trip consulting
what is consulting
It takes a lot of work to create a trip that runs smoothly, is structured around the things you are most interested in and that follows the pace that works for you. It is so easy to fall in to the vortex of researching the details of your destination to the point where the excitement of your upcoming departure gets clouded with the tinge of doubt of whether you are seeing all there is to see or creating a breakneck pace rather than the relaxing one you so desperately deserve. That’s why we set up our Sage Trip Consulting level. We’ve found that most travelers love the start of researching for their trip, but quickly become bombarded with information overload. We’re here to answer your travel questions that center around your trip, help build and enhance your itinerary and give you tips that are structured around your timeline.
Most come to us already with a destination in mind, travel dates and possibly airfare already booked. It’s delving into the logistics of the day to day “what to see and do” that our Sage Advise comes into play. What town is best as a hub, how to maneuver on public transport, hotel recommendations, routes, timings, local guides that don’t drone on about boring facts found on Wikipedia and where to get the best gelato are some examples of where we have steered our travelers to some incredible hidden and tucked away gems. We will take a close look at your interests, budget and time constraints and help build your dream vacation.
how to start
First we need to know a bit about you and your travel objectives. Feel free to email us or fill out our secure online request form and the global ball will start rolling. Let us know where you are with your travel planning and what roadblocks you need help hurdling. There is no obligation for sending in a request. It’s just the start of the conversation.
As soon as we connect, we’ll start reviewing your dream trip: when you’re going, your interests, your preferred pace and any must-see bucket list items to plan around. We can do this first consultation by phone, email or skype. It’s up to you and your schedule. We set this as a 10 minute overview so that we can gauge what stage of your trip planning you are at and where we can help.
booking
We’ll answer your travel questions, build a base itinerary and help get your complex trip into a clear tailored itinerary focused on your interests, time constraints and budget. It is important to note that we are not a travel agency. As travel consultants we do not book your trip for you, we don’t get commission for making travel arrangements and we aren’t swayed by a portfolio of inventory. These are recommendations that are in our rolodex of hard working local friends and partners we’ve made throughout our career in travel.
What does it cost
After our initial free consultation we charge an hourly rate of $60/ hour for our Consulting Level, with a 1 hour minimum. It varies depending on your destination and your specific needs, but generally our average time stamp is 2 hours for a 5-day itinerary traveling to two cities and 3 hours for a 10-day itinerary that goes to four cities.
What’s included
We’ve been Trip Consultants for over a decade and understand the time needed to execute a concise, well thought out travel itinerary outline. Our expertise is in matching our experiences and resources with your travel needs. We spend the upfront time getting to know your particular interests and travel style so we can give you our sage advice on your itinerary. You get recommendations and details on the best hotels, restaurants, tour guides and specific activities that fit your interests, however you are the one that makes the final booking. Your trip is ultimately yours to create, we are here to help and we guarantee a thoughtful well researched response to every single question you ask.
