Passport, plans and a dilemma: travel agent or DIY explorer?

Choices, choices

Have you ever found yourself drowning in travel brochures? Spent endless hours planning a trip, hunting for that perfect hotel at the perfect price? Maybe you thought you’d struck gold—until you read the Tripadvisor reviews. Have you ever tried booking a driver from halfway across the world? Or signed up for excursions on GetYourGuide, hoping for the best?

I’ve done all that. I’ve spent countless evenings planning the “perfect” trip, only to arrive and discover busloads of tourists following the exact same itinerary—except they’d put in far less effort. But I’ve also had trips where everything went right. Every detail was just as I’d imagined, and we had an incredible time. That’s how I arranged most of my travelling: from my armchair, meticulously planning each step. I couldn’t imagine wanting it any other way. Who needs a travel agent, right?

Then I won a package holiday to Thailand for two (I know, amazing!) from the Dutch travel agency AsiaDirect. Suddenly, I was in Marc’s shoes—enjoying a trip that someone else had organised from start to finish. And to my surprise, I loved it.

Which left me with a dilemma: which is actually better—DIY travel or letting the experts take over? So I did what any good traveller would do: I set out on a little journey of my own. A bit of research, a bit of soul-searching—and maybe, by the end, a conclusion.

DIY explorer: the pros and cons

For starters, planning everything yourself can be tremendous fun. Personally, I try to get everything out of every trip: the anticipation, the actual holiday and the memories. I can happily browse travel brochures for hours on end, or spend an eternity on the internet looking for the best of everything: hotels, excursions, flights, modes of transportation, cultural experiences. You name it, I’ve researched it. Extensively.

Apart from the planning stage being fun, there’s another upside. Plan the trip yourself and you will get exactly what you want. A hotel with a private pool, an outdoor shower, comfortable beds, great food and a spa? Found it! A trip to the Sahara with a driver in traditional Berber wear? Got you covered. Don’t want to walk in the heat? I’ll rent a bike for the duration of the stay. As a DIY-traveller, you tailor the trip exactly to your wishes and dreams and you don’t have to trust anyone but yourself (and those Tripadvisor reviews) to make the right choices.

A final pro of DIY planning: it’s cheaper. Or is it? I’ll get back to you on this one.

There are downsides to DIY-planning too.
First of all, all the risk is yours. Arranging the trip exactly the way you want it sounds great. But can the real experience ever live up to the sky-high expectations? Reality generally doesn’t live up to the fantasy; there will be bugs and noisy neighbours, barking dogs and bland food and it may even rain for days on end. And it’ll all be your fault: you planned the thing and if it doesn’t deliver, you have no one to blame but yourself. So why not hire a travel agent and blame someone else?

In a practical sense, DIY travel planning comes with hidden risks. Missed flights, sudden cancellations, hidden fees, lost luggage, medical emergencies, unexpected travel restrictions – they can turn your dream holiday into an expensive nightmare. And without a travel agent, guess who’s going to fix things? Exactly.

Travel agency: the pros and cons

The most obvious advantage of planning your trip through a travel agency is the convenience. They will organise everything for you: flights, accommodation, transportation, excursions. All you have to do is get on that plane or train and enjoy your holiday. Your trip can be an all-inclusive holiday, a self-drive or guided tour exactly as in the brochures, or a customized trip just the way you like it. The travel agencies doing the latter generally have a very specific region, type of travel or target audience. They can specialise in Asia, or Himalaya hiking holidays, luxury cruises, budget travel and a myriad of other things. So you don’t have to be a DIY-explorer to have a fully customised trip: you can leave it to the pros.

A second advantage of calling in the experts is that they know the place and the people and have inside information that will make your trip more enjoyable, with unique hotels, more exciting excursions, better drivers and smoother itineraries. They’ll also keep an eye out for deals, upgrades and perks that you would never find on your own.

Apart from their usefulness when planning the trip, travel agencies can prove to be essential once you’re there. They can help you should things go south with your luggage, your health or your itinerary. Of course, a good travel insurance will do the same, but try getting hold of them when it’s 7 AM in Manilla and your insurance company is in London. Travel agencies often have a representative in each country they send their customers off to; if the worst-case scenario does occur, they know where you are and what they can do to help you.

But – isn’t hiring a travel agency incredibly expensive? I decided to find out.

A trip to Sri Lanka, DIY and travel agency compared

To put the common belief to the test—that planning your own trip is cheaper than booking through a travel agency—I selected a 17-day journey to Sri Lanka and the Maldives from a medium-sized travel agency, scheduled for the high season, since that’s when teachers like me get to travel. International flights aren’t included, as I usually book those myself once I’ve decided on a destination. The itinerary covers Negombo, Sigiriya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Yala National Park, Galle, and the Maldives. The package includes transfers, three- and four-star accommodations, a scenic train ride from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, a safari in Yala National Park, and an all-inclusive four-star resort in the Maldives. Boat transfers from the Maldives airport are included, and so is the flight from Colombo to the Maldives. Several excursions are also part of the package, with breakfast provided at every stop and lunch included on two of the excursions.
The trip can be booked through this travel agency for 2500 euros, based on two travellers. The trip is customisable. Customising a trip doesn’t have to make it more expensive, unless you’ve decided to fly by private jet and have your own butler accompany you.

Now let’s see how much it would cost if I booked the exact same trip myself. I found prices online for the exact same hotels I found in the itinerary. For excursions, I used Getyourguide. I found private transfers on this site (but feel free to find your own) and tried to find train tickets on Srilankantrain but these were not bookable. I resorted to GetYourGuide to book them.

Now let’s have a look at the results! All prices per two travellers.

• Accommodation for 12 nights, 3- and 4 star hotels in Sri Lanka : EUR 1400,-
• Three nights in a resort in the Maldives: EUR 820,- full board
• Transfers: EUR 900 ,-for 12 days in a small car with driver.
• Train tickets from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, first class: EUR 100,-
• Boat transfer airport to resort and back: EUR 80,- if you take a public ferry.
• Excursions:
  Bike tour in Negombo EUR 80,-
  Guided visit to Sigiriya Rock plus Dambullah Rock Cave EUR 180,-
  Jeep safari Minneriya National Park EUR 120,-
  Temple of the holy tooth and dance performance EUR 250,-
  Guided walk Nuwara Eliya and tea plantation EUR 90,-
  Guided tour Horton Plains National Park EUR 130,-
  Sightseeing tour Ella EUR 60,-
  Jeep safari in Yala NP included in accommodation
  Guided city tour in Galle EUR 50,-
  Tsunami museum and turtle rescue in Galle EUR 60,-
  Please note that these may not be the exact same excursions you would get through the travel agency. They are however very similar.
  Total excursions: EUR 1020,-
  
  This brings the total of a trip similar to the one the travel agency are offering to 4400, which is indeed cheaper than having it booked for you, but add in your hourly rate planning it all and you’re looking at a completely different price tag.

So which is best, trusting the travel agent or DYI-ing your way to the perfect trip?

When it comes to making the choice between travel agency and DIY, it’s all about priorities. Booking through a travel agency is convenient and can give peace of mind, as any problems that may arise aren’t yours to solve. It’s also considerably less time-consuming than the armchair-travelling that’s involved in DIY-planning.
Doing it yourself can save you money – if you disregard the time investment. It lets you enjoy the planning process and gives you complete freedom: if you want to spend longer or do something different than the original plan, that’s up to you.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to what matters most: if you value stress-free travel and reliability, an agency is hard to beat; if you love control, flexibility, and the thrill of crafting your own adventure, DIY is the way to go.