Vehicle and custom tours
Using a car, taxi, limo, or bus, we can cover more ground
 Bakery in Carroll Gardens
Most of my tours are planned as walking tours, with occasional use of public transit. We can over more ground in a vehicle or bus you supply, or by taking occasional taxis.
These tours do not duplicate my listed walking tours (such as Brooklyn 101), since we can cover more ground. Still, parking can be a challenge. Sorry: I do not have my own vehicle nor do I drive while touring. If you want one member of your group to drive, that driver should focus on the road and also be willing to stick with the vehicle while others leave for brief walks. Options I've led small groups (3 in a taxi, 6 in a van) and large ones (50 in a bus), as a step-on guide. Past tours have included:
I've led tours for family reunions ("back to Brooklyn"), birthday celebrations, wedding guests, various organizations, senior groups, international delegations, classes (from high school to graduate school), and more, For small groups and less complicated tours, my fees are typically similar to my fees for walking tours, plus a small surcharge for planning. For more complicated tours, which require more customization and planning, the surcharge can be significantly larger. Getting a vehicle
I cannot hire a bus, van, or limo but can provide suggestions. Please check busrates.com for some ballpark prices on buses and also consider a new service, Buster. Brooklyn-based car services can be $50-$90/hour, depending on the vehicle (and more for larger vehicles), but check to see if there's a minimum time period (sometimes 2-3 hours) and a mandatory gratuity and/or service charge/fuel surcharge. Manhattan-based car services may charge more to go to Brooklyn. Another option: Uber offer the option to hire a vehicle for a minimum 2 hours. An alternative: Rather than retain a vehicle for the entire tour, we can flag down taxis or use Lyft/Uber to cut down distance. I know this is more cumbersome than contracting with a tour company that will provide both guide and vehicle as a package. However, that costs more! A basic introduction, by vehicle For those new to Brooklyn, I recommend a tour that hits the highlights:
The tour could be accomplished in the morning and, if we don't stop for lunch, take two to three hours, depending on logistics and where I meet the group. Please factor in the time it can take to get to Brooklyn from certain Manhattan locations. Junior's, the famous Brooklyn deli/restaurant, is a good place for lunch or dinner, and they're used to groups. I also could leave you at either the Brooklyn Museum or Brooklyn Botanical Garden, both of which have cafes for lunch and offer private tours for groups. Or we could stop in the middle of the tour for lunch. Variations are possible: to the north are Williamsburg and Greenpoint, also very interesting neighborhoods. What about Coney Island? It's well worth visiting, especially in warmer weather, but it can be a long drive in both directions. Coney Island |
DUMBO/Brooklyn Bridge ParkGrand Army Plaza/Park Slope/Prospect Park/Brooklyn MuseumBorough Hall/Downtown Brooklyn |