escargot.travel prioritizes delivering a tailored travel experience based on your preferences, blending my expertise and our mutual respect for the magic of travel.
To meet your needs, I offer a range of services with corresponding pricing levels, ensuring protection for your investment and my time. You are not a faceless confirmation number. Your business is personal, and I’m honored to be a part of creating your lifelong memories, whether it is a Virtuoso Hotel-only booking (at no additional fee!), a long weekend escape or the trip of a lifetime.
For the most successful and streamlined experience, here’s what you can expect while working with me:
Step One: Inquire
The first step is to complete my inquiry form. Once I’ve received your form, I will reach out to schedule your complimentary call. Only inquiries submitted via website will be answered. To reduce the risk of missing an important message, I do not accept inquiries via social media or text message.
Step Two: Consultation
After receiving your inquiry form, I will send you an email with a link to schedule your complimentary call. During this call, we’ll discuss your preferences, whether it’s uncovering hidden gems or leaving room for spontaneity. We’ll also delve into your trip style and budget strategy. I’ve found that my clients are typically divided into two camps here: some prefer describing their travel style, allowing me to outline the cost and other clients have an approximate budget in mind already, desiring a customized trip, even with potential modifications to align with their travel investment amount.
To guide my clients, I’ve outlined the minimum investments required to deliver the caliber of travel experiences I take pride in offering:
- Europe: $1,000/day per person + flights
- Asia: $800 – $1,000/day per person + flights
- Africa: $1,800/day per person + flights
- Caribbean: $1,000/day per room booked + flights
Of course, some modifications are expected given changes in number of travelers (and if children are traveling, too), peak season, holidays and special events.
After our call, I’ll follow up with an email recap of our phone call and an invoice for my planning fee, starting at $295, if applicable.
Virtuoso Hotel-only bookings come with complimentary services and incur no planning fees. For simple trips like a weekend escape, the planning fee is different than that of a fully customized itinerary. To receive a personalized quote tailored to your unique travel requirements, please complete my inquiry form above.
Step Three: Proposal Review
I’ll combine takeaways from our phone call with my expertise and global connections to create a proposal option for you to review. My goal here is to create a trip that you’ll look forward to for months and remember for decades. Timely and thorough feedback is paramount during this phase to secure the components you desire and deserve!
Step Four: Confirm Your Itinerary
Once you approve your proposal, you will be invoiced for the deposit amount. Deposits and due dates are dependent on the proximity to the trip, as well as my partners on the ground in your destination.
Ready to Get Started?
Fill out a brief questionnaire by clicking the button below, and I’ll reach out to schedule a complimentary call or Zoom meeting.
FAQs
Why use a travel advisor instead of booking on your own?
Travel advisors play a crucial role in the travel industry, and our expertise and services continue to be highly valuable to our clients. While technology has made it easier for travelers to book certain aspects of their trips online, travel advisors bring first-hand knowledge, a high-touch experience, unmatched connections around the world and in-destination support.
How are your planning fees calculated?
By charging a planning fee, I can dedicate the necessary time and attention to detail to curate a personalized itinerary tailored to your preferences. My goal is to save you time, provide you with peace of mind, and ensure a seamless trip from start to finish. My planning fee, which starts at $295, is calculated based on the complexity of your trip. This includes the number of stops, number of travelers, number of nights, and vicinity of time to departure.
Do you get better rates than if I booked myself?
My goal is to ensure that you have the best experiences possible that is perfectly matched to your vision and interests. There are many times that I do have access to negotiated rates, but the real value is in how I can save you time, stress and frustration either prior to traveling or while actually on your trip.
I love planning! Can we still work together?
A lot of the fun is researching and creating anticipation for the destination before traveling. As a travel advisor, my goal is to enhance your travel experience and provide you with expert advice, personalized recommendations and insider knowledge that you may not find on your own. I consider this a collaborative experience. However, I do offer consultation calls at a rate of $150/hour to pick my brain! To schedule a consultation call, email me.
Why do you provide bundled package rates?
As a travel advisor, my focus is on curating comprehensive travel experiences rather than just providing individual component prices. I take a holistic approach to trip planning, considering various factors such as accommodations, transportation, activities, and additional services to create a seamless itinerary tailored to your preferences. By bundling these components together, I can leverage my industry relationships to secure the best overall value for your trip.
Do you work with VRBO and/or Airbnb?
I do not work with properties that are individually managed. I am unable to stand behind the quality of individually owned properties. If you are looking for options with shared space (like a living room), I can work with my partners to find vetted villas, apartments, and/or hotels that meet your needs.
What are some perks you can offer?
I have trained with Virtuoso, the world’s most prestigious luxury travel network. Through Virtuoso, I have access to more than 1,800 of the world’s best companies such as top hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, and more. Pairing my Virtuoso connections with my firsthand expertise, I craft customized trips for clients, including unique experiences, special values, complimentary perks, VIP treatment and rare access, including:
- Hotel + Resort benefits: Many Virtuoso properties offer perks such as room upgrades, $100 hotel credit, daily breakfast for two, early check-in and late check-out (based on availability)
- Cruise benefits: Through the Virtuoso Voyages program, travelers receive added benefits when they book through a Virtuoso travel advisor, including an on-board host and a private welcome reception. Even if you don’t choose a Virtuoso Voyage, I can help get you perks such as a shipboard credit, specialty dining options and sometimes even exclusive shore excursions.
- All the details are covered: I monitor your trip in real time to resolve any unexpected changes.
This is your trip- not mine. I am happy to work together with you to make it everything you want it to be!
What’s the deal with Travel Insurance? Is it necessary?
No, it’s not necessary.
But, in these days, it’s more useful than ever. We offer preferred travel insurance providers to ensure you get preferred pricing and comprehensive coverage for your upcoming trip.
Want to browse insurance options on your own? Click here.
I’m just interested in à la carte (like one hotel booking or airfare consultation). Can you help?
VIRTUOSO HOTEL BOOKING ONLY: NO Service Fee!
If you want to book most of your trip yourself but want to get access to Virtuoso benefits and other VIP perks at your hotel, I’m here to help.
Want to book your Virtuoso hotel fully on your own but take advantage of Virtuoso perks and benefits? Click here for an online booking tool.
MILES + POINTS AIRFARE CONSULTATION: Starts at $150/ticket
We love to see people making the most of their miles + points. When we travel personally, we always try to use at least a percentage of miles + points in our booking to help alleviate some of the costs.
But, booking flights with miles + points is hard. You may not know where to start or maybe you think you don’t have time to figure out the best deals.
I have in-depth knowledge and more than 10 years of experience in making the most of points. This service starts at $150 per person. The first step is letting me know what types of points you’re working with in the questionnaire linked below.
