Tour Host Pick of the Month

by Sheri Leigh

What better way to explore a new place than with a local friend who will welcome you into their life and show you their town? InTouch Travel provides person-to-person meetings for the “Culturally Curious Traveler”. By linking visitors up with English speaking locals who’ll share their lives up-close and professional expertise in-depth, InTouch Travel provides a unique way to experience how people really live.

I’ve always found that meeting local people is the best way to get a great flavor for a destination, but if you don’t spend weeks at a location, it is hard to really get to know someone in this way. Luckily, InTouch Travel takes the work out of a chance meeting and insures you meet people whose interests and lifestyle matches yours.

You choose the host and they will plan a schedule that explores your personal interests that goes beyond the tourist circuit for a look at the world through their eyes.

The basic program is a two- day, two-night experience where you can close from two different activities:

• In depth: a day where you share your host's professional or cultural expertise
• Close up: a day where you live as locals do, running errands, meeting friends

Of course, both can be combined and geared around your special interests.

Most hosts are based in France and locations include Paris, Bordeaux, Dordogne, and Provence. In Italy, hosts are available in both the Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions and there is a host in London and Bavaria as well as two in Seattle, for travelers wanting to learn about the American way of life. All accommodations, meals and incidentals are included in the rate, so you can just sit back and enjoy your time.

I can’t think of a better way to meet the local people in some of the most beautiful regions and cities in Europe, than through InTouch Travel.