Highly recommend Quinn Travel. We just returned from a beautiful trip to Ireland and the UK…read more Catherine assisted us with our small group tour and air travel arrangements. The trip was wonderfully relaxing and stress free.

When my dad unexpectedly died during my trip home to Ireland, Catherine was available and extremely…read morehelpful in sorting out the rescheduling of my return to San Francisco.

My review mirrors a little of the issues that one of the other poor reviews noted. I'll preface…read morethis with JoAnn is a lovely person and I enjoyed chatting travel with her at the onset and I don't write this lightly to trash her business. I called JoAnn at the end of November which generally is precarious bc it's the holiday season but I was able to contact her following a trip she had just come from. We chatted travel and her trip and I told her of the trip I wanted to plan for my birthday this summer on a tight window in early June. The original plan was for a vacation of 10 family members to Portugal and Spain but 4 of my family members couldn't make the trip so it ended up being my wife, 2 kids with my parents. I noted this possibility to which JoAnn was amenable. The issues arose when I didn't get a callback or message until end of January, which honestly I didn't mind too much just bc again the holidays...and we had 5 months to burn. To add she was going through a personal matter which I also understood. I reiterated the people going, the dates we'd want to go and locales to which she said she'd get back to me. The problem was...she never did. I'd try to reach out, only to get an assistant or someone in the office who couldn't help, I'd email, and then maybe 3 weeks to a month later get a message back with JoAnn noting I was on her list to follow up. All things considered this went on for months until about middle of March (2.5 months prior to when we were supposed to leave!) when I finally got a list of flight times which had the wrong flight dates/times/names. I'd also asked her to find direct flights to ease the travel burden with 2 young kids, which was never acknowledged. On the delays in response, I tried giving her the benefit of the doubt just because maybe deals were better at a certain time and bc of her previous personal issue but the lack of follow up was bordering insanity, and I'd like to think I'm fairly patient. I had also offered a few times to meet in person to nail the trip down but she'd blown me off and said she had other clients to attend to. Amidst the lack of response and attentiveness I think I even tried to give her an out and noted in a message that if she couldn't handle the trip I'd understand but she just kept telling me I was on her list to follow up. And the lack of awareness to admit she could or would not help me is what really bothers me still... Ultimately, I felt it was time to cut the cord on this venture and told her in email which also never got a response. My hope was to offload some of the planning to someone with expertise but Joann couldn't even get me flight times in a reasonable manner. It was frustrating to say the least as friends or family would ask if we'd have details or an itinerary down and I'd say "no...we're still working out the air travel." My wife and I ended up planning the trip ourselves and it worked out with lots of memories. But I can't recommend Portal World to anyone after my experience.

Portal World Travel assisted us with planning an incredible multi-stop trip to Portugal. This was…read moremy first time working with a travel agency (hi, Millenial here), and I am completely sold on the value of working with one. We got an impressive deal on our flights including an upgrade that we could not have found ourselves, received invaluable assistance on planning our itinerary and activities, and enjoyed the peace of mind while traveling of knowing there was someone back home who would help us if we ran into any trouble. With both my husband and I habitually working long hours, having help with the planning was so critical to being able to really just enjoy the experience and not stress out over the details. My husband and I look forward to working with Monica again as soon as we're ready for our next trip!

We had the pleasure to work with Irene for our 2nd international travel needs, this time to…read moreThailand. Thailand has been on our "bucket list" and being invited to a Thai wedding provided the incentive to make Thailand our next international destination. From the moment we contacted Irene, we knew were would be in good hands (was there any doubt?)! After providing responses to Irene's questionnaire regarding our interests and desires about Thailand (along with several emails, text messages, and phone conversations), she provided an excellent itinerary that included flights, private tours, private drivers to and from airports, superb accommodations, and expert guides. During our 5 nights in Bangkok, Irene curated a centrally located hotel in Bangkok, an informal food tour in Chinatown, and an exceptionally knowledgeable local guide to introduce us to the some of the most historically important temples in Bangkok and Ayutthaya. During our first 4 nights in Chiang Mai, Irene curated a modern-styled hotel minutes away from the legendary Night Market (a must experience). We had the pleasure of touring Chiang Mai and the hills of Doi Inthanon National Park with an experienced and friendly local guide. There is no substitute to having a local guide to provide insights and knowledge about Thai culture, food, and history. Additionally, Irene had arranged a private cooking class where we prepared 7 Northern Thailand dishes, all delicious!! Our last 3 nights were spent at the Onsen at Moncham, a Japanese-themed retreat in the mountains before returning home. Although Irene provided many options for our destinations/events and hotels, our itinerary was completely customizable and ultimately, our choice. Whether you want to experience Thailand on the beaten or unbeaten path, but with comfort, reliability, and service, let Irene at Travel Darlings handle your needs!

