Whether you are investigating a trip on your own or not, here are some tips for finding a travel agent to help you plan a trip that is right for you and can help you with all the confusing information found online. You can be on a business trip, on a family vacation, with a religious commitment or to organize a special event such as a marriage, anniversary or a family reunion on a cruise or an all-inclusive! Do not forget to raise funds on a cruise.
Location is key
Travel agents are consultants who are around you to help people like you meet various travel plans. To find a reliable travel consultant for your trip, try exploring one of these options:
1. Visit the local Chamber of Commerce or visit their website to review the accredited list of travel professionals.
2. Search through the Yellow Pages to select local travel agents and their contact information.
3. Talk to neighbors or friends to accumulate some recommendations, but these are not always reliable.
After selecting some travel agents in your area through your initial research and local contacts, take a notepad and write down the start and end dates of your travel itinerary, the places of departure and arrival and the intermediate destinations, transportation preferences, where applicable, available budget and special requirements, such as accessible entry and exit points for wheelchairs. Also determine what kind of activities you would like to do on your trip. All this information will help the travel agency to help you choose the best product to make your trip memorable and successful. Do some research on your own, but let the travel agency help you decide if the information you find is really the best for you. There is so much information out there.
Have a vacation without stress
When you finally meet your travel agent, you can use your list of requirements along with the following checklist to avoid disappointment:
1. Keep your conversation with your travel agent focused on the items on your list, but have an open mind to listen to the travel agency’s suggestions to improve your trip.
2. When discussing your travel plans, available options and spending details, avoid falling into the trap of buying services you do not need.
3. When making travel plans, always make sure you have a “Plan B” to address setbacks such as unreserved seats, lost connections, lost luggage, absence of travel date on tickets and more terrible possibilities.
4. You should also analyze in detail the resources of the travel agency to handle last minute changes such as travel cancellations, date changes or itinerary changes.
5. Discuss with travel agents products such as travel insurance to help protect your travel costs along with medical protection. Travel insurance covers more than just the items listed in numbers 3 and 4 above. Travel insurance also covers you medically if the need arises. Some insurance plans do not cover it when you travel outside of the United States. Be sure to check with your insurance company to see if it is covered.
6. If possible, use a credit or debit card to pay all expenses to ensure that all of your expenses are tracked, monitored and auditable accurately in the event of a future dispute.
If you are lucky enough to find a reliable travel agent, then you can easily expect timely and friendly services as you plan, prepare and execute your travel plans with an appropriate budget and schedule.