Q - How does your service work?

It’s simple!  Just start with a few questions via our Let’s Get Started form. Once you fill out this brief questionnaire, someone from our Customer Experience team will review and email you the cost of our service for the trip you want to plan and next steps. Please be aware that we do get over 100 new travel inquiries each month but in order to provide the highest level of service to our clients, we can only accept a maximum of 10 new trips per week.

Q – Then what?

If you decide to hire us, one of our travel advisors, who is an expert in your destination, will be assigned to your vacation. An invoice will be sent for our Research & Design fee and once paid, you will get on our planning calendar within 2-3 business days and typically, a first proposal will be sent to you within 2-3 business days after our research begins.

Q - What destinations do you offer for travel planning?

Currently, we have experts who plan international vacations and honeymoons to Europe, The Caribbean, Mexico, most of Central & South America, Africa, the South Pacific, and the Maldives as well as most cruise lines except for Carnival. We also have advisors that are experts with Hawaii, Alaska, Disneyworld, Disneyland & Universal Studios. We do not currently plan vacations to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Tennessee, or most other domestic cities and unfortunately, we do not have any beach house, home rentals, or condo rentals in our inventory. We specialize in resorts, hotels, escorted tours, and cruises.

Q - Do I need a passport to book?

Not to book but for international destinations, you will need one to travel, so we advise you to apply before starting to plan your trip! Most destinations require your passport to be valid 6-12 months after travel so if yours is about to expire, you may want to renew before you begin travel.

Q - Can I use points to pay for my vacation?

We understand that a lot of people have travel points with credit cards, airlines and hotels. In order to use those points, you must book with the company that offers them to you. We can not accept points as payment for any of the components of travel that we book but if you would like to use points for some of your trip, we can assist with the rest.

Q - How do I know what I will need to travel?

Approximately 2-3 weeks before your trip, your travel advisor will contact you to go over all of the necessary documents for travel including any protocols and travel authorizations. You will also receive your travel documents from us that will act as your airline tickets, transportation vouchers and hotel confirmations. This one document + your passport is what you need when you leave for the airport the day of your trip.

Q – What professional travel organizations are your travel agency affiliated with?

Vacations To Remember is a proud member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Advisors), Travel Allies Society, Travel Savers and CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association). This means we take planning travel seriously. Our travel advisors plan vacations all day, every day. This is our profession and we are professionals!

Q – How long has Vacations To Remember been in business?

We have been serving clients since 1997 and our advisors have a combined 50+ years in the travel industry!

Q – Where is your office located and do I need an appointment?

We are located in Evans, Georgia (just outside of Augusta) and if you require an in office consultation, an appointment is required. We work with clients from all over the United States so if you are not local to us, this is not an issue. Our advisors can assist you via phone, email or zoom if you are unable to meet with us in person for any reason.

Q – Have you won any awards for travel planning?

Yes! Our travel agency is one of just a handful that has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Sandals & Beaches Resorts. We are also a Lifetime Platinum agency with them and our agency owner (Julie Lanham) is a member of their prestigious “Chairman’s Royal Club”. There are only 3 travel advisors in the state of Georgia that have been inducted into this club so it is a huge honor! We are also a Diamond agency with Delta Vacations and a Preferred agency with Funjet Vacations as well as Hard Rock Resorts and the only storefront travel agency that has received “Earmarked” status with Disney/Disney Cruise. This means we are an Authorized Disney Planning Agency which makes us very proud. Of course there are many more awards we have received over the years but these are the most recognized by the traveling public!

Q – How do I pay for my vacation?

You may pay by credit card via our website. The supplier(s) we book your trip with will charge your credit card directly (NOT Vacations To Remember). In some cases we will book with several suppliers and your credit card will be charged by each but the total amount will be what we quoted to you.

Q - Can you advise on travel insurance options?

Absolutely! We highly recommend travel insurance to 100% of our clients and strongly encourage you to consider this even if you feel you do not need it. Since we are not licensed insurance agents, we can not speak to specific coverages but we can connect you with our favorite travel insurance company and you can work with them directly for this very important component of your travel plans.

Q - What exactly is your Research & Design fee?

