Best websites to book vacations. Please help with any suggestions for a destination. I suck at this. (1 Viewer)

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I suck at this. Im in charge of planning a vacation. I get overwhelmed and since I havent done much traveling in the past 20 years Im totally cluless on where to go, what would be fun or safe. Looking for ideas to plan a trip with my family Wife, two 18 year old girls, my parents and myself. I didnt want to hickjack the other threads.


What are the best websites to check availability?
Do you recommend finding a travel agent?
NOT looking to go to Disney
My parents are mobile but theyre not going on any hiking or intensive type stuff.
No Cruises

All inclusive sounds good but I have no idea. Mexico safe? Dustin Florida?

We like getting up early, getting absolutely hammered on the beach and going out for great food. Rinse and repeat.

Budget per person is roughly $3k each but under would be cool too.
Must be within walking distance of a beach but would prefer to be on the beach.

 

[bcat01]

I suck at this. Im in charge of planning a vacation. I get overwhelmed and since I havent done much traveling in the past 20 years Im totally cluless on where to go, what would be fun or safe. Looking for ideas to plan a trip with my family Wife, two 18 year old girls, my parents and myself. I didnt want to hickjack the other threads.


What are the best websites to check availability?
Do you recommend finding a travel agent?
NOT looking to go to Disney
My parents are mobile but theyre not going on any hiking or intensive type stuff.
No Cruises

All inclusive sounds good but I have no idea. Mexico safe? Dustin Florida?

We like getting up early, getting absolutely hammered on the beach and going out for great food. Rinse and repeat.

Budget per person is roughly $3k each but under would be cool too.

Sounds like you need a travel agent. They do not charge you and can often get a better deal. I have booked All Inclusives with Lindsey Johnson at https://www.tropicstravelagency.com/ and she always beats the best price I could find.

 

[MTskibum]

VRBO a house in pensacola right on the beach with a swimming pool, the below only uses up 7,000 out of your 18k budget for a week.

Use the rest of the money on dining out, maybe look to rent a charter boat one day, etc.

Private Custom Home w/Pool 2 Min Walk to the Beach! Just Peachy! - Navarre

Just Peachy - $416 avg/night - Navarre - Amenities include: Swimming pool, Internet, Air conditioning, TV, Satellite or cable, Washer & dryer, Parking, No smoking, Heater ✓ Bedrooms: 4 ✓ Sleeps: 10 ✓ Minimum stay from 2 night(s) ✓ Bookable directly online - Book vacation rental 2115718 with Vrbo.

www.vrbo.com

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

I suck at this. Im in charge of planning a vacation. I get overwhelmed and since I havent done much traveling in the past 20 years Im totally cluless on where to go, what would be fun or safe. Looking for ideas to plan a trip with my family Wife, two 18 year old girls, my parents and myself. I didnt want to hickjack the other threads.


What are the best websites to check availability?
Do you recommend finding a travel agent?
NOT looking to go to Disney
My parents are mobile but theyre not going on any hiking or intensive type stuff.
No Cruises

All inclusive sounds good but I have no idea. Mexico safe? Dustin Florida?

We like getting up early, getting absolutely hammered on the beach and going out for great food. Rinse and repeat.

Budget per person is roughly $3k each but under would be cool too.

Sounds like you need a travel agent. They do not charge you and can often get a better deal. I have booked All Inclusives with Lindsey Johnson at https://www.tropicstravelagency.com/ and she always beats the best price I could find.

Quote request sent. Thanks!

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

VRBO a house in pensacola right on the beach with a swimming pool, the below only uses up 7,000 out of your 18k budget for a week.

Use the rest of the money on dining out, maybe look to rent a charter boat one day, etc.

