Rent a Local Friend
Rent a Local Friend
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Rent a Local Friend and Live the Local Spirit of different cities. Explore locals' favourite spots and get authentic tips, behind the touristic scene. Don't be a tourist! Be a local traveler! Virtual or local assistance for original local experiences. Make your price bid now to our Local Friends :)
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Rent a Local Friend
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
159 reviews
Excellent
142
Very good
14
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
2
vlovesmangoes
New York City, NY4 contributions
Nov 2011 • Solo
I travel a lot on business and whenever I find myself in another country, I like to at least have a day or two extra added on to the trip so I can explore/vacation. Sao Paulo was one of the more intimidating cities for me to visit...mostly because I was warned of the high crime rates over and over by friends and colleagues (many of whom frankly had never actually been there.) I decided to search for a private tour guide and found Rent a Local Friend on Trip Advisor. Nath was already booked the day I was looking for a guide, but quickly set me up with someone else -- Mariana. Mariana picked me up from my hotel on a Saturday morning and we ventured through the city for half a day. We started at MASP (the only actual thing on my list to see...a museum)...and the rest of the day I let her decide what to see and where to go. It worked out really well because I didn't have time to do much research in advance, and really wanted someone local to tell me what to focus on...what to see. We walked through local parks, saw several local monuments, markets and neighborhoods. What I loved: I didn't feel like a tourist at all. And I felt very safe. Would highly recommend Rent a Local Friend and Mariana specifically to anyone heading to Sao Paulo solo or even with friends/family. Great way to explore the city with a local and like a local! PS: Prices very reasonable. I just to have us take taxis and walk for the most part to save time vs. public transportation.
Written December 4, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cakerr116
Branchburg, NJ1 contribution
May 2011
We could not have been happier with our time spent with Nathalia in Sao Paulo. This service was exactly what we needed to make our stay in Brazil more enjoyable. Nathalia has the perfect personality for this type of service. She is young, energetic and enthusiastic about the culture and history of the city. She did much more than we had been expecting, including additional research to let us know the best places to find certain foods or other items we had expressed an interest in during our time with her. She also checked in with us on the days after spending time with her to make sure everything was going well. By the time we left Sao Paulo, we felt we had made a true friend, not just "a friend for a day"!! We've already told several people how great we though the service was!!
Written May 21, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike U
34 contributions
Nov 2014 • Solo
I had a wonderful time exploring and learning about Rio de Janeiro with Taina. She knows the city and it's culture and history. Taina speaks excellent English as well. She asked excellent questions before I arrived so she know what ties of things I wanted to see and experience. She had a plan for each day and was flexible enough with that schedule to make last second adjustments when a set was unavailable. Taina did her homework and planned three days worth of exploring for me. I enjoyed everywhere she lead me and learned many things about her city. She also had many suggestions of things for me to do and see at night in Rio.
I highly recommend Taina as a local friend for Rio de Janeiro and its neighborhoods.
I highly recommend Taina as a local friend for Rio de Janeiro and its neighborhoods.
Written November 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kco556
Austin, TX4 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
I tried to book with Hello (Helloara) last weekend. We had good rapport and I was looking forward to meeting her. However, 30 minutes before the meeting she told me my deposit had not gone through and I had not completed the booking. This was strange because I had entered my card details and received a confirmation notification within the app. The status was listed as "not finished." I quickly realized it had not processed correctly, so I immediately went in and re-entered my credit card info and it successfully showed as pending. This was right before the appointment, so I was already on my way to the meeting point we agreed via their conversation tool. She did not show and never responded to any of my further communications. I was annoyed, but thought that was the end of it.
However, this morning (well after the appointment time indicated on my booking), she confirmed the appointment and I was charged the deposit. No message, no further offer to reschedule.
So, two lessons learned: 1) The site/app is terrible and has no controls in place to protect the consumer. I'm not even able to review her directly, despite other reviews appearing and 2) Hello should not be trusted.
However, this morning (well after the appointment time indicated on my booking), she confirmed the appointment and I was charged the deposit. No message, no further offer to reschedule.
