Your Getaway Guru

Skip has helped us book five trips now. He’s very responsive to questions and always makes sure we have all the info we need to make a decision. We’ve used him to travel to the Dominican Republic twice, Bahamas, Playa Mujeres, and even California. I’m an email guy, and he doesn’t mind doing all or almost all of the work via email. I appreciate that. I just call him with my credit card number. We just got back from an amazing vacation near Cancun, and we’re already trying to get back. We’ll be calling Skip again and again for years to come.

If you read nothing else I write, read this. Hiring a travel agent is FREE! No scams or gimmicks or upgrades. Why wouldn’t you at the very least call and speak to one. Having a travel agent isn’t just a luxury. It’s the smartest thing you can do for yourself and your trip.
My personal experience:
Skip helped us put together a FABULOUS dream vacation to Italy for our 10 year anniversary. From the first phone call to start planning to the day we got home everything went smoothly. He was always quick to respond, personal and worked with the budget we gave him.
I’m a wedding and event planner so I’m a very detailed person and used to planning our small family trips but there are so many things to consider for your first international flight. Getting our passports, knowing which airports to fly in and out of, how long of a layover is enough time, how to travel between cities, setting up tours in a city where you don’t speak the language, what to do when you’re there. Skip sat down with us before we left to go over our itinerary and each activity along the way. Could I have planned this trip by myself? Maybe. But knowing the ins and outs of traveling is what he is an expert in and he can save you time and so much stress along the way. For example:
Passports: We were going to just go to the post office to get our passport. When I told Skip our plan he stopped me and suggested a few passport services. As he pointed out, the post office is a government agency. Enough said. They can move slow. They can lose mail. Maybe it’s not common but do you really want to take the chance of a single delay and you missing your trip? We took our applications to one of the recommended offices and they immediately caught an error on our form. Had we taken it to the post office, they would have never noticed the error and our application would have been returned and delayed getting our passport.
Traveling: When I questioned the long layover there and back Skip advised me that I would need the time to get through customs. Boy was he right! We were never rushed but had it been up to me and I had moved the flights to what I thought were best, we would have missed our flights. Experienced travel agents know what to expect, are familiar with different airports and airlines. Have you ever booked a flight or hotel with an online discount company only to have an issue arise? You are at the mercy of someone on the other end of the line after waiting to get through to customer service and that doesn’t guarantee the issue is resolved. $$$ and time wasted.
Once we were in Italy, Skip had arranged for concierge services from the moment we grabbed our luggage. We had private drivers and even a private boat that took us from the airport to our hotel. No waiting in line for taxis. No fumbling for directions. We were treated like VIPs from the minute we touched down in Italy until we left.
Skip arranged for private tours for the sights we most wanted to see. We avoided lines that wrapped around the block just to get in and were escorted through each area with an informative tour guide. Made the experience so much nicer and allowed us to have the rest of the day to do what we wanted.
We visited three cities in total and used the train to travel between them. Skip had an agent waiting for us at the hotel each time who not only got us to the train station but also walked us through the station to our seat so we knew exactly what to do and how to travel. Then when we got off the train our driver was waiting for us to take us to the next hotel. Could you figure it out on your own? Possibly. But again, why have that added stress if you don’t speak the language or understand what to do. While on one of our train rides, we watched a young girl get on only to later argue with the conductor, cry and ultimately have to move because of an issue with her ticket. Misunderstandings happen. But a travel agent knows how to guide you through all of that.
Our second stop could have been a disaster when we got out of our car and went to check-​in to the hotel. Only after having been there for about 5 minutes we realized we had left a bag in the car that had just dropped us off. The bag had all our electronics and most importantly, our passports. I calmly reached into the suitcase and pulled out the 2^nd copy of our itinerary Skip had put together for us before we left. I called the number for the car service and within minutes they returned with our bag untouched. That small lapse in judgment could have been a nightmare had we taken a city taxi.
We saw some of the most amazing pieces of history, immersed ourselves in the culture, ate some of the best foods and had such a relaxing experience the whole time. Truly it was a dream vacation and one we will never forget and we have Skip to think for that. I have no reservations in recommending him to my clients and brides and using him for every trip in the future!

