5 Strong Arguments Why You Shouldn't Sign Up for an Elida Art Tour
Have you ever signed up for something and discovered that it wasn’t anything like you expected?
A few years ago, I was searching for an Airbnb in London. I just needed a place to sleep before taking the train early in the morning to the airport so the most important things to me were the reasonable rent and nearness to the airport.
I didn’t need to pay for any extras.
I found a room that looked simple and clean—much like the rooms that I had rented in the United States—and I booked it. Then, I enjoyed my day in London, looking through books being sold on the street, eating a Scotch egg and drinking a pint, and walking along the Thames. At the end of the day, I started the trek toward my room by taking the subway to the bus terminal.
The daylight faded as I caught the bus and as it wended its way toward my destination, I began noticing a sameness in the architecture around me. The people getting on and off the bus changed from tourists to tired workers. Soon, my gps told me that my stop was next. I got off on a dark street and looked at an endless maze of concrete to navigate through. My room was in the projects.
I walked for several blocks before I found my building, often looking over my shoulder. Eventually, heart pounding, I found the right place. Someone opened the door and pointed the way up a cramped, dank staircase. There was a smell of mildew and old carpet and smoke. I walked down a hall and opened the door and, sure enough, there was the room I saw in the photos. They hadn’t exactly lied but it sure felt like it. Later that night, there was an altercation below me at the front door. Someone pounding on the door, demanding his gun back …
Nobody likes that feeling of dismay, of unpleasant surprise, me included. Which is why, in full disclosure, I’m going to reveal all of the possible, unpleasant surprises you might find on one of our tours. If you’re thinking about going on a tour with Elida Art Tours and you’re not sure if this is the right fit for you, check out these reasons why you shouldn’t sign up and if one of them describes you, it might be best to pass this opportunity up.
You can’t change the schedule. We work really hard at offering important points of interest AND a good amount of free time in the schedule so you have a nice balance. Yes, there will be a chance to shop or go for a run or sleep or read, but can you stay an extra day when the bus is about to leave? Not really. On our tours, we often schedule private transportation to take us from one wonder to the next so it’s pretty difficult to accommodate a major, spontaneous change in the schedule.
You stay with a set group of people. Our tours are boutique-style which is another way of saying “small and intimate.” If someone annoys you, it’s not like you can completely avoid that person for the entirety of the tour. You probably will find yourself across the table or sitting near each and every person by the end of the tour. On the other hand, it’s important to note that on all of our tours people have become good friends by the end of the time, often hanging out and visiting each other after the tours are done.
A big focus of our tours is the food. If you like to eat on the go so you can see more and do more or if you get antsy if a friend you’re eating with lingers too long over her dinner, then we might not be the tour for you. Our dinners are expansive, often served family-style. Luncheons or dinners can last hours and are the highlight of the day. Yep, there is going to be gluten and lactose and allergens like nuts and shellfish. The good news is that, if you have dietary restrictions, there is usually enough variety and quantity of food so you definitely won’t go hungry. And, if you let us know when you sign up, we do our best to inform our connections so they can accommodate your needs.
We’re not about seeing all of the sights. We get it. You fly all that way and there is a lot to see, but we don’t feel like running you or ourselves ragged trying to fit it all in. In fact, we spend a lot of time off the beaten path and away from other tourists. Sure, we’ll check off a few biggies on the what-to-see-checklist, but we’re much more about exploring the streets and vendors where there are just Croatians or Italians (depending on the trip). If you aren’t interested in experiencing cultural things then you might not appreciate our connections and contacts with locals.
We’ll save you time but we may not save you money. Yes, you may pay a little bit more but your time, energy and having the peace of mind knowing that everything is taken care of might be worth it for you. We had some travelers who had never been to Italy and decided to do a few extra days in Rome before they met up with our group tour. By the time they got to us, they had already been ripped off by a taxi driver, berated by a fake gladiator, lost hours walking the streets looking for places and missed some very important monuments.
So there you have it. Full disclosure. All the dirty secrets are out. What you get with me is a tour I would want to go on. I don’t like strict rules, checklists, and getting lost in a large group of people. Instead, I want some structure so I don’t get decision fatigue, safety in a small, select group of friends, and freedom and flexibility to get the most out of my time there. If that sounds like your jam, check out our upcoming tours.
