Ep: 84: Planning Your Next Vacation With Kaitlan Whitteberry
THE X'S & O'S
Retirement brings the opportunity to travel to some of the most amazing places you didn’t have the chance to see during your working days.
And now, we want to help you plan your dream getaway.
In this episode, Matthew Theal, Brent Pasqua and Joshua Winterswyk talk with Kaitlan Whitteberry, a luxury travel agent at SmartFlyer, about her insights on how to make the most of your golden years by planning the ultimate vacation. She also shares some traveling tips for enjoying your vacation.
Kaitlan discusses:
How to discover where you want to take your next vacation
What sparked her passion to help others make travel plans and her story of starting her own travel agency
How she was able to pivot her business model during the pandemic
What cities she would recommend to you based on your personal preferences
And more
Resources:
Connect With RPA Wealth Management:
(909) 296-7977
Connect With Kaitlan Whitteberry:
+1 (972) 977-5059
About Our Guest:
Kaitlan Whitteberry, founder of WHIT TRAVEL Co., has been exploring the globe since she was a young child, and her love for the wondrous corners of this world has only grown stronger with time.
After a summer abroad, and ticking country number 30 off her list, she knew she wanted to share her knowledge with others as passionate about the world as she is.
She is dedicated to creating bespoke travel experiences for each of her clients, and focuses on crafting trips which highlight the features that make each destination sing.
The team at WHIT TRAVEL believes that the world is meant to be explored, and we want to help you get there. Whether there is surfing on a sunny beach in Bali or strolling through a souk market in Morocco. We live for the love of travel.
Transcript
Welcome to The Retirement Plan Playbook with Brent Pasqua, Matthew Theal and Joshua Winterswyk from RPA Wealth Management. In this podcast, we cover current events, retirement planning strategies. And provide you with the tools to help you build a successful retirement playbook in any political or financial landscape.
Join Brent, Matthew and Joshua as they navigate the issues that can make the later stages of your retirement plan challenging and help you create the best Retirement Plan Playbook. Now let's get to the show.
Welcome to the Retirement Plan Playbook podcast. I'm Brent Pasqua, and I'm here with Matthew Theal and Joshua Winterswyk. And today we are just so beyond excited to be joined by Kaitlan Whitteberry from Whit Travel Company. Kaitlan is a seasoned travel advisor who'll be sharing her insights on how to make the most of your golden years by planning the ultimate dream vacation.
And Kaitlan really does have the inside scoop about how to make your retirement travel dreams really a reality. So let's get into it. Um, let's talk about, like, I wanna know first, like, what's the best trip you've ever been on? Oh, gosh. Uh, that's a hard question now. For me, I think my, my favorite trip was actually a trip that I took solo, um, a few years ago.
Prior to Covid, I actually moved abroad and so I was with a, a work from home program and a work remotely program. And we actually switched countries every month. So I started in Croatia and went to Germany and then went to the Czech Republic. And during that time I did a lot of solo travel just on my own on the weekends.
It was really awesome. I went to Copenhagen and Stockholm and to Iceland. So that for me, since I was by myself and it was my first big trip kind of on my own. That was really fun. I also went to Australia. Um, right before the pandemic. Oh my goodness. Australia is fantastic. Um, we did the Outback, which was really cool.
It's almost otherworldly. And then we also did the Whit Sunday Islands, which are beautiful. Beautiful. If you've never Seen 'em. They're gorgeous. So is it sometimes like the experience that makes a trip better or is it somewhat like just the destination or is it like a combination of all of 'em? It's both.
For me, I, you know, part of what's fun is the travel journey. I love being at the airport. The energy there is so much fun. I really like packing. I don't, I'm not, I'm probably in the minority for that, but just really the prep work is, you know, you're going to. Someplace you've never been before. And part of it is just the experience of it being new and it's exciting and you really don't know what you're gonna do when you're there or who you're gonna meet.
So for me, it's kind of both. And then of course the destination is, amazing as well. Do you go to destinations multiple times? I do. Especially, you know, destinations that offer almost too much to see in one trip. Um, we were talking about it prior to the show starting, but Italy is one of those destinations you could spend months in Italy and it feels.
