Should You Hire a Travel Planner for Your Bordeaux Trip? Real Talk.
TL;DR: If you enjoy spending 20+ hours researching hotels, comparing wine tours, and second-guessing every decision, you don't need me. But if you want exclusive perks (room upgrades, credits, early check-in), vetted experiences, and zero research headaches? A planner saves you time and gets you benefits you can't access booking on your own. Even if you just want help booking a hotel—I can check if it's in my partner network and get you perks at no extra cost.
Bordeaux isn't complicated to visit. Hotels have websites. Wine tours show up on Google. You can book everything yourself. So why would anyone pay for a travel planner?
Here's the truth: if you enjoy travel planning and have 20+ hours to research châteaux, compare hotel options, and vet wine tours, you probably don't need me.
But if you're reading this, you're probably not that person.
You've got standards. You don't want to waste vacation time on mediocre experiences. And you definitely don't have bandwidth to research which châteaux are worth visiting, which wine regions to prioritize, and whether that highly-rated tour on Viator is actually good.
That's where a planner—specifically, the right kind of planner—actually makes sense.
When You Don't Need a Travel Planner
Let's start here. You don't need me (or anyone) if:
You genuinely enjoy the planning process. Some people find researching hotels and reading wine blogs relaxing. If that's you, great. Keep doing it.
You have 20+ hours to dedicate to research. Comparing hotel options, reading reviews, vetting wine tours, mapping out logistics, making restaurant reservations—it all takes time. If you've got it, you can handle this yourself.
Your trip is extremely simple. A two-night city break with no wine tours and flexible dining plans? That's straightforward enough to book solo.
You're comfortable with uncertainty. Booking without insider knowledge means hoping the hotel lives up to photos, the wine tour isn't packed with 40 people, and the restaurant you chose is actually good.
No judgment here. DIY travel planning works for plenty of people.
The question is: what's your time worth, and how confident are you in your choices?
If You Just Want Help Booking a Hotel
Here's something most people don't know: even if you enjoy planning the rest of your trip yourself, I can still add value by booking your hotel.
Let's say you've done your research. You know which hotel you want. You're ready to book.
Before you click "reserve" on the hotel's website or Booking.com, reach out to me.
As an affiliate of Fora Travel, I'll be able to check if your hotel is in Fora's partner network.
Fora works with hundreds of hotels worldwide—major chains (Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, IHG) and independent properties. If your hotel is a partner, I can book it for you and get you perks you wouldn't get booking on your own:
Room upgrades when available
Early check-in and late checkout
Complimentary breakfast
Welcome amenities
F&B or spa credits (property-dependent)
You pay the same rate. You get better benefits. That's it.
Even if you've already booked, I can sometimes add perks retroactively.
Already reserved your hotel? Let me know. I can check if I can attach my Fora credentials to your existing reservation and secure perks after the fact.
It doesn't always work (depends on the property and booking method), but it's worth checking. No cost to you either way.
This is completely free.
You're not paying me for this service. The hotel pays me a commission. You're getting the same rate—or better—than you'd find booking direct, plus perks you can't access on your own.
Why wouldn't you take advantage of that?
When a Full Planning Service Makes Sense
Now, if you want more than just hotel booking, here's when the full planning service becomes valuable.
You don't want to spend 20 hours vetting wine tours and experiences.
Bordeaux has hundreds of wine tour options on platforms like Viator, GetYourGuide, and TripAdvisor. Which ones are actually good? Which châteaux are worth visiting? Which tours are overcrowded group experiences versus intimate tastings?
I can book Viator experiences for my clients—but the value isn't just the booking. It's that I've vetted them. I know which tours deliver, which châteaux offer the best access, and which experiences are worth your money.
You could spend hours reading reviews and comparing options. Or you could tell me your taste (big-name estates versus small producers, structured tours versus flexible schedules, educational versus social) and I'll recommend what fits.
Same price as booking yourself—but zero research time and confidence you're choosing well.
