First of all, if you have money to burn, Marquetta is your gal. We used her on a recommendation…read more We wanted a trip to Italy for two weeks. Her first quote was 30K. Yes, THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. Then she got it down to 25K. That's when I started doing my research. I used several reputable companies for tours and hotels and my costs (with the EXACT same flights, hotels, tours) came in at TEN THOUSAND LESS. When I sent her the info and asked if she could look at it, because maybe I was doing something wrong, she wrote me a very interesting email. She said I wasn't comparing correctly because I used different hotels with different class ratings (uh, no, I used the EXACT same hotels). She also said I hadn't included transportation. I did - I went page by page of her quote and priced everything she included. She even went so far as to say she wasn't sure what company I used for a tour (even though I noted it on the spreadsheet). She said they were "some unknown company - good luck!" I've used Viator for dozens of tours, had a customer service issue once, and they have been fantastic. Her quote, "You cannot compare a high-end tour company with the likes of Viator." I did suggest a different hotel in my email but did not include it in my cost comparison. She told me it wasn't suitable and that it was a party hotel. Well she clearly didn't know her stuff there because that hotel came as a recommendation from a friend with two children! They loved it! Direct quote: "I can tell that the price point for the level of arrangements we do is not where you are comfortable spending. But I cannot delve into using random services of unvetted tour companies (Viator) and just booking the cheapest of everything- it never works out for our clients and in my experience only causes issues when in travel." Another, "In the end, I do want my clients' travels to be an unforgettable and memorable experience, and therefore, I cannot cut corners just to make it happen price wise." As a travel agent are you not supposed to get the best deal for your clients? You may warn them with your experiences but you don't make fun of them and tell your customer to basically F off! I asked her specifically if there was any markup because I was OK with something reasonable for her. She swore up-and-down there was no markup. Yes there is, it comes in kickbacks from the companies she uses. And again I am OK with a little something but not $10,000 and an F you attitude. Honestly if she had said so upfront - that she only uses certain companies - then I probably wouldn't have even engaged her for $400. But she never said that. And I POLITELY asked her to let me know why I was so far off. She could've told me all the same things - that she used more reputable companies and worked with the hotels themselves, without the attitude. Snotty and condescending. Unbelievable.

We recently completed a fabulous trip to Ireland and Scotland arranged by Marquetta Chambers. It…read morewas truly a very enjoyable, adventurous, informative and memorable experience. Marquetta began the planning process by interviewing us and listening very well to our desires and budget, allowing her to tailor a perfect match. She provided great input including pushing us to extend our trip a few days given our stated list of objectives. Her advice, which we followed, turned out to be very insightful. Marquetta also proved her flexibility and resourcefulness when she responded to a mid-trip request for another private tour addition on our last full day in Scotland. She responded quickly and fulfilled our request for what turned out to be a true highlight of our trip. All of the hotels recommended and booked were very good and all of the arranged tour guides were excellent. We also enjoyed several additional perks from our hotels given Marquetta's relationships with them. Another great tool provided by Marquetta was a phone app that captured our entire trip and also provided easy one-click access to important phone numbers and a variety of easily accessible resources describing our destinations, maps, tipping hints, etc. It was an excellent resource that also included an easy path to communicate with her during our trip. We are so glad that we utilized the very professional services of Marquetta Chambers of Hill Barrett Travel for our recent vacation. We are already thinking about the options for our next journey and look forward to using Marquetta's assistance again.

I wanted to wait until I returned from the trip before rating them a full 5 stars, but everything…read morewent swimmingly and they certainly deserve it : ) Tell your friends!

Camille with the Travel Team went above and beyond our expectations. We had booked a trip to…read moreAustralia and New Zealand and left everything to Camille to plan everything for us and we were very pleased with the quality of tours and the timings of everything including the flights. Camille was always available to answer my emails before, during and even after travel. Can't wait to book our next trip with the Travel Team!

Lake City Travel staff has been the most helpful and knowledgeable travel agents I have met! They…read morehave helped us navigate through the tour maze and made fabulous suggestions to make our travels the best and most memorable. We have experienced several trips to Hawaii through them and they have made our trips seamless; from hotel reservations to air destinations to excursions, they have lead the way for us. They are always professional and their experience with traveling is just what us novices needed. David Seattle

Tucked away in this unsuspecting stretch of Lake City is the best travel agent in Seattle! We…read morebooked our honeymoon through Lake City Travel, and are so happy to have found Josie, our go-to agent there. She is a gem; the best travel agent I've ever worked with in all my years of traveling, actually. She has been able to help us find the right travel opportunities for our style and helps us navigate the logistics. Josie was always a step ahead of us on our last trip to Australia and New Zealand, and right now she's helping us plan a trip to Myanmar (formerly Burma). She is thoughtful with our questions, quick with responses, and pays attention to the details (she even told us a shortcut to spare us the agony of going through TSA 2x at LAX). Josie's level of service and insight has made us big fans. I have a feeling we'll see more of the world because of having her on our side! If you're looking for a Seattle travel agent (or a travel agent anywhere, actually), you're in luck. And you're welcome! ;)

