure detergent: Always use the cap or scoop that comes with your liquid, powder or packet detergent. Measure the amount based on the size of your load and level of soil.

For both top-load and front-load washers with separate dispensers, load the clothing in, then add liquid or powder detergent and fabric softener to the dispenser and start the machine. If you're using single-use detergent, like Tide Pods , place it in the machine before adding your clothing unless you're using a newer machine with a dispenser designated for single-dose packs. At this point, place the items in the washing machine, making sure that nothing is tangled or twisted.

If your top-load washer doesn't have a detergent dispenser, place it directly into the tub, start the water and add in the clothing as it's dissolving. Follow a similar approach for front-load washers without detergent dispensers: Place single-use detergent packs in the machine first, add the clothing, close the door and start the machine.

For older machines without fabric softener dispensers, add it directly to the rinse water in the washing machine. Make sure to pour it in open pockets of water rather than on top of fabrics to avoid staining.

If you determine that hand-washing is the safest bet, follow this guide on how to wash delicates :

• Fill sink with water — cool, lukewarm or warm, per the garment's labels — and place garments in. (FYI: Wool, silk and bright colors clean best in cold water.) As the sink is filling, add the recommended amount of detergent, so it can properly dissolve before you add the clothing. Once the detergent is completely dissolved, lay your garment in the water and gently press it down to fully immerse it. If the water turns color at this stage, it may just be excess dye washing off, which shouldn’t result in any color loss after washing.
• Rinse thoroughly. If you have a sprayer on your faucet, place lightweight garments, like lingerie or swimsuits, in a colander and rinse clean. Otherwise, fill the sink with cool, clear water, immerse the garment and squeeze the water through to rinse. Repeat as needed.
• Remove excess water. Wringing out wet, delicate fabrics may cause damage, so instead, lift the garment with both hands and gently squeeze out as much water as possible. Lay it flat on an absorbent towel, and roll the towel and garment together until the water is absorbed.
• Lay items flat to dry. To prevent delicates, especially knits, from stretching out of shape, block them back into shape after washing before laying them flat to dry. Speed up the drying process by laying sweaters or swimsuits on top of a dry towel, and let them air dry. Once the front is dry, flip them over.

Unload the washer and load items into the dryer or air dry.

Promptly remove items from the washer to prevent mildew and reduce wrinkles. Shake items out after removing them from the washer to prevent wrinkles in the drying process.

Dryers let you adjust the time, temperature and dryness levels of most loads, but always check your garment's care label for recommendations. Most dryer cycles are automatic, which means that a dryer can sense when the load is dry and end the cycle. This ultimately saves energy and prevents fabric damage from over drying. Time dry cycles run for the length of time that you select and should be used for bulky items, like comforters or jackets, that take a long time to dry.

Here's a breakdown of the most common dryer settings, along with recommendations on when you should use them.

• Regular, sometimes labeled Mixed Loads or Cottons , is safe for most items, including sheets, towels, underwear and regular clothes.
• Permanent Press, sometimes labeled Casual , is best when you want to minimize wrinkles on items like chino pants and shirts.
• Delicate is best for delicate items since it has a low temperature and tumbling motion.
• Air Fluff tumbles without heat, making it a great option for fluffing pillows or removing dust from drapes.

Once you stick your clothes in the dryer, place a dryer sheet, like the ones from GH Seal Star Bounce , on the top of the pile before you select the cycle. Not only do dryer sheets leave clothes smelling clean and feeling soft, but they also reduce overall static. Similar to fabric softener, avoid using dryer sheets when drying sportswear, microfiber, towels, flame-resistant clothes (specifically children's sleepwear) and water-repellent fabric.

Hang or fold items.

Hang or fold clothes as soon as they are dry to prevent wrinkling. But when the inevitable happens (a.k.a. wrinkles), give your clothes a quick steam or iron to get rid of them. While you may prefer one de-wrinkling method over another, there are particular instances where steaming or ironing is recommended.

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• Hang the garment on a hanger from a hook or rod, grasp the bottom of the garment with one hand and pull it taut.
• Hold the steamer slightly away from the fabric and move it up and down, allowing the soft steam to penetrate the fabric.
• Move the steamer closer to the fabric for a longer period of time to get rid of stubborn wrinkles.

Mike Garten Ironing is the way to go if you prefer crisp fabrics with sharp creases.

• Select the correct temperature and steam settings for the fabric. Linen and cotton can handle high heat and heavy steam, but synthetics, wool and silk need lower temperature settings and less or no steam.
• Aside from fabrics like silk or rayon, mist the fabric with the iron’s spray button. Iron each section with smooth forward, backward, and side-to-side strokes.
• Apply a burst of steam to iron stubborn creases.
• Move to another section and repeat the steps.

Clean your washer and dryer regularly.

Leftover laundry detergent, fabric softener and built-up debris can get stuck in your machine, eventually causing your washer to grow mold and develop a musty smell. To avoid this, make sure you clean your machine often and well.

After every wash, remove any debris or pet hair, so it doesn't redeposit on future loads. Once a month, give your washing machine a deep clean . Even if your machine has a special cleaning cycle, thoroughly clean it by adding 1/2 cup of liquid chlorine bleach to the dispenser and running a normal cycle with hot water (or follow what your machine's manual says). You can use a specialty cleaner, like Affresh or Tide Washing Machine Cleaner . If you have a front-loader, wipe and dry the rubber seal on the door.

Similar to washing machines, dryers require regular maintenance. Along with cleaning the lint filter after every single load, make sure you clean the chamber that houses the lint filter once a month. To do this, pull out any lint you can grab and use your vacuum’s crevice tool or a dryer cleaning brush to grab what you can’t reach. Once a year, pull your dryer away from the wall, so that you can easily vacuum behind and under the machine. Remove the dryer's duct and vacuum as far as you can, as well as the opening at the back of the dryer. Be sure to check outside venting for leaves or debris that may be blocking it. For a more thorough dryer and duct cleaning, hire professional services, like Dryer Vent Wizard .

Now that you've got the steps down, make sure your laundry room is stocked with all of the best products, all tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab.

WASHING MACHINES

LAUNDRY DETERGENTS

GARMENT STEAMERS

STEAM IRONS

PORTABLE WASHING MACHINES

Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping , where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion. She also has a soft spot for feel-good TV, so you can catch her writing about popular shows like Virgin River , Sweet Magnolias, Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart and more. 

Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.

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The Right Way to Clean Windows

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7 Best RV Insurance Companies of July 2024

Money’s main takeaways.

• RV insurance is essential for both full-time RV living and occasional trips.
• Premiums are based on factors such as your driving record and your RV’s type, age and condition.
• Our top picks include Good Sam, National General and Auto-Owners Insurance.

Why Trust Us?

Money’s editorial team has evaluated RV insurance providers since 2016. Our research and analysis consider customer satisfaction, financial stability, coverage options, and availability, among other factors. Read the full methodology to learn more.

• Reviewed 15+ companies
• Conducted over 1,000 hours of research
• Prioritized coverage, discounts, customer sentiment, the NAIC complaint index and financial stability

Our Top Picks for the Best RV Insurance Companies

Note: The following companies are listed in alphabetical order.

• Auto-Owners Insurance – Best for Customer Service
• Good Sam – Best RV Insurance Agency
• National General – Best for Full Replacement Cost Coverage
• Nationwide – Best for Multiple Discounts
• Progressive – Best for Disappearing Deductibles
• Roamly – Best for Renting Out Your RV
• RVInsurance.com – Runner-Up for Best RV Insurance Agency

Best RV Insurance Reviews

• Premium reduction if RV is equipped with safety features
• Towing and roadside assistance in all 50 states and Canada
• Mobile app for Apple and Android
• No online quotes

Why we chose this company: Auto-Owners is our pick for personalized customer service because of its network of independent agents, online customer center and mobile app. Customers can access claims, billing and other important policy documents on their phone, tablet or computer.

Auto-Owners has an impressive customer service record, with fewer complaints with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) than most competitors. It also ranked above average in the southeast region in J.D. Power’s 2022 Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction study.

Unlike other companies, Auto-Owners only sells its insurance products through independent agents. Instead of contacting the company online, you work directly with local agencies that can better advise you regarding specific insurance requirements in your area. For example, bodily injury and property damage liability limits set by law vary by state.

Learn more: Auto-Owners RV insurance review

See rates on Auto-Owners’s Secure Website >>

• Offers full-timer coverage
• Manage your policy online without agent contact
• Discounts on campsites, gear stores, fuel, and more
• Not a direct insurer

Why we chose this company: Good Sam Insurance Agency is the best option for those who need help selecting coverage. It connects you with some of the best RV insurance companies to help you get the right coverage level for your needs.

Good Sam works with renowned insurance providers like Progressive, Foremost, Safeco, and National General to offer a range of standard coverage options. Additionally, through its partnership with MexicoInsuranceOnline.com, the agency connects clients to Mexico-based insurers and offers tailored add-ons for cross-border travel, whether for single-day or extended stays.

The company also extends a storage discount, allowing policyholders to suspend collision and liability coverage when their RV or trailer remains unused for over 30 days, reducing monthly premiums. Furthermore, Good Sam assists in crafting personalized policies for full-time RVers.

Learn more: Good Sam RV insurance review

See rates on Good Sam’s Secure Website >>

• Coverage for specialized equipment like solar panels
• Pause your coverage when your RV is in storage
• Experts help you find a new RV after a total loss
• Low mileage discount
• Eligibility, benefits, coverage and discounts vary per state
• Limited information about policies on its website

Why we chose this company: Full replacement cost coverage can usually only be bought during an RV’s first model year. National General, on the other hand, lets you get the rider within an RV’s first five model years.

With full replacement cost coverage — also called total loss replacement — your RV is replaced with a new or similar one if it’s totaled or stolen, potentially reimbursing you for the original purchase price. This coverage is typically only available for newly purchased motorhomes or travel trailers up to one or two model years old. If you buy a used RV or don’t insure your new one as soon as possible, you risk it being considered ineligible.

With National General, RVs are eligible during their first five model years, regardless of ownership (some companies limit this type of coverage to original owners). It also offers the flexibility to pause coverage during storage, helping you save on premiums while protecting against theft, fires, weather damage, and more.

Learn more: National General RV insurance review

See rates on National General’s Secure Website >>

• Free annual reviews to reevaluate coverage and discounts
• Optional towing coverage includes lodging, transportation and meals
• Various policies available for easy bundling and savings
• Many customer complaints about the claims process

Why we chose this company: Nationwide Insurance offers over 10 different discounts, including discounts for staying claim-free during the previous policy period or installing safety devices, like smoke detectors.

Most RV insurers offer discounts, but Nationwide’s list is notably extensive. You can save by bundling your RV policy with home insurance, taking safety courses, joining an RV organization like the National RV Association, paying your annual policy upfront or opting for Nationwide’s full-time RV insurance package.

Note that not all discounts are listed on Nationwide’s website, and some only come up during the quoting process. For example, a customer service representative told us the company also offers discounts to customers whose vehicles have safety features such as tire-pressure monitoring systems or fiberglass bodies.

Learn more: Nationwide RV insurance review

See rates on Nationwide’s Secure Website >>

• Accident forgiveness for claims under $500
• Horse trailer coverage up to $50k
• Pet injury coverage available
• Add-on coverage available for roof malfunction
• Standard plan excludes personal property and emergency expenses
• Rates differ based on whether you buy online or through an agent
• Discounts aren't available in all states

Why we chose this company: Progressive offers disappearing deductibles, accident forgiveness and an extensive array of discounts.

With Progressive, you can save on premiums if you’re the RV’s original owner or pay your policy in advance, among other discounts. However, Progressive stands out from competitors because it offers both disappearing deductibles and accident forgiveness.

Unlike competitors, Progressive doesn’t cap its diminishing deductible benefit at $500. Instead, it reduces your deductible by 25% each claim-free period, up to $0 after four periods. While it costs extra, the feature is automatically included when you purchase comprehensive and collision coverage for vehicles valued at $25,000 or more. Accident forgiveness for claims of $500 or less is included at no cost.

See rates on Progressive’s Secure Website >>

• Specializes in RV insurance
• Coverage even when renting out your RV
• Policies for full-time RVers are available
• Covers Canada rentals
• Only offers RV policies

Why we chose this company: Insurers typically decline coverage if you rent your RV to someone else. With Roamly, you can rent out your RV and still be covered for liability and damage to the vehicle.

Rented RVs require comprehensive commercial insurance due to their higher risk exposure when compared to personal vehicles. Failing to insure your motorhome or camper when renting it out can lead to denied claims, especially if the renter lacks coverage.

