Until the late 1990s the only way to “book” travel was direct with the provider or to go to a travel agent. There was no Expedia, Orbitz, or hotel booking platforms. Cruise lines didn’t have websites. So many agents considered themselves “booking” agents. You told them what you wanted, and they booked it. Now, anybody can book travel. Travel agents had to evolve to survive. So, they took on a more consultative approach. No longer were they booking agents, they were travel advisors to help clients understand options and create amazing vacation experiences.
Sure, you can book your own travel. Anybody can do that, but how do you know you are making the right choices? Explore More guides you through the travel process to ensure your vacation is beyond amazing. Every trip is custom designed. Each detail is handled by a travel professional who uses travel expertise and industry connections to ensure your trip is everything you dreamed it would be. When you use Explore More, you are entering a partnership with someone who will learn your travel style and preferences so that all of your future travels are effortless.
Travel design is a service. I could do my own taxes, but I know my accountant will do a better job than me. My accountant will also save me precious time so that I can spend more time doing the things I care about like spending time with my family. Your time is valuable. Do not waste it stressing out about your vacation. Vacations are an investment of your time and money. Ensure that you are getting the most value for your time and money by using a travel advisor. When you use Explore More, all you need to worry about is packing your bags and posting your vacay photos!
For a better understanding on the value Explore More Family Travel can provide you, as well as how the process works, please see our Who & How page.
OUR TRAVEL DESIGN PACKAGES
explore more package
comprehensive travel planning starting at $550
$150 for additional households traveling on same group
Want us to create a highly customized itinerary that caters to your every whim and desire? Thank you! You just made my day. I love analyzing the logistics of an itinerary and finding the perfect place for you to stay. However, my favorite part is discovering the experiences that best fit your personality and will define your trip. It is the experiences you have while traveling that will always stay with you and keep you forever linked to your travel destination.
If you want a seamless travel experience staying in premium or luxury hotels and resorts with private experiences and on the ground support at your destination, this is the package for you. When an itinerary is pieced together, things can fall through the cracks. Working with our colleagues on the ground in your destination means that you never even know if hiccups occur because they get resolved by our team in the destination. This level of service comes with a higher price tag, but there are no wasted moments so the overall value of your vacation is higher.
The highlight of the Explore More package is our signature Explore More Before service which creates excitement for your trip in the weeks leading up to it! We even offer a Young Explorer kit for $39.99 (includes shipping) to get kids excited about their trip and connected to the destination prior to departure. If a child is invested in your vacation experience, the trip will have more meaning for them which leads to better behavior (especially during those long travel days!)
Think of these trips as the type where you are visiting multiple destinations or a deep dive into one destination with different activities each day. If you want an even higher level of service, we offer a concierge luxe add-on (scroll for more details).
A note about trips that require the explore more package:
Our partners in your destination have contracted rates with their suppliers, so we cannot break out pricing as it is given to us as a packaged price. If you attempt to break out pricing with things you find online, it will likely be less as we only work with the highest quality guides and drivers that have been vetted by our partners in your destination. The nice thing is that you don’t have to keep up with a lot of charges like you would if we pieced together each piece individually.
There is a premium cost to utilizing the expertise of our partners in your destination, as well as having them manage your trip while you are traveling to ensure that everything goes according to plan. You will receive a contact number for a team in your destination who can help at any time. The average premium for this level of service is 20% compared to piecing together a trip yourself. If you do not see the value in this level of service, please note that we offer a Self Guided Exploration package for select destinations (detailed below).
explore package
cruises, escorted tours, & resort bookings - oh my! $250 flat fee
Whether you want to be part of an escorted tour, go on a big ship or a river cruise, or stay at a resort where you will spend most of your time means that there will be fewer details of the trip for us to plan and the price reflects that. Our role is to match you and your travel companions with the best travel options that suit your needs.
This option is not about the itinerary, it is about making the best selection based on your criteria. For a flat fee of $250, we will do the research for you and match your travel style to the travel supplier that best suits your needs (ps – I love playing matchmaker). We will present you with the top three options that match your needs. When you are spending most of your time at a resort or on a ship or with a guide, we want to make sure you have made the right choice. Once the choice is made, we will make the booking on your behalf, make sure you are ready for departure, and be available to you until you return.
explorer service
no charge for this service
Ideal for self-sufficient travelers who know what they want and just want the booking and management of the reservation to be handled by a professional. Sometimes this means extra perks and amenities for you, but it always means you have an extra layer of support if you have any issues with your reservation (hopefully not!). There is no cost for this service since there is no research and design. If you would like an elevated experience, we offer our concierge package for $150 to help you arrange transfers, activities, and even restaurant reservations.
