HERE TO HELP

OUR SERVICES HAVE YOU IN MIND

OUR SERVICES ARE

  • Guided

    Discover where to go, plan an itinerary, and book your hotels. With our extensive research and experience, we are able to provide advice on transportation, day trips to local points of interest, scheduling and booking tours and unique, off the beaten path activities.

  • Personalized

    The one travel planner for every road trip! Your vacation should be customized for your interests: tell us where you want to go and what you dream of seeing and we will make it happen.

  • Targeted

    We provide you with a personal travel consultant to assist you in planning your trip to plan, build and manage your perfect itinerary for adventures of any length, in any location.

OUR MISSION

POINTING YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO YOUR DREAM DESTINATION

Don’t leave your dream vacation up to chance.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE

  • A workable itinerary.

  • Advice on transportation.

  • Day trips to local points of interest.

  • Hotel accommodations, including villa rentals and intimate local hotels.

  • Scheduling and booking tours.

  • Unique, off the beaten path activities.

We do not provide assistance with flights, but we can refer you to an agency we work with.

By Design Travels has spent years researching and developing escorted small group travel services for small groups who prefer personalized attention to what they wish to experience on their holiday.

Our clients secure their own flight arrangements as we feel they are best suited to determine their own schedules and transportation costs. Of course, we are there to assist you if necessary. All you have to do is pack! What could be easier?

Join us today for the journey of a lifetime and let us do the work!

FAQs

How far in advance should I plan a trip to Europe?

It is recommended that you plan a minimum of 6 to 8 months in advance for a trip to Europe. Post pandemic travel is very heavy and in order to have a choice of excellent accommodations and tours is important to plan ahead. Most of the reservations can be canceled and we always recommend Travel Insurance.

If I book a cruise through a travel advisor, do I pay more than if I booked it directly with the cruise company?

You do not pay anymore and in many cases, you will pay less with a travel advisor that has access to discounted rates, onboard credits, and specials that are they are able to pass on to you. The only thing that you are missing if you book directly with the cruise company is the service!!!  Travel Advisors follow you before, during and after your cruise, and also can make arrangements for pre and/or post cruise extensions---- the service from a travel advisor is very useful and it doesn’t cost you anymore!

How much should I tip in Europe?

Normally tipping is not expected in restaurants in Europe however, most Americans really feel comfortable not leaving a tip!  Tipping of no more than 10% is appropriate as waiters do not work for tips in Europe.  For taxi cabs, usually just rounded up—for example, if the charge is 8.50 euro give them a 10 euro and they will be very appreciative. For tour guides, if it is a large group 5 euros per couple or if it’s a private tour it should be approximately 10%-20% of the cost of the tour, depending on your satisfaction.

How much does Travel Insurance cost?

Travel Insurance is based on three components:

  • The state in which you reside

  • The age of the people insured

  • and the amount of money that you insure

Along with the coverage for the nonrefundable costs, you also receive medical benefits, trip cancellation (you have to cancel prior to traveling) and trip interruption (you are traveling and need to shorten the trip and/or return home).

The medical benefits remain the same regardless of how much money you insure, the trip cancellation and trip interruption varies with the amount of money you insure. Travel Insurance is highly recommended, and your Travel Advisor can provide you with a quote.  In addition, if you’re going to make more than one trip, particularly outside the United States in the course of a 12-month period, a yearly policy might be more cost-effective and provide you with the needed coverage.

If you purchase travel insurance with a cruise company, remember that it only covers you for the dates booked for the cruise.  If you are planning on arriving before the cruise and staying after the cruise you are better to purchase a policy that will cover all the dates of your travel.