Organising a Holiday Using The Internet?
January 29th, 2009. Published under Travel. No Comments.
This is an exciting period for people to travel an as there are now very few inaccessible places on this planet. Fortunately, there isn’t a corner of the earth that doesn’t have a travel site dedicated to it so it is easy obtaining information on the internet. Travel has become so easy that many people no longer even bother going to the travel agent and use websites exclusively to book their vacation. The predominance of websites dedicated to travel says just how popular this method is as every tour operator has their website as well to add to the mix.
It may seem strange but I do not fully trust using the internet to arrange my vacation. However, I am still of the old school and prefer to sit down with a cup of coffee and plan my vacation with a professional, face to face. I find it difficult explaining what I am looking for to a machine whereas it is easier to ask for details from a travel agent. The problem I find with travel sites is there is no-one to speak to and I find this very impersonal; if you are fortunate enough to find someone to speak with they may be in another country for all you know.
How do you know what they are telling you is the truth because it won’t be until you actually go away that you will find out. There are too many factors that can go wrong and that’s why I love having a travel agent because although I may spend a bit more than if purchasing from a website, the peace of mind is priceless. I have a good friend who would never use a travel agent as she books all her last minute vacations using travel sites because she can save a packet of money. There are always huge savings to be had by waiting until the last possible moment to book but you have to be flexible with your travel arrangements to do this.
I wish I could do this but my work just wouldn’t allow me to suddenly take time of as they normally need a couple of months notice. If you are flexible though, booking through a travel site could be incredibly worthwhile plus, travel sites offer discount coupons and prices for excursions or miscellaneous items when you book online. Knowing a little about what you want and information about the location you want to travel too can be useful so I still research as much of this as I can online before I pay my travel agent a visit. It may not be fair on my travel agent but at least I know if something goes wrong, I will have someone to complain to on my return.