I've only used a travel agent in booking a cruise. It is becoming clear that an agent would vastly simplify my life in figuring out rail passes, booking trains, and flights and perhaps in booking hotels. I've heard that these issues garner little if anything in the way of commissions. I don't foresee booking any tours and if I do, it would probably be on arrival in Netherlands or France. Is that right and does that mean travel agents are going to turn me away for making them do leg work for little in return? Any suggestions on ways to approach this.

Well jrask, I assume you work or did work and are retired.

And so consequently earned a living when you worked or did work.

Now why would anyone think that a Travel Agent would work without making money?

And the truth be known, TA's make very little money considering the time and effort that they put in.

With the www it is so easy for travellers to plan their own trip. People do it all the time.

If you want a TA I will assure you that whatever they charge you will be much less then the average traveller will work for.

message: <Is that right and does that mean travel agents are going to turn me away for making them do leg work for little in return?" any suggestions on ways to approach this>

Yes, I have a suggestion. One gets what one pays for. If you want a TA to plan every detail of your trip and make it so perfect that you do not have to do anything then pack and take the trip then be willing to pay the TA their going rate (which is probably much less then what you are willing to work for).

Happy travels!

I'm not a travel agent but I sometimes work as a travel consultant, and I can tell you that an agent's job is not only to handle the details but also to save you money. A good agent's/consultant's fee will almost always come out to be the same or less money than that person saves you in the end.
The way to approach it is to be willing to pay for their expertise or do it yourself.

jrask,
Any TA worth his/her salt will charge you a trip planning fee. The amount will vary from agency to agency. Agents earn very little from hotels and rail passes and nothing on flights, and leisure travel is very time consuming.
Hope you have a great time on your travels.
Judy

First of all, ask if they will handle everything, including trains. Some agencies only want air-hotel, and nothing else. Some will push you to pre-pay for sightseeing tours.

Once I was turned away for asking to book hotels only, no air, but this was when they still were getting air commission.

I actually went to vocational school to become a travel agent, way back before the web was even thought of! The reason I never became a travel agent? It is a very low paying job, unless one specializes in business travel (contracts with corporations) or goes into privately planned itineraries. Most of the agents you encounter in pleasure travel are in it for the perks not the money.

With that in mind, it never hurts to ask an agent to look into these things for you. But....be certain that you know exactly what you want, where you want to go, what type of hotels you want to stay in, and your budget. If they don't want the job, they'll let you know. I would never use an agent that wasn't in my neighborhood. I want to go into their office, sit down, and speak to them face to face. That way we can get to know each other and be on the same page.

An agent may be able to save you money. However, I would not look at this as simply leaving everything to the agent and you just show up at the airport. The agent will need your input to put the trip together. And yes, that can mean amost as much time involved as if you were to book things yourself.

Hi j,

The internet has made a TA's lot a sorrowful one.

You cannot expect a TA to work for free.

I'd be lost without my TA. She looks after flights, trains, cars and sometimes hotels (only the large chains). I give her a brief outline, she finds me the best deals/routings etc. including information on flights where I am most likely to get an upgrade to b/c (info which the public does NOT have access to. I probbaly change my plans about a dozen times before I leave and at least twice when I am away on a trip and I can depend on her doing all the work when I jsut can't.

For this I pay CAD$60 per ticket. I assume there is some bonus they get for hotels (BTW she has ALWAYS gets me a better rate on an hotel than the hotel direct, Expedia, Venere etc and I generally end up getting a room upgrade. She can find me real deals at top hotels that don't see to be available anywhere else.

Most TAs know little about independant travel in Europe, so for that you are either on your own or can use the services of a travel consultant.

I suggest you find an agenet and start to build a long-term relationship with them.

Thanks to all. Good to know there is hope. And I don't mind paying a fee or spending time with an agent if it means I'm not spinning my wheels by myself and still wondering if I missed something.

As to the more snide comment(s), I work longer hours than most and get paid accordingly. Unfortunately, that time means foreign travel, particularly since I'm new to this type of foreign travel, is more difficult to plan. People I'm talking to tell me that agents work by commission (no fee) and this was my past experience from the few agents I have dealt with. I'm happy to pay an agent's reasonable fee (now that I know that at least some have fees). Indeed, my concerns that the agent wants to make money was the very reason that I asked my question. Nor do I want the agent to plan every aspect so all I have to do is pack ... didn't my post specifically say that I only need help in deciphering the rail situation and perhaps issues like flights and hotels (moreso in case the agent insists on booking more than just rail)? The point of my post was merely to learn whether its worth me spending the time to look into an agent or whether I can expect them to turn me away for bringing little in the way of commissions.

The commentary about how you perceive me not wanting to spend my money or how I plan trips was unecessary.

Just have to add my two cents. My wife and I used a travel agent for two trips and found her to be very useful. While planning our last trip, my wife once again called this TA and asked her to help. She was unresponsive and eventually stopped returning my wife's calls. No explanation, nothing. She charged what we believed to be a very reasonable fee and we have no problem whatsoever paying TA fees. We are now in the market for a new TA, but aren't having much luck. Guess we'll go back to doing it ourselves.

Jrask ~ if you perceived anything I said to be demeaning, than I do apologize. I have used travel agents in the past and they have been very useful. And then I've had a few experiences that were less than stellar.

Different people travel differently. Some people just don't have the time to do all the research and planning that foreign travel can take. Not a slam, just a reality. Others have that time. If I could find a really good travel agent who is totally in tune with me, I would be more than happy to have him/her plan my trips! However, I'm too much of a control freak and would drive most agents nuts!

I would just strongly encourage you talk to several agents in your area before commiting to any particular one. Each one will bring his/her personality to your trip and you do not want an agent who is insistant on you taking the trip they want. (Some will do this) Once you feel comfortable with an agent, then hold onto them like gold! They are rare!

No matter what anyone here says, make your arrangements that suit you and gives you the best trip possible!

Just be sure that you get a quality agent who has actually spent a considerable amount of time traveling in europe. If he/she has not been everywhere = or almost everywhere - you are planning on going - they will probably be little real help.

And they will defiinitely want to book your hotels - one of the few ways they ever get substantial commisssion (if a large or chain hotel) or they will charge a fee per hotel (if it's a small place that doesn;t commission agents).

I have used a travel agent and he has done a good job for me. I have gone on line and checked some prices to try to see how competative he was. I decided at one time I wasn't going to use an agent and went on line looking for hotels, fares, etc. and before I knew it, it was five hours later. I just do not have the time. I'm certainly not the only one that is busy so maybe I'm just not as efficient as others, but I also have to plan way ahead for vacations, and my travel agent has just seemed to work for me. My SIL have been using the same travel agent for about 8 years now. She and my brother are budget travelers and they have been very pleased with their agent. I think like anything else, be careful who you use. I had another agent that I tried about 4 years ago and dropped her...wouldn't return my calls, never got me the information I asked for etc. The agent I have now is so much better. The agent should tell you what their fee process is before you even get started with them. Good luck.

Chele60

I appreciate the apology. I agree with you that I will maintain control of the planning. I've already taken care of planning destinations, things to do on particular days, etc. That's why I just needed help with some of the details - booking rail and finding a specific hotel within neighborhoods I've already decided on. I fully expect that the agent will try to advice on the amount of time and taking organized tours, but I tend to do that side of things on my own based on my own priorities.