Use a travel agent or do the planning yourself? - Page 2

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

@Kachina624 I saw that post. Depends on the travel agent. Mine is pretty good. Excellent as a matter of fact. Used them for over 30 yrs. Pretty good track record for me!

The only major hiccup I've ever had was the cancellation of my airfare & cruise because of the COVID shut down. My travel agent got me my refunds within weeks. Less than a month actually.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

Chopsmom · ‎10-19-2022

@Helen Bach

I'm in your situation.

If I had the notion to travel to someplace entirely new, I'd get an agent. I'd explain exactly what I wanted to get out of the trip and hope for the best.

I would never book one of those tour trips (not sure what they are called). I want to be free to explore on my own. Wouldn't want a scheduled vacation. They sound exhausting to me.

I hope you enjoy your trip when you decide.

On It · ‎03-15-2021

@Helen Bach If you are wanting to start slowly with perhaps a road trip to an interesting destination, you might check TripAdvisor. Select your desired destination and it will offer a list of sites to see, hotels, and restaurants. I use the restaurant list often for my own hometown.

I planned our road trip from Southern New Mexico to Los Angeles using google maps. When you select a city, you can then ask for gas stops, restaurants, etc. I even found our Palm Springs hotel using a search. I wanted a single story hotel with an outside entrance for each room.The historic Tennis Club area had several to choose from that had their ratings listed as well. I chose one built like a Spanish Hacienda. It had a single front door for security, but the inside was open air with all the rooms opening to face the pool.

Planning your trip yourself requires some searching and some time, but the information is out there. Enjoy and have safe travels.

PickyPicky3 · ‎10-22-2018

@Chopsmom wrote:
@Helen Bach

I'm in your situation.

If I had the notion to travel to someplace entirely new, I'd get an agent. I'd explain exactly what I wanted to get out of the trip and hope for the best.

I would never book one of those tour trips (not sure what they are called). I want to be free to explore on my own. Wouldn't want a scheduled vacation. They sound exhausting to me.

I hope you enjoy your trip when you decide.

@Chopsmom Is it fair to criticize something you've never done? I've traveled a lot, 98% independent travel. All over. But the tours I have taken were good. I explored on my own, didn't feel overly scheduled, and was not exhausted. All you're really required to do is be ready to get on the bus or van when it's leaving for the next town.

Chopsmom · ‎10-19-2022

@PickyPicky3 wrote:

@Chopsmom wrote:
@Helen Bach

I'm in your situation.

If I had the notion to travel to someplace entirely new, I'd get an agent. I'd explain exactly what I wanted to get out of the trip and hope for the best.

I would never book one of those tour trips (not sure what they are called). I want to be free to explore on my own. Wouldn't want a scheduled vacation. They sound exhausting to me.

I hope you enjoy your trip when you decide.

@Chopsmom Is it fair to criticize something you've never done? I've traveled a lot, 98% independent travel. All over. But the tours I have taken were good. I explored on my own, didn't feel overly scheduled, and was not exhausted. All you're really required to do is be ready to get on the bus or van when it's leaving for the next town.

You are absolutely right. I've never personally done it. I was, however, thinking of a friend who did it on a trip to Ireland.

He said he was "running to meet the bus" all the time, didn't get to see this and that and that he'd never do it again.

I saw your post after I posted mine and was hoping that I didn't offend you or anyone else. I'm sorry if I did.

FancyPhillyshopper · ‎05-02-2017

I love to travel!! I have been to many states and countries, and on numerous cruises. My parents took me on trips starting as a young child, and I continued the tradition. I also even worked as a travel agent for a while many, many years ago.

I have also lived in two different countries and I am multilingual. Most of the time I will do all my own research and make all my own reservations. Husband is a great driver and we have rented cars in many countries. (Yes, we have driven over 125 mph on the German Autobahn, and slowly and carefully through the dark jungle areas of Mexico where a bat flew into the car!). For me, planning is part of the fun.

However, I would certainly take a tour and with these parameters: How difficult is it to travel in this country independently? Can I speak the language of this country at all, or do they have a lot of English speakers in this country? Is the tour going to cover all the places I want to see more efficiently? It can be the same for the U.S. if you do not want to drive long distances or in remote areas.

I would encourage all to try a cruise at least once! It is a great way to relax and also see the world, and you are pampered with food and activities. I took all my nieces as teenagers on a cruise a few decades ago, and now they are cruise advocates.

If you do not want to fly you can take a train or a bus to one of the coastal areas of the U.S. to catch a cruise. There are a lot of U.S. cruise ports. You can take a cruise as short as three nights, maybe to the Bahamas out of FL, to New England out of NY/NJ, or Catalina near California.

If you want to see prices and different cruise lines, go to the website Cruise Critic and then to the tab FInd a Cruise. On the side you can put in the month you wish to travel, and the destinations that interest you, length of cruise, departure port, etc. If you do not have a traveling companion, some cruise lines charge a little more to travel in the cabin by yourself, although some cruise lines, like NCL, have single cabins. The time of year you travel and the type of cabin (inside--no windows, to suite with balcony) will also have an impact on the price.

Yes, AAA offers free travel agent service. They will give you ideas, brochures, and tell you the prices of trips that might interest you.

I always say we only have one life to enjoy, so I try to fill my life with lots of learning, discovery and adventure. It is wonderful to have all the memories of my past travels.

Best wishes for a future bon voyage!

september · ‎03-09-2010

@Helen Bach wrote:
If you do the planning yourself, what research tools do you use? I am an introverted homebody who feels the need to see some of the real world lately. Have never taken a cruise or ship and kind of scared to fly. So dipping toe in the water so to speak

@Helen Bach I think if you are not an experienced traveler, you might be best off using a travel agent a few times, until you feel more experienced and better able to book travel on your own.

PickyPicky3 · ‎10-22-2018

One other thought: I belong to an international social organization, and one benefit is being allowed to ask other members for travel info. It's not as fast as researching on TripAdvisor, and sometimes language is a problem.

But I once was invited to a New Year's Eve party in Switzerland.

Check out your memberships.

skatting44 · ‎07-26-2019

Have done both. As another poster stated an excursion out of the country , one will benefit from a travel agency and tour guide.

LindaSal · ‎05-15-2014

@Helen Bach"Travel; the only thing you will buy that makes you richer" Unknown.

My husband and I are avid travelers and have been all of our married life. We have done both, planned and executed vacations alone and also have used a travel agent over the years.

Now that we are getting older we do tend to use an agent more. It makes the trip more relaxing and you are able to enjoy, especially the scenery when you don't have to watch the road and use a map (showing my age) or GPS.

As far as the tour companies having a schedule, yeah that's what they do! They have knowledge of the area and know the points of interest and the best times to go there. There is an itinerary but if you are cruising, you can simply stay on the boat and not go anywhere or go off on your own.

I highly recommend an agent for your first trip, get comfortable with it then you can venture out a bit more. There really is nothing like it