WHAT IS A CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
We design Custom Travel Plans based on your personal interests, trip goals, and travel style, incorporating our local insight and extensive experience to create an unforgettable trip tailored just for you. Your bespoke Travel Plan will include authentic activities, hidden sights, and must-try food and drinks completely customized for you.
CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN OR DESIGNED TRIP?
Custom Travel |
Designed Trips |
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DESIGNING YOUR CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN
WHAT'S THE PROCESS TO DESIGN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
- First, select your Travel Plan based on the length of your trip
- Next, select your service level based on which inclusions you would like in your Travel Plan and throughout the trip planning process
- Then, hop on a 30-minute call with us to discuss your travel style and trip goals
- Receive your completely bespoke, fully mobile Custom Travel Plan (see a sample itinerary here)
caN YOU HELP ME CHOOSE A DESTINATION FOR MY TRIP?
Most certainly. Looking for a trip that combines adventure and relaxation? Heard about a region or country but not sure where to start or how to get around? Hoping to visit a lesser-known country, city, region or small town? Tell us your travel goals and we’ll send you some ideas for destinations based on your travel style, dates and budget.
WHAT IS THE PRICE OF A CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
The price of your Custom Travel Plan depends on the length of your trip:
- THE GETAWAY - $300. Less than 7 days
- THE ADVENTURE - $350. 7 to 10 days
- THE JOURNEY - $400. More than 10 days
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO DESIGN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
After we receive payment, we will communicate the date when your Travel Plan will be delivered. Travel Plans are completed on a first come, first served basis and take 1-2 weeks to design based on the length of the trip. We only work on one Travel Plan at a time in order to focus our complete attention on each client and personalize every detail of the itinerary.
HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH MY TRIP WILL COST?
Your Custom Travel Plan will be delivered with an overall trip estimate that is within the travel budget that you communicate to us. We’ll also include options for accommodations at various price points so you can further adjust the cost of your trip.
CAN YOU HELP ME DETERMINE A BUDGET FOR MY TRIP?
Absolutely. If you don’t have a travel budget in mind, we’ll take a look at current rates and provide a reasonable budget range based on your destination, trip duration, and travel style before designing your Travel Plan.
WHAT ARE YOUR FEES TO BOOK AND MANAGE MY TRIP?
Based on the service level you select, your trip estimate will include a trip management fee of either 7%, 9% or 11%. This management fee not only covers our time to book your reservations, but also to coordinate every detail of your trip with our hotel, activity and transportation partners to ensure you have a seamless travel experience. Depending on the level of service you select, it also includes revisions to your Travel Plan, support while traveling and add-ons like custom food guides and restaurant reservations. Our trip management fee will be included in your trip estimate and delivered within your budget.
WHAT TYPES OF TRIPS DO YOU DESIGN?
All types! We’ve designed large group trips, honeymoons, first-time trips abroad, family and couple trips to nearly every continent on earth (except Antarctica). Our trips always include authentic experiences that are active, participatory and reflective of the local culture. We aim to support independent and locally-based businesses and work hard to seek out environmentally and socially responsible partners and properties.
AFTER I TRAVEL, CAN I KEEP MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
Your online Travel Plan will remain live on our site for 3 months after you travel. Within this period, if you would like a PDF of your itinerary, just ask.
BOOKING PROCESS & TIMING
WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO DESIGN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
- First, select your Travel Plan based on the length of your trip
- Next, select your service level based on which inclusions you would like in your Travel Plan and throughout the trip planning process
- Then, hop on a 30-minute call with us to discuss your travel style and trip goals
- Receive your completely bespoke, fully mobile Custom Travel Plan (see a sample itinerary here)
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO DESIGN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
After we receive payment, we will communicate the date when your Travel Plan will be delivered. Travel Plans are completed on a first come, first served basis and take 1-2 weeks to design based on the length of the trip. We only work on one Travel Plan at a time in order to focus our complete attention on each client and personalize every detail of the itinerary.
HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH MY TRIP WILL COST?
Your Custom Travel Plan will be delivered with an overall trip estimate that is within the travel budget that you communicate to us. We’ll also include options for accommodations at various price points so you can further adjust the cost of your trip.
CAN YOU HELP ME DETERMINE A BUDGET FOR MY TRIP?
Absolutely. If you don’t have a travel budget in mind, we’ll take a look at current rates and provide a reasonable budget range based on your destination, trip duration, and travel style before designing your Travel Plan.
CAN YOU HELP ME CHOOSE A DESTINATION FOR MY TRIP?
Most certainly. Looking for a trip that combines adventure and relaxation? Heard about a region or country but not sure where to start or how to get around? Hoping to visit a lesser-known country, city, region or small town? Tell us your travel goals and we’ll send you some ideas for destinations based on your travel style, dates and budget.
