Disney World for All Ages

Liz Hough on

Typically when you think of Disney you think of little children running around to get pictures with Mickey Mouse or their favorite Princess.  It is one of the most fun places to take children and grandchildren but it can also be fun for adults.

 

Disney World has many resorts that will fit all types of budgets which are sure to bring out your Disney side.  Looking for a relaxing day at the adult only spa Senses or take a guided fishing trip where you are sure to catch some nice size bass.

There are fireworks cruises that are sure to amaze your senses as you are surrounded by fireworks above and the reflections below in the water.  What about a Behind the Scenes tour?  Ever wonder how they start the trains in the morning or maybe take a private tour to learn about the history and backstage secrets of Disney.

Consider Disney with your friends.  Here are some tips that are sure to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Tip #1:  Book early. Disney releases reservations for various restaurants and tours up to 180 day prior to arrival.  If you are looking to dine at one of their more high end restaurants or want to take an in demand tour, book on that 180th day!

Tip #2:  You don’t have to go to the parks.  There is a lot that Disney has to offer that is not in one of their parks.  Shopping and eating in Downtown Disney is a whole day event and you don’t have to pay to get in!  Check out MyDisneyExperience.com for all they have to offer.

Tip #3:  Did you know that you can make a dinner reservation at any of the resorts hotels, even if you aren’t staying at that hotel or on property.  Try a luau at the Polynesian Resort or try an intimate seven course dinner at Victoria and Albert’s at the Grand Floridian resort.

Tip #4:  The pool costs nothing!  There are several pools on property that are unique and relaxing.  Spend a day catching some sun and a Margarita or two!

Tip #5:  Is your husband a baseball fan?  Come during spring training and you can watch the Atlanta Braves spring training camp going on at the ESPN world wide of sports complex.

Tip #6:  Try something different.  Have you ever done archery or taken a horse drawn carriage ride while watching the fireworks.  Want more adventure?  Try the Wild Africa Trek where you will cross precarious rope bridges and enjoy up-close views of Nile hippos and crocodiles.

Tip #7:  Call your travel agent to help with setting up something special for you and your group.

The planning process should be fun and exciting but many times there are a lot of decisions to be made.  Just remember that plans can change but once you have made that final decision there is a sigh of relief that comes with knowing your vacation is just around the corner.  Also, don’t forget to invite friends and family so you can start making lasting memories.

 

We have helped HUNDREDS of family make their Disney vacations amazing so let us help you too. Fill out the form below to get started planning your next Disney Vacation.

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Planning Ahead….

Liz Hough on

It is 2018 but not too early to start planning for your 2019 vacation.

 

There are several steps you take when planning a vacation and you may not even realize you are going through them.  Here are some of the initial travel planning steps…..

 

Step 1 “The Thought”:  Do we want to take a big vacation or do we want to do something low key?  This step gets you started thinking about whether or not this year will be the year you take that big overseas trip or do you just want to take a 7 night cruise.

 

Step 2 “Where do we want to go?”:  Now that you have in mind what kind of trip you want to take it is time to decide where you want to take it.  This can be one of the most difficult steps in the process.  There are so many places you want to go but then there are so many places you have been and would like to go back.  How do you decide?  You make a list of just 5 places you want to travel to.  Why 5?  Because you don’t want to make the list too long.  Write some reasons why you want to go each place.  The place that has the most reasons why you want to travel there should be the place you choose to go!

 

Step 3 “How do we want to get around?”:  By step 3 you are moving full steam ahead in the planning of your trip!  Depending on where you are considering going there are several means to get around: cruise, rail, motor coach, or air.  Sometimes you don’t have a choice.  But if you do, consider trying a means of transportation that you haven’t tried before, i.e. a river cruise or the rail system.

 

Step 4 “Call your travel agent”:  This is the easiest step by far.  At this point you have some great ideas that you can’t wait to share with your travel agent.  This is where your travel agent is able to get together some information for you regarding pricing, tours, and time frames so you don’t have to spend precious time searching on the internet.

 

The planning process should be fun and exciting but there are a lot of decisions to be made.  Just remember that plans can change but once you have made that final decision there is a sigh of relief that comes with knowing your vacation is just around the corner.  Also, don’t forget to invite friends and family so you can start making lasting memories.

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Which Disney Resort is Right for Your Family?

Liz Hough on

Choosing a Walt Disney World resort is like car shopping.  There are over 20 various resorts to choose from in three different budget-class categories. What this leaves you with is a stressful decision that leaves you covering your eyes and randomly picking a resort.  I am here to tell you the secret of choosing the right resort for you and your family. 