Private Custom Home w/Pool 2 Min Walk to the Beach! Just Peachy! - Navarre

Just Peachy - $416 avg/night - Navarre - Amenities include: Swimming pool, Internet, Air conditioning, TV, Satellite or cable, Washer & dryer, Parking, No smoking, Heater ✓ Bedrooms: 4 ✓ Sleeps: 10 ✓ Minimum stay from 2 night(s) ✓ Bookable directly online - Book vacation rental 2115718 with Vrbo.

www.vrbo.com

VERY nice, thanks!

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Anyone else have any suggestions on a destination?

I should have added we require a beach within walking distance, if not directly on the beach.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Anyone else have any suggestions on a destination?

I should have added we require a beach within walking distance, if not directly on the beach.

You're in Maryland, right? Book an AI in Mexico through Cancun. The beaches are at the whim of Mother Nature for sargassum, but it's a quick flight and it's relatively inexpensive.

 

[Drunken knight]

Might be good for your group:

Hotel Xcaret México | Home

Discover a Hotel Xcaret México at Riviera Maya.

www.hotelxcaretmexico.com

 

[Drunken knight]

Also

Occidental at Xcaret – Riviera Maya – Occidental Xcaret Resort All Inclusive

www.occidentalgrandxcaret.com

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

I suck at this. Im in charge of planning a vacation. I get overwhelmed and since I havent done much traveling in the past 20 years Im totally cluless on where to go, what would be fun or safe. Looking for ideas to plan a trip with my family Wife, two 18 year old girls, my parents and myself. I didnt want to hickjack the other threads.


What are the best websites to check availability?
Do you recommend finding a travel agent?
NOT looking to go to Disney
My parents are mobile but theyre not going on any hiking or intensive type stuff.
No Cruises

All inclusive sounds good but I have no idea. Mexico safe? Dustin Florida?

We like getting up early, getting absolutely hammered on the beach and going out for great food. Rinse and repeat.

Budget per person is roughly $3k each but under would be cool too.

Sounds like you need a travel agent. They do not charge you and can often get a better deal. I have booked All Inclusives with Lindsey Johnson at https://www.tropicstravelagency.com/ and she always beats the best price I could find.

I highly encourage the use of a travel agent, especially if they specialize in the type of vacation that you are looking for (Sun and Fun, Europe, Cruising, Safari, etc).

I have worked in the travel industry for 30 years, and have met thousands of travel agents. With the exception of those that are new to the business, they are all VERY well traveled and have experienced the destinations, resorts, cruise lines, restaurants, etc personally. That makes a HUGE difference when they are working to ensure that your money is being spent wisely. The worst vacation is when your expectations don't match the money that is being spent. A good travel agent's ability to qualify their clients and determine the what/where/how much can make a difference in how enjoyable your vacation ends up being.

 

[Hawks64]

Anyone else have any suggestions on a destination?

I should have added we require a beach within walking distance, if not directly on the beach.

You're in Maryland, right? Book an AI in Mexico through Cancun. The beaches are at the whim of Mother Nature for sargassum, but it's a quick flight and it's relatively inexpensive.

Make sure you stay on hotel row, or near hotel row. The beaches that are south like in Riveria Maya aren't nearly as nice and have way more of the stink seaweed.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Not sure if you’re looking for big hotel, touristy, convenience etc but if not Vieques is one of my favorite places on earth. Renting a house and jeep and getting away from tourist hotspots is amazing.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

I suck at this. Im in charge of planning a vacation. I get overwhelmed and since I havent done much traveling in the past 20 years Im totally cluless on where to go, what would be fun or safe. Looking for ideas to plan a trip with my family Wife, two 18 year old girls, my parents and myself. I didnt want to hickjack the other threads.


What are the best websites to check availability?
Do you recommend finding a travel agent?
NOT looking to go to Disney
My parents are mobile but theyre not going on any hiking or intensive type stuff.
No Cruises

All inclusive sounds good but I have no idea. Mexico safe? Dustin Florida?

We like getting up early, getting absolutely hammered on the beach and going out for great food. Rinse and repeat.

Budget per person is roughly $3k each but under would be cool too.
Must be within walking distance of a beach but would prefer to be on the beach.