So, two lessons learned: 1) The site/app is terrible and has no controls in place to protect the consumer. I'm not even able to review her directly, despite other reviews appearing and 2) Hello should not be trusted.
Written August 28, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi kco556, I am very sorry to hear that your friend was a no show. We have updated our website to make it easier for users to navigate. Has your refund been processed? If not, please drop me a line on info@rentalocalfriend.com with your user details and I will look into it.
All the best,
Dani
Written September 3, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
barneystinson
North West England, UK232 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
My wife and I came to Sao Paulo for a few days and saw this recommended on Trip Advisor, and we would definitely recommended it!
It was a strange concept to me (I've never "rented" a friend before) but we were told it was worth doing for at least one day as Sao Paulo is such a massive city and we ended up going with Martina.
She asked us what type of places we wanted to go and catered for our needs. We visited a wide range of places that we were interested in and had a very enjoyable day. We were taking around the city in her car which was great as it saved time trying to get on public transport, so that was definitely a plus.
Overall, recommended if you want to have a custom tour of the city!
It was a strange concept to me (I've never "rented" a friend before) but we were told it was worth doing for at least one day as Sao Paulo is such a massive city and we ended up going with Martina.
She asked us what type of places we wanted to go and catered for our needs. We visited a wide range of places that we were interested in and had a very enjoyable day. We were taking around the city in her car which was great as it saved time trying to get on public transport, so that was definitely a plus.
Overall, recommended if you want to have a custom tour of the city!
Written September 16, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
saharii
Mashhad, Iran36 contributions
Aug 2011 • Solo
I was traveling alone and I don't speak Portuguese. My last time in Brazil wasn't really a good experience. So this time I start looking for tours. Most of the tours were either too expensive or too long which wouldn't fit my stay over time. I only had one day in Brazil and i wanted to get as much as I can. I found about Rent a local friend in Trip advisor. I went through reviews and I found out about Nath there! Honesty I was a little worried before I meet her but since I saw her in bus stop, I found I made the right choice. I had a list of my favorite places and I let her know about my budget so we made a plan for the whole day. I'm student so to keep down the expenses we tried to skip taxis and only used public transports. We visited the old town including the cathedral de se and national theater. It was spectacular. I had a lot of question and she took them one by one patiently. we also see Japanese town and rain forest park and the famous avenue (If I'm not mistaken avenia pulista) also we had a short visit to Parque do Ibirapuera which was beautiful and peaceful. later we finished out tour at Sky bar. Sky bar is like a magic place. it has a breath taking view and a magical atmosphere. The drinks are not too expensive a cocktail will cost you about 10 USD.
The nice thing that I've experienced with Nath is that you will know all about Brazil and its traditions, you will enjoy eeevery little piece you taste in there. Like we had a chocolate in afternoon and she told me the story about it, how they made it, why they call it and .... For launch she took me to a place which was food per KG?!?!! and the awesome thing was that I could taste around 11 different food at only ONE meal! How awesome is that? At all, I highly recommend you to contact her and see what she offers you. I don't think no one would get out of a city in less that a day as much as I got !!! It worth the money you pay ... and it worth the time you spend !!!!
The nice thing that I've experienced with Nath is that you will know all about Brazil and its traditions, you will enjoy eeevery little piece you taste in there. Like we had a chocolate in afternoon and she told me the story about it, how they made it, why they call it and .... For launch she took me to a place which was food per KG?!?!! and the awesome thing was that I could taste around 11 different food at only ONE meal! How awesome is that? At all, I highly recommend you to contact her and see what she offers you. I don't think no one would get out of a city in less that a day as much as I got !!! It worth the money you pay ... and it worth the time you spend !!!!
Written August 30, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A728IGtonyd
St Albans UK56 contributions
Jun 2011 • Business
Having only a bit to time to see this large and complex city, I booked a morning with Nathalia through this project. Through email we worked out a plan and after 4 hours of walking and talking, I felt I really understood the culture, life and the city. Nathalia is a delightful, charming and interesting person who really knows the city. This is a brilliant concept and is available in many cities worldwide.