Changed countries, every couple of, um, regions you move. It's, it's really special. Being a travel advisor seems like, probably like one of the neatest jobs out there. Tell us a little bit about what you do and how you do it. Yeah. Um, it is a, it's a wonderful job. I'm, I'm very, very blessed to, to work in this field.
It's really about, um, getting to know your clients though. So for me, my relationships with my clients are the most important thing to me. I really travel now for them. When I'm abroad and when I'm on work trips, I'm looking for hotels and experiences that I know specific clients are really going to enjoy, and that I can come back from my travels and tell them all about it and plan their, their experience there too.
I got into the business actually from, uh, meeting another advisor. I was working in marketing at the time and I really loved who I worked for in marketing, but I just wasn't passionate about. And she, I mean, gosh, it's so easy to be passionate about travel. And so I started talking to her about her job and she connected me with, um, her parent agency.
And it's been a lot more work than I think I initially anticipated. It's a very self-starting business. It's also very it's really a 24 7 job, so if I always tell people if they're interested, just be aware of that. You have to be available to your clients, but I, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's.
The best fit for me because people are in different time zones traveling. When you have clientele that are all over, do you just have to have your phone and email on all the time in case things come up and does that happen? You know, I do cuz I, I want to be available, however, I do have. Um, contacts on the ground in each destination.
Especially when it's, a time zone that's really like 12 hours behind or ahead. So there are contacts for my clients to reach out to 24 7, and that's usually their first line, um, of defense if something were to go wrong. And if that isn't resolved with that first contact, I'm available to them.
Got it. Yeah. How long have you been doing it? About three years. Yeah. Got started three years ago. . So that would be like right before the pandemic. It was right before the pandemic. I did not time it very well. I , I actually left my job in marketing January, 2020. And then I was all excited and starting to plan and then the world shut down.
But I actually learned more in that. First year rerouting clients trying to find alternative destinations and really helping to cancel things. And it was a lot of, of i, I guess, learning in that first year. And so I'm really thankful for that time. I think it's made me a stronger advisor.
Were you able to travel during that time to go to destinations? We, we did. Um, my fiancé and I did quite a bit of local travel. We did a lot of the national parks during that time, so we did lots of road trips, which was fun. Um, we went to Mexico a few times as well, so just, you know, a little closer to home, which was fine.
That's interesting navigating, like you started through Covid and then there's so many like travel restrictions and things you have to be mindful of, so Absolutely. I'm sure you lived a ton through that period. Yes. For me it's al almost the job's almost gotten easier because as we're seeing Covid restrictions are.
You know, starting to lift mm-hmm. . Um, there's fewer now than there were just even just a few months ago. I, of course, help clients navigate those guidelines. But luckily we're seeing them start to fade so there's less barrier to entry, which is always nice. How, if somebody reach out, how do you help them?
So for me, I, I really wanna learn about where they find value. For clients that are traveling somewhere for the first time, really learning about the hobbies and activities they enjoy at home is what's most helpful. Cuz I can obviously recommend specific destinations or, um, activities that they're really going to enjoy because of what they enjoy doing at home.
I also talk about hotel amenities that they. Our must haves or that are nice to haves. Also, we talk about budget to make sure that we're kind of staying within their parameters. Um, for me too, it's, it's about helping them find. Destinations that really speak to them. I think there's so much information out there and it's great.
The internet is a wonderful tool, but there's a lot of clutter too. There's a lot of reviews that you know, you may not know if you agree with Joe from Texas on his opinion of. This hotel, I learned that from TripAdvisor, . Yeah. You can't trust it. Right? And you, and I don't wanna, downplay all of them cuz there are some really great resources out there.
But it's just difficult as an individual to really know what you're reading and who, who wrote it. So the whole job of a travel advisor is to learn about you and your preferences and help make suggestions that are much more in line with how you want to. , I guess that's a really good point because you could lose out on a lot of really good, um, experiences if you're just paying too close attention to reviews and random people just don't wanna say nice things about places.
Right, right. I, it's hard cuz most of the reviews are on the extremes. Right? It's someone who had. A mind blowing experience and just really blew their expectations away. Or they had a terrible experience and there's really no middle ground or there's less middle ground with an experience that met expectations and was solid.
