Your burning Travel Your Tree genealogy and heritage travel questions answered!
Process & General Questions
How do I get started? Schedule a free consultation. (Link: Lisa’s Calendar) If you are a DIY’er, check out our blog page and YouTube Channel (Travel your Tree) (forthcoming in October 2020) for more tips & tricks. We also suggest a google search for “how to build a family tree” and you’ll find more free articles and videos with additional information.
What are your qualifications? Lisa is a graduate of the Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate Program (OL21) and a Certified Travel Advisor (CTA). We regularly attend continuing education for both genealogy and travel topics through online educational seminars, at professional conferences and research centers. We are happy to provide references of previous clients upon request. Lisa is an independent travel advisor with Nexion Travel Group (a division of powerhouse Travel Leaders). She is also a member of American Society of Travel Agents, Association of Professional Genealogists, National Genealogical Society and New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Where are you based, can we meet in person? We are based in Colorado and work with colleagues around the world. We can schedule a Skype or Zoom conference call with multiple locations so all interested family members can join in. We travel a lot, so if we can set up an in-person meeting. We would welcome the opportunity! Schedule a complimentary consultation HERE.
Which DNA test should I order? With so many great low-cost testing opportunities on the market, we get asked this question a lot! It depends on what you want to find out from the testing and your budget. Please read our blog post about which DNA test kit to choose for some basic rules of thumb.
What are your fees? Initial consultations are complimentary (Link: Lisa’s Calendar). Your project is as unique as you are. Fees are determined once the scope of work is clarified. Please see the services pages for genealogy and travel for more detailed information on packages and fees. If the research project isn’t a surprise gift, share your plans with other family members, they may be willing to pitch in and fund even more research than you had planned. There are several crowdfunding websites you can use to manage this.
How do I pay? We accept payment by check or credit card via online payment system Square.com. When the invoice is generated a link for online payment will be included. We require a deposit or partial payment payment to begin research or planning work. If you are splitting the cost with other/multiple family members we are happy to split the invoice among multiple people ($5.00 transaction fee per additional invoice applies).
Genealogy Questions
Who performs the research? We perform the research in-house, however, depending on where the records reside, we may subcontract with one of our genealogy partners located around the globe. In any case, we will be your project manager and single point of contact for the duration of the project.
Where do you research? We have personally conducted research in the United States, Europe and online. If there is a geographic area that we don’t have expertise in, we will manage the work with a qualified, trusted colleague and spell that out clearly in a proposal.
What if you don’t cover the area where my family is from? If we need to engage the services of one of our genealogy colleagues, we will spell this out clearly ahead of time and ask for your agreement to the research plan.
You are based in the United States, how do you research overseas? Depending on what and where the research is focused, either we perform the research ourselves or subcontract with one of our genealogy partners located around the globe. We will be your project manager and single point of contact for the duration of the project.
When I hire you for genealogy research, what do I receive? A fully-sourced report outlining the assignment, findings, sources and recommendations for any future research. A standard pedigree chart is also included for research projects on lineage.
Do you guarantee genealogy research results? Never. After a scope of services is defined, based upon our experience, or our extended team of genealogists will develop a research plan of sources to search where we believe your ancestor may appear. This does not guarantee we will find your relative and if anyone else is guaranteeing you that, you should think twice about hiring them.
Travel Questions
My research is completed, can you provide assistance with travel planning only? Yes. We specialize in custom trips to Europe that address your goals, interests and desired experiences. We provide fee-based trip planning consultation for USA heritage travel. We do not book vacations in the United States that are not related to ancestral heritage (such as Disney). Please see the services page to learn more about the travel services we offer.
Do you offer public or private tours? At the moment, we are not offering any public tours and have pulled our 2021 tours from our site. We do organize private tours for couples, families, and groups. We have trusted travel partners we work with to provide these services or for an additional fee we can come along as your Heritage Concierge and ensure all the details are flowing as planned and be on hand to handle anything unexpected. Please read more about our travel, groups, Reunions on the Road and research services on the services page.
What is a “Reunion on the Road”? When a group of related individuals want to travel together and experience the places their ancestors lived, the food they ate, the traditions they practiced, and the landscapes they traveled through. It can be a journey in itself or an extension of a larger vacation. If you are coordinating the gathering for your family, we are available to accompany you and escort your group as a tour director and genealogy concierge so you can sit back and enjoy! Schedule a complimentary consultation HERE
Can you assist me with a Europe trip without genealogy services? Absolutely! Tailor-made travel to Europe is one of our specialties.
Do you offer travel insurance? Yes! We facilitate quotes from various insurance suppliers but most often use TravelGuard. If you’d like us to assist with getting answers to your insurance questions please call or email Lisa HERE. If you’d like to peruse TravelGuard’s policies click HERE for insurance information.
What about COVID-19, when will travel begin again? We are itching to get back and explore more of Europe as soon as visitors from the United States are allowed to do so. We track the opening of countries through United Staes Department fo State and check country webpages HERE. Please consult your physician regarding where you plan to travel and your unique health risks associated with travel to those destinations. Travel Your Tree and its parent company Lisa’s Travel Guides do not dispense medical advice.