Travel Dreams Part II

10/3/2011 1:48:20 PM Link 1 comment | Add comment

Adventure Travel, Travel Dreams

Travel Dreams Part II

So by now, you have decided where you want to go with a departure date and a return date and a rough idea of what you want to do in between.
Dreams require capitalization. Sad but true. So what about money ?
5. Travel Agents are the unsung heroes of our times as they essentially work for free receiving only a small commission on the back end from the various suppliers i.e. airlines, wholesalers, hotels, etc. Occaisionally they may ask for a service charge but  only when the supplier does not offer commission. The only one I know who actually gets away with charging you to talk to him is Rick Steves.
You can surf the internet till your eyes go blind but there is no substitute for the knowledge and experience of a travel professional who's been there and makes his living dealing with all the various ins and outs of getting  there and back again while keeping the stress and expense to as minimum.
As I mentioned in part I , one of the advantages is a travel agent can make all the arrangements and usually hold it for a small deposit, usually about $100 which most of us can come up with one way or another. If you're planning for next year, you can book as much as a year in advance thus giving yourself time to gather your nickels.
Delayed gratification is one method. Tell yourself that every $5. capucchino you  pass up here will be one more you can enjoy in Italy. Same goes for dinners out, bar tabs, etc. All those incidental expenses that absorb our discretionary funds can be saved for our vacation.
Have a yard sale, start a special savings account. When I graduated from  University I sold my car and all my stuff and was gone for a year !
It can be done, just requires reminding yourself that the beer you don't have here is one more you can enjoy while lying on the beach on the Riviera.
Don't worry too much about spending the money. Five years from now the money  won't make a bit of difference in your life but the memories will last a lifetime and bring many happy returns on your investment.
Ciao!
Marko