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You are the best. And feel free to quote me on that.
Terri P, Metuchen , New Jersey
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The trip was phenomenal. It was a lot in a short period of time, but it worked out perfectly -- we wouldn't have changed anything. Every city we visited was a good experience, and unique its own way, so it's hard to pick any favorites… Thank you very much for your efforts in planning this. We truly enjoyed it, and will recommend your services to others.
Aaron K, Minnesota
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The trip was awesome. Your hotel recommendations were great and we enjoyed them all…. Thank you again for all your efforts to make our trip memorable and hassle-free.
Mary Tavarozzi, Cortez, FL
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There are no words to express how your talent and expertise made our trip the best ever! The memories we made are priceless. Many thanks for everything!
Bobbie Arlington,TX
Hi Sally,
Our Italy trip was absolutely indescribable. I didn't know if it could equal the last one but it certainly did and more! All I can say is wow. Haven't gotten to the trip report yet - soon I hope. In the meantime still savoring all of the delicious details. Have so much to tell you about! Just wanted to let you know how great it was and how invaluable your help, planning, advice and arranging was - couldn't have done it without you!
More later...
Fond Regards,
Nancy & Dale Nida
OK
My husband and I decided just two months before our 25th wedding anniversary to go to Italy. Starting to research where we'd like to go to we found Sally Watkins through the internet. After reading comments from some of her satisfied clients we thought we'd give her a try. After many e-mails and some phone conversations Sally helped us plan a trip that was perfect for our style. The flights, accommodations, itinerary, car rental, dining suggestions and tips for each location were excellent. All the details were taken care of. We had plenty of flexibility to explore at our own pace… much better than a tour we think! We would use Sally again and recommend her to anyone to help plan a trip!
Faith and David
Warner,New Hampshire
Thanks again for all your help. You are the best travel agent I have ever worked with! (and you can put that on your web page!)
Sandie, Seattle
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I could not possibly count all of the times that Jen and I looked at each other during the trip and said “Thanks, Sally!” for putting us in a good situation….. Your services were much more than just being a traditional travel agent, you carefully read through our objectives for this trip, and tailored it perfectly. This is not a skill that one naturally attains, it takes experience and hard work.
Roy and Jennifer Haverkamp, Leawood, KS
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Well, you knocked it outta da park, my dear. Everything was quite fabulous! We didn't miss a beat anywhere. .... I've sung your praises to anybody and everybody so I hope you get some new referrals. Take care and thanks again for a truly memorable trip plan. I'll be calling the next time I spend the night across the street or anywhere else.
Billy Lovelace
Pensacola, FL
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This letter is to thank you for all the great work you did in setting up my recent trip to Australia. The tour was fabulous. It was just the kind of thing I had in mind when I started thinking about this trip. It gave me the chance to see the real outback, just as I had hoped.
The hotel you selected in Sydney was great. It was very comfortable and centrally locatred. I was able to walk to everything I wanted to see.
Thanks again for everything. I'll be sure to call you when I start planing my next trip.
Jeff Allen
Austin, Texas
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Got home at midnight last night so am still trying to clear my head and get back into the swing of 'real life' but wanted to email you and let you know we had a FABULOUS time!!!! Am working on a full detailed 'trip report' to send you but in the mean time suffice it to say it was incredible!!!!! Can't thank you enough for your help and input - it was invaluable. Am already thinking about a return trip... So much to tell you about, will try to put together a report in the next few days.
Can't decide if the highlight of the trip was the first view of the Campo in Siena, the day with Dario or the cooking class... all were awesome as were a zillion other aspects of the trip!!!
More later...
Nancy and Dale Nida,
Perry, OK
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My husband and I have used Sally's services on at least six occasions and are always pleased. She knows our special needs and interests and makes our trips possible by arranging easy to do transfers and helpers along the way. She always has great ideas about restaurants and special out-of-the-way delights, because many times she has been there before us!
Mrs. Walker J. Duffie
Austin, Texas
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Changing Flights in Los Angeles
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When I began considering my trip to Italy, I looked for a competent Travel Agent who had some direct knowledge of planning such a trip. Failing to find anyone in my area who had such experience and who was at all interested or helpful, I turned to the Internet. There I found Sally Watkins ! After checking her credentials, I found, to my pleasure that she was very experienced. Sally helped me with many aspects of the trip, and was extremely generous with her expertise and information. We had a great trip. I would recommend Sally to anyone who needs knowledge, assistance and a good sense of humor—she is a real professional!!!!
