Know where you want to go and what you want to do.

Does this seem a bit too obvious?

You'd be surprised how many people show up in a travel agent's office and say "hmmm...where should I go?"

Some think the travel agent will come up with a magical deal that perfectly matches your needs, as if that's his or her job.

But what if your chosen agent doesn't specialize in the trip you prefer?

Find a specialist.

Anyone can book your Eurailpass. But it would be better to sit down with someone who has traveled by rail in Europe. That person can tell you which pass is most economical, and give you other tips for using the system to your advantage.

Travel agents who are cruise specialists can lead you to the best itinerary for your budget and interests, since he or she probably took a similar trip recently.

If you're booking adventure or ecological trips, this advice becomes five times as important. Don't arrange a trip like that on guesswork. Go with the people who know.

Be wary of an agent in love with one vendor.

Is he pushing a certain cruise line over all the others? Does she win a certain airline's sales award for vacation packages every other month? It's rare, but when it happens, you could be missing out on good deals in other places.

Look for someone who keeps up with an array of travel companies. The good ones will say "this month, X has a good deal on this, but a few months ago, Y was better."

A trip to Tibet or the rain forest might have to go through the same vendor time-after-time. But travel agents who exclude all but a few vendors might not have your best interests at heart.

Click "next" to the right and see why the agent with the lowest prices might not save you money.