What is an Untours Local Expert? A friendly knowledgeable person you can speak to directly who:

• Personally knows the place you're going
• Has a proven track record for giving people excellent, unbiased advice
• Has been hand-selected by Untours through in-depth conversation.

Untours have been specialists in independent travel since 1975. Many of the Untours Local Experts have years of experience giving exactly this kind of advice to Untourists and getting rave reviews for years.

How do I have the conversation with the Untours Local Expert?

Your choice: by phone, face-to-face or both; before you go, when you arrive, during your trip or any combination of the three.

Who pays for the phone call?
We do (Untours).

How do I know which expert to choose?

• Search for an expert by location or by topic.
• Go "window shopping": Each expert has a page where their skills or on display: he or she talks about hidden treasures, ways to save money and why he or she loves their locale. They also often share pictures, video and audio clips, and other resources about the place he or she loves.

• Get a Free Sample! Try out an Untour Local Expert option by choosing the “5 minutes for free” option. In this option, you tell them a little about your trip, and ask him or her one question. The Untours Local Expert will
  • give you an answer to your question
  • an estimate on how he or she might be of further help and
  • how much that help would cost.
  
  This gives both you and the expert a no-risk way to see if this person is the right advisor for you. You also know exactly what you are getting and what it will cost before you spend a penny.


• Ask us! You can call us here at Untours toll-free (1-888-868-6871) and visit with us. Just like all the Untours apartments, we know all of our Untours Local Experts and we can probably fill in any details missing from the website.

When can I speak with the Untours Local Expert? At your mutual convenience. Use the calendar on each expert's page to see when your schedules match. Once you have made contact, you and the expert find a time that works for both of you. Most of our experts are very active, so they fit their “travel advising” in among other commitments. You can see their "office hours" by looking at the calendar right on the page.

How do I know what I am getting for my money? Every Local Expert works by the hour; once you get to know them a little, via our "5 MInutes for Free" we think you will feel certain you are getting more than your money's worth. In addition, some experts have specialties which are listed at the bottom of. You will see exactly which options the expert offer on the individual expert's web page.

What does a Local Expert cost?
Here is a summary some of the most frequently offered prices and packages (each expert differs so check the individual pages):

	15 minutes ($20.00): This is a great "get to know the expert" option without spending much.  If you have just a few questions, or want to "dip your toe in" to see how much help a Local Expert might be, this is ideal. (Available via phone only)			1/2 hour ($35.00): The power session: the experienced independent traveler who is clear about what answers he or she needs may find that this is a great option; lots of information, from a trusted source whom you can always check back with, without spending much money or time. You need to have your conversation well –organized if you want to keep to this time frame.
One hour of conversation ($60.00): You can take this hour all at once or in up to three installments. Here's something that works well: 1) Have a brief conversation to give your Untours Local Expert the outline & goals of your trip, 2) The expert subsequently does research specific to your requests (as well as those traveling with you) 3) He or she delivers the information in a follow up phone call. If your needs are relatively simple, all that can take place in an hour. If more time is needed your Untours Local Expert can estimate that early in the session.			Good Start Session ($145.00): This consists of an orientation session that answers the questions you sent to your Untours Local Expert prior to your arrival as well as new questions you may have. (This session is quite similar to the Orientation conducted on an Untour, but tailored for your unique needs and interests.) It usually is an overview of practical tips, itinerary planning and common sense advice that lasts about an hour. In addition, there is phone support - via the expert's cell phone - for up to 48 hours after. The session is roughly equivalent to about 2 hours of your expert's time, including research, meeting and support.
Arrival/escort + Good Start ($200.00):Your Untours Local Expert meets and escorts you from your arrival point (at airport, train station, etc.) to your accommodation first. Then, at a time convenient to both of you in the first 24 hours, you schedule your Good Start Session (see above for details). (Note: Transportation costs from airport/station to accommodation are not included.)
Specialist options: Each expert has his or her specialties. Because they know the place, they also know how to bundle the knowledge, advice and touring options in ways that visitors love. The prices for these packages will vary, as the services rendered are so varied. See each expert's payment section of the expert's individual web page to determine what each offers and the prices. Feel free to also propose your own package; the expert will give you an estimate of how much the requested services might costs. The arrival package and good start sessions are examples of popular packages that many visitors like. Can you think of the experience you've dreamed of, with just the right topic and the right balance of support and independence, the essence of what you hoped this trip would be? Email your expert and see if he or she can make that a reality. Here are just few examples of our specialist's options. We hope they provide a jumpstart to help you work together with an Untours Local Expert to make a tailor-made trip for less money that the cookie-cutter packages. Best things for a grandparent to do with a grandchild in _____(London, New York, Paris)...tailor made to suit YOU and your grandchild's interests A half day in a favorite museum with an art historian who specializes in the art work you love. A do-it-yourself tour of _____? For example, in New York City, you can pay to go on a guided "Chocolate Tour" or you can ask our expert for the real best chocolatiers (many of whom you would have missed on the established guided tours) and when those chocolate merchants are giving out free samples! Take the stops on the tour all at once, or take in one each day. Bargains on ______(vintage clothing, antiques, wine, sightseeing, Christmas shopping, the list is endless) Best place to _______(have hot chocolate, canoe down the river, buy shoes, eat out on a budget, have a picnic, buy, a picnic, taste a wine, visit local artist's studios, etc.) How to: Get where your going for the least amount of money, Tip like the locals, Avoid waiting in lines, Not bore your kid, find a unique gift, Self-guide yourself on a bike trip of Europe's amazing bikeways, for a fraction of the money and ten times the freedom of the pricey biking tours. Organize a wedding, anniversary or family reunion trip.

