Planning a trip can be stressful and overwhelming. So let me do it for you! Here at aroundtheworldwithme.com, we offer custom travel planning and itinerary planning for all budgets.
What I Offer
I offer three different types of custom travel planning, as seen here.
Option 1: Travel Consultation
If you have a general idea of where you want to go but you are confused about where exactly to go when you get there and what to see and do, then this option is for you. Or maybe you have no idea where you want to go and want an expert opinion based on your budget and travel style? With a travel consultation call, we can discuss anything you want and I will help you start planning the perfect holiday.
Travel Consultation is a fixed fee of $100/hour with a minimum call length of 30 minutes. In the call I will share my opinions for your trip based on a short intake form you’ll send me and the backup research I’ve done, as well as the conversation itself. After the call you’ll get an email summary of my recommendations.
Option 2: Basic Itinerary Planning
If you are feeling overwhelmed with travel planning, or simply just don’t have enough free time to plan your entire itinerary, then this option is for you. With basic itinerary planning, I’ll map out your entire trip from arrival at the destination until you depart. This includes:
- A day-by-day itinerary explaining where to go and how long to stay at each stop
- Information on how to book and reserve whatever tickets, reservations, and bookings might be required for activities that require prior arrangements (such as visiting a winery in Tuscany or hiking in Jordan)
- Advice on how to get from point A to point B (if not in your own car or rental car)
- Restaurant and/or bar recommendations
After you fill out the intake form, we will have a short call to get to know each other and go over your vacation goals. After that I will create a custom itinerary based on my knowledge of your destination and any additional research that might be required for you to review. When you’re happy with the itinerary you will get a printable PDF with the detailed itinerary.
Basic itinerary planning starts at $150 for a minimum 5 day trip with a maximum of $400 for a 3-week trip. Trip lengths in between are interpolated based on trip length and destination (i.e. planning a trip to Yemen is a lot tougher than planning a trip to Italy). This service does not include accommodation bookings or recommendations. If you’d like me to recommend hotels, I can definitely do that for a small additional fee.
Option 3: Full Custom Travel Planning
This is the option for those busy bees or travel novices who just want an expert to plan their entire trip for them and don’t want to be restricted by the limitations of travel agents. With custom travel planning, you’ll get:
- A day-by-day itinerary explaining where to go and how long to stay at each stop
- All bookings made for you, from flights to hotels and everything in between, including but not limited to tour bookings, museum tickets, excursions, airport shuttles, winery reservations, and speciality experiences such as cooking classes.
- Advice on how to get from point A to point B if taking public transportation
- Road trip routes (if driving or renting a car)
- Restaurant/bar recommendations and reservations (where possible)
- Hiking and walking route recommendations
- Suggestions for unique experiences (such as a wine tasting in a Tbilisi basement wine shop or visiting a small olive oil maker in Italy) based on your particular interests
- Suggestions on staying connected in your destination country
- Unlimited email/text correspondence
- Support during your trip by phone, text, or email
After you fill out the intake form, we will have a call to get to know each other and go over your vacation goals and your travel style. After that I will create a custom itinerary based on my knowledge of your destination and any additional research that might be required for you to review.
We will go through the itinerary and once you’re happy I’ll start recommending accommodation options and other things that need to be booked in advance. When you’re happy with the final plan, you’ll get a detailed PDF you can print out and take with you or save on your phone. You will also receive all your booking confirmations by email in one consolidated document (also can be sent by post if requested).
Full custom travel planning starts at $100 per day of trip to a maximum of $250 per day. The price varies based on:
- Destination country (eg. England will be cheaper than Saudi Arabia)
- Number of destinations (eg. just going to Greece will be cheaper than going to Greece, Turkey, Israel, and Lebanon on the same trip)
- Number of people in the party (see below)
- Special requests or specific limitations to your trip
The price is based on a maximum group of 5 people (including children). For groups 6 or more, a negotiable premium will be added on.
Fees also assume that the trip is 90 days or more in the future. If you have less time, this is possible for an additional 25% surcharge.
Areas of expertise
I can plan you an amazing trip anywhere, even if it’s somewhere I’ve never been. I’ve done countless hours of research on countries I decided not to go to in the end. But, naturally, my level of knowledge of certain places is better than others. Here’s a quick rundown of what I’m most familiar with.
Native (I live or have lived here and know the entire country like the back of my hand):
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- United States, specifically:
- Northeast Corridor (Washington DC to Boston)
- Desert Southwest (Southern California, Southern Nevada, Arizona, Utah)
- Texas
Expert (I’ve traveled all over these countries and have significant experience planning detailed itineraries):
- Italy
- Greece
- Norway
- Belgium
- Germany
- Jordan
- Georgia
- India
- United States, specifically:
- Northern California
- Washington (state)
- Oregon
- Idaho
- New Mexico
- Colorado
- Florida
- Hawaii
Other countries I have experience planning itineraries in:
- Canada
- Mexico (Quintana Roo)
- Australia
- Cook Islands
- Chile
- Peru
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
- Sweden
- Finland
- Denmark
- France
- Switzerland
- Austria
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Montenegro
- Bulgaria
- Turkey
- Morocco
- Nepal
- Thailand
- Uzbekistan
- United States (all states not listed above)
Additional countries:
As mentioned above, I can plan a trip to anywhere you want to go, even if not listed above. I’ve been to many other countries, like Cambodia and Hungary, even if I don’t have intimate knowledge of the country without doing more research.
Next Steps
If you want to get started, fill in the contact form below and select which option you’d like to pursue. Include as much as you want in the comments section. I’ll respond to you within a day and send you an intake form as a Google Form to fill out.
If you’ve chosen the consultation call, I’ll then send you an invoice for a $50 deposit. After our call the remaining amount will be invoiced
If you’ve chosen itinerary planning or full custom travel planning, after our short introductory call I will create a simple fee proposal for you based on all the factors discussed above. When the proposal is accepted I’ll retain 50% of the total fee and then get started planning the trip of your dreams. The final 50% will be invoiced once the final document is sent to you.
Differences between me and a travel agent
I am not a travel agent. I am a travel expert, and there is a key distinction. I don’t work on commission or have preferred vendors that I’m going to send you to. Your recommendations and reservations will be completely tailed to what you want and what you’re looking for.
With me you’ll get a much more personalized experience and more information about what to actually do with your trip and not just where you’re going to stay each night. I’m also not going to send you to any horrible tours or mass-tourism restaurants.
Additional notes and exclusions
- I accept Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, or credit card for payment
- If you’ve chosen full custom travel planning, I will require a credit card for all bookings to be made
- Entry visas: applying for travel and entry visas is not included in my services. I can consult with you on how to do this, but due to the sensitive nature of this, I can’t do this for you.