When to use a travel agent?

Whether or not or when to use a travel agency is one of those nagging considerations that I make as I plan or decide where I want to go.  To date, I have yet to use an agent, but there have been times when I wondered, should I have used an agent or not.

Here’s my idea of what I think a travel agency should provide.  First, I think that they should …

• Ask me about my interests and accommodation needs.
• Be much more knowledgeable about the destination.
• Be able to help me match my interest to what’s available.
• Provide literature. 
• Make my arrangements.

But, this has not be my experience.  I am usually given literature and told “these are the options.”

Thus far, I have never used a travel agency to make my full travel arrangements.  I have only used an agent twice.  The most important trip where I used an agency was the Galapagos Islands … and they were unresponsive after they got my money.  Everything turned out fine.  In fact, the only reason that I used an agency for Galapagos was because I could not find another way to make arrangements.

Making travel arrangements is hard work.  You have to make arrangements to get there, you have to find a place to stay, and you have to decide what to do.  The Internet has made this work a little easier.  There are many travel sites where you can find information, like Frommers; online agencies like Expedia; and travel blogs … like mine.

I tend to use some combination of these sources and like to make my arrangements because I like flexibility.  But travel agencies can be helpful when there is not good information online and they usually can find availability that the average users can not.  I wish agencies were more flexible.  If you are not as picky as I am, they can certainly de-stress your planning.