Travel agent suggests Rapallo instead of Cinque Terre

I'd vote for the CT too. You want to be right in the action for fun nights, neat walks and the food in the towns!

Do take the ferry one day for great photos of the shore, but stay in one of the towns...it really doesn't matter which one...Monterosso is largest, Vernazza is next largest....we liked Monterosso for the choices in resturants and the beach.

Okay, I e-mailed my travel agent and she will change our reservations to a hotel in Monterosso.

We generally trust her opinions because she is from Italy, but we'll go against her suggestion this time :)

Maybe she suggested Rapallo because CT is mostly places that don't use travel agents, so she won't be able to book there for you. We're going to CT in May, and my travel agent wouldn't help us, because she said it was the kind of place you do on your own.

Perhaps your travel agent has a relative in Rapello that owns a hotel (just kidding). Stay in the CT. You'll enjoy all of the local food and culture. You can take a wonderful ferry ride from Monterosso to Portovenere and back. A very scenic ride and if the seas aren't rough, they'll pull into most of the towns. And, take the opportunity to hike the coastal trails.

Honestly, it sounds like there's something fishy going on between your travel agent and Rapallo. the real question is, why are you using a travel agent in the first place? They're almost completely unnecessary (I said ALMOST, people).

Hi Jarrod,

This is our first time using a travel agent. We are internet savvy and typically use Expedia or Travelocity to book flights and hotels, and we always check TripAdvisor for reviews.

However, since it will be our honeymoon and neither of us have been to Europe/Italy, we wanted help from an "expert". We'll be going to Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, and Sorrento, and the travel agent will be booking all of our hotels and transportation.

We researched all of her recommendations thoroughly, and the prices she's giving us are comparable, if not lower, than the web prices. We've been satisfied with all of her recommendations, except for the hotel in Rapallo, though she already changed it to Monterosso after we expressed our opinion yesterday.

I guess this would be a different topic, but what are the "cons" of using a travel agent?

Thanks!
Anne

Usually the "con" is paying more for things you can typically find out on your own with a little elbow grease on the internet. Also, you have less ownership of your experience because someone else put it together for you. Also, travel agents are trying their best to make money just like everyone else. So you can't always be certain of their motivation for giving you particular advice. Perhaps I'm just not that trusting of anyone in the "service" industry unless there's no money involved.

It seems as though you have been duped by the classic negatives in using a travel agent. IF you have a good agent who is interested in SERVICE to clients they can most often SAVE you money. Of course IF you have the HOURS to do all the research yourselves and only take advice from other people who have written in...you shouldn't go to one!

But why have those people written in??? Maybe their aunt owns a hotel in Monterosso...what are their credentials?

Travel agents do work to make money BUT to do that they have to have clients who are pleased with the trip they've arranged. Then they come back...and come back...and they can earn money.

A CANNED trip is a CANNED trip whether you've put it together or your agent has...and for the kind of money that's required these days to travel in Europe...I'd want a professional!

Definitely DO NOT STAY IN RAPALLO! There is nothing to do there. The hotels are from the 50's. The Cinque Terre are unbelievable. I would stay in Monterosso in the CT, take boats, train or hike to each village. Also, you might want to take a little side trip to Portofino. I can't imagine an Italian travel agent suggesting Rapallo!!!!!

The travel agent could simply have misjudged what would suit Anne and her fiance. Americans on honeymoon are "supposed" to travel de luxe, and many expect it.

It's not a point in the agent's favor, but as long as she gets the message and is helpful I wouldn't write her off.

Travel agents make money one way only. By commision. Commissions are paid by the hotel to the ta. So more often then not the price is NOT the best price you could get,( they may seem better then list price , but who ever pays the list rate( rack rate) is getting ripped off) BUT, more importantly then money,, there is the fact that TA recommend hotels that are going to be larger and more " commerical"( as in here comes the bus tour group) then when you look, find your own small hotel , and book yourself.

I went to school to become a ta, only finished 1/2 classes and had kids instead, but , please believe me, the bottom line is dollars, they are NOT working for free , their time is money too, and while a ta is great for some things( complicated train or flights, or travel to places like Africa) they are just not needed for Europe.

BTW, October will be lovely!

Here's my CT travel agent horror story.

It's our first trip to Italy and we're going with friends. We end up booking all of it online, but one of the friends has been asking a travel agent for options the whole time and is feeling bad that we haven't put any business her way.

So we decide to book the CT hotel through the agent. We get there, and find it is a total dump. Black mould in the tiny shower, awful pine wood panelling, small room... we'd never have stayed there had we known. And it was not cheap!

The day was rescued big time by a magical dinner under the stars in the square with all kinds of fabulously fresh fish and pasta dishes, washed down with great wine. But the agent really screwed us on the hotel.

Mathew

I think staying outside and day-tripping it to the CT would be a mistake. After staying there this past September, I found that the CT cities during the day would be inundated by the quick day-trippers, fill up, be far more touristy than the sleepy, slow, relaxing nights around 6-7pm. I think you would lose out on some of the small town charms of the CT by NOT staying there and taking in the hours after all the sun-burned tourists have taken the trains out of town.

I think Rick Steves says it best"use a travel agent for plane tickets and car rental and nothing else"I do that after checking prices myself first.She usually comes up with something better then I can.

Obviously most of you have never had a REALLY good agent...that's too bad!

Thanks for all of the feedback!!

We'll be sticking with our travel agent, despite her Rapallo suggestion. All of her other recommendations seem great and she got us a low price on the airfare.

First off Congratulation!

We honeymooned in Italy for 3 weeks!

We used Santa Margherita Ligure as our home base for the 5 Terres, along with Portofino and Genoa. I'm happy to hear that you will NOT be staying in Rapallo!

