With its Old-World charm, rich and diverse cultures, extensive history, stunning art and architecture, and refined cuisine, Europe continues to be a wonderful vacation option for American travelers who don’t mind taking the long flight across the pond. What has evolved in recent years are the number of countries visited in one trip and the length of stay, as well as some of the destinations chosen.
Matching stops and stays to clients’ desires
As for trends, Adriana Horton, travel advisor, Michelle's Destinations Unlimited, LLC, is “seeing people traveling to fewer places with longer stops on their multi-stop trip. I feel that people want to have a little more of an immersive experience, so they are staying in each stop a little longer.”
Joyce Smith, co-owner and travel consultant, of Time of Your Life Travel LLC, has experienced just the opposite, booking “more stops with shorter stays in each city, sometimes even one or two nights here or there just to see one particular monument or attraction … It’s become much more common for a two-week European trip to have five or six different stops, sometimes in multiple countries.”
To match the appropriate number of stops and stays to the client’s desires, perhaps the most important step is “making sure to qualify clients from the start,” as Smith explains. “The tricky part of this profession is helping clients set expectations and understand that sometimes what they think they can do isn’t feasible, but doing that in a way that doesn’t put them off or make them feel that they are being told what they should or should not do or see. It’s all about presentation and making sure they know my goal is to have them return home with the feeling that they got the experience they were looking for.”
Getting the itinerary just right
Horton focuses on “being flexible with your route and even with your stops. Europe, especially in the summer, is busy. Sometimes you have to reroute to find the availability you want. Make sure to have a few accommodation options in your popular destinations so you have backups when your 'go-to’ is booked. Make sure you and your client understand geography and what it takes to get them from destination to destination. If someone comes to me wanting to go to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Zurich, Rome, and Athens in a week, I have to have an honest discussion with them.”
Sara Roberts, owner, of Best Travel and Tour Houston LLC, shares one of her secrets to success when designing multi-stop travel itineraries: “I love what I do. When I'm putting together multi-destination trips, I dive right in, imagining the journey as if I were right there with my clients. This passion pushes me to aim for perfection in every little detail. I want each itinerary to be more than just a list of places — it should be a carefully crafted adventure that sparks joy and goes above and beyond.”
She adds: “Planning multi-stop European travel can be a rewarding experience, for both me and my clients. Just remember to keep clients' preferences and interests top of mind when creating their itineraries!”
Roberts also points out that “travelers are influenced by what they see on social media, so they're looking for personalized experiences with flexible itineraries. It's important for me as a travel agent to put myself in my client’s shoes and be ready to work with different budgets.”
Booking private tours and self-drive options
Smith says that her “clients are willing to pay higher rates for private tours, since most of them have very limited time in major cities with lots of attractions, so seeing the lion’s share of the ‘bucket list items’ in one long day with an expert allows a little more time for relaxation and exploring. It helps to have a go-to private guide that I know will serve the clients well.”
She continues with this advice: “If you can’t discourage people from trying to see too much in too little time, encourage some type of private touring for a day in each city to hit the highlights and get the history and commentary that will make the day so much more memorable. I always stress immersing oneself in the local culture and having some unscheduled time to just ‘be,’ so that clients aren’t feeling rushed or overwhelmed, but can still come away with a good understanding of the destination. Traveling at warp speed will get very tiring and can cause a lot of stress well before the end of the vacation.
“When time permits, I always recommend a Big Bus tour of many metropolitan cities as a last day, as clients can at least see some of the sights they may have missed.It’s a fun way to wind down a stay in a large city.”
Viator is one such company that provides private and luxury tours to larger groups and everything in between in Europe.
On the other side of the spectrum, Horton has seen that “self-driveoptions are more popular than in past years.For me, they have always been my favorite way to see parts of Europe, and now Ifind myself booking more (and not just the UK and Ireland).”
Choosing accommodations
When it comes to choosing the best accommodations for clients, “I believe a hotel rating is not as important as the most current reviews from other travelers,” reports Smith. “Location, comfort, safety, and walkability of a hotel is key when the property is essentially a place to sleep and regroup for the next day. I don’t book budget properties and won’t book Airbnb or VRBO, as they don’t have a governing body. But small boutique hotels usually provide a great experience, and have so much more flavor than a chain hotel with properties all over the world.”
