A five star rating tells you that nobody complained. It does not tell you whether the experience is right for you, and it definitely does not tell you what the afternoon will feel like.

Ask how big the group gets. Six people and twenty people are different products with the same description. If the answer is vague, that is your answer.

Ask how much walking is involved, and on what surface. Cobblestones, hills and three hours on your feet are worth knowing about in advance, whatever your body is like.

Ask what happens if the weather turns. A host with a real plan B has run this more than twice. A host who says it will be fine has not.

Ask what they would change if you told them you were tired. The good answer is specific: a shorter route, a longer sit-down, one stop dropped. The bad answer is that the itinerary is the itinerary.

And ask them what they would skip. Every host has one stop they include because visitors expect it and they secretly find it dull. Finding out what it is tells you more than any review.