Skip helped us pick the PERFECT resort for our Weddingmoon. Taking in consideration that we needed an adults only venue and a kid friendly venue, in combination with affordability for 20+ people; it was not an easy task but he made it seem like it was. His firsthand experience with Karisma resorts (El Dorado Royale, El Dorado Casitas and Generations Riviera Maya) was invaluable; the accommodations were amazing as was our service. He was able to explain resort policies, activities offered, gourmet all inclusive, travel issues, and even helped me plan our ceremony through the resort. Skip’s patience with my family, who are not avid travelers and at times overly annoying, was much appreciated. Everyone had a vacation of a lifetime, but Brad and I had the very best day of our lives… Thank you for everything Skip!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Just booked our second group vacation with Skip and he is amazing. He knows these resorts like the back of his hand and can help you find exactly what you are looking for. He has the best pricing BY FAR and is one of the friendliest guys I’ve ever worked with.

Skip has been our personal travel consultant for years, and ha never let us down!
He is the best in Austin!

Honeymoon Guru is amazing! Skip made sure our trip was perfect! He made is easy and was so very helpful with everything. I couldn’t have done it without them! They helped us pick out the perfect location for our Honeymoon and it is one we will never foreget! Thank you Honeymoon Guru!

I would highly recommend Skip, the Honeymoon Guru. We first thought we were going to Greece and he planned an entire itinerary for us. Then, something came up and we found out that we would not be able to afford to go to Greece. Skip did not act inconvenienced at all. He worked with us and came up with a different trip that would be in our budget. We had no idea where we wanted to go so based on us telling him what we liked/didn’t like he came up with a location and an entire itinerary. The whole process could not have been smoother. In the end, we ended up at Caneel Bay in St. John and had a wonderful time!

I had to fight with my husband to get him to let me work with Skip and all he did was thank me the whole time we were on our honeymoon. He is easy to talk to and gives great advice, and works with whatever price range you give him. We decided on the El Dorado Maroma in the Riviera Maya after his recommendations and couldn’t be happier that we did. It was GORGEOUS just like he said it would be, the staff was awesome and accommodating and I know alot of that had to do with Skip as well. Candlelit dinner on the beach, couples massage, champagne in room on arrival, flower petals and swan towels~ the whole nine. We had an amazing time and will most definitely refer anyone we know to him for traveling! Nice guy, great service, badass honeymoon. boom :)

I normally don’t write reviews, good or bad, but I really feel it is necessary to in this instance, because of the exceptional customer service we received from The Honeymoon Guru and Skip.
I’m extremely stubborn at times and when I became engaged back in February, I frankly scoffed at the idea of using someone else to book our honeymoon. I travel three or four days during the week and I figured I can find the best hotel package for my honeymoon. Not only that, but I am EXTREMELY picky when I travel and thought to myself no one knows what I want besides myself. However, my fiancé had me call The Honeymoon Guru as her friends have used them before and I am so thankful I did!
Within a couple of minutes from talking to Skip, he knew EXACTLY what I wanted in my honeymoon as he asked the right questions. Not only did he ask the right questions, but he got us exactly what we wanted and more for that matter for much less than I thought it was going to be. I can be a pain in the rear sometimes, but Skip was patient with me, answered my questions, and promptly returned my calls and emails. The package deal Skip was able to put together for us was a couple thousand less than we could have gotten on my own and included much more!
We do plan on using Skip in the future for our upcoming trips. I know planning a wedding can be a daunting, stressful task. With Skip and the Honeymoon Guru, it was a stress free and very enjoyable time. When it comes to picking a vendor for your honeymoon, go with Skip and the Honeymoon Guru!