Testimonials:
Harriet has booked my flights, accommodations and ground travel for many years.
I recently had to cancel a scheduled trip; her help and expertise have been invaluable navigating the Byzantine world of airlines.
I very highly recommend her to anyone planning a trip.
-Carol, MA 2023
When my flight to Lima was cancelled as I stepped out of the uber I knew I was going to need a pro to get me to Iquitos by 9am Saturday morning.
I called Harriet, knowing she was magic and luckily she picked up– even though it was after 6pm back east. She deftly navigated all the options and found a routing through Miami that I hadn’t even seen before. She booked all the flights, my hotel in Lima and included my frequent flier information and known traveler number. Everything was taken care of and effortless.
When my trip was disrupted again on the way home, I tried to book new flights on my phone in the Iquitos airport for 30 minutes with zero results. I finally called Harriet again and said, “Please help me book this!” She got it done in a matter of minutes on all the exact flights I wanted. It is like having a fairy godmother! I am a very do-it-yourself person, but this taught me that sometimes there is no substitute for an absolute pro. If you can have her on your team, why would you not?
~Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, CA
This trip was exactly what we had hoped and dreamed it would be. The weather could not have been more perfect and I am reminded how good weather can make or break a trip! We had blue skies every morning! The rain pushed out the evening we arrived in Lucca…
Giovanni and his cousin team were the best. 5 stars to the team! Mauro took us to his favorite wine shop outside the walls where the owner spent 45 minutes with us with tastings and laughter. It was amazing. And there we purchased wines that lasted us all week at the villa. Th the final bottles shared looking at the sunset over Florence at the Michelangelo Plaza.
The Pisa group made the climb and saw all the sites.
The group loved our stops at San Gimignano and Sienna. As is usually the case we wished we had a little more time in San G. Constanza, our guide in Sienna was great. She was flexible to our requests and questions. I would say 4.5 stars here.
~Gail Hyuge, GA and 7 women
Thank you Harriet,
What a trip. The drives were amazing and made all the difference in the experiences.
~Monika Lamotte, VT
Fantastic trip – thanks so much for all the great places. Our consensus was that The Black Lion, the place in Lower Slaughter and the place in Betws-y-Coed were huge highlights. We found the Black Boy “authentic” in name only – it’s like someone had the idea of what a “old” place should be and grafted it on to a new new place. The Back Lion really WAS old and charming.
~Michael Berkowitz, ME
”My wife and I approached Harriet with a request for a unique European honeymoon. We wanted a semi self-guided trip that was off the beaten path while enjoying the French wine country.
Harriet and her team knocked it out of the park. We spent several nights in Barcelona with 2 private walking tours. This was followed by a multi-day road trip through the beautiful countryside of the south of France into the Bordeaux wine region. Each stop we made during the drive was its own self-contained vacation.
Harriet and her team thought of everything and ensured we were taken care of. We’re keeping Harriet on speed dial for the next epic Euro trip. “
~Steven and Erica 2021
“Harriet got us out when even the airlines were struggling. We made our boat. Had we not it would have cost $1000s not to mention two days of stress and hours on the phone. Next time I’m calling Harriet first.”
~Ken 2022
“Harriet has helped me on two HUGE trips I have taken for the World Cups. Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010. Both trips were a great success due to her help and insight. She had lived in South Africa and spoke with passion and knowledge and made my trip the best. I actually booked some off the beaten track places and had better time for it through her. And everyone else in my group spent way more though other agents or on there own and had complaints. I can’t believe I ever traveled without using her. I will never do that again. Look forward to working with her in 2014 when I go to Brazil.”
~Ivan Henson; Richland Hills, TX
“We are back from our Italy trip and wanted to let you know that we had a fabulous time. Your advice on our trip totally paid-off. In particular your suggestion of changing from the town of Como to Bellagio on Lake Como was spot on. Our kids loved the town and the choice of the Grand Hotel Serballoni was wonderful; a true vacation land Italian style. Secondly the pit stop of Verona and not doing Milan worked out extremely well. What a great little city, best combination of Milan and Rome in a small, manageable, pretty package. The Hotel Due Torri you suggested was in a perfect location and provided wonderful Italian accommodations.
Lastly your suggestion of having us stay at the Ca’ Sagredo Palace in Venice, versus the larger, more well-known hotels near San Marco square turned out to be a great decision. The hotel Ca ‘Sagredo was more in a local neighborhood where true Venetians lived and went about their daily lives, versus the hustle and bustle tourist world of the other. Every time we crossed the Rialto Bridge and got away from the thousands and thousands of people we “thanked Harriet.” In addition our private tour guide, Sylvia, ended being a highlight of our whole Italy trip. We got a great feel of the real Venice versus the same-ole same-ole typical Venice tour. What a great trip we had and again thank you for your advice and consultations.
Oops I forgot, having Maria meet us at the airport and dropping off directly at the Ca ‘Sagredo was key versus dragging suitcases through the streets of Venice (over many foot bridges with steps) was a real plus-we saw lots of people dragging those suitcases and were very pleased you had suggested the water taxi ride. Thanks again!”
