Key Questions to Ask While Traveling Abroad

This should be one of the first questions to ask your travel agent. It is vital to get clarity on the exact range of services your travel agent provides so you have a clear idea of what is being taken care of, and what you need to figure out yourself.

Ask your travel agent if they are going to cover every aspect of the trip – from booking flights and car rentals to searching for a hotel stay and overseeing hotel services, from buying travel insurance to applying for a visa.

One of the most crucial questions to ask while travelling abroad is to your preferred destination. Ideally, your travel agent will know the precise peak season and off-season to travel, the days which will have more affordable flight ticket prices, and the times at which hotels will have the best deals and discounts.

An expert travel agent will be able to guide you to make the correct travel decisions in line with your budget and preferences.

If you want your travel agent to plan your trip or recommend places to visit at the least, you should ask them to prepare a tentative itinerary for you. You can let them know which sights are on your list and what your ideal overseas trip looks like so that they can include that in your travel plan.

You should also tell them the degree of involvement you would prefer – whether you want help planning the entire trip or guidance in some respects. You could also ask them if a group tour would be cheaper than a customised one.

This is one of the most important questions to ask your travel agent while travelling abroad. Most countries require a valid passport and visa to enter their territory. Each country will have a different visa – for instance, European countries have a Schengen visa.

Ask your travel agent how they plan to take care of the process for you – whether they will help you in some stages or handle the entire application process. Ask them about the exact visa costs and application fees and inform them about those places that don’t require a visa.

Apart from your passport and visa, some destinations might require you to carry extra documents for proof and verification. These include a medical certificate, a copy of your travel insurance plan, receipt of hotel reservations, passport-size photographs, and others. For the last two years, most places required a COVID-19 vaccine report and a negative RT-PCR test.

The rules regarding documents can change anytime. So, ask your travel agent to give you the complete list of documents you might need for an overseas trip to avoid any pit stops later.

This again is one of the most essential questions to ask your travel agent while travelling abroad. Most international destinations require travellers to carry a mandatory travel insurance plan before they allow them entry. Your travel agent can either purchase the travel insurance for you or recommend a comprehensive travel insurance plan.

However, you are responsible for checking the exact coverage the travel insurance plan offers and asking for explanations for those points you don’t understand. Check if the travel insurance plan pays reimbursement for common travel mishaps like flight delays and cancellations, lost or stolen baggage, hotel cancellations, natural/ man-induced disasters, and more.

It is most likely your travel agent will suggest a travel insurance plan they deem fit. However, you don’t have to go for the first suggestion. On Tata AIG’s website, you can compare travel insurance plans yourself to get the best coverage at affordable pricing.

From Tata AIG you can buy a travel insurance policy for individuals or for the entire family. You can get the travel insurance in almost no time, with minimal documentation. Besides, with the expertise of your travel agent, it will be easy to compare the various travel insurance plans available and see if you are getting the best deal.

As mentioned above, travel insurance should cover unforeseen eventualities. These include medical emergencies, health evacuation, flight delays, loss of passport, trip cancellation, missed departure/ connection flights, and more.

For all the services they provide, travel agents will charge a fee. However, it is essential to know what services you are paying for and if there are any hidden charges. Ask your agent to show you the exact breakup of the charges.

Your travel agent might include transaction fees (separate or cumulative), management costs, service fees, and taxes. Ask them about their refund and cancellation policy and other questions you deem necessary to gain insight into your payments towards the agent. You can also ask your travel agent for any local or agency emergency numbers you can reach them at during a crisis or need.

We hope this list of questions to ask your travel agent will help you plan and execute a successful and cost-efficient overseas trip. Believe it or not, asking questions can help you save more money than you expect and cut back on unnecessary costs. Trust your travel agent but don’t feel afraid to verify their expertise and ask questions. To see how reliable they are, you can also check customer reviews and past performances with their clientele.