First I want to tell you why you should stay at a Walt Disney World resort.  Convenience, amenities, dining, and your sanity.  Let’s start off with convenience, which includes saving time too.  It starts as soon as you land since you have access to Magical Express, Disney’s shuttle bus to and from the Orlando International airport.  You don’t have to worry about renting a car, an added expense, and you don’t have to worry about your checked luggage.  Special luggage tags provided by Disney are simply placed onto your checked luggage by you before you leave for Orlando.  Once in Orlando, the luggage is taken by Disney employees and it is delivered to your room later that day.  Once you and your family have deplaned, you simply follow the signs for the Magical Express, swipe your Magicband at one of their kiosks and get the bus which goes to your resort. Another convenience is that resorts are in close proximity to the parks and some resorts are even within walking distance to the parks.  This saves you time and money on a rental car and parking.  Friendly staff!  This one sounds a bit strange, but personal experience has taught me that I always encounter the friendliest staff when I stay at a Disney resort, even at eleven o’clock at night when I just returned to the hotel and starving!  Early bird FastPasses.  Did you know that when you stay on property you can reserve your FastPasses 60 days prior to your check-in date?  This helps you get ahead of the game and reserve FastPasses for some of those hard to get FastPasses such as the Meet and Greet with Elsa and Anna or Toy Story Mania!  When you stay off property you have to wait until 30 days prior to arrival to make your FastPass selections.

Resort amenities in Disney are like no other.  Did you know that three of Disney’s resorts have themed rooms?  Caribbean Beach has pirate themed rooms where the beds are shaped like pirate ships, and the Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside resort has Royal Guest rooms where the back boards display fireworks at the push of a button.  Art of Animation has four different themed rooms, three of which are suites sleeping up to six adults.  Each resort has at least one themed pool with some of the most elaborate water slides I have ever seen.  Complimentary Wi-Fi, extended theme park hours, and laundry service are just a few other benefits of staying at one of the Disney properties.

No matter if you are staying on property or down the street, when you visit the parks you inevitably end up eating.  Only those who are staying on property have the option to include one of the Disney Dining plans to their reservation.  I have written a whole article on whether or not the dining plan is worth the money, and it is!  Also, your dining plan is automatically linked to your Magicbands.  No credit cards needed.

Now some of you may be thinking that I should include Disney’s Magicbands as a perk for staying on property.  Well, the truth is that you don’t need to stay on property to have a Magicband.  There are specialty Magicbands that can be purchased and linked to your My Disney Experience account.  When you stay on property, part of your reservation is getting NEW Magicbands from the array of colors available.

So now that you have all the AMAZING reasons why you should stay on property, here is the secret of knowing which resort is perfect for you and your family: BUDGET.  It really does come down to what you and family have budgeted for the trip.  There is a resort for every budge,t so make sure that you stay within that budget.  When a client comes to me and tells me their budget, my first follow-up question is does that budget include meals, souvenirs, and extras?  If you have set a budget and that is the maximum amount you can spend, then you need to consider these extra costs.  Estimate these costs then subtract them from your budget and this is the resort category where you and your family can stay.  Now you have now narrowed it down to a category.  Take a look at the resorts in your category and see what amenities each resort has and how it will benefit your family.

For example, for me and my family the room is just a place for us to sleep and get cleaned, so I am not worried if it is close to the pool or has a river view.  I am concerned with how large the resort is because the larger resorts have more bus stops which means buses get crowded during peak times to get to the parks.  I also like to have table service available at the resort in case the first night or last night we don’t want to stay in the park, we can still enjoy a sit down meal together.  These are just some of my personal preferences, but if you have not stayed at a Walt Disney World resort before then these are some questions you may not know to ask.  If you talk with a Disney Travel Consultant, like myself or any of my independent contractors, these are some questions that we will be sure to ask you.

So if you are thinking about taking a Walt Disney World vacation in 2018 or 2019, now you know how to choose the right resort for you but if you still need some help, don’t hesitate to call us.

Click Here to check out the Life is Better Traveling Team!

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

The Top 3 motivators for purchasing Travel Protection, which one do you say?

Liz Hough on

In my last newsletter I discussed the importance of making sure to give your friends, family, or neighbors a printed copy of your itinerary in case something were to go wrong on your vacation.  It is great that they have this, but what do YOU have to protect yourself and your family when something goes wrong?  Who are YOU supposed to call when you have to go to the local hospital or medical express station?  Who do YOU call when you missed your connecting flight which also caused you to miss boarding your cruise?

Your travel agent should be there to help with you some of those concerns, but we don’t always know the nearest hospital or medical facility that will ensure your best well-being.  When you have travel protection, the travel protection company is who you call!

Before 2001 only 10% of leisure travelers purchased travel protection.  Since 2001, each year the amount of leisure travelers who have purchased travel protection has exponential grown.  At Life is Better Traveling, 95% of our clients who book their vacation with us also purchase travel protection.  Why do they book travel protection?  There are three main reasons why someone purchases travel protection:

1)     I want to cover my hard-earned money because the trip was expensive and/or I had to pre-pay a large amount.

2)     My medical coverage does not exist outside of the United States and I want to make sure that I am covered.

3)     I am nervous about unforeseen events occurring and I know that travel protection will give me the peace of mind I need.

I bring up three good points that most people will ask or say to themselves right before or right after they have purchased their vacation.  I am sure even you have asked yourself one or more of these three things.  With so many online travel agencies, airlines, and other suppliers making it so easy for you to purchase travel protection for your vacation purchase.  They tell you all the reasons you should purchase it and it sounds so appealing to purchase it, but do you know what you are ACTUALLY getting when you press the shiny “Purchase Travel Protection” button?

Stayed tuned for next week’s newsletter about knowing what you get when you purchase travel protection.  Also, if you know someone who is about to take a vacation and haven’t purchased travel protection, please forward this to them and tell them to sign-up for my HIGH CONTENT newsletters about travel at LifeisBetterTraveling.com.

 

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Why you should visit the Vatican Museum

Mary Yohannan on

The Vatican Museum! 

Rome has so many amazing sites to visit but one of the most asked for tours when booking an Italian vacation with Life is Better Traveling is the Vatican Museum.  The Vatican museum has an incredible collection showcasing painting, sculpture, frescoes, tapestries and classical antiquities including Roman, Greek and Egyptian.  This huge complex consists of multiple galleries and museums.  The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display.

Vatican Museum

Picture: Pixabay

 

The popes were among the very first royalty to open their vast art collections to public viewing. Pope Julius II (1443 – 1513) began collecting sculpture during the Renaissance, early 16th century, and, ever since, most popes have taken an active interest in art and in commissioning the best artists of their time.  A vast collection of accumulated collections of religious art, papal portraits and, carriages and automobiles.

Two of the most popular exhibits that you will see when walking through the Vatican museum are The Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze di Raffaello decorated by Raphael.  Roughly six millions visitors a year walk through the museum and take in the beauty of what this amazing museum has to offer. 

Vatican Museum

Picture: Pixabay

 

 

If you are thinking of taking a European vacation, make sure to include Rome in your itinerary so you can experience the magnificent of this museum.  Simply fill out the form below to start planning.  

Remember, a Life is Better Traveling Travel Agent is here to help make your next European vacation amazing!

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Flying with kids can be stressful!

Mary Yohannan on

Flying with kids can be stressful!

Here are 5 tips on how to keep your sanity when taking kids on a plane trip

Having two little ones myself I find that my anxiety for flying increases a few days before the flight.  It is not because I am afraid to fly but how will my kids be on the flight.  I always notice the “God, please don’t seat them near me” glances our way when we walk on a plane with two little ones.  I even had one older lady tell her husband that she hoped those kids would be good on this flight while we were sitting down behind her.  She kept glancing our way with disapproval the whole flight.  The best part was after we landed and she was getting up she told us they were perfect on the flight. 

Now my husband and I always wait until everyone is off the plane so we don’t have to rush to gather up all our stuff.  As people pass us in the aisle they compliment us on how well behaved our children were.  We always thank them for the compliment but it makes me feel good that I am doing something right to keep my kids occupied the whole flight.  I am going to share with you what we do so you too can have a peaceful and enjoyable flight with your kids or grandkids.

Tip #1:  Bring food and drinks!  I know that you can’t get more than 3 ounces of fluid through security but between the newsstand and Starbucks you can buy milk, water, or juice.  Make sure to bring their favorite container to drink out of so it is like they are drinking the same thing at home.  Also, bring their favorite snack.  It always seems that as soon as they sit in their seat they are hunger.  Having that snack handy keeps from your child having a fit even before the door on the plane is closed. 