WHAT IF I HAVE TO CANCEL OR CHANGE MY TRIP?
Our Custom Travel Plans include flexible changes for all hotels, activities, and private transfers up to 30 days before you travel, in accordance with the policies of our partners. If for some reason you do have to cancel the trip entirely (without changing to a different date) there would be a cancellation fee. If your trip is canceled more than 30 days before the departure date, the cancellation fee would be 33% of the total trip cost, while cancellations made less than 30 days before the departure date have a 100% cancellation fee. Changes to flights in Custom Travel Plans including airfare are subject to airline policy.
ONCE BOOKED, WHAT INFORMATION DO I GET ABOUT MY TRIP?
Within one week, we will send you a private link to your own online Trip Plan which will ensure you feel fully prepared to travel.
Included in the Trip Plan is;
Included in the Trip Plan is;
- Your Destination: key information about your destination(s), as well as links to interesting articles to read before you leave.
- Go: All the information you need for your transportation, such as flights, trains, ferries, rental cars and transfers. This will be your key source of travel information, accessible at home or abroad, with all the times and locations of your transportation as well as, where applicable, tickets, seats, coaches and boarding passes
- Sleep: Your hotel / apartment booking information, including confirmation numbers, room details, check in and check out times, and contact information, should you have any questions.
- Do: A day-by-day guide for your trip, giving you information about your pre-booked experiences, as well as inspiration for sights to see during your free time, including map links and more.
- Activity Details: As with your transportation and accommodation, you have access to all the booking information for your experiences, including meeting times and locations, contact information and, where applicable, tickets and guidance notes.
- Eat: Food abroad can be one of the major stress points of travel, so we make sure you’re prepared with notes about popular and specialty dishes, as well as a selection of restaurant recommendations based on your personal food preferences and/or restrictions. (Available at the Curated service level).
- Explore: To make sure you’re fully prepared for your experience, we also include the top 3 must-see sights and off-the-beaten-path sights in your chosen destinations, as well as some ideas of things to do and see, so you’ll never be short of somewhere to explore! (Available at the Curated service level).
FLEXIBILITY & CHANGES
WHAT IF I HAVE TO CANCEL OR CHANGE MY TRIP?
Our Custom Travel Plans include flexible changes for all hotels, activities, and private transfers up to 30 days before you travel, in accordance with the policies of our partners. If for some reason you do have to cancel the trip entirely (without changing to a different date) there would be a cancellation fee. If your trip is canceled more than 30 days before the departure date, the cancellation fee would be 33% of the total trip cost, while cancellations made less than 30 days before the departure date have a 100% cancellation fee. Changes to flights in Custom Travel Plans including airfare are subject to airline policy.
INCLUSIONS
WHAT KIND OF ACCOMMODATIONS WILL BE INCLUDED IN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
The right accommodation can absolutely make or break a travel experience! We’ll take into account your budget, travel preferences and preferred style, as well as our own destination experience and proprietary method for recommending the perfect selection of accommodations for you to choose from. We seek out authentic properties that offer a unique sense of place, including boutique hotels or resorts, working wineries, restored castles, historic villas, jungle lodges, farmstays, and family-owned properties. Because we don’t work with corporate commission-based contracts, we have the freedom to choose the best accommodation for each traveler based on their travel style.
WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES WILL BE INCLUDED IN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
Activities are selected purely based on your interests and budget. Along with private tours, hands-on workshops, and authentic cultural activities, we offer bespoke activities with personal contacts that are not bookable through traditional channels.
WHAT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION WILL BE INCLUDED IN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
We don’t think you should have to stress about the logistics of getting from one place to another while traveling, so we take all the guesswork out of transportation. Our Custom Travel Plans include every transportation detail, utilizing the most efficient and comfortable options for your travel style, within your budget. This could include: flights, trains, private cars, rental cars, ferries, shared charters or private boats.
EXCLUSIONS
- Travel insurance is not included in your Custom Travel Plan. Travel insurance is a personal decision and depends on your own circumstances. If you would like to purchase travel insurance, Squaremouth is an excellent resource for comparing providers and policies.
- Flights to/from the U.S. are not included in your Custom Travel Plan, although we are happy to recommend the most cost effective and efficient flights from your departure airport that you can book directly with the airline, or through travel rewards/points.
- Meals are not included in your Custom Travel Plan, unless breakfast is included in the hotel rate or meals are specified in the activity description.
PRICING & FEES
WHAT IS THE PRICE OF A CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
The price of your Custom Travel Plan depends on the length of your trip:
- THE GETAWAY - $300. Less than 7 days
- THE ADVENTURE - $350. 7 to 10 days
- THE JOURNEY - $400. More than 10 days
CAN YOU HELP ME DETERMINE A BUDGET FOR MY TRIP?
