A Few Travel Services The Intentional Travelers Use
You can make your own travel plans and reservations but in many cases there’s a better option. After decades of international and domestic travel, with over fifty cruises, more flights than we could count and hundreds of hotel bookings we’ve learned when to book directly and when to seek professional assistance.
Our first recommendation is to find a local travel agent you can work with. They will have lots of resources at their disposal and their services will normally not cost you anything. They can even save you some money at times and are a valuable contact while traveling if you need help.
Often before we contact our travel agent we explore a number of options with an online travel site. Our preference is Expedia for a number of reasons. Their resources are extensive, prices are generally good and we have little issues when we book. We have used other sites in the past like Booking.com and had serious problems. It’s also important to understand that some areas travel usually don’t get commission, like airfare.
Our agent is affiliated with Avoya and is someone we’ve worked with for years and consider her a friend. There have been more than a few times that she has rescued us while traveling internationally and often saves us money.
Click the Avoya logo to find an agent near you or click HERE to find out more about using a travel agent.
Travel planning takes time and requires numerous online resources. Our approach involves starting with a destination, reviewing transportation and accommodation options while exploring local history and highlights we shouldn’t miss.
Besides our agent we also regularly book through a selection of travel companies listed here. While there is a large number of other options we have used all of these a number of times and generally have been pleased enough to use them often.
Guided Tours
As you make travel plans one thing at the top of most lists is – “What to see and how to go about it?” Viator provides guided tours all around the world featuring knowledgable guides for groups and individuals.
A number of years ago we were planning a trip to Peru and Ecuador that included air travel, hotels and specific destinations. After we had a bottom line for costs, friends let us know they were considering the same itinerary but were booking with a specific travel company (exoticca). When we compared costs, it turned out their booking was almost half our estimated cost!? We joined them and booked together. Since that time we have booked a number of exoticca tours. For more on our experiences with exoticca click HERE.
Packaged Tours
All inclusive tours to destinations world wide. Most include air fare, hotels, local tours and a number of meals all at very reasonable costs.
Of course exoticca is not the only option and we’ve talked with a number of people who have been pleased using Intrepid Travel, Globus, Trafalgar and several more but exoticca is the one we currently use and are generally pleased with.
Our preference has been and still is, to do our own research and plan our own itinerary when visiting a city 0r location. Cruise port visits with time limitations often require us to book tours through the ship or preferably with local guides**. The two we most often check on and book with are Get Your Guide and Viator and usually select on the basis of the tour descriptions and cost.
Guided Tours
Get Your Guide provides guided tours all around the world featuring knowledgable guides for groups and individuals.
Noted as a family oriented cruise company, RCL offers itineraries worldwide from a few days to weeks.
Since 1999 we’ve done a lot of cruising. Our first experience was taking our family on a cruise with Royal Caribbean and were thrilled. Since that cruise we have traveled with Carnival, mostly shorter Caribbean cruises and Celebrity Cruises for longer and more distant itineraries. Each one has a different character but we’ve not been disappointed with them.
Thinking about a cruise? Carnival is a leader in moderate priced cruising. Click below to visit their website.
Additional Cruise Sites
For just browsing cruise deals one of the best options we’ve found is CruiseWatch which regularly displays a range of cruise listings that include prices and several cruise lines.
Viking River
A highly respected river cruising company with amazing itineraries and top-shelf service.
Our experience is with Viking but we have travel friends that swear by Emerald along with Avalon so shop around for itineraries and value.
Those Big Red Buses
Usually we have ignored those Red Bus tours but recently we’ve decided they can be a valuable resource
We have taken a few river cruises and, thus far, only with Viking. We recognize that Viking is a premium option and we’ve been very pleased with the itineraries and the level of service. We have travel friends that only use Emerald and rave about the service as well.
This article is a first but with the intention of enlarging it and updating it on a regular basis. We encourage our subscribers and visitors to send us their recommendations through comments below or email us at theintentionaltraveler@gmx.com with input and recommendations…
Planning A Cruise? Start With The Intentional Travelers Port Guides
Recent Posts From The Intentional Travelers You Might Find Interesting:
The Intentional Travelers 