And so you're kind of getting, it's polarizing, I believe, and it's it kind of mud things a bit. What I've learned is my expectations are higher than most. . So like, if they had a good trip, then I'm like, eh, that'd probably be like a C minus for me. . Oh, your, your expectations are that much higher . Well, yeah, like when you look at like, TripAdvisor, any of those reviews, even like if you look at like a Yelp site, right?
Like a Yelp restaurant review, you're like, eh, yeah, this person probably doesn't know what they're talking about. Yeah, that's true. You just gotta take it a grain of salt, I guess. Yeah. Yes. And really when you work with an advisor too, you're, you're working with a group of people and or a team of people that are fairly discerning travelers.
I would say that. . I think I look at things with a completely different eye now being in this industry, so you can pretty much trust your advisor on their recommendations because it's not a general public recommendation. It's somebody who's seen many hotels has traveled. Quite extensively. That's part of our job.
Yeah. Can you pick out the good stuff and the bad? Pretty easily I can. It's, it's actually pretty interesting. Even to me, the things that I notice and pick up on now as a more seasoned traveler and, and really being in this field, it's a lot harder to impress me than it used to be, which is, which is a good thing.
It's part of the job. I have to kind of narrow things down so my clients. Almost guaranteed to have a, a really positive experience. Yeah. A lot of our clients are, uh, retirees or getting closer to retirement. What's the best way for them to plan their trips? Really? Think about what you guys enjoy doing and what are some of the trips you've taken in the past that you've really enjoyed?
And also think about how active you want to be. Some of. My retired, my, sorry. Yeah. Some of my retired clients really enjoy places that are easy to walk around. So London is a really great option. There's, it's a very easy city to navigate. There's no barrier with, language. So that kind of helps with it being a little bit easier.
Also Copenhagen's a great destination. It's fairly compact, but also, Easy for, you know, pedestrians. It's also a great cycling city. So if you're into those types of things really thinking about your interest and also being realistic with how much walking you wanna do, how much moving around that you wanna do, that'll all narrow down.
Your ideal options. You know, my dad's never been to Copenhagen, but I bet he'd really like it cuz Ette is big on cycling and he likes to cycle. He doesn't like to walk. He's got a bad knee. I'm gonna suggest that to him. That's a good idea. He would love it. I was there for even just a few days and I rented a bike and tried to live like the locals do.
Their bike system is fantastic. They have They have a whole lane dedicated to cyclists and they actually have their own light systems. So the whole process is, is much safer than it is here. And really, you, I think there's more cyclists there than there are cars, which Oh wow. Is nice. And that's pretty common for Europe in general.
So what's the best, so I guess when a, when somebody calls in, you get kind of a, a, a better idea of what they're looking for, what their capabilities. And then you can start to narrow down different destinations or or going based off of destinations they've been before. You can really start to narrow down what they like and don't like, and then pick a really good place.
Absolutely. During my new client consultation is what I call it, we get on the phone and I really ask them a lot of questions. It's a time for me to get to know them, their preferences, what amenities are really important to them, trips they've taken in the past that they've loved, but. Trips that they've taken that they didn't love and why that was, so we can kind of narrow down the best options for them.
Um, I also ask, favorite foods and in terms of restaurants that they like. So when we get into the more detailed part of the itinerary, I can really make sure that my suggestions are. Are tailored specifically to them. Retirees could be at times on more of a, I guess, fixed income where you know, because they are retired, you're not making the type of money that you were when you're a salary worker.
So like what are some cost effective waves that you could travel once you retired? Especially people who want to travel multiple times a year. You can't go all out and spend it all on one trip. Like how do they do it in a cost effective way? Absolutely. My favorite tip is to travel during shoulder season.
Especially if you're retired, your schedule may be more flexible than it used to be, which is really great. So I tell clients, and it does depend on the destination, but really avoid the summer . If you know, let's say you're going somewhere like a Mai. The high season for a mafi is end of May to about mid-September.