Kathryn Whittington
Cincinnati, Ohio
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YOU WERE FABULOUS!!! We had an incredibly great time! And all of your advice was right on the mark. It would not have been the same if I had not called you.
Scott Gale, Baltimore, MD
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Sally designs trips for Frank and me...trips that are suited to our interests. When we started working with her, she gave us Sally's Notes, even highlighted in yellow to show us the things to absolutely not miss. Although we still like to "do" cities, we have enjoyed "doing" areas in recent years. For example, one of my favorites was a journey up and down the Hudson River in New York State. Sally selected interesting Bed and Breakfast stops close to historical sites, famous homes and places to see beautiful art.
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Monastery, Upstate New York
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Knowing I would tire after a few days, she put us in the Tarrytown Hilton in the middle of the trip so that I could get room service to refuel. (She knows me well.) I enjoy reading about the areas, so she takes items that I have discovered and works them into the plans. Often she has already had similar travels and contacts better than I could discover.
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Sally even hears the strange requests. She says that one of the best ones she has ever had was when we asked for a moonlight sleigh ride on a trip to Lake Louise, Canada - and it had to be during a FULL moon. Request granted! She listens and hears our goals for each trip. The trips are never rigid, but they have good details that we can use. She watches for unusual items (i.e., a once-a-year tour of old homes in Charleston, SC) that might be happening when we are in an area. The trips are special and they are just for us!
Sara Lively
Austin, Texas
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We've been back from our trip now since Saturday evening and we're still going through Italy withdrawals. I wanted to e-mail you to thank you again for all of your help with the planning of our trip. It was a very special trip for us as it was our 25th wedding anniversary and also the first time going to Europe. Everything worked out great,,,,,,the flights, the car rental (pick up and drop off), the airport pickup by Max's brother, the cell phone, the hotels ,,,,,just everything was perfect. ...Also wanted to thank you for all of the notes that you sent us. The driving tips really helped as even though we didn't have too many problems (mainly getting lost and stuck in an alley where our car didn't fit) the pointers on reading the road signs was great. We also used your tips on restaurants. I don't have my sheet with me as I'm writing this e-mail but it was for a place in Rome that had a fixed menu for $20 per person. Hard to find but was one of our more memorable meals. Based on your tip when we were deciding to go to Pompeii or not, you suggested Ostia Antica. We did see Ostia with a small tour group of 10 people and it was fantastic...I'm missing the strong coffee of Italy and the smell of honeysuckle in the hilltowns. My wife is trying to figure out a way for us to move there. We'll be certain to recommend your services to anyone who's interested in going to Italy. Thanks again for your help in making our trip and our 25th anniversary so special. "
Gary Weirzbinski,
St. Francis, Wisconsin
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Italian Hill Town
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I was the organizer for a group of 5 women traveling to Italy last year. While researching the trip on the internet, I ran into Sally. She came across as friendly, easy to communicate with and very professional. Through her I was able to book train tickets, personal tours in Rome and arrange for transportation to and from the hotel. In addition to the "purchased" items, she was very helpful with suggesting the little extras that make a trip special. Not only was Sally well versed regarding Italy but other countries as well. All her suggestions have been on the money. Her fee structure is very reasonable and is in line with her services.
Jane Votel
Park Hill, Kentucky
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Our family really enjoys traveling, and Sally has provided invaluable assistance in planning our trips. Because Sally has taken the time to find out what we really want, she has helped us customize our travels. As our children have grown and their traveling needs and capacities have changed, Sally has helped us find new, age appropriate activities across North American and in Europe. And she's also a whiz at putting together parent getaways at home and abroad!
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Half Dome, Yosemite
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One of the things we enjoy most is that Sally often finds charming, off-the-beaten-path hotels that are perfect for us! On a recent trip to Los Angeles, for example, she found a 1950s vintage hotel that had fabulous character, a great location, and the amenities that we needed for our girls. And three years ago, she placed the two of us (without kids) in a small, wonderful hotel two blocks from the Louvre.
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A Drawing room outside of Bath, England
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We have recommended Sally to several friends, all of whom have been pleased with the result!
