How one Program Director brings his own personal experiences into his tours
Budapest-based Peter Vilcsek, Program Director for our Eastern Europe & the Black Sea River Cruise, shares his personal experiences on his tours.
It’s only natural that professional travel guides love to travel (otherwise we would have become accountants or brain surgeons!) I’m no different than most, since I like to spend my free time exploring new countries and cultures. As a Program Director for Grand Circle’s Eastern Europe & the Black Sea River Cruise, I try to bring my own love of travel into my tours and make certain that my guests enjoy every minute they spend with us, incorporating the history of the area and telling stories about my family.
My love of travel started at a young age. My mother is also a tour guide, so instead of sitting at her office during school holidays, I joined her on some of the tours. I unofficially began my tour guide career the day my mother gave me a microphone and asked me to take part of her group on a half-day tour. I thought to myself: “This is going to be so easy,” since I had seen her do it so many times. It was then that I realized how much more I still had to learn.
I officially began my career as a tour guide working for the Hungarian Parliament guiding regular tourist groups, as well as official state guests of the country. I was also responsible for escorting and organizing hospitality programs for high rank delegations during their stays in Hungary. Each time one of our Grand Circle River Cruises is in Budapest, I try to arrange a visit to the Parliament building—a great example of the art and history of a small nation, which survived many centuries. (My travelers always enjoy visiting the Central Market Hall in Budapest as well, which opened at the turn of the century and remains the spot where many locals continue to do their daily shopping. It’s also a great people-watching spot!)
After working at the Parliament, I began leading private tours in Hungary. These tours focused on “hands-on” experiences in food and wine, art, culture, adventure, nature, and religion—which I now try to incorporate into my own Grand Circle tours.
The countries we visit during our Eastern Europe & the Black Sea River Cruise have a very long history, but 20th century history is probably the most exciting and interesting part for my travelers. I try to give our passengers an objective opinion about how each country feels about its own history and culture. I also enjoy telling stories about my family’s survival of World War II and the uprising in Hungary in 1956.
I look forward to you joining me on Grand Circle’s Eastern Europe & the Black Sea River Cruise and giving me the chance to share some of my own history, as well as my country’s history, with you.
You can enjoy the stories and knowledge from Peter Vilcsek on our Eastern Europe & the Black Sea River Cruise.