101 Reasons to Use a Travel Agent / 51 through 75

51.Immunizations That May Be Needed
To enter certain countries you may be required to obtain certain immunizations first. Your travel expert can advise you on the steps you need to take.
52. Special Deals Worked Out in Advance
Travel agents may have a relationship with certain tour operators and could be able to get you a special price that might not otherwise be available.
53. Make Travel Meaningful for Children
Travel agents can offer information about kid-friendly activities on your trip to make the experience exciting and meaningful for everyone.
54. Where to Shop
Travel agents can offer excellent advice on great shopping neighborhoods in your destination city.
55. Avoid Scams
Not all 5 star hotels are treated equally. Many times photos are outdated and information about the hotel you are considering may not be true. Travel agents can make sure that what you are seeing beforehand is what you get.
56. What You Can Buy Later
New airline restrictions make packing for long trips hard. Travel experts can give you advice on what you might be able to purchase while you are on your trip to avoid having excess weight in your luggage beforehand.
57. Advice on Where to Go if You Get Sick
If you happen to be unfortunate enough to get hurt or fall ill while on your trip, your travel agent can help you find somewhere clean and safe for medical attention.
58. Trust
If you should have any questions after booking your trip, you know how to reach your travel agent and can avoid the confusing FAQ section on a website.
59. You Know How to Reach Them When You Need Them
Problems at the airport? Reservation issues at the hotel? Your travel agent is a phone call away from getting your problem solved.
60. Tips and Tricks
How early do you really need to be at the airport? What are the quickest ways to get through security? Your travel expert can advise you of the airport security levels the day of your trip and any new security checkpoints you may have to worry about.
61. Is the Upgrade Worth It?
Your travel expert can help you save money by helping you decide if certain upgrades at hotels are really worth the extra money.
62. Difference in Days to Save Money
Instead of playing around with dates on the internet for hours, your travel agent can advise you on any changes to your travel dates that might save you hundreds of dollars.
63. Staying In-the-Know of Daily Promotions
Travel agents get emails and faxes of daily money saving promotions.
64. Enhancing the Trip with Extra Amenities
Your travel specialist may be able to arrange for those little extras- like a bottle of champagne to be waiting in your room when you arrive.
65. Using Clout in Impossible Situations
Whether it is airline seats, cruise reservations, or overbooked activities travel experts have more buying power than the average consumer.
64. Clarifying the Fine Print
Your travel agent can advise you of all the cancelation penalties and restrictions hidden in the fine print of your travel documents.
65. Detailed Itineraries
Your travel expert can help you plan out your trip day- by -day to give you a good mix of fun and relaxation.
66. Advice on Activities to Book Beforehand
A travel expert can forewarn you of any activities that tend to sell out early so there are no unexpected disappointments when you are there. For example, character dining in Disney sells out months in advance.
67. General Ideas on Where to Go
A travel expert can offer excellent trip advice based on the details of what type of trip you want to take. Internet booking sites tend to require a destination up front.
68. A Trip to Nowhere…Sort of
Want to get away to somewhere that is not normally a vacation hot spot? Your travel specialist can help you find that perfect place.
69. Great Singles Trips
A travel agent can help find you exciting singles trips and cruises.
70. What to Pack
Your travel expert can give you great advice on what to pack to those exotic destinations.
71. Plan a Trip Where you Bring the Kids but Can Still Get Some Alone Time
Many cruises and resorts now offer activities throughout the day for young children that make the day fun for them and give you some time to yourself. Travel experts can help you find great family destination options such as these.
72. Higher Productivity Benefits
You have your trip planned while you are hard at work in the office.
73. You Get to be the Boss
You get to tell someone what to do for a change.
74. Great Group Trips
Trying to organize a trip for big group of people? A travel expert can help get all the details finalized and update everyone in the group.
75. Someone to Complain to
If that slim chance were to occur that you do not get what you were promised, you have a real person to go back and complain to. Travel agents will work hard to rectify the matter.