Kathryn Tullos and Mark Morris
Austin, Texas
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Jackass Penguins at Boulders Beach, South Africa
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It is a pleasure for me to be able to recommend Sally Watkins to you as a travel counselor. I have known Sally and used her services for almost twenty years, and her knowledge, patience, and depth of services never cease to amaze me. She has most recently assisted me and my family in planning two European vacations. Sally gets to know her clients and their preferences and priorities, and then takes care of all the details. Everyone benefits from her years of experience and the many clients she assists, because they have enabled her to develop quite a "global" network of lodging, destination, and general travel recommendations. She is an invaluable resource, and I can commend her to you with my highest recommendation.
Jan Pickle
Austin, Texas
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Let me start by saying I was skeptical. I'd had enough bad experiences with travel agents to believe there were any good ones out there. I'd been through the agents who didn't listen, the ones who didn't return phone calls, the ones who made totally inappropriate suggestions and the ones who knew less about my destination than I did. I learned that I had more fun and a better trip by just planning our travels myself, since I know what my husband and I like and it usually isn't what all those travel agents tried to push on us over the years. And with the internet -- hey, who needs travel agents anymore?
Then I "met" Sally (who I've never actually met in person) via an internet travel mailing list. She seemed knowledgeable and thoughtful and responsive. She always seemed to give interesting, appropriate suggestions to people asking travel questions. I thought maybe, just maybe, I had finally found a travel agent who I could trust with my precious vacation time. But would she really bother trying to find the small hotels and bed-and-breakfasts that we prefer, even if they don't pay commissions? Would she want to deal with people who want to fly as cheaply as possible? Would she be responsive even to people like us who travel on a limited budget? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" She helped my husband and me with a couple of small trips and I was pleased with her work and her professionalism. Then came the ultimate test -- the trip to Paris that we'd been dreaming about for years. Sally was wonderful -- as was the trip. She really listened and understood just what we wanted. She found us terrific little hotels in just the sorts of neighborhoods we wanted to be in -- exactly the kinds of places I was imagining -- and she made great suggestions about where to eat and what to do. She booked our air travel, arranged transportation between the airport and the hotel, and gave us advice about getting around town. It was just the sort of trip I would have planned for us -- if I had the kind of unlimited time and resources that it would have taken for me to do it.
That's when I realized that, yes, even with the internet, there is a place for travel professionals like Sally -- especially Sally -- who truly know the destinations, who have the wisdom to make careful, thoughtful recommendations, the knowledge to help us sort through the mountains of other information available, and the expertise that the rest of us "amateur" travellers -- no matter how much we love to travel -- just don't have. I went from being a skeptic to being a fan. Sally's terrific and her consulting fees are worth every penny -- more, actually!
Maryellen Casey
Syracuse, NY
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When my husband and I were invited to a friend's wedding outside of London, we decided to turn the trip into a 10-day vacation, bringing along our two-year-old son and my sister. Not every travel consultant would welcome the chance to design an affordable, relaxed, and special trip for three adults and an active toddler, but Sally was more than equal to the challenge. She coordinated flights (from three different airports), recommended an itinerary, got us a deal on a rental car, and found three absolutely perfect places for us to stay throughout our trip. We cooked for ourselves in an efficiency flat in London, practiced our croquet at a heavenly bed and breakfast in Bath, and enjoyed the comforts of a first-rate hotel right near the wedding location (and a safari park!).
We made all of our arrangements by e-mail, mail, and fax. Sally saw to every detail, sending us highlighted maps and notes on our itineraries. Her small fee was completely worth the cost. Her efficiency, expertise, and friendliness made our trip a wonderful experience.
Jennifer Costa
Arlington, Massachusetts
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This summer, my mother, my 88-year-old grandmother and I finally went to Dresden, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic. My grandmother had been wanting to visit Dresden for years, and Prague, we heard, was a must when in Eastern Europe. Sally Watkins arranged every single element of the trip for us--airline tickets, being greeted at the airport, hotel stays, and tour guides. Her advice was impeccable--she introduced us to the delightful Gabriela, who was our cheerful and informative guide in Prague, and the enthusiastic Jorg, our charming and knowledgeable guide in Dresden. No details were overlooked. The three of us agree that this is THE way to travel! I'm never doing a non-Sally-Watkins trip again.
Kathryn Cousar
New York, NY
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