Should I use an Travel Agent ?

[mrsterryn]

Looking at going to Russia in April 2020. Wondering the pros and cons of using a travel agent for this one off trip ?
Two oldish people two adult children and one 16 month old

 

[Hvr]

There may be an AFFer who has travelled there and can advise of anything you need to be aware of or even recommend a good TA.


However, under no circumstances even think the name Flight Centre!!!

 

[mrsterryn]

There may be an AFFer who has travelled there and can advise of anything you need to be aware of or even recommend a good TA.

Hope so. That would be my best results

However, under no circumstances even think the name Flight Centre!!!

Hopefully someone can offer a good TA otherwise

 

[RooFlyer]

What are you looking for a TA to do?

Book flights - they can do that well, and you shouldn't pay more than the airlines charge. I'm talking about a 'real' TA - not a Flight Centre type. Best thing about having a good TA is that when issues arise, they fix it - not you waiting on the hone in middle of night etc etc.

Book hotels - yes, they can do that. My TA rarely can get hotels for the same price as I get on-line, so I generally do them myself.

Book tours - yes, they can do that, but this is more fraught. Zillions of types of tours, from cheaper big group ones, to private tours. Which is for you? I've been to Moscow and St Petersburg twice and only booked a tour to visit Catherine's Palace and the other ones outside St. P - as its a great way to avoid the large queues, and to get to and around the area. A private tour, so the timing was my own.

As long as you are reasonable good with navigation and getting around stations etc, I would say you don't need a tour around St Peterburg and Moscow. But it takes some research. if you want to 'set and forget', take a tour - but be very specific with the type of tour you want to book.

Tell us more about what you are wanting a TA to do for you on your trip.

 

[mrsterryn]

@RooFlyer
Air tickets happy to book myself
Hotels...as I have no idea about districts in Moscow or St Petersburg would prefer someone with knowledge
Tours.... Again would prefer someone with knowledge to recommend or organise the tours
Anticipating six days in Russia and 6 in London (for Dil)
I suppose part of my rationale for using a travel agent is the mystique of Russia .
I am quite comfortable getting around Europe via train and booking hotels and checking out tours , however Russia just seems to be far more.....different /difficult

 

[RooFlyer]

Russia is different (and fantastic to visit!), but I first went there as a relatively inexperienced traveler (outside the UK and Canada/US), with friends who were dead set novices (previous overseas tip 15 years prior) and we never thought about booking a tour in our travel in Moscow and St Petersburg.

I doubt a TA could give you advice on a hotel without you first saying where you wanted to stay; even then, unless they were a specialist, i doubt they could come up with a list much different than you could compile yourself.

We looked at the metro lines and found hotels near a station that was out of the main areas (ie cheaper). The metros in Moscow and St P aren't difficult to navigate; they now use English scripts in their station with local maps! But the stations are further apart than in western cities.

Then its a matter of getting to the major attractions - take the metro, and walk around! Walking around is great - even between the attractions there are amazing things you come across! But again, the attractions outside St. P, which are amazing, DO take a tour to Pushkin & Pavlovsk; Catherine's palace, Alexander Palace.

Intercity trains in Russia IS an art. I'd consult 'The man in seat 61' on-line and then maybe ask an agent to book,although i booked the train between St P and Moscow myself.

I am a big fan of travel agents, but I think they aren't necessary for Moscow & St. P. Look at Lonely Planet - they have recommendations for tours which you can contact yourself.

if you are talking outside Moscow & St. P, then the usefulness of tours increases greatly, but again, I'd look to Lonely Planet for guidance .... which is what i did when i went to Siberia last year.

PM me and I'd be happy to give you more detailed ideas and even my own TA if you really want to go that route.

 

[tgh]

Everyone is different ; I use a great TA sparingly because I can create better outcomes by investing lots of time.

I would not however , attempt to do Russia without structured and preplanned input.
IMO, the benefits of a structured itinerary far outweigh the irritations.

Off a cruise ship in StPB, , we had fantastic access over two days by using a high cost but high quality tour organiser .
I could never have managed what they managed for us , the tour leader had unfettered access everywhere and an encyclopaedic knowledge delivered in faultless english.

Finding the right tour and not getting screwed in the planning or the execution…..is the challenge

 

[kookaburra75]

I hate to sound like a lawyer (and I'm not), but it depends.
I've used Travel Agents in the past where they had deep experience in the country/region we were travelling into, and they were great - which I found out through word of mouth. It came down to whether they had that specialist experience/knowledge of the area, as that is what I'm happy to pay for.
I wouldn't think of using the run of the mill Travel Agents like Flight Centre etc.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

I agree with tgh , we did a cruise that included St Petersburg - we had 3 days in the city, I had researched private tours and decided on using SPB Tours, we had a great time, yes it was expensive, but we got a private tour , a car and driver and a great tour guide who spoke very good english. We had express entry into all the venues, and when you see some of those lines of people awaiting entry .... Ron did a trip report if you want to read it from when we arrived in SPB it starts here

Of Wings and Whispers

We went down that channel last year but in the other direction; it's an interesting trip. The bridge has certainly progressed a lot in 12 months.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I can highly recommend the tour company. You will need to get a visa.

SPB Tours | Shore Excursions and City Tours in St. Petersburg, Germany, Scandinavia and Estonia with Viktoria

Shore Excursions and city tours with experienced private guides in different languages for St. Petersburg, Berlin, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Tallinn

www.spb-tours.com

We also did Moscow in 2010 -here is Rons trip report

Drron takes to cruising.The Arctic here we come.