There are tons of all-inclusive in Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, etc. that may fit your needs. They vary widely in cost and quality. Hence, the need to find a good travel agent that specializes in all-inclusive. While it’s not required, finding a travel agent that is local to you may make the most sense. Strangely enough, destinations vary based on your own location i.e. Mid-westerners LOVE all-inclusive, thus a Midwest travel agent is probably more familiar with them then a Florida-based agent that is probably more familiar with cruising. I’m brushing with a broad stroke here, but you get what I’m saying.

Where are you located? I may be able to steer you in the right direction in finding a good agent. DM me.

 

[NajehHejan]

I suck at this. Im in charge of planning a vacation. I get overwhelmed and since I havent done much traveling in the past 20 years Im totally cluless on where to go, what would be fun or safe. Looking for ideas to plan a trip with my family Wife, two 18 year old girls, my parents and myself. I didnt want to hickjack the other threads.


What are the best websites to check availability?
Do you recommend finding a travel agent?
NOT looking to go to Disney
My parents are mobile but theyre not going on any hiking or intensive type stuff.
No Cruises

All inclusive sounds good but I have no idea. Mexico safe? Dustin Florida?

We like getting up early, getting absolutely hammered on the beach and going out for great food. Rinse and repeat.

Budget per person is roughly $3k each but under would be cool too.

Sounds like you need a travel agent. They do not charge you and can often get a better deal. I have booked All Inclusives with Lindsey Johnson at https://www.tropicstravelagency.com/ and she always beats the best price I could find.

Trying to find ideas for a quick mid October get away to the Caribbean. Going to hit up Lindsey Johnson - this is exactly what I was looking for - a seasoned vet who offers great value - thanks for the tip, will let you know how I fare!

 

[Goldminer1]

I am a teacher, so while I'm not broke, I'm not rolling in the bucks either, but I manage to be fairly well traveled.

Websites:

Flights: Kiwi - By far the best "cross-reference" site I've found. You can even put your desination as something like Departure: New York Arrive: Europe instead of a specific city. That can be really helpful if you're just interested in getting to an "area" and then making more specific plans from there. If you've never used Kiwi, give it a shot, and "explore" the search tools, sometimes you can find stuff that other sites didn't show you. Also, as a budget traveler, I research budget air carriers. I've had good experiences with Norse Airlines for example. They only fly Dreamliners, that are essentially brand new, and while it isn't exactly a first class experience, if you can handle a regular Delta flight in the U.S., you can handle something like Norse. And, as much as people complain about airlines, outside of extreme circumstances, you're looking at maybe 8-10 hours of being on a plane, you'll live.

Rooms: Booking - I've used Air Bnb a number of times, but it continues to become more of a hassle and more expensive by the day. At this point, a good budget hotel is preferable to an Air Bnb, especially if you're traveling with just a few people. I love the fact that on Booking, you can reserve a room without paying right away, but it locks in your rate. So, if you know "I'm going to Paris this Summer." You can book a room now, and save for it, up until you leave. This can result in huge savings, as you can avoid paying higher rates as your travel dates get closer.

Cruises - CruisesOnly - It isn't perfect, and I actually always book with the line itself, but to do a search, I uses CruisesOnly, its search feature has several helpful filters you can use and makes it easier to compare different cruises. If you want some more in-depth coverage on cruises - CruiseCritic - is the spot. CruiseCritic has forums that are active and can help provide more detailed information about ports, that sometimes don't have easily discoverable information about them.

Research: Culture Trip - This site has undergone some recent changes and doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be in the past, but I still will do searches for things like "Restaurants in Barcelona - Culture Trip" and it will bring up their article. I've used recommendations from the website dozens of times, and never have I walked away thinking "that sucked."

 

[Orange&Blue]

I am a teacher, so while I'm not broke, I'm not rolling in the bucks either, but I manage to be fairly well traveled.

