We’ve all been there; you want to book an amazing, out-of-this world vacation, but you don’t want to miss out on anything. You long for cinematic landscapes and charming nooks and crannies, but how to tackle the mountain of planning ahead of you to make your dreams come true? You might be wondering whether you will have your best experience by going through a travel agency, or whether you should put in the work and book exactly what you want on your own time. To make your life easier, and to help you achieve your dream vacation goals, I have crafted a short and sweet list of pros and cons for both booking yourself or through a travel agency.

Photo of a canal in Strasbourg I took during my 2019 study abroad.

First, a little background about myself and my previous travel experiences! I am very fortunate to have previously travelled abroad, and this summer will mark my third trip across the pond. My very first experience abroad was a week-long, school-led France and Spain trip where everything was set by travel agents. My second experience was several months studying abroad in which I was left to my own devices to plan and organize my own travel to and throughout France. My third and upcoming experience is a blend of my own plans and those set by a travel agency. After many trips and many learning curves, here are my thoughts on travel agencies and booking on your own.

Travel Agency Pros

One of the great advantages of booking through a travel agency is the peace of mind you get. In my experience booking through Blue Skies Travel, we let the agent know what we were interested in doing and they tailored an experience in Paris and Lyon based on the group’s preferences. For example, my cousin has a degree in art, so his priority was seeing artwork in the Louvre, however my priority was revisiting Versailles and setting aside time to see the expansive gardens. The travel agency considered these and other requests and sent a rough draft of our itinerary and our hotel booking options so we could finalize the itinerary. Once it was all approved, they booked EVERYTHING! Hotels, train tickets, trip protection, and passes to the Louvre and to Versailles *with* skip the line and audio guides! It was almost magical the way that they set it all up and tailored it to our specific needs and requests, and they made sure we had audio guides since we wanted to take our time and explore the museums ourselves.

Photos of the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre taken by me during my study abroad.

Besides the actual experiences we requested to see, they took care to choose great hotels for our trip and made sure that the hotels offered free breakfast while keeping us central to Paris and Lyon, the group’s two destinations. Booking through the travel agency also saved us money, as we got special discounts and rates due to the travel agency’s relationships with certain hotel brands. It was hassle free and going through the travel agency took a load off my mother who was trying to organize a trip with 5 young adults. Overall, booking through a travel agency can save you time and money, and it works well for large parties travelling overseas.

Travel Agency Cons

As with most things in life, too much of a good thing can sometimes turn into a bad thing. While travel agencies are the perfect mode of travel planning for some, they can be kryptonite for wanderers and those who like to have spontaneous outings and go on the fly. Travel agencies have set timelines and schedules for excursions, which means that you might not have extra time at the end of the day to see a landmark or visit a museum that wasn’t offered in the travel package.  Some travel agencies only book mainstream hotels and exclude boutique hotels that have more charm and personality, which can keep you from getting the full experience of visiting another country. For me personally, while travel agencies do take a load off of planning and stress, they box you into a schedule that you are not able to get out of. Thus, for my upcoming trip, I am arriving two days earlier and leaving a week later so that I can plan my own excursions and stay in local hotels (including several I stayed in before during my study abroad).

Some of my favorite experiences were found through my own research, like the Dihan in Carnac, France where we slept in a rustic treehouse, woke up to breakfast brought up to the treehouse on a pulley system, and fed sugar cubes to domesticated sheep on our way to see the nearby megaliths. We didn’t have a schedule, so we were able to take our time and enjoy exploring the beautiful countryside. Overall, while travel agencies offer great discounts, tailored packages, and take loads of stress off planning your dream trip, they can also limit you on what you can do, see, and experience.

Booking Yourself Pros

Booking yourself is as exciting as it is stressful because you are the only person you can blame if you do not book properly or if you forget to book an excursion and it sells out. Even though it does come with more stress, time, and energy, booking travel and excursions yourself is a wonderful way for you to really get to know the country you are visiting, and it also helps you get the most out of your trip! I cannot tell you how many times I have read and re-read my travel guidebook when planning my trips in France. It was almost like my travel bible; I would refer to it for anything and everything! I would have never even known Carnac existed if I hadn’t done my research of each province in France to determine where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do! I was also able to give myself lazy days where I could stroll down streets and stop in at boulangeries and peruse the farmer’s markets for local foods and specialties.

Photo of the Wall of Love in Paris, France taken by me during my study abroad.

It’s experiences like these that you really miss out on when booking through an agency, and that is why I typically prefer taking on the challenge of booking trips for myself. Overall, if you are confident and motivated enough to plan your own trip, I highly recommend it because you get to really learn more about the country you are visiting and see places not mentioned in mainstream media.

Booking Yourself Cons

The main cons for booking trips yourself are essentially the same pros mentioned when booking with a travel agency. You need to devote a lot of time and energy to booking trips, and you really must be motivated to see it through. My parents are not interested in spending much time deciding where to go and where to eat, which is why I planned our past trips since I was excited for the challenge. Even now my mom prefers to let someone else deal with booking hotels, excursions, and transportation. Booking yourself is usually a lot easier if you are only booking for yourself or for you and your immediate family, however if you are booking with friends, cousins, or a large family group, booking through an agency will make it easier for everyone to get hotel rooms close together and will keep everyone together when traveling during the trip.

While booking yourself allows endless possibilities in the country you plan on visiting, it takes a lot of time, energy, and motivation to have everything come together. You might also miss out on special packages and deals offered exclusively to travel companies for their packages, so keep that in mind (however, if you plan ahead and research budget friendly hotel and special passes for museums and public transportation, you might end up saving yourself more money than taking that package deal).

Comparison and Opinions

With years of experience under my belt, I can attest that if you are comfortable with planning your own trip, you should absolutely do so! The only real differences between booking through a travel agency or not is the time and commitment you give to your trip and the special deals and prices offered by both methods. Booking through a travel agency is the preferred method of travel for many people like my parents, because it is easy to let someone else take the reigns so you can sit back and relax. For people like me, planning our own trips is the preferred method because we like having flexibility and we can explore and get to learn more about the places we are visiting. It is worth the time and the energy because we never know when we will be able to revisit the places we travel to. Furthermore, if we plan and read up on our destinations, we might find better deals and discounts for hotels and experiences than the travel companies themselves! Regardless of how we book, we should all make the most out of every single trip we go on, and truly delve into the culture and history of our chosen destinations.

Photo of La Rochelle, my study abroad city, at dusk.

Bon voyage on your future journeys, and thank you for reading!