One of the greatest things about Europe is the history of the entire continent. And a reason that I find myself continuously revisiting this vast continent. Whether I’m visiting a city for the first time, or third time, I always learn something new. Something that pieces together the puzzle of what happened in WWII, why the Romans were so great, or how big grand churches got built. And the best way to learn about history? The free way. I always try to take advantage of each city’s unique walking tour. So far I’ve participated in quite a few… and here are the best Europe free tours ranked.
1. Budapest – Free Walking Tours
Pro – Aside from learning lots of great history, you also receive tons of useful recommendations. Where to eat, where to hang out, where to try the local food. The list goes on!
Con – Okay, I am having a hard time with this one because I don’t think there was a con! I mean it was raining… that was a con. But does the tour company control the weather? No.
2. Kraków – Walkative
Pro – You receive an informative and interesting history lesson that hits the highlights of Kraków, without dragging on.
Con – A lot of standing still.
3. Tallinn – Traveller Tours & Day Trips
Pro – A tour with a sense of humor. Tallinn hasn’t always been the biggest and best city, but this tour proves it, in a funny, self-deprecating way.
Con – They only run one tour/day so it can be incredibly crowded.
4. Edinburgh – SANDEMANs
Pro – Gives you a feel for a big part of the city, not just tourist spots.
Con – The break was a bit long (something all SANDEMANs tours do). I would have preferred for a quick, short bathroom break and to get on with the tour in order to finish quicker.
5. Vienna – Good Vienna Tours
Pro – Our guide was very knowledgeable about Vienna’s history and modern day. We also stopped for a bite to eat at a delicious buffet restaurant.
Con – We stopped for lunch… again, I am not personally a fan of this concept. I would rather make a quick break for the bathroom and continue on the tour so that it can be finished in a timely manner.
6. Bath – Mayor’s Guides
Pro – Tour guides who are passionate and enthusiastic about the quaint town of Bath. Also, no tips allowed.
Con – Won’t give recommendations seeing as it could be “biased”.
7. Prague – SANDEMANs
Pro – Prague is a beautiful city. So although I didn’t get all too much from the tour, at least I was walking through one of the most breathtaking cities in Europe.
Con – During this tour you take a long, 30-minute lunch break all together. I personally felt that this was a waste of time and would have preferred to continue on with the tour, and end earlier. Plus I don’t feel as though I saw a lot of Prague.
8. Bratislava – Be Free Tours
Pro – Given a lot of fun facts about Slovakian traditions, which was unique compared to the other tours that I have participated in.
Con – Bratislava is a small city; we spent a lot of time standing and little time walking.
9. York – Association of Voluntary Guides
Pro – This tour takes you places where you see amazing views of York. I was taken places I don’t think I would’ve found on my own.
Con – This tour was very, very long. It lasted over three hours (although online it says two).
10. Florence – Florence Free Tour
Pro – Very small group size, unfortunately I think that this is because the tour is not run well.
Con – I did not get a feel for Florence at all. I was confused on this tour and couldn’t seem to figure out the history, etc.
Have you been on a walking tour in Europe? Sound off in the comments below!
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Kylee splits her time between being a NICU nurse and solo traveler. Spending half her time at the bedside, Kylee has been caring for premature babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for five years now. She began Passports and Preemies in 2017 to reach nurses and advocate for the prevention of nurse burnout by traveling. Kylee is the original creator of the “8 Day Vacay” – A vacation geared towards nurses aiming to take advantage of the potentially 8 days off between work weeks with no need to use PTO.