Just returned from another extraordinary trip masterfully curated by Irene at Travel Darlings, this…read moretime to the Spanish and French Basque region and Barcelona. Working with an agenda combining golf, architectural touring, fine dining, the arts, and the beachfront, each stop allowing time for shopping and people-watching. Guides with locally based expertise tailored each expedition according to our interests and moods, from a unique vista overlooking San Sebastian to a just-off-the-boat lunch of turbot and sashimi-grade tuna. Our guide for Biarritz presented us with 120 photos highlighting our day of exploration. At the Dali Museum in Figueres, where the artwork is presented with little explanation, our guide provided deep background context, significantly elevating my appreciation of the artist. Irene secured prime time reservations at 3 Michelin starred restaurants including Besta in Barcelona which was the favorite among our group of 4. For lighter specialty fare, we enjoyed pintxos and vermouth in outdoor cafes in Bilbao and San Sebastian, and tapas in Barcelona and Girona. Our stay at The Artist Hotel in Bilbao overlooked the Guggenheim Museum and the river, where a lavish breakfast was served in an open-air setting on the top floor. The hotel featured artistic appointments echoing the style of Gehry and other mid-century masters. Each of the five golf courses combined challenging layouts with views of the surrounding hills and neighboring cities. Highlights included Real Sociedad de Golf de Neguri, aptly called "The Torrey Pines of Bilbao" and Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, where the huge, sculpted greens provided welcome relief from a profusion of sand traps. The highlight of the trip for me was a Flamenco performance by well-known stars of the craft (and an exceptionally gifted guitar player) at Casa Sors, with a cozy night-club setting inside a guitar museum. Irene provided us with a detailed (and colorful) itinerary, creative suggestions, expert planning, and direct communication throughout the trip which once again added to our confidence at just the right moments!

This is the best place to purchase airlines tickets. forget online you can call them or just walk…read morein and purchase. Thanks Tim

From the owner: Specializing in tours and cruises to Greece and the Greek Islands.read more

UPDATE: We got home from Mexico a couple of weeks ago, and I gotta say....my vacay was perfect…read more The resort was beautiful, the people were super nice, the weather was perfect, and the drinks were strong. We can't wait to go back. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So the Do-It-Yourself stuff.......for me? Not so much. I was referred by a friend to Francisco at Travelnet. He demonstrated immense patience in answering all of my annoying questions, assured me he would take care of everything, and gave me the most amazing deal on a 7 night trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. He even found a nonstop flight from SFO. If you gotta go anywhere, call him, aight?

Best travel agency in San Francisco!!…read more I go here for all of my travel needs. The staff is always super nice and helpful in answering all of my questions and they always work hard to get me the best price.

这次参加了文景假期主办的欧洲9国游，觉得甚是愉快，收获颇丰。在此感谢文景假期旧金山店的谭小姐与导游邵璋先生。read more

I applied for a new visa for China two weeks ago, but still had a reviewing documents message on…read morethe consulates site. My wife and I submitted are applications at the same time but she got her visa a week ago. Very nervous because we have a trip to China planned in three weeks. I found China Travel Services and called to see if they would handle my case since I am going on a domestic trip and would need to have my passport mailed to me in another city. I went to their office, now located in Chinatown SF, and spoke to Apple. She was very understanding and understood my needs. I left my passport with her and she instructed me to contact her when the status changed to submit my passport. Three days later I got the message to submit my passport and immediately contacted Apple. She said they would submit and will mail it to me when returned. One week later it was in the mail and returned to me with a new Chinese visa. Very appreciate the help and would recommend this service.

We used Travel Wizards for our trip to Easter Island/Rapa Nui off the coast of Chile. It was an…read moreamazing trip and the moai are amazing. Travel Wizards found us an amazing tour guide.

What an incredible trip! Two weeks exploring New Zealand with tours, professional guides, first…read moreclass hotels & car service. It was our "bucket list" tour & did not disappoint in any way! Our agent was knowledgeable & had many terrific suggestions. She accommodated our personal requests & made sure arrangements were confirmed. We're ready to book with Travel Wizards again right now

I've been using Boutique Travel for over 10 years, and I can't imagine planning a trip without…read morethem. What keeps me coming back is their ability to create truly bespoke experiences. Ellen has an incredible ability to tailor experiences, which makes each trip feel uniquely mine. She always finds the perfect balance by incorporating culinary, cultural, and art experiences that I love, along with athletic and outdoor activities that keep things active and engaging. It never feels one dimensional. I've used BT's services to book trips to Africa numerous times. Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Uganda are just a few examples.. Each destination has offered something completely unique, and Ellen has hit the itineraries right out of the park. Gorilla trekking in Uganda was a once in a lifetime experience, and visiting the Skeleton Coast in Namibia felt like stepping into another world. In Botswana, I was lucky enough to see leopards up close, which is so rare and exciting! I have also vacationed in Tahiti three times, and each time has been magical and different! Most recently, my husband and I just got back from an incredible trip to Rangiroa, and we are already talking about exploring more islands on our next visit. Looking ahead, I am starting to plan a trip to Japan, and I will definitely be working with Boutique Travel again to put together the itinerary. Their attention to detail, creativity, and ability to truly understand what we are looking for makes every trip seamless and unforgettable. Highly recommend!

