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This post brought to you with a little help from my favorite travel agent, Linda Weimer @ Global Travel (who also happens to be my mom).
I got the travel bug early in life, and I’m pretty sure that is true of my mom as well. She loves planning trips so much that she decided to make it a profession and help others on their adventures. So much of what we are going to talk about on this little corner of the internet is self-planned travel. It’s something that my husband and I truly love doing – dreaming and planning our next big adventure together. That being said, we know there are so many people out there who just want to have the planning portion done for them so that they can truly relax and enjoy their trip. If that sounds a little more your speed, this post is for you.
So why should you use a travel agent to help plan your next trip? I asked my travel agent mom the same question and this is what she said…
1. Travel agents can save you time. From researching through the actual booking process, your travel agent can save you loads of time.
2. They have knowledge of products. Trying a new type of vacation for the first time? You don’t yet know what you don’t know. Your travel agent has knowledge of what is available to you and what you should be looking out for.
3. They have experience in the field to navigate your trip. From booking with the right tour company to having each leg of your journey covered, your travel agent should be able to anticipate your needs to give you peace of mind on your trip.
4. They can be your eyes and ears if you are just looking for a trip. If you know you want to go, but aren’t quite sure on when or where, your travel agent should have some good insights for you based on your interests for the best times to travel and they can look out for deals to save you money. They often will have deals available to them that aren’t accessible to the public.
5. Vendors prefer that you use a travel agent. Your travel agent most likely has vendors that they currently have a working relationship with. They are there to communicate so that you don’t have to.
6. It is extra help and peace of mind if something happens while you are away. Hopefully this isn’t an issue for you on your trip, but if a situation arises while you are away, one quick call or email with your travel agent can save you time and money should you need to alter your plans, again, giving you peace of mind until you return home.
As much as we love self-planning, I will say that one area that we always use a travel agent is when we cruise. An agent can arrange everything you will need. From flights to hotels, shuttle service to ship embarkation, as well as any other travel needs you may have, a travel agent is there to help with your needs throughout your trip to make your vacation seamless.
We also have been big fans for our adoption trips. When we were able to pick up our daughter’s visa faster than we had anticipated in Thailand, our travel agent was able to transfer our flights and get us home faster – something that is normally much more difficult to do when you are in different time zones and trying to communicate with airlines half a world away.
Seriously no pressure here, but if you would like some contact info for our favorite travel agent, you can reach her at gotravel@ligtel.com or visit her website at https://travelpossibilities.globaltravel.com/ . This is not a commissioned link for us – we just love supporting businesses we love.
Happy planning!
