Meet Chris, your expert in the UK and Ireland!
🌍 Lives in: Dorset, England
Regions of Expertise: Countrywide in England, Ireland, and Scotland
Experience: 20 years guiding long-range trips
Languages: English, Italiano
Chris’ Specialties:
Get to know Chris!
“Hi there, I’m Chris. I’m from England and have been guiding throughout the UK and much of Ireland for over 20 years now.
After many years all over, I’m currently based out of Dorset, England which is also where I grew up. While I’m licensed to guide generally in the UK, I’m a fully licensed Blue Badge guide for London and South West England, as well as an accredited guide for Windsor Castle and Eton. I’ve worked with just about every type of trip, traveler, and group imaginable and really enjoy what I do.
I’m never happier than when taking groups for coastal walks exploring the nature, archaeology or the rural charm of lost-in-time quaint villages. I have a keen interest in literary landscapes and love exploring by bike the country lanes of southern England.
When not leading tours or planning trips you’ll usually find me out bike-packing or trekking in the hills. I think I live in a pretty wonderful place and I’m excited to help you plan your trip here!”
UK & Ireland Travel Consultations
Sit down with Chris for a one-hour planning session to get his expert advice and the best local tips and recommendations.
Our travel consultations are the perfect solution for do-it-yourself travelers who want to plan on their own, but could use some expert local advice. Each consultation is personalized, and Chris is available to help in whatever way you need.
From working on your itinerary and advising on routes and transportation, to ideas for off the beaten path destinations and truly authentic experiences, he's got you covered.
For the best local advice, go ask a local!
Why plan with Chris
Spend 60 minutes tapping into Chris’ hyperlocal expertise to plan a better trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Consultations cost $125 USD.
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Consultations are held over Google Meet. Once you’ve scheduled your call, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing the link for your video call. On the scheduled day and time, just click that link to join.
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Each consultation is different, but here are some common things that our experts typically help with:
Itinerary planning
Transportation, driving routes, and tips for how to get around
Practical travel information; culture, safety, weather, language, money/tipping, etc.
Suggested hotels/accommodations and advice on where to base yourself
Local recommendations for restaurants, activities, and unique experiences
Advice on reputable tour guides, tour operators, and excursions
Pro tips on how to best visit popular sights and attractions
Ways to avoid overcrowded destinations and tourist traps
Insider ideas on off the beaten path places, authentic experiences, and ways to connect with locals
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What you can get done in an hour depends on your goals for the consultation and how organized you are coming into it.
In most cases, an hour is ample time to create a solid itinerary, answer your major travel questions, get practical advice on how to travel in your destination, and discuss lots of great local tips and recommendations.
To ensure that the hour is used efficiently, when you schedule your call, our pre-consultation questionnaire will ask you what your primary goals for the consultation are. Prior to the call, your Local Expert will review your questionnaire and prepare detailed information addressing those goals.
They’ll come into the call ready to share specific advice, recommendations, itinerary ideas/revisions, and useful links and resources for you to review together.
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Yes! Each consultation is guided by a comprehensive pre-consultation questionnaire that you fill out immediately upon booking.
We’ll ask you a series of 30+ detailed questions that really dig into you, your trip, your interests and travel style, and what you want to discuss with your Local Expert.
The questionnaire will cover things like: the dynamics of your group, the things you enjoy while traveling, your budget, how early you want to start your day and how late you want to end it, whether you want to hit the highlights or roam the back streets, and even what types of restaurants you want to eat at.
Your Local Expert will focus only on your interests and travel style.
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Our Local Experts are seasoned travel professionals who have spent decades working in their countries/regions. While their personal interests may be different from yours, they’ve worked with thousands of travelers and have recommendations and advice for every type of individual.
They know their destinations in-depth and can help plan a trip for every traveler and taste.
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No, this is not a part of our service. Your Local Expert will share lots of links, notes, and other written resources via the Chat Box during the call, but they cannot provide post-call notes, documents, or ongoing planning assistance via email.
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No. Our service is geared toward independent, do-it-yourself travelers who intend to make bookings on their own.
Our goal is not to plan your trip for you, but rather to help you plan a better trip independently. To that end, our Local Experts will give you all of the information that you need to confidently put your trip together yourself.
When Local Experts recommend things like restaurants, hotels, excursions/activities, tours, drivers, etc., they’ll provide you with contact details and links so that you can make the final arrangements on your own.
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Almost every Go Ask A Local expert has at least 10 years of professional travel experience as a guide or trip planner in their country/region.
We work with a vetted team of seasoned professionals who know their destinations inside and out.
Unlike other companies, when you book a call, you’ll always be connected directly with your chosen Local Expert. We never pass anyone on to a junior sales associate or some anonymous back office team. With us, what you see is what you get.
Ready to plan with Chris?
Here’s how to schedule your consultation: