Why My Tour Routes Are Not Set in Stone

One view of Downtown Brooklyn

As I've written, I typically ask prospective clients where specifically they're leaving from before they meet me for a tour.

There's a reason for that!

First, if they're taking the subway, for example from Manhattan to Brooklyn, I might suggest alternative travel recommendations based on their specific starting location.

Or, if they're already in Brooklyn (or relatively near our tour neighborhood), I might adjust the route to take advantage of their starting place.

The latest example

Earlier this week, I was asked for a Brooklyn 101 tour by a couple staying at a hotel at the northern edge of Downtown Brooklyn.

While that location, as the crow flies, wasn't too far from our typical starting place in DUMBO, it would've been a cumbersome trip via public transportation and, by my judgment, a waste of money on a taxi, Uber, or Lyft.

Then again, I didn't think it was a great idea for them to walk 13-14 minutes though some not-always-pleasant streets by themselves. 

So I met them at their hotel and led them on that walk, adding some useful commentary on the way, since their view of Downtown Brooklyn from that vantage point would differ from their views of Downtown Brooklyn from two later vantage points.

Why it was worth it

No, I didn't charge them for that extra time--for an announced 3-hour tour, I have enough slack to add 15 minutes. (In this case, because of stops, the tour was 3.5 hours, not including that start time.)

I did all that because my tours are not conceptualized to start from a fixed place. Rather, I want people to make the most of their time!

So, the more prospective clients can share with me about the reasons for their tour, their knowledge of our tour neighborhood(s), and their specific starting place, the more I can adapt and customize the tour to meet their needs.

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