101 Reasons to Use a Travel Agent / 26 through 50

26. What to Eat
Where are all the top chefs at your destination? Travel specialists give great advice on the best restaurants to hit on your trip.
27. What Not to Eat
Leaving your home country and not familiar with the new language? Travel agents can help give you some forewarnings so you don’t accidently order the local delicacy (which may or may not be specially prepared bugs) without meaning to.
28. Local Traditions
Travel specialists can update you on all local traditions and customs of places you are visiting, so you make a good impression. For example, in Japan many people expect their visitors to take their shoes off before entering their homes.
29. Local Laws
Many countries have laws that are very different from your own. Travel agents can help give you a quick rundown of what you need to be aware of before you go.
30. Busiest Travel Times to Avoid
If you want a quiet trip, travel experts know what dates you should avoid and can help you plan your trip accordingly.
31. Avoid Unexpected Expenses
Travel agents will be able to inform you about expenses you will incur on your trip, even ones you might never expect.
32. Exchange Rate Knowledge
Travel agents are knowledgeable of the countries where your dollar can go further.
33. Useful Travel Books to Have with You
A travel expert can give you advice on what travel books are the most useful to have with you. Some of these books list restaurants, customs, and small amounts of the local language.
34. List of Not- to- Miss Places
Travel specialists can give you a great list of not- to- miss hikes, waterfalls, and cliffs that may or may not be published elsewhere.
35. What to Wear
Many restaurants have different types of dress codes. If you are interested in dining at specific places on your trip, your travel expert can advise you on appropriate dress wear for the occasion.
36. What Not to Wear
Travel agents can help you to be in the know of local dress code restrictions. So if a thong is part of your favorite beachwear, you should know that they are illegal in places like the Isle of Palms.
37. Crime Rates
Travel experts are great at informing you about questionable parts of town that you may be heading to and can give you tips on what to look out for.
38. Someone to Call if Having a Problem During Your Trip
An online travel agency is not going to answer the phone when you call with any complications during your trip. A travel agent continues to give you that personal support even while you are away.
39. When You Shouldn’t Drink the Water
We are always told when you travel be careful of the water. Travel agents can advise you on when it is safe and when it’s not safe to drink the water.
40. Small Intercontinental Flights Delayed – What to do?
Travel agents can help you find somewhere to stay when you are left helpless at an airport overnight due to flight delays.
41. Saves You Precious Time on Your Trip
To avoid 36 hours in the airport, your travel expert can help plan your trip so your time spent getting to where you want to go is the shortest it can be.
42. Anticipating Trouble
Travel agents are extremely useful if you are planning a trip to a known weather troubled area such as the hurricane plagued Caribbean islands. In the event of a natural disaster, your travel agent can work to immediately reschedule or cancel your trip so there are no worries for you.
43. Complicated Itineraries Made Simple
Travel experts can take care of all the details for those complicated around the world itineraries and all the extra headaches that go with them, such as hotel and transportation along the way.
44. Special Needs Travelers
Travel specialists can prearrange any wheelchair or special need that someone in your travel party may have. They can also take the time to make sure your reserved accommodations are safe and easily accessible for the special needs traveler.
45. What to Pack
Some activities you choose to partake in may require different layers of clothing throughout the day. Your travel agent can advise you on what to bring. A bike trip down an extinct volcano in Hawaii for example, may require you to start out with jackets and wool socks, but when you get to the bottom you may be down to shorts and a tank top.
46. Let Them Wait on Hold
By using a travel agent you no longer have to wait on hold and talk to automated systems while trying to book different parts of your trip.
47. Business Concerns
If the airline you are scheduled to use goes on strike or bankrupt while you are traveling, your travel agent can work to find you alternate travel means while you continue to relax at the hotel.
48. Transportation in Smaller Countries
Travel agents can arrange all your transportation and travel needs, especially in those smaller countries where you may not know if cabs or van services are safe.
49. Group Hotel Reservations
Travel agents can help to keep everyone in your group on the same floor at a hotel.
50. Charter Private Boating Trips
Travel specialists can help you to avoid paying top dollar for chartered snorkeling or fishing trips for large groups. They can often find great deals for large groups who want to do personalized tours.

What Can We Do about Jet Lag?

