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I would like to go on a trip (couple of weeks in length) to the UK but I've found from previous vacation experiences that I'm not very good at finding things to do. I was thinking it may be better to go with a package where the entire itenerary is booked ahead of time so I know where I'm going, what I'm doing and it's already paid in advance.
Would this not be enough flexibility though? Particularly for how flights are booked. In researching flights I've found it'd be significantly cheaper to flight to a neighboring country and then take a budget flight to the UK than fly direct from the USA. Would vacation packages only offer direct flights? I would also possibly like to fly home from a different country as I want to make a detour at the end.
Are packages found online a good idea? I looked at one site (Virgin Atlantic Vacations) and although they seemed to have some decent packages reviews for them seem terrible (usually poor customer service, similar experiences people usually have with Ryanair). Should I instead try to use a travel agent? If so where would I look for a good one (I've never met anyone who's ever used one before)?
Given you prefer to have someone else do the planning I would suggest you go with a travel agent. While many of the online vacation sites offer great deals, there are probably just as many that are either running a scam or are being run by someone that has worse planning skills than you do. Every summer in Alaska I hear about people that used an unknown online booking agency only to find out the hotel rooms were never paid for. They end up paying twice. Over the past several years the airlines have greatly reduced how much they compensate travel agents. Many of the travel agencies simply went away. The ones that survived did so because they got real good at doing what they do. Another benefit to using a travel agency is if something goes wrong they will work to fix it. The last thing they want is an upset former client standing outside their building with a sign saying how bad they suck.
Personally I do my own thing but packages do tend to be less expensive.
The mere fact that you are posting and asking for advice suggests to me that you are better off being guided around.
That said it's easy to find things to do. Merely being somewhere different makes everything a new experience. Get away from the tourist hot-spots- only a few hundred yards is enough sometimes.
Let us know where you are thinking of going and maybe we can help more.
Should I instead try to use a travel agent? If so where would I look for a good one (I've never met anyone who's ever used one before)?
You can look in the yellow pages for listings of travel agencies. I would look for one that is located in a professional building or a major mall or business district and has been in business for several years. Check with a few of the surrounding businesses to see if the travel agency has been in that location for a while. If it is located in someones back bedroom in a beat up mobile home in a run down trailer park you might want to pass on it.
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