So if you can avoid that time and travel just outside of it, so early May, late April, late September, early October, the weather is much better. The prices are much more competitive, and you're also not gonna be dealing with the crowds. For me, I don't like to. And the shuffle of a bunch of people, it kind of takes away from the experience.
So if you're traveling during, just outside of peak season, you tend to have less people to deal with and, and the locals I think are, are friendlier cuz they're not dealing with swarms of people. Right. What are some of the sort of, I guess, best retiree vacation destinations where if. , you know, they do have certain restrictions or just things that, places that retirees do like to enjoy going the most.
I think one destination that a lot of my clients that are retirees enjoy is South Africa. It is quite a journey to get there. So that's something to keep in mind, but it's, it's really planned for you once you land. Um, there are some amazing safaris that take you around to. The most amazing wildlife in the world, and it's really kind of catered to your activity level.
There are some safaris that will have you walk between camps, which is for a more adventurous traveler, I'll admit. Um, but there are some that take you in really wonderful Jeeps and they take you to lunch that's prepared for you out, in the safari. It's, it's really great. That's a great destination for, for people who wanna, go somewhere that.
Maybe they haven't seen before and still have a comfortable experience. That's such a great recommendation. Brent. Josh, either any of your clients gone to South Africa? Yeah, I've had clients have gone. Oh, you have? I think I've had one or two I, and I don't remember exactly if they loved it or not, but yeah, we've had a, yeah, most of my clients seem to stick to the beaches or the, um, I guess, Northern Europe that's most popular, Southern Europe.
But something that Kaitlan said too, that like just popped in my mind is, How navigatable is the, the city, right. You said like, is it more condensed? Is it easy to get around? Is it flat? Mm-hmm. . Those are some things that like, maybe I don't, I didn't think of now, but especially for even like parents, grandparents, clients, like that's a pretty big like factor in, in calculating a trip.
Absolutely. It's like as much as I love like San Francisco, it's not the easiest destination to walk around. It's quite hilly, so it's something to keep in mind just depending on your activity level or the. You know, as a multi-generation group, you have to be considerate of every member of the party. So yeah, a travel advisor will help you narrow those things down.
I, I feel like a safari in Africa is like one of those things in your lifetime you just probably have to do. Yeah, I'd love to do it. Can you take kids on those? Yeah, yeah, of course. That's what's, uh, it's called San Diego Wild Park . Do you, do you know how far, uh, or how. The flight is, it depends on where you're starting from, but I believe it's about 17 hours from.
Atlanta. So it's, that's, it's a long journey. I always tell people, I mean, it's absolutely worth it, but it's just something to prepare yourself prior to, cuz it's, it's a pretty long flight. Yeah. That sounds like a really long flight. It's basically a flight to Australia then, in a way. Mm-hmm. . Yeah, and I've, I've done that flight.
It. You know, if you're in a comfortable seat, it's, it's a much better experience, but just bringing the right things on the plane. I am a light sleeper, so earplugs are really important for me. And eye mask is really important and I always tell clients, wear really comfortable shoes when you travel, cuz you don't know how long you're gonna have to wear those shoes.
Flights are delayed. I mean, we've seen things happen. So just make sure you're prepared to be comfortable if necessary. That makes sense. Is there any suggestions that you have related to make travel easier, whether it's preparing or or during travel, but just to make that experience, I guess easier.
Really think about your comfort, like we talked about before, wear comfortable clothes, wear layers, and we all know this, but it's, I think, worth saying. We, you, you might be traveling to a place that the weather is different. So make sure you have appropriate clothing for when you land. Um, for me, I always get local currency prior to my travels.
Your banks can do this for you. Um, there's actually a couple of. Areas that will exchange currency depending on where you live. I just like to have this for, for tipping my, my transfer driver. Um, when I get to the hotel, then you're not stressed about having to go pull out cash. So that's one of my tips to make, your first day of, that's a really good recommendation.
Yeah, I agree with that. I have to get a lot, you know, get a couple hundred dollars and I'd like to get smaller bills. I think if you do go through your bank, you need to request it fairly early. So I believe it's four weeks. Out from your trip. Um, it might be two weeks, but just check with your, you know, your bank.