Sprucegoose I have got to work for a little while now to replenish the coffers.Fortunately i am able to do that and so be able to do these trips.For that I truly am grateful.Now back to the TR. After leaving the castle we decided to walk back to our hotel as long as the rain held off.certainly...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[VPS]

I used a travel agent to go to Russia only because I was talking to our Corporate Travel Agent and she wanted the commission - I'd done all the planning and decided what I wanted to do and told her if she matched the prices then go ahead. Boy was I happy I'd used a TA when I got to Moscow to find out my tour company had gone bankrupt

 

[p--and--t]

3 years ago we did a cruise and ended up in St Petersburg for a couple days.

Highly recommended on cruise critic is a company Alla Tours | Visa free shore excursions and city tours with private guides in St Petersburg, Russia, and the Baltics

We and several others used them in St Petersburg and also in Tallinn

Extremely well organised, prompt and efficient (allowing for time zone changes) and just over half the price we were quoted by another company.

We did all the bookings directly with them over the internet and paid them in cash when we arrived so we didn't have to use our credit cards over the internet in Russia and also if they didn't turn, they didn't get paid .

 

[mrsterryn]

Suppose part of my rationale having so much pre organised on this trip we have the 16 month old. So getting around and having time and facilities for him are important .
His parents do like things quite structured nowadays.
Husband and I rarely book too much from Aust unless of course some individual little tours which book out early
@mrs.dr.ron like the idea of a private tour guide
@p--and--t thanks for those ideas
@kookaburra75 definitely think you are in the majority with that opinion. Lol.

Finding the right tour and not getting screwed in the planning or the execution…..is the challenge

 

[Spongbob]

For Russia I would use a TA; they can be helpful with the visa application etc, and also often make suggestions you might not have considered.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Perhaps a TA has merit for somewhere like Russia. Flights I would want to organise myself... too many cases recently of schedule changes where TA's haven't advised the passenger and the passenger is left to sort it out for themselves 9airline says to refer to agent, agent can't be contacted, or says they told the passenger, but didn't). And during irrops you are better off going direct with the airline to sort out any problems (provided it's a good airline).

Maybe an organised tour is a good idea? At least one that gives you some flexibility. Or maybe a private guide. Tripadvisor should have recommendations (and warnings) for both of these.

 

[tgh]

A lot of cruise ships visit StPb , that means a lot of tour groups AND a lot of marketing for so called premium access
Skip the line is a common marketing buzz word that hopefully ( at best) means an incremental improvement to the wait in line.
I opine that it's important to view "premium" access promises with healthy skepticism… especially in a situation over which you have absolutely no control.
In the past some operators did have unfettered access but the continuing flood of travelling humanity probably makes genuinely premium acccess.. challenging
Caveat Emptor..

..Add.. It was quite a while back and I don't recall our operator , but times change and todays rooster is tomorrows feather duster..

 

[Pushka]

I don’t think you need a TA as such but as others have indicated, use (and book yourself) a Travel Guide for Russia. Like the drron’s we used SPB travel for a two day tour. Fantastic. With your group size it would be easy to organise a private tour. They do the hard work. Pick you up from Hotel and drop you back. You will need a Visa but TA’s usually shy away from that kind of thing.

 

[VPS]

The travel guide who I had in Russia was just fantastic. When he told me the tour company had gone bankrupt he broke all the rules and took me on the bus with them although I had to pay my own entry into the museums that should have been included in the tour. Got everything back from Travel Insurance though

 

[cove]

Currently we are shareholders of Webjet and Flight Centre but I have never used either. I am happy to see some people still use travel agents.
The last time we used a travel agent was for a group booking to Belgrade about a dozen years ago.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just to note the (possibly obvious) difference between whether to use a Travel Agent ... (the request of the OP) and simply organising a tour. While a TA can organise a tour, I think booking one yourself is easy and better. And this from one of the biggest fans of TAs on the forum!

Also, I an see the attraction of using a tour if you arrive on a cruise liner. Set and forget.

I think I'm not going to convince the OP, but in Moscow and St P, the thrill of discovering your own sights and experiences between the 'big name' attractions was a big plus for us. Being able to go to the roof of St Isaacs in St P wouldn't be on any tour, but was a highlight. Standing on Nevsky Prospect watching the passing parade of cars, hoons and humanity - fantastic (and we discovered the 'Soviet Cafe' where we had a memorable dinner!). The fountains in front of the Bolshoi in the evening ... getting up close to the guards in front of the Russian parliament and sharing a joke with them ( ), finding a tasting room for Georgian wine, etc etc.

Take a tour .. book through a TA if you like. But save a day in each place for exploring by yourself. You'll love it.

 

[Pushka]

Just to note the (possibly obvious) difference between whether to use a Travel Agent ... (the request of the OP) and simply organising a tour. While a TA can organise a tour, I think booking one yourself is easy and better. And this from one of the biggest fans of TAs on the forum!

Also, I an see the attraction of using a tour if you arrive on a cruise liner. Set and forget.

I think I'm not going to convince the OP, but in Moscow and St P, the thrill of discovering your own sights and experiences between the 'big name' attractions was a big plus for us. Being able to go to the roof of St Isaacs in St P wouldn't be on any tour, but was a highlight. Standing on Nevsky Prospect watching the passing parade of cars, hoons and humanity - fantastic (and we discovered the 'Soviet Cafe' where we had a memorable dinner!). The fountains in front of the Bolshoi in the evening ... getting up close to the guards in front of the Russian parliament and sharing a joke with them ( ), finding a tasting room for Georgian wine, etc etc.

Take a tour .. book through a TA if you like. But save a day in each place for exploring by yourself. You'll love it.

I agree with the sentiments but travelling with an infant makes a huge difference to the journey of discovery.