Tip #2:  If your child is still using a binky or pacifiers make sure you bring plenty along.  This helps to keep them calm and it will also help with their ears for altitude changes.  I find that my children fall asleep with having their binky and the gentle sway of the airplane.  This makes me happy because now I have time to relax and take in a movie too.

Tip #3:  Bring their favorite toy.  The way to keep your child from kicking the seat in front of them is by putting their favorite toy in the pocket in front of them.  They will think you are being silly by putting it there but I find that telling my child that her toy needs to be secured in a seat also and the toy seat is this pocket, I don’t get any questions.  No kicking and no angry older lady glaring at you during the flight, hopefully. 

Tip #4:  Bring the electronic tablet for your little ones.  Not everyone believes in letting their kids watch TV or movies, but I am not one of those parents.  My kids love Disney movies and Nick Jr. educational shows.  Sesame Street is another household favorite.  Download or buy your kids favorite shows on the tablet that you are going to take.  When I say favorite shows or movies, I mean the ones that they watch at home already and ask for by name.  It doesn’t work out well if you decide to buy something new thinking they will like it on the plane.  Don’t risk it, play it safe with something they already know and keeps them calm. (*NOTE: make sure you download the movie to the tablet so that you aren’t required to use the wi-fi on the plane!)

Tip #5:  Bring along your own small pillow and blanket.  Please don’t use the pillows and blankets from the plane on your children.  They get reused and many people use the pillow to prop their feet up after they have taken off their shoes, YUCK!  Having their own blanket that smells like home is relaxing.

Tip #6:  This always happens to me, as soon as we sit down my child says she has to go potty!  Going potty on a plane by yourself is difficult in such a confined space let alone fitting an adult and a toddler in there.  Now we know, go before you get on the plane.  Also, change that diaper right before you board also.  Yes, people change their baby’s diaper right on the snack tray but luckily my husband and I have it down where we can easily change them on our lap in 10 seconds flat! (BTW…wipe down the snack tray before putting your drink or snack on it!)

I don’t think there are any guarantees that your child won’t have a fit at some point on a flight you take with them but I truly believe that I can do everything in my power to minimize the probability.  This has worked very well for us and the proof is from all the compliments that we receive.

Are you ready to take that next family vacation?  Simply fill out the quote below and we will be in touch!

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Why NOT to arrive on-time for your next cruise…

Mary Yohannan on

Don’t get on your cruise too early you might run into this…

When it comes to traveling we try our best to get to the airport, the port of embarkation, or the car rental place before our scheduled time.  Now when it comes to your flights I always suggest you be there on-time. In fact, most airlines require that you must be checked in 90 minutes prior to the flight.

Cruising is a whole other ball game.  If you get to the port of embarkation at the time the cruise line suggests (usually 1 pm), you end up getting there when everybody else does.  The lines to check-in can become horrendous!  This is especially true of those very large ships that can accommodate up to 3,500  passengers.  Nobody wants to be in line with 3,500 other people for check-in and then upon embarking waiting in the “let’s start your cruise off with a picture” line.

If you embark early you will be able to beat the some of the crowds.  You may still encounter some lines at check-in but these are the early morning travelers who have just flown into town.  But don’t go too early because you won’t be allowed onto the ship until after all of the previous passengers have gotten off.  So there is no need to be there at the crack of dawn!  If you do embark early then you can enjoy the welcome buffet or explore the ship.

Some of these ocean mega-liners seem to take days to explore so you could get a head start on finding all of the amazing features of your ship.

 

 There is one caveat about embarking early, you won’t be able to access your room until a certain time.  This is to ensure that the crew has had plenty of time to change out everything from the previous cruise.

The best time to check in is after the cruise line suggested time frame.  Now if you decide you are going to embark at the last minute you must be pre-registered with the cruise line.  Each cruise line has to submit their passenger lists to the law enforcement authorities prior to departure.  If you pre-register on-line they will already have your information.  If you haven’t pre-registered on-line then you must check in at the port of embarkation before the cruise line submits the passenger list.  

If you miss this time frame you will be unable to board your cruise.  The are some perks if you check-in later. You will most likely be able to access your room immediately, still enjoy the welcome buffet, and have only little time in port so you can start winning your millions at the casino as soon as you hit the open water.  Well, I am not quite sure if anybody won a million dollars at sea, but whose to say that it couldn’t happen.

Just remember that you don’t want to be too late that you miss your cruise all together, and you don’t want to arrive on-time to stand with the masses at check-in.  Try to time it right because if you start off your vacation on the right foot it makes Life Better Traveling.

