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Got told my 'free walking tour' strategy was a scam, so I tried paying the guide directly.
For years, I'd do those 'free' city walking tours in places like Prague or Berlin. You know the ones, you tip at the end. A friend who used to be a guide called me out last year. He said the companies take a huge cut, sometimes half, and the guides rely on that tip as their full wage. He said if you just find the guide beforehand and offer them 10 euros cash to do the same route, they often get to keep it all and you get a better, more personal tour. Tried it in Krakow last fall. Found a guide about to start a 'free' tour, offered him 50 zloty (about $12) for just my partner and I. He was thrilled, gave us an awesome 90 minutes, and we skipped the big group. Felt way better than the awkward tip at the end of a herd. Has anyone else tried cutting out the middleman like this?
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nancycooper7mo ago
My cousin did that once and the guide was super grateful.
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the_christopher7mo ago
What exactly did your cousin do, @nancycooper? I'm curious about the situation where a guide would be that grateful. Was it something simple like a good tip, or did they help out with a problem on the tour?
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