The High Ponts of Letting An Agency Book Your Vacation

Thinking about letting an agency handle your dream vacation from start to finish? There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as you know the pros and cons of such a thing. We’ll assume that you’ve already looked into planning your own vacation. We’re not going to go out on a limb like some other sites have done and just assume that you’re going to always want to do all of the heavy lifting yourself. If you find that planning at rip is way too stressful for you when combined with everything else on your plate, you should feel free to delegate this task. Any business person will tell you that it’s really all about delegating your tasks that you really don’t feel up to handling. This is how successful businesspeople get the real edge in life, so why should you feel that you have to do anything else differently? It’s just a matter of stopping and figuring out what you actually want to do with your time. Some people love planning their own vacations, and hey — we really do salute them. However, if you know that you have way too much on your plate, looking for a travel agency is definitely a good thing.

Wait, did we internet travel freaks really just mention “travel agent” in the same space as so many DIY guides on traveling? We sure did, and here’s why — it’s perfectly okay to not DIY everything. You’re not going to get a gold star just because you’ve never used a travel agent in your life. And contrary to popular belief, the travel agent doesn’t just treat you like a number — especially when they want to get more than just recommendation out of you, or even one trip. In other words, travel agents really will go the extra mile to make sure that you’re satisfied.

Can you save money with a travel agent? Well, yes and no — in some cases, you really can. It really just depends on the location that you’re trying to go to. The more high dollar the venue is, the harder it’s going to be to actually go out and get any savings.

The best way to find a good travel agency is the way you would look at any other product — online, through reviews! Being able to sit there and really look at the type of experience that real people had with a certain travel agency over another is definitely eye opening. You get to see the good, the bad, and the downright ugly — which is everything you need to see. We’re under no illusions that the travel agencies are completely perfect. You may run into bad service. You may run into travel agents that really don’t go the extra mile. You will have to speak up and make your desires known. The last thing that you really want to do is find yourself being unable to get anything done because you’re so scared that you’re going to have a bad experience. Yes, it can sour the rest of your trip but the truth is that it really doesn’t have to do that at all.

Once you read the reviews, you need to step back and ask yourself another round of questions — is this really the outfit that I want planning details that will effect exactly how much fun I have on my vacation? You might not think about this, but the truth is that travel agencies have a lot invested in the process. If you allow them to plan the trip and they don’t do a good job, then you will have to most likely spend money in order to earn back the experience that you should have received all along. See why it’s so frustrating?

Don’t stop for a moment to think that you can’t find a good travel agency. You can find a bunch online, and even read testimonials from people. If you’re allowed to contact any of the testimonial samplers individually, don’t forge to do that. Most sites are pretty reputable though, so you should be just fine.

The biggest benefit that you’re getting when you decide to go with a travel agent is experience, so that’s one of the first things that you should be looking for. You don’t want to go with someone that really isn’t trying to deliver the best experience possible for you — that would only lead to trouble in the worst possible way. It’s a lot smarter to make sure that you really take the time to really know your travel agent inside and out.

Keep in mind that if you really do have any questions at all during the planning process, you let your travel agent know. Far too often people tend to “fold” in the presence of experts, and that’s pretty much silly as well. Remember that you have the power over your own pocketbook, not the travel agent. Don’t be afraid to suggest something cheaper, or just remind them what’s actually in your budget and what’s not.

In addition, you shouldn’t think that you are only limited to solo travel when you decide to connect with a travel agent. It’s something that’s also suitable for group travel plans as well. The travel agent has the expertise to scale out accommodations as well as recommend places that would be better suited to groups. You will still have the same ability to customize and sculpt your trip. Think of the travel agent as simply a guide that can make life easier from start to finish.

It’s a great time to get a travel agent on your side — and there will always be travel agents. Just ask questions, let your desires be known, and then sit back and let the travel agent work their part — you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how easy everything fits together!