Frequently Asked Questions

What do custom travel advisors do?

We design, book and oversee your personalized vacation by matching everything we know about you - your travel motivations, preferences, and desires - with our expert knowledge about destinations and travel experiences around the world.

How is Wanderful Journeys different from a travel agent?

Traditional travel agents are transaction focused - merely booking trips. At Wanderful Journeys we take a consultative approach to planning trips, investing time to get to know you. We work with you through all stages of your travel journey - beyond just reservations - from research and planning, to being your advocate on the road. We strive to be advisors for more than just your trip - we are here to help you create a lifelong portfolio of amazing travel experiences.

I want to travel domestically, should I still use a travel advisor?

Absolutely! Just because you don't need your passport, it doesn't mean we can't help you navigate the travel planning process. We LOVE helping clients explore great cities, national parks and hidden gems throughout the US. No matter your destination, Wanderful Journeys can help with any of your travel (or staycation!) plans.

Why should I book with Wanderful Journeys instead of doing it all myself?

Your time is precious, especially your vacation time. Trips are investments, and should be treated as such. You can easily spend hours upon hours researching destinations and accommodations on your own - with no guarantee of trip quality. We save you time and give you the peace of mind assurance that you will get a trip you will like, with all the details taken care of. Even better - we also give you access to insider experiences, VIP treatment and a truly tailored way to travel.

I love booking my own trips. Will it diminish my trip experience by booking through you?

Absolutely not! Each of our clients decide the level of involvement that is right for them, which can even vary from trip to trip. If you enjoy researching and planning your own trips, you’ll have a professional partner to validate your own research and offer insightful recommendations to ensure the trip matches your interests, budget and dreams. If you prefer having us handle all the details, great! That is what we're here for! Either way, you’ll enjoy quality, customized service resulting in your perfect trip.

Is it more expensive to book a trip through a travel advisor?

NO! The idea that booking through a travel advisor will cost you more is a big misconception that simply is not true - and our clients know better. Not only do we have access to the same pricing - if not better - to what's available online, but we can secure VIP benefits, amenities, upgrades and special access to promotions. The VALUE of the quality and personalization you receive is much higher than if you booked on your own, not to mention all of the hours of planning and booking you save.

So, then how are you compensated?

We are compensated through a mixture of planning fees and professional commissions paid directly by the hotel, airline, cruise or tour company. The commission prices are already built into retail prices, so the rates don't hold any additional expense to clients - in fact, we often can get you even better rates than if you were to book on your own! If commissions are not paid by a supplier, additional booking and ticketing fees may be applicable to manage reservations. These will all be explicitly communicated directly so there are no surprises along the way!

What type of clients do you work with?

Simply - anyone looking to travel! Our client list ranges from time strapped CEOs, honeymooners, grandparents looking for a multi-generational trip, family vacations, bachelor and bachelorette group trips, to solo travelers embarking on a grand adventure. What all of our clients have in common is that they are looking to explore the world and understand the value that our services provide.

What type of hotel benefits can I receive?

When booking with Wanderful Journeys, you become a VIP wherever you go. As members of Virtuoso and preferred partners with virtually every hotel affinity program, we are able to offer you exclusive opportunities, upgrades, and amenities that are not available through online travel websites or other agencies. The benefits will vary based on the hotel, but usually include room upgrades, complimentary daily breakfast, hotel credits for food/beverage and spa, early check-in, late check-out and other little gifts throughout your stay.

I only need a hotel for a night or weekend, should I just book direct?

You should have the best travel experience possible - no matter how long the stay is. No booking is too short for Wanderful Journeys to help make it as great as possible. When you book through a website or discount site, you are just a confirmation number in the hotel's eyes - making it more difficult to get the help you need if something goes wrong. Booking through Wanderful Journeys will ensure you the hotel knows YOU are staying for the night, working to provide you with the best room placement in hotels and making sure your stay goes as smoothly as possible.