With Roamly, your RV remains covered when you list it on rental platforms like Outdoorsy (owned by Roamly). Renters who book your RV can opt for a package that includes travel medical insurance as well as trip and interior damage coverage. Roamly’s policies cover rented RVs for their actual cash value during the rental period and provide $1 million in liability insurance per trip.

Learn more: Roamly RV insurance review

See rates on Roamly’s Secure Website >>

• Specialists can help you find a policy
• Policies available for all types of RVs

Why we chose this company: RVInsurance.com can help you find a suitable policy, whether you use your RV for vacationing or as your residence.

RVInsurance.com works with Foremost, National General and Safeco. These companies cover all RV types, from motorhomes to campers. They offer several policy add-ons, such as full replacement cost, full-timers liability coverage and roadside assistance.

You can get a quote online, but calling to speak with an insurance specialist lets you compare policies in more detail.

See rates on RVInsurance.com’s Secure Website >>

Other RV Insurance companies we considered

During our research for the best recreational vehicle insurance providers, we narrowed down our initial list to 7 companies. The following didn’t make our final cut, not because they were lacking, but because other competitors had more standout features.

• Covers motorhomes, travel trailers and campers
• Includes roadside assistance, hotel discounts and more
• Coverage for lodging and transportation if your RV is damaged
• Coverage options are not standard across regions
• RV policy not available nationwide
• Limited information available online

AAA offers coverage for different types of RVs and some of its policies also cover personal effects such as electronics. However, it didn’t make our list because it doesn’t offer coverage in all 50 states.

See rates on AAA’s Secure Website >>

• Discount if you transfer from another insurance company
• Discounts for drivers 55 years or older
• Gas price locator to help you find the cheapest gas
• Limited information on company website
• Online quotes not available

Allstate’s policies include emergency travel expenses if you’re over 50 miles from home when your RV breaks down and the issue is covered under the policy. Allstate is not on our main list because it only provides quotes through its sales agents and the information on its website is limited.

See rates on Allstate’s Secure Website >>

• Total windshield replacement deductible is only $50
• Personal effects replacement limits up to $100,000
• Free accident forgiveness after 5+ years
• Offers limited information on its website
• Enhanced RV coverage unavailable in HI, MA, MI and NC
• Total loss replacement coverage availability varies

While Geico offers coverage options comparable to those of other companies on our list (such as total loss replacement, emergency expenses coverage and vacation liability), its policies aren’t available nationwide. Its website also lacks crucial details, such as available discounts.

See rates on Geico’s Secure Website >>

• Loan or lease protection coverage available
• Deductibles diminish by $100 per year up to $500
• Insures motorhomes valued at up to $1 million
• Coverage available for custom equipment
• Only covers vehicles used 250 days or less per year
• Limited information available on website
• No online quotes available

Safeco covers class A, B and C motorhomes valued at up to $1 million, but only if used recreationally. It didn’t make our list because its website doesn’t offer much information and coverage is limited to vehicles used less than 250 days a year.

See rates on Safeco’s Secure Website >>

• Coverage for emergency expenses if camper is damaged or destroyed
• Pays for transportation of damaged RV to storage, repair shop or home
• Full-timer coverage for trailers, motor homes, luxury coaches and more
• Special policies for USAA members
• Not available in DC or Hawaii
• Limited information on website

Foremost, a subsidiary of Farmers Insurance, sells full-timer and travel trailer coverage. It also covers personal-use motor homes you occasionally rent, lease or loan. It also covers personal-use motor homes that you occasionally rent, lease or loan. Unfortunately, this policy doesn’t cover the vehicle while it’s rented, leased or loaned.

See rates on Foremost’s Secure Website >>

• Offers storage-only insurance during the off-season
• Policy extends to travel anywhere in Canada
• Insures equipment permanently attached to your RV
• No information regarding discounts

Despite offering coverage in Canada, Farmers Insurance fell short of our list due to limited information regarding specific coverages and discounts on its website. This lack of transparency makes it challenging for consumers to assess the scope and value of its policies.

See rates on Farmers’ Secure Website >>

• Multi-vehicle, safe driver and original ownership discounts
• Coverage for all RV classes, including slide-on campers
• Members get a 5% discount on policies
• Policies only available to military families
• 5% members discount not available in all states

USAA offers RV insurance through an alliance with Progressive, which covers almost all RVs. The drawback to USAA’s policies is that they’re only available to military families.

See rates on USAA’s Secure Website >>

Country Financial

• Multi-policy discount
• Mobile app for Apple and Android devices
• Only available through agents
• Operates in only 19 states

Country Financial’s RV insurance policies fall under home or car insurance, which can be a drawback for consumers who already have a preferred auto or home insurer. Another notable snag in its coverage is that it’s available in only 19 states.

See rates on Country Financial’s Secure Website >>

National Interstate

• Options for RV full-timers
• 25% deductible discount for each consecutive claim-free year
• Windshield replacement coverage
• Coverage for commercial RVs
• Website lacks information about terms and discounts

National Interstate offers policy options for RV full-timers and covers commercial RVs. However, this insurer is not featured on our main list because its website doesn’t provide details regarding policies or discounts.

See rates on National Interstate’s Secure Website >>

The Hartford

• Lifetime guarantee for repairs done in authorized repair shops
• 24/7 claims submission
• RV replacement if it's totaled in the first 15 months
• Only available to AARP members
• Not available in U.S. territories

The Hartford allows policyholders to customize their RV insurance coverage, and its lifetime guarantee for repairs in authorized shops is a highlight of its policies. However, coverage is only available to AARP members, which is a considerable drawback.

See rates on The Hartford’s Secure Website >>

RV Insurance Guide

Like auto insurance, RV insurance offers financial protection for accidents, injuries and other unforeseen events. It can cover repair costs, medical bills and liability expenses if you injure someone or damage their property.

While comprehensive policies covering collision, theft and personal belongings are widely available, occasional RV users may not need such extensive coverage. Read on for information on RV insurance costs, coverage options and tips for selecting the right policy for your needs.

Table of contents

How much is rv insurance, rv insurance options.

• How to buy RV insurance

Renting out your RV

According to Progressive, an RV insurance policy for a travel trailer costs an average of $573 annually, while coverage for a motorhome costs an average of $958 annually.

