You tell us how you want to travel. We do the planning, the vetting and the problem-solving, from the first call to the flight home.
Planning a private journey with Magical Private Travel takes seven steps, from a free conversation with a planner to 24/7 support on the ground in Spain, Portugal or Morocco. Your first itinerary carries no planning fee, a 25% deposit confirms the trip, and the balance is due 30 days before your journey begins. We suggest starting at least four to six months ahead. Private journeys start from $884 per person per day, based on double occupancy, excluding flights.
At a glance. Reply within one business day · First itinerary: no planning fee, no obligation · Confirm with a 25% deposit · Balance due 30 days before your journey · Booked through our U.S. company · 24/7 support in clear English
“Hi from Europe. After planning luxury travel from Iberia since 2002, we have key relationships across our destinations and the judgment to tailor trips wisely for our discerning clients. Get our experience, relationships and insider savvy on your side. See our reviews and request a custom itinerary.”
American Founder · Iberia-Based Travel Specialist · Travel Leaders Network member
As featured in USA Today, & Euro Business News · Game of Thrones location consultant
What are the seven steps of the Magical Method?
Every journey follows the same seven steps. The order stays fixed, and everything inside it is shaped around you.
1. A conversation with a planