This. I found I needed one in Namibia because so many blocks of rooms in the small number of hotels that exist had been pre-booked. The only other time I enquired was for Borneo, a region about which I had little knowledge. The quote for the latter was absurdly high, especially for one of the least expensive regions of the world, that I did not book the trip in the end. But for the former a travel agent was useful. In that instance, I used one based in South Africa, so they had real expertise about southern Africa.
We use them for 5 star hotels. It only makes sense if you’re spending a lot. They can also get you places in destinations that are booked up during busy times.We have traveled extensively and have never used a travel agent until our last trip to Africa. Most of our trips are multiple destinations and last 2-3 weeks. Where possible, I rented a car and drove ourselves.
As a boglehead, I did a quick comparison between DIY vs. travel agent for my Africa’s trip, it appeared that the travel agent was cheaper and did a great job. I did this after returning and was pleased with all the arrangements.
Which makes me think….maybe I should have used a travel agent more for complex trips? For cruises and simple trips with a couple of destinations, I think it’s simple enough to book online directly. Even with pre and post extensions for cruises, we always planned them ourselves as these are clearly cheaper than cruise companies.
Please educate me when I should use a travel agent for future travels? If the costs are the same, it’s a no brainer. But I would be willing to pay,say up to 10%, if a trip is well planned and accommodations are well researched.
I should add that we prefer a customized itinerary as opposed to group tours like Trafalgar and Gate 1 or Tauck, although we have taken them and were OK with quick-hit visits.
And if you are using an agent, would you recommend one?
Thanks.
Statistics: Posted by metacritic — Mon Sep 09, 2024 9:11 pm
