mortay

Planning a 14 to 15 day trip to London, Paris, and possibly Amsterdam. Our travel agent is pushing a tour even though we don't want that. She insists our cost will be much lower, even though we are willing to pay more. After declining the tour, she came back with an alternative tour group that gives you more time to explore on your own. Again, I said no. I don't have an aversion to tour groups, have been on one to Scotland and Ireland, but I want to spend more time in these cities, exploring and soaking in the culture etc. She insists that we need a "go to person" at each locale. No, we do not speak French, but nor do many other travelers. Any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated.

BigRuss

Why are you using a travel agent? You can do it all for yourself with ease and not have to worry about her cut. If all you're going to do through her is book transport, do it yourself. She gets diddlysquat from the airlines so that's why she pushes the tour. And if your "costs" are too low, you'll be staying out in the sticks despite wanting to be in these cities.

You don't need to speak French. You especially don't need to speak Dutch - the Dutch you encounter in an international city like Amsterdam will likely speak some English.

Just book open jaw USA (I'm guessing) to Amsterdam, London to USA -- and go to Amsterdam, train to Paris, Eurostar to London.

MmePerdu

I was about to say "get a new travel agent". But, no, you don't need a travel agent. Book everything yourself and get exactly what you want. I suspect you'll wonder why you ever thought you needed help. You're going to 3 of the easiest places on the planet to visit independently. Have a great time!

MmePerdu

Check fares to and from each of the cities as fees can vary wildly. You may pay quite a bit less, for instance, not flying out of London. Compare all possibilities and do fly into one out of another but for this itinerary, it hardly matters which.

bilboburgler

Well English in England and Holland will be ok. Similar in France but it is good manners to learn the basics and speak a bit slower

Pegontheroad

Last year, I visited Helsinki, St.Petersburg, Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania), and Gdansk, Ketryzn, Torun, and Warsaw (Poland)--alone. I spoke none of those languages, but people in the tourist industry do speak English. My experience in Amsterdam was that virtually everyone there speaks English as well as or better than I do.

I don't agree that you will save money with a tour. I can travel as simply or as luxuriously as I want. I want to have control of my itinerary and my hours. I don't want to get up at 6:00 a.m. to have my suitcase outside the door for a 7:30 departure.

I want to see what I want to see. I want to eat as simply or as elaborately as I want.

I much prefer to travel on my own. I enjoy reading my guidebooks, researching on the internet, and booking my flights and my hotels. It's part of the enjoyment of traveling.

greg

You have listed all the reasons why you don't want a tour. TAs make money by pushing tours and commissionable bookings . So, as long as you are using a TA, that is what you get. Is this TA your relative or relatives of a friend you cannot say no thank you? Something is missing here.

Many first timer bring up language as an impediment against independent tours. Unless you are visiting some hinterland in France, tourist oriented people at major cities all speak good English. I have harder time understanding what they are saying in the UK

Kathie

It sounds like you know what you want - and it isn't the tour for which the travel agent gets a big commission. I encourage you to book everything yourself - it's easy and you'll know that you are getting what you want, not what your travel agent wants.

Happy travels!

janisj

Get rid of the TA -- even IF she was competent, she is not serving her customer at all since you told her you don't want a tour.

I would have hung up on her the minute she trotted out the second tour suggestion.

And no, generally you do not save money on a tour. There can be reasons to take a tour, but economy is not one of them.

There is no place easier to visit independently than London / Paris (or even London/Amsterdam/Paris). Fly into London, train to Paris, fly home from paris. All you need to pre-book are the flights, one train journey, and two hotel rooms (and maybe a car service to get you in to London from the airport)

If you want to squeeze in Amsterdam (I only would w/ 14-15 days 'on the ground' plus the two flying days - Otherwise it is just too rushed IMO) : Fly to London, train to Paris, train to A'dam, fly home (or fly to London, fly to A'dam, train to Paris, fly home) Easy peasy.

Just try to avoid flying home from London because its departure fees are higher than the other two.

gailscout

Since you have found "us" on Fodors, you have a wealth of knowledge to form your own plans. Just seek out trip reports and questions relating to the cities you are visiting. Take notes and feel free to come back with questions.

In the 17 years I've been traveling to Europe, I have taken one tour, but 4 times to different cities and each time it was for a behind the scenes chocolate tour in various cities in Belgium, France, Italy and Spain led by my friend, David Lebovitz. Check for a walking tour, history tour or food tour that may take a few hours while you walk, bike or boat in the cities you are visiting - I find those to be very informative and scour the internet, RS & fodors forums for recommendations. Be your own boss and set your own schedule while you have fun planning with good advice from fodorites!

PalenQ

Booking your own transportation is easy - www.eurostar.com for trains London to Paris and www.thalys.com for Paris to Amsterdam- fly into London and out of Amsterdam (I always do this in reverse and it is even cheaper than a r.t. to London IMcase.

Book really early to score deep discounted tickets - do not just show up or you will pay hundreds of bucks more and DO NOT use a travel agent for these two train trips as you will pay more likely much more than if booking yourself online - very very easy for these two trips. For info on trains check www.seat61.com- great advice on discounted tickets; and general info - www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

For hotels use any of online hotel agencies like PriceLine, Hotels.com, etc.

It is easy to do this all on your own and once in a city if you want tours they are easily available - the open-top double-decker bus tours are a good way to orient yourself to the city - they circulate between main sights and you can get on and off all day and there is commentary en route.

mortay

Thank you for the feedback! I am going to book the trip myself. The forums have great information and I've already learned so much. I think I allowed the agent to temporarily plant doubt in my mind.

ElendilPickle

Mortay, now that you've decided to book the trip yourself, you'll find a wealth of information here and many helpful people.

The next time you post here, be sure to include your travel dates and how much you'd like to spend on lodging, food, etc. per day. You'll get the best information that way.

Lee Ann

Southam

This site draws do-it-yourselfers who naturally believe a complicated trip is a breeze to arrange on the Internet. Yes, it can be done, and my major hobby is planning my excursions. But let's be realistic: An inter-continental itinerary with several destination stops may consume a great deal of time and effort to arrange, especially if budget is a factor. I love it, but I have plenty of leisure to wrestle with the kinks and knots of the Internet. Do it -- but be prepared for the effort. It helps me to think, when the computer is sputtering over contradictory airline schedules, that my vacation began when I started planning rather than when I stepped onto the plane.

Kathie

Southam, yes, a novice may need lots of help with a complicated trip. This is not a complicated trip. Anyone who can plan travel within their home country can plan a trip to London and Paris and maybe Amsterdam.

PalenQ

Agree with Kathie - this trip is so simple - book airlines tickets, two hotels and two train rides. Piece of cake - guided tours could be as cheap but do you want to be a traveler or a tourist? I like to be both.

janisj

mortay: just in <i>case</i> -- on your other thread, please read the subsequent posts . . .

mortay

Thanks janisj!

PalenQ

repeat - booking those two train tickets ASAP - when they come online can yield huge savings over just showing up and paying oodles and oodles more.

PalenQ

I think I allowed the agent to temporarily plant doubt in my mind.>

Most agents know diddly about anything but selling group tours (which they often know nothing about) and this is understandable because they make profits these days largely off group tours - airline commissions have withered away but group tours still pay a decent commission so why would a travel agent say for this type of itinerary anyway 'you can also do this on your own'?

And not saying all group tours are bad and some folks only want to go on such tours - very understandable to me but to put them so much is just part of their job - if they don't sell enough tours they make little money these days I think.