(175 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Melissa Becker

Plymouth, MI

Expertise in planning custom travel

I love to travel and really am happiest when I'm planning trips. I am excellent at planning complicated multi-destination European travel. If you are overwhelmed trying to plan your vacation and are getting lost in all the details that have to be included, let me help you with this. If you are just looking for the cheapest trip possible, I am not the best choice for you. I'd like to help make your vacation wishes come true. Many of us have some upscale ideas in mind since we've waited so long. Let's make it a reality now.

My Travel Specialties

My Travel and Work Experience

I have been an avid traveler for many years, and bring more than 20 years experience in building, selling, and escorting travel. I have always loved to explore the world. When I was 17 I got a job so I could buy a plane ticket to Phoenix. I was hooked. All extra money I had in college was spent on...
Read more from my My Travel and Work Experience bio.

Lunchtime at the Giraffe Sanctuary, Nairobi Kenya

British Isles travel expert

Over many years of traveling, I've been to nearly every corner of England and can help you plan the vacation you want including every destination, big and small. I'm a big fan of London, having been there over a dozen times, and yet I STILL haven't had a chance to ride the London Eye. However, I have...
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London Eye on a beautiful day

I love Italy and I want to send you there

I LOVE ITALY. I want to tell you about the Amalfi Coast - no. I want to send you to the Amalfi Coast - a stunningly beautiful area of Italy, just south of Rome. This is the Italy in your mind when you picture sidewalk cafes, ancient cobblestone streets, and impeccably dressed Italians. You can visit...
Read more from my I love Italy and I want to send you there bio.

Gondoliers in Venice just waiting for you!

Croatia, the pearl of the Adriatic

I cannot say enough good things about Croatia. You have GOT to see this place. It's a gorgeous mixture of turquoise water and a backdrop of craggy hills spotted with palm trees and olive groves for definite Mediterranean feel. I hope you like boats. With more than 1,000 islands to explore, it's a...
Read more from my Croatia, the pearl of the Adriatic bio.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

My Travel Albums

Kenya & Tanzania
Saying goodbye too soon.
Italy's Jewels
Pure Italy
England's best
Big ben on a beautiful day

My Travel Stories

Are we in this together?

April 23, 2020

If you know anything about me, and have had me plan your trips, you know I am honest. I put it out there. And if I hear one more person say "in these uncertain times" or "we are in this together" I am going to scream. You hear me? Keep reading.

Look, Oprah......Read more.

Customer Testimonials

Successful first trip to Europe

Hi Melissa, My daughter and I had a great trip to Vienna, Prague and Berlin. We really enjoyed the Monograms Tour company and agree with you that its a great way to have the benefit of a tour company while giving us flexibility when we reach a city. We ended up going on some of the optional tours through Monograms but also found some on our own as well. The local guide was very helpful particularly since it was my first time in Europe. We met briefly with the local guide the first day in Vienna and Prague and then took a 1/2 day tour the next day with the local guide and group. Both were very informative and gave us a great understanding of the city and its history. Since we stayed at the same hotel in Berlin as the Monograms group we ended up hanging out with several of the monograms couples from the prior cities. Thanks again for all your help with getting this put together. My daughter and I have many great memories from my first trip to Europe!
Mary Z, Livonia MI

Fun trip to London, Paris and Edinburgh

Thanks so much for helping us plan such a wonderful trip. We really had a fantastic time overall. The scenery was wonderful in England, so green. We got to see Stratford, Stonehenge and Bath. Normandy was very cool and a very long day, but very worthwhile. We took at bike tour to Versailles, saw the palace, rode around the grand canal, had a great picnic lunch on the canal. We bought our lunch at an open air market in Versailles prior to starting our ride. This was our best tour. We saw so many wonderful things, so much history, we had wonderful weather overall. Each and every day we spent walking the city, using the metro systems, touring the various sites. We walked miles on this trip, so we didn’t gain weight with all the good food we were eating. We took 600 pictures of everything, and I mean everything. It was fun. I so look forward to you helping us do another trip in the future. Don't know when that might be, but we'll be back.
Bret J, Northville Michigan

Wonderful custom Italian exploration

Hi Melissa, Our trip was absolutely wonderful. The tour was a bit exhausting, but we saw and did a lot. Our tour director, Jane, was the best and very knowledgable. Our train experience was just that -- quite an experience. The only one thing we would have changed, we would not have left Monterosso. We would have taken the train to Santa Margherita. But, as it was we enjoyed it. Portifino was beautiful. Cinque Terre was everything we had hoped. We took the train to Vernazza and Corniglia and loved it. I don't think I need to tell you about the Amalfi coast. Spectacular! Our extra night in Sorrento was just what the doctor ordered after the tour. We loved it. Driving south to Calabria was nothing short of amazing. The two nights we spent in Paola was a true Italian experience, not to mention the time we spent with my family. The food we ate in the south as well as Cinque Terre was to die for. In Paola we literally had a woman who cooked for us. I could go on and on...
Frank Y, Plymouth Michigan