Written June 21, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sungirl79
Erlanger, KY34 contributions
My husband was recently in Sao Paulo for business and I was able to join him for a few days of his trip. Since I would be spending the days by myself I decided to look into "Rent a Local Friend". I'm so glad I did!
Making the Arrangements: Through their website I filled out a request for more information form. Within a few hours I had my first email from my friend, Nath. We confirmed that she was available the date I was interested in and asked me what I was interested in seeing. We then stayed in contact via email and planned our day together. Her emails were always very prompt and answered all of my questions. She was able recommend restaurants and gave me some other misc travel tips. She was even able to rearrange her schedule for me when I had a schedule change at the last minute.
Day with Friend: She met me at my hotel and and we hopped in a cab together and started our day. She was very easy to talk to and very sweet. She was born and raised in Sao Paulo so she knows the city and it's history very well. She took me to several different areas where it was safe for us to walk around. We went to little shops, parks, and cafe's (based on my preferences of what we did). We also walked along Paulista Avenue. She was a wealth of knowledge about her city and was excited to share it with me. She was very patient with me when I wanted to take pictures and even held my bag for me while I shot photos. She would also let me know when it wasn't a good idea to take my camera out of my bag. Her English was perfect (which is hard to come by in Sao Paulo!). It turned out to be a wonderful day. I felt safe with her, and enjoyed her company. I saw areas of the city that I would have never seen, had she not taken me.
Follow Up: That evening I received a follow up email from my local friend. Not only did she thank me, she gave me some great tips of what to do with the remainder of my trip -things that would be safe for me to do on my own (museums and parks). Then when I arrived home she emailed me again seeing if I made it home to the States safely.
Payment: All payment is expected to be paid in cash at the end of your day together. It is also expected that you pay any costs that your friend might incur (taxi fare, museum fees, etc.).
Overall Impression: I'm SO glad that I was able to do this. My local friend was professional but very friendly. She gave me great insight into the city as well as into what's it's like to live in Sao Paulo. It truly felt like having a friend show me around the city!
Making the Arrangements: Through their website I filled out a request for more information form. Within a few hours I had my first email from my friend, Nath. We confirmed that she was available the date I was interested in and asked me what I was interested in seeing. We then stayed in contact via email and planned our day together. Her emails were always very prompt and answered all of my questions. She was able recommend restaurants and gave me some other misc travel tips. She was even able to rearrange her schedule for me when I had a schedule change at the last minute.
Day with Friend: She met me at my hotel and and we hopped in a cab together and started our day. She was very easy to talk to and very sweet. She was born and raised in Sao Paulo so she knows the city and it's history very well. She took me to several different areas where it was safe for us to walk around. We went to little shops, parks, and cafe's (based on my preferences of what we did). We also walked along Paulista Avenue. She was a wealth of knowledge about her city and was excited to share it with me. She was very patient with me when I wanted to take pictures and even held my bag for me while I shot photos. She would also let me know when it wasn't a good idea to take my camera out of my bag. Her English was perfect (which is hard to come by in Sao Paulo!). It turned out to be a wonderful day. I felt safe with her, and enjoyed her company. I saw areas of the city that I would have never seen, had she not taken me.
Follow Up: That evening I received a follow up email from my local friend. Not only did she thank me, she gave me some great tips of what to do with the remainder of my trip -things that would be safe for me to do on my own (museums and parks). Then when I arrived home she emailed me again seeing if I made it home to the States safely.
Payment: All payment is expected to be paid in cash at the end of your day together. It is also expected that you pay any costs that your friend might incur (taxi fare, museum fees, etc.).
Overall Impression: I'm SO glad that I was able to do this. My local friend was professional but very friendly. She gave me great insight into the city as well as into what's it's like to live in Sao Paulo. It truly felt like having a friend show me around the city!