Here are some of our favorite strategies for resetting your body's clock.
•Start Rested. The preparation for a long trip often means you're tired before you begin. If at all possible, get enough rest in the days prior to your trip, so you can start out strong and full of energy.
•Sleep. It's best if you can sleep on the plane. Earplugs, eyeshades, and a comfortable neck pillow are well worth the effort of packing if they prevent you from losing a day to jet lag. Try to take care of as many travel details as possible before you leave so that flight day is stress and anxiety-free, and wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
•Many travelers have depended successfully on No-Jet-Lag to help them feel fresh on arrival. It's a surprisingly effective, natural homeopathic product that addresses all the symptoms of jet lag, not just sleeplessness.
•While a drink or two may relax you, alcohol can dehydrate you, making your symptoms worse. Also, Flight Safety Expert Diana Fairechild (author of Jet Smarter) says "Avoid sleeping pills and mind-altering pharmaceuticals on the day you fly. In the event of an emergency, you will need all your faculties in order to survive."
•Drink water. Lots of it. Plan on 8 to 16 ounces during each hour of travel. Taking a bottle or two on board can save you the awkwardness of repeatedly pressing the "call button" for another glass of water, and will help you resist caffeinated and sugared drinks, which can actually make you more dehydrated. Have a nice, long hot bath when you arrive to rehydrate and relax.
•Exercise. The long periods of sitting on an airplane, bus, or train are hard on your body. Walking and stretching exercises in flight will help your body adjust to the new climate. To help reset your body clock, try to stay awake until bedtime rather than taking a nap upon arrival - spending time outdoors seems to help most travelers.
•Experience. As you travel, experiment to find the system that works best for you. Some travelers forswear all naps, others insist on them. Keeping note of your experiences will help you get the most from future trips. Consult with fellow travelers, too. Their experiences can help you avoid days lost to jet lag discomfort.

Know risks you face.

Do the research so you’ll know the particular risks you face. Know the local laws and abide by them.
Register your whereabouts with the U.S. Embassy if you are staying longer than two weeks or are in a particularly dangerous area.
Dress conservatively and try to blend in. If you are in an area with groups of people hostile to the United States, and there are many, avoid clothing or other items that openly label you as a U.S. citizen. Take care when choosing your hotel and transportation providers.
If you haven’t left your valuables at home, leave them in your hotel’s safe.
Don’t draw attention to yourself, avoid wearing flashy jewelry and don’t display large amounts of cash. Carry only enough cash to make it through the day and leave the rest in the hotel’s safe.
Avoid traveling alone.
Be careful about sharing your traveling plans with strangers.
Stick to the main roads and avoid taking shortcuts down narrow alleys and/or poorly lit streets.
Always be aware of what is going on around you.
Only use taxis, tours and other transportation services with official markings. Only select transportation from official pickup points at transportation hubs.
Be very careful if you are asked to sell or part with your personal items. Many countries have restrictions on items foreigners can sell or give away and you can get into serious trouble for violating those laws.
Never accept gifts or packages from unknown parties.
Don’t accept items from locals to carry out of the country and deliver or mail to someone they know.
Approach any "special deals" with caution, especially if you have to go off the beaten path to get them.
Know the laws about exchanging money. Only use official exchange facilities since this is another area that can get you into trouble fast.

How can I protect my travelers checks while traveling?

Take the same precautions you would to protect your cash. Be sure to learn and follow the procedures required if you lose your travelers checks. You’ll also need to make copies of your travelers checks before you go and keep separate from them the following information.
The serial numbers of the travelers checks.
The denomination of the travelers checks.
The date and location of their purchase.
The phone number to call to report them missing.

What should I know about using travelers checks?

What should I know about using travelers checks?
If the particular brand of travelers checks are accepted in the country you’ll be visiting.
How widely they are accepted within the countries you’ll be visiting.
Any fees for purchasing and using the travelers checks.
The travelers check company’s loss, replacement and refund policies.

How can my credit card company help prepare me for my trip?

How can my credit card company help prepare me for my trip?
You can arrange to pay bills that will come due while you are gone.
They will be aware that you will be making charges from another country.
They will be able to give you an idea of how acceptable their credit card is in that particular country.
They can verify acceptance at certain foreign locations.
They’ll be able to see if your PIN number will work in the countries you are visiting. They can also issue you another PIN number if your current PIN is unacceptable to the foreign bank’s system.
They can explain cash advance, ATM, foreign purchase and foreign exchange rate policies and fees.
They can explain any services they offer, such as, extra insurance for your rental car, luggage or purchases. Make sure the coverage offered extends outside the United States and will be valid in all the countries where you’ll be traveling. Also, be sure to note any other exceptions.
They may need to give you another phone number to call in case you need to reach them. The 800 number listed on the back of your card may not work from foreign locations.
You can find out if they charge a currency conversion fee, so you can find the most economical card on which to place your foreign purchases.