Tour guide Bologna: Licensed vs Unlicensed

Tour guide in Bologna: Licensed vs Unlicensed.

I work as Tour guide in Bologna  with an official license and I would like to warn you about the risks of hiring an unlicensed tour guide.

A licensed professional Tour Guide has studied the history, art, architecture and culture of Bologna and all the cities in Emilia Romagna  and has passed the exams set by the Provincia di Bologna (district council).  We always display our license (patentino) while working. Official Guides are proud of their qualification and the hard work they put in to pass the exams.

Risks of hiring a unlicensed  Tour guide in Bologna:

– Poor quality service: I work everyday so I am aware of all the problems and needs of a traveler and more important, I have been trained to do my job:  an unlicensed guide works occasionally without any training and he/she cannot be reliable.

–Inflated prices: taking advantage of you, the unlicensed tour guide could ask from too much money!

-Plain-clothes police officers often conduct random checks. An unlicensed guide will be stopped and fined, bringing the tour to a sudden end.

How to know if I am hiring a licensed tour guide?

1. The “Patentino” (the license) must be displayed and it should look like the one in the picture above.

2. The name should be listed at the following website:

http://www.provincia.bologna.it/turismo/Engine/RAServePG.php/P/258211570300/M/258111570304/T/Elenco-delle-guide-e-accompagntori-abilitati

I suggest you to only consider using a licensed Tour Guide!