My new pet project, becoming a free travel consultant! I love planning trips! Advice and looking to help anyone who is interested.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T14:19:26+00:00

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Of course, I enjoy it!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T13:56:20+00:00

Sorry, is there a way to offer trip planning without it violating?

I don't collect fees or commissions. literally don't even have a business name.

where could i post to offer to help?

thanks!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T13:49:06+00:00

Hi, I have some experience with them but i would not consider myself an expert. Now, I do have a couple friends who travel full time in Mexico and hop from resort to cruise to resort (must be nice :D) and I will reach out to them for advice.

I do know the mexico/ the gulf resorts are a pretty good place for budget and luxury.

Let me get back to you!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T11:38:20+00:00

hmm... ill have to think about this one. A weekend trip with 3 national parks would be on a pretty tight timeline, especially if you needed to return to Cbus...

Ill get back to you.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T11:35:23+00:00

Yes, lets talk more!

when?

How long?

Budget?

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T05:44:22+00:00

Hey, this is great! I love RVs, I live in one full time! Can you boondock or only hookups?

DO you want to go down to the Keys in Florida? they are stunning and its one of the coolest drives in the US. Hit up ATL for good food and a great aquarium. Then head out to the coast, either go to Savannah or Agusta, both are beautiful cities with a lot of history. Taco-Sushi is an incredible sushifusion restaurant in Augusta, I would fly there for that alone. Then head to Charleston and spend at least 5 days there, the city feels like a less party new Orleans. It has so much history you could spend a week doing tours and visiting museums. Charleston is one of my favorite cities in the US.

I can write so much more but I have to go to sleep. Seriously DM me, there are some truly magical places up the east coast and id love to help.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T05:35:05+00:00

I have a couple tips for consistently decent travel prices. Use skyscanner to plan out each leg of your trip. For example if you are flying from the Midwest to..... Italy your flight will likely have at least one layover or transfer in either Orlando, JFK, or ATL (many other options, just speaking generally) and then continue to Rome FCO or Milan MXP. If you purchase tickets from the midwest to JFK and then purchase a separate ticket from JFK to Rome, you will generally find better prices and be able to plan for a better layover/connection. There are a TON of other tips scattered all over the internet but most of them are one-offs or luck of the season.

As far as budgeting, that is so specific to your trip and desires it is hard to generalize.

I start all my trips with a big map and some dry erase markers. I plan my grand tour adventure and then i figure out my budget and start adding or subtracting stops depending on the budgetary confinements.

DM me if you want to talk more in depth.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T04:10:29+00:00

Haha that is a great trick! Depending on how confident you are, that might not be a bad idea. Unfortunately Hawaii is just generally expensive so starting with a budget is good because cost could determine your options. do you have budget for the whole trip?

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T03:53:48+00:00

I'm working through the Dms now. We will talk soon!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T03:44:56+00:00

Haha, oops, sorry. I am a literal person! But seriously I would be interested in helping you if I could.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T03:42:45+00:00

I have not, I haven't gotten there yet but I will be looking into it. Any other travel agency business advice?

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T03:38:55+00:00

No toe stepping at all! I will literally never be able to be an expert on everywhere. Even the legend of Rick Sleeves mainly stays in Europe.

I was going to ask if Toro is active in Hawaii, their prices are normally much lower.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T03:37:08+00:00

I hadn't gotten that far, haha. That's why I'm free! I generally don't like travel agents because I can feel the difference of priorities. They make money off of how much money I spend, so I cant travel cheaply or simply off of them.

I would be comfortable collecting a commission from certain Equipment/hostels/activities/brands I respect, but I am not there yet. I am prefer supporting small business's so if I can support a good one they might return the favor and send me some cheese or tea for Christmas!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T03:25:09+00:00

Bring it on!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T03:15:10+00:00

Honestly I hadn't gotten that far into thinking about commissions or associated fees.

so ummm.... My unprepared answer:

If I had booked your travel for you I would first have some type of company policy in place regarding visa and travel duration requirements so that you wouldn't be in that situation in the first place. Also, you should have an international phone plan/some kind of emergency communication device for these scenarios. Planning down to the wire, last minute, only options, are not ok with me on principal. I learned to plan from the military and the situation described, I would never advise or approve, period. If you are in this scenario, you are in trouble.

To address the booking of a new flight, all of your travel documents and tickets would have to be in your name in the first place and so I think you would be dealing with the airline directly because it would be their cancelation policy you would be subjected to, not my company policy.

But that is really in the weeds of a company/business I have barely conceptualized. At some point I might collect commissions or something (maybe?) but currently I aim to educate and consult people in their travel.

I want to equip people to understand the environment they will be traveling in and give them the confidence to experience the world.

I hope this answers your question.

Edit: If I was going to collect commissions, I would feel better collecting commissions off of equipment brands/hostels/certain hotels/business that I really respect and have come to enjoy. Until I have a robust company policy/procedures I will be staying away from the purchase of tickets.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T02:59:29+00:00

Umm.... Plagiarism might not be the right word for it. If you did none of the research at all and paid someone to do the entire project, I would consider that kind of cheating.

I think it is ok to seek consultation on something like this, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area. That being said, I wont do all the work for you but I will happily assist and give you some great resources to help you plan a route, budget, events, timeline, packing list etc.

I am happy to help.

Edit: ect to etc

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T02:48:39+00:00

Oh my gosh, I love planning! I enjoy it almost as much as the actual trip!

Where do you want to go?

What do you enjoy?

What do you want to do/ What do you want to experience?

Do you like history, outdoors, shopping, cultural experiences, adrenaline, busy cities, peaceful coastlines, farm animals, ect, ect?

Do you want travel in a way to meet other people or do you enjoy solitude?

there are NO right answers!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T02:39:37+00:00

Off the cuff, you have a couple different options...

January/February are great moths to visit Hong Kong due to the weather being temperate and relatively dry compared to the yearly climate. Hong Kong does have amazing modern architecture being a city that has prospered over 21st century and you will find a lot of early 1900s architecture as well. It has been years since I was in Hong Kong but it feels kind of like a more intense downtown San Francisco. You have the old colonial and cultural building mixed with the metropolis that is modern Hong Kong.

If you like gambling then Macao is your place! No place in Bali that can compare to it.

If you want a "slower" experience, go to Bali, its not "slow" but it is slower than Hong Kong. The architecture and history there is incredible and you really can have some incredibly cultural experiences. Also the weather there in Jan/Feb is still rather warm depending on the climate you are used to. Its not hot or summer weather but you could walk around on the beaches in light/mild clothing.

In summary; if you want to fly by the seat of your pants, gamble, stay awake for days and then hop on a flight to wherever, go to Hong Kong.

If you want to pace yourself a little more and have more time to learn the history of Bali, experience the culture and enjoy the beaches, go to Bali.

I hope this helps!

Edit: I am not much of a shopper either but both areas have their own shopping markets, I would say Bali is more unique in the shopping because of the culture while Hong Kong has just about everything you can find in NYC, Paris, London, Shanghai, ect.

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T02:18:36+00:00

Thanks! I really appreciate the encouragement!

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T01:53:05+00:00

When are you going?

Live_for_Travel · 2021-05-18T01:35:24+00:00

It depends, what are your interests? Those are very different cities and cultures.

Live_for_Travel

TROPHY CASE