Recently updated on January 17th, 2020 at 10:22 pm
Recently, I was lucky enough to join one of Trafalgar’s trips around Europe, visiting the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and France. Working, for a travel company, I’m obviously a keen traveller myself and have been all over the world, but I never realised what was missing from my holidays – a Travel Director. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. Knowledge
Yes, I’ve been to the museums in the locations I’ve visited, and yes, I’ve seen the icons around the cities – but that’s precisely it, I’ve only SEEN them. You can read the books, or rent the audio guides as you’re visiting a location, but nothing beats having an expert explain them to you, tell the story behind them and really bring the experience to life. Personally, I found that this makes the visit stick in your mind and I can actually recount the knowledge I’ve gained.
2. Local
Not only do the Travel Directors know the sights and history inside out, but in many cases they’ve lived or been brought up in countries you’re visiting – you’re actually experiencing first hand stories of what life is like in the country, which you just can’t get on your own. This gave me a much deeper understanding and feel for the country.
3. Language barrier
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been great with languages. I always enjoy trying to pick up a few choice words or key phrases to help feed myself and find my way, but it never gets me very far. With a Travel Director, you’ve got someone with you who can help and get whatever it is you might need. They’ll teach you the key words as well (and more if you’re interested!) but without the pressure of relying on it to get by.
4. Organisation
Do you find your time on vacation just slips away from you? Have you just run out of time because you spent too long at one place? A Travel Director is there to keep you on the straight and narrow and ensure you get as much out of your trip as you possibly can. They’ll do all the organisation for you so all you have to do is explore each destination and get back to the coach at the pre-planned time.
5. Your friend in a foreign country
Finally, the main reason our Travel Directors do the job (other than a love of travelling, of course) is that they want to meet and get to know YOU. With a Travel Director, you’ve instantly got a new friend in a new place who is there to help give you the trip of a lifetime, be it finding that prize souvenir, showing you the view you’d never find on your own or just chatting with you in a café over a drink.
Find out more and meet some of our Travel Directors on our website.