Interview with George
George can't help but crack a smile when he talks about his side hustle in interior design…because he's hardly ever been in one place long enough to decorate it. A lifelong traveler, George lived abroad as a toddler and hit the road often with his family. Later, he took to the seas, floating the world while working on cruise ships, before eventually trading the water for the land and becoming a tour guide. Let's get to know George…
Tell us more about your childhood travels.
Travel surfaced very early on in my life. When I was three years old, my family moved abroad for three years. When we returned home to Hungary, my dad commuted to Budapest daily. It took him about three hours a day, which is not so common in our part of the world. Eventually we moved to Budapest and became a family who traveled every single weekend to our riverside house. It's where my sister and I spent our days, and my parents loved entertaining friends and family who traveled to meet us.
How did this lead to guiding?
Even after we lived abroad early in my life, my family continued to like to travel to neighboring countries. I always found hospitality, entertaining, and catering to visitors fascinating. It carried such a wealth of opportunities on how one can introduce a home, history, culture, traditions, and beauty of a given place, country, or region. So, I studied hotel management and tourism. I traveled the world working on cruise ships for about six years. I loved it! When I returned to Hungary, I began working as a global vendor for IBM — but in the meantime, learned that my love for the sea was a love for travel in general. So, I worked on the side as a local guide in Budapest, mainly catering to conference delegates who wanted to see a bit of the city, too. Through this network I was lucky to be referred to Rick Steves tours…and I’ve never looked back. Twenty-five years in, my path in tourism remains unbroken!
What do you like best about leading Rick Steves tours?
Rick's travel philosophy really helps make the tour outstanding. I think it starts with the tour members, because they know his philosophy well, and are fully committed to it when they sign up and come on the trip. Rick invests so much in informing the tour members and preparing them for what to expect on a tour by setting an upfront level of expectations. Everyone knows what they're getting into, and everyone likes it. I think that's why I'm so happy as a Rick Steves' Europe guide: I always have tour members who are hungry to learn. They are open to cultures and respect the locals and other tour members. And it's not only that: They appreciate everyone who works hard to paint the picture they get to enjoy and learn from. Then, upon returning, they spread what they learned and promote our part of the world to others, who might plan a trip there one day.
What surprises your tour members the most about traveling through Europe?
I love it when — regardless of what history we learn and which part of Europe we visit — people realize that the others they encounter are the same as them. They have the same goals and wishes, and similar answers to challenges. But I also love it when tour members come to recognize small differences between America and Europe…like no air conditioning, or our downright lack of interest in ice.
Other than learning not to depend on ice, do you have any standout memories with tour members?
There are many. In general, I love it when my tour members find out something random about one another…like, that they actually went to the same school once upon a time and knew each other way back when. I once had a lovely tour member who — at age 82 — was planning her wedding while on tour with her high school sweetheart. That was amazing, and fun to be a part of. But probably the most standout memory I have was a very moving one. A daughter treated her mother with the Central Europe tour, as the mother was from Poland. She had never been back and was very much looking forward to returning. We were in a small town, just for a quick stop, and the mother sat down on a bench by a local church and got emotional. When I asked later, she said she had felt the presence of her own mother there, and experienced a sense of "welcome back."
Do you have a favorite stop on tour?
I lead a lot of tours in eastern and central Europe and the Adriatic. I enjoy all the stops on these itineraries because they are all unique in their own way…whether it be for their history, food, culture, or the natural beauty. But I suppose if I had to pick one specific destination, it would be on the Best of the Adriatic tour. There’s a moment when, after we walk the beautiful Plitvice National Park in the morning, the stunning peninsula of Rovinj pops into view as we drive to Dolphin Pier. It’s one of those amazing moments that I never grow tired of.
So…interior design?
Ha! Yep, I do interior design when I'm not on tour. But I always think it's funny, because I'm rarely not on tour. And when I'm off, I'm normally still traveling — with my wife, Barbara. So yes, I do interior design…without spending much time in the places I design.
Here’s what George won’t tell you…but his tour members will:
"I can't begin to say enough great things about George. He was fabulous: professional, knowledgeable, fun and very approachable. I think he made the trip for my husband and me!"