Why should I spend money just talking to someone?

• Time: One of our staff recently told us, “When our family travels, my dad now spends about 70 hours, combing through all the internet forums trying to figure out which restaurant we should go to. He used to have fun planning our trip but now, it has kind of turned into a stressful confusing hassle! If we could ask someone who's been there and whose judgment we had reason to trust, it would completely change the stress level for him and the rest of us.”

• Money: Almost every experienced traveler has had an “if I had only known” moment that they know has cost them a lot! If there is someone trustworthy who knows how to __________ (buy discount tickets,avoid tourist traps, eat the best food vs. the tourist food, find money-saving opportunities (markets, free samples, senior discounts, etc).....why not ask them?
• Memories: More than any other aspect of a trip, it is the people you meet that make a trip unforgettable. On this trip, if use an Untours Local Expert, you are guaranteed to meet a good person, who loves to help people, on your trip. (Because friendly, helpful people are the only ones we choose.)
• Don’t shortchange yourself: You are spending a lot on this trip. Why not avoid the booby traps that a beginner naturally runs into? For less than the cost of one dinner ask somebody who knows, and you can sail past the bumps.

Can’t a travel agent do this for free? Travel agents are fewer and farther between these days and those that are still in business have had to adapt. They are often excellent resources for booking trips, but they are rarely able to give you an in-depth knowledge of every destination they can send you to.

Can’t I find all this information out on the internet for free? Maybe. If you have a long, long time. And you if you are able to decide, out of those 79,567,832 search results:

• Who truly knows their stuff?
• Who has a vested interest vs. an uncensored opinion?
• Who has credentials and a good track record?
  

Or you can obtain information on the internet, and double-check it with a real person, local, vouched for by Untours, and based on the expert's direct experience in the place you’re going.

Can an Untours Local Expert help us find cheap accommodations?

Fairly frequently, yes. Check here on the Expert page (see right). It will list specialties, and that may include “Where to Stay”.

Can an Untours Local Expert help us with tickets (Eiffel tower, museum, opera, concert, etc.) Sometimes. Check here on the Expert page (see right), which lists specialties. If it lists “Concierge services” then they are willing to provide that service for you. Ask them about it in your “5 Minutes for Free” and see if the time they estimate for obtaining those tickets suits your budget and goals for the trip.

Can an Untours Local Expert help us with unforeseen emergencies?
Sometimes. Check here on the individual web page.(see right) It will list specialties here . If it lists “24/7 support option” then the expert is willing to provide that service for you. Ask about it in your “5 Minutes for Free” and see if the cost of that option suits your budget and needs for the trip. This is an especially good option for people for whom travel may present health challenges, but because it is an “emergency” service, and because the time it may take for the service provider may vary widely, not all of our Untours Local Experts feel able to offer this option. Also because of the time variability, cost is always based on a package price and varies between experts.

Can an Untours Local Expert offer guided tours?
We here at Untours recognize that a licensed tour guide is something special. Our Untours Local Experts offer something different. They will often be happy to accompany you on a visit and offer their insights and knowledge. That option is not the same as an “official tour guide”; we compare it to spending some time with a local friend of a friend.

What’s the difference between this and an Untours Orientation?
Often a meeting with an Untours Local Expert is VERY similar to an Untours Orientation. Like our Untours Orientation, it nearly always includes practical tips to live like a local, itinerary planning and common sense advice. An Untours Local Expert is a little more. Differences include:

• Tailoring just for you
• Getting information ahead of time, if you prefer
• More time, if you choose.
• Specialized on a particular topic

Which is better? A conversation via phone or face-to-face?
It depends. Obviously if you want pre-trip advice, your conversation will be on the phone.

• Are you a phone person or better face-to-face?
• What kind of help do you need? Simple factual information can be easily done on the phone and certain facts are better obtained before you depart, for example getting sought-after tickets to a certain event. Another good thing to do in advance might be helping you narrow down the list of things you want to do, to a list that can actually get done during your trip.
• Giving more general tips, on how to get around on a transport system, for example, or answering a wide range of questions from different members of the travelling party or giving you a general feeling of the city may be better accomplished face-to-face.