Um, and they do charge a small fee, but I think it's worth it. They'll ship it to your house, which is really nice to have before you arrive. Also, um, my best tip for like jet lag is to try to land. early in the morning of your destination to fly overnight and then to drop your bags at the hotel. I mean, you can go and freshen up.
Just don't lay down , right? Whatever you do, and go outside, be in the sun. That really helps your body's circadian rhythm. K kind of on track with this new time zone. So walk around, you know, schedule a walking tour and stay up as late as you can it. You may not make it perfectly that first night, and that's okay.
Really staying up and being out in the sunshine helps. Have you seen, um, Zach Efron show on Netflix? No, I haven't yet. I need to check it out. He like tra, he like travels. And one of the tips for jet lag, it's funny that you said that is um, like go when you land, immediately get up, go out and go. And then also, Take your shoes off.
Like go like walk in the grass cuz it like grounds you. That's a really great tip too. I hadn't heard that one. So like, you, you become one with like where you're at and they said that it works great. Oh, amazing. . Yeah cuz that'd be hard to lose a whole day. Like if you're, if you're there early and then you lose that rest of that day, I mean, that.
That's kind of a waste if you're just sleeping the whole time. It is well, and your body's going to want you to rest. It's, I mean, it's traveled a long distance. That's hard on your body anyway, and I, I really encourage clients to try to fight against it. Cuz if you do end up, staying on your previous time zone, it is really hard to get back on track.
That first day might be the hardest to stay awake, but you. Have a better rest of your trip because of that first kind of, tired day, I guess you can say. And really, for me, melatonin helps too. Um, talk with your doctor, of course, before taking, but that helps. If you're arriving at a destination, then you have to sleep right away and you're not quite tired.
That helps me kind of relax and, and get back on on track. , do you recommend that people plan out every aspect of their trip? Like where they're going to eat, where they're gonna go? Like how are they're getting picked up? Or do you, or do you recommend, like, some people just go and, and experience it? I think it really depends on the traveler, but for me, I prefer to leave.
It's a little cheesy, but I call it leaving room for the magic. Part of what's great about travel is exploring a new destination and you don't really know what you're going to find. And if you have every moment of your trip, One, it can feel like a job, which is not the point of travel, and it also can feel really rigid.
And there's just little room for the suggestions you get from the concierge or from a local that you meet at the bar. Those are really special things that I think you need to leave room for in your itinerary. Of course, if you have. Experiences that are must dos, you know, restaurants that are places you really wanna go visit, by all means make those arrangements ahead of time, but make sure you leave a little bit of room for, for some spontaneity as well.
I feel like those are probably some of the best experiences that you can have on trip or things that just come up randomly. Absolutely, yes. I mean, that's. Part of why we travel, it's for those unknowns. Right? And some of the best recomme recommendations I've gotten, like you said, are like, you run into a local at the bar and they tell you to, you know, go check out this restaurant or cliff the views.
And, um, those are a lot of times the best. Definitely. I mean, we, we do this for a living, but we're, we're not living in these destinations. So sometimes locals. Or even more knowledgeable than we are. Yeah, they're a great resource. I know over time all inclusive hotels have become more popular. Are they worth the money or are you just kind of, is it just a lesser experience?
It it, no, they can be, it, it really depends. All inclusives are a very tricky hotel option to navigate. I've actually been on all inclusives that I really enjoyed. Of course I've put on some that I did not enjoy. So I think talk to your travel advisor. Make sure that they tell you what's important, or I'm sorry, talk to your travel advisor and make sure you explain to them what's really important to you, the overall vibe that you want from the trip, and they'll help you navigate the options as there are quite a few that I.
wouldn't recommend. So it's just, I think it's person, it's a personality thing, right? Yes. Like some people are gonna like, really enjoy that. And then other people are like, no, like I don't want to eat the hotel food every night. I don't, you know? Right. I, I wanna choose my own alcohol, or I want to go to the restaurant down the street.
Right. Exactly. It depends on the destination too. Yeah. I mean, primarily they're in the Caribbean, which is, which is fine cuz usually those trips, the resort is a big part of the destination. In Europe they actually have a couple of properties that will do half boards. So you'll have breakfast and dinner included, which is kind of an all-inclusive, and then you're on your own for lunch if you're out in town exploring.
