Itinerary Planning: Enlist Professionals or Do It Yourself?

Once you know where you want to go, you have to schedule and plan the trip. Starting out Tim and I both subscribed to strictly Do-It-Yourself travel. We knew where we wanted to end up, decided when we wanted to go, and began heading in that direction. When we were younger this was exhilarating. Even when things didn't work out exactly as expected, we discovered new things and had great stories to tell.

But later as our time became more limited, we most often left the planning to professionals. Sometimes it was just nice to have a break from making decisions and being responsible for everything. Someone was always right there to make sure we got to where we wanted or needed to be. Over the years we experimented with a few different ways to create our travel itineraries. Here is our take on the pros and cons of each:

• Do-It-Yourself - this type of travel can be very structured to completely fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type travel. With the internet there is so much you can research and schedule yourself.

  • Pros - Often this can be the most economical option - you can find the best value for whatever you have to spend. You can also pick and choose the things you want to do and when you want to do them.

  • Cons - If you are not familiar with the area to which you are traveling, you are relying on descriptions and information from the internet or books. Places can change or look quite different once you get there, and you may be on your own finding a solution if things go awry during your trip.

• Cruise - this can be a very easy way to travel. There are so many types of cruise ships (small to city-like in size) which offer itineraries to most any water accessible destination. Tim and I thought cruises were not for us, but once we tried some different options, we have had some nice experiences.

  • Pros - These can be great if you want to get a taste of a number of different destinations in a very short time. Your hotel room travels with you (no packing / unpacking), and you have great views and entertainment in between destinations.

  • Cons - You may have a very short amount of time and somewhat limited tour options for exploring destinations once you get there.

• Tour Group - Many travel companies will offer prepackaged trips at scheduled times throughout the year. These groups can be anything from a car-sized to bus-sized, active to relaxing. You might find a retail store or community group might offer organized trips which align to your interests, activity-level and desire for adventure.

  • Pros - These are arranged by professionals who know the area and the planned activities, so they typically offer many of the best experiences a destination has to offer. You have support if something goes wrong during your travels.

  • Cons - Since you may not be picking everyone in your group, there can be stress or tension if someone does not gel with the rest of their group. You are typically constrained to the itinerary of the group.

• Travel Company / Agent - A variety of individuals and companies are available to help you plan your trip. Often the same companies that schedule group tours can personalize itineraries just for you / your group.

  • Pros - Like Do-It-Yourself travel, you can pick and choose the things you want to do and when you want to do them. Plus you have someone to call to help you if things don't go perfectly.

  • Cons - These are usually the most expensive option; you also miss out on others' perspectives on the travel experience.

As we ramp up our travels, we are going to continue to dabble in all of these options. We also want to experiment with different travel companies - when we use them - to compare the overall experience. Watch for future posts in which we share past and future travels, how we planned them, and most importantly, how things turned out.