Anne,

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to both of you!

I MOST DEFINITELY agree with the others, in that you should stay in the C.T. Monterosso al Mare seems to be "the favourite" in this Thread and under the circumstances it's probably the best choice. It's the largest of the five villages and has the best Hotels and other facilities, and also the best beach. I stayed in Riomaggiore on my last visit, and had a great time, but the lodgings are a bit more "informal".

There could be a number of reasons why your T.A. suggested Rapallo. Perhaps she's stayed there in the past and enjoyed the town? However, it's your trip and your choice. I tend to follow the same method as Rick, using a T.A. for air tickets, car rental and medical insurance, and so far that's worked well.

I was also there in October, and on that occasion the weather was perfect - hot & sunny in the day but a bit chilly at night. Hopefully you'll also have good luck with the weather.

Happy travels!

Anne,

..... continued from last post.

I'm also somewhat of a Photographer, although don't consider myself a "professional". I'll be upgrading my Camera body before the next trip, so hopefully will get some better results than last time.

I find it's a bit of a nuisance to pack along a dSLR and associated kit, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm sure you'll find LOTS of photo op's in the C.T.!

Cheers!

Yes Judy , I 'm crying all the way to the bank on that one,LOL
Like the ta that tried to sell me a Eurostar ticket for almost 300 dollars, but I stupidly went online and wasted 90 dollars instead,, LOL , way dumb hey,
Or the ta that offered me a " deal" on airfare, but it was on a national airline that charged hundreds more then the discount airline I found and used , thanks to my fingers and the internet.

Yeah, I miss using a ta alright, can't believe I didn't book the Best Western or Marriott in Paris, instead stayed in a lovely character hotel on the left bank, right next to cafes and little shops, I mean I struggled with not having a doorman .. LOL,

Travel agents often SAY they are getting you the best deals , and once in a blue moon they might, especially if you are not patient enough to spend the time online and do your homework, but I also think they are just not aware of some deals, since they have no incentive to book you into non commision paying places.

So , my point is, I do NOT blame TA's for the practice of having to book you into places that give them commision, I mean , this is their job and they deserve to make money ,, but, I also think that the travel agent industry has got to get with it, agents need to specialize , and really work on their knowledge , so that travellers who are just not capable or willing could then PAY them a flat fee for planning a trip and doing the bookings for them. People like my mom would still use such an agency ,, my mom never got a computer , and prefered person to person service( never got a bank card, always had to go to the teller) .
For most of us, we can all do as good if not a much beter job of booking our own trips, we have no hidden agenda in planning our own trips, other then catering to our specific likes and dislikes.

This is one complaint I have with travel agents. They make a living on commission. Small hotels are rarely willing to pay commissions to travel agents so the agents won't book them unless a client insists.

The second complaint is 99 percent of travel agents have no idea what they are booking. They get some training in how to book and bonuses for booking particular destinations. Most don't know what their clients want and aren't willing to book "back door" type vacations.

The best way to travel is to be "your own" agent. That way you decide what you really want to see and do. I make minimum reservations (air transportation, first and last night lodging, maybe a couple of others) before leaving home. While I have a pretty good tentative itenerary, I never allow my itenerary to get in the way of having the best possible experience. An extra day at a place we love, one day less at one we don't or adding a festival in a new location makes all the difference.

I would beg to differ with your travel agent.
There are many lovely places to stay in Cinque Terre
You can walk from town to town. I am a want a be
photographer and the scenery is spectacular. That is a good amt of time to be there.
Hope you are going in early October. You would so loose the flavor of those beautiful towns if you don't stay there. The only town I would not stay in is Corniglia as it is the high hilltop town is very small and really quiet. It is also harder to get to. I would also suggest to take the boat if the weather agrees to Portovenere. You can get some great pictures there and of Cinque Terre on the ride back

I just wanted to say one more thing. I have been to Italy 4 times now and love it there. Rick Steves is so right when he says to get the real flavor of Italy ..you need to stay in B&B's.

Anne....

First, congratulations.

Second, if you're happy with the work your travel agent has done, that's all that matters. In the future, you might see that planning a trip can be a lot of fun and there are plenty of places online to get help such as this board.

As far as travel agents go, for people who travel "the back door way," a travel agent will never take the place of doing personal planning.

However, there are a lot of people out there who walk into a travel agent, say "I want to go to Europe," and that's all the work they want to do. They like the big hotels, they like the bus tours, they like the planned meals, they like to be told what to see and what to do. I'm a former tour director and took a lot of these people on tours. And they loved it.

As for me, when I travel on my own, I get off the buses, grab a carry-on bag, and explore.

I, too, have a bad travel agent story:

Many years ago, before there was an internet, I decided to take my first trip to Europe. I researched brochures and found a tour for young people and even reserved my own air tickets. In those days, you could only reserve a tour through a travel agent. (I had never heard of Rick Steves."

So, I went to my local travel agent and told her I wanted to go to Europe, gave her the exact tour and dates I wanted, and gave her my air reservation so she could print my ticket.

After laying all the information on her desk, she looked at me and said "You don't want to go to Europe, you want to go on a cruise." She wouldn't take no for an answer.After 10 minutes of arguing with her, I walked out. I found another travel agent who was happy to book my tour and air. He told me the reason the original agent pushed the cruise was because that cruise line paid a very high commission.

That was also the last time I used a travel agent.

Wow, I didn't expect to receive so many responses - thanks everyone!

If/when we go back to Italy, we'll definitely feel more comfortable booking everything on our own.

But for our honeymoon, we're very happy with the final itinerary that we constructed with our travel agent.

We can't wait 'til October!