Whether your trip is the realisation of a lifetime's ambition or on a whim, by yourself or with a large party, the person at the end of the line - the one who makes it all come true - is the guide.

A qualified and experienced tourist guide, therefore, is your most valuable asset.

To make sure your guide is qualified look for the Blue Badge, the mark of Britain's premier professional guiding qualification, honoured recently by an award from the Tourism Society

tourist-guides.net brings together the Internet user and the Blue Badge Guide, having a list of guides with Internet sites and a search facility. It also gives you access to other guide searches, booking agencies, professional associations and British Tourist Boards.

There is information about training and some of the courses that are available.

If you are a Blue Badge Guide tourist-guides.net offers affordable web design and hosting so that you can be a part of it too.

tourist-guides.net is maintained by Peter Jamieson who is a London Blue Badge guide. You can contact him on info@tourist-guides.net

For customised tours by private car go to www.car-tours.com