Hot take: My 'free' walking tour in Prague cost me half a day of lost time

I tried to save money by joining a 'free' walking tour that started at the Old Town Square, but the guide got lost twice in the Jewish Quarter and the whole thing took over 3 hours instead of the promised 90 minutes. I ended up missing my cheap, pre-booked train to Vienna because of it. Are these 'free' tours ever worth the risk of them running way over schedule, or should you just stick to a set plan you make yourself?

3 comments

3 Comments

piperr588d ago

Ugh, that's the worst kind of travel day, isn't it? I had a similar thing happen with a "free" tour in Berlin where the guide spent 45 minutes just talking about his own art project. You're there for the history, not his life story. It feels like such a trap because you're trying to be smart with your money, but then it costs you way more in lost plans. Makes you wonder if the real price is just your whole schedule going out the window.

jason5248d ago

Honestly the worst part is how it kills the vibe for the whole day. You start off excited and then you're just stuck listening to some guy's weird side hustle. Makes you wanna just walk away but then you feel rude.

evan_jenkins2d ago

Got roped into a "free" food tour in Bangkok that somehow turned into a two-hour sales pitch for a cooking class. Ended up just walking away hungry and annoyed.