Last Updated on November 13, 2024 by Stacey Levesque

Your favourite tripcentral.ca agent, or one of our agents who’s been there, can help you create a customized trip based on your needs.  It is more time-consuming and often more money than an off-the-shelf package, but you get exactly what you want. 

Schedule a meeting with an agent and be prepared to articulate answers to the following questions, as it will save a LOT of time and back and forth.  Custom itineraries are best booked starting with the most scarce or expensive components, working down to the small details.  Trying to lay every detail out and then trying to book it all is often frustrating, as prices and availability can change while this is all being researched and decided.  Oftentimes, we can hold space without payment for a few days to piece together the main components as a skeleton to the details.

WHO?

This might seem obvious, but the more we know about who is travelling (age, mobility, medical conditions, citizenship, etc), the better we can understand and satisfy all your needs for a seamless experience.  It might directly affect the destination, flights, accommodation, getting around, and even the style of travel.

Adventure Travel

WHEN?

WHERE?

It’s perfectly fine to not really know where you want to go and for how long, but articulate your needs in the following questions for a better match of destination and interest.  If you’ve zeroed in on a destination, the questions below may seem obvious, but we would like to check any assumptions versus reality up front, rather than see people not get what they expected.  For bucket list trips, keeping an open mind can make the trip more enjoyable by adding pre or post-stays or stopovers.  One-way itineraries are a great way to see more places, by flying into one city and out of another – it often does not add a lot more cost and is a way to knock two more places off your bucket list.

WEATHER?

• What kind of weather are you expecting? 
  • Hot? Warm? Mild? Cool? Cold?
  • Sunny? Overcast?  Rainy?  Snowy?

Sometimes people have assumptions about the weather when choosing a destination.  We’d like to make sure before we go too far to check your expectations vs reality at that time of year, or recommend alternatives.

Groups

MOTIVATION?

What is your motivation for taking this trip?  Often there are multiple, and each traveller may have different motivations.  It helps to understand them, especially if compromise is necessary. In no particular order:

• Sightseeing
• Adventure
• Relaxation
• Visiting Friends and Family
• Business / Conference
• Special Occasions – Birthday, Anniversary, etc
• Religious
• Health and Wellness
• Bucket List
• Other _________________________________________

TRAVEL INTERESTS

• Culture
• History
• Music
• Art
• Architecture
• Landscape / Geography
• Beaches
• Food
• Nightlife
• Shopping
• Other ____________________________

• What are the most important things you want to see or do on this trip?

• Tell us about a past trip that you enjoyed, and why?

• How in-depth do you want to explore each place?
  • Highlights / In-Depth

Solo Travel

How structured would you like your trip to be?

• Spontaneous
• Everything Pre-Planned
• Somewhere in between

Would you consider yourself adventurous?   How about your travelling companions?  Yes / No

Are you comfortable navigating unfamiliar places?  Yes / No

Are you comfortable communicating in broken phrases and hand signals when people do not speak English?  Yes / No

Are you more active in daytime or night-time activities?  Your travelling companions?

Family-Friendly Fun

What do you like to do in the evenings?

• Bars & Pubs
• Nightclubs
• Casinos
• Live Music
• Live Theatre
• Roam the street life
• Hang out in my hotel room

What kind of restaurants do you usually enjoy?

• Local Cuisine
• Fast Food
• Chain restaurants
• Casual
• Fine Dining
• Cafes
• Pubs

What kind of accommodation are you thinking about?

• Luxury Hotel
• Moderate Hotel
• Basic Hotel
• Vacation Home
• Apartment
• Motel
• Bed & Breakfast
• Villa
• Camping
• Other:  _____

Where do you see yourself staying?

• City Centre
• Airport
• Outside City Centre / Suburbs
• Close to Transit
• Rural Area
• Resort
• Close to specific point(s) of interests:  _________________

How do you see yourself getting around?  (check all that apply)

• Coach Tour
• Cruise
• Taxi / Uber
• Car Rental
• Intercity Trains
• Metro / Subway
• City Buses
• Ferries

Culture Enthusiasts

Do you have any points, miles, or rewards that you would like to redeem for this trip? If so, tell us the program(s) and point balances.

How much do you need to save to consider a connecting flight over non-stop flights?

Do you have any preferred or avoid airlines?  Are you interested in upgraded seating or more legroom on some or all flights?

How much do you think this might all cost?  Total?  Per Person?  Do you have a budget in mind?  If so, how flexible is that budget in terms of a range (there can be differences between wishes and reality)?

This is a lot to think about.  But if you can express your needs and wants, and allow our agent to stretch the extent of your flexibility, it will mean better value, convenience and satisfaction.  And, if budget is a constraint (and it usually is), it will help us understand where to compromise to fit into your budget, or for you to adjust your budget expectations if necessary.

If you make an appointment with our agent, you can do this on Teams, and have a video call to better interact closer to what you might in person.  It also allows for multiple participants to be in on the conversation early and hear the questions and considerations first-hand if they are interested.  Having multiple people out trying to plan a complicated trip can be frustrating and confusing.  Or dealing with questions by others after the fact instead of hearing it firsthand.  Teams is a great way to do this.

Contact your favourite agent, or choose an agent who’s been there from our website and start expressing your dream trip, and we’ll help you build it!