travel agent?

[misterthorn.livejournal.com]

Any recommendations? Looking to travel to Italy quite soon, and could use some help finding the right place to stay.

I can't believe this hasn't been asked before, but I didn't see a tag that looked useful, so if anyone's already seen this addressed here, please point me in the right direction!

Comments

[ron_newman]

The subject has come up occasionally but infrequently (last time was nearly 2 years ago), and I've lumped it under 'business services' for now. If you click on the tag you'll see some old posts, but I don't know how helpful they are.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

I suspect it doesn't come up very often because very few people really hit the travel agencies these days. a friend of mine recently ranted that a travel agent his father insisted on using just used priceline....

[ifotismeni]

yeah i was going to say, i haven't even heard of people using travel agencies in years and years.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

travel agent also put it off two days and didn't get as good a deal as the friend had wrangled ;-)

[marphod.livejournal.com]

Except for some very specialized items (high end travel and accommodations, some cruise lines, and the like) you're just better off on your own, IF you have the time to do it yourself.


Internet reviews are going to be better than the travel agent's knowledge about locations, you are going to get the same deals they are, and you're going to pay for the privilege of having someone do it for you.

Years ago, when online flights were less accurate, it would be useful to get a travel agent to compare against, but those days are long gone.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Also, back in the olden days, the airlines paid the travel agents for referrals, and wouldn't sell tickets directly any cheaper.

Those days are long gone, killing the travel agent business model.

(Oddly, they did not sue the airlines, demanding DRM be applied to all tickets and a three-strikes-you're-out law for consumers who book their own flights.)

[tamalinn.livejournal.com]

http://www.bing.com/travel/flights

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Husband and I went to Italy for two weeks last year, and just used Orbitz for everything. Sorry.

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

Where in Italy? People might have recommendations here!

[misterthorn.livejournal.com]

Thanks all, and yes I'm aware that travel agents are passe, and rightly so, for the most part. Furthermore, the two I've dealt with lately have been very... impolite would be a kind way to put it. They just seemed angry that I was asking them for help. Fine, good riddance and good luck with that business model. When no one shows up at your door next week, you'll know I sent them.

I have been doing a fair amount of research and did find some beautiful looking villas in Tuscany, but then I also discovered that most places were already booked for when we wanted to go: the last week of May.

So even though I can google with the best of them, I thought a live human might be a better resource to help find *available* lodgings that meet our requirements on such short notice. In other words, I'm turning to travel agents only because I want to leave no stone unturned.

The good news is that I did have a GREAT conversation today with a co-worker who travels to Tuscany a lot, and she did have some super duper leads which I am going to follow up on, but, yes, I would definitely welcome any leads anyone here might have as well!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Back when I was employed, I booked corporate travel through Colpitts Travel in Dedham all the time, and they were absolutely wonderful to work with. According to their website, they seem to do leisure travel too, so I think it might be worthwhile to call:

http://www.colpittswt.com/vacations-leisure/index.asp

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

We stayed here on our honeymoon and LOVED it!

http://www.tavolese.com/Il%20Borgo/index.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187895-d287634-Reviews-Il_Borgo_di_Villa_Bossi_Pucci-Florence_Tuscany.html

[titsandwhiskey.livejournal.com]

I recently used Ann at Baker Travel in Davis to book a trip to Guatemala in Feb. She was pretty fantastic and really worked with us to plan a great vacation. She put together a few different packages for us based on vague specifications (namely, we wanted some place warm, near water, and not on the Euro). She put together the whole package for us and booked everything. The only additional charge was a service fee for the airline tickets (about $50, I think).

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

My sister-in-law, Leanne Locke at The Travel Collaborative in Somerville (http://www.travelcollaborative.com/pages/directory/index.htm), is smart and dedicated and the queen of making the impossible work. (Yes, I am biased.)

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Okay, how embarrassing to have spelled my own sister-in-law's name wrong. It's Leeanne Locke. Stupid migraine.

AAA

[madscientist01.livejournal.com]

A place that offers some travel services but you may not think of is AAA (the auto association). I have never used their services other than getting maps/travel books of places I'm planning to go, but I think they have more extensive travel agency as well. Might be worth a call if you're already a member.

Air, Cruise & Tour Reservations, International Car & Hotel
Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday 9am - 1pm
In Massachusetts and Rhode Island 1-800-222-7448