Travel Agent vs Do It Yourself Travel: Which is Better?

In this post, we will explain that DIY Travel™ is not as complicated as many might believe, and we will hopefully help you understand some of the tools and techniques to be a practical DIY Travel™ planner. We will look at the issue of “Travel Agent vs DIY Travel™” from both sides of the coin and provide suggestions when it is best to use a Travel Agent. However, full disclosure, Cosguide4travel owns the DIY Travel™ United States Trademark. So we may be slightly biased,

Travel Agent Vs DIY Travel

DIY Travel is the art of designing your own travel experience from scratch—choosing your flights, hotels, daily activities, meals, timing, and pace based on your own interests, not someone else’s agenda. DIY (Do It Yourself) Travel™ is a concept that is foreign to many people, especially many elderly travelers who are not as comfortable with modern computer programs as the younger generations. “DIY Travel” (often written DIY Travel™ by bloggers or brands) refers to planning and organizing your own trip without using Tour Operators and Travel Agencies.”  Instead, you build a personally curated itinerary using research, online tools, and direct bookings.

It’s self-directed travel planning, relying on:

• booking directly with hotels, airlines, museums, and local guides

• online research, blogs, apps, reviews

• personal priorities (culture, food, photography, luxury, budget, etc.)

Travel Agent vs Do It Yourself: Dispelling the Myth That You Always Need a Travel Agent

Why use a Travel Agent vs Do It Yourself (DIY Travel™) planning? That’s a good question. Your local Travel Agent is no longer a critical resource for planning your trips. The Internet has impacted their business perhaps more than any other business. DIY Travel™ can handle many of the functions that a travel agent initially performs. The biggest travel companies in the world, Expedia and Booking.com, didn’t even exist 30 years ago.

Since Robin and Cos started travel blogging in 2022, they have booked and traveled more than a year’s worth of travel.  They have used travel agents, but booked most of their travel online. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has also awarded this blog the official trademark for “DIY Travel™.” Robin and Cos have substantiated their views that while there are times when a travel advisor can be invaluable, DIY Travel™ planning is usually best. This post will help you understand the pros and cons of using a “Travel Agent vs Do It Yourself Travel,” and provide advice on the “Best Travel Agent for Cruising.”

Furthermore, Artificial intelligence (AI) is having a big impact on all aspects of travel planning. To learn more about AI travel planning, please see our post: Best AI Travel Apps [2025].

When planning travel, many myths can adversely affect your decisions.  For example, you may have heard that traveling to XYZ is unsafe, yet it may be one of the safest places in the world.  Or you may have read online that public transport should not be taken in foreign countries. The simple fact is that the public transit systems (subways and buses) are much better in most countries than in the US.  Or you may have heard that the whole world speaks English. This is false, so make sure you have the Google Translate app on your smartphone. 

However, the number one myth that needs to be corrected is that you should always use a “Travel Agent vs Do It Yourself” when traveling abroad. Granted, there are times when using a travel agent or a travel advisor can be advantageous. In fact, we like to think of ourselves as travel advisors. However, most international travel can be handled by following the DIY Travel™ guidelines highlighted in our Ultimate Guide for DIY Travel™.

Travel Industry Has Changed

The travel industry and the world of travel planning have changed significantly in the twenty-first century, especially with the introduction of the Internet. Online booking systems have replaced Travel Agents, who used to be critical for planning, booking airline tickets and hotel rooms, and organizing your trip. Airlines, hotels, and almost everything else in the travel world are now easily accessible directly on their websites or through an online travel agent.

Trip-planning websites, such as TripAdvisor, are a great source of traveler feedback on the best things to do in a foreign country. Travel blogs, such as Cosguide4travel.com, can also be excellent sources of information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a significant feature on many travel planning sites.

Traditional travel agencies, such as Carlson Wagonlit Travel (now called CWT), have been forced to change their focus to stay in business. The main reason for this disruption is that the Internet and other factors have reduced the commissions the carriers are willing to pay to agencies. The only significant commissions still being offered are primarily between the cruise lines and the travel agencies. Thus, most traditional vacation travel agencies (e.g., AAA) focus on selling cruises.

The Pros of Using an Independent Travel Agent

However, a travel expert will tell you that travel agents are helpful for the following four main reasons:

1. They can save you money and a lot of time, find better flights, or get you the best deals and additional travel benefits.
2. They can handle all the details, including specific requests, necessary for complex trips.
3. They can provide local expert advice and insider knowledge.
4. They can help troubleshoot issues and provide personalized service.