Call us today to book your next cruise vacation.  Did you know that our travel agency is able to get you extra amenities like FREE excursions, food tours, and beverages, and extra onboard credits?  You won’t get these if you book through the cruise company or with an online travel agency?  Call us today to find out more.

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This Ancient Italian City is Worth the Visit

Mary Yohannan on

Pompeii, Italy should be on the list of 100 places to see before you die.  If you ever take a Mediterranean cruise this is always one of the optional tours or included as a portion of one of the optional tour.  Pompeii is very close to Naples.  To get there by bus it usually takes 30 minutes to an hour, depending if you have any additional stops along the way.

This Roman city was thriving until the volcanic explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD which buried it under volcanic ash for centuries.  Pompeii was considered to be a modern city with an amphitheatre, a public gymnasium with a swimming pool, and an aqueduct.  The aqueduct would supply water to street fountains, public bath houses, and if you were really rich you would have water in your house.  The city streets were also very modern for their time.  They had curbs and there were houses or shops on both sides of the streets.  To ensure that people would stop at intersections when on horse or horse-drawn carriage they had circular stones at the end of the streets.  This was like a modern day stop sign or speed bump.

Now I truly believe that Pompeii was a city that wanted to be alive.  Even though it was buried for almost two-thousand years, due to the lack of moisture and oxygen it remained very well-preserved.  A large percentage of Pompeii has been excavated but there is still some of the city that wants to be re-discovered.  Today there are millions of visitors to this ancient city every year.  Now Pompeii is a large city.  Some people think that when they take a short day tour to Pompeii that they are seeing the whole site.  You really need a whole day to see the entire excavated portion of the city. 

 

 

I have yet to take a whole day tour.  I have always been on a tour where we are there for just a few hours.  Regardless of which tour you choose you will still be amazed by the site.  Most tours will take you to the outdoor warehouse which houses some artifacts and moldings of those who were frozen in time by the ash.

If you are lucky enough to get to walk through some of the houses you will be able to view the beautiful mosaics.  We were told that this was a sign of wealth.  So the wealthier you were the more mosaics you would have in your home.  These mosaics also told stories so they were unique.  All I could think when viewing these mosaics is what the excavation process was like.  You really have to be extremely patient and meticulous to ensure that you don’t ruin it.  I will say this over and over again in my blogs but when you are standing on a site that is thousands of years old you really appreciate your life and realize how fast it goes by.  Pompeii is one of these cities where I realized that Life is Better Traveling.

Mosaic in a Home

 

Ready for a Quote?  Simply fill out the form below and we will be in touch soon!

 

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When in Rome…

Mary Yohannan on

If you ever find yourself in Rome, I highly recommend seeing the Roman Forum

One of my favorite tours in Italy was that of the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy.  It is a sprawling mass of ruins, that once was the center of Pictures by: M. Yohannanancient Rome, with temples, courts, markets, and government buildings in full swing until the 4th century AD.  While it may appear that all that remains today are an array of ancient columns and arches, the forum is one of the most important archaeological sites in Italy.  Daily excavations occur unearthing new structures and buildings.  Many people will skip this part of Rome and head directly to the iconic Colosseum.  But I personally, love walking between and around ancient Rome.   If you aren’t interested in seeing the forum, you can still get a great view of the Eternal City from the overlooking Palatine and Capitoline hills.

The Basics about the Roman Forum:

Many tours through the forum will last around three to four hours especially if you combine a tour through the forum culminating with a tour of the Colosseum.  I personally loved our tour guide, Flavia, and I still use her today for all my clients who go to Rome.  She is a wealth of knowledge about the forum and the Colosseum, while enjoying a private tour.  She even showed us the expansive ruins at Circus Maximus.

Picture by: M. Yohannan

What is the best time to visit and what to know:

Most tour options include hotel pickup and drop-off.  If you would opt for a private tour with Flavia, then she would come to your hotel.We would make sure that all your admissions to the various sites are included, so that you can enjoy the skip-the-line entry.  On some days this will save you an hour or so in line.  I would recommend the Roman Forum to any visitor whether you are in Rome for multiple days or just one day.  It is a must see VERY ancient part of Rome. 

 

Picture by: M. Yohannan

Picture by: Mary Yohannan

Some “Know Before You Go” from Viator.com:

How To Get to the Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is located in the area between Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum in the southeastern end of Rome’s historical center. You can get there by metro and bus from most central hotels. The closest metro stop is Colosseo.

