Travel agent for England/Great Britain

I don't know of any travel agents for England. But, if your travel plans are "very unusual," you should state exactly what they are, so someone can recommend an agent who can help with your specific needs.

I'm looking for a travel agent - I will work with them on my unusual plans.

good luck to you. Most all of here do not use travel agents,, we figure out stuff and help each other..
A travel agent is not likely to be that much more helpful, they only refer you chain hotels, or hotels that pay commissions, they have most likely not been to England every single year for last 10-20 years ,, like some of our posters have,, and they only look stuff up on their computer, which we have all figured out how to do ourselves,, saving money and tailoring our trips to our needs,, and trust me, everyone has different needs. Trains, bus schedules, historical sites, etc etc,, there is an amazing wealth of information here, and on other travel forums.. all for free, and all by people who have nothing to gain by making recommendations.

I need a car to transport 6 people throughout England. I'd prefer a "cheap" car that is an automatic and potentially a diesel for better gas milage. Where is the best place I can pick one up at?
I'm landing in London but dont' need to pick it up there. I can take a train to a more economical place to rent the car.

Glen, I can't offer any recommendations on Travel Agents in San Francisco. You might try This Travel Agent (not sure if they offer service to other states, but you can ask). It might be easier for the group here to offer more specific suggestions if you could provide a few more details on your "very unusual" travel plans. Cheers!

Glen, to offer helpful advice, we'll need a bit more information. You say you need a 'cheap' car that will carry 6. A car that can handle 6 passengers (are all adult?) and their luggage in the UK is going to be much less common than in the USA. Vans are not all that common, either and may require special driving liscenses.Automatic transmissions are not common, either. It will be helpful to know where you are arriving- London has several airports- and where you are going- not just the final destination, but your planned route. Then those who have experience driving in the UK (Pamela, and others for example) can help. Gas (petrol) is going to be VERY expensive- whether regular or disel. Parking is scarce and expensive in the cities- and only slighltly better in the smaller villages/towns. There are things like the London congestion zones you'll need to know about, etc. Also while distances LOOK short on maps of the UK, driving times are longer than you might think. All of this will need to be considered. AND there ARE people here who can, and gladly will, give you advice. This is not to discourage you from driving, but to help you understand why people need more info from you. They want to help, but want their answers to actually be helpful- not just random suggesstions that might or might not work for your particular situation. As someone who does not drive in the UK (more than 40 trips), I have to also ask- have you considered using trains and buses? There are group/family tickets that can (sometimes) make that mode of transportation viable even for larger groups.

You want a travel agent. Are you a AAA member? If so use one of theirs. You want a cheap 6 passenger diesel car AND are landing in England. Which airport? If you want this group's assistance please specify your unusual plans or look elsewhere. Tough to help without knowing some specifics.
When are you traveling as in what time of the year? Ages of the 6 people. Where you are going? Help us help you.

I'm sure that your travel agent will tell you that people movers (the only thing smaller than a minibus which may require license endorsement) have virtually no boot. All that space is occupied by the rear seat. If you elect to go that route where will the luggage go? I don't know of any European cars which have a 3 seater bench seat in the front and the rear. I hear your question. We however are pretty much a self help group and many of us don't deal with travel agents ourselves. There is an incredible wealth of knowledge here, and some of what we don't yet know we know how to find out.

Hi, Have you contacted either Carlson Wagonlit or Thomas Cook, especially on traveling in England? I used Carlson back in '95...satisfactory, helpful. Both are located in SF.

Sorry for being so "short" in my question/response. Understand I had just received another "drop the ball" email from my travel agent. A few more details: * 6 people - All adult * Arriving airport - Heathrow * Timeframe - Olympics * Locations traveling - ALL over (basically following the Rick Steve's "Great Britain" book but at a faster pace). * Why am I choosing a car - I'm thinking the train will cost more (per trip, based on 6 people) - I don't have any specific directions at this point and will plan on being very creative in my locations * My unusualness to my trip. I will watch some of the soccer games based on who the teams are - SOME I can tell where they are going to be at - some I will not know, some I will decide at the last minute (based on availability of tickets - if I can find any and if I can afford any).
- So I plan to Drive to a location, stay a day or two then on to the next location then drive to the next location and on and on and on. Then retrace mysteps when a game shows up that I want to see....

Understand, this is the way I like to travel and I've done it often - so please don't hate it. I see a lot and I miss a lot and I'm ok with that. SO - what is my question you ask. 1) I would like to find a great travel agent that can work with me every few day's setting me up with arrangements when necessary. 2) CAR - is renting or leasing the way to go (I'll be there 3 weeks) 3) Are diesel cars better then gasoline (petrol fuel cost) 4) Where should I look to pick up the car Note: * I will call the travel agent 2 day's before I enter a location and have them book hotel rooms and setup arrangements I may need
* I traveled this way throughout the world and only recently my travel agent is dropping the ball.

Glen, there's a UK travel agent company called Bath Travel who are based on the South Coast. I don't know if they can help you, and I've never used them myself but they do have a good reputation.
Maybe they could help. I hope you have a good time, it sounds interesting!

Glen, A while back I took a travel class at The World Headquarters of Europe Thru The Back Door in Edmonds WA about Travel Agents. The speaker was Elizabeth Holmes of Elizabeth Holmes Travel. She in Seattle but she may be just up your street..so to speak..information wise. Her phone number is 206-547-8367

We just planned a trip for 8 in April. We opted for the 3-day rail passes over 2 weeks. Check with Rail Europe for group discounts and schedules. You might be hopping around too much with last minute changes but look at the different rail passes. Using the rail passes, taxis and private tours came to the same price or cheaper than renting an 8 passenger vehicle.
Can you recruit at least 2 drivers from your group to rent 2 vehicles. We did this on prior trips.