Sara LiPera-Travel Consultant at VIP TRAVEL SERVICE
Travel Consultants are experts at finding packages that will provide the most BANG for your buck!
The first 4 questions I ask prospective travelers are; who, where, when and most importantly how much do they have to invest into their adventure.
Sometimes individuals are uncomfortable disclosing how much they have budgeted for travel or they simply don’t have an understanding of what travel costs.
Travelers shouldn't be embarrassed about sharing how much money they have to spend. Budget is how Travel Advisors find the "sweet spot" and are able to customize a package that will meet the travelers' wants and needs!
When researching destinations, hotel, tours and cruises it is vital to know what a traveler can afford. Travel Advisors don’t want to offer a package that is out of an individual's budget or not include all the bells and whistles the travelers may be expecting.
Travel is all based on supply and demand. With travel there are 3 seasons; High Season, Low Season, and Shoulder Season.
Expect to pay considerably more during High Season. High Season occurs during holidays/school breaks and when the weather is at it's best. Some destinations, like Florida and the Caribbean are going to be more expensive in the winter. On the other hand Europe is going to cost more in the summer.
Shoulder Season for most destinations takes place during Spring and Fall. Shoulder season is not the most expensive time to travel, but it isn't the least expensive! The cost of Shoulder Season is going to range between the price of travel for Low and High Season.
Shoulder Season is my favorite time to travel. I find I get a very similar experience to traveling at High Season. The weather might be a little cooler, but I don't mind throwing on a sweater. The biggest bonus to traveling Shoulder Season is that crowd size is drastically reduced.
Low Season is when you get the least expensive airfares and other components of travel. Low Season does have its tradeoffs. The positive is that prices will be less expensive than travel during High or Shoulder Season. The downside is that weather may not be ideal and/or not all attractions will be open.
When it comes to booking airfare, airlines have sophisticate algorithms and know when they can jack up prices. If travelers are flexible with dates they can often find deals on flights up to half the price as flying in high season.
Travel Advisors save travelers time finding products that will fit their budget and meet expectations.
When booking hotels my secret is to never focus too much on star ratings. I find the most important focus should be guest reviews. Guest reviews are based on objective measures that are in the control of the hotel (i.e. upkeep of property, advertised amenities, no hidden charges, etc.). I would not consider suggesting a hotel that doesn't get at least 4+ guest rating. A hotel may not be a 5 star resort, but guest will still get a great experience and allow a traveler to stay within budget.
Travel Advisors get to know the individual and will help prioritize the most important components to include in a travel itinerary. Customizing vacations is what we do!
Give a Travel Consultant a try they will guide you through the planning process and be your support from the time of booking until you return home.
The best advice I can provide is, contact a Travel Consultant at the beginning of your vacation planning. They will maximize your travel budget, provide travel insight and most importantly save you time!
As always safe travel and pack your patience with your luggage!