Christopher Elliott’s travel column today discusses Four secrets for finding the right travel pro. It’s a good topic to raise, especially for solos who have never traveled alone before. Do you have a travel agent book your trip for you, or do you do it yourself online? For the most part, I have always done my own planning and booking online and by phone because I’m a planner. I love it. I love being in control, making choices, finding the best deal, etc. However, there are times when an agent is a good idea. If the trip is going to be especially complex, involving several legs, stays in more than one country, etc. it might be a good idea to go with an experienced agent. If you don’t have the time to do the online research necessary to get what you want out of your trip, it might be a good idea to go with an agent. If you’re booking specialty travel, you might be better off using an agent who has expertise in that specialty.

When I decided to visit Disney World a few years ago, I wanted to book everything myself, like I normally do. But then I learned that Disney offered special discount codes on occasion and that I could get a better price on a Disney hotel if I could book with that code. I’m all for saving money. Trouble was, these codes were released early in the morning, there were always a limited number of rooms that could be booked with the code, and rumor had it that you often had to wait on the telephone on hold with Disney for HOURS before getting through to a live person to book your room. There was no way I could do that, since my boss wouldn’t appreciate me spending half a day on the phone booking my vacation. So I lurked on Disney forums to find out which Disney specialist travel agents were most recommended and then contacted Debbie Kuhns of Magical Journeys who would be able to book the discount rate for me. She was fabulous. I got exactly what I wanted without any hassle or headaches on my part.

There are a number of travel agencies online specializing in group travel for solos and singles, if you choose to go that route. I recommend you follow Christopher Elliott’s advice and research them thoroughly before booking through them. Ask for credentials, references, look for online reviews by past clients, and ask lots and lots of questions about the experiences they offer. There’s nothing as helpful as the kind of word-of-mouth advertising that is available on the Internet. As he points out, travel agents can be a godsend sometimes, but only if they’re very professional and are dedicated to customer service and follow-through. Like every other profession, there are duds, too. If they’re just in it to make a buck for themselves off our niche market, you might be better off being your own travel agent.