What to expect from your tour?
I am absolutely committed to provide you with the best service possible – that includes from the moment you get in touch with me, to well after you have one home from your trip. In planning your tour, I aim to help and support the rest of your trip by ensuring it ‘fits’ with your overall itinerary. On the day you have my services exclusively. And after your trip has finished, you’ll receive some after care too.
In more detail, this is what to expect:
My experience
My tours are crafted with every aspect of my life’s experience – both professional and personal. I have 15 years experience in teaching at university level and a further 10 years in journalism and research. I’ve now 10 years experience as a guide here in Norway with tourist attractions, museums, tour operators and now out on my own. Add to that, my other work as a professional landscape photographer and you have, what I believe, is the complete package you would want in a private guide.
A private tour
I firmly believe that you, as my guest, you come first and that you get more from an experience if it yours, and yours alone. This means I am your exclusive guide, and you have my complete attention. You are not having to share my attention, or wait until it’s your turn to ask a question. We only spend time talking about and discussing what YOU want to talk about. So, ask questions, be yourself, and enjoy your experience in a deeper and more personal way!
Green touring – zero emissions
Many of us are very conscious these days of the environmental impact of travel. In the pristine beauty of Norwegian landscape, our impact on nature and the places we visit is an issue close to my heart and one which I have consciously chosen to address in providing guided tours. When you book a tour with me, you can be assured that your day’s travel will result in zero emissions. Your transport for the day will be in a luxury Polestar 2 electric vehicle – a Scandinavian designed brand. You’ll also benefit from a full panorama roof window meaning you will not miss seeing that waterfall above your head!
Your tour, you decide
This is your tour. Not mine. That means you get to decide, and you get to choose. That may be along the lines of ‘show me some hidden gems’ or it could be very specific like ‘take me to Borgund Stave Church’. It can be a mixture of things and before we commit to anything, I will talk you through what is possible and of course, offer suggestions about how to meet your expectations and wishes. I can, in addition, provide some personally curated ideas to fulfil your day with me.
Planning as a conversation
When you book a tour with me, I would like you to do so with confidence. To be absolutely sure of that, I will spend time planning and agreeing with you in advance all of the details of your tour before you agree to commit to a booking. In addition, there is no payment due until 8 weeks before your tour. And up until that point, you are free to cancel with no obligation – I fully understand that plans can change. My reasons for this are simple – when I finally pick you up for your tour, I already wish you to feel that you already know me and can relax and enjoy your day.
Door to door service
A tour with me is a complete service, and that will also mean agreeing with you where I will pick you up and where I will set you down again. A lot of tours will ask you to go to a ‘meeting point’ – my policy is to provide you with a day where you are fresh and ready to start – and that is perhaps most easily achieved by picking you up where ever you happen to be.
One-way tours
An increasingly attractive option for some guests is to solve the problem of getting from A to B by having their tour planned as a one-way trip. This can be a very advantageous way of transferring between 2 locations, while having the benefit of a guided tour and your luggage moved at the same time. West Norway, where I do most of my tours is not the easiest of places to get around. Public transport is limited, taxis are few and expensive, and not everyone wishes to hire a car.
Don’t take my word for it – read the reviews
I know when I travel, I like to know what other people think of hotels, restaurants and activities – so I do actively take notice of reviews. They are important in shaping choices and decisions that we are comfortable with, and booking a tour with me should be no different. So please do take time to read of the experiences of some of my previous wonderful guests. Take it from them!