Absolutely. If you don’t have a travel budget in mind, we’ll take a look at current rates and provide a reasonable budget range based on your destination, trip duration, and travel style before designing your Travel Plan.
WHAT ARE YOUR FEES TO BOOK AND MANAGE MY TRIP?
Based on the service level you select, your trip estimate will include a trip management fee of either 7%, 9% or 11%. This management fee not only covers our time to book your reservations, but also to coordinate every detail of your trip with our hotel, activity and transportation partners to ensure you have a seamless travel experience. Depending on the level of service you select, it also includes revisions to your Travel Plan, support while traveling and add-ons like custom food guides and restaurant reservations. Our trip management fee will be included in your trip estimate and delivered within your budget.
HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH MY TRIP WILL COST?
Your Custom Travel Plan will be delivered with an overall trip estimate that is within the travel budget that you communicate to us. We’ll also include options for accommodations at various price points so you can further adjust the cost of your trip.
WHAT IS THE COST OF A CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN FOR LARGE FAMILIES OR SMALL GROUPS?
For groups exceeding 4 people, there will be a $50 fee per additional traveler. This covers the additional time and coordination to manage large group transportation, activities and accommodation.
WHAT IS THE COST OF A CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN FOR LONG TRIPS?
For trips exceeding 17 days, there will be an additional $150 Travel Plan fee. This covers the time for us to develop the extended itinerary.
PAYMENT
WHAT IS THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE?
The Custom Travel Plan fee is due prior to designing the Travel Plan. Payment of the booking deposit (~70% of the total trip cost) is due upon your approval of the final trip estimate. This will allow us to secure all of your reservations and finalize your Travel Plan. The balance (~30% of the total trip cost) is due once the trip is booked and your finalized Travel Plan is delivered with all of the details you need to travel.
CAN I BOOK SOME OF MY TRIP ON MY OWN OR WITH HOTEL / CREDIT CARD POINTS?
Unfortunately, no. In order to provide a seamless travel experience, we plan and book trips holistically from start to finish. We also get preferred rates on nearly all hotels, transportation, and activities, helping us better design amazing trips within travelers' overall trip budgets. If you have a specific hotel or activity that you would like to be included in your Travel Plan, just let us know!
HOW ARE PAYMENTS PROCESSED?
All payments are processed safely and securely through Wave, either by credit card or bank transfer.
BOOKING INFORMATION
ONCE BOOKED, WHAT INFORMATION DO I GET ABOUT MY TRIP?
Shortly after we have made your hotel reservations and booked your activities, we will send you a private link to your own travel plan which will ensure you feel fully prepared before you set off.
Included in the travel plan is;
Included in the travel plan is;
- Your Destination: key information about your destination(s), as well as links to interesting articles to read before you leave.
- Go: All the information you need for your transportation, such as flights, trains, ferries, car hire and transfers. This will be your key source of travel information, accessible at home or abroad, with all the times and locations of your transportation as well as, where applicable, tickets, seats, coaches and boarding passes.
- Sleep: Your hotel / apartment booking information will be included, providing you with confirmation numbers, room details, check in and check out times, room details and contact information, should you have any questions.
- Do: A day-by-day guide for your trip, giving you information about your pre-booked experiences, as well as inspiration for sights to see during your free time, including map links and more.
- Activity Details: As with your transportation and accommodation, you have access to all the booking information for your experiences, including meeting times and locations, contact information and, where applicable, tickets and guidance notes.
- Eat: Food abroad can be one of the major stress points of travel, so we make sure you’re prepared with notes about popular and specialty dishes, as well as a selection of restaurant recommendations based on your personal food preferences and/or restrictions. (Available at the Curated service level).
- Explore: To make sure you’re fully prepared for your experience, we also include the top 3 must-see sights and off-the-beaten-path sights in your chosen destinations, as well as some ideas of things to do and see, so you’ll never be short of somewhere to explore! (Available at the Curated service level).
TRANSPORTATION
WHAT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION WILL BE INCLUDED IN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
We don’t think you should have to stress about the logistics of getting from one place to another while traveling, so we take all the guesswork out of transportation. Our Custom Travel Plans include every transportation detail, utilizing the most efficient and comfortable options for your travel style, within your budget. This could include: flights, trains, private cars, rental cars, ferries, shared charters or private boats.
accommodation
what kind of accommodations will be included IN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
As an independent travel agency, we have the freedom to work with a wide range of accommodation options. For our Designed Trips, we have selected highly-rated boutique hotels in each location, giving you a beautiful, centrally located base for your time in each destination. Each hotel has been personally visited by us to ensure the best service and facilities for our clients. You can see some example hotels for each destination on each Designed Trip page.
i want to stay in a particular hotel. Can you INCLUDE IT IN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
Absolutely! Let us know which hotel you’re interested in considering, and we will include it as one of the options in your Travel Plan. Although please note that as we haven’t selected this hotel, we can’t guarantee the same service level and experience as with hotels that we select.
