kankou no mae ni, eki no annaizyo de tizu wo moraimasita.

Because 観光 is being used as a noun here.

• 前 means before / in front of
• When 前 follows a noun, you usually connect them with の
• So 観光の前に = before sightseeing

Compare:

• 昼ご飯の前に = before lunch
• 旅行の前に = before the trip

If you use a verb instead, you do not use の:

• 観光する前に = before doing sightseeing

Both are possible, but this sentence uses the noun-style expression.

Here, 前に means before in a time sense.

So:

• 観光の前に = before sightseeing

前 can also mean in front of in a physical sense, but in this sentence it clearly means before because the sentence is talking about the order of actions.

Examples:

• 食事の前に = before the meal
• 出かける前に = before going out

観光 is a suru-noun, which means it can function either as:

• a noun: sightseeing
• a verb with する: to do sightseeing

In this sentence, it is treated as a noun because it appears in the pattern:

• noun + の + 前に

So 観光の前に is natural and means before sightseeing.

You could also say:

• 観光する前に、駅の案内所で地図をもらいました。

That would also be grammatical, but the original sentence is shorter and very natural.

Here の links two nouns:

• 駅 = station
• 案内所 = information desk / information office

So 駅の案内所 means:

• the station’s information desk
• more naturally in English: the information desk at the station

This use of の is very common. It does not only show possession; it can also show location, category, or relationship.

Examples:

• 学校の先生 = the school’s teacher / a teacher at school
• 東京のホテル = a hotel in Tokyo
• 駅のトイレ = the restroom at the station

で marks the place where an action happens.

The action here is:

• 地図をもらいました = received/got a map

And the place where that happened is:

• 駅の案内所で = at the station information desk

So で is the correct particle because the information desk is the location of the action.

Compare:

• 図書館で勉強します = study at the library
• 店でパンを買いました = bought bread at the store

を marks the direct object of the verb.

The thing that was received is:

• 地図 = map

So:

• 地図をもらいました = received/got a map

This is the normal particle to use with もらう when saying what someone received.

Examples:

• プレゼントをもらいました = I received a present
• 手紙をもらいました = I got a letter

もらいました is the polite past form of もらう, which means to receive or to get.

So:

• 地図をもらいました = I received/got a map

It often implies that someone gave you something and you accepted it.

In everyday English, got is often the most natural translation.

Related forms:

• もらう = plain dictionary form
• もらいました = polite past
• もらいます = polite non-past

Japanese often leaves out information that is obvious from context.

In this sentence, the giver is not stated, but it is easy to infer that it was probably a staff member at the information desk.

If you wanted to say it explicitly, you could say something like:

• 駅の案内所で係の人に地図をもらいました。
  • I got a map from the staff person at the station information desk.

With もらう, the giver is often marked by に or sometimes から.

Examples:

• 友だちに本をもらいました = I got a book from a friend
• 先生からアドバイスをもらいました = I received advice from the teacher

Because Japanese very often omits the subject when it is understood from context.

So even though English needs I got a map..., Japanese does not need to say 私は unless there is a reason to emphasize or contrast it.

The full sentence could be:

• 私は観光の前に、駅の案内所で地図をもらいました。

But in most situations, leaving out 私は sounds more natural.

Because Japanese normally puts the main verb at the end of the sentence.

This sentence is organized like this:

• 観光の前に = before sightseeing
• 駅の案内所で = at the station information desk
• 地図を = a map
• もらいました = received/got

This final-verb pattern is one of the biggest differences from English word order.

Yes, often it can, because the particles show each phrase’s role.

For example, these are both natural:

• 観光の前に、駅の案内所で地図をもらいました。
• 駅の案内所で、観光の前に地図をもらいました。

Both mean basically the same thing.

However, changing the order can slightly change the emphasis. The original sentence emphasizes the time first: before sightseeing.

Even though Japanese word order is more flexible than English, the verb usually still stays at the end.

案内所 is a general word for an information desk, information office, or information counter.

Its exact translation depends on context.

• At a station, 駅の案内所 usually means the station information desk/counter
• In a travel context, it could sometimes function like a tourist information desk

So the basic meaning is a place where staff provide directions or information.

The comma helps separate the opening time phrase from the rest of the sentence:

• 観光の前に、駅の案内所で地図をもらいました。

It makes the sentence easier to read, especially because the first phrase is a setup phrase.

Japanese commas are often more flexible than English commas. In many cases, a sentence without the comma would still be understandable:

• 観光の前に駅の案内所で地図をもらいました。

But the comma makes the structure clearer.

Yes. The sentence uses もらいました, which is polite past.

The plain version would be:

• 観光の前に、駅の案内所で地図をもらった。

This would sound more casual and is suitable in informal speech or plain-style writing.

So the difference is mainly politeness:

• もらいました = polite
• もらった = casual/plain