DREAM. DARE. DIVERGE.

Expert Travel Planning

Our travel expertise. Your amazing trip.

Divergent Travel Trips
Lina Stock - Travel Advisor

I’d love to plan your next trip!

Travel is my passion and I’ve spent many years traversing the globe, leading to an award-winning career in travel media. I know travel and I know it well.

Since 2013, I’ve helped hundreds of people plan their trips with in-depth guides, custom itineraries, and first-hand experiential information, right here on this website.

I’ve actually been to the places I’m planning trips to and have visited more than 127 countries and all 7 continents. Additionally, I’ve designed, managed, and hosted dozens of specially curated group itineraries with our community, to many countries, including Antarctica and the High Arctic.

Which is why I’m thrilled to offer you the services of our full-service travel agency, and I cannot wait to plan your next trip!

Lina Stock, Divergent Travel Trips

GET STARTED

Are My Services Right For You?

I know you have choices – so why me? 

I build incredible custom itineraries based on my own travel experiences. I care about each and every person that books a trip with us, and I’ll be there to answer all of your questions, before, during, and after the trip.

This means you can literally just show up and enjoy the experience of each destination with absolutely no worries.

Machu Picchu in Peru
best places to visit in Italy
Lina Stock at the beach on a trip to Tahiti
Zimbabwe Safari - Imvelo Safari Lodges - Lina Stock

MY SPECIALTIES INCLUDE:

Adventure Travel

Including destinations like Alaska, Canada, Peru, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Iceland, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and many others.

Polar and Sub-Antarctic/Arctic Travel

Including Antarctica (Peninsula, Ross Sea, deep field), South Georgia, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Svalbard, and Churchill, among others.

Europe Vacations

Including destinations like Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and many others.

River Cruises

Including destinations across Europe, Egypt, and Asia, among others.

Small-Ship Cruises

Including destinations like Alaska, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, French Polynesia, Caribbean, Europe, and Mexico, among many other global options.

Guided Tours

Including all global destinations with a variety of interest focuses. Both small group and private options.

Africa Safari

Including destinations like Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, and Uganda, among many others.

My travel expertise is extensive, so if you are looking for a destination or experience beyond this list, I’ve probably done it and would be happy to chat with you! Beyond my own extensive travel knowledge, I can also tap my diverse network of trusted partners to ensure you have all of your options. 

HOW IT WORKS – OUR PROCESS

At Divergent Travel Trips, we create customized trip itineraries based on each client’s budget, preferences and passions. Our process is both flexible and personalized.

  • Complete Trip Inquiry Form: All of our client engagements start here. This form provides all the information we need about the trip you want to take. Once we have an idea of what you have in mind, we will provide you with a planning fee quote, if applicable.
  • Client Kick-Off Call: If you’re a new client, we require a kick-off call to learn more about you, go into more depth on budget, preferences, travel dates, etc. to start the planning process.
  • We Design and Build Your Trip: Based on your trip inquiry form, we will collaborate with the travel partners who best align with your preferences to build a travel plan and pricing for all the elements of your trip.
  • Review and Acceptance: We’ll send you a proposal that outlines the initial itinerary with possible hotel/tour/cruise options, general activities, and route planning. You will review, propose any revisions and ultimately accept the proposal for your trip. We will also discuss and confirm dates, routing, options, pricing, etc.
  • Revisions and Booking: If you provided feedback, we’ll make the necessary revisions. Then it’s time to book your trip! This includes your selected hotels/tour/cruise, activities, transport, etc.
  • Final itinerary: Within one week of your trip departure, you will receive a detailed itinerary that contains all the information you need for your trip. It can be printed or easily accessed from a mobile app.
  • Enjoy Your Trip! The works is done and all you need to do is follow your personally built itinerary and have the time of your life.

Are You Ready To Get Started?

I can’t wait to help plan your next epic trip!

Step 1

Complete the Trip Inquiry Form

This form provides me with important details for planning your trip.

START HERE
Step 2

Request A Call

We will discuss your trip details. This step is required for all new travel planning clients. You can schedule a call on my Calendly.

Step 3

Feel Free to Email Me

If you have any specific questions or want to discuss my trip planning services, you can also email me.

All travel planning services are subject to Client Terms and Conditions.

Our trips are epic. But don’t just take our word for it.

Testimonials from past clients.

Divergent Travel Trips – FAQs

Even if you enjoy the travel planning process, there are times when hiring a travel advisor is beneficial. Working with any travel advisor has benefits over booking your own trip and typically gives you more value for your money.

  • Time Saved: We do the work that you don’t have the time to do. An experienced travel advisor will save you hours and hours of Internet research to plan your trip.
  • Extensive Knowledge: With an experienced travel advisor, you are able to leverage extensive travel and destination knowledge. We work with trusted vendors and partners and utilize my personal experience and network to find the best options for your trip.
  • Less Stress: We remove the overwhelm that comes from reviewing the endless available options and the many suggestions that you receive from friends. We work with our trusted suppliers to find the best flights, accommodations, tours, and activities to fit your needs.
  • Personal Support: Every inquiry comes straight to us. No inexperienced travel agent or call centers. We’ll get straigh to work on a proposal with available options and itineraries.
  • Peace of Mind: We, and our suppliers, are here for you from the very beginning of your trip planning until you return home which is even more important in this complicated and challenging post-pandemic world of travel.