Smooth trip to London for the Tower Poppies

Hello Melissa, I am back from London and wanted you to know that everything went smoothly. Thank you! Transportation to and from Heathrow to the hotel was very good and did not take nearly as long as I anticipated. Threadneedles Hotel was definitely business guest oriented but suited my needs well. It was only a little more than a block from the tube station so that I was able to get around very easily. Thank you very much for the excellent planning!
Maryanne Z, Plymouth Michigan

Truly Memorable trip to France

First, let me thank you for all your work that resulted in a truly memorable trip to France. I’m still dreaming about it at night!! Also, a BIG thank you for the limo service to and from the airport that I understand from Doug was a gift from you. That made things soooo much easier, especially on the way home when we were all tired. The private tour of Normandy was phenomenal! Our guide was very knowledgeable and the lunch stop was incredible! Thank you! You made travel planning for a big trip effortless on our part, and made it seem effortless on yours. You responded promptly to phone calls or e-mails, even on days when you were not in the office, and when you returned the call you always had answers to questions previously asked or had researched options in response to our queries. You have spoiled us for ever attempting big-trip planning on our own, and we will use you again without question, even though we live 200 miles north of Plymouth.
Sandy F, Gaylord Michigan

Italian Family Vacation Success!

Ciao Melissa, Our efforts paid off big time. Everyone loved Italy-the sights, the food, the wine, the people, the hotels and, yes, the gelato exceeded our expectations. Our kids regretted not booking additional days. The best trip ever!!! Insight Vacations, the Italian Intermezzo and our Tour Director, Gloria Marchena were phenomenal. I would highly recommend them to your clients. My entire family would like to say to you, Melissa, and Travel Leaders "Grazie mille" Without your help, advice and patience this trip would not have been such a success. I will not consider anyone but you when planning our next trip. I am looking forward in working with you in the future. Have a great day!
Mike S. Plymouth, Michigan

My Reviews

53 of 84 people found this review helpful
Great choice!
Melissa was a great choice for planning our family trip to London! She is very knowledgeable, easy to work with, responded to questions/concerns very quickly, and gave honest and sincere advice/recommendations. Before we met her, I was trying to plan everything on my own and didn't realize all of the benefits of using a travel agent. We will work with her on any future travel plans!
By  Shannon  from  Huron Township, MI
Traveled to  London ~ England ~ Europe
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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46 of 73 people found this review helpful
Greece - breathtaking
We have booked two trips with Melissa: Greece and Costa Rica. Both trips were wonderful! It was so nice to be on vacation and know that all transportation and itineraries were already planned out. We were able to relax and enjoy the places and the people.
By  Michelle  from  Ferndale, MI
Traveled to  Greece ~ Europe
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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42 of 67 people found this review helpful
Great trip
Melissa handles all of the paperwork very well. She is prompt with emails. Even though there may be quite of few questions, she is answering all of them well.
By  Jason  from  DeWitt, Mi
Traveled to  England ~ Europe
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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44 of 72 people found this review helpful
She's the best
Melissa is the best. She was very informative and helpful throughout the whole planning process. There were a few deaths in my family during the planning process and she remained patient and in contact with us during that time. I highly recommend her for all your trip planning needs. I can't wait to book my next trip with her.
By  Angelya  from  Waterford
Traveled to  Punta Cana ~ Dominican Republic ~ Caribbean
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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43 of 71 people found this review helpful
Amazing trip!!
Melissa is wonderful to work with. She is so helpful and always willing to take extra time to get the coat and details perfect!
By  Tammy G  from  Grand Haven Michigan
Traveled to  Las Vegas ~ Nevada ~ USA
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
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Destination Expert:

  • England
  • Italy
  • Europe
  • Croatia
  • Scotland
  • London
  • Rome
  • Dubrovnik
  • Florence
  • Venice
  • Glasgow
  • United Kingdom

Travel Specialist:

  • Escorted Tours
  • European Culture
  • Family Vacations
  • Luxury
  • Historical Sites
  • River Cruises

Top Travel Partners:

  • CIE Tours
  • Kensington Tours
  • Central Holidays
  • Delta Vacations
  • Tauck
  • Avanti Destinations
  • Globus
  • Insight Vacations
  • Monograms
  • Rail Europe

Certifications/Awards:

  • B.S. in Journalism - Eastern Michigan University
  • Minor in Travel and Tourism - EMU
  • Kensington Booking Agent
  • Globus Tours Booking Specialist
  • CIE Tours Ireland Specialist

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Industry Affiliations:

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