SPB-Tours company-guide recommendations

[KMR]

I know this is probably a foolish question to ask, but I will ask it anyway. We just booked the Baltic Pearl Tour with SPB-Tour company for our St. Petersburg visit next year. Since we reserved so far in advance, we may have an opportunity to request our tour guide. I know everyone loved their particular tour guide, but I was hoping that maybe you could post the name of your guide and why you thought he or she was outstanding. Maybe the name of one guide will stand out a little more than another, and I will request that particular guide for our group. Maybe one that has both a fantastic personality and a great knowledge of St. Petersburg history. At any rate, it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

Thank you.

[newfarmers]

our guide Elena (looked on her badge for spelling) pronounced Yelena was fantastic. extremely knowledgable (as they all are). as the weather was atrocious, she gave us opportinity to change the order of the itinerary or offer alternatives (even if the others weren't willing to spend the extra USD10 or 15 some of these options entailed:rolleyes:)

 

there were about four active-c tours when we visited. one group had a very hard task master who refused to talk unless everyone was giving her their absolute attention. sorry, don't know her name, but whereas we all gushed about our guide, the 'school mistress' guide was not so highly rated. again, knew her stuff, but no people skills at all

 

I've attached a pic of Elena that I've cropped out of a larger photo when we were in Catherine Palace (I think)

 

pete

[KMR]

Hi Pete,

 

Thanks so much for posting your recommendation and a picture of Elena. I never thought to ask people to post a picture of their tour guide but I am now. SPB-Tours has several Elena's working for them. Thanks to your picture, I now know which one you are recommending. If anyone else has a picture, but not a name, please just post the picture. SPB-Tours emailed me a listing with a picture of all of their guides so it will be very easy for me to identify your guide. Again, thank you for your recommendations.

[newfarmers]

Hi Pete,

 

Thanks so much for posting your recommendation and a picture of Elena. I never thought to ask people to post a picture of their tour guide but I am now. SPB-Tours has several Elena's working for them. Thanks to your picture, I now know which one you are recommending. If anyone else has a picture, but not a name, please just post the picture. SPB-Tours emailed me a listing with a picture of all of their guides so it will be very easy for me to identify your guide. Again, thank you for your recommendations.

 

 

posting the photo was the ony way I could think to show who Elena was (I knew there was at least one more). My written discription would definitely have confused more than enlightened. About all I could have said was middle aged lady with bleached blonde bob.

 

Our Elena was really fantastic. Treated us like adults and respected that as this was (for the majority of us) a once in a lifetime visit then maybe zoning out and taking pictures was more important to some of us some of the time than learning about the palace/church/metro we were visiting. At least one of us (my partner and I) was listening to Elena most of the time

 

ELENA - A FANTASTIC GUIDE!!!:D

[MRSBITS]

Hi Pete,

 

Thanks so much for posting your recommendation and a picture of Elena. I never thought to ask people to post a picture of their tour guide but I am now. SPB-Tours has several Elena's working for them. Thanks to your picture, I now know which one you are recommending. If anyone else has a picture, but not a name, please just post the picture. SPB-Tours emailed me a listing with a picture of all of their guides so it will be very easy for me to identify your guide. Again, thank you for your recommendations.

I'm glad you started this thread! We are booked for a 2-day deluxe tour with SPB next May, and I hadn't thought of this aspect. Did you request a listing of their tour guides and pictures, or did they just send it out?

[Giantfan13]

We also used SPB tours for our tour in 2009, and we also had an Elana as a guide. Personally, EVERY single post I have read on these boards in the past 3 years, has given glowing reviews to whomever their tour guide has been, no matter which independent tour group you used. I would believe that they are all comparable, and all excellent. We loved our tour with SPB and they only used the best in their tour guides. Every post from every person coming back, raves about their tour guide.

What makes you feel one is better than any other???

 

Cheers

 

Len

[sammiedawg]

We had 2 delightful days with Eugene. He was very personable, well informed, spoke superb English.