However, the cost of RV insurance could be much higher (as high as $5,000 per year, according to some sources) depending on the type of vehicle you own, its age, condition and features, and whether you live in it full-time.

Factors that affect your RV insurance premium

The following factors influence the cost of an RV insurance policy:

• The type of RV: Motorhomes are more expensive to insure than trailers (especially those with state-of-the-art components).
• Age and condition: Older trailers and motorhomes cost less to insure due to their reduced resale value.
• Type of RV insurance: A policy with just liability coverage is more affordable than a comprehensive one with collision and personal property coverage.
• Where you live: Your state and zip code affect your insurance rates. RVs in areas prone to extreme weather will be more expensive to insure.
• Driving experience and driving record: A first-time RV owner poses a higher risk than an experienced RVer. Insurers will also review your general driving record to determine an appropriate rate.
• Claims history: A lengthy claims history is a red flag to insurers. Drivers who have never filed a claim will get much better rates than those who have.
• Additional coverage: Purchasing add-ons such as roadside assistance, total loss replacement, vacation liability and full-timers coverage will increase your premium.

RV insurance discounts

While these may vary by company, most insurers offer rate discounts for:

• Bundling multiple policies
• Paying the total annual policy upfront
• Making monthly payments on time
• Staying claim-free during the previous policy period
• Being the vehicle’s original owner
• Installing safety features in your RV
• Having a favorable record of insurance losses
• Staying accident-free for at least three years
• Taking safety courses
• Being a member of an RV association
• Signing up for paperless billing

Drivers aged 50 and up can snag a lower rate, as can parents or guardians who opt not to insure drivers under 25 on their policy.

Insuring RVs requires special considerations because they can serve as vehicles and primary residences. Some policies offer basic liability protection, while others provide broader coverage for personal effects and emergency expenses.

If your RV is self-propelled, it must meet your state’s minimum liability insurance requirements, whether you use it occasionally or as a residence. For towable RVs, the insurance policy on the towing vehicle may extend to cover liability but typically does not include physical damage to the RV or attached accessories.

Best coverage for part-time RVers

People who use their motorhomes for weekend getaways should at least have basic liability coverage that meets their state’s minimum requirements.

Other types of RV insurance for part-time RVers include:

• Property damage liability coverage: Pays for damages you cause to another person’s property or vehicle.
• Bodily injury liability coverage: Helps pay the medical expenses of those you injure in an at-fault accident.
• Collision coverage: Covers repairs to your RV after an accident with another vehicle, whether you’re at fault or not.
• Comprehensive coverage: Pays for damages caused by theft, vandalism, natural disasters, fire and other non-collision accidents.
• Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage: Covers the cost of repairs to your RV and your medical payments if you’re in an accident caused by a driver without insurance or insufficient coverage.
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Covers medical expenses for you and your passenger in the event of an accident, no matter who is at fault. It may also cover lost wages.
• Campsite/vacation liability coverage: Helps pay for legal expenses if you’re deemed responsible for injuries or losses incurred by a non-family member at a campsite or inside your RV.
• Roadside Assistance: Offers around-the-clock repairs, towing and emergency assistance should your RV experience a flat tire, battery discharge or other malfunction.

Best coverage for full-time RVers

For added peace of mind, full-time RVers should consider having a more comprehensive policy that includes some of the add-ons mentioned above as well as any of the following:

• Personal property coverage: Covers the cost of replacing any damaged or stolen personal effects such as clothing, furniture, jewelry, and computers.
• Total loss replacement: Replaces your RV with an equal or similar model if your vehicle is stolen or totaled in an accident. In other cases, the insurer may reimburse you for the original purchase price. Lenders may require this coverage if you finance your RV.
• Full-time RV liability coverage: Adds additional coverage for liability and medical expenses if you live in your RV for six months or more each year.
• Emergency expense allowance: Covers up to a specified amount of living and travel expenses like car rentals, lodging and food if your RV leaves you stranded, usually more than 100 miles away.
• Specialized coverage: Can replace appliances like awnings, satellite dishes, and solar panels and can even provide coverage for any pet injuries that happen in the vehicle.
• Loss assessment: Helps cover fees RV associations charge for damage to common areas in a campsite, for example.

What RV insurance doesn’t cover

RV insurance won’t cover the following:

• Normal wear and tear: RV insurance protects your vehicle against unexpected events, not routine maintenance or deterioration.
• Mold damage, fungi or rot: Insurers view mold as a sign of neglect and will not cover damages unless they are directly linked to water damage caused by a covered event.
• Certain types of water damage: RV insurance doesn’t cover water damage caused by regular wear and tear, freezing temperatures or manufacturer defects.
• Earthquake damage: RV insurance covers most natural disasters, including floods, storms and fires, but earthquake coverage varies by insurer.

How to Buy RV Insurance

Here are some tips on how to find and purchase the right RV insurance coverage for you.

1. Determine the coverage you need

Whether you use your RV for full-time living or occasional trips will determine the coverage options you need, whether liability only or additional coverage options such as collision, comprehensive or personal effects.

Remember that your auto insurance policy may cover towable campers or trailers but not motorhomes. And while it covers liability and damages to the RV, it generally excludes belongings or appliances inside. Homeowners insurance may also offer some coverage, but only when the RV is parked on the insured property.

2. Shop around for RV insurance quotes

RV insurance costs depend on your driving history, location, type of vehicle and usage, and the optional riders you select. To get the most affordable premium for the coverage you need, compare quotes from multiple insurers. Consult an independent insurance agent if you don’t have time to shop around.

3. Look for discounts and consider bundling multiple policies

Most insurers offer multi-policy discounts, helping you save on premiums by combining your RV policy with auto, home, renters, boat or even life insurance policies . Bundling can also help you avoid the hassle of dealing with different companies when you have to file a claim. Other discounts vary by insurer but could also result in significant savings.

4. Consider RV rental insurance

If you plan on renting an RV for a vacation, consider getting RV rental insurance. This type of policy usually provides liability, collision damage waiver and coverage for personal accidents or personal effects. You can purchase a policy through the rental company or your insurer.

However, remember that your current car or RV insurance policy may already extend some rental RV coverage. Coverage may not be available in some states or for trips longer than 30 days, so call your insurer to verify before heading out.

If you rent your RV to others, it’s considered a commercial-use vehicle, and your insurance policy won’t cover the renter. The person must obtain their own rental insurance. If you’re merely lending your RV to a friend or family member, your existing coverage may extend to them, depending on your policy.