Ellen/Boutique travel is fantastic. She helped us book our Honeymoon to Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora…read moreBora. She is a pleasure to work with, listens to our wants and needs, and gives you her honest opinion on what is/isnt worth it on the trip. He advice/expertise is unmatched.

Short version: Courtney was amazing to work with! Responsive to our ideas, but offered…read moresuggestions. Presented good options. Considerate of budget and spending versus splurging areas. And always amazingly fast to respond. I would not hesitate to recommend her services to anyone or to work with her again in the future! Full review: We were planning a 3 week honeymoon to Italy and wanted everything to be perfect! Even though we are both totally internet research people, we've never planned a trip of this scale (or this meaningful to us!) and we thought that having a travel agent might help. We actually started off with another agent who offered honeymoon planning as her wedding boutique. After months and months of waiting for her to pay attention to us and getting nervous that nothing was done and regretting not just doing it ourself on the internet, she finally realized that she had too much on her plate and handed us off to Courtney. Boy was that night and day! From the first conversation with Courtney, she put me at ease, quickly assessed what was important to us and what the urgent planning priorities were and got started right away. Since we were behind schedule, she got going immediately. She provided us several options for airfare the next day, and we had that booked within 48 hours. Hotel section for our 4 city excursion seemed so daunting on our own, but Courtney really helped us out by listening to what were were looking for, sorting out severals recommendations, and then adjusting based on our feedback. She even looked into a couple of the hotels we had found on our own that we were excited about. After we made our final selections for hotels, she got them all booked, zero effort on our end, and proceed to investigate transport between all our ground destinations as well as activities! Everything was quick and efficient but not overwhelming. She answered calls and emails quickly, always addressed all of my questions (unlike many of my wedding vendors who would answer one part and ignore the 5 other questions!), and was generally a joy to work with. At the end of the our planning process, Courtney gave us a detailed itinerary of exactly where we needed to be, how we would get there, with times, payment confirmations, itinerary numbers, detailed accommodation information. Everything we could need in one handy pdf. I couldn't have put together a better resource myself! At the end our our trip, our airline went on strike, grounding all the flights for several days---which of course we had NO CLUE about in our honeymoon bliss! Courtney discovered this, emailed us to make sure we were aware of it, and how it might or might not affect us, and gave us instructions of what to do if it did. While it turned out we were on the flight right after the planned strike ended, had I not known in advance, I probably still would have been worried about what to do, and I was so grateful to have someone at home looking out for me with helpful information. All of this is to say, Courtney was truly fantastic to work with. She went above and beyond, and made our trip planning far easier and more streamlined. I would not hesitate to recommend her services! Thanks so much for everything!! :)

From the owner: Designing luxury leisure travel experiences through special connections and preferred partnerships.read more

I've been meaning to write this review because without the assistance of Elaine and Melody, our…read moretrip to Beijing, X'ian, Shanghai, and Chongqing wouldn't have been possible! It was a lengthy process to get visas done, book plane & train tickets, and have private tour guides in 2-3 months time. But they made it happen! All accommodations were clean and modern except for Beijing. But when we mentioned it to Elaine about the condition of the room, she took care of the situation and we were moved to a better room the next day. Make note that many hotel upper floors are better maintained compared to the lower floors in China. Each city had an AYCE breakfast buffet that was beautifully presented and prepared. We were definitely well nourished and fed for trekking and sightseeing! In Beijing, we saw the Forbidden City, climbed the Great Wall, walked around the Hutong area and had great food. In X'ian, we saw the Terracotta Warriors and the excavation site and museum. Managed to find a good spot near our hotel that had crispy Roujaimo (Chinese hamburger). And we found thick winter coats for only $20 USD! What a steal! And with the snow unexpectedly falling while we were there, it was necessary! In Shanghai, we explored the city, saw Yu Garden area, saw the LV flagship store and a huge Starbucks, one of seven in the world, where you see the production of coffee beans being roasted. We visited a few shopping malls to purchase perfume and make-up as well. In this city, there's an unusual combination of beautiful modern skyscrapers along side Chinese and European architecture. In Chongqing, we entered ancient caves with rock carved buddhas, saw stone bridges made from nature, experienced city life where they built the city in levels going upward rather than miles across. Honestly, I'd get lost since GPS couldn't tell you what level you are on! So glad we had a tour guide and driver who knew the city well! It saved us time and energy since we did not have to navigate ourselves. And with a language barrier, it would have made it even more difficult. All our gratitude goes to Star Vacation for creating and planning the itinerary for us. It was a fast-paced trip only staying in each city for just 2-3 days each. Our trip was exactly 2 weeks and it ended in Hong Kong, where we explored it ourselves. It was an expensive trip, but it was experience of a lifetime and truly memorable. We wouldn't hesitate asking Elaine and Melody to plan another trip in the near future!

My boyfriend needed his Chinese visa fast and Melody made it happen for us. She noted what date we…read moreneeded it by, was clear about what information to gather and easily accessible via text. She was communicative the whole way through and made this as seamless as possible. Definitely a place to go for your Chinese entry visa!