Working as a Tour Manager - Trying Something New
Working as a Tour Manager
This year I made the decision to step out of my 'comfort zone' and challenge myself to something new. It's not that I am unhappy with the things that I do but the desire to 'explore new horizons' always makes me push my boundaries. Is this a good thing? In some ways, yes it is. I see more of life, meet new people, find more adventures and opportunities that may never have arisen if I didn't take risks. In some ways no, maybe not. I put more pressure on myself, my stress levels rise, the discomfort of facing the unknown, and the energy draining effects of travel.
The job of a Tour Manager is to make the group you are travelling with feel assured. You are a person of knowledge to answer questions, you are the organiser of days out, the 'go to' for hotel check in procedures and the helper if someone falls ill, has an accident or forgets to pack their medication. A Tour Manager is many things to many people and to be a good Tour Manager you need to do plenty of research on the areas you are travelling to. You need to be prepared for all eventualities and you need to be patient, caring and understanding.
This year so far, I have completed three tours, all very different to one another and I loved all three even with the challenges each one brought.
A Tour Manager in Vienna
My first Tour was a short Tour to Vienna. This was an extension to the Danube River Cruise for guests that wanted to extend their stay in Vienna before boarding the ship. I was so pleased to discover that there was a large group for this Tour and that there would be two Tour Managers. So on my first Tour I was not alone and I was to work with someone I had worked with before on cruise ships. It really is a relief when you can share the workload of a large group.
The organisation for this Tour started with an Itinerary of excursions and what is expected from the Tour Managers during the extension. Everything is emailed with the details of the hotel, events, coach company and suppliers. The instructions are quite clear and it is up to you how you organise your paperwork, itineraries and manifests. You need to be very organised as a Tour Manager because you find you are planning events and confirming details for the next day, writing reports for the previous day and communicating the events for the present day. It can get very confusing and if you are not running the operation correctly, guests will be late or even miss events that they have been looking forward to. It is a juggling exercise.
Having prepared and planned the Tour, I was able to connect with my colleague and compare notes. We were both due to fly out the night before the guests were due to arrive. This was actually of great benefit to me as my colleague had completed this tour the month before with a different group. We met in the morning at the hotel for breakfast and went through our notes. We did a quick orientation of the surrounding area. It is good to know where the local supermarket, bank, parks, shops and public transport are located, especially if you have an independent group who want to explore the area by themselves. Then it was time to collect the guests from the airport.
The guests arrived at 4pm. There were two coaches for the arrival and we brought them back to the hotel, checked them in and took them for their evening meal. We remained in the hotel restaurant until the last guest left so that we were visible if they had any concerns or questions they wanted to ask about the following days ahead.
After Breakfast we took them on a coach tour of the city and then we dropped the guests off and walked them to St Stephens Cathedral, a good meeting point for their return. The guests had about 3 hours to explore the city before we returned to the hotel. After our dinner we took them to Boerse Palace for an evening Classical Concert. It was just perfect.
The first day was a long and full day, so the guests had a free day to explore the next day whilst myself and my colleague had desk and administration duties before an evening of Folkloric music and local delicacies. We travelled to a village on the outskirts of the city to a family run traditional taverna making the whole experience very authentic.
The final day was packing and 'check out' day. The cases were loaded onto the coaches and then we took the guests to the River Cruise ship.
A Tour Manager in Ireland
This tour was completely different to the Vienna River cruise Extension. It was a 6 day tour and the journey was completely by coach (apart from the Ferry to Ireland). I had the same coach driver for the entire tour who stayed in the hotel with the guests and myself. This was nice for me as we could communicate every day at breakfast and dinner to confirm times and travel distances. My driver was female too and we became good friends from the very start of the tour. I also fell in love with Ireland.
The paperwork and admin were slightly different too. There is a lot more research as a Tour Manager on coach tours. The distance covered is quite extensive so you get to know your guests pretty well in 6 days.
There is not a lot of time for desk hours as the tours are full-on but I always try and be available for half an hour before dinner time, so that the guests can approach me then if they have any concerns or questions.
Travelling from the UK to Belfast is a very long day. I started at 2am and arrived at the hotel at 6.30pm the same day. We had just enough time to check in, drop our cases into our rooms and have our evening meal. Everyone was exhausted and went to bed literally straight after their meal.
The following day, again a long day, we drove to the Giants Causeway followed by a trip to Londonderry for a walking tour. The Giants Causeway is stunning with beautiful views of the North Atlantic and the amazing rock formations. The visitors centre is very informative if you want to know more about the science and formation of the rocks. Londonderry was so interesting and it was here that you understand the history of 'Bloody Sunday'. The walk around the walls enhances the views across Londonderry and the logistics of the Guildhall and the Bogside.