Note that some states — including Arkansas and Wisconsin — require drivers to get special licenses to drive RVs. If you live in one of these states and lend your RV to someone, that person must have the required license if you want your insurance policy to cover them.

What kind of insurance do I need to rent out my RV?

To rent out an RV, you’ll need at least liability coverage, which pays for damages or injury you may cause to other people and their property in an at-fault accident. Except New Hampshire, all states and the District of Columbia, require that vehicles, including RVs, have liability coverage.

Insurance for towable RVs is another matter. When you tow your RV behind another vehicle instead of driving it, you only have to worry about having enough coverage to protect your belongings, not additional liability insurance.

RV Insurance FAQs

What states require trailer insurance.

Trailer insurance requirements vary by state and by type of trailer. Most local governments require liability insurance, while others also require uninsured motorist coverage.

Currently, only two states don't require any type of trailer insurance. You can drive an uninsured vehicle in Virginia if you pay an uninsured motorist fee. In New Hampshire, you can drive uninsured if you prove you have enough money to cover liability expenses in an at-fault accident.

Do you need trailer insurance?

You don't need insurance for a non-motorized trailer hooked to a towing vehicle. The vehicle's insurance coverage extends to the trailer attached to it. However, this coverage is typically limited to liability.

Talk to your auto insurance provider if you want to add property damage coverage for the trailer or purchase separate RV insurance to ensure it's insured against damage.

Who has the best RV insurance?

Does rv insurance cover water damage, what is vacation liability rv insurance, how we chose the best rv insurance.

• Coverage options and discounts: We picked companies that offer a comprehensive selection of coverage options and premium discounts.
• Customer satisfaction: We favored companies with above-average scores in J.D. Power’s latest U.S. Auto Insurance Study and considered customer feedback from review sites such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
• Financial strength: We considered the financial stability of each insurer as evidenced by their AM Best financial strength rating (FSR). AM Best is a credit rating agency that assesses the creditworthiness of insurance companies.
• Complaint index: We looked up every insurer’s complaint trend report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and favored those with few complaints.

Summary of Money’s Best RV Insurance of July 2024

© Copyright 2024 Money Group, LLC . All Rights Reserved.

This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Money’s full disclaimer .

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Actual tour was different than description. Our guide lacked experience and rushed through the tour too quickly during 100 degree weather. She was told several times to slow down a little. At one time myself and another gentleman lost her and she made to attempt to find us. We had to find our own way.

Date of experience : June 19, 2024

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Thank you for sharing your feedback about your "Rome in 1 Day" tour. We're sorry to hear that the experience did not meet your expectations, especially regarding the high temperatures and the pace of the tour. We understand that touring in such heat can be challenging, and we have already discussed with Samantha the need to be more considerate of these conditions. As for your comments about the guide's knowledge, we typically receive positive feedback about Samantha's expertise. However, we take all feedback seriously and will address your concerns with her directly.

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Guide was extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She worked hard to make sure everyone was included and safe. Very helpful instructions after tour for taxis,buses,etc. Thank you also for making it possible for us to catch up with tour at last minute after a transportation snag from our cruise ship

Date of experience : June 27, 2024

Thank you for your kind words, David! We're delighted to hear that your guide was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and attentive to your needs during the tour. Ensuring our guests have a seamless and enjoyable experience is our top priority, and we're glad we could assist you in catching up with the tour despite the transportation snag. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for another memorable experience soon! Safe travels!

Really wonderful tour through St

Really wonderful tour through St. Peter's Basilica, Dome and the Sistene chapel. Very helpful to be with our guide, Eleanora, who really knows her stuff. She was so clear, interesting and friendly. Excellent morning!

Date of experience : June 07, 2024

We're delighted to hear that you had a wonderful tour with Eleanora exploring St. Peter's Basilica, Dome, and the Sistine Chapel. It's fantastic that you found her knowledgeable and enjoyed her clear, interesting, and friendly guidance. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for another excellent experience soon!

Great tour of the Colosseum and Forum

Easy to find our tour. Our guide, Gloria, was very knowledgeable and entertaining. We were never rushed and learned a lot. Really enjoyed the semi-private tour instead of large group!

Date of experience : June 23, 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience, Gretchen! We’re glad to hear you found the tour easy to find and enjoyed the semi-private format. It’s wonderful that Gloria made the experience both educational and entertaining without rushing. Your feedback is much appreciated!

My mother & I took 3 tours with Tour Guy during our recent trip to Rome. Everything went great. Meeting points were very well described. Guides were professional & informative. I would definitely use Tour Guy again.

Date of experience : June 10, 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear that you and your mother enjoyed three tours with us in Rome. Providing clear meeting points and knowledgeable guides is a priority for us, and we're thrilled that everything went smoothly for you. We look forward to welcoming you back on another adventure with Tour Guy in the future! Safe travels!

Fantastico!

I highly recommend the Special Access Colosseum Arena Floor Tour through the Gladiator's Gate tour! Our guide, Jessica, was very knowledgeable of the sites and kept the tour interesting. Good pace overall. Follow the Red Lobster!

Date of experience : June 11, 2024

Thank you for your recommendation, Amanda! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the Special Access Colosseum Arena Floor Tour through the Gladiator's Gate with Jessica as your guide. It's wonderful to know that Jessica's knowledge and engaging presentation made the tour interesting, and that the pace was just right for you. We appreciate your feedback and hope you have many more memorable experiences while traveling.

Our tour guide Jon

Our tour guide, Jon, was fantastic! He gave us an educational and historic perspective of the Colosseum, Palantine Hill, and the Forum that was easy to understand and so very interesting. We highly recommend this tour and if you can, get Jon, he was wonderful!

Thank you for sharing your experience, Mabel! It sounds like you had a fantastic tour with Jon, who provided an educational and interesting perspective on the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forum. We're delighted to hear that Jon's knowledge and presentation style made the tour enjoyable for you. Your recommendation is greatly appreciated, and we hope you have many more wonderful travel adventures!

Great experience

Paula was our guide for the Colosseum tour. Was great with the kids and very knowledgeable. Didn’t stop talking about history! Very passionate about Italy. Our tour time changed a week before but only 2 hours so no big deal. Maintained regular contact. Would use again.

