Frequently Asked Questions

We offer a wide variety of travel packages including adventure travel, beach vacations, cultural tours, and luxury getaways.  Anything from a quick weekend getaway with just one hotel, to all-inclusives, and even fully customizable multi-city itineraries. 

Yes, we offer travel insurance for all of our travel packages. You can add it to your package during the booking process.  We HIGHLY recommend travel insurance. 

Absolutely! We offer customizable travel packages so that you can tailor your trip to your specific needs and preferences.

It depends on the type of trip! Most vacation packages, cruises, and single-resort bookings fall under our Standard Design Proposal, which is completely free. For these trips, we're compensated by our trusted travel partners after travel occurs — so there's no cost to you for the planning itself.

For more complex, custom itineraries — think multi-city Europe trips, fully independent travel with flights, trains, transfers, and tours — a non-refundable Travel Design Deposit is required. This covers the extensive research and personalized trip design involved in building your itinerary from scratch. 

Design Proposal is free and covers most vacation packages, cruises, and single-resort bookings. Here's what's included:

• Research and recommendations for the best-fit resort, cruise, or vacation package
• Rate comparisons across multiple trusted travel suppliers
• 3 curated travel options based on your preferences
• Assistance selecting the ideal room category, cabin, or package inclusions
• Up to 3 revisions during the planning process ($25 fee for each revision thereafter)
• Supplier communication and coordination
• Expert advice on logistics, travel insurance, and destination tips
• Coordination of special requests and celebrations
• Full reservation management from booking through your return home

Airline Ticketing Fees:

Because airlines do not provide compensation to travel advisors for flight bookings, the following service fees apply:

• Domestic flights: $30 per person, per roundtrip ticket
• International flights: $50 per person, per roundtrip ticket

These fees cover the research, sourcing, and booking of airline tickets on your behalf. If you prefer not to pay the ticketing fee, Escapes by Julie is happy to research and present flight options for you to book directly through the airline or a booking platform of your choice. Please note that in this case, Escapes by Julie will be unable to assist with any flight-related issues that arise during travel, including delays, cancellations, rebooking, or seat changes.

The Premium Travel Design Proposal is for complex, fully independent travel itineraries — multi-destination trips involving flights or trains, private transfers, tours, activities, and detailed day-by-day planning. Here's how the deposit is structured:

• $150 Travel Design Deposit — covers itineraries up to 8 days and up to 6 travelers
• +$50 for trips longer than 8 days
• +$25 per traveler for groups larger than 6

This deposit is due at the conclusion of your initial consultation and is non-refundable, as it covers the professional time and care involved in designing your custom itinerary.

What's included:

• Detailed research across multiple destinations, hotels, and routing options
• 2 lodging recommendations per location, with thoughtful pacing and flow
• Coordination of transfers, rental cars, inter-country flights, and train connections
• Curated excursion and tour planning — private or small-group when available
• Day-by-day itinerary designed to maximize your time
• Insider recommendations, destination expertise, and travel timing advice
• Coordination of special requests and celebrations
• Up to 4 revisions as your itinerary evolves ($25 fee for each additional revision thereafter)
• Concierge-style support from booking through your entire trip

Airline Ticketing Fees:

Because airlines do not provide compensation to travel advisors for flight bookings, the following service fees apply:

• Domestic flights: $30 per person, per roundtrip ticket
• International flights: $50 per person, per roundtrip ticket 

These fees cover the research, sourcing, and booking of airline tickets on your behalf. If you prefer not to pay the ticketing fee, Escapes by Julie is happy to research and present flight options for you to book directly through the airline or a booking platform of your choice. Please note that in this case, Escapes by Julie will be unable to assist with any flight-related issues that arise during travel, including delays, cancellations, rebooking, or seat changes.

 Travel Design Deposits are non-refundable. Because each custom itinerary requires significant research, coordination, and personalized planning time, the deposit covers that professional work — regardless of whether you ultimately move forward with booking. 

 Not at all! Points and miles strategy is simply an added bonus for clients who already collect rewards. All clients are welcome — with or without a points portfolio. 

 You'll receive your personalized travel proposal within 3–5 business days. From there, we'll refine the details together, finalize your selections, and I'll handle all bookings and reservations on your behalf, keeping you updated every step of the way. 

 It depends on the type of trip, but earlier is almost always better. For popular beach destinations, all-inclusive resorts, and cruises, I recommend reaching out at least 3–6 months in advance, especially for peak travel seasons, spring break, or summer. For complex custom itineraries, European trips, or bucket-list destinations, 6–12 months gives us the best selection of accommodations, tours, and pricing. That said, don't hesitate to reach out even if your trip is sooner, I'll always do my best to make it work! 

 That's exactly why you have me. If anything unexpected comes up - a flight delay (if EBJ booked your flights), a hotel issue, a change in plans - I'm just a message away throughout your entire trip. You won't be left navigating it alone the way you would if you had booked everything yourself. Having a dedicated advisor in your corner means problems get solved quickly so you can get back to enjoying your vacation. 

 Great question, and one I love answering! Booking online might seem easy, but what you see isn't always what you get. As your travel advisor, I bring insider knowledge, trusted supplier relationships, and years of experience to every trip I plan. That means better rooms, added perks, and options you simply won't find on Expedia or Google. I also save you hours of research and the stress of second-guessing every decision. And if something goes wrong? I'm here to fix it. The planning is free for most trips — so really, there's no reason not to. 

 Once we've finalized your travel proposal and you're ready to move forward, I'll walk you through the payment process specific to your trip. Most resorts, cruise lines, and vacation packages require a deposit at the time of booking with the remaining balance due closer to your departure date. I'll make sure you know exactly what's due and when - no surprises. Any applicable planning fees are collected separately and outlined clearly before we begin. You'll always have full transparency on costs before anything is booked. 

 Absolutely — and these are some of my favorite trips to plan! Whether you're organizing a multi-family vacation, a girls' trip, a milestone birthday celebration, or a destination wedding, I have the experience and supplier relationships to coordinate the details across a larger group. Group travel comes with its own set of logistics: room blocks, group rates, activity coordination, and keeping everyone on the same page. I handle all of it so you can actually enjoy the experience you've been dreaming about. Reach out early for group bookings, as availability fills quickly!