Do's and Don'ts to Happy Trip Planning

There are a number of ways to approach trip planning.  Most of the time when planning a trip for myself, I simply think of where I want to be and then go about finding the least expensive way to be there while still experiencing all of the things I want to experience.  Sometimes during the process my plans can change dramatically.  For instance you could start out wanting to go to London and Paris and wind up in Hawaii like my travel buddy Jenny and I did in 2011.  On that occasion it was all a matter of available funds.  I didn't have many and we discovered in the midst of our trip planning that Hawaii was super cheap due to the dramatic decline in Japanese tourism to the islands following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.  Sometimes one persons tragedy can be another persons opportunity.

Here are some important do's and don'ts to happy trip planning.

1. Don't be too focused in the beginning.  Once you have booked a trip then you can focus in on all the things you need to accomplish while you are there.  But until then, keep an open mind.  If you decide 6 months before you ever start looking that you are going to visit London and Paris and you refuse to consider anything else, you could miss out on an amazing opportunity.  Having locations in mind and telling your travel agent what those locations are is key.  But be open minded.
2. Do know your traveling style and tell your travel agent what it is.  Do you want somebody else to do the planning and just tell you when and where to be?  Then you may enjoy tour packages.  Do you like the idea of walking out of an airport and just winging it?  Then you'd probably do best with a simple air/hotel package and nothing more.  
3. Do have a budget.  I do not know anyone with unlimited funds.  I just don't hang in those crowds.  I wish I did and that they were willing to share.  But not so much.  So as a travel agent I expect you to have a budget that you would like for me to stay within.  Ideally, I would like for clients to give me a target and a max.  I think that gives me more freedom to give you options.  That way, I can give you two or three options that hit your target and then additional options if you're willing to go up to your max.  Most of the time, if I can get a budget from a client at all, I only get one number and a lot of people seem to be reluctant to define the number.  Here's a clue.... your travel agent wants to continue to do business with you for many years to come.  So he/she wants you to be as happy as possible.  That means a travel agent who wants your business will find you the best deals if you just tell them how much money you are willing to spend.
4. Do start working with your travel agent early.  If you are starting to think you'd like to go on a family cruise next Christmas, it's never too early to start planning.  If you find the ideal cruise at a price within your budget, you can book it now with just a deposit.  Most people wait around to see if the price drops.  The chances of a price drop are not as good as the chances of a price increase.  Most reputable trip suppliers allow price matching.  So if you book today and the price drops next month, as long as you initiate it, the supplier will give you the lower price.  This means that you or someone on your behalf must continue to watch the prices.  But if it will save you hundreds of dollars, while holding your reservation it's worth the effort.  Sometimes to get this advantage you need to purchase travel insurance especially in the case of independent flight/hotel packages.  But in the case of cruises and tour packages, it's just one of the advantages.
5. Don't withhold information if something is important to you.  If you are only willing to fly American Airlines for some reason then tell your travel agent up front.  Waiting to see if they get you what you want without telling them what it is helps no one.  If you will only stay in 4 Star or better hotels that's important information for the person culling through hotels.  P.S. Star rating are not universal.  One website might rate it a 4 star while another calls it a 3.5 star.  So I find that it is usually best to read through reviews and look at multiple websites.
6. Do figure out all of the important things you want to do before booking the trip.  If you book excursions along with the trip you can sometimes get a better deal and it always helps your travel agent making them want to work even harder for you in the future.  I know you have no idea exactly what you are going to want to do during a trip 6 months from now.  But if you are going to Austria and you have known all your life that you must do the Sound of Music tour if you ever go to Austria, then just have your agent book the Sound of Music tour along with your flight and hotel.  Then you can plan the rest of the trip around that one tour.  You'll be happy knowing that you have at least one thing already planned and out of the way.  Generally, an excursion will not change your deposit and it is a lot easier to cut items out after booking than to add them.
7. Do plan what day you want to have your trip booked by.  If you are planning a trip way in advance, give your travel agent a date that you want it to be booked by so that they can make it happen for you.  At 120 days out, popular destinations will begin to sell out and prices start to increase.  On the other hand, if you have the nerve for it, you can get some amazing travel deals if you don't book until a week before you want to travel.  But you can't be horribly picky about what you get if you are a last minute traveler.  

There are many other things you can consider when beginning to plan a trip.  The key is that if you are working with a travel professional to communicate with them.  Give them as much information as you can and they will in turn give you the best trip they can.  Have a great Thursday!