Knowledge and Experience: I’ve traveled extensively to more than 127 countries and have visited all 7 continents. I love to travel and helping people plan trips is my passion. My personal travel and career in travel media, paired with 24 years of travel planning experience, means I’m positioned to provide top level travel planning services for you.
More Value for your Money: We provide our clients with more value for their money by being able to offer select VIP perks with many hotels and travel companies. This means free upgrades, free breakfast, onboard credits, promos, etc.
We make it easy: All Divergent Travel Trips itineraries are provided online in an easy to use app. No need for papers and no need to search your emails or a variety of apps for your travel details. We also help you navigate the requirements and restrictions for your destination(s) and provide you with tips for visiting each one.
Relationships: Divergent Travel Trips spends a significant amount of time meeting and cultivating relationships with service providers around the world. Due to my extensive travel media career, I have many on ground connections and have personally traveled with many of the suppliers I work with.
Technology: Behind the scenes, we use a booking system that searches and compares all flights and hotels worldwide at one time and can narrow choices based on price, location, quality or brand to easily find the best solutions for your preferences. Our client interface is the best on the market, making the trip building, revision, and approval process smooth for everyone involved. We also provide you with real-time access to our itinerary app.

Divergent Travel Trips receives commission from travel suppliers (hotels, tour operators, cruise lines, etc.) after a trip has been completed. In addition to this commission, we sometimes charge up front, non-refundable research and planning fees for our services before starting a new trip request.

These fees include personalized travel advice based on our expert professional knowledge. We invest time into researching, planning, and employing our worldwide travel network for each trip planned. 

Below is a general outline of our planning fees and when they apply. 

NO FEE SERVICES

Divergent Travel Trips waives planning fees for the following services:

  • Hotel Only Bookings: If the destination, hotel, and dates of stay are known. By booking your hotel stays through us instead of on your own, you receive VIP perks at over 4,000 preferred partner hotels around the world and we receive commission.
  • Guided Tours: If the company, destination, and trip dates are known. By booking tours through us instead of on your own, you may receive additional amenities depending on company and travel dates. 
  • Cruise Only: If the destination, cruise line and sailing dates are known. By booking cruises through us instead of on your own, you may receive additional amenities depending on cruise line and sailing dates.
  • All-Inclusive and Package Trips: If the resort, destination, and trip dates are known. By booking these packages through us instead of on your own, you may receive additional amenities depending on company and travel dates.

If your trip does not meet the above requirements, a research and planning fee of $250 for two travelers will apply. 

This includes if you are unsure of which company, itinerary, cruise line, resort, destination and/or trip dates you’d like to book.

Note: There is no fee for hotel-only pre/post bookings or flight ticketing for guided tours,  cruises, all-inclusive, or package trips.

RESEARCH & PLANNING FEES

Divergent Travel Trips charges research and planning fees for the following services:

  • Guided Tour/Cruise/All-Inclusive/Package Trip Pre/Post Stays: For pre and post tour itineraries, our fee starts at $250 depending on duration, number of people and other details. There is no fee for hotel-only pre or post tour bookings.
  • Group Trips: Fees start at $100 per room for trips involving 5+ hotel rooms. This will also depend on group size, and whether flights and airport transfers are included among other details.
  • Concierge Services: Including things like making spa, dining and other reservations for special occasions or on request. Our fee is $50 per hour with a 1-hour minimum.
  • Flight Ticketing: Divergent Travel Trips will only book stand alone commercial flights for established clients. Our fee for stand alone flight ticketing is $50/ticket. We do not book commercial flights for new clients when other trip elements are not involved.
  • Rush Requests: A rush fee of $250 per trip will apply in addition to our standard planning fees for any custom trip request within eight weeks of departure.

CUSTOM ITINERARIES – RESEARCH & PLANNING FEES

Divergent Travel Trips charges a per-trip planning fee for custom itineraries starting at $350, which will be quoted after the initial trip details have been gathered. 

Fees vary based on the number of travelers, destination, length of stay, and complexity of the trip and includes consultation, research, planning, working with our network of travel suppliers around the world, booking the trip and building out the itinerary. The fee also includes flight ticketing. 

Before trip departure, we re-confirm all aspects of the trip including flights, accommodations, transfers, rental cars, guided tours and activities. Personal recommendations are provided after the main elements of the itinerary have been booked.

FREQUENT TRAVELER RETAINER OPTION

If you are a frequent traveler, our retainer service includes unlimited trip planning and advice, even on trips that we are not planning. The annual fee is $3,000.

CANCELLATION/CHANGE POLICY AND FEES

Divergent Travel Trips reserves the right to charge the following fees for changes or cancellations in addition to any individual supplier fees:

  • Custom Itineraries: starting at $150 to be charged to the credit card on file should the trip be cancelled for any reason after deposit has been paid.
  • Cruises: $50 cancellation fee per stateroom
  • Group Trips: $50 per room
  • Last-minute itinerary changes: $100 for any itinerary changes made within seven days of departure.

All fees listed above reflect starting prices and can increase with complex itineraries, multiple destinations, or for larger groups/events. We will provide you with our specific planning fee quote for approval before getting started on your trip.

Divergent Travel Trips will only book stand alone commercial flights for established clients. Our fee for stand alone flight ticketing is $50/ticket. We do not book commercial flights for new clients when other trip elements are not involved.

Flight ticketing is included with all travel planning services without an additional fee.

We are not able to assist with booking flights using points or credits.

Yes. Trip insurance is an important part of travel planning and we recommend it for all trips to protect your investment. We have multiple plans that we can quote depending on your trip details and needs. We are not insurance agents and can’t legally answer specific questions about policy coverage. That said, insurance covers situations like trip cancellation, travel delays and unexpected illness.

World Via is the host agency for Divergent Travel Trips. Based in Georgia, but with a network of travel advisors throughout North America, World Via provides Divergent Travel Trips with industry leading software, gives us more buying power and allows us to provide our clients with VIP perks like upgrades, free meals, credits and special experiences at hotels, cruise lines and more around the world.

DIVERGE AND JOIN THE ADVENTURE

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Divergent Travelers- Adventure Travel Blog