Need travel help

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
suewolf
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:15 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Need travel help

Post by suewolf »

We are ex- travel agents. So the only bias here is that we believe working with a travel agent will help you. It's not for everyone of course.

There's lots of great suggestions here (though some I wouldn't recommend). But before anyone can give you specific advice, you need to answer some fundamental questions:
- How much do you want to spend? Budget is one of the key parameters in your search and will determine much.
- What do you like to do? You can park your butt on the beach or have every minute of every day filled with activity. You into history, adventure, sightseeing, culture, food and drink?
- How old are you / how good a shape are you in?
- How much time do you have?
- Are you flexible on timing? Certain places are better in different parts of the year than others (and are priced accordingly)

I could go on, but these are the basics.

Many first time travelers need some hand holding. European River cruises (AmaWaterways, not Viking) are a great place to start so are escorted tours like offered by Tauck or Collette. I'd avoid Costco only because you'll need help. You'll want to get good info on travel insurance, flights, pre and post extensions, recommendations for where to stay and general advice once you have all those questions answered. Costco can have some excellent deals (but not always better than what an agent can get), but you'll value the advice of an agent - especially if something goes wrong.

Good luck.
ItzaHoot
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 12:05 pm

Re: Need travel help

Post by ItzaHoot »

Lisr!!! make a generic packing list for all travel, right down to underwear, toiletries, etc. The have subcategories for beach/island/water destinations, warn weather or cold weather, and activities such as swimming, hiking, dress up,dress down, etc.

After that, look at locale travel websites, such as particular countries, or if driving, stop at rest areas and welcome centers for info.
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