On day 3 we visited the Titanic Museum followed by a guided coach tour of Belfast. I found Belfast and its history quite fascinating and sad at the same time. The Irish are such lovely people and are still very welcoming and friendly. Their tumultuous history has been consistent in conflict, sectarian division and foreign rule. This is really apparent as we travelled around various districts in Belfast. I really felt this during the walk in Londonderry and the first stop of our Belfast tour at the 'Peace Wall'. In 1969 this wall was built to divide the Nationalist and Unionist neighbourhoods and still today the gates of the walls are opened and closed at specific times of night and in the morning. The wall spans over 20 miles in distance and 26 feet in height.
Click Here - Tour of Ireland
On day 4 it was my job to take the guests to 3 villages in the Mourne Mountain district. These villages were stunning, very green and the scenery en-route of the mountains was quite breathtaking. We visited Royal Hillsborough first, a charming village full of parks, lakes, forts and of course, the Royal Palace. Down Patrick was to follow, a slightly busier village with beautiful Georgian architecture and the burial site of St Patrick himself. The last destination was Newcastle a beach resort with the Mountain of Slieve Donard as a backdrop. Another long day for the guests but we were lucky with warm weather and a gentle breeze.
For the final day we had a long drive to Dublin. This is a beautiful city with lots of greenery, historical sites, sculptures, shops and streets full of bars and cafes. There was plenty to do here as the guests were given maps and a list of things to see and do. I took a stroll to Merrion Square Park to see the famous and colourful sculpture of Oscar Wilde laying casually on a rock. The park itself is located in the city centre's most beautiful Georgian Square. The park has a sculpture trail and offers a tranquil and beautiful landscaped area with seats and small coffee take-aways. It was a moment of peace for me.
The final day was a very early rise and a long journey home via the Ferry crossing from Dublin.
Click Here - Tour Manager - Cruising the River Seine
This was another tick off my 'bucket list'. Two ticks in fact. One for the river cruise itself and two for an adventure into Paris. Again, a completely different tour to the other two but I think I found this to be my favourite. The tour was for 11 days and I saw so much in such a short space of time. Along with this amazing tour came a huge amount of paperwork and admin, but I was quite familiar now with how everything works and what is expected of me throughout the tour.
I had a coach driver for part of the tour but we were separated at times which felt strange. I really bonded well with this driver and due to a last minute cancellation I was able to arrange for him to join us all for lunch and dinner as well as an overnight stay on the ship.
The drivers are such an important part of a tour and I really like to involve them as much as I can. Due to the cancellation, my driver could also join us for some of the tours, so that he could enjoy the days instead of sitting in his coach waiting for us to return. It is important to me as we are a team and need to have a good working relationship. This is not just a healthy partnership for a tour but important for the guests to see a positive bond between the Driver and Tour Manager.
There were many tours and wonderful places to visit as well as enjoying the cruise itself. My most memorable places and moments were:
A walk through Rouen
The medieval city of 100 spires. The streets are cobbled and alleyways are narrow. This is the city of Joan of Arc, Notre Dame de Rouen and the Astronomical Clock. In the evening there was the Notre Damn sound and light show which was incredible.
Les Andleys
A very small little village with a beautiful walk along the river and a sweet little village centre. There is the Chateau Gilliard perched high up on the hill. The climb is pretty steep but the views of the village and the river Seine are pretty amazing.
Monet's House and Gardens
The Impressionists home is a masterpiece in itself. The famous lily ponds led to some of his finest paintings. 'Water Lilies' a series of paintings became beloved around the globe putting the small Normandy village of Giverny on the map. His house is still a place of artistic pilgrimage and is visited by thousands of people every year.
Paris
One of the most beautiful, romantic and iconic cities in the world. Paris is known for its streets and its culture and is full of charm and elegance. Paris is filled with small cafes, bakeries, art, fashion and romantic vibes. My driver also found the most idyllic spot to drop us off so we had a clear view of the Eiffel Tower, for that perfect tourist photo.
There were many more visits and sites that we saw on this tour but these stay clearly in my mind.
Our final day was spent in a suburb of Paris called Rueil-Malmaison. We all stayed in a hotel and had a whole day to explore this suburb. I mention this as I lost my heart to this incredible place. Our hotel was close to Parc de L'Amitie, a beautiful green space, featuring a Japanese garden, scented garden and Renaissance garden. It was the perfect place to sit in the shade and escape the heat of the sun.
I wandered a little further to Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul Catholic Church in the centre of the small village square. The church houses the Imperial Tomb of Empress Josephine and the magnificent pipe organ gifted by Napoleon III. I stopped in one of the petite patisseries for a croissant and coffee and just watched the world go by in this very quaint and elegant little square.
I walked along the narrow streets and into the Parc de Boris Preau, a huge 42 acre park lined with sculptures and a mix of broadleaf and rare coniferous trees. The Parc houses the Chateau de Bois-Preau, a museum dedicated to Napoleon's captivity and death.
This is a place I would like to revisit. I found peace, calm and a natural curiosity about this suburb.
Although this job is hard work with a lot of research and admin prior to the actual tour itself, I felt I learned a lot, I met some new colleagues, some interesting people and a new way to travel. I am hopefully going to Ireland again in September and I would definitely return to Vienna and its grandeur and definitely Paris with the fabulous river cruise and the Normandy villages and history.
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