Basically, this is the cost to hire us as your vacation "architect.” Like any professional service, our time, knowledge and resources are valuable. Each vacation we design involves hours and hours of planning but in addition to designing your trip, we also build (book) each component. From flights to hotels, ground transfers, and trains, tours, and excursions, we handle as much or as little as you require. We research, we design, we build and we advise. 

Q - Does this fee go towards the cost of my vacation?

No. This is the professional service fee that pays for our time, talent, and expertise and it does not get applied to the trip cost.

Q - Does Vacations To Remember do anything but research and design my vacation?

Absolutely! As mentioned above, we handle all of the details of your trip so you can fully relax and enjoy the experience to the fullest. Check out the blog on our website that explains what "travel management" includes. You will be shocked!

Q - If I decide to hire Vacations To Remember, how long do I have to decide on my vacation plans?

We have a strict 30 day window of time that you have us on retainer for planning. Of course, it is always best to confirm your travel plans as quickly as possible since pricing does fluctuate by the day based on availability, but we know life is busy and often it takes time to get your travel partners on the same page. The 30-day “clock” begins the day you receive your first proposal from us. 

Q - How many options will you give me for this fee?

After we send the first proposal, you can give us feedback on what you liked or didn’t like about it and what you might want to change. Typically we offer 3-5 options within the planning process but we can be flexible until you fall in love with something. We have never had to offer more than 10 but the average number of options our clients request is 4. And after seeing all of our recommendations, most select the first or second option we sent!

Q - What if I don’t like any of the vacation options within my budget? 

If budget is a concern, we always try to offer destinations where you get the most bang for your buck. There are certain hotels/resorts that we don’t often recommend because we know the guest experience won’t be the best it can be. If you can not increase your travel budget, be sure to let us know and we will send you what works in that range. If we don’t think we can offer anything of quality, we will either ask if you can raise the budget or decline the request. We would never accept a fee from someone who wants to travel to Fiji with a $1000 budget as we know that is impossible. 

Q - If I change my mind about the destination, will I have to pay another fee?

That depends. If you hire us to plan a trip to Jamaica and don’t find a resort that fits your needs, we are certainly happy to offer other islands in the Caribbean or even something in Mexico/Central America that might work. If you hire us to plan a trip to Italy and after seeing several proposals, you decide you want to go to Hawaii, we would have to start the process over and another fee would need to be collected. 

Q - Do I have to book my trip with Vacations To Remember?

No. We never require anyone to book their trip with us but the fee you pay does include complimentary travel management so it would be our pleasure to book and manage your travels. We hope you enjoy our planning service enough to want to book with us and allow us to manage your trip but it is not necessary. 

Q - Someone told me that travel agents work for free. Why doesn’t Vacations To Remember do this?

Prior to 1995, travel agencies were paid a high level of commission from airlines as well as other suppliers we work with to book travel. We are no longer paid commission on airline tickets but we do still book flights for our clients as a courtesy when we are booking a hotel or a resort. Because of this, we could not keep our doors open without charging for our service. There are also people who enjoy planning vacations as a hobby and sometimes you will find a "travel agent" who will work for free. As much as we do love our jobs, we are a professional service that offers connected, educated, and experienced travel advisors and that is often the difference. 

Q - I thought that travel agencies worked on commission. Why do I also have to pay a fee?

This is partly true. As mentioned above, travel agencies do receive a small commission from certain partners as a “thank you” for recommending their hotel to our clients and for assisting with managing the booking. This is true no matter where you book. If you book direct or on a travel website, a commission is built into the cost. You do not pay that commission… the hotel does. But not all hotels pay commission and we like to have the freedom to suggest all options to our valuable clients without being locked into only the ones that pay commission. When you hire us, you ensure we are looking out for YOUR best interest. Not that of the person that pays a commission. 

Q - If I pay the fee, do I have access to you 24/7?

Not during the planning process as we have normal office hours of 10AM to 5PM, weekdays. However, we are always happy to make an exception and arrange an after-hours phone call if your schedule will not work with ours. Once travel begins, we do have 24/7 support to assist with any travel emergencies that might arise. 

Q - This all sounds great! How do I pay the research & design fee?

Once you decide you are ready to proceed, you can respond to the email where you found this link and let us know you are ready to start the planning process. An invoice will be emailed to you within 24 hours and you can easily pay directly from that email. From there, you will get another email acknowledging receipt of payment and your travel advisor will get to work!