The Value of a Travel Agent
I'll tell you why I believe in using one, and I'll even share mine with you.
Have you ever played the game of Life? I often hoped for the Travel Agent career card because the profession seemed exciting and wondrous.
Now that I’ve used a travel agent for more than a dozen trips over the last three years, I’m not sure if those are the right words to describe dealing with clients like me…but my experiences have been exciting!
When we moved to Germany in February 2022, one particular conversation was recurring.
People: Where do you hope to travel while living in Europe?
Me: Um…everywhere.
As we hurtled toward that first summer, we (I?) felt overwhelmed by the possibilities. We asked our then-7-year-old if he had any ideas for Summer Break. Tilting his head from one shoulder to the other, he wrinkled his lips and squinched his eyes. “I’d like to see the Eiffel Tower,” he said. “Great!” I said, “That gives us a place to start.”
But then what? I still needed help.
In a Facebook support group I’d joined after we received an overseas assignment, I found a travel agent who was familiar with our lifestyle. I reached out, explained who we were and what we were seeking, and set up an initial consultation.
Our Travel Agent
Alyssa is a Travel Consultant with TravelAble; she has a website and a Facebook page. One of the many things I appreciate about her is her clear, organized emails. She’ll deliver you plans in a special itinerary that includes your bookings and other recommendations for the places you’ll be visiting. You can even download an app after booking a trip and get updates (such as flight delays) pushed to your phone.
I often hear that people prefer to have control over their travel plans, and I understand that. I am someone who gets overwhelmed easily, so I appreciate having a professional to help refine my requests and narrow down options - then I can dig in and do some of my own research before getting booking assistance. Alyssa considers our preferred travel dates and driving willingness (when not flying or taking a train) to suggest stops to connect components of a trip.
To date she has helped us plan the following adventures:
2022
Summer Road Trip to Luxembourg, Paris, Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam
Fall Break Road Trip to Lucerne, Milan, Venice, Salzburg, Prague
2023
February in Austria: Linz, Vienna, Hallstatt
April in Disneyland Paris
Summer in Cologne, Pairi Daiza, Cochem
Summer in Spain: Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Mallorca
Fall Break in Greece: Athens, Santorini, Crete
2024
February in Italy: Rome, Bologna, Perugia
Spring Break in London and Scotland
Summer in Sicily: Syracuse, Palermo, Naxos, Taormina, Catania
Summer in Ireland: Belfast, Galway, Killarney, Kilkenny, Dublin
Fall Break in Croatia: Dubrovnik, Split
November in Disneyland Paris
Winter Break in Norway: Oslo, Geilo, Bergen
2025
February in France: Lyon, Nice, Annecy, Colmar
Spring Break in Lubeck, Copenhagen, Billund, Hamburg, The Hague
May in Disneyland Paris
Surprises - Positive and Negative
A travel agent can also help with surprises, both positive and less so. Our Summer 2023 trip to Spain was going to include C’s birthday, so I asked Alyssa if we could arrange a birthday cake for him at the resort; I wanted to arrange this ahead of time so he would actually be surprised.
The following year, I was the one surprised when our hotel in Scotland delivered me cupcakes from Alyssa for my birthday.
Personal touches like that truly inspire client loyalty.
Unfortunately, we’ve had a few negative experiences in our travels.
On the rare occasion we’ve had an issue with a hotel, Alyssa has been quick to assist and liaise directly with staff as needed to help us feel comfortable again.
Once there was an excursion we expected to be a private tour, but many other groups were on ours; we didn’t say anything to the tour guide because, well, it was a bit awkward plus we thought we might have misunderstood something. After the excursion, we reached out to Alyssa and shared with her what happened. She contacted the tour company and got us a refund.
Another time, one of our kids got sick partway through a trip, so we had to cancel the middle portion until he was ready to travel. Alyssa took care of cancelling the necessary arrangements so we could focus on our son.
Feel free to contact Alyssa if you’d like her help planning your next adventure!