Ever thought of hopping between countries in just two weeks? I did. And I’ll be honest: the idea sounded exciting at first — but when I sat down to actually plan it, I almost gave up. Booking flights, finding hotels, managing times, calculating baggage limits, and sticking to a budget? It felt like trying to solve five jigsaw puzzles at once.
This is the story of how I went from nearly canceling my dream trip… to making it happen smoothly, thanks to one big decision: using a travel agency.
The Dream: 5 Countries. 14 Days. One Backpack.
I’ve always loved travel, but this time I wanted something big. I didn’t want to just visit one place and come home. I wanted to hop across Europe and make the most of my short break. My plan? Start in London and fly to Paris, then on to Rome, Athens, Istanbul, and back to the UK.
I gave myself 14 days. That meant at least 4 one-way flights, different accommodations, visas, check-in times, layovers, and more.
Sounds thrilling, right? But when I started booking everything myself… it quickly turned into chaos.
The Chaos: So Many Tabs, So Many Problems
I opened up five travel booking sites. Then I opened airline websites. Then visa info pages. Then hostel booking platforms. Then weather forecasts. Soon, I had 30 tabs open, and my head hurt.
I tried finding the cheapest flights. Every time I clicked “book,” the price changed. I forgot to check luggage rules, and one airline charged £70 for a carry-on. One flight had an overnight layover, which I didn’t notice until after paying.
And worst of all, I accidentally booked the wrong date for my Athens-to-Istanbul flight. Fixing it cost me more money and time than I want to admit.
That’s when I paused and asked myself, “Is there a better way?”
The Fix: Using a Travel Agency (Spoiler: Best Decision Ever)
A friend told me to stop stressing and try a travel agency. I was hesitant at first — I thought agencies were for rich people or people who didn’t know how to book online.
But I was wrong.
I looked up Easy Fares, a UK-based travel agency I had heard about through a student travel blog. Their site was simple. No spammy popups. Just clean flight search tools and expert help when I needed it.
I filled in my rough travel plan and budget, and they did the rest.
What the Agency Did (That I Couldn’t)
Using Easy Fares meant I no longer had to panic about every flight, price, and schedule. Here’s what they sorted for me:
- Multi-city flight bookings with proper time gaps for airport transfers and immigration.
- Cheap and reliable airlines, avoiding those with hidden baggage fees.
- Sorted visa advice for Istanbul (as a UK passport holder, I needed to double-check requirements).
- Travel insurance tips and optional add-ons I could afford.
- Local travel suggestions in each city — I even got a tip to skip a pricey airport shuttle in Rome and take a €6 bus instead.
And best of all? If something changed — like a flight delay — I had a real person to talk to.
What My Trip Looked Like (Without the Chaos)
Here’s a quick breakdown of how my two-week journey went:
- Day 1–3: Paris — walked the Seine, visited the Eiffel Tower, and had croissants every morning.
- Day 4–6: Rome — explored the Colosseum, Vatican, and ate more pasta than I should admit.
- Day 7–9: Athens — stood in front of the Parthenon and took a ferry to a nearby island.
- Day 10–12: Istanbul — the city where East meets West. Hagia Sophia and Grand Bazaar were magical.
- Day 13–14: Back to London — exhausted, but smiling.
Everything fit together like clockwork. No missed flights. No lost bookings. No panic attacks. Just pure travel joy.
Why I Recommend a Travel Agency — Especially for Big Plans
If you’re doing a basic round-trip flight, maybe you can handle it solo. But if your trip has many stops, short time frames, or you’re trying to stick to a tight budget, using a travel agency makes a huge difference.
They know what to look out for — flight overlaps, time zone confusion, tricky airlines, airport transfers, visa rules. Things you and I might miss when rushing through bookings at 2 a.m.
With International Ticket Provider from UK services like Easy Fares, you get help that’s tailored to your needs — and often for no extra cost.
Final Thoughts
Would I have survived the trip without a travel agency? Maybe. But it would’ve been a lot more stressful, more expensive, and probably full of last-minute fixes.
Instead, I got to relax and focus on what really mattered — the food, the people, the cities, and the memories.
If you’re planning a fast-paced trip, don’t let the planning drain your energy before you even leave. Ask for help. Use a trusted agency. And enjoy the adventure the way it’s meant to be.
I flew to five countries in two weeks — and thanks to the right support, it was smooth, not chaotic.