The Tour Director is the key! Ask anyone who has done a Tour from almost anywhere in the world and they will all say the same thing, "The Tour Director makes or breaks the tour." I have done promotional work around the world making presentations to industry professionals, past passengers and prospective passengers alike and when I make that statement heads start nodding in agreement.

Not that I would put the job of a Tour Director in the same league as a doctor but the time taken to become good at their chosen profession is about the same. That is why I always encourage people to book tours with reputable companies with a tested group of professional Tour Directors. In our busy hectic world down time is almost as important as your health, in fact there are many studies which point to the therapeutic values gained while on a stress free vacation.

When I started in Europe it was with a company called Contiki and I was with them for 3 years. What a ride! Back in those days, no, not when the streets were lit by gas lamps, Contiki ran the toughest training trip in the business. Eight weeks of long long days driving around Europe from London to Madrid to Istanbul and back. Some might say.....sign me up, but still today I rate it as one of the most demanding things I have done.

At the end I was equipped with the barest of essentials needed to conduct a tour and then I spent the next 3 years on a very steep learning curve. After 3 years with Contiki I applied to Trafalgar and may have told a small white lie on my application stating I had already had 5 years in the industry, as Trafalgar will only take you with a minimum of 5 years experience. I finished my apprenticeship with Trafalgar and then my internship as I like to call it.

The upshot is that most good Tour Directors will tell you it was between 8 and 10 years before they were really good at what they did. During that time they were gaining experience and in coach touring especially in Europe nothing trumps "Experience."

Tour Directors are historians, teacher,art critic, entertainer, problem solver and concierge. I often joke there are times they have to fill the shoes of Doctor, Psychiatrist and marriage councilor. Needless to say the skills of a good tour director cover a wide range of disciplines and is you are in the job long enough you will use all of them. I tell my passengers that after 23 years in the business I have seen almost everything and that I have seem every imaginable problem through, except delivering a baby. Yet one of the reasons I have always enjoyed the job is that it doesn't matter how long you have been in it, you have never seen it all and if I thought I had it would mean it was time to get out.

I once had a gentleman who owned a company which employed over 1000 people and I will never regret the comment he made one night when about ten of us were enjoying a drink on the main square in Nice on the French Riviera. "Michael! I can't remember the last time I felt so relaxed. We don't have to think about a thing, you take care of everything. When we get somewhere not only do we walk to the best tables in place in the establishment but we are treated like kings."

For any help with your future travel please don't hesitate to contact me. Even if you don't book with my company I like helping people decide on the right vacation for them. michael@affordablecruisestours.com

Link to a short article on Trafalgar Tours - Tour Directors, Click Here