Websites:

Flights: Kiwi - By far the best "cross-reference" site I've found. You can even put your desination as something like Departure: New York Arrive: Europe instead of a specific city. That can be really helpful if you're just interested in getting to an "area" and then making more specific plans from there. If you've never used Kiwi, give it a shot, and "explore" the search tools, sometimes you can find stuff that other sites didn't show you. Also, as a budget traveler, I research budget air carriers. I've had good experiences with Norse Airlines for example. They only fly Dreamliners, that are essentially brand new, and while it isn't exactly a first class experience, if you can handle a regular Delta flight in the U.S., you can handle something like Norse. And, as much as people complain about airlines, outside of extreme circumstances, you're looking at maybe 8-10 hours of being on a plane, you'll live.

Rooms: Booking - I've used Air Bnb a number of times, but it continues to become more of a hassle and more expensive by the day. At this point, a good budget hotel is preferable to an Air Bnb, especially if you're traveling with just a few people. I love the fact that on Booking, you can reserve a room without paying right away, but it locks in your rate. So, if you know "I'm going to Paris this Summer." You can book a room now, and save for it, up until you leave. This can result in huge savings, as you can avoid paying higher rates as your travel dates get closer.

Cruises - CruisesOnly - It isn't perfect, and I actually always book with the line itself, but to do a search, I uses CruisesOnly, its search feature has several helpful filters you can use and makes it easier to compare different cruises. If you want some more in-depth coverage on cruises - CruiseCritic - is the spot. CruiseCritic has forums that are active and can help provide more detailed information about ports, that sometimes don't have easily discoverable information about them.

Research: Culture Trip - This site has undergone some recent changes and doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be in the past, but I still will do searches for things like "Restaurants in Barcelona - Culture Trip" and it will bring up their article. I've used recommendations from the website dozens of times, and never have I walked away thinking "that sucked."

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

Cruises - CruisesOnly - It isn't perfect, and I actually always book with the line itself, but to do a search, I uses CruisesOnly, its search feature has several helpful filters you can use and makes it easier to compare different cruises. If you want some more in-depth coverage on cruises - CruiseCritic - is the spot. CruiseCritic has forums that are active and can help provide more detailed information about ports, that sometimes don't have easily discoverable information about them.

@Goldminer1 I'm curious as to why you don't use a travel agent to book your trip for you? Most of the time they can provide more amenities (Onboard Credit, Gratuities, etc.) than the cruise line will provide directly. By having a good relationship with a competent travel advisor, they will usually reach out to you when they find the best deal or can provide something extra. They are also usually a better advocate for you if something goes wrong, especially with an established company like CruisesOnly.

 

[Goldminer1]

I don't book through travel agents, for a number of reasons. I thought of 4.

1) I don't like the e-mails back and forth. They are more of a hassle than just booking it myself. It takes 15 minutes to book a flight or a cruise. If I use a travel agent, I either am forced to talk to someone on the phone or am sending e-mails back and forth about this rate or that rate, that they "found" for me.

2) I know what I like and am looking for in a travel experience, having a travel "expert" that I chit-chatted with for 10 minutes, attempting to book a vacation for me, seems silly. Nobody knows what I want, better than I do (as long as I research - which I do).

3) If something goes wrong, and I need to work with a company I booked something with, I can advocate for myself. It might take an extra phone call to get to the "level" that a travel agent has immediate access too, but that still doesn't feel like its enough of a reason to add an extra step to the entire thing.

4) I also have gotten to the point where I have grown tired of getting endless e-mails anytime I buy something from someone online. I know that my most vaulable asset to a travel agent is my information/data/future bookings all of which are pushed by the agent via e-mails with "exciting offers" that I probably have 0 interest in pursuing.

I know for some people a travel agent is very helpful, like the elderly or non-'tech' savvy people - or even - on the other side of the coin, those with larger budgets than mine, that just want "everything done for them, here is my credit card number." I don't fall into any of those categories, so I just do it myself.

