How many times have you found yourself lost when trying to organize your own vacation in a foreign country? Remember that feeling of confusion when planning how to get from one place to another, or when trying to figure out the accommodation that best suits your personal taste and needs?
We recently had an email conversation with Carolyn Kidd from West Virginia, who is currently planning her summer break with us for the third year in a row. A couple of years ago Carolyn attempted to plan her first visit to Greece by herself. In her email, she reminded us of all the difficulties she faced back before we ever met, so we thought we'd share a few tips with you.
First things first
It's all about taking care of the little details that make a vacation special and let you enjoy that much-deserved break with absolutely nothing to worry about.
You can't possibly have the necessary knowledge to arrange everything on your own, and that's okay. But you can't let just anyone be in charge of such a personal matter either, can you?
Carolyn emphasized the importance of communicating frequently with a person you know and trust, who is in charge of organizing your trip. She found that being constantly in touch with our destination expert, Paula, was a big relief while planning that first summer break.
Carolyn (on the right) looks happy while visiting sights in Greece
The issue here is not whether or not you should let a travel agency organize your vacation for you. What's important is to ensure that someone you've never met can actually understand what you need. They should be able (and willing) to plan your trip as if you had done it yourself.
Okay, now we've put these tips together for you in our own blog, so obviously we claim that the secret to planning the perfect vacation in Greece is to let us do it for you.
But the question is: Why?
What do you get that's so special when arranging a trip through Fantasy Travel—or with any experienced travel agency for that matter? If you have a couple of minutes to spare, keep reading and you'll see why choosing the right travel agency is so immensely important.
The things you have to deal with - before and during your trip
Organizing everything by yourself can be confusing and frustrating
A summer holiday sounds wonderful, but the amount of prep work that you have to put in when dealing with so many different tasks can be daunting: Planning the details of your itinerary down to the hour, booking the right ferry tickets, finding out if your hotel room has that amazing view that you saw when you googled it, predicting waiting time for transfers, even picking the right airline or ferry company between destinations, is just too much to do and, honestly, you shouldn't have to deal with all that.
That’s a job for the professional who has arranged your trip, so all you have to do is lay back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Which island? Which hotel? Train or bus? What's the beach or site I shouldn't miss?
Before Carolyn visited the Greek islands for the first time, she had Paula's advice on every aspect of her trip. For example, Paula did some research on hotels in Santorini that Carolyn had seen on the Internet, and booked her a place that was according to her own preferences and within budget.
And that's exactly what you expect from your travel agency: to find places and make arrangements for you that would be very hard to do on your own. Plus recommendations on places to visit, on convenient transportation to and from transfer points, and someone to meet you at ports and airports to ensure that you get to your destination on time and without hustle.
Making sure you have the right room with the the best possible view is something that your travel agency should take care of
Preferences and special requests
No vacation package will satisfy everyone's taste. We all have our own preferences on the type of holiday we like, so the person who's helping you should always do their best to come up with the best possible suggestions, tailored to your specific desires and needs.
You shouldn't have to follow a group tour of the local sights if you feel like doing that at your own pace or with a private guide. Similarly, you should be free to decide whether you want to go on that scheduled sailing trip, visit a local winery, or just spend the entire day relaxing on a beach. Your travel agency has to respect your vacation time and make sure that it's the best summer break you could ever have.
I'm not happy with my room.
If you don't like your hotel room, you should have help with any changes you may require to your accommodation. The point of going on holiday is to not have to think about anything else, other than having a good time and recharging your batteries.
...and what if something unexpected happens while I’m there?
Traveling shouldn't be a complicated situation for the traveller, regardless of what may come up along the way. A domestic flight might occasionally be delayed, a passport might be misplaced or a baggage delivered late. Such things don’t happen often, but if they do you can’t be distracted from having a good time. The job of a travel agency is to be willing to make any required on-the-spot changes to your itinerary, so you enjoy a relaxing and carefree vacation, no matter what.
Not all travel agencies offer 24/7 phone support during your visit in their country like we do at Fantasy Travel, but the least they should do is take care of changes to your scheduled activities so your precious days in the sun are not affected by unforeseen circumstances.
Give yourself a gift - make your next vacation the best you’ve ever had
So, obviously the best kept secret to planning the perfect summer break in Greece is not really a secret. It’s just common sense, as long as you choose the right travel agency who will take care of every little detail of your trip, accommodation and activities throughout your break.
You can easily check the travel agency’s website and any comments on TripAdvisor and their Facebook page to verify they have a good reputation. When you are satisfied that they have significant experience and offer services of the highest quality, contact them to let them know when you want to travel and your specific desires or any special requests.
Make sure that you know the name of the person who is in charge of planning your itinerary and arranging your accommodation. We call them destination experts, and their job is simply to make your summer break the best you’ve ever had.
Finally, it’s very important to let your travel agency know exactly what kind of holiday you’re after, but also to keep in touch during your vacation so that everything runs smoothly. This is the best way to ensure an unforgettable summer experience in the Greek islands for you and your friends or your family.
Follow the guide above, pick the right travel agency, and we promise you will have the most enjoyable and carefree vacation, an experience you’ll definitely remember for a long time. And don’t forget to drop us a line when you’re back and let us know how it went.
Until then, take care and enjoy your next trip to the Aegean!
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If you are curious to find out how all this works,
take a look at our brand new Aegean Blue package,
an exclusive itinerary of handpicked destinations in Athens and the islands
(it’s at a killer price too, so if you’re thinking about booking, hurry up - it’s only available until January 31st).