Old Town Trolley Tours St Augustine — Local services in Saint Augustine

Jim from Philadelphia Was Wonderful! My friend and I were excited to do this tour. I’ve been to St. Augustine before and had experienced the Old Town Trolley Tours, but my friend had not. (I don’t typically purchase tours when I travel because the idea runs counter to what I enjoy most about travel, which is a natural discovery of the history and culture of a place.) I did the St. Augustine tour and enjoyed it so much, years ago, so I thought my friend would, as well! The great advantage of this tour is that it is a hop-on- / hop-off-style tour with multiple trolleys that cycle through designated stops every 15-20 minutes, throughout the day. The stops are sequentially numbered, which allows tourists to track how much of the tour they have consumed or missed, and also really take advantage of the tips and knowledge provided by the driver / tour guide. The potential disadvantage of this tour is that if you happen to get a driver who mumbles or is bored, you’re not going to get much return on your tour investment. One of our drivers—a young fellow with a ponytail—seemed entirely disinterested. We couldn’t understand him at all, so we hopped off, in hopes the next guide would be better, and boy, was that the right decision! The next trolley to come by was driven by _Jim from Philadelphia _ and he was AMAZING.

He spoke clearly and loudly enough that the mic and speakers carried his voice and you had no trouble understanding every single word, but beyond that, it was easy to tell, _Jim from Philadelphia _ loves history, loves St Augustine, and loves his job! He shared deep history, about the region, its notable figures, its architecture, its monuments, its topography and land forms…he has a great sense of humor, and he wove that humor into his narration of the tour.

_Jim from Philadelphia _ gave honest and helpful recommendations for entertainment and food…he honestly made our stay in St. Augustine so much better than it could possibly have been, otherwise.

Old Town is just a fantastic trolley tour, all around. All of the staff are so gracious and courteous. They are patient and considerate, and all of them go the extra mile to ensure you have a wonderful time. If you hop on to the trolley anywhere other than stop 1, I highly recommend visiting stop 1. It contains the most affordable souvenir shop you’re likely to find, and it has the old jail, which seems like 100 percent entertainment (there are even “prisoners” walking around! 😂)

But probably the best part is the Old Town tour staff. I can’t say enough good things about them. This company is run well and the...

I would have given this tour a 5-star but let me tell you why I didn’t…

SHOUTOUTS: But before I get into that, I’d like to shoutout the nice older gentleman that works for the trolley tours by the name of Richard. He was such a pleasure to speak with shortly. He gave all the kids stickers, and even made sure my infant baby had one. 😅 Another shoutout to Alicia!! If you get to ride the “Hot Mess Express” you’ll have too much fun while you tour. She did an amazing job. Including all the puns. 😂

REVIEW: Now, the reasoning for the lower rating is because my family & friends were discriminated against! 😤😡 (Which I posted two of the videos) I did not catch the older women’s name, but she was working the same shift as Richard on 4/29/23 approximately around noon. That old boomer had the audacity to place ALLL of the black people in the back of the trolley. My family was the first to board. She asked how many in my party. We said 9. Then proceeded to place us in the back, even after Richard flagged us to come to the front. The family behind us was also black. However, they were a family of 10. One of the ladies asked if they could sit in the front and that old bitty actually told them “NO!” Then she tried to change her tone by stating “I’m just trying to keep you guys altogether.” Then we all yelled “WE’RE NOT TOGETHER!!!” Then she said it was too late for them to move because boarding already started. That was BS! We were the first two families up and there’s not assigned seating. Everyone else was able to sit where they wanted to.

As the day progressed we keep seeing black families, couples, etc on the BACK of the trolley’s. (Which I captured in the second video) We seen a third trolley like that too, but I wasn’t quick enough to capture it via video. Needless to say, she had my blood boiling all day! We came to hear about the history of the past, not be treated as if we were living in the past.

However, my family and I are easy going people and we made the best of it. But that was not a pleasurable experience whatsoever. Even the kids were saddened by this.

It’s definitely time that you guys do some inclusive & diversity segments when you hire your employees! The fact that we traveled all the way from Tampa to deal with that was completely absurd. This wasn’t a nice Saint Augustine welcoming at all!

PARKING: Free, if you have tickets and park in the designated parking lots by Old Jail Museum.

BATHROOM: located in Gator Bob’s.

TICKETS: Can be purchased online & in person. Price range is around $16-$20.

RIDE TIME: The full tour is 22 stops. Runtime is...

As a newly arrived vacationer in St. Augustine, I didn't know anything about the town, except that it offered tours on this trolley. I made a beeline to it and parked in their free parking lot, knowing I'd be there most of the day.

The tour itself runs about $30 per patron and includes something like 20 stops that you can jump on or off at throughout the length of the day, up to about 4:30. The guides that we experienced were very knowledgeable about the town and its history as well as its businesses. I've been on other tours where you wonder why you paid what you did.

This is a transport and a lesson simultaneously. The staff were very helpful, filling you in on the locations and events offered. The business even offers multiple different types of tours that you can add to your Trolley tour, like a tour of the Christmas lights, Haunted History tours and discounted additions to other museums in the area.

The Trolley base itself is one continuous museum, with an old jail, old store and other things nearby including a gift shop. On the way to the bathroom tucked in the back of the store, you pass by a collection of old time arcade games like I've never seen. I'm not talking about Pacman or Galaga, but the kind that test your strength, or your love quotient or maybe that read your fortune. You know. That kind.

As it was, the tour was a great way to get to know St. Augustine and to learn where I wanted to return with more time on my hands. We got off within the first four stops - mostly because of the proximity to a distillery. We then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon wandering through town, shopping, sightseeing and eating. When it came to the end of the day, we returned to the jump off spot to get back on. This is when the problems started.

The next trolley easily took 1/2 hour to arrive, by which point the location was filled with people looking to re-enter the trolley. THere is no control, or organized queue for this process, so it can degenerate to a pushing and cutting system in order to get a seat. In fact, it became concerning enough that we decided not to disembark once we were back on, just for the concern that it may not happen.

Truthfully, I'm glad we did it. It was enjoyable and educational and a great way to get introduced to the city. If I were to do it again, I'd probably lean towards something like the haunted tour or something of the like to see a different side...