Even short domestic trips help to provide us with a deeper understanding of your travel preferences and history, allowing us to be better advisors and matchmakers for your future travels - which allows you to have more enjoyable, seamless trips!

Will I still get points if I book through you?

Absolutely! Just be sure to provide us with your loyalty account numbers so we can add to any reservation. Some of preferred partnership rates, such as through Hilton Luxury Brands, even provide double points for members! Now who doesn't love that?!

Can I book hotels with points or miles?

As a former management consultant, I understand how important using points can be! Trips these days are not purely all points or cash, so Wanderful Journeys is happy to allow you to book some hotels with points on your own when part of a large trip itinerary - we just ask that you let us know during our initial 'Discover' call if you are planning to do so.

If you wish for us to make the reservation and manage on your behalf, a booking fee will be applied. Please note: hotel partner benefits are not applicable when booked with points.

Why shouldn't I just book with AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts?

Wanderful Journeys has access to all the same benefits (if not better!) as AMEX Fine Hotels and Resorts, so wouldn't you rather book with an actual person who will look after your reservation than a large corporate call center? Our reservations at preferred partner hotels get prioritized over Amex bookings, so you have a better chance of an upgrade with booking with Wanderful Journeys. As with every hotel booking, we will always reconfirm your reservation and VIP you so the hotel knows to expect you. Even more importantly, every booking we help you with gives us a better understanding of your travel history and preferences, to better help you with future trips and bookings.

Can you help me rent an apartment/villa through Airbnb?

While we have access to rental apartments and villas throughout the world, we do not specifically work with public rental sites such as Airbnb, VRBO or Homeaway as these offerings cannot be properly verified. Wanderful Journeys only uses verified, preferred partners for any villa, home or yacht rental. All partners we use personally visit every property that they offer, adding a layer of assurance that you are getting a legitimate, clean, and comfortable place. Our partners offer many various types of unique accommodations around the world - we would be happy to help you find the best rental for you.

What is included in your Trip Design rates?

Our Custom Trip Design services include full itinerary design and booking for all aspects of your trip including accommodation, transfers, car rental, tours and guides. The upfront planning fee covers:

• Initial consultation, time spent researching, developing and revising a proposal to create the perfect itinerary
• Booking and managing all trip components
• Access to VIP perks, preferred pricing and unique experiences
• Assistance selecting and purchasing travel insurance
• Complimentary liaising of requests to hotel concierge
• Destination information and general travel tips
• Support while traveling

Additional fees may apply for Air research, ticketing and dedicated Concierge Services. Please inquire for full details regarding Wanderful Journeys' rates and services.

How far in advance should I plan my vacation?

We love advance planners! For many of the world's bucket list destinations - such as Africa, Patagonia, the Galapagos, New Zealand, etc. - bookings can start to fill 12-15 months in advance. Same goes for December and January holiday vacations, certain cruises (especially smaller luxury ships / river boats / expedition ships) or if you are looking to take over a property for a special celebration. Overall though, we find that 6-9 months in advance is usually a good time for most trips to still have availability of the best guides and hotel space.

No matter when you approach us, to make the trip planning process most efficient, we do ask that you begin the 'Discover' process only when you are ready to book. We can always discuss general ideas to help hone specific trip ideas, but you should only approach us for a detailed proposal when you are ready to proceed with booking the trip.

What if I'm a last minute planner - can you help?

Of course! We love spontaneous trips, and will do everything in our power to ensure you get the best availability and itinerary possible. For trips leaving within 6 weeks of booking inquiry, our trip design rates will include a booking surcharge to ensure we can prioritize your immediate needs.

How long does it take to plan a trip?

In general, it normally takes around 7-10 business days after our initial 'Discover Call' for us to return the first draft of your customized itinerary proposal.

