Appreciate comments from any one who has been to a Rick Steves guided tour.

My husband and I did a 7 day tour of Venice last fall. It was wonderful. We usually had the mornings scheduled for a museum, church or side trip and had the rest of the day to explore on our own. Venice is an amazing place, not only for the art and history, but also for the lives the residents lead in a city that totally relys on water transportation. The tour was lead by a Rick Steves guide but all of the visits to historical sites were with local English speaking guides who were very interesting and informative, not only about the art but also about what it is like to live in a place that gets 9 million visitors a year. Our Rick Steves guide gave us invaluable tips on how to explore the city and interact with people at the market, in grocery stores, etc.

Rick Steves Tours has its detractors....many of them on FT. But for us, it was a great way to see Venice.