You want access to private châteaux and exclusive experiences.
Beyond Viator, I work with DMCs (destination management companies) who have relationships with winemakers, estate managers, and private châteaux that don't accept public bookings.
That means private tastings, barrel room tours, and access to properties like Château Margaux, Pétrus, and others that require advance booking through industry contacts.
This isn't something you can Google. It requires connections.
You don't have time to figure out logistics.
Which wine regions should you prioritize? How do you avoid spending an entire day in the car? What's realistic to cover in 2–3 days? Which neighborhoods in Bordeaux are walkable and which require a car?
I've done the homework. I know the timing, the logistics, and which combinations actually work. That's 10–15 hours of research you don't have to do.
You want restaurant reservations at places that book weeks in advance.
Bordeaux's best restaurants—Le Pressoir d'Argent (Gordon Ramsay's Michelin two-star), La Grande Maison (Pierre Gagnaire), Le Quatrième Mur (Philippe Etchebest)—fill up fast. Some don't show availability online. Others prioritize hotel guests or industry connections.
I've got relationships with concierge teams who can secure tables you'd struggle to get on your own.
You value your time more than the cost.
My custom itinerary service is $149. That's less than a single bottle of classified growth Bordeaux. For that, you get:
A vetted hotel with exclusive perks
Private or small-group wine tour recommendations
Restaurant reservations handled
A realistic day-by-day plan that accounts for logistics
If your time is worth $50/hour, saving 20 hours of research pays for itself in the first three hours.
You want someone to handle problems when things go wrong.
Flights delayed? Château cancels your tasting appointment? Hotel overbooked?
You need someone who can rebook, reroute, and secure alternatives without you scrambling on vacation.
That's not something booking platforms handle. That's what you pay a planner for.
What You're Actually Paying For
Let's be clear: you're not paying me to Google "best wine tours in Bordeaux."
You're paying for:
Exclusive perks through Fora affiliation (room upgrades, credits, early check-in, late checkout, breakfast)
Vetted recommendations based on firsthand experience and industry knowledge, not SEO rankings or affiliate incentives
Access to private experiences you can't book on your own (invitation-only châteaux, private tastings, hard-to-book restaurants)
Time saved. No research rabbit holes, no decision fatigue, no second-guessing
Problem-solving. I handle logistics, rebookings, and crises so you don't have to
Honest takes. I'll tell you when a château is overrated. I'll tell you which wine regions are worth your time. No sugarcoating
The hotels I recommend pay me a commission, and I earn commissions on Viator experiences—but you don't pay extra for that. You're getting the same rate you'd find booking direct, plus perks and vetted recommendations you wouldn't get on your own.
What a Travel Planner Doesn't Do
This isn't hand-holding. I'm not going to manage your packing list, tell you what time to leave your hotel, or plan every single meal.
I give you a framework: where to stay, which châteaux to visit, where to eat, what's worth seeing in the city. You execute.
If you need more structure, the VIP Concierge service ($349) includes day-by-day logistics and 24/7 support. But most people don't need that level of detail. They just need confidence they're making good choices without spending weeks researching.
The Real Question
Here's what it comes down to:
How much is your time worth? And how much do you value booking with confidence versus hoping you made the right choice?
If you enjoy planning, have the time, and don't mind the uncertainty—do it yourself. You'll probably be fine.
But even if you just want help booking a hotel to get exclusive perks at no extra cost? Reach out. It takes two minutes and you'll get benefits you can't access on your own.
And if you want to skip all the research, get vetted experiences, access private châteaux, and have someone in your corner when things go wrong?
That's exactly what I'm here for.
Ready to plan your Bordeaux trip without the research headache?
I handle the planning, you get the trip. As an affiliate of Fora Travel, Out There with Jake clients have access to exclusive perks—we're talking room upgrades, hotel credits, complimentary breakfast, spa treatments, and the kind of access that doesn't come with DIY bookings.
Fill out the form below to start planning.