Why I Charge a Planning Fee (And Why It Matters for Your Trip)
Let’s be honest—anyone can book a hotel online. But building a smooth, well-paced itinerary with amazing experiences and excursions that actually fits how you travel? That’s a different skill set entirely.
So when people ask why I charge a planning fee, here’s the truth: custom travel isn’t a commodity. It’s a professional service that takes time, strategy, and judgment. High-touch advisors across Virtuoso charge fees because the work is real.
Here’s what that fee actually covers—
Discovery: Understanding How You Really Travel
Before a single day is planned, we talk—about your rhythms, preferences, dealbreakers, and interests. Morning people or slow starters? Food fanatics or museum lovers? Need space in the morning or want to move nonstop?
This isn’t a quick questionnaire. It’s understanding your “travel DNA” so the trip reflects you, not a template.
Custom Design That Requires Actual Expertise
A bespoke itinerary means real research and real problem-solving:
vetting guides and specialists
sequencing days so logistics actually work
choosing the right room type (not the mystery-box “Deluxe”)
timing trains, ferries, and visits around opening hours
integrating niche interests
This is trip architecture—the part you never see but always feel.
Revision Rounds
No one gets it perfect on the first pass. You get two rounds of revisions so the trip lands exactly where you want it. Every change requires coordination; the fee covers the time it takes to re-engineer the moving pieces.
Access to Vetted Local Experts
I don’t gamble with Google. I work with trusted DMCs, guides, drivers, and partners who consistently deliver. These relationships protect you from bad fits, bad tours, and bad surprises.
Pre-Trip Coaching
Travel success lives in the details—transport choices, jet lag, tipping culture, avoiding dumb ATM fees, knowing when to splurge vs. save. I guide you through the stuff travelers don’t know they need to know.
Support Before, During & After
Before you go, I handle restaurant suggestions, spa menus, confirmations, special requests, and contingencies.
While you travel, I’m your point person if things go sideways, plus for custom packages, I also provide you with a local contact who is available a minimum of 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s advocacy, and it matters.
Paying a Fee = Better Decisions
Commissions vary. A planning fee means I’m making the best decisions for you, not for a supplier’s payout.
This Is a Professional Skill
Travel has never been more complicated. People hire designers, accountants, trainers, event planners—because expertise matters. Custom travel sits squarely in that category.
The Bottom Line
A planning fee ensures your trip is intentionally built, properly paced, and tailored to how you want to experience the world. It keeps the process strategic, not rushed; personal, not generic; seamless, not chaotic.
That’s what Antidote Travel is known for—and why the fee exists.