However, a variety of factors will impact the amount of time it takes until all trip components are booked and finalized. These include: complexity of the itinerary, how many suppliers we are coordinating with across the world, your timing, how many tweaks you would like to make to the initial proposal, etc.

To ensure a seamless and efficient process, we will always keep you updated with clear timeframes and next steps. In return, we ask that after our initial proposal is delivered, you review and respond thoroughly as soon as you can in order to prevent changes in avaialbility and pricing from impacting your travel options.

Do I need to have a budget in mind?

Budgets vary greatly depending on where you are going, the number of days and how active you want be, among other considerations. It is important that you go into our initial 'Discover' call with a general idea of your budget goals in order for us to match you with the best hotels and tour operators that will meet your needs. Most of our full-scale North American week long trips start around $7,000 (not including airfare), while our international trips usually begin at around $10,000 for 10-12 days of travel. This is not to say we can't plan trips for less, depending on the logistics or destination.

In order for us to provide the most value to your trip, we tend to work with our highly vetted luxury travel partners at 4 or 5 star properties, but will will always work to provide you with the best options given your budget - we just ask that you are clear from the start what that is.

Are my trip component costs be broken down for me?

Whenever possible in a proposal, we will break down prices for you to see what individual components of a trip will cost. This allows you to decide what components you may want to keep, and where you’d like to pare back. However, many of the top tour partners across the world negotiate confidential wholesale rates with their individual suppliers, and are contractually unable to break down costs for us when pricing a customized itinerary package. While they can sometimes provide overviews of category spending (e.g. amount you will spend on all hotels vs. all tours vs. all transfers), and will always be happy to tweak tour itineraries based on your feedback, they cannot legally share the individual negotiated rates of tours, drivers, or in some cases even hotels, with us.

Wanderful Journeys thoroughly vets all of our suppliers, and only works with those who we know are committed to negotiating fair prices for our client's incredible experiences. If line by line pricing is essential to you, please let us know in the 'Discover Call' so we can make sure to work with partners who will provide you with the level of transparency you desire.

What happens if my plans change after I book my trip?

Plans can change - and we get that. We will always advise you of the cancellation policies for your travel plans before you make any payments, and will remind you of key milestones as your travel plans get closer. Our trip design fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Other parts of your trip may also be non–refundable. For these amounts, we highly recommend purchasing a travel insurance plan. Discussing trip protection options is part of every trip design process, so you can evaluate your options before committing to any non-refundable costs.

What happens if I run into an issue during travel?

Never fear! We are here to help! If you have any issues at all during your travels, you will have our contact information so you can reach out directly right away. We will do our best to support you and resolve any issues expediently. We will also always arm you with local in-country contacts such as your hotel, embassy, tour operator, or guide (if applicable).

Should I get travel insurance?

YES. YES. YES. Travel is an investment - we always recommend the purchase of travel protection coverage to protect that investment in the event something unforeseen occurs that impacts your travel prior to or during your vacation.

While you always plan to go on your trip and for everything to go smoothly, insurance is there to protect you from things that are outside of your control. Bush fires, hurricanes, volcano eruptions, terrorism attacks, coronavirus - there have been SO many completely unforeseen issues that have arisen in the past few years that are covered only if insurance has been purchased. Travel insurance also provides coverage in the event of a medical emergency away from home - which you don't want to be without. Even a little slip and twist of your ankle can devastate a trip, but travel insurance is there to help.

Insurance also covers flight delays, missed connections, labor strikes and lost baggage - small things beyond your control that can derail a trip. Further, it protects against supplier default and inability to travel for work related reasons. Full details as to how to cover your trip will be discussed in every trip 'Design' phase. We will happily provide you with a policy quote from our preferred providers and answer any questions you may have.

If you are traveling to remote locations or countries with limited infrastructure, we also suggest enhanced medical evacuation coverage from MedJet Assist.

We understand that some people are more risk averse than others, so if you decide not to cover yourself with travel insurance, we will ask you to sign a waiver stating this.