DO YOU PLAN CUSTOM TRIPS THAT INCLUDE HOUSES, APARTMENTS OR AIRBNB?
As an independent travel design agency, we have the freedom to work with a wide range of accommodation options, including apartment rentals and vacation homes. We work with professionally managed properties and generally do not work with AirBnB, due to the inconsistency of guest experiences with this platform and the difficulty of ensuring the quality of your stay.
ACTIVITIES
what kind of activities will be included IN MY CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN?
Activities are selected purely based on your interests and budget. Along with private tours, hands-on workshops, and authentic cultural activities, we offer bespoke activities with personal contacts that are not bookable through traditional channels.
CANCELLATIONS & CHANGES
what if i have to cancel or change my trip?
Our Custom Travel Plans include flexible changes for all hotels, activities, and private transfers up to 30 days before you travel, in accordance with the policies of our partners. If for some reason you do have to cancel the trip entirely (without changing to a different date) there would be a cancellation fee. If your trip is canceled more than 30 days before the departure date, the cancellation fee would be 33% of the total trip cost, while cancellations made less than 30 days before the departure date have a 100% cancellation fee. Changes to flights in Custom Travel Plans including airfare are subject to airline policy.
INSURANCE
do i need travel insurance?
Travel insurance is not included in your Custom Travel Plan. Travel insurance is a personal decision and depends on your own circumstances. If you would like to purchase travel insurance, Squaremouth is an excellent resource for comparing providers and policies.
GROUP TRAVEL
what is the cost of a CUSTOM TRAVEL PLAN for a large family or small group?
For groups exceeding 4 people, there will be a $50 fee per additional traveler. This covers the additional time and coordination to manage large group transportation, activities and accommodation.
about cohica
what makes you qualified to DESIGN CUSTOM trips?
With over a decade of professional experience in travel and luxury hospitality, we know how to work with partners and suppliers to offer the highest level of service and ensure every trip runs smoothly. We've visited over 40 countries and formed an extensive network around the world, allowing us to offer bespoke travel experiences and unmatched local insight for our clients. We’re based in Europe, trilingual, and are constantly traveling to expand our network of partners and develop new Cohica Designed Trips to destinations we’ve experienced first-hand.
what typeS of trips do you design?
All types! We’ve designed large group trips, honeymoons, first-time trips abroad, family and couple trips to nearly every continent on earth (except Antarctica). Our trips always include authentic experiences that are active, participatory and reflective of the local culture. We aim to support independent and locally-based businesses and work hard to seek out environmentally and socially responsible partners and properties.
how are you different from a travel agent?
Unlike most traditional travel agents, we’ve personally visited 90% of the destinations where we design trips. Our travel experience allows us to offer more cultural insights, local knowledge, and detailed information about each destination, ensuring you have the best and most authentic travel experience possible. Also unlike many traditional travel agents, we’re not tied to corporate commission-based contracts. This independence gives us the freedom to recommend boutique hotels, local transportation, private guides or custom activities based purely on what’s right for you and your trip. At the same time, our IATAN accreditation as an independent travel agency allows us to access competitive rates.
so, how do you make money?
First, we didn’t get into this business for the cash flow. We very much value an independent lifestyle and find purpose and joy in helping people explore the world.
That being said, our revenue is made in three ways:
That being said, our revenue is made in three ways:
- The Custom Travel Plan fee. This initial planning fee ranges from $300 - $400 based on the length of your trip. This fee covers our time to research, develop and design your online Custom Travel Plan.
- The Trip Management fee. Your trip estimate will include a small fee (ranging from 7-11%) which covers our time to source the best rates, secure and manage your bookings, organize the details of your travel experiences with local partners, and finalize your Travel Plan with all of the details you’ll need to travel seamlessly and stress-free.
- Commission. Because we are an accredited Independent Travel Agency, we sometimes receive a small booking commission from hotels, transportation and activity partners. We have no ties to corporate booking contracts or consortiums, so any commission we receive is through a direct booking and never drives our decisions or recommendations.
who are your typical clients?
Cohica Travelers range in ages, backgrounds and travel experience, but share one thing in common. They are people who value authenticity, new experiences and connection with the local culture.
which destinations do you work in the most?
We design custom trips to destinations all over the world, very often to places that we’ve visited first-hand and have local contacts. Since moving to Europe in 2016, a large percentage of the trips we've designed have been to European and Mediterranean countries, especially Italy, Portugal, Spain, Croatia and Greece.
