A Trip Around the World is not a Cruise

[Will]

Or is it?

 

In the Review section this morning I noticed a link to an agency called something like GayFriendlyTours.com (I don't think that's exactly right, but you can check the review itself). I clicked on it. Lo and behold, it's a sort of escort/travel agency in Budapest. They offer various kinds of tours of Central Europe; the one that most interested me focuses on art and antiques. From what I can tell, the tour guide is also your nighttime companion. But, surely, he can't hop from bed to bed if a group of three friends go together!

 

The idea itself is a great one, I think. I don't like to visit countries whose language I can't speak, and the idea of having a companion/guide who can do the talking as well as the instructing is really appealing.

 

Has any of you ever used this service in Hungary and the Czech Republic? If so, I'd be grateful to know your impressions.

[Boston Guy]

Will -

 

I can't offer any advice about the questions you raise.

 

However, recently I've been traveling to countries where I don't speak the language (for fun). I've discovered that picking up a CD-based course is an easy way to learn something like 150 words in six weeks, pretty painlessly... that's only about four words per day.

 

It's amazing how much difference that makes, if you choose the words you learn carefully. I concentrate on the words that make up common questions and answers, simple directions, numbers, polite expressions, the names of common foods, and days of the week.

 

I write the words and phrases I want to learn on index cards and carry them with me everywhere. I also make index cards with a dozen or so specialized words and phrases for distinct situations -- the airport, the hotel, the restaurant/cafe, shopping. These I don't really try to learn but end up learning as I use them in the country. I use the CD to help with pronunciation and more vocabulary. And, finally, I do try to learn some basic grammer: to be, to have, to do, other basic verbs (in the present tense), sentence structure, articles, negation. That lets me turn my list of words into a lot of different simple sentences.

 

I've been delighted to discover that going to a country with so little of its language under my belt is really great fun and provides a foundation for learning quite a bit more of the language while in-country.

 

Languages don't really come easily to me, but this approach has served me well, with almost no effort per day. And I feel it's made quite a difference in how much pleasure I had during my trips and how many natives I met while there.

 

I'm certain you'd have no trouble, nor would anyone else who has learned at least one foreign language before. Once you've done that, you know how you to learn a foreign language; learning another is just a matter of learning some words.

 

Even with a language like Greek, where the alphabet is quite different from ours, it's really just a matter of a couple of days to learn a new alphabet and then you're off and running.

 

Sorry I couldn't answer any of the questions you did ask!

 

Happy Thanksgiving,

BG

[Guest fukamarine]

>The idea itself is a great one, I think. I don't like to

>visit countries whose language I can't speak, and the idea of

>having a companion/guide who can do the talking as well as the

>instructing is really appealing.

 

 

I think the whole concept is really great. I would be very comfortable doing this so long as the "guide" was compatable. But....

and here's the hitch. It sounds like it would be very costly to have all this personal service. A hottie, 24 hours a day, for several days, plus all meals, hotels, transportation etc would probably send my bank manager into a state of shock and my credit cards on full tilt! :-)

 

fukamarine

[Casteran]

The site you refer to is gaytailoredtours.com, and yes they offer agency services (travel) as well as do several agencies in Europe - they actually started the craze of travel agency with escorts - make money two fold. I had an escort friend of mine in US think about this idea but gave up after 9.11 as the travel industry is a slight slump and competition is fierce, travel and escorts.

Never used that agency in Budapest but they seemed reliable and professional when I contacted them for info. Their prices are "high" for part of the world, more like LA/NYC prices - but seeing the quality they offer it might be worth the cost. Agencies in Prague are nonexistent or hard to find - I recently visited and used an agency out of Austria (review pending from Hooboy), not recommended.

[Guest BeguiledTraveler]

Hello Will!

 

The review you mentioned was from me, and yes - the agency I utilized is under gaytailoredtours.com

Although I only utilized the agency for escort, my understanding is that they are a full service agency for companions, travel, tours, etc. I might try this on one of my next trips. As a matter of fact, I took a little side tour with one of the escort companions (who will be my third and final review for Budapest) and had a great time. Gets you out of the city for a few hours.

The suggestion regarding language is a good one - Hungarian is a very difficult language to learn - at least for me. However, on most trips to other countries, I do try and learn some of the basic language - not only is it polite when you attempt your best to speak the language, but it really helps to immerse yourself into the culture you are visiting. That being said, I am negligent in learning Hungarian - slightly better in Czech. I do speak some French, and a little Spanish. Good idea to brush up on languages with the tape or CD in the car - just started to do that three weeks ago.

..........Beguiled Traveler

[+ Axiom2001]

When our respondent posted his first review, I contacted the agency ,for I was intrigued. The owners wrote me the nicest and most candid answers to my questions. I asked about the guides/escorts. The guides speak fluent English, but the owner told me that many of the escorts (if not all of them) only converse in their native language. I believe he stated that the guides did escort work, too. My memory leaves me at a loss to the latter comment.

 

The only deterrent for me in pursuing this adventure is the money factor. The rates seemed rather exorbitant to charge in countries which seem to be more third world than not! I am NOT adverse to paying when everything is commensuate, but these rates per hour were a little much. Again, I don't remember what the man quoted, but I'd reiterate, I received a very, very (long) personal message from him of which I am appreciative.