 

[waiver wire]

I am a travel agent and travelled internationally without using a TA .
Now that I am in this side , there are benefits to using a TA.
Usually part of a consortium so can have perks for cruises, river cruises and hotels that consumers wont get and sometimes upgrades for all inclusive but a bit rarer now as they are pretty full.
Also the consortium can have lower price at times because they bought group space.
Access to the reps, bdm's and other TA's so know whats going on at that moment to advise you for a better choice and deal with any problems when they arise.

 

[Goldminer1]

In my experience a lot of the "deals" that travel agents find aren't really deals at all. For example, maybe there are two rooms at the Golden Horseshoe in Las Vegas that are sold at rack rate, for $600 night. My travel agent then sends me an offer for a room for $102 a night and says "I have deals that are 82% off at the Golden Horseshoe this weekend!" When in reality, everbody else, is paying $102 as well, but it sounds better to compare the rate they're "getting" for me to some fantasy rate that nobody will ever actually pay.

I also seem to find that a lot of the discounts & perks that travel agents can get, are often only reserved for people booking certain "levels" of rooms or amentities to begin with. Which is the same as booking through a cruise line or resort itself, anyway.

If I'm booking the most expensive cabin on a cruise, I can probably get $500 in on-board credit, but if I book an "inside-cabin guarantee" I get $0 on-board credit. But when that e-mail from a travel agent shows up, it reads - "$500 in on-board credit - this weekend only!" Then when you investigate, that offer is only valid if I'm already spending more money than I wanted too, anyway.

Like I said, I have nothing against travel agents. I just don't think they are all that helpful - to me -. And that is fine, not everybody has to get a gym membership to work out, either.

 

[Orange&Blue]

my $.02 of anecdotal evidence, travel agents are great if not experienced at traveling or going somewhere truly different than your previous experiences. i do think their ability to find deals has diminished lately.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

In my experience a lot of the "deals" that travel agents find aren't really deals at all. For example, maybe there are two rooms at the Golden Horseshoe in Las Vegas that are sold at rack rate, for $600 night. My travel agent then sends me an offer for a room for $102 a night and says "I have deals that are 82% off at the Golden Horseshoe this weekend!" When in reality, everbody else, is paying $102 as well, but it sounds better to compare the rate they're "getting" for me to some fantasy rate that nobody will ever actually pay.

I also seem to find that a lot of the discounts & perks that travel agents can get, are often only reserved for people booking certain "levels" of rooms or amentities to begin with. Which is the same as booking through a cruise line or resort itself, anyway.

If I'm booking the most expensive cabin on a cruise, I can probably get $500 in on-board credit, but if I book an "inside-cabin guarantee" I get $0 on-board credit. But when that e-mail from a travel agent shows up, it reads - "$500 in on-board credit - this weekend only!" Then when you investigate, that offer is only valid if I'm already spending more money than I wanted too, anyway.

Like I said, I have nothing against travel agents. I just don't think they are all that helpful - to me -. And that is fine, not everybody has to get a gym membership to work out, either.

Fair points. I don't agree with all of them but I respect your reasoning. You are right in that if you are booking what is essentially a commodity at this point like air/car/hotel, it probably doesn't make as much sense to use an agent. If you are interested in something a little more complex like an African Safari, an multi-leg trip to Asia, a destination wedding etc, having a trusted travel adviser who is familiar with these options is a no-brainer.

And you are also correct that if you are looking to book the absolute cheapest available option, doing it on your own may work out best, and will most likely get fewer, if any, additional benefits from a travel advisor.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

my $.02 of anecdotal evidence, travel agents are great if not experienced at traveling or going somewhere truly different than your previous experiences. i do think their ability to find deals has diminished lately.

