I have been on several of these hop-on, hop-off trolley tours. I think if you are short on time it is the best way to see a lot of a city. And if you have more time, you can do more hopping!
We went to the visitor's center first for parking. We had to pay as there was a festival in progress and the free parking for the trolley was full. We are from the Chicago area so since the parking was under $300 we thought it was a bargin! Actually I think it was only around $15.
We just took the tour, we didn't have enough time to get off. The guide, gosh I wish I could remember her name, she was so good. She kept reminding people to please talk quietly so that you could hear her. I have been on other trolley city tours where that was a common problem. Kudos to her.
She was also so knowledgeable about the history. There is a lot in St. Augustine so this was very informative. It started to rain and she suggested people in the front and back rows move to get less wet. That really helped. And at the next stop she handed out rain ponchos.
Out of the 6 or so trolley tours I have taken in various cities, I believe she was the best tour guide. This made it an excellent trip even though it rained.
Duh, her name was Summer, how could I forget after we mentioned it so many times? Summer, marketing experts claim you have to repeat something at least 7 times before people remember. See, it worked!