Most would agree vacations are important to a general sense of well-being, but the process of choosing a destination for a vacation and planning an itinerary sometimes proves challenging for many to undertake. This guide will assist you with the exciting act of planning, making your blueprint for a perfect vacation more a matter of imaginative play, moving from the many choices before you to reality. Let’s explore together to ensure you get the most out of your time off! Planning your vacation can be a big part of the fun and a great travel professional can check behind you to ensure your buying choices are good values for you and your traveling companions.
Early in the process involve one of our travel advisors. Many people believe travel professionals sell travel, but the reality is a good travel advisor doesn’t sell anything! Rather, we assist you in making good buying decisions. Because we are immersed in the travel industry and researching everyday, we have access to first-rate resources, and we know which suppliers to use and which to avoid. A good travel consultant will help you to research travel and to use your time wisely, side-stepping the perils of planning with too little knowledge. Our consultants are client-centric - your travel desires are our primary concern and we want to establish a long-term relationship with you, so your satisfaction is paramount!
The big three decisions in vacation planning involve
- Where you want to go
- When you want to go
- What you want to do
Each of these considerations depend on the others. For example, most people think about travel in terms of either a destination (“I want to go to Paris”) or an activity (“I want to go on a river cruise”). Naturally, the attendant time constraints weigh heavily as a consideration. If you must take your vacation in a particular part of the year, or you don’t have a full week or two to travel, the destination and activity choices may or may be more limited. In any event, give yourself plenty of time to enjoy planning and winding down a bit at work prior to the start of your travel so you can relax into your trip.
Begin with consideration of how much total time you will have for the travel you are planning. You want to balance your actual travel time with the time at your destination. Once you have a sense of the distance you want to travel, you can begin to think about a travel destination that meets both your interests and your budget. Work with your travel companions and travel advisor to think through the considerations of your destination, activities and budget and have fun planning.
With regard to your budget think in terms of the value you want to achieve for the money you spend. Value is related to, but is not the same as, the cost of your trip. Everyone’s sense of value is personal and our experienced travel advisors will spend a great deal of time determining what is really important for you in terms of your accommodations, style of travel and activity at your destination. Our relationships with suppliers can provide you with excellent values. If you wish to travel internationally, be sure to begin planning earlier to ensure all of your travel documentation is in order and valid for your trip. Also, be sure to discuss the merits of travel insurance with our travel counselors as well whether traveling internationally or domestic.
The activities in which you participate at your destination can be as relaxing as sitting by a pool or as demanding as a climb up Kilimanjaro! Let your travel advisor know your interests. Whether you are an intellectual with a penchant for museums or a fan of an active night life, or perhaps both, we can assist with your plans and the details of your local itinerary. Share your thoughts about favored activities with your advisor so we can assist you in finding the right facilities and suppliers at your destination. Our recommendation is almost always to leave time for the fun and spontaneous, to allow serendipity to accompany you on your travels. The delightfully unexpected makes for great memories and storytelling when you return home!
Travel is so much more than logistics, and every trip is an opportunity to script many wonderful additions to your life's story. It is our mission to assist you in making your travel everything you want it to be.
We look forward to the opportunity of serving you.