When you're traveling, there's almost always more than one way to get around the area and see the things that you should be seeing. There are few things worse than a trip that winds up feeling like a missed opportunity because you didn't have time to get out and see all of the tourist attractions that you want to see. But how do you make sure you have time to do everything you want? Sometimes your situation works pretty hard against you, and seeking a little bit of outside help can wind up meaning the difference between the trip of a lifetime and a serious disaster (although, either way you'll wind up with a conversation piece when you get back).

First and foremost, finding a good tour guide can provide a means to crossing the ever-hindering language barrier if you're staying in a place where your language isn't spoken. Nothing makes getting around harder than not speaking the same language as anybody else, so finding and linking up with a tour guide who speaks both yours and the local tongues can be a huge life-saver.

A tour guide, believe it or not, can also be the key to saving a whole lot of money. Sure, you'll have to pay to hire your guide in the first place, but a good find will show you where to eat and buy things at a serious bargain. The best tour guides know the best locations, and if shopping is your thing, or if you simply need to eat and purchase things, a good tour guide will likely know exactly where to avoid the typical overcharging of popular tourist locations.

Safety is another important aspect of visiting a faraway or foreign place, and a tour guide will definitely help establish a precedence of safety that will have you and your group (if you're not traveling alone) feeling as comfortable as possible. A tour guide can help to steer you clear of the dangerous or unsafe parts of town, and can help you negotiate any misunderstandings you might happen to have with local law enforcement or any other authority figures.

All this being said, however, the most important reason to hire a tour guide is simply so you can make the most out
of your vacation. When you're in a foreign place, it can be hard, if not impossible, to figure out the best way to plan your trip's itinerary. Not knowing where everything is means you don't know how to fit everything in, but your tour guide makes this issue non-existent. A tour guide will be able to show you exactly how to hit every destination within your your allotted time, so you don't have to worry about your schedule and can focus on enjoying an awesome trip. Tours are great for single destinations, and in a large city like Spain tours will help make your trip that much more fun. Either way, it's an investment worth making.