I have had several bad experiences with travel agents in the past. My experience with Stellar,…read moreparticularly Kay Steck, was (and continues to be) the complete opposite. She is knowledgeable, attentive, and above all communicative. I never felt as though I was on the 'back burner' or wasn't important enough to gain a speedy reply. Being someone who works with coordinating group travel not only for teachers but students as well it's not only my safety I'm concerned about but that of students. I had the pleasure of using Kay two years ago to help coordinate flights for a group of approx. 18 to go to the Galapagos as well as a group flying to Peru. Both went off splendidly and any time I had a question she was quick to answer. Last year the 'powers that be' provided a different travel agent that was simply, easily put, sub par, rude, awful, and waited until the last minute with various aspects of our travel. After going through that experience I was once again able to use Kay and her team. And for that I am absolutely grateful! Once again we had a group of 24 set off to the Galapagos, and ~18 to Argentina. She answered questions about visa's, passport requirements, and brought up a number of things I would not have known to ask. All our students, and faculty, arrived back to Seattle without a hitch and I owe that to Kay's expertise. I would not only trust her to put together my own personal travel, but I trust her enough to put students and faculty members in her very capable hands.

We are currently on our trip and could not have enjoyed a more brutal experience booked through…read morestellar and kari out of Bellevue. First I'd think with a group of 14 of which includes 2 infants and three children under 8. You would think Stellar would book a flight with reserved seating with this type of group. Second our itinerary frequently changed including flights and package sometimes resulting in price increases. Names were frequently misspelled taking numerous corrections. Kari notified my parents that transportation between a Disney resort and adult oriented result had not been included. The last minute notification resulted in a higher reservation fee. More money more commission. Be wary of this unstellar travel agencies. You'd be better off booking online!!! Shame on Stellar for duping our older generation!

In planning a three week trip to France, Jessica's services with Get Out of Town were priceless…read more She helped my boyfriend and I narrow down our locations so that we could see our top sights in the French Riviera, Provence, the Alps and Paris while still getting to relax. Jessica was always quick to respond to questions, made a seamless itinerary and, most importantly, made what could have been a stressful experience in planning easy, fun and exciting with her knowledge and friendly demeanor. She also knew how to maximize our interests, where we needed to purchase tickets in advance, and the many minute details that needed to be covered before leaving - even when I needed to change our schedule several times. In short, Jessica went above and beyond in helping plan a trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend having Jessica help you with your next trip and plan on having her plan my honeymoon in the future!

Jessica's help on my trip to Italy was so helpful! I knew the towns I wanted to visit, but was…read moreunsure about some of the details. She was able to say, if you are in this town, I would suggest you don't leave without seeing this attraction. She provided advice on what attractions were worth a professional tour guide (the Vatican) and which weren't. She even recommended a tour guide who was FANTASTIC! She helped with logistics (i.e. how long I should stay in one area to see all that I wanted to see, how to get from point a to point b, and from where should I fly in/out? She even provided an itinerary on line that I could access based on what we discussed. Her prices are reasonable and she saved me hours of time! I have already recommended her to a friend. I would definitely utilize Jessica's services in the future.

I contacted East-West Tours as I live in Bothell and was referred to "Nick" Neeraj Anand for a…read morepersonal tourist trip to Chandigarh, India. This was my 1st international trip so I was completely inexperienced, but bold, as a female willing to travel alone. I needed a real expert to guide me. I was grateful to have found Nick! From help with selecting itinerary and handicap wheelchair assistance needs all the way to checking on me during actual layover times, assisting with boarding passes and seat selection and meal choices, let me say Nick was "spot-on"!!!! I cannot recommend his service any higher - top notch - A-1! His guidance and travel knowledge was invaluable and I will certainly seek him out again on my next trip to India or elsewhere! Thank you nickanand6@ g mail for a life changing adventure

Did extensive reseach and contacted them about a published tour with a side trip to Poland. I got…read morea snotty message back from "bobby" that they did not have anything on those dates and that they had given me what was available. I asked them to clarify we were discussing the same tour as I took the dates directly from their site. Even snottier return email full of highlights and captilization that the dates I was requesting were wrong. I provided them a screen shot of their site with the dates I was requesting and told them the dates they kept highlighting for me for a trip three weeks earlier would not work. And, perhaps they should update their site. No response, no offer to help find another trip, just snarkiness. THIS agency exemplifies why I rarely use travel agencies! Had them in my sights for two seperate trips; their lack of professionalism steered me away.

We had a wonderful experience with MEI & Mouse Fan Travel on our recent Spring Break trip to…read moreDisneyland. We were very late in our planning and worried we missed out on Lightning Lanes or staying on-site but Heather Grodin was super helpful and responsive. She was actually on vacation when we first reached out and responded to us within a few hours! i had lots of questions along the way about which room was best for our family, which ticket package was best and what entertainment was not to be missed and she was super helpful. The rates she quoted were exactly the same was what was available on the Disneyland website and provided excellent service far beyond what you'd get booking with Disneyland directly. Highly recommend Heather and the team at MEI-Mouse Fan!

