Working with a travel advisor starts with a simple message (text, DM, or email) describing what you are thinking. From there, the advisor handles the research, the options, the booking, and the itinerary. For hotel and cruise bookings, it costs you nothing. For more complex trip planning, a planning fee applies and is invoiced before work begins.
The number one thing I hear from people after they work with me for the first time is some version of: I had no idea it was this easy. Which is honestly my favorite thing to hear, because that is exactly what it is supposed to feel like.
If you have never worked with a travel advisor before and you are trying to figure out what the process actually looks like, here is the whole thing from start to finish.
Step One: You Reach Out
It starts with you sending me a message. Text, DM, email, whatever is easiest for you. You do not need a fully formed plan. You do not need to know exactly what you want. You just need a general idea: we are thinking about Paris in the fall, or we want to do a cruise for our anniversary, or I have no idea where to go but we need a trip.
From there I send you a formal inquiry form. This gets you into my system and keeps your trip top of mind on my end. It also gives me the information I need to actually start building something: travel dates, who is coming, budget range, what matters most to you.
Step Two: We Figure Out the Scope
If you are booking a hotel or a cruise, we get started right away and there is no planning fee. That is just how the advisory model works: I earn a commission from the supplier, not from you.
If you want a full custom itinerary (flights researched, hotels selected, restaurants recommended, day-by-day plan built), then we talk about the planning fee before anything else. That fee ranges from $99 to $500+ depending on the length and complexity of the trip. You get an invoice, you pay it, and then we get to work. No surprises.
Step Three: I Build Your Trip
This is the part that happens mostly behind the scenes on my end. I research hotels until I know which ones actually look like the photos, which rooms are worth requesting, and which properties are going to give you the experience you are after. I pull together restaurant recommendations with real context, not just a list of names. I look at tours and activities and figure out what is genuinely worth your time and money versus what is a tourist trap dressed up with good reviews.
You get options, not just one answer. I typically present a few directions and we figure out together what fits. If my suggestions aren’t quite right, you tell me, and I go back to the drawing board.
Step Four: Booking and Confirmation
Once you have decided what you want, I send you a secure intake form to store your payment information so I can book on your behalf. From there I handle the reservations and send you confirmation details for everything.
For more involved trips you also get a full day-by-day itinerary: where you are going, what you are doing, any reservations or activities that are booked, timing, and anything else you need to actually show up and enjoy yourself without having to think.
What Actually Surprised a Client Recently
I planned a multi-stop Europe trip for a client not long ago. One of their hotel stops was at a property we are partnered with, and ahead of their arrival I reached out to request a few extras: extra pillows (she had mentioned she sleeps with a lot of them), and just a general note that this was a special trip.
She arrived to find a handwritten note waiting for her, a little candy welcome amenity, the extra pillows, spa credit, early check-in, and late checkout. None of that was available by booking direct. None of it cost her anything extra. That is just what happens when you book through an advisor with the right partnerships.
On another stop, a different property upgraded her to a suite that was essentially apartment-sized. Again, no extra charge. Just a perk of how the booking was made.
That is the part people do not know about until it happens to them. And then they never book a hotel any other way.
The Short Version
You send me a message. I ask some questions. I do the research. You get options. We book it. You show up and have a good time. That is really it.
The first conversation is always free and there is no obligation. If you have been planning trips alone and wondering if there is a better way, reach out. I would love to show you what the process actually looks like for your specific trip.
Cheers to trips that someone else planned for you.
Working with a Travel Advisor FAQ
How do I start working with a travel advisor?
Reach out by text, DM, or email with a general idea of what you are thinking. You do not need a fully formed plan. From there your advisor will send a formal inquiry form to get the details needed to start building your trip.
Does it cost money to use a travel advisor?
For hotel and cruise bookings, using a travel advisor costs you nothing. Advisors earn commission from the supplier, not from you. For complex custom itinerary planning, a planning fee applies. At Wanders and Wink, planning fees range from $99 to $500+ depending on trip length and scope.
What does a travel advisor actually handle?
Hotel research and selection, restaurant recommendations, tour and activity recommendations, day-by-day itinerary building, booking management, pre-trip check-in, and during-trip availability if something comes up. For hotel bookings through partnered properties, advisors can also request perks like room upgrades, resort credits, early check-in, and late checkout that are not available when booking direct.
Do I need to know exactly what I want before reaching out to a travel advisor?
No. A general idea is enough to start. “We want to do Europe in the fall with our kids” or “we are thinking about a cruise for our anniversary” is plenty. Part of the value of working with an advisor is figuring out the specifics together based on what matters most to your family.
How far in advance should I contact a travel advisor?
Earlier is always better, especially for peak travel seasons and popular destinations. For international trips, reaching out at least six months in advance gives the best options for hotels and experiences. That said, advisors can often work with shorter timelines depending on the destination and time of year.
Becca Marsh is a certified travel advisor affiliated with Fora Travel and the voice behind Wanders & Wink, based in Grants Pass, Oregon. A lifelong traveler who has explored every U.S. state and dozens of countries from the street food stalls of Vietnam to the Michelin-starred restaurants of Paris, she specializes in food-forward family travel that actually delivers on the fantasy. She takes her own family on at least six trips a year (research, she calls it…) and brings that firsthand experience to every itinerary she builds for her clients. She believes great travel is accessible to everyone and will always tell you exactly where to go and what to order.
