I remember when I was younger, my parents used a travel agent to book our trips. As I got older, I became our family travel agent taking care of the booking during my summer break from school.
Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to book it yourself or use a travel agent:
1) Time. The biggest question when deciding is how much time you have to plan your summer trip? We all live busy lives and planning the trip could be a chore. Ask yourself how much time you have to make the necessary arrangements for the trip.
2) Thrill Of The Search. If you are like me, the thrill of planning and booking the trip is a part of the process I enjoy. I enjoy researching my destinations, finding my hotels, my travel. For me, this is part of the trip. But it is not for everyone.
3) Discounts. The truth is that discounts are out there for anyone to have. It used to be easier for a travel agent to secure discounts for you as they book in bulk. This is still the case, but bulk rates are now readily available for you through booking sites.
4) Knowledge Of Destination. We are all experts on our home town, but the fact is, we are not experts of every place we want to visit. Distance from a hotel to attractions, locations of hotels, neighborhoods. The internet has facilitated this process that for long had been an advantage for travel agents. But, this process goes back to number one, time. It can be time consuming.
5) One Stop. Truth be told, when you visit a travel agent, you will be making one stop to book your entire trip. They will do all the leg work. You will not have to work out any of the details, unless you want to.
Now it’s time for you to decide. Travel Agent or Book It Yourself?