Vent: The 'free' walking tour in Prague wasn't free at all...
I was in Prague last month and joined one of those famous 'free' walking tours in Old Town. The guide was great, but at the end, he gave a 10 minute speech about how we needed to pay him for his time, suggesting 20 euros per person. It felt really awkward, like a guilt trip. I only had 10 euros cash on me and he looked disappointed. It's not a free tour if you pressure people for a set amount. Has anyone else run into this? What's a good way to handle it without feeling cheap?
Wait 20 euros per person? That's crazy, they really expect that much after calling it free. I've done those tours before and usually toss in like 5 or 10 bucks if the guide was good. Making a whole speech about it is so awkward and pushy.
Yeah the "free" part is always a bit misleading. They're basically working for tips only, so that speech at the end is how they get paid. Twenty euros is a big ask though, I agree. I usually look up what regular paid tours cost in that city and tip based on that. It stops feeling like a tip and more like a set price, which is annoying.
It puts you in such a weird spot. You just enjoyed the walk and then get hit with a big number that feels required. Looking up regular tour prices is smart, but it does kill the whole idea of a free tour. The whole model just sets up a bad feeling at the end.