Vacation Planning Tips: Top Mistakes Travel Agents See

Top 3 Vacation Planning Mistakes to Avoid: Travel Agent Tips

If you're planning a vacation, it's a HUGE investment, right?

You want to take every precaution to make sure you get the best value for your money...

And there are SO many mistakes people make when planning their DIY vacation that sabotage their value AND their experience!

Check out these top 3 mistakes and how to avoid them:

 Top Planning Mistakes:

Nowadays, we have a habit of listening to other people's advice on where to stay and what to "do" on vacation...and it's great to get input! BUT, just because someone's vacation was right for THEM doesn't mean it's right for YOU!

1.GOOGLE FINGERS

When you start to look for vacations perfect for YOU, you need to STAY AWAY from Google until you know exactly what it is that you want for your vacation.

Make a "wish list" of what you want to experience, what you want to see, what you want the area to look like...do you want a small resort, a large resort, white sand, pink sand...and the list goes on!

Then, you have to research the DESTINATIONS that include those things.. YES, there are great resorts on every island, but if the destination doesn't offer the activities and amenities you want, you won't be happy!

Make a list and research destinations first!

2. LOOKING FOR "CHEAP"

Here's the deal...EVERYONE wants to pay as little as possible. You're not the only one. So I've heard it all...

But here's the problem just looking for "cheap"...  

CHEAP CAN COST YOU MORE IN THE LONG RUN!

Yes, you heard that right...

 - Want premium alcohol included or do you want to have to pay for it when you get there?

 - Do you want to PAY to eat at a sit-down restaurant when you're there, or do you want it included?

 - Do you want to walk to the beach or do you want to pay for a taxi to take you there?

You get the idea...

The fix?  

SET A BUDGET THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO SPEND ALL OF!

If you set a budget of $4000 for an all-inclusive trip for 2 (my recommended minimum for 5-7 nights), then you are able to compare apples to apples...

"For $4000 we can get this or we can get this"...

Not "Well, this one is $3300 and we get this and this one is $2275 and we get that"...WHAT A HEADACHE!

Get the best value by setting a budget FIRST!

3. "NOT MY FAULT" MENTALITY

Can you see the steam coming out of my ears? LOL!

People want to pay "less" so they will get "less"...and skimp out on travel protection.

Yes, hopefully your trip will be flawless and some are.

I actually REQUIRE travel protection for my clients...if they decline, they have to sign a waiver releasing me from having to help with any change in plans during vacation (because I would not be successful with getting suppliers to give my clients to what they are not entitled to).

Did you KNOW that just because your flight is canceled while you're already at the airport on your way home doesn't mean they have to give you ANYTHING toward your stay for another night? No hotel. No transfers. No food. Nothing.

It baffles me when I read about how a flight was delayed, a connection was missed and the travelers feel they are "entitled" to monetary assistance of some kind.

When my family of 6 was returning home from the Dominican in December, our flight was so delayed that we missed our connection in the US to get back home. Because it was so close to Christmas, we were going to be stranded in another state for 3 days until they could get us on another flight.  

No reimbursement. No food. 6 people.

YOU BET I was glad we purchased travel protection! 

It covered ALL of our extra costs which was almost $800!!! 

We paid for a hotel room (large one because there were 6 of us), food for a day, AND a rental car and gas to get from an alternate airport to our original airport to get our car and get home!

Please don't make that mistake...use travel protection, it's SO worth it!

Don't want the hassle of planning your own all-inclusive trip? Let me take a load off your shoulders! Contact me today at Erin@CustomMemoriesTravel or click the photo above to check out our planning process and start YOUR custom plan today!