Turkey Trip Itinerary Planning by Tom Brosnahan

The professional travel agents recommended by TTP can arrange most travelers’ trips, and the TTP Forums and TTP’s Facebook page are great resources for person-to-person tips, but I can also help you to plan your trip—and I love doing it.

As you read this (March-April 2015), I’m traveling, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to schedule a consultation. I’ll be able to schedule consultations as of April 21st, 2015. In the meantime, consider contacting one of TTP’s professional travel agent partners. More…

I have to charge a fee for it, of course, because time spent consulting is time spent away from my writing and photography, which is how I make my living.

Itinerary Planning

I can help you plan a custom itinerary tailored exactly to your time, budget and preferences. (I cannot make any reservations or book any travel services for you as I am not licensed as a travel agent. However, my recommended travel agencies can make any travel arrangements you do not want to arrange for yourself.)

Answer Questions

Get answers right from the expert. It costs a fraction of what you’ll pay if your trip goes wrong.

Feedback

Travelers with whom I have consulted talk about their experiences. More...

Plan Itineraries

Many independent travelers enjoy planning their own itineraries, and they do a good job of it. But often they’re just not sure if the itinerary they’ve planned is “doable.” Is it too rushed? Too slow? Is there a way to make it less wearing, more enjoyable?

Usually, there is.

Having planned over 100 trips for myself all over Turkey, and hundreds more for others, I believe I can fit together the parts of a trip to give you the best experience in the time you have available, whatever your budget.

You may spend thousands on your trip to Turkey. If the itinerary is not just what you want, some of that money may be wasted, along with your precious travel time. I can help you get it right by quickly reviewing the itinerary you’ve planned, or by helping you to plan one.

The fee for a one-hour itinerary-planning consultation is US$125. For this you receive:

1. Pre-consultation advice: send me the information you have about your trip—number of travelers, their ages, likes and dislikes, preferred class of accommodations, must-see destinations, etc.—and we’ll get started with an exchange of email messages. This saves us both time when we consult by phone in person.

2. Phone consultation: minimum 30 minutes consultation, perhaps more if necessary, up to one hour.

3. Follow-up: a consultation answers most of your questions, but may raise others, so if there’s time left I’m available to help with any new questions or situations that may come to mind, even when you’re on the road in Turkey.

The consultation fee is payable by PayPal, credit card (via PayPal) or personal check (USD).

Here’s a money-saving tip: look over my sample itineraries for one that suits your interests and needs, and start your planning using it as a basis. Modify it as you like, then we can refine it further on the phone. Click here.

To save you time and money during your consultation, I recommend that you send me an email message detailing:

— The number of travelers in your party, and an idea of your party’s character: couple? Family with small children? Honeymooners? Single woman?

— Your tentative schedule (and itinerary, if you have one): dates or time of year, length of time in Turkey, etc.

— Your travel preferences (luxury, moderate, budget), likes, dislikes and interests (archeology, architecture, art, cuisine, culture, outdoor activities, shopping)

Please note: It’s best if we consult before you make any reservations. If you reserve hotels in one or two cities before we talk, it may limit what we can do to make your trip more efficient.

Answer Questions

You can spend hours sifting through the sea of data on the Internet (much of it inaccurate, out of date, or irrelevant), or you can schedule a consultation and get the answers you need in 30 minutes (the minimum consultation).

Here are examples of the kinds of questions I’ve answered over the years:

– What’s a good itinerary for honeymooners?

– How can I trace my Sephardic roots?

– Is there a place sacred to the memory of Saint Thecla in Turkey?

– Are there any special considerations for a single woman of African/Asian heritage traveling in Turkey?

– Can we travel with our newborn baby in Turkey? What do we need to know?

– How can I get to meet pigeon-fanciers in Turkey?

I certainly don’t guarantee that I’ll have an answer to every question, but after 45+ years of travel in Turkey, I do have a lot of answers. And if I don’t know the answer, I can often refer you to someone who does.