ABOUT MY TOURS What are my tours like? Here is a description of my tour dynamics: Before we begin Meeting you. I meet my guests at a point agreed on advance, usually at the concierge desk of the hotel where they are staying, but it can also be at the entrance of a monument or any other suitable point. Getting to know each other. I spend the first minutes of our time trying to get you know better, so I can see what will be the best approach to our tour: have you ever been in Barcelona before? Did you just arrive and are jet-lagged or you’ve been already some time in town and have already seen some sights? Is there something you really don’t want to miss or just trust me to show you the most important sights? Any other special needs? Agreeing a tour itinerary. I’ll show you a map of Barcelona pointing at the places we are going to visit, so we can plan an itinerary that makes sense. It might be that we have already discussed it before you booked the tour, but I prefer to double check, just in case there’s something new in your mind! This will be a guideline so I can organize our time accordingly, but the tour will be open to modifications and you can change it on the way if you change of idea, as my goal is to make you happy and enjoy the city at your own pace and your own way. During the tour Moving around. Either we are walking or we have a means of transportation, we’ll use the traveling time as part of the tour. I can answer your questions, point at interesting things we are passing by, explain more about the city history or give you tips for the rest of your stay in Barcelona: things to do, places to go, tips to take the most of your time, where to find that special gift you are looking for… I can also recommend restaurants, cafes and stores. Visiting. When we get to a monument or museum I’ll tell you what is inside to see, so you can decide if you want to enter or if you prefer to pass on to the next place (nobody knows your interests better than you!), and I’ll give you my opinion if you need some help to decide. If there is a line, we’ll skip it thanks to my official guide license (and we might even get a discount in some venues!). But no matter if we are going inside or watching from outside, I’ll give you the information you need to make you feel your decision was the right choice! Explanations. Small details such as the amount and the kind of questions you ask, your mood, and your pace give me clues to understand what kind of information you are interested in and how much information you are willing to process. I can give you just the basics, focus more on light stories and anecdotes or go for many dates and historic facts, depending on what you seem to like the more. And I’ll adapt the length of my explanations to your attention level, so you don’t get tired of them but don’t feel you aren’t getting enough either. Keeping fresh. I always try to find places where we can sit down while admiring a monument, at least from time to time so you can get a rest, specially during walking tours. I also try to stay in the shade while walking or during our stops. And of course, if you need a break, I’ll be glad to recommend bars or cafés nearby that stand out for their special setting, their good quality or popularity, and I’ll help translating to the waiter if needed.

Spirit of service. Do you want a picture of yourself here? I can take it! Do you need to find a pharmacy or bank? I’ll tell you when we are near one. Do you want to check out that store? Let’s go in, and I’ll translate if the shop assistant doesn’t speak English. And if it took too long, don’t feel guilty!: I’ll be administering the time left so we still can see many things!

Safety. I’ll make sure you and your wallet are safe during the tour, and if we ever cross a potential pickpocket I’ll let you know and point at them so you can recognize them when you are on your own (sadly, they often match certain stereotypes).

Controlling the time. I’m in charge of the time. I know how long it takes to get to places, how long my explanations usually take, and can adapt them so we make the best use of the time we have left. If ever we were running really late, I’ll tell you and give you options so you can decide if you prefer to speed up or drop some stops of our initial plan. Trust me and forget the clock!

This few steps never take more than five minutes, will happen naturally in our conversation and are crucial to ensure the success of the tour.

End of the tour

Where do we finish? When the end of our tour approaches, I’ll ask where you need to finish. Maybe you are going back to the hotel, or you want to find a place to eat, or maybe you just want to spend as much as possible touring and then you’ll find your way back on your own. I’ll make sure you get a taxi and tell the driver where to take you, or I’ll lead you to the restaurant and make sure you are given a table, or I’ll show you in the map how to get wherever you are planning to go next after the tour is over.

What did we cover? I love marking in a city map what we have covered on our tour, and marking as well other places you might want to visit later or restaurants that I recommended. This will give you a good idea of what our tour has been, and will be a great tool for the rest of your stay.

Good bye! After I make sure you don’t need anything else, it is time for farewell. When you did your booking, you sent me a 20% deposit, now it’s time to pay the rest in cash (euro only). Of course, after the tour is over, my guests are still welcomed to contact me again if they need any help during their stay in Barcelona.

☺ Click here for a tale that beautifully expresses my professional philosophy!

BARCELONA AND CATALONIA PRIVATE GUIDED TOURS WITH OFFICIAL GUIDE

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