Thinking About Vacation — International Travel
International travel is a very sticky endeavor. You have to make sure you have your passport (which these days is no small task) and make sure you do not get ripped off. The truth is there are traps all over the place to traveling internationally. Even the cruise industry is really sneaky with the way it does things. So how does an amateur avoid all these extra fees and weird tax policies?
Get a travel agent.
Yes I said it. An experienced travel agent can be a real asset when planning overseas vacations. For a small fee you can save yourself hundreds of dollars. Just a few examples of things I had to search long and hard for that could be common knowledge to a good travel agent.
–The cruise industry started adding a fuel surcharge that did not appear until after you had booked your cruise.
–England is one of the most expensive places to fly. It is less expensive to Fedex your bags to your hotel and then fly into France and take a train to England.
–Your cell phone will cost you a fortune to use overseas and on a cruise (even if you are docked). You are better off going prepaid
I am sure there are tons more of these little tips that are annoying and require way too much time to hunt them all down. An experienced travel agent can really save you in these situations.
The problem is, the travel industry is in the dumps with the emergence of the Internet. So finding a good agent can be difficult. The best way is to get a recommendation from a friend or family member. This way you know that you are getting a quality person. If your friends and family do not travel then you can try the ASTA. This is a reputable group and can really help you narrow down your choice. If you are looking to take a cruise a good place to try would be the CLIA. In searching on these pages I picked up a lot of great info and was cued into some good travel agents. Happy Vacationing!
