I'm Rob. I Help People Plan Vacations.

I'm an independent travel advisor with Magical Vacation Planner. Most of what I do comes down to researching a lot of options, asking the right questions and helping people figure out which vacation actually makes sense for them.

I'm the Person on the Other End of This Website.

Some people come to me knowing exactly where they want to go. Others know they want a beach, a cruise, Disney, a golf trip or somewhere the kids won't complain about every five minutes.

And some people have absolutely no idea yet.

All of those are perfectly good places to start.

My job isn't to push everybody toward the same resort, cruise line or destination. It's to understand who's going, what matters to them, what they want to spend and what kind of vacation they're actually picturing.

Then I start digging.

Independent travel advisor with Magical Vacation Planner

No planning fees for standard vacation-planning services

Direct help before, during and after your vacation

Somewhere Along the Way, I Started Researching Everything.

The more vacations I worked on, the more I realized how much difference the little details can make.

Two Caribbean islands can look almost identical in vacation photos and feel completely different once you're there. Two resorts sitting next to each other can be right for completely different people. A cruise isn't just about the ship. A golf trip isn't just about the course. And “We're going to Disney” answers surprisingly few of the questions involved in actually going to Disney.

So I research.

I compare destinations, resorts, rooms, cruise itineraries, golf courses, theme parks, flights and all the little pieces around them. Eventually a lot of that research started ending up on this website too.

That's why you'll find destination guides, head-to-head comparisons and some fairly specific vacation information around here.

If I've already spent three hours figuring something out, somebody else might as well benefit from it.

What It's Actually Like to Work With Me.

I don't think vacation planning needs to feel formal or complicated. You're trying to go somewhere and have a good time. My job is to make getting there easier.

You Work With Me

You're not getting passed around a call center. I'm the person researching the trip, comparing the options and answering your questions. If something comes up later, you already know who you're talking to.

You Don't Need All the Answers

Tell me what you know. If that's exact dates and a specific resort, great. If it's “somewhere warm in February”, we can start there too. The questions are there to help narrow things down, not make you do my job before I can help.

I'll Tell You What I Think

If I think something fits, I'll tell you why. If I see something that concerns me, I'll tell you that too. Sometimes the cheaper option really is the better choice. Sometimes there's a reason it's cheaper.

I Keep Looking at the Whole Trip

A hotel doesn't exist by itself. Neither does a cruise cabin or a tee time. Flights, transportation, location, timing, who is traveling and what everybody wants to do can change whether an option actually works.

I'm Still Here After You Book

Planning doesn't end when the reservation is made. Questions come up. Plans change. Sometimes travel does what travel does. Having somebody who already knows your trip can make those moments a lot easier.

I Do Occasionally Stop Looking at Resorts.

When I'm not working on vacations, there's a pretty good chance I'm golfing, messing around with sports cards or following the Detroit Lions.

The golf part eventually found its way into the travel business. So did the Lions. What started as a football schedule somehow became an entire section about road trips to Lions games.

The sports cards haven't become vacations yet.

Give me time.

Golf Trips → Detroit Lions Road Trips → My Sports Card Collection →

You Can Look Around Before You Ask Me for Anything.

That's a big reason I've built so much information into this site. Read the guides. Compare a couple destinations. See what catches your attention. When you're ready for help, I'm here.

If You're Thinking About a Vacation, I'd Be Happy to Help.

You don't need to have everything figured out. Tell me what you're thinking, who's going and whatever you already know. We'll take it from there.

Start Planning My Vacation →

Rob Sturdy · Independent Travel Advisor with Magical Vacation Planner