Um, those options can be great if the property is known for their food, and there are some that I would recommend and then there's some that I would steer clients away from. So it just depends. Yeah, it seems like, you know, if, if you want to go to a destination, you don't want to do much exploring, you don't wanna worry about going to different restaurants.
Like those could make sense, but then you're taking. That's a different type of trip. You're going for more relaxation and being exactly. Convenience, I guess. Right. And that's when the, the, um, the hotel selection's really important because you'll be staying on property and that's part of the reason why you're traveling, is to enjoy the property.
And that's, those are great trips too. They're just different. What, what are the best ways to book a cruise? Cruises are, there's sky, there's so many cruises, there's so many, different routes that they go on. Cruise ship sizes vary quite a bit and. The layouts of the ships are, are I think a little bit difficult to, to understand.
If you talk to your travel advisor, tell them what, um, is important to you for this particular cruise. Also, if you really want to experience the ship itself versus. The ports that you go to, um, there are certain cruise lines that really focus on giving you enough time in port so that you're experiencing that destination.
And then some are really about the ship, which is fine too. So just talk to your travel advisor about what's important to you on this specific one. And really, I find that clients will. Gravitate towards one cruise line, they'll try a few. And they, they have one that, the clientele that's there is really similar to them and they meet friends on these cruises and the food is really what they enjoy.
So you'll find one and potentially take another one with that cruise line in the future. So when I was a little kid, um, I went on a cruise and I thought it was like their greatest thing ever, . And then like we did another one and it was pretty fun. And then I went as an. And I was like, nah, this isn't for me.
Like, I, I really, yeah, like a cruise is not for me. I don't think I'll ever go on another cruise again. My, I like cruises. I think they're, they're a good time. Have you ever got seasick on the ocean? ? No, but I been on enough cruises sea's. Not a good time. You guys don't have sea legs? I got sea legs, man. No.
You've never, there's a big deep sea fisherman in high school. . What is, what is it that you don't like about cruises? Um, I don't like feeling like I'm trapped on the, Uh, it get a little claustrophobic. The rooms are usually a little bit smaller. Um, you know, it's kind of like has that all-inclusive feel where the food's usually the same every night.
Uh, I like a river cruises. Then those tend to be smaller in size. There's less people on board, and the food is. , in my opinion. Better. So you're just taking the wrong cruise? Yeah. . Well, no, my, my parents do a lot of river cruises. Okay. And they really like it. But since my parents like it, I'm like, yeah, that's probably not for me.
not quite there yet. I think more years. That's fun about the cruise though, because I've gone on a few cruises as well. Um, not recently, but, um, like done the Caribbean stuff like that. But we've gone in like big groups and like with the big group, like it's a lot of fun. Like they. Just tons of activities, and I feel like it was more of like a family bonding experience as well.
Um, and I, I had a lot of fun on them, but I haven't also been on one in a while. So we're saying this now and watching like two years we're gonna be doing the podcast. I'm like, oh yeah guys, I'm going on the cruise for a week. , Matt's gonna be selling us on a RPA cruise for work. You guys gonna, how'd you get suckered into a cruise?
It's really great if you wanna keep everyone in one place. If you're worried about, you know, the stragglers and. They're great for that. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, speaking of group travel a lot of our clients, like at times to take their whole family on trips, whether you know their kids, their grandkids, and they want to create a memory that, you know, is, is really great for the whole family.
So what are some really good ways. and types of ways that people can travel in groups. I think this is one of the trickiest types of travel to plan is when you have so many different opinions and, and of course pallets to please. So I tell clients to really be realistic and kind of get the group together.
Prior to reaching out to your advisor, talk about what's important, where expectations lie. Of course, budgeting is really important. Everyone's opinion of where money should be allocated. Is very different. So just be sure everyone's on the same page with those things. Um, and try and pick destinations that we were talking about earlier that are really, um, palatable to.
different personalities and also different mobility types. That's my best advice to give. Also, if you can keep it on a smaller scale, that usually helps the large, large groups tend to be more difficult to plan. Um, and if you do plan travel with friends. Try to select friends that seem to value the same things that you do.
