Our Trip Consulting Service

Our Trip Consultants help you plan your European adventure.

Our team of experienced advisors has helped thousands of travelers put together great itineraries tailored to their interests, budgets, and time constraints. If you have lots of questions, or you're a first-time traveler, consider a one-on-one trip consultation. We can help you build an itinerary, set priorities, and figure out transportation.

We specialize in the areas covered by Rick Steves tours and guidebooks, but can often help in other areas of Europe. Note: Any transportation and lodging reservations are up to you but you'll be ready to do it yourself after your consultation. And we don't focus on specialty modes of travel (such as hiking, biking, or cruising), though we'll help as best we can.

To Schedule a Consultation

  • Book at least 48 hours ahead
  • Book farther in advance for spring and early summer (when we are at our busiest)
  • Consultations are 30 minutes long (usually plenty of time)
  • $60 in person (at our Travel Center in Edmonds)
  • $90 by phone
  • $30 for an additional 15 minutes
  • 50% discount for anyone confirmed on an upcoming Rick Steves tour
  • One booking at a time, please! No back-to-back appointments

Schedule a Consultation

 

Meet Our Consultants

Lisa Friend

Traveled to Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (St. Petersburg), Scotland, Sicily, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Wales. 

My perfect travel day: That would be waking up in London, eating a lovely English breakfast, browsing through the Spitalfields Market looking for art and offbeat crafts and chatting up all the stallholders, going on a walking tour through one of London's great neighborhoods, taking a black taxi to St. Pancras Station and traveling on the Eurostar train through the Chunnel to Paris while taking a high-speed nap. In Paris, I love going to the Orsay Museum with its Impressionist paintings, then sitting down to a nice dinner topped off by a late-night cruise on the Seine River holding hands with my husband.

A customer raves about Lisa: "She was professional, extremely personable and made it feel as though she really wanted the best experience for our family. I would recommend Lisa and your travel service to anyone. I could not have asked for a better experience!"

Rich Earl

Traveled to Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland (Reykjavík), Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (St. Petersburg), Scotland, Sicily, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.

My perfect travel day: After a leisurely morning sipping cappuccinos at the harbor in Vernazza in the Cinque Terre, hiking up to Monterosso and spending the day at the beach, swimming, relaxing and drinking limonate. Taking the train back to Vernazza in the afternoon for dinner of pesto lasagna at Il Castello, then wandering the winding streets of Vernazza with a gelato di caffe and people watching.

A customer raves about Rich: "Rich was FANTASTIC! He was VERY helpful and was able to answer all my questions. I KNOW that he will improve my trip tenfold!"

Pat O'Connor

Traveled to Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Malta, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (St. Petersburg), Scotland, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales.

My perfect travel day: An Irish photo-safari hike with puffin-spotting stops among the cliff-perched ancient monastic ruins of isolated Skellig Michael off the County Kerry coast. Follow that with a scenic late-afternoon drive to Dingle town for a hearty fresh-fish dinner in a friendly restaurant. Then cap that off with an evening of Irish traditional music, cold pints, and playful conversation in a local pub.

A customer raves about Pat: "We received great information on scheduling, using rail passes, and supplementing with cheaper flights to save travel time. I learned more in the time I spent with Pat than with two local travel agencies here in St Louis!"

Gabe Gunnink

Traveled to Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic (Prague), England, France, Germany, Ireland (Dublin), Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland (Edinburgh), Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

My perfect travel day: I begin with a relaxed morning run among the trees and marble of Madrid's Parque del Buen Retiro. I then board Spain's newest high-speed train from Madrid to Granada and watch the Spanish countryside rush by. In Granada, I wind my way through the capillary alleys of the whitewashed Albayzín neighborhood, ducking into a Moorish café for a light lunch with tea. Then I pay a visit to Spain's greatest sight — La Alhambra — before eating a late dinner of Spanish tortilla and gazpacho and attending an invigorating flamenco performance in a cave so narrow that the ruffled dresses flap against my knees. I finish the day with a late-night stroll back to my hotel, watching grandchildren wander the streets with their parents and grandparents well beyond their bedtimes.

A customer raves about Gabe: "Gabe was attentive, professional, and approachable! We so appreciated his help with our trip details."

Áine Richards

Traveled to Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic (Prague), Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Iceland (Reykjavik), Ireland, Italy, Norway, Russia (St. Petersburg), Scotland, Slovakia (Bratislava), Sweden, and Switzerland. 

My perfect travel day: I would start with a visit to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens to see the Antikythera mechanism and the amazing sculptures. After lunch in the Gazi neighborhood, head up into the mountains and arrive at the ancient site of Delphi in time to see the museum and wander the archaeological site. After short hikes up to the ancient stadium and down to the ruined tholos, settle into a local taverna dramatically perched on the side of the mountain to enjoy local dishes and wine while watching the sun set over the countryside.

A customer raves about Áine: "Áine was helpful, personable and just plain nice. She shared her knowledge and helped make our trip exceptional!"