What Google Can’t Tell You: Why Working With a Travel Advisor (Like Me!) Helps Create Your Perfect Trip

Ever fallen down a Google rabbit hole trying to play a trip? Making sure you know the travel rule changes, finding the best deal and trying to prevent FOMO? There’s a better way – I promise!

By now I hope you know who I am, but if you don’t… I’ve been a Travel Advisor since 2021, and every day I help people who want to travel. Even better, I help them in ways that online research can’t.

Ever had analysis paralysis? There’s too much info, too many choices coming at you, and you just… freeze. You certainly aren’t alone. Travel planning, especially to a destination you’ve never been before, can feel overwhelming.

Don’t misunderstand me; the internet is an amazing place and can certainly help give you ideas of places you might enjoy or activities you might want to try. Google is obviously a WEALTH of information and can give you quick, mostly factual answers to your travel questions. But what Google can’t do is answer those personal travel questions with context. A search engine doesn’t know is a destination is special to you and why. It can’t explain why an experience might be sentimental to you. It doesn’t know that one thing that will make your next trip a success in your eyes. Do I use Google? Absolutely. But I also use it as a place to start, not to do the planning for me.

There is also no shortage of bloggers and influencers out there posting content every single day about travel destinations all over the world. I’m certainly not going to say don’t use these people as a resource, given that I am one and that would be incredibly ironic as you read a blog post I wrote…

I think checking out destinations on YouTube or through blog posts is a great way to see food you might want to try or stops you might want to make on your journey. Just keep in mind, and I say this as a creator of travel user generated content, it’s very easy for that information we put in a video to get outdated. Whether you’re watching a video about theme park rides or flight tips or foods you’ll love in another country, there’s a good possibility SOME piece of information in that content has changed. Especially if you are watching it months after the video was posted.

You’ll also want to keep in mind if you’re watching postings from an influencer, the content may be misleading because the person is getting paid to post about that specific destination or event. They aren’t as likely to be honest, let alone negative, if the place they are visiting is paying them to be there.

The travel industry has a lot of hidden rules and policies, and things change often. A lot of travelers miss these changes and then show up unprepared, which leads to nothing but frustration and wasted time. I always cringe when I see a friend of mine posting on social media how much they “wish they had known” something before their trip. It makes me shake my phone and bellow “why didn’t you message me???”

Travel is more than just a plan. Travel is about the experience; the eye-opening, life-changing experience. But if you’re the planner of your group or family, you often spend most of your time during your vacation still hosting and coordinating. Keeping the train on the tracks. My job is to take enough off your plate that you actually ENJOY your vacation!

I have firsthand experience with the places and companies I book, so I know a lot of the tips and tricks as well as the mistakes you don’t want to make. It’s also incredibly important to me to keep visiting those places so I can continue to update my clients, answer questions, and give them new ideas to save time and money.

Even if you’re an experienced traveler, sometimes it’s just nice having someone in your corner who knows the travel industry and can help prevent problems before they happen. Things like reminding you to have a REAL ID before you fly domestic. Having you check the dates on your passport before you leave the country to ensure it’s valid six months after your return date. Making sure your flights have enough transfer time between connections. Coordinating and booking your theme park dining reservations for you so they correspond with your park plans. The list goes on and on.

While I consider planning to be one of my favorite things, one of the traits I use the most with my clients, and one thing that sets me apart in the travel industry, is I LOVE strategy. I’m all about it. What rides are most important to you at a theme park? Is high quality food more important on your cruise vacation, or would you rather be able to eat something fast and easy whenever you want? If you’re planning your first visit to the UK, would you rather sightsee at your own pace, or not have to worry about driving in a foreign country? These types of questions help me learn about you, what is most important to you, and what will make your vacation a success.

No two vacations are alike, so I work together with my clients to create custom itineraries and vacation strategies to maximize their trip. And the best part – IT’S FREE! Some Travel Advisors charge for planning itineraries, and with good reason… it’s often the hardest part of the job. But I do not. I love it, I’m good at it, and it helps me continue building loyal clients.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out some of the reviews my past clients have given me. There’s a few on the home page and more on my Facebook page.

No. Travel Advisors are paid through the company they book with. Some may charge an additional fee or planning fee, but the value you get far outweighs any cost.

Of course! But then you lose out on the many benefits we’ve talked about. I personally don’t charge for my services since I get paid by the company I book with. So worst case, you pay the same price but now also have a Travel Advisor and strategist on your team. What have you got to lose?

Absolutely not. In fact, any good Travel Advisor will make sure they know what YOU are wanting to experience and get out of your trip and will then help you do that. Vacations aren’t cookie-cutter. You have to be involved to make the trip what you want it to be. Your Travel Advisor helps make it happen the way you want by taking care of all the necessities.

I mean the obvious answer is EVERYONE… so I’ll break down who benefits the most working with me specifically.

No matter what level of travel planning you find yourself in, a Travel Advisor can help.

If you love to research and know what you want and when, a Travel Advisor makes an excellent teammate. They can keep track of the details and are there if things go wrong so you can enjoy more of your vacation without so much bouncing around in your brain.

If you have an idea of where you want to go but aren’t a “details person,” a Travel Advisor makes an excellent guide. They find out what aspects are most important, then make that happen within your time frame and budget.

And if a trip sounds nice but you don’t even know where to start, a Travel Advisor makes an excellent planner. Give them all the input you can, and they’ll help you customize the perfect getaway while making sure all your questions are answered along the way.

Most importantly, it all begins with a conversation. Don’t rely on the internet to give you the same facts about trip planning it gives to everyone else. Talk to a Travel Advisor. Let them know what matters to you, what you want to experience, whether time or money is more important, and whatever other questions they ask in order to get to know you and what you’re looking for. Then watch as the details fall into place. You’ll get to actually enjoy your trip while building memories you’ll never forget.

Ready to start that conversation? Reach out to me below, let me know what type of trip or destination you’re thinking about and we’ll take the first step of your next adventure!