For those who want the benefits of booking Virtuoso properties through me, but do not want to bother me with a small request, I’ve got you covered … you can book with us via our private label Virtuoso site. For more information on the Hotel Elite Programs that we are affiliated with visit our Hotel Programs page.
$50 per person coordination fee
Ever heard of the term herding cats? Getting a group traveling together on the same page can be a monumental task. Between the varying opinions on what to do and the administrative work involved, trust me when I say you want a travel professional handling the trip.
For groups over 20 people, service includes a web page dedicated to your group where all information is kept for easy access to all pertinent information. This package is fully customizable depending on the needs of the group. Services can include hotel & experience options, transportation & logistics, trip protection quote & claim filing assistance (if needed), deposit & final payment execution upon confirming itinerary, restaurant & spa recommendations + appointment confirmation 30 days prior to departure, the travel app, a Custom Vacation Guide, custom documents, arrival guidance, and assistance while traveling.
More details about our full group offerings can be found on our Group Travel page.
We have worked with corporate groups as large as 160 people. We can arrange the cruise or resort accommodations, as well as air. We also facilitate conversations between our clients and event staff. The cost varies based on the size of the group and the complexity of the request. More details can be found on our Event Travel page.
guided exploration*
offered for select cities that we know well
Ideal for travelers who want assistance creating a custom itinerary, but do not need a luxury travel experience. These travelers do not mind making their own arrangements, they just do not know where to begin the process and do not have time for the hours of research and logistics that go into creating an itinerary.
For $250 per city or town, we will do a deep dive into a destination and provide you with all of the essential information to make the trip perfect for you. You will receive a personalized Exploration Guide. No more falling down the internet rabbit hole. We know the travel industry, and we combine that knowledge with our stellar research skills to find the best options for basics like hotels, tours, and restaurants plus a lot of things you might have never thought of like green spaces, exhibitions, day trips to surrounding areas, foods and drinks you must try while you are there, to name a few! If you choose a hotel on the list where we can offer extra amenities, we will happily book those for you at no charge.
*Please note: due to unprecedented demand for our explore more, explore, and event packages, we are not currently offering exploration map service. We expect to resume this service in the summer of 2024.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
luxe concierge service add-on, $150 per week
Think of us as the concierge desk at a nice hotel except you can access these services long before you depart. Basic concierge service includes restaurant, tee times, and spa reservations during your stay. Coordinating these things from half a world away is not for the faint of heart, so feel free to pass that task on to us. We will even handle specialized requests like theater, sporting events, and concert tickets or special requests like planning a picnic, arranging a photographer, or maybe even planning a virtual destination selection party for a multi-gen trip. The sky is the limit – we love making trips as special as possible.
air booking service add-on
Air advice is part of the explore and explore more packages, but ticketing incurs a $50 per ticket fee unless it is part of a supplier package.
luxury rv road trip packages
Did you know that we used to own an RV? And that we traveled across the USA during the pandemic while we worked and schooled visiting the National Parks out west?! Because of our experience with these types of trips and our connections in the industry, we have partnered with luxury motorcoach companies that curate memorable road trip experiences for the affluent luxury leisure traveler. Think of this as the ultimate glamping experience with no stone unturned along the way. We make recommendations of things to see, do, and eat along the way so all clients have to do is go. We work directly with each client to make sure we understand exactly what they are looking for. Because we go into painstaking details and no commission is made on these trips, they are our highest-priced package starting at $200 per day of travel.
TRAVEL DESIGN PACKAGE INCLUSIONS
If you are a visual learner, it might help to see the inclusions for each package type laid out neatly on a chart.
I know the font is small, but that just shows how much we include in our packages!
Please zoom in to read all the details.
By paying our planning fee, you understand and accept for yourself and the travelers included in your party the planning fees outlined herein. You acknowledge and accept that all fees are non-refundable, whether you decide to book the travel presented or not. You agree to all fees such as cancellation policies, change fees, and penalties, and understand that unused portions of travel vouchers are non-refundable. You also understand these fees are separate from the cost of your trip and the tour operator/cruise line policies. When paying our planning fee, you will receive a copy of our Terms and Conditions and a copy of this Planning Fee Agreement and will acknowledge receipt.