Written October 26, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
134KimL
Odense, Denmark11 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
Pedro was punctual when picking me up for a full day of hiking in the outskirts of São Paulo. Pedro is a very kind, considerate and interesting guide and I had a great time with him. I learned a lot about the beautiful area of Cantareira and Jaragua and we had many interesting and educational discussions about Brazilian culture and food and also my own country. Pedro is a very competent guide and I give him my best recommendations. Thanks Pedro for planning such a nice day and giving me good advice for further adventures in your wonderful city and country!
Written October 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paseaman
Highlands Ranch, CO1 contribution
Jul 2012 • Business
I was in Sao Paulo last year for a business conference (sorry it took me so long to write my review) and felt totally intimidated by the size of the city and concerns about safety. I stumbled on Rent a Local Friend on trip advisor and decided what the heck, why not? I got Nathalia as my guide and she was just terrific! Friendly, knowledgeable, perfectly fluent in English, and just a really nice person to spend the day with. She really put a lot of thought into showing me things I would be interested in (like architecture), and took us to a little neighborhood place for a real Sao Paulo buffet lunch, just like the locals do. If you are going to S.P., definitely give RALF a try and ask for Nat!
Written June 5, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Estou a mais de 60 diastentando me cadastrar no site RJ. Quero trabalhar com vocês mas até no Facebook não respondem.me chamo Aline.
Written October 4, 2019
How can we contact Pedro on rent a local friend in sao paulo please?
Written September 28, 2019
No dia 16.01.19 efetuamos compra de estadia de uma casa em Miami de 26.12.19 a 03.01.20
Ocorre que descontaram no cartao de credito no valor de $1.460,20 dolares pela trip advisor ta rental
No momento nao recebemos confirmacao. Favor cancelar tudo e reembolsar o valor.
Written January 22, 2019
We are planning to visit Sao Paulo,Sept 21 to 24, would like to have a local as our guide, and we have 4 people, how would we go about doing this?
Written July 21, 2018
Hi Yun, having a local to show you Sao Paulo is a great idea. Have you managed to find your friend on our website? If you need any help, please drop us a line.
We will be happy to help you find the best local friend for your trip.
All the best,
Dani
Written September 3, 2018
olá gostaria de saber como funciona o serviço , é possÃvel escolher os locais de interesse , o descolamento e valor são cobrados juntos e qual seria o valor da hora passeio ?
Written March 28, 2018
Geeetings Pedro. This is Hilarian, from India and am looking to arrange a trip for my dad and uncle to São Paulo, Rio, iguacu falls and possibly Buenos Aires. Need some help, advice and a guide. Can you please let me know if you would be able to help.
Written December 27, 2017
PedroErnesto
Sao Paulo, SP
Hello Hilarian,
How are you ?
It will be my pleasure to help your family to make an excellent trip.
There are 2 possibilities:
1) Hire me as a guide for all cities
2) Hire me as a guide only for São Paulo and I can certainly assist in planning for the rest of the trip. I have a lot of experience especially in Rio and São Paulo.
What date are they comming ?
Thanks !
Written December 29, 2017
does the rent a local friend come with a vehicle?
trying to book for tomorrow (13th May,2017), appreciate your quick reply, thanks
Written May 13, 2017
Roseane R
Bergen, Norway
Ola, visitarei Sao Paulo com meu grupo de estudantes noruegueses. Todos tem cerca de 20 anos, sao 9 pessoas no total, e gostariamos de um passeio guiado pelo centro de Sao Paulo. Voces podem nos indicar um guia e os precos por favor? O passeio seria dia 12 de marco.
Obrigada
meu email roseane@fanafolk.no
Written March 3, 2017
Hi Roseane
I highly recommend Oliver as your guide in Sao Paulo. He is a lovely guy and an excellent guide and he's fun :)
Jacqueline
Written March 6, 2017
Dianisbog
Santiago, Chile
Hola.
Voy a estar solo 1 domingo en la ciudad de Sao Paulo y quiero conocer los lugares más importantes de la ciudad, para aprovechar el dÃa.
Alguien me puede dar el dato de algún guÃa o persona que me puede acompañar a recorrer la ciudad y que hable español.
Gracias y saludos.
Written March 6, 2016
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