Hiring a Blue Badge Tourist Guide
Information for Tour Operators and Visitors

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Before hiring a blue badge tourist guide, it is important to establish the level of remuneration - the fee charged - for the service provided.

Fees are a matter of negotiation between the tourist guide and the client, based on the client’s requirements, eg location, duration and language spoken.

The table below sets out by way of guidance an illustrative range of guiding fees which may be negotiated.

These figures are particularly applicable to London tourist guides. Throughout the country, fees for guiding services will vary from region to region.

See also notes below

Current Information
Notes

Details		Fees Range
Tours taking place in London
For a half-day of up to 4 hours, morning or afternoon (before or after 13.00) or evening (before 23.00)
	- in English	£115 - £135
	- in another language	£130 - £150
	- in two languages	£175 - £205
	- in three languages	£230 - £265
Where services are required for longer than 4 hours, up to 9 hours, ending before 18.00
	- in English	£175 - £200
	- in another language	£200 - £225
	- in two languages	£265 - £300
	- in three languages	£350 - £390
Where services are required for one-day excursions which depart from London, it is customary for such tours to finish at 19.00 (and for the Guide to enjoy a lunch break of one hour)
Overtime/ Unsociable hours (per hour) Where services are required in addition to the above :
	07:00 - 23:00	£24 - £32
	23:00 - 07:00	£32 - £44
Lunch Allowance (if lunch is not provided)		£10.00
Dinner Allowance (if dinner is not provided)		£20.00

The fees negotiated will vary from client to client and from guide to guide. Higher rates may be agreed, for example within the range above, for customised tours, or tours that require a good deal of reconnaissance, for specialist knowledge, or because of a client's or tour operator's particular requirements.

Touring
	Clients should expect to negotiate the same level of daily remuneration for extended tours as for single days - for example between £175 and £200 for guiding in English and between £200 and £225 for guiding in a language other than English. When negotiating guiding services, it is important to remember that Guides are normally provided with all meals, or alternatively with suitable expenses in lieu and in addition to the daily fee negotiated, and a single room.
Specialist Museum or Gallery Guiding Services
	Where guides are requested to undertake specialist museum or gallery visits, either morning or afternoon, it is usual for a full-day fee to be negotiated (eg between £200 and £225 for a non-English language guide).
Cancellations
	It is the established custom of the trade, where an engagement is cancelled with 7 days notice or less, that 50% of the negotiated fee is payable; where the cancellation occurs with 48 hours or less notice, or immediately prior to the tour, then the full fee is payable. These amounts are payable either by the client when an alternative engagement is not offered, or by the Guide when a Guide replacement acceptable to the client has not been found:. Similarly, it is common practice that when an extended tour is cancelled with less than one month's notice, the guide is entitled to claim 50% of the daily touring rate if alternative work is not offered.

Current Information

Notes
	An increment of 50% may be negotiated for tours involving Double Decker Coaches and those with more than 55 passengers. In the interests of safety a single guide should not be expected to conduct visits if the group to be guided exceeds 50 (in such cases, a 2nd Guide should be provided).
	An increment of 50% may be negotiated for tours taking place on the English public holidays of Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Tours taking place on Christmas Day usually attract an increment of 100%
	Vouchers, or cash, to cover all disbursements during the tour should be provided before the start of the tour by the tour operator.
	Travelling expenses (including parking fees etc.) incurred by the Guide required to collect groups from airports and locations outside London should be provided. In the interests of personal safety, when tours begin or end at very early/late times (eg after 11pm) and travel by public transport is not suitable or possible, Guides should be reimbursed the cost of taxi fares.
	A coach which has a safe seat with a safety belt for the Guide and a working microphone and PA system should be provided. If there is not a working microphone / PA system provided, the operator should be informed as soon as possible by the Guide and advised that an increment of 100% may be charged by the Guide until the omission is rectified.
	Properly presented invoices should be submitted by the Guide to the client at the conclusion of each engagement. Invoices should separate fees from claims for disbursements, which must be properly itemised and have receipts attached where appropriate. Full payment is due within 30 days of the date of the invoice submitted.