They seem to like the same types of restaurants that you do. That tends to lend to more efficient and, easier travel when you're with a group. The difference of opinion, it's a recipe for disaster . Exactly. And of course you can never avoid it completely, but trying to help or trying to, um, to prepare for.
Those conversations ahead of time Sure. Is helpful. Yeah. I guess if you have a different expectation on restaurant than other family members or other other people you're traveling with, and then you're going, one wants to have a very expensive dinner versus one doesn't want to pay that type of money for expensive, that seems like it could be a, a bad situation can cause some tension.
Definitely. And really, some people when they travel, they wanna sit on a beach and that's it. And there's nothing wrong with that. Some people want to go, go, go. So you, you have to know your crowd, your, your group. I prefer the pool, but I go . Yeah. I'm not sand guy. Yeah, no judgment. I'm like that too.
Sometimes I like just like to, enjoy the property and not move around. What types of destinations do you find that people really enjoy the most? Oh, that's a good question. Can you narrow that down or is it too hard? No, I think it, it's, it's more, it depends on what the individual finds funds. So I've found that travel that really is surrounding an interest is where people really seem to come back and have raving reviews.
So I have clients that really love to travel, um, to different wine regions around the world. That's, um, also a passion of, Also if it's travel that's celebratory. So of course my honeymooner has always come back and have a great time. But also if you're celebrating retirement, I mean, this is the first time and probably a long time that you've had this much time off.
And that for me is a really special trip to plan for clients. Also destinations that maybe weren't on client's radar prior, if we've rerouted them from a destination, that maybe wasn't gonna work with their timeline. Those trips seem to really be what tick people by surprise and they come back, they had no expectations going in or there wasn't any prior influence on their, I guess, their expectations prior.
So those trips tend to be, really special for people. What's the best way to find if you're going to a destination that you've never been? , um, like what resources do you use to find the best restaurants? Cause I find that that's part of the, one of the most important parts about traveling is like, you want to try different good food.
Like how do you do that? Absolutely. Um, I will say make sure that your travel advisor is well versed in this field as well, cuz really what they find good is what they're gonna recommend to you. So that's my top tip. If you're working with an advisor travel and Leisure is a really great resource for a lot of just travel topics.
I find that the places they recommend food-wise are really great. Thrillist is really good too. Um, they have some good restaurants as well. And then, I mean, of course Michelin's wonderful. If that's up here. Alley. I've never been disappointed with one of their recommendations before. Yeah, travel and leisure and then, um, the mission guides are great.
I. Fantastic. Um, do you book flights and like what is sort of your recommendation on how people handle flights? Yeah, so I actually have an air team that books my clients' flights for them. And they're fantastic. They're very helpful. They, um, actually have a 24 hour helpline. So if you find that your flight has been delayed or canceled, they're always there to help and you're not sitting on hold with the airlines rep cuz we.
Difficult. That can be, especially as of late. For my tips for flying, I always recommend to book the earliest flight that you can in the day, delays time to stack on themselves. So, The earlier in the day that you can fly, hopefully it goes smoothly because there's no other flight that's des disrupted your flight, right?
Mm-hmm. , if someone came to you and said, Hey, we wanna spend X amount of dollars this year in, in trips and we want to take three trips, are you able then to narrow sort of the, the areas down and then say, okay, we can allocate this much money on this trip, this and next, and kind of plan it all out for them?
Oh, absolutely. And it really depends on the destination and the time of year. Something that we do is really. People allocate their money so they get the best value from their trip. I mean, this is an investment not only in time, but in money. And we really wanna make sure that we're spending money not just to spend it, but that the value is there and that the experience is going to be enhanced from where we allocate.
Their investment. And then how do you get paid also when you plan a trip for somebody? Yeah, so, hotels actually compensate travel advisors and then also for really involved trips. Um, there are usually planning fees involved and it just depends on the, the complication of the trip and the involvement that the advisor will have.
And then you were saying that they can go to your website and it kind of lays out sort of how that kind of works and the detail of that? Absolutely, yes. It's all. For you so you can kind of see, um, different options depending on the type of travel that you're looking for. I think it's such a no-brainer If you know, you're, you're have compensation that's really just paid a lot of times too from the hotel, you might as well use your expertise and have probably a much better experience.
