Great trips start with great questions. Before you authorize payment or hand over passport details, take ten minutes to ask your travel agency the right things. These questions turn vague assumptions into clear expectations, helping you get the itinerary, value, and support you want—without surprises mid-journey.
1) What exactly is included—and excluded—in this quote?
Request a written breakdown that separates the core package (flights, hotels, transfers) from taxes, local fees, resort charges, city tourist taxes, optional tours, meals, and service fees. If flights are “subject to change until ticketed,” ask for the fare basis or class and how changes affect the price. Knowing the exclusions now prevents tough conversations at check-out later.
2) How flexible is the itinerary if my plans change?
Life happens. Confirm the change policy for each component: airline change fees plus fare differences, hotel penalty windows, tour rebooking terms, and transfer reassignments. Ask the agency to summarize the most restrictive rule you should be aware of—often a special-event or peak-season clause that tightens deadlines.
3) Who helps me during disruptions, and how do I reach them 24/7?
It’s 1 a.m., your flight is canceled, and the airline queue is an hour long. A strong agency provides a hotline or on-trip chat for urgent help, proactively monitors your bookings, and offers alternatives before you even call. Ask about response times, escalation paths, and whether there is a dedicated after-hours team.
4) Which suppliers will you book, and why those?
Your agency should choose partners based on reliability, value, and fit—not just price. Ask what makes a suggested hotel or tour operator right for you (neighborhood, amenities, style) and whether you’ll receive any extra benefits—breakfast, credits, upgrades subject to availability. Transparent reasoning builds confidence in the plan.
5) What are your service fees, and when are they charged?
It’s reasonable for an agency to charge for planning time, changes, or complex ticketing. What matters is clarity: Is there a trip design fee? Is it credited if I book? Are change requests billed per component or per session? Are fees refundable if the supplier refunds me? Understanding fees upfront keeps the relationship clean.
6) How do you protect my data and payment information?
You’ll share sensitive details, from passport numbers to medical notes. Ask how the agency collects information (secure forms, encrypted vaults), who can access it internally, and how long they retain documents. For payments, look for PCI-compliant processors and secure links rather than card details sent by email.
7) Do you recommend travel insurance for this itinerary? What are my options?
Request a neutral explanation of coverage tiers—trip cancellation, medical and evacuation, baggage, supplier default—and the key exclusions that tend to surprise travelers. If your credit card offers benefits, ask for help mapping overlaps and identifying gaps. The goal isn’t to buy the most expensive policy; it’s to avoid the most impactful uncovered risk for your trip.
8) Can you provide alternatives at different budget levels?
Options empower decisions. Ask for a “good-better-best” set that varies by location, star rating, or flight routing. If budget is tight, a creative agency may propose shifting dates, trading one short flight for a scenic rail leg, or staying in a lively neighborhood slightly outside the center for better value.
9) How do you approach sustainability and local impact?
If this matters to you, ask for a lighter-footprint variant: fewer short-haul flights, train where possible, certified lodgings, neighborhood stays that disperse crowds, and local guides paid fairly. A thoughtful agency can flag overtourism hot spots, suggest shoulder seasons, and propose slow-travel pacing that enhances your experience while reducing stress on local communities.
10) What is the timeline from proposal to booking to final documents?
Great process reduces anxiety. Request a simple timeline: proposal delivery, revision window, deposit date, ticketing, balance due, document issuance, and a pre-departure briefing. Clarify how you will receive everything—centralized itinerary app, PDFs, or both—and whether there’s an offline backup if you lose connection.
Bonus: What would you change if this were your own trip?
This question invites candor. Experienced consultants may suggest a shorter list of cities, a strategic splurge night, or an extra buffer day before a must-attend event. It can reveal where the magic of the trip actually lives—and where fatigue would creep in.
Putting it all together
Send the same ten questions to any agencies you’re comparing. The best partner will reply with clarity, specifics, and a tone that makes you feel looked after. When the unexpected happens on the road—and it will—you’ll be glad you chose a team that gave you straight answers from the start.