Date of experience : June 21, 2024

It sounds like you had a wonderful experience with Paula on your Colosseum tour! We're thrilled to hear that she was engaging and knowledgeable, especially with the kids. Thank you for appreciating her passion for Italy and her dedication to sharing its history. We apologize for the slight change in tour time but are glad it didn't inconvenience you greatly. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, and we look forward to hosting you again in the future. Safe travels, and see you next time!

A very knowledgeable and friendly…

A very knowledgeable and friendly guide. We were so pleased with the tour and would recommend this personalized tour.

Date of experience : June 13, 2024

Thank you for your positive feedback, Larry! We're thrilled to hear that you found our guide knowledgeable and friendly during your personalized tour. We aim to provide excellent experiences, and we appreciate your recommendation. We look forward to welcoming you back on another tour soon!

A very enjoyable tour

We did 2 trips. Montserrat & wine tour as well as Guell Park and Sagrada Familia. Both tours were good and enjoyable. Guides were very informative There was a mix up with the starting location with one of the tours but the tour guy sorted it out and we were happy with the outcome.

Date of experience : June 04, 2024

It sounds like you had a positive experience overall with both tours! Despite the mix-up with the starting location for one of them, you mentioned that The Tour Guy sorted it out satisfactorily. It's great to hear that the guides were informative and that you found both trips to Montserrat & wine tour and Guell Park and Sagrada Familia enjoyable. If there's anything else you'd like to share or if you have more tours planned in the future, we'd love to hear about it!

Order of events

I was under the impression that we would visit the Colosseum first and then the hill and forum. It was hot and by the time we entered the Colosseum we were melting and didn’t fully enjoy the experience, More transparency is needed in regards to the order of the tour to set expectations while booking the tour.

Date of experience : June 15, 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback on your recent tour with us. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you experienced due to the order of the tour and the high temperatures. We understand that starting the tour with the Colosseum would have been preferable for your comfort, but this really depends on the time the Colosseum gives us for our time entry. Our aim is always to provide a seamless experience, and we will review our tour descriptions to ensure they clearly outline the itinerary order to set accurate expectations for future guests. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve our services, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on another tour under more favorable conditions.

I haven't taken a trip yet but customer service helped me out.

It took a few weeks to get my gift card from 2020 covid cancellations. I didn't even try until 2024 because I could not get to Rome sooner. There were glitches in the system because my email from 2020 was no longer in use. They stuck with it and eventually got me credited with a 25% bonus.

Date of experience : June 02, 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We sincerely apologize for the delays you encountered in redeeming your gift card due to email issues and system glitches. We are glad that despite these challenges, we were able to resolve the matter and offer a 25% bonus as a gesture of goodwill.

Our guide was personable and most…

Our guide was personable and most informative but my brain cannot recall his name. Sad.

Date of experience : June 17, 2024

Marion, thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that you found our guide personable and informative during your tour. If you happen to remember our guide's name or have any more details about your experience, feel free to reach out. We appreciate your visit and hope to see you again soon! Safe travels!

Tour Guy experiences are the BEST!

We have booked tours through the tour guy for many years and in cities around the world. Every one has been excellent. They are always small, engaging and the guides are knowledgeable. The tour guy is my first choice when looking for a great experience in a new place. I highly recommend!

Date of experience : June 08, 2024

Meg, thank you for sharing your positive experience with Tour Guy! It's fantastic to hear that you've consistently had excellent tours with them across various cities worldwide. Their small group sizes and knowledgeable guides seem to have made each tour engaging and memorable for you. Your loyalty and recommendation speak volumes about the quality of their service. Here's to many more wonderful experiences with Tour Guy in the future!

Wonderful way to visit the Louvre !!!

Wonderful way to visit the Louvre !!! A huge museum. Way too much to take in by yourself. Our Tour Guy guide showed us the most important stuf and gave us the background info that made the visit perfect. Highly recommend them

Date of experience : May 31, 2024

David, it's fantastic to hear that you had such a great experience visiting the Louvre with Tour Guy! Navigating such a vast museum like the Louvre can indeed be overwhelming, so having a knowledgeable guide like yours must have made a huge difference. I'm glad they were able to show you the highlights and provide insightful background information, making your visit perfect. Thank you for recommending them — it sounds like it was a wonderful way to explore such an iconic museum!

Great food and history tour

Great food and history tour. Nkay was the BEST guide- we finished the tour feeling like friends. Excellent “French” food choices- escargot, croissants, cheeses, wine, macaroons- all delicious. Can’t recommend highly enough!

Date of experience : June 01, 2024

It sounds like you had an amazing experience on your food and history tour with Nkay! The French food choices you mentioned sound delicious, and it's wonderful to hear that Nkay made the tour so enjoyable and informative. Thank you for sharing your recommendation!

Who wants Choas on Vacation

Our tour was at 2:30 and we arrived at 2:29 to the meeting spot which was extremely crowded. We immediately start looking for someone holding a Tour Guy flag. Nope no one holding a Tour Guy flag. We look everywhere. Finally we call the number on our reservation and we are told to look for someone with a blue flag, nope we don't see anyone with a blue flag. So, they reach out to the tour guide and she is already well underway with the tour. Now if I'm a tour guide and I have 5 people missing out of our tour I think I would start looking for the guest that they may be lost given that I'm holding a blue flag instead of a red flag. But maybe I'm thinking in simple terms because I'm a simple person. I ended up having to book with another tour company and of course the Tour Guy to refusing to refund the money because as they put it we should have arrived early.

Date of experience : June 09, 2024

Thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately, with the details provided, we couldn't locate your tour booking. Please contact us at [email protected] with your reference number and a copy of your Trustpilot review. This will help us investigate the circumstances of your last minute arrival and address any issues effectively.

Great service even when cancelled!

Due to a family health emergency, we had to cancel our trip last minute including, 2 weeks worth of tours. Scott was kind, understanding and helped take care of everything for us.

Date of experience : May 24, 2024

I'm sorry to hear about your family health emergency, but I'm glad to hear that Scott from the tour company was understanding and helpful in managing your cancellations. It's comforting to know that during such difficult times, there are people and services that can offer support and assistance. If you do plan to reschedule your trip in the future, I hope it will be a smoother and more enjoyable experience. Take care.