You're getting the most bang for your buck as a traveler because you're using somebody else's knowledge. Absolutely. And over time, your relationship with your advisor is really where the value is. We. We're learning about you and your preferences and what you guys enjoy. Every, every client is so different.
No two trips I've ever planned have ever even looked the same at all, and not that's part of the goal. Every client is is different and my relationships with them only get better with time. . Um, if someone wants to get in in touch with you to plan their next trip, how should they get in contact with you?
Yeah, um, there's a couple ways. So I do have a website, it's www.wittravelum.com. And then I also have an Instagram if they're on social media, so they can find me that way. And yeah, please do reach out. I was browsing your social media , um, I think last night. And, uh, you have some cool looking photos from trips you've been on, so well, thank you.
I really appreciate that. This job does allow me to travel. Quite a bit, and like I said earlier, now my travel is really focused on learning what I think that clients will really enjoy and taking back with me kind of a broader perspective. Perspective. Thank you. On on these different. Destinations. I think social media's great at that, sharing photos and maybe even some caption to kind of get an idea or, you know, inspiration even for a trip.
Um, so that's really cool that you have that offer. I think we can even link her Instagram into the show notes. Yeah, we'll, we'll include all that with the link to your website. Uh, great. Hopefully some people reach out and, uh, we'll definitely push our clients your way when they, they look to retire. Well, thank you Look actually already helped you.
Cruises. Well, you, we decide that's a few years down the line. . Well, my parents, my parents like that, but, uh, I don't know. I feel like I'll probably be on like a carnival before I'm on a riverboat cruise. I, I, I just don't I don't see you river. I don't see you on a carnival cruise. That's just, I don't see you there.
You don't see me there with like, maybe like my, my wife's family or anything? No. No. All right. Not yet. Not yet. I don't think you're gonna go to that yet. You know? One thing that I really like that, that you said though, um, through the podcast too, just as we're wrapping up here, is like, leave some room for magic.
Really like that. Because I think that, Surprises and having some, um, spontaneous adventures on travel is some of like the best memories. So, uh, I'm, I'm gonna take that for clients and, and share that if you don't mind. Okay. , I'll, I'll say that my experience working with a travel advisor and with you guys has been just incredible cuz it just completely changed.
The way that I travel and look at traveling and, and I know so much more about what I want because those questions I've been asked and now I know what I'm looking for and I know that I can find that experience and it just leaves so much less room for air, I guess. Because if you're going to a destination the first time, you've never been there, if you do that, you know you're gonna miss out.
Now you could say after it, well, next time if I go, I would do these things. But who knows if you're ever gonna be able to go back again. So to get the most out of a destination, it seems like a no brain. Using advisors been there cuz they're gonna be able to help you through that. Absolutely. And especially if you don't know that you will get to go back, it would be such a shame to go visit a destination and to feel as though you didn't make the most of your time.
Right. And really an advisor is, Is going to be there to help make sure that the time that you're spent there, and of course your financial investment is going to give you the, the most out of the trip. For those who are getting ready to plan their next trip, how should they get in contact with you? Um, they should check out my website.
Actually on the front page of my website, I have a contact us button and there's a little new client form, so there's. I was gonna ask you a few questions about your previous travel, um, some of your preferences, where you're looking to go, um, your travel dates, and of course who will be traveling with you.
And then, um, we'll be reaching out to schedule a new client consultation where we can get more in depth and, you know, discuss how the process would work. Well, we would love to have you on again. I know there's gonna be questions from the show and I know people are gonna have more questions about this topic cuz this is such a fun topic to go over.
But we'd love to have you again and, and as always, we just appreciate you being on. Absolutely. Sounds great. I would be happy to, to join in. Thanks so much. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. If you're feeling overwhelmed or unsure about how to navigate these volatile markets, we encourage you to reach out to us at RPA Wealth.
Our team of experienced financial advisors are here to help you plan for your retirement and make the most of your savings and investments. Don't let the challenges of last year derail your retirement plans. Contact us today and let's help you get back on track. And as, as always, thanks for listening.
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