A day in the life of a tour guide



Augustiner deliciousness

Step 1 - shadow returning guide from Vienna to Munich to learn how its done. Feel safe in the knowledge that you have two more days of shadowing before you have to go it on your own

Step 2 - take passengers with you and other shadowing guides to Augustiner Beer Hall - its sociable to show them what a real stein looks like and how to order a pork knuckle


Step 3 - wake up at 7am with a *slight* headache and put on a pretty dress for a nice cruisy day shadowing on the coach

Step 4 - at 7.31am open door to hysterical guide who is supposed to be guiding the coach, find out her passport has been lost and you are now guiding the coach in 29 minutes


Augustiner happy times

Step 5 - FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUC%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So that was a baptism of fire!! I had 22 passengers, was completely unprepared, none of my equipment was charged, I wasn't quite sure how to turn the TV on for the movies and I had no idea how to authorise a credit card! Thank god for my lovely fellow shadowing guides, Carla and Xavier, and our awesome driver Matt, who helped me out and kept me calm!!!

I managed to fool them all into thinking I was a completely in control, calm and capable guide and even managed to sell a few things!

I have since guided from Venice to Rome, been told by a 20yo Aussie girl that for the first time, she found history interesting after my Rome spiel (thank you crazy emperors and JC) and then from Rome to Florence where I successfully dealt with 2 missing jetlagged Americans at our photo stop, a torrential downpour and a slight detour from our intended destination in Florence..............where myself and a shadowing guide got a bit too into the dinner and karaoke night that we took our passengers out on.........oops!!

Drive along the Cote d'Azur into Nice - an draw with the drive through the Swiss Alps to Lauterbrunnen for most beautiful

Then to Nice - the drive in along the Cote d'Azur past Monaco and Cap Ferrat is UNBELIEVABLE, i have already picked out my house - for a night (we have the best Vietnamese restaurant around the corner from the hostel - I never thought I would say this but I am sick of bread) and now in the heaven of Lauterbrunnen in the Swiss Alps - this place is like a fairytale - strolling through fields full of flowers with the cow bells tinkling and snow capped mountains RIGHT THERE.......its amazing!!!!

I LOVE THIS JOB!!!!!