~Helene and Dan Demmer, MA
“Coming from Virginia, I arrived two a.m at an Auckland, NZ hotel on the third day of travel. I was dead, dead tired. The hotel clerk said he had no reservation for me for that night/morning, but did have one for the following night. He charged me $140 even though I told him I had paid for the extra night. When I returned home, I contact Harriet. I no longer had a credit card receipt, but she was able to research back and confirm that I had paid for the night in question. I am being reimbressed. This is another good reason to use a super travel agent.”
~Crosby Houston, VA
“I have been working with Harriet for the past three years. Each and every time I need to book flights anywhere in the country, she always is prompt and thorough with details and finding competitive rates. Just recently, I had a flight canceled by the airline and Harriet was there to immediate take charge and get me to my end destination with another carrier and not impact my schedule.” (and no cost)
~James McGrail, MA
“During the Christmas holiday blizzard, we had two sets of out of town houseguest staying in our home. It was time for them depart, returning to jobs, other travel, when the storm struck. We got robot calls at 1 a.m. that all flights were cancelled, but no further info on how all the guests could get back to their homes. The guests who had booked via Harriet woke up the next day, enjoyed the snowscapes – turning the search for plane seats over to Harriet (and Janice). These agents furiously worked their contacts by phone and internet. Ultimately, without any effort by these “agent-assisted” guests, they were able to get new airline bookings and flew back home to the West Coast. Not only that, Harriet made sure the original plane tickets were fully refunded!
The other set of guests, who had booked via internet directly with the airlines, spent three days frantically phoning, getting nothing but busy signals from the airlines. It was no better online, with no updates on how to rebook – in fact, no info whatsoever. Our “no agent” guests ended up with days of frustration and wheel-spinning, and were forced to pay a fortune to rebook. They never did get through to their original airline. Who knows if they’ll ever get refunds – who do you call or email?
End of story: Dramatic difference – and a great lesson! No one can predict the weather, but you can predict whether you’ll be left stranded, helpless and alone. Be smart and book through Harriet. Trust your travel agent. Harriet was a Godsend! (And the good news for us: all our guests finally flew out and we now have our house to ourselves!)”
~Ellan Cates, MA
“Harriet coordinated and arranged a fantastic Alaskan land (Denali) and sea (Celebrity Cruise) tour for me and my family – 7 people (3 coming from San Francisco and 4 from Boston). The 13 day trip was unbelievable – Vancouver, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Icy Point Straight, Seward, Anchorage and Denali.
The excursions were adventurous, breath-taking and exciting – zip rides, rain forest hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, whale watching, white water rafting, canopy roping, helicopter to a glacier and dog-sledding, train ride thru the mountains, bus tour of Denali, clear view of Mt. McKinley, etc., etc.
Although the above was unbelievable, the other two things I am most grateful to her for are (1) receiving a phone call from my daughter while en route to Logan on the first morning of the trip indicating that our flight to Vancouver via Chicago was cancelled and then informing me that we had already been rebooked by you to fly to Vancouver via Denver, and (2) the scheduling and coordination of arranging vans and travel guides to meet us at every turn and take us to where we needed to go.
Harriet’s attention to details and the scheduling/coordination of the trip made it one of the best family vacations we have ever taken. That is why she is the best and we continue to utilize her services.
Now, we just need to start thinking about our next family vacation.”
~William J. Nyhan, NH
“One moment that stands out in Harriet’s assistance to us in our travels is the Wesley House in Winchcomobe, England.
We asked for a tour in the Cotwolds, and Harriet booked one night in Wesley House. Winchcombe is a really small town with a main street that forced us to park our car some distance down the road. The inn has only five rooms. Ours was at the back, with a balcony overlooking the castle. It was a wonderful view.
She understands that we like to eat fine foods, but we were unprepared for how great the dining room is at the Wesley House. One does not usually associate England with fine dining, but the meal that we had at Wesley House was exemplary, the best venison ever.
~Chris & Vicky Johnston, ME
“Harriet is professional and knows the way around the issues of traveling; domestic and international. I have appreciated her care for both! But beyond that, she listens to the traveler’s interests and expectations and knows how to marry those interests with the possibilities of the planned destination. When I’m considering a travel destination, Harriet Ahouse is the first one I call.”
~Janet Doades, AL
“Harriet has organized my corporate and personal travel for many years and I’ve been thoroughly pleased with her work. Harriet has been resourceful in researching unusual situations, such as a 2008 trip to Bhutan, and was particularly helpful in working through very difficult governmental requirements for the trip. A few years ago, Harriet organized the perfect series of cars and drivers to take me across northern Italy from one event to another with no time to be lost on drivers who don’t show up. The ground transportation took place with ease and efficiency, allowing me to enjoy my trip without the usual stress associated with a complex and tight schedule. And as frequent travelers know only too well, in today’s world the stresses of travel can quickly add up; Harriet is always even tempered, upbeat and polite even when I’ve been stressing. Her friendly, helpful voice is wonderful in such difficult situations.”
~Marcia Radosevich, FL
“Working with Harriet is like having your own personal concierge. She anticipates your business travel needs and gets you the best fares, smartest routing and the hotel that best fits your preferences AND pocketbook. Harriet is smart and always takes a proactive approach. On top of all that, she is incredibly cheery under all the pressure of dealing with public enemy #1 – The Airlines! As a road warrior consultant, Harriet is my secret weapon!”
~Ellan Smith, MA
AlwaysHarriet 