presented to the public a number of purely subjective observations about the problems associated with Russian excursions. Yes, if you are mainly interested in shopping, then do not waste your time on this note.

An example will be given the experience last trip to Holland in January. However, everything started back in 1998 in Greece. Immediately, I note that sometimes there are happy exceptions to the rule, but it is rare in my practice (or not I lucky?). Anyway, more to the point.

crux of the matter, who would like to discuss here - overpriced excursions in Russian at poor quality of the service.

; For many years, mentioned in 1998, I categorically refuse to buy the proposed tour travel agency, the originator and with rare exceptions (usually under pressure from either of my companions, or friends) do not use hotel guides. It should be noted that prefer to stay in four star hotels on the European qualifications (in some countries, this corresponds to five stars are local). Perhaps the desire to earn a "money-bags Pinocchio" of these hotels and have background of the problem. It is possible that at rest in a cheaper price category, the situation is different ... I do not know.
I'm fluent in several languages, but experience shows that the following recommendations are there for all who can watch movies in English (albeit with subtirtrami) and understand the speech of broadcasters CNN, BBC, etc. 40% point.
general leitmotif - do not buy rounds at the hotel (especially in the travel agency) do not be lazy to leave the hotel, walk the neighborhood and find local tour operators (general rules of common sense, acting in their choice to describe I will not. Depending on the situation, your savings could range from 30% to 100%, and the service you receive is guaranteed no worse in quality than the hotel. Yes, the tour should be taken in English (rarely local offices offer their services in Russian, in Anyway, I never encountered this and have not tried), German, or even any European language, you know. I do not know from whom to recruit Russian-speaking guides, but the subject they know its bad (the feeling that most - read the brochure) and most of its mass to respond to additional questions can not, except for this they have guides for the part we note the emphasis outstanding fellow Slavs from Ukraine, Belarus, etc. I am not a nationalist, but I confess that sometimes grates . guides leading tours in foreign languages, is much more professional.
Still, try to provide the German, British, Swedes service with not enough quality for him, they see this as a personal insult, with all the ensuing consequences for the firm.
So, returning to the trip to Holland. For the week had to go on a tour of the city (with navigation on the channel), in Brussels, the factory wooden shoes + creamery + + typical village windmills. Hikes to museums to the topic does not belong (you go, pay and watch from the guide and the language is not independent).

with private tours relations went wrong at once - a level of "Pont" and snobbery, I have not seen and oil traders !!!

Honestly, the performance of Captain Cook before the savages. Offered for the above program like the following rates - in Brussels - 120 Evrika, Sightseeing in the city - 40 mills, shoes and stuff - 50. On the nose, of course. Moreover, all advertised on the familiar diamond factory proposed to make a purchase discount about 40%, justifying this as a personal involvement, and seasonal sales (lots of trains in the world of sales in diamonds, I confess, I heard for the first time, I do not know, maybe it happens, but we have not tested). As a result, guide was first sent to the cultural (such as we think), but after a couple of calls to the number - was sent does not figuratively, but with the use of interesting set phrases, and then he disappeared before the end of the trip.

After This cultural program began to engage themselves. What we have in the end?

trip to Brussels - 24 Evrika with a nose for a train ticket (purchased at the station about 15 minutes before departure of the train ticket there and back), 12 Evrika per person - City tour bas (thing handy, there are in every major European, and not just the city), a map of the city center - free, tourist information center at the train station . Sightseeing tour - bus + boat - 20 Evrika. With the latest tour had to bypass the three offices of different companies so far have found all the attractions in one tour - 24 Evrika from the nose.
quality tours suit us (although I sometimes had to perform an interpreter), well before the trip we both read the book about the Netherlands (which is typical of her writing a person who in the Netherlands was after all). Looking back, I can say that the economy has turned out not God knows what, but here it at all - not like when holding an idiot and Loja. And so - decide for yourself. Experience in the independent leisure travel - something entertaining and guaranteed to bring you a new experience ... Just be careful, remember the adage of Carroll: "Before somewhere to climb, think about how to get out there "!

Text: Kirill.
Photos: tourist-guide.