Why Travel with Eutimia Travel?

Not everyone will like what follows, but here are a few facts and my honest view on why it pays to book your Costa Blanca holiday through a travel agency.

How I started

I started out in Spain offering airport transfers in my own van, the same one we moved here in from Slovakia. Things ran smoothly from day one: clients came quickly, they recommended me to others and (touch wood) I never once left anyone stranded. But the more trips I did, the bigger the risk, because I was doing it without the proper permits, insurance and so on. I tried to make it legal, but the way the system in this sector works today, that is almost impossible without tens or even hundreds of thousands in the bank, which makes it unprofitable for one person.

So I decided to call it a day. The penalties if you get “caught in the act” are far too high to be worth the risk. And watch out: not only for the driver but also for the passengers, who will almost certainly miss their flight if police stop the vehicle on the way to the airport, because these checks sometimes take hours. I’ve seen a few with my own eyes. Since then I have warned about these risks on Facebook several times. Still, everyone runs their business and earns a living as they see fit, and it isn’t my place to lecture anyone.

What I see every day in Facebook groups

Which brings me to the point of this post. I want to give people good advice and help them have the best and, in the sense of the word eutimia, the most peaceful holiday possible. Every day in those Facebook groups I came across, and still come across, questions about accommodation, car hire, what to see in Alicante and anything else to do with a Costa Blanca holiday, whether it’s a first trip, a return visit or family flying out to see you. Within a few hours every one of these posts is buried under comments from apartment owners and managers. I don’t hold that against anyone at all, BUT if, for example:

1. The apartment has no tourist licence — If the tourism inspectorate or the town hall uncovers illegal letting, they can close the apartment and the guest has to leave immediately, with no alternative accommodation. Such apartments may not meet minimum safety standards such as fire extinguishers, emergency exits or liability insurance. The risk of fraud also goes up, because these offers often run outside official channels and the guest has nobody to complain to. There is also the risk of disputes with neighbours, visits from the local police or being refused entry if the owners’ association has banned holiday lets. On top of that, the guest has no access to the official complaint forms (hojas de reclamaciones) and cannot rely on regulated legal protection if something serious breaks or the host fails to deliver.
2. The advertiser also offers another tourism service with the accommodation — Apartments often come with a car or transfers on offer. If the accommodation and another service are sold together for one price or as one offer, it may count as a package holiday. Only a registered travel agency may organise one, and it must carry insolvency insurance and answer for the whole package. When you book with a private owner, you usually don’t have that protection.

Not to mention that the vast majority of these Costa Blanca holiday offers revolve around two or three places: Torrevieja, La Mata and Guardamar del Segura. I have absolutely nothing against them, not at all, but to be honest, they aren’t for everyone. Personally, I would definitely not recommend any of them to a group of 20 to 30-year-olds, for example.

The role of a travel agent

And this is where the travel agency comes in, or the travel agent, or the advisor, call the profession whatever you like. I won’t speak for others, only for myself. I, David, started this business with honest intentions, and I put into it my experience of working in tourism and dealing with clients, my knowledge of the Costa Blanca and, above all, my passion for travelling and planning trips.

So before I offer anyone anything, I first find out as much as I can about who they’re travelling with, what they like, what they’re looking for and what kind of experience they expect from their Costa Blanca holiday. I won’t offer something just because it earns me the most, regardless of what the traveller wants. A happy client matters more to me than profit: someone who gets exactly what they came for and never wants to travel any other way than with Eutimia Travel.

Commission-free accommodation? Someone else still makes money

Facebook is full of groups and posts along the lines of “Accommodation with no commission, direct from the owner” and so on. Read between the lines: hands off travel agencies. I also often hear that people avoid travel agencies because they don’t want to let them earn anything. I understand that, but booking through Booking or any other mass search engine for accommodation, cars or activities changes nothing. Someone else makes money anyway.

The commission on every booking flows to huge companies and their shareholders, who don’t know the traveller and don’t care where they are going. Booking doesn’t ask what you really expect from the trip, who you’re travelling with or whether the location suits you. It won’t get in touch when you need advice, and it won’t ask how it went or whether you enjoyed your Costa Blanca holiday once you’re back. To Booking, you are one reservation out of millions.

What you’re actually paying for

A travel agent, on the other hand, can save you money on the accommodation itself, because agents have access to wholesale rates for hotels and holidays. And when you do pay an agent for something, such as planning or an itinerary, you pay for their experience, their time and their endless study of the travel industry. That is how an agent knows which town, beach or restaurant suits you and which ones you’d do better to avoid. Everyone has to earn a living; the question is whether the money ends up with an algorithm or with a person who is there for you before, during and after the trip.