The Cons of Using a Travel Agent

While these four positive points may be valid, here are the counterarguments:

1. A professional travel agent can sometimes save you money by finding better deals. This might happen during a trip component, when they can get the lowest prices. However, the travel agent usually adds to the overall trip cost. In addition, once you get good at DIY Travel™, you will find that planning a trip doesn’t take that long. Usually, you can find a good deal, better flights, or a better hotel room.
2. Travel agents sometimes charge upfront booking fees for simply using their service. Your hard work will often result in the best value, and you may find better exclusive deals. 
3. Travel agents can handle all the details, but you may want to use your personal touch and decide on your own trip details. Many people, like the author, find planning to be a large part of the fun of travel. They enjoy diving into travel information. Ensuring that your personal preferences are included in travel plans is better done by yourself. 
4. A good travel agent with years of experience can provide local expertise if they have been where you want to go. Most can’t. On the flip side, doing your own research on the Internet, YouTube, and social media can quickly give you even better local knowledge and lead to a more informed decision. If you need more local information, DIY Travel™ will help you hire local guides.
5. A good agent can help troubleshoot an issue. Experience supports this point and is particularly helpful for flight delays with complex itineraries involving multiple connections and destinations. A travel agent can provide peace of mind. However, if traveling to popular destinations, there is hardly ever a reason to use a travel agent. 
6. If you need to change travel plans, carriers will typically require you to go through the travel agent and will not work directly with you.  This can become complex, especially when rebates are involved. 

When is the Best Time to Use a Travel Agent vs DIY Travel™?

First, we believe there are situations in which a travel agent can secure additional benefits at a hotel or resort that DIY Travel™ may not. This includes a late check-out, an early check-in, room upgrades, or a free add-on service.  For example, such benefits are available when booking through American Express and using their Fine Hotels & Resorts program.  The Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection offers similar benefits when booked through the Chase Travel Desk.

Secondly, a travel agency can be helpful when booking a very complex trip to a foreign land, such as a custom safari, or when traveling to an area that may be difficult to book on your own.  In some countries with little regulatory oversight, transport services will overcharge when booking directly without a knowledgeable agent.  This is an excellent example of how an agent can save you from overcharging.

Best Travel Agency for Cruising

Most importantly, it is usually beneficial to use a travel agent when booking a cruise.

A cruise line is the one travel component where travel agents still receive substantial commissions for booking trips. As a result, the travel agency can usually offer the customer something in kind. Our favorite Best Travel Agency for Cruising is Cruise with Points by Marriott Bonvoy. They are a good example where you can get 5x extra Marriott Bonvoy points, in addition to any credit card points you might get, for booking through their travel agency. For more information about using points to pay for travel, please check out our Valuing Travel Rewards Points Post.

Should you consider booking through online booking platforms vs. direct bookings with Carriers and Hotels?

Many people today use an online travel agency (e.g., Expedia or Booking.com) instead of traditional travel agents. Today’s biggest travel companies are the online travel companies such as Expedia and Booking.com. Hence, the real question is, “When should you use these online travel companies to make a booking?” 

These companies are great for finding the lowest-cost travel alternatives, and they can even offer bundled travel solutions that might save you additional money. But often, booking directly with the airline, hotel, or car rental company can yield extra savings you might not get with an online travel agent. 

In addition, if you hate talking to call center agents at any company, you may need to have that conversation. Unfortunately, online travel agent companies do not have the best call center operations. This can become particularly troubling when canceling or changing reservations. You cannot work directly with the carrier or hotel if you have booked through an agent. 

Therefore, DIY Travel™ recommends booking directly with the airline, hotel, or car rental company when possible. The exception is an international reservation when the carrier or hotel chain is unfamiliar. In those cases, booking through an online travel agent may make sense.  

Tour Operators and Travel Agencies

Tour operators and Travel Agencies can be a confusing topic. Simply put, Tour Operators can be considered another form of Travel Agent.  In fact, some travel agents have changed their business to become tour operators, as they find that niche more profitable. 

Robin and Cos used one such company when they traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia for the first time in 2023.  Unfamiliar with the countries, traveling on their own seemed a little too risky.  They hired a company, Odynovotours.com, based in China, which is an expert travel agent in that part of the world.  Also, in 2024, they hired a tour company, ChoodeBalkans.com, an Albanian Company,  to provide a private tour guide through the Balkan countries (see our post on the Balkans for more details).

DIY Travel vs. Packaged Tours

Summary and Key Takeaways

The key takeaway from this post is that while there are definite times when using a travel agent will benefit you as the traveler, those times have become less frequent as the Internet and AI become more prevalent. DIY Travel™ planning tools have become the industry standard. Airlines, hotels, tours, and car rental companies all incentivize you to book directly with them. Their websites and phone apps make this easy.