Tower of London Early Entry Tour For…

Tower of London Early Entry Tour For The Win! Nick was our guide and positioned our small group in the perfect place to watch the key ceremony. His insight and knowledge made the tour so wonderful. My 11-year-old daughter had many questions, and he was so polite. His sense of humor was spot on and kept our group entertained. I would recommend this tour; especially if you are lucking enough to have Nick as your guide.

Date of experience : June 03, 2024

It sounds like you had a fantastic experience on the Tower of London Early Entry Tour with Nick! His insight, positioning for the key ceremony, knowledge, and humor clearly made the tour enjoyable and engaging for your group. It's wonderful to hear that he was polite and accommodating with your daughter's questions as well. Thank you for recommending this tour, especially with Nick as the guide!

Excellent tours

Excellent tours. I am definitely glad we did both the colosseum and then the Vatican later in the trip. We avoided lines and our guide expertly brought us to places where we could ask questions. The tours were worth the money for sure. Interesting and informative.

It sounds like you had a fantastic experience with both the Colosseum and Vatican tours! Avoiding the lines and having an expert guide to navigate and provide insights must have made your trip even more enjoyable and informative. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback about the tours!

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Tour Guide Pay and Benefits

So let’s get down to the nitty gritty of what land tour guides and tour directors earn. This industry is by far catered to those who have a passion for travel as opposed to becoming rich, but there are some exciting benefits for those who work hard and acquire various skills over the years, including learning new languages, receiving advanced training, and learning some sporting skills for adventure tours.

Generally speaking, tour guides can earn between $50 and $150 per day taking a lot of factors into consideration such as experience, locations, training, type of tour, and others. Aside from this, many tour companies encourage their passengers to tip the tour guides, so this can bump up your salary dramatically. Some of the more experienced tour guides earn anywhere between $30,000 and $60,000 per year. A regular tipping policy offered is explained by this tour operator:

“ Tipping is a big part of the job – the pay anyway. Our policies differ depending on the tour, and we’ve got two types. The first is the all inclusive tour, where the company gives the guide extra pay as tips and the guests are not expected to pay any form of gratuities, as it is added into the price of the tour. The tips are normally $20 per day as a minimum, but you do get benefits, and these types of tours offer a salaried pay. The other type of tour is the one where guides get paid per day instead of a monthly salary, but then the guests will tip you at the end of every day according to how good you were. Customers almost always tip, and this is a great incentive to keep them happy the entire day of the tour. The last tour I worked, I made over $350 in just 5 days !”

Pay and Benefits

Receptor Service: This is where you meet tour groups at the airports or assist them at the train depot. This job normally pays around $10 to $15 per hour.

Tour Guide: An entry level tour guide or tour director without training will make about $8 to $15 per hour depending on the type of tour, and you get a free trip somewhere for the day. The more experienced tour guides will earn about $20 to $25 per hour with extra pay being offered after 8 hours.

Tour Directors/Managers: Trained and experienced tour directors normally earn between $250 and $350 per day and you also get paid time and a half if you lead overnight tour groups. These can last anywhere from 7 days to 27 days, so you are earning a good salary at the end of the tour.

DMC Tour Guides: The experienced highly skilled tour managers working for incentive houses and DMC’s can earn anywhere from $300 to over $400 per day.

Tips are then added to these payments, so the larger the group, the more money you will make. Take note that there are very generalized figures as the pay varies quite a bit depending on where you work, the company you work for, what benefits you get, how the tipping works, and how much experience and training you have.

Benefits: These include travel opportunities, meeting new people, paid board and meals on long tours, free lunch or dinner on day tours, days off. Let’s look at these benefits in more detail:

• Travel opportunities exist for all tour guides. Whether you are leading domestic tours around your home city, or managing long distance or international tours, you still get the opportunity to travel and see new places. Visiting attractions, beautiful villages, restaurants that you wouldn’t normally go to, attending shows and more can be realized as a tour guide.

It can be hard, however to juggle the responsibilities of finding lost luggage, keeping the group happy, organizing accommodation, booking shows and making restaurant reservations, while trying to find the time to travel, but you have to think that you will be doing all of these tasks while in Hawaii or Bali, India or Australia, so both can be accomplished at the same time in many instances.

• Meeting people is an exciting part of being a tour guide for many people. They enjoy hearing traveler’s stories and networking with people from all over the world, whether they are CEO’s, students, families, or retired couples. This is an integral part of being a tour guide and if you don’t get along with people, then this job is not for you. One tour guide explains: 

“Let’s face it. You go to a destination once and you’re nervous and excited, twice and you love it, but three times and you’re already getting bored. That’s why it’s important to really get along well with the passengers and enjoy their company . . .”

Did You Know? Some companies do not allow tipping, so make sure you find out this information when you apply for jobs.

Land Tour Guide Salary Details

The following table highlights the hourly wage and annual earnings for tour guides and escorts in the U.S. per state according to the U.S Department of Labor:

The average hourly wage in the U.S for a land tour guide is $13 per hour, while the average annual salary for a tour guide is $23,000 in America.

Although the pay might seem low, there is a huge incentive to travel to exotic locations and although you’re working long hours, sometimes 12 to 15 per day, you have very few out of pocket expenses. Your meals are free, your transport on the tour, whether by bus, train or ship, is free, and your accommodation, if required, is also paid for.

Quick Summary:

• Entry level land tour guide pay starts at $8 per hour
• Tour Managers earn up to $400 per day
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How to choose the best credit card for you

Editor's Note

The promise of earning valuable perks from a credit card can be exciting. But choosing the best credit card to add to your wallet isn't always as easy as it seems.

There are many factors to weigh before you fill out an actual application. At the very least, you need to consider your spending habits, the types of rewards you value the most and the kind of credit card you're likely to qualify for at that moment.

Here's everything you need to know about how to choose a credit card.

Check your credit report

Step one to choosing the right credit card is checking your credit report from one of these three major credit agencies: Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. When you apply for a credit card, the condition of your credit will have considerable influence over whether you get approved or not. You can check all three credit reports for free once a week at AnnualCreditReport.com .

Be sure to go through each report in detail. Understand how your credit shapes up — good, bad or otherwise. It's also wise to check for errors and report them. Credit errors do happen, and they could unfairly lower your credit scores. If you discover errors, you can dispute them with the credit bureaus. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides sample dispute letters that may help.

You can check your credit scores as well, even though the scores you find online will likely differ from those your lender sees. Credit card issuers have different minimum credit score requirements for different cards. So, if your credit score currently falls in the "fair" range, it's probably not wise to apply for a premium rewards card that requires excellent or good credit to qualify.