Recommending from firsthand experience
Any travel advisor worth their salt already knows this, but it bears repeating that having firsthand experience in European destinations is invaluable when making recommendations.
“Experience and having been to many of the destinations I sell has been super valuable for me and for our agency,” describes Smith. “All of our agents have a region they specialize in and have visited multiple times, so we can use those experiences to build an itinerary based on client requests. Clients really appreciate knowing their travel advisor has firsthand experience and can narrow down what are the best and most important attractions to see when their time is a bit limited, or with some extra time what else they can experience that they may not have considered.”
Horton concurs, as one of her secrets to success in booking multi-spot European trips is “knowing the destinations. Whether it is traveling there yourself, or doing a ton of research, the more you know the destination, the easier it is to build itineraries and sell them.” She also suggests “focusing on just a few destinations in Europe and really excelling at selling them.”
Where to send clients in Europe now
This leads us to a discussion about travel advisors’ favorite destinations and/or hidden gems to book in Europe.
Smith notes: “Many clients aren’t aware of the vibe of Venice, and it’s gotten some bad press with cruise lines no longer porting there, so they think it’s not worth seeing.So many hidden corners and neighborhoods where you can truly be with the locals and see things many people aren’t aware of, and no traffic to get in your way.You’ll get your steps in and then some, too!”
Also, Smith recommends: “Old Town Prague is a phenomenal place to spend a day or two.So much history there, and the food is incredible. There’s a bar called Black Angels in the basem*nt of the Hotel U Prince that is like a speakeasy set up in a cave, and it is one of the most unique experiences we’ve had. It’s not unusual to see celebrities and political figures, and photography is forbidden for that reason.”
Topping Horton’s list is Granada, and she says: “I love Granada (not really sure it is a hiddengem, but itis not usually the first or second pick for a vacation in Spain). I love the mixture of different cultures, and the Alhambra at night is such a magical tour.In Ireland, I love Kenmare - it's a slightlysmaller version of Killarney and in the same area, so you are able to see the same sites.”
Roberts says: “Italy is my top choice because it's easy to get around and explore. It's a perfect blend of history, culture, natural beauty, and amazing food. There's so much to discover, even
away from the usual tourist spots. After Italy, Greece is a must-visit. The history and culture are unbeatable, not to mention the stunning landscapes and the opportunity for island hopping.
When a travel advisor gets the trip details just right, they can expect to feel the sense of satisfaction that Smith describes: “I’m grateful that my clients are happy with the expertise that I provide and refer their friends and acquaintances to me.You know you did well when your client contacts you once they return home and lets you know they appreciated your advice and are grateful they followed your recommendations.”
FROM THE SPONSOR: Of course, alongside its product, ALGV has grown its advisor resources as well. New digital Travelogue brochures highlight traveler-preferred hotels, tours through Viator and Travel Curious, and major attractions. For both a big-picture overview and detail-rich training, the brand’s ALGVPro advisor specialist program features Europe-centric courses that can be completed on demand. Groups seeking to experience the delights of the region can do so with ease thanks to all-new custom event pages. Advisors can now create a unique webpage for each group, posting event details, an itinerary, even their agency’s terms and conditions. The capability advisors will be most excited for, however, is the ability for customers to book directly from the page. To learn more about these offerings, and the growth opportunities they present, reach out to your ALGV business development manager at www.algvacations.com/bdm.
Bringing the same level of service, reliability, and personalization to booking Europe as they do to Mexico and the Caribbean, ALG Vacations® has expanded its offerings there exponentially. From perennially popular destinations across Italy, France, and Spain, to less-frequented gems throughout Switzerland, Croatia, and Bulgaria, ALGV provides hundreds of options for accommodations, transportation, and tours and attractions. Travel advisors can mix and match according to their customers’ preferences — a feat made simpler by filtering in VAX VacationAccess by points of interest, star level, or newly added, cruise port cities.
