I am Simon Good. I started “Good Company” in 1989. I have been a professional guide for over a third of a century. In my career I have covered over a million miles as a specialist Driver Guide. I know most of the professional Driver Guides in Britain and will always endeavour to provide the best guide available. I am also a member of these professional bodies:
The Driver Guides Association (professional body for “Blue Badge” Driver Guides),
The Association of Professional Tourist Guides (founder member - the professional body for London Blue Badge guides),
The British Guild of Tourist Guides (National body of Blue Badge guides)
The Institute of Tourist Guiding (founder member - standard setting body for all professional guides in the UK).
But it’s not about me, it’s about you. I want to ensure you get the best from your visit, and have fun as well as being entertained, educated and informed. I want you to experience the countless joys and rich treasures of Britain - cultural, quirky, historic, literary, architectural, gastronomic, iconic and obscure or lesser known. And have fun! My clients tell me I have a great sense of humour. If I don’t make you laugh, I will feel I have failed.
I want to exceed your expectations so that when we part at the end of the day you can say:
“that was so much better and more fun than I had expected it would be”
I drive a top of the range air-conditioned Mercedes Viano (Extra Long) - I call it my “LimoVan” - with room for six passengers plus me and your luggage.
I can do almost anything you want (as long it’s legal!) from a short Half Day tour to a multi-day overnight tour. My record is 27 consecutive days with the same party!
For overnight tours, I know the quaintest inns and the most luxurious hotels and all the levels in between. I’m an expert at itinerary planning and can help you save time and money in ways that you would never think of.
If I am not available for the dates of your proposed tour, I will connect you with one of my trusted professional colleagues. I know most of the professional driver guides in Britain and can suggest who is best for a specific job. Between us we speak over a dozen foreign languages. Many of us have specialist subjects, covering diverse areas from Agriculture to Zoology.
If you are using my services on an overnight tour I do not make any charge for itinerary planning and booking - once we have agreed outline details and you have paid a deposit.
I also offer my services as an independent itinerary planner if you want to self-drive or travel by train. I can purchase train tickets in advance, often saving you more than 50% of the cost of booking on the day of travel. I can recommend hotels and inns in several price categories and where to eat nearby. I can also help you to avoid unrealistic itineraries and the time efficient sequencing for seeing what is on your wish-list. I charge a time based fee for this service.
Usually I will have a consultation with you over the telephone at an agreed mutually convenient time (no charge to you; at my expense) to get an idea of your needs, interests, likes and dislikes and the profile of your group. I have found this to be much quicker and effective than an endless ping-pong of emails. I get a much better sense of what will work for you and whether we may be wasting each other’s time. You get a better sense of what I am like, what I can do for you and get some questions answered.
After an initial consultation, this service is subject to receipt of an initial deposit and agreement on my time-based fee of GBP £50 (roughly USD $70) per hour.