When to Get There
As the Roman Forum shares an admission ticket with the Colosseum, it stays consistently busy throughout the day and often has long lines. Choose a walking tour with priority access to jump the queue and maximize your time.

Discovering the Roman Forum Ruins
Inside the archaeological area, stick to the Forum’s main thoroughfare, Via Sacra, to pass by important ruins such as the Julia Curia and the house of the Vestal Virgins. Some of the forum’s most impressive ruins include the white marble arch of Settimio Severo, the first-century Arch of Titus, and the remains of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. If you can’t get enough of ancient Rome, there’s plenty more history just outside the city with day trips available to Pompeii and the Appian Way.

Call or Email Mary to book your next European Vacation!

 

Picture by: M. Yohannan

Picture by: Mary Yohannan

 

Beware of booking online…

Mary Yohannan on

Beware of Booking Travel Online.  Read the fine print.

I recently had a friend ask me what to do when she needed to change their flight that they booked through one of these large travel booking engines or in the travel business what we call an Online Travel Agency (OTA).  The problem was that the airline they were using was now using Expedia or Travelocity exclusively and not offering direct booking on their website.  When they needed to change the flight, they had to call the booking engine company directly and not the airline.  They had a lot of trouble speaking with a person and once they did they were charged all these extra fees to change the ticket.  These fees were almost as much as the cost of the original airline ticket!  What could they have done to avoid this happening?

So many people ask me “why should I use you or any other travel agent when I can just book on-line?”  They are right, they can just book online.  Unfortunately, when you book online if something goes wrong you end up being your own travel advocate and it could end up costing you many hours, energy, and money to get it fixed. My friend not only had to pay the airline fees to change the flight (which can be up to $150 on domestic or $200 on international) but they also had to pay the travel booking engine fee.  For example, Travelocity’s fee to reissue an airline ticket is $40 per passenger in addition to the airlines fees of $150 per passenger.  A total of almost $200 per person for the change. 

Picture by: Pixabay

Many people don’t want to pay a travel agent a service fee, especially upfront.  However, when I looked further into these “fees” that were charged by booking online, many people are paying large amounts of service fees.  

I found that Travelocity charges a “Processing Service Fee” for all cruise line reservations.  There is no set amount so it may vary depending on the price of your cruise.  When booking vacation packages they have a “Facilitation Fee” that you pay them for facilitating your travel arrangements.  Again, there is no amount so it probably is a percentage of your total amount of the vacation package.  All of these fees are incorporated into your final amount. 

Other travel booking engines like Expedia have similar fees but you really have to look deep in their website to find them.  What ends up happening is that you are paying service fees to the online booking site, and you still have to go through an automated system when you need to make a change.  Also, do you know where your money is going?    When you book with a travel agency like Life is Better Traveling, service fees go towards supporting a family which goes back into your local community. 

Now back to the question I get a lot “why should I use you?”  Why not pay a travel agent service fee to have the same person throughout the entire planning process, during the vacation, and even after the vacation?  Someone who knows your whole vacation intimately so that when you call them, it is a quick and easy phone call, no automated system or long hold times. 

Also, working with a travel agent gives you peace of mind that when something goes wrong you have someone who is in your corner and already knows your information and details.  You won’t have to repeat it 10 times like my friend did with the booking engine company!  

Picture by: Pixabay

Did you know that travel agents can sometimes get you extra amenities, meals, or other special treatments that you won’t get from booking on-line.  Want a free massage, a suite upgrade, a $250 resort credit, or a free tour?  Yes, these are all incentives that, if available, a travel agent can provide to you.  There are many times that I have been able to get my clients more incentives than that “deal” they thought they were getting if they would have booked online.

When it comes to finding a travel agent find someone out there who has a niche for where you want to travel.  Try them out.  They may or may not be a good fit for you.  When picking a travel agent make sure you do your research. You don’t want somebody who doesn’t know what they are doing or hasn’t been to the places they are selling.  I am speaking from experience, having had a great travel agent for our first  Mediterranean cruise.  She helped us find tours we never would have found on our own.  So when you find a travel agent you love, DON’T LOSE THEM!!!!  

Good travel agents are like good doctors, they are hard to find but when you find them hold onto them, even if you have to pay a service fee!  Besides you will be spending a lot of money on your trip and you want the special touches and reassurance that a travel agent can give you. 

Call us today to book your Europe trip.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

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