Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
If someone can afford a private guide (and car with driver?) and hasn't traveled much internationally, I can see an argument for preferring the private guide. This can also save some time versus figuring out subways and museum locations/hours on your own, although some travelers prefer the challenge of doing it independently. In big cities and major tourist areas, language doesn't seem to be a problem but I could see the need for a guide/translator in the more rural areas. For example, I don't think I'd want to try to go to the remote panda place that isn't near Chengdu on my own.
^
Mrs and I have travelled about the world quite a bit. When we were younger, we never used a guide, and drove ourselves all around Europe (before GPS). We experienced the fun of not having a set schedule, but also the occasional frustration of not finding good accommodations, getting lost, and our limited language skills trying to negotiate with others who only spoke their native tounges.
Now, we fly or cruise into a city, and when the mood strikes, we hire a private guide. Most recent examples were Istanbul for three days and Israel for two. While with some effort we could have navigated ourselves, it was much more efficient to have a local lead us around. For one, trying to think clearly right after traversing 12-13 time zones can challenge. Additionally, we were concerned about safety, as both of these places have had periods of instability. In the event of an emergency, a guidebook is not really going to be of much help in quickly avoiding trouble.
We are looking forward to our first Beijing adventure, and despite sage advice that Beijing is easy to get around without a guide, we will (hopefully) enjoy the efficiency of having one, and the security that comes knowing we have a local to help if something goes wrong. Everyone's MMV.