You are correct if you only consider a "deal" to be something that is priced lower than what is publically available. However, travel agents can provide intrinsic added value that isn't always seen in the final price. And I'm not saying that all agents are valued the same either so YMMV. Having a good agent who looks out for you, has access to a large consortium that can provide additional amenities/cash back, will work endlessly for you if plans change and you are stuck somewhere, etc. is invaluable. That compares to an agent that does the bare minimum and is only there to facilitate a transaction. I've seen examples of both.

 

[Tecumseh]

I used a travel agent for my trip to Costa Rica next week. We’re staying in 3 different cities, and the logistics were just easier than trying to handle everything myself.

 

[msudaisy26]

Travel agents are nice, but double check the flight prices they go for most convenient and not most cost efficient. So if you don't mind a short layover or not getting to pick your seats you can save a few bucks.

If you are doing it yourself then use the hotel/resort website or call them. Don't use a third party like Priceline or whatever. Same for flights.

Mexico is great. It is pricey, but Moon Palace is pretty nice.

 

[Orange&Blue]

my $.02 of anecdotal evidence, travel agents are great if not experienced at traveling or going somewhere truly different than your previous experiences. i do think their ability to find deals has diminished lately.

You are correct if you only consider a "deal" to be something that is priced lower than what is publically available. However, travel agents can provide intrinsic added value that isn't always seen in the final price. And I'm not saying that all agents are valued the same either so YMMV. Having a good agent who looks out for you, has access to a large consortium that can provide additional amenities/cash back, will work endlessly for you if plans change and you are stuck somewhere, etc. is invaluable. That compares to an agent that does the bare minimum and is only there to facilitate a transaction. I've seen examples of both.

hence the reason for the first part of my post

 

[cj*]

Southwest Vacations has worked for us pretty well for our last couple Cancun/DR vacations. We really enjoyed Excellence Riviera Cancun and Excellence Punta Cana. The excellence brands are a little more expensive but you get what you pay for in the Caribbean. With 3k pp you should have your pick of most resorts in Mexico.

 

[styleride85]

I don't book through travel agents, for a number of reasons. I thought of 4.

1) I don't like the e-mails back and forth. They are more of a hassle than just booking it myself. It takes 15 minutes to book a flight or a cruise. If I use a travel agent, I either am forced to talk to someone on the phone or am sending e-mails back and forth about this rate or that rate, that they "found" for me.

2) I know what I like and am looking for in a travel experience, having a travel "expert" that I chit-chatted with for 10 minutes, attempting to book a vacation for me, seems silly. Nobody knows what I want, better than I do (as long as I research - which I do).

3) If something goes wrong, and I need to work with a company I booked something with, I can advocate for myself. It might take an extra phone call to get to the "level" that a travel agent has immediate access too, but that still doesn't feel like its enough of a reason to add an extra step to the entire thing.

4) I also have gotten to the point where I have grown tired of getting endless e-mails anytime I buy something from someone online. I know that my most vaulable asset to a travel agent is my information/data/future bookings all of which are pushed by the agent via e-mails with "exciting offers" that I probably have 0 interest in pursuing.

I know for some people a travel agent is very helpful, like the elderly or non-'tech' savvy people - or even - on the other side of the coin, those with larger budgets than mine, that just want "everything done for them, here is my credit card number." I don't fall into any of those categories, so I just do it myself.

Same. I'm anti-travel agent and love planning my own stuff, and feel I can do it way better/cheaper than a TA can anyways.

 

[NutterButter]

I used a travel agent for my trip to Costa Rica next week. We’re staying in 3 different cities, and the logistics were just easier than trying to handle everything myself.

If you're not renting a car, I would agree more b/c that's a lot of ride scheduling.

 

[Tecumseh]

I used a travel agent for my trip to Costa Rica next week. We’re staying in 3 different cities, and the logistics were just easier than trying to handle everything myself.

If you're not renting a car, I would agree more b/c that's a lot of ride scheduling.

We have a rental car. We also booked several excursions, so the agency made that easier too. I just felt like it being the first time here, I’d go with more of a sure thing. Felt like less chance of getting scammed or doing something dumb since we’re completely out of our element.