Get to know how I plan a trip

A vacation should be exciting to plan, not another thing on your to-do list.

Hi, my name is Lindsey Mangold and I'm the owner of Your Global Travel Agent. A lot of people want to know what made me get into travel. My husband and I love to travel. He worked for the airlines for over a decade, and I helped many of my friends plan trips all over the world. After doing that for many years, I decided it was finally time to do it on a professional level.

I work with very busy parents and professionals so that all they have to do is show up and enjoy their vacation. We handle all the details, with no stress on their end.

There was a reason I decided to take my love of travel and turn it into a career. I had spent 15 years in the wine industry and there was a shift in the industry. My husband had worked for the airlines for over a decade and was no longer working for the airlines. I knew I wanted to do something I loved, and travel was definitely it, combining both of those loves, travel and wine.

I'm such a huge history buff. When you go to different places and experience different cultures, it really opens your eyes and you have a broader appreciation for the world.

My favorite part of being a travel agent actually isn't the traveling. I genuinely love the planning. It's like a big puzzle that I get to piece together for people.

The other big thing I really love is helping people with those milestone trips: places they've always wanted to go, on their bucket list, or that they've dreamed of since they were children, and being able to make that a reality.

Before I recommend a single location to a client, I need to know three things.

Number one, I need your budget. I know clients sometimes don't like to share that because it can be a wide range, but we really do need it to give you the best options.

Two, dates. If we're planning a cruise, an answer like the month of June is acceptable. If we're planning Europe, African safaris or even the Caribbean, I need very specific dates to pull exact pricing for you.

Third, locations. If you're trying to decide between two islands in the Caribbean, that's not a problem. I'd be happy to discuss it with you and help you narrow that down.

You know what's underrated? A travel agent that actually responds to you. It's important to me that my clients know they can have access to me.

Monday through Friday, you're going to get a response from me normally within 24 hours, no more than 48 hours. Sometimes it's me just replying to say I don't have an update for you, but I'm still working on it, so you know it wasn't put on the back burner.

Booking your vacation is only the beginning of what I do. Once your trip is booked, my job isn't finished. I stay involved in the details.

For complex international trips, I schedule a 60-minute Zoom call before you leave so we can go through your entire itinerary: every ticket, every train, every meeting location, and any questions you have. I want you to feel prepared and excited before you ever leave home.

Anyone can book a resort, but what's important to you? Do you like nice beaches? Do you want a swim-out room? Do you like nightlife? All of those things are part of planning a great vacation, but it's so much more than that.

It's the transportation, the timing, the little details you might not even think about until you're already there and it's too late. I love talking about all those moving pieces and putting them together. When you finally get to take that vacation, I want you to enjoy it and not worry about the logistics. That's my job.

Number one: we don't have a budget. Everybody has a budget. I don't want to go over yours, but I also want to set realistic expectations and make sure you have the best experience possible.

Number two: I want luxury, but I don't want the luxury price. Both of those things can't be true. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

Number three: can we do all of Europe in seven days? We wouldn't plan New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles in the same trip. Europe might be a little smaller than that, but those are definitely different trips.

The biggest mistake people make when planning Europe is trying to go to too many places in one trip. Somebody might come to me wanting to go to Italy and tell me they want six different cities, but they only have 10 days. They would be running from one city to the next and stressing themselves out.

Instead, I look at where they can spend enough time in maybe three cities in a 10-day period, where they can enjoy the culture, only move every few days, and not feel stressed while they're there.

A lot of people want to know about cruises and resorts and which is the best fit. A cruise is like a big floating resort out on the ocean. If you like nonstop entertainment, activities all day long, and visiting different destinations in one trip, a cruise is perfect for you.

An all-inclusive might be great if you want to go to one place, completely unpack, completely relax, enjoy the beach and actually enjoy the culture of that specific area.

Before you book your next family vacation, I want you to think about three things.

Number one, are there activities for the kids? Number two, do you want to send the kids to the kids club and have adult time, or spend time together as a family? And third, is food included? If it's not, it starts to add up quickly.

If I could send you anywhere in the world tomorrow, this is where I would send you: Africa, specifically, probably South Africa.

South Africa is known for everything from African safaris, it's close to Kruger National Park, it's known for sharks and penguins, and it's one of the top wine regions in the entire world. As people say, you might leave Africa, but Africa never leaves you.

Of course you could book your own vacation, but there's something you're probably not thinking about: three things people overlook when they're planning their own trips.

Number one is connection times for flights. Most people don't allow themselves enough time. Two is transportation: shared versus private, and the difference that makes for you. The third is planning in general. People a lot of times put too many things on their schedule at one time, and they end up missing something in the process.

Beach or mountains? Both. Carry-on or checked bag? Checked bag. Europe or Caribbean? Both, for different reasons. Cruise or resort? Both, but for very different reasons. Window or aisle? Aisle. Early flight or red-eye? Early flight. Planner or spontaneous traveler? Planner. Wine in Italy or cocktails in the Caribbean? Cocktails in the Caribbean.