Understand your spending habits

Next, you should look back and examine your spending habits. Do you spend a lot of money each month on groceries to feed a large family? Do you order takeout or dine out often?

With the right credit card strategy, you may be able to boost your reward-earning potential in different spending categories. For example, there are credit cards that offer extra rewards when you spend on certain categories:

• Entertainment

When you choose a credit card that offers higher rewards for frequent purchases, you can earn more points, miles or cash back (depending on the card type).

Let's look at dining as an example and imagine you spend an average of $1,000 per month on dining purchases. You could earn up to $20 per month (or $240 per year) with a 2% cash back card like the Citi Double Cash® Card (1% when you buy, plus 1% as you pay; see rates and fees ).

Now, assume you place the same $1,000 in monthly dining purchases on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® . You would earn 3 points per dollar spent for a total of 3,000 Ultimate Rewards points each month (or 36,000 per year). Based on our June 2024 valuations of Chase points of 2.05 cents per point, those 36,000 Ultimate Rewards points could be worth up to $738 in rewards — that's a lot more bang for your buck.

Related: These are the best credit cards for everyday spending

Research the different card types out there

Once you know your credit score and have identified your heavy spending categories, you can start sifting through credit card offers. From here, you should figure out which credit card features are the most appealing and how you plan to redeem your points.

For example, if you have a specific trip in mind and you know which airline you want to use, you may want to get a cobranded airline card or opt for a card that provides flexibility in transfer partners, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card .

Here are some common types of credit cards to consider:

Cobranded airline and hotel credit cards

Cobranded airline and hotel credit cards are ideal for people loyal to a specific program but not enough to earn elite status . These cards offer benefits that can make your travels a little more comfortable.

With airline cards, you can expect free checked bags, discounts on inflight purchases, and possibly even progress toward elite status . On the other hand, hotel credit cards usually offer mid-tier status, resulting in perks like room upgrades, free breakfast and bonus points on paid stays.

Bank rewards cards

Bank rewards cards offer the ultimate flexibility in terms of redemptions because they accrue transferable currency points . These cards often offer generous bonuses in everyday spending categories.

When redeeming points, you can choose cash back or transfer points to airline and hotel transfers — making these rewards extremely versatile. If you opt for a premium bank rewards card , you can even take advantage of valuable perks like airport lounge access and annual travel credits .

Some of our favorite bank rewards cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the American Express® Gold Card .

Cash-back credit cards

Cash-back credit cards may be a good fit for people who prefer to keep things simple regarding credit card rewards. There are no rewards programs to track, and you never have to worry about a card issuer devaluing your rewards. Plus, cash rewards allow you to spend your earnings on anything you like.

Cash back cards like the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express are great if you want to maximize everyday spending categories like U.S. gas stations, U.S. supermarkets and select U.S. streaming services. You receive cash back in the form of Reward Dollars that you can redeem as a statement credit.

The Citi Double Cash® Card is a unique option to earn cash-back rewards that also have the potential for high-value redemptions when paired with a more premium card .

No-annual-fee credit cards

No-annual-fee credit cards can be a good fit for people who prefer to minimize their out-of-pocket expenses when earning rewards.

The Chase Freedom Flex® is a great example of a high-value card with no annual fee. The card offers rotating 5% cash back categories where you can maximize your earnings. You can earn 5% cash back in rotating quarterly categories on the first $1,500 in purchases each quarter you activate. The best part is that if you also have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve , you can transfer these points to Chase's travel partners .

Related: How to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Learn basic credit card terms

As you shop around for the credit card that ticks off all of your boxes, it helps to understand the basic credit card terms you'll come across during your search. Knowing these terms will better enable you to compare offers from multiple card issuers and choose your favorite.

• APR : This stands for annual percentage rate — the interest a card issuer charges you stated as a yearly rate. A card's APR may be less important than you think if you don't carry an outstanding balance. With most credit cards, you won't owe any interest if you pay your full statement balance by the due date.
• Fees : Credit card fees are additional costs associated with certain credit cards. Common fees to watch out for are annual fees , late payment fees, balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees — to name a few. A credit card fee isn't necessarily a deal killer, but you should understand what you're agreeing to before applying for a new account.
• Minimum payments : A minimum payment is the lowest amount of money you can pay to your card issuer each month. If you don't pay the minimum payment, you may incur late fees, damaging your credit rating.
• Perks : Aside from rewards, some credit cards offer other perks that can be extremely valuable . Airline fee credits , TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credits , airport lounge access and rental car coverage are just a few examples. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
• Rewards : Credit card rewards are usually tied to how much you spend on the account. Rewards may come in the form of points, miles or cash back you can earn and redeem.
• Welcome bonus : A credit card welcome or sign-up bonus is an offer some card issuers make to attract new clients. Typically, you must spend a minimum spend requirement to qualify within a few months of opening your new account. For example, that might look like "spend $2,000 or more in the first three months of account opening". If you meet the spending requirement, you'll receive a certain number of points, miles or cash back in return.

Related: TPG's beginner's guide to credit cards: Everything you need to know

Review credit application requirements

We've already discussed how good credit is vital if you hope to qualify for a new credit card. Suppose you want to maximize your chances of being approved for a credit card . In that case, you should be familiar with other factors card issuers may consider, like household income and outstanding debt.

It may also help to review credit card application restrictions from different card issuers to see if any of them might hold you back. For example, American Express limits welcome offers to once per lifetime and restricts welcome bonuses if trying to open more than one card within the same family , while Chase will generally not approve you for a new card if you've applied for five or more cards in the last 24 months .

Because of rules like these, you'll want to apply for the highest Amex card bonus possible and keep track of your credit inquiries before applying for a Chase card.

Related: Want to open a new Chase card? Here's how to calculate your 5/24 standing

Bottom line

Ultimately, choosing a credit card comes down to deciding based on your personal needs. You should consider a card that offers the most rewards in your biggest spending categories and helps you meet your future travel goals.

Before you apply for a credit card , we highly recommend that you know what your credit score is and are aware of any card issuer limitations that could affect your ability to get approved or earn a welcome bonus. If you qualify and use your new credit card responsibly , it has the potential to be a great tool that can help you build credit while earning attractive rewards as a bonus.

Related: 6 things to do to improve your credit score