Travel agents work to help clients by giving them the information and price to help them with travel decisions. They work for the client and are paid through commissions from a percentage of the ticket or package.

Online travel agents have revolutionized the travel industry. Passengers are now free to book tickets without much help, and on-line travel agencies have become popular. Travelers also have the option of combining hotel and car rental for a discount price. Other on-line agencies use a bidding system where an offer can be made for the price of a seat. This can be risky because the itinerary is not disclosed until the ticket has been purchased.

Traditional travel agents now service specific clients and restrict themselves to specific areas of travel. They have become experts in certain regions and types of travel. These agencies may have contracts with certain corporation and take care of business and personal travel for the company and some of its clients. Some offer additional services such as help with renting corporate housing and other travel details. The agency relies on business travelers who travel frequently.

Other traditional agencies have strong ties with an expatriate community and sell tickets to specific countries and regions. Their clients travel back and forth to their country of origin. These agencies also offer travel related services such as help with obtaining passports and visa renewals. They specialize in international travel but also offer national travel services.

Vacation agencies

These agencies sell packages and focus their attention on tourism. They work closely with the hotels and have a lot of seasonal business. They understand the markets and can get the right property for specific clients needs. They know which property would be friendly to spring break students and those who prefer quiet family vacationers. They sell all inclusive and non inclusive packages, and can also arrange tours for the client.

Luxury Travel Agencies

These agencies are very client orientated. They are available to clients and are helpful when designing a package to meet specific needs. Destination weddings, spa vacations, diet vacations, cosmetic surgeries, and adventure tours are their areas of expertise. They have close relationships with their clients and are well connected within the areas they service. They are more pricey because they offer much more than the standard travel agency.

Cruise

These travel agencies are knowledgeable about the cruise industry. Some will arrange individual cruises while others book groups, local, and international cruise. These agencies also offer party cruise where a group can book a cruise for one night or a weekend.

All travel agents are regulated and operate under specific guidelines. Travel agents sell the service of other companies and as such are unable to make changes without the consent of the service provider. They understand the travel industry and are extremely helpful whenever plans have to be changed or cancelled.

Paris - one of the famous cities in Europe - is an easy place to spend money with fantastic restaurants, shops and wine bars on every corner. So can you enjoy Paris if you’re trying not to spend too much? Here are some of the tips to help keep Paris travel costs down, and this time of year is one of the best times to try them out, with the low season between November and April having the lowest prices for travel and accommodation.

The tourist destinations in Paris

Paris has many destinations famous buildings and monuments – like Sacre Cœur, the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower – and going to look at them won’t cost a penny. You can also go and watch the artists at work in Montmartre, browse the book stalls on the banks of the Seine and look around Notre Dame Cathedral for free. And if the weather’s good, there are lots of parks and gardens around the city – like the Promenade Plantée on an old elevated railway line, the botanical gardens at the Jardin des Plantes, and even the atmospheric cemeteries, like Père-Lachaise and the Cimetière du Montparnasse. There are also plenty of free festivals and events going on in Paris throughout the year – including the fireworks and military parades for Bastille Day on 14 July, the Paris Plages riverside beaches in August, the Nuit Blanche all-night arts festival, the Fête des Vendanges harvest festival in Montmartre in October and the Christmas markets in December. Check out the Bonjour Paris and About.com Paris websites for the latest information about what’s going on where and when.

Museums and galleries

If you time your visit to coincide with the first Sunday of each month, many of the big-name museums are free to visit, including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée du Quai Branly, Pompidou Centre and Picasso Museum (find a full list here). They do get really busy though, so it’s best to get there early. There are also plenty of lesser-known museums in the city that either have free permanent collections or are totally free all the time, like the Musée Cognacq Jay (with 18th century art in a beautiful building in the Marais), the Maison de Victor Hugo (the novelist’s former home that’s now a museum about his life) and the Musée Parfum (about the history of perfume-making).

Eating and drinking

The French are passionate about food, but eating out in Paris can take a huge bite out of your budget, especially in touristy areas. For good-value meals, look out for prix fixe or formule menus in restaurants. You’ll get two or three courses – either from a fixed menu or with a couple of choices – for a set price. And if you want to splash out on a meal in a nice restaurant, it’s usually a lot cheaper to eat at lunchtime rather than in the evening. You can often get a similar meal for two-thirds of the price.

Travelling around

Paris has an easy-to-use Metro system, but it’s a really walkable city with a lot of the main sites located along the banks of the Seine. You can buy single tickets and passes, but unless you think you’ll use the Metro a lot, a carnet of 10 tickets is probably the best value. . If you’re travelling to Paris by Eurostar, you can also buy them on board to avoid the big queues at the Gare du Nord. It’s worth making the Metro trip on Line 6 between Passy and Bir-Hakeim for amazing views of the Eiffel Tower as the Metro crosses the river on a viaduct.
Boat trips along the Seine are really popular, with everything from five-course dinners to Champagne cruises on offer.

If you comply with the above tips may help you save money when traveling Paris.