Using Travel Agents

[DrRoy]

To date, I have done most of our trip planning for itinerary purposes so we get to do exactly the things that we want to do, then DW and I do the bookings together so she is happy with the lodging. I love using the book series "Photographing the Southwest". The only exception is that a couple years ago we started to go on cruises with DW's sisters and their DH's.
Next year, for the first time, we are going to pay the big bucks for a professionally led photo tour of Patagonia. I thought that it might be time to try this out, and the available info for self planning in this case was thinner than I was used to.

[WestUniversity]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YVRRocketSurgery I'm curious what info the responses will yield. Personally, planning and researching a trip is half the fun for us. We usually do all bookings ourselves...

Agree completely. Have not used a travel agent in more years than I can remember. We love doing the research and planning ourselves. We have made numerous trips to Europe, the Caribbean and Central America, all without a TA...

[Nemo2]

We figure out where we'd like to go, do some research, and go there.

[OldShooter]

Kind of like the blind men and the elephant here. Some talking about using TAs to plan a trip, others simply to book things, etc.

We prefer custom travel with firms that are in the country or area we want to visit. We have all the fun of planning an itinerary and selecting lodgings but with the expert advice of the tour company. What's good, what's not, etc. (Did you know that if you visit Vic falls at the height of the water flow there is so much spray and fog that you can't see the falls?) Once we pull the trigger we then travel with private guides and drivers, starting and stopping whenever we want, eating whatever and wherever we want, and learning in great detail about the country. In fact we specify that we want older guides with a perspective on the country and its history rather than the young ones who are enthusiastic and chock full of facts and dates, but who have no life experience. Private travel is more expensive, but for us is a good value.

[brett]

We do our own travel research and booking. We do not find TA's all that helpful.

The one exception was a South African safari. In frustration with TA's in our city we reached out directly to a tour company in South Africa. Thanks to internet and skype we arranged a great tour. And at considerable less cost for a comparable product that we would have paid to a local TA.

...and yes we did realize that about Victoria Falls. We flew over in a helicopter. Later, we were thinking of going to the falls area but they wanted a huge amount of money just to get in. The water levels were low and we realized that there really was no cheese there at the price they were requesting.

[Nemo2]

For us, serendipity outweighs predictability.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 For us, serendipity outweighs predictability.

+1
I've always loved deciding to go somewhere I've never been and just wandering. Preparation is great, and learning what might be worthwhile things to do and see is definitely smart.
But some of my fondest memories are of spur-of-the-moment travels where I had no idea what was in store.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister But some of my fondest memories are of spur-of-the-moment travels where I had no idea what was in store.

Yes...I'm not suggesting our way is better, simply that we enjoy the surprises found over the next rise or around the next bend.

Around Wassadougou in Senegal, a local cop flagged us down and deposited a huge Senegalese NCO into the back of our rented car, (guy must've been 250lb, no fat), who was going to Tambacounda.......after going through an area where a forest fire was burning out, inadvertently ignoring a military 'Do Not Enter' sign, (for which the Sarge got a dressing down), we dropped him off.....no predictability there. But certainly a story.

[Scuba]

We do a lot of our own bookings but also use specialty agencies with experience in specific destinations, especially if complex, expensive and/or very remote. For example we used TA's for South African safari, Palau diving trip, and several cruises. Don't use TA's if we know the destination well or if it's a simple trip.

[Bamaman]

My best find in travel recently has been Norwegian Air Shuttle, third largest of the European budget air carriers. They are expanding service into the U.S. as fast as Boeing can supply them with new 787s. And they have the big North American legacy airlines scared with fares half the price of our carriers.

Norwegian offered a Boston to Dublin airfare of $99 and return fares of $243 the other day. They are in Orlando and Ft.Lauderdale and are now expanding to middle America.

We flew them Budapest to Boston in April for $238--a great buy. That was after a 13 day Holland America Repositioning cruise (Ft. Lauderdale to Rome) that cost $40 each per day--another great buy.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman My best find in travel recently has been Norwegian Air Shuttle

Flew them from Bergen, Norway to Krakow, Poland....very happy with them.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamaman My best find in travel recently has been Norwegian Air Shuttle

We flew them to Copenhagen for the low $300's one-way from Fort Lauderdale...no problemo. Except that I didn't use a travel agent and booked the air from where the cruise ship returned (NYC) back to Charlotte instead of FLL (where our car was) I'm such an idiot! Yeah, the original plan was to FLY to FLL. So I booked (on points) NYC to CLT. Later I thought, "hell, let's just drive down and hang with my sister before going"....but I forgot to fix the flight. It worked out OK, though...I simply got an $84 ticket on Allegiant to retrieve the car.

Wouldn't have happened if I had a travel agent looking at it!