Help Guynemer find a travel agent

[Guynemer]

The LL and I are trying to plan our honeymoon, and seeing as neither of us have ever planned a major trip of any kind ever, we've decided we should seek the help of a travel agent.

However, since neither of us have done that either, I'm wondering just how one should go about such a thing. How much do they typically charge? Are they able to find much better deals than those that we could find on the internet ourselves? How can I find a really good one?

See, this is the downside of being in formal education until the age of 29. I've got no common sense whatsoever. But I can sure as **** treat your kid's asthma.

[SlowwHand]

Just use Expedia.

If you really are set on a travel agent, I THINK they get it from the suppliers of service.
I'm not positive so don't quote me.

[Zkribbler]

I've used Flight Centre with great success.

[Drake Tungsten]

A good travel agent can definitely find you better deals than you can get online. Unfortunately, the good travel agent I know is in Tokyo, which doesn't seem like much help to you. Sorry...

[SlowwHand]

http://www.thetravelinsider.info/2003/1003.htm

[Dis]

I think a more adventurous honeymoon would be just to wing it. Hitch a ride on the back of a semi truck. Sleep in hostels or cheap motels. Don't do tours, just walk around aimlessly.

[loinburger]

What kind of a trip are you planning? For a cross-country trip by car, AAA is ideal. For an international trip, I dunno -- the one international trip I went on (Canada doesn't count) I planned on my own (with the "assistance" of an idiot friend who was more hindrance than anything else). My parents have recently gone on two trips that were semi-planned with a travel agent (one to Italy, one to Costa Rica -- they're living it up now that there's not much risk of any of their kids suddenly moving back in with them), I can ask them how they went about it if you'd like.

Also, FWIW, my parents went camping on their honeymoon, and it rained the entire time. They say that they came damn close to getting a divorce in the middle of their honeymoon.

[Guynemer]

We're talking about either Hawaii or the Caribbean--St. Lucia in particular. Definitely the beach thing, possibly an all-inclusive sort of deal just so we can turn off our brains and alternately sit in the sun, walk on the beach, and rut like nymphomaniac rabbits.

[SlowwHand]

You'd relax more in the Caribbean, IMO.
Go to Hawaii and you'll probably end up wanting to stay on the move and seeing things more.

[loinburger]

I'll ask my parents for the name of their travel agent. IIRC you live in either Columbus or Cincinnati, correct? They live in Cincinnati, so I'm assuming that whatever agent they used would be appropriate for you. (They weren't entirely pleased with their Italy trip, since the "do crap as a group" part didn't sit very well with them, e.g., the meals arranged by the travel agency were inferior to the meals my parents arranged on their own. However, their only complaint about their trip to Costa Rica was that the roads were crappy, which was less an indictment of the travel agency and more an indictment of the crappiness of the roads in Costa Rica. Since you're planning a beach vacation, the Costa Rica travel agent would be a better match than the Italy travel agent).

[Zkribbler]

I disagree with Sloww. I lived in Hawaii for a year. You can see any of the islands there in a day. Okay, more if you really want to work at it.

Where you comin' from. If you're on the east coast, head for the Carribean. If you're on the west coast, head for Hawaii.

[Guynemer]

Yeah, we're in Columbus, loinburger.

Thanks for that article Sloww, it's helpful.

[Zkribbler]

Ah! The thing that makes a successful vacation from Columbus is to make sure you never go home again...ever.

[Arrian]

When I was planning our honeymoon to New Zealand, I think I found our travel agent by googling something like "travel agents new zealand" or somesuch. I found someone who advertised her experience planning trips to NZ. She did a good job.

I imagine there are a lot more people who have experience planning trips to Hawaii or the Carribean. Heck, you might even be ok doing it yourself (via expedia or some other travel website), or maybe via AAA travel.

-Arrian