Bear Tracks Travel is a full-service travel agency. We are very well experienced in booking vacations throughout most areas of the world and always offer professional advise. We sometimes cannot compete with prices on the web, but always make up for the cost in service and excellent "back-up." in case something goes wrong. For Instance, when hurricane Wilma went thru Cancun and Cozumel in October 2005, we were able to rebook and secure alternate space for all of our upcoming travelers and took care of all our stranded passengers as well. The web can't offer that kind of service.

If it is price you're worried about, we do buy in bulk, so we have excellent competitive pricing.

Top Ten "Travel Without an Agent" Horror Stories

These are some of our favorite examples of things that can (and did!) go wrong with the travel plans. Of course, it's not very funny if it's happening to you!

Who knew there was more than one Sydney?
A couple was interested in a honeymoon to Australia in January (they knew the weather would be warm in the southern hemisphere). They went online, found a great deal that included airfare, hotel and sightseeing in Sydney for 7 days. When their travel documents arrive they looked closely and realized that they were booked to Sydney, Canada - not Sydney, Australia. They were unable to have these plans changed, as they were non-refundable, and ended up spending a very cold, very miserable January week in the Canadian maritimes.

Not enough connection time
A couple booked their airline tickets online for their December honeymoon to Maui. They were traveling from Miami, with a connection in Dallas. Unfortunately the connection time afforded them in Dallas was only 45 minutes; not nearly enough time for them to make their flight to Maui. Because flights were completely full (due to the holidays) they had to wait in the airport for an entire day until they could fly (with long connections) from Dallas to Los Angeles to Honolulu to Maui - missing 2 days of their honeymoon.

It looked romantic in the brochure...
A honeymoon couple found the perfect resort on-line - Paradise Point in San Diego, CA. It was on the ocean, had beautiful pools and the price was right. Their honeymoon was scheduled for April when the weather would be perfect for relaxing by the pool, taking long walks on the beach, and having the romantic trip of their dreams. Unfortunately, when they arrived at Paradise Point they found out two disturbing facts: a) the resort caters to families and b) they were traveling in the middle of spring break. There were surrounded by screaming toddlers and children of all ages, throwing cold water on their dream of a romantic honeymoon.

The Swinging Seventies
A couple decided to go cruise for their honeymoon. They went online and found the perfect date, itinerary and price. They noticed a theme to the cruise - The Swinging Seventies. They figured there would be some disco music and vintage outfits. When they embarked in Miami they found that The Swinging Seventies referred to the guests...they were the only young people on the cruise. They spent their week at sea dodging wheelchairs, walkers and canes and can only laugh about it years later.

Stuck with the "ex"
A couple checked into a resort in the Caribbean only to spot the bride's ex-boyfriend there with a woman. She was miserable, she did not want to spend her honeymoon avoiding a man who she could not stand. Unfortunately, as the trip was paid in full and she had no travel agent who could assist her, she was unable to change resorts and forced to spend a very miserable week dodging the jerk who had broken her heart.

When a dollar isn't exactly a dollar
A couple booked their European honeymoon online. They planned out the whole itinerary and did lots of research on fabulous hotels. They booked the hotels but when they checked out of the first hotel in Paris were horrified to find that the price they had been quoted was in Euros, rather than in US dollars, causing the price of their honeymoon to be 25% more than they budgeted for.Ý

You can land, but you can't stay
A couple booked their honeymoon to Rio de Janiero, a beautiful beach area in Brazil. They took the long flight from Milwaukee, excited at the prospect of topless beaches and lazy afternoons. When they arrived into Brazil they were not allowed through customs as they did not have Visas, required for entry into Brazil for US citizens. After flying over 12 hours they were forced back onto a flight home, lost the money for their honeymoon, and spent a fairly unhappy few days at a B & B near their house.

Our summer isn't their summer
A couple went online to book their honeymoon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They made all of the arrangements for their May trip and couldn't wait to walk along the wide boulevards, shop in the smart shops, have a latte in an outdoor cafÈ. They even planned to spend a few days in Mar del Plata, at the beach. Unfortunately, they failed to realize, until they arrived in Argentina, that the seasons are opposite of those in the US and that May is the middle of winter. They could not sit outdoors, let alone go to the beach, had all the wrong clothes, and had a generally miserable honeymoon.

Who needs a TV on their honeymoon, anyway?
A couple booked an expensive honeymoon at the upscale Ladera Resort in St. Lucia for August. They did not read the fine print carefully and did not realize the rooms have no TVs, phone, or air conditioning. When they arrived they found the resort was beautiful and romantic but the groom was upset that there was no TV and they were both sweltering in the hotter-than-normal August heat.

Open for construction
A honeymoon couple booked themselves into the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Acapulco. When they arrived they were astounded to find out that the hotel was undergoing renovations and that construction began at 8AM and lasted until 6 or 7PM. There had been no indication on the internet site they booked through that this was going on and ended up having to be out of their room most of the day to avoid the noise.