Very inexperienced traveler here and was intimidated by the whole booking process. I emailed MEI…read moreand was very fortunate to be immediately contacted by Fox Forlenza. He was amazing, patient and took care of everything, soup to nuts. He spent two hours on the phone with me and was extremely patient. He guided me to the right cruise, air and ground transportation and hotel bookings. I will always be grateful and he will be my go to for all future travel.

I contacted Barbara about booking a group trip (10-20 people) and to get a quote. I sent her all…read morethe information I had found on Expedia so she could research options. She replied that I was looking for a "deal"... well of course I am! What person when booking a trip isn't looking for a deal? Should I be paying double? Her reply was rude, arrogant and extremely unprofessional. She wasn't willing to help me unless I was to pay a consulting fee, which is strange because every other travel agent/agency I have contacted is willing to do so. I wish I could rate her service/business as -5 stars. Unless you have a relationship with this woman, or are willing to pay her special "fee" don't bother to contact her.

Barbara's response time is incredibly slow. I looked back on my email history and my first email to…read moreher was sent on 4/5 but trip details wasn't finalized until 4/25. All she had to do was book lodging in 2 cities, train tickets between cities, and one tour. On top of slow response time, she offers little travel insight. She also charges a fee for her services, first time I have ever been charged by an agent, and felt stuck with her as a result. My next annoyance was lack of customer service. I called her to introduce myself and she blurted out all these things she wanted me to put in an email for her to start trip planning. Personally, it would have been more professional for her to provide me a quick questionnaire to fill out to make sure she had all the necessary information. Then as she was slowly booking things, at one point I had asked if she could put all this information into one summarized document. I'm not asking for much here... and her response was, "Unfortunately, they are all E-documents through separate emails. I suggest you print them all out as paper document to take with you, while keeping the bookings/confirmations in your email as back up." Hmm, weird because every travel agent I have worked with in the past always provided me a summary sheet without me even asking. Had she taken the extra 5-10 minutes to just PDF all the documents into one neat file for me because that was all these separate documents were, she might have actually come off as a professional instead of lazy. This just further agitated me that I had to dig through a bunch of back and forth correspondence with her to find these documents. When I arrive in Rome, my annoyance with Barbara just goes through the roof. My accommodations in Rome is not this cute modern apartment that I was shown but a gross old Italian mess with couches dating back to my grandmothers era. The place is so dusty that my husband and I were congested every night (it was fine once we were outside). At that point, I lost it and sent Barbara a pretty nasty email. After almost a full day of travel, I just wanted to relax and I was far from that. I asked her at one point in our correspondence, prior to my trip, if the place she booked was like an airbnb, which I did not want, and she assured me it was not and ran by a hotel group. It wasn't. It was basically some Italian guy who's father owned a couple units in this building and they were doing short-term rentals. I should know, I own a short-term rental so I am very familiar with all this. Upon my disappointment with the place, the guy tells me the hours he's available which on Sunday was like 12pm-7pm. Does this sound like a hotel management group? Shouldn't Barbara have researched into this a little farther if i specifically asked her if this was like an airbnb? Had she simply googled the name of this residence she would have seen on other sites that there are different apartments types but she only looked at TripAdvisor and there was not much reviews. Fact is, she did little to no due diligence and now I was stuck in something I would have never agreed to had I known the truth. I told her I was scared of what she put me in for the Venice portion of our trip but she cancelled that because they had issues with my credit card... a total blessing in disguise since that was probably another airbnb. Barbara suggested we do a late train to Venice and our arrival wouldn't be until 11pm so chances were I probably had no way of getting into the apartment because she didn't think to ask about all these details prior. Her knowledge of travel is either very antiquated or she's just careless or both. I don't know but either way I paid the price for it. I spent my first day in Rome scrambling and researching to find a new hotel for Venice. Barbara offers to help but I have lost all trust and faith in her. I also wonder if she only reached out because i started cc-ing my friend who referred me to her. Barbara calls me and tells me that my "expectations and price don't go hand in hand." Such a huge slap in the face when I was already boiling with anger in a crappy old apartment and it didn't make that much sense to me because I have stayed in Europe before and have always been able to find nicer hotels in this price range. Upon my review of our emails, I point out to her with our email as backup, that she misunderstood my budget and it was in fact DOUBLE of what she thought. Had she carefully read my email to her early on or clarified with me if she was unsure, this mess perhaps could have been avoided. I tell Barbara that I should be refunded for my accommodations in Rome because I specified to her early on I didn't want an old style place or something that was ran like an airbnb. She tells me if I feel this way, I should take it up with my credit card company. What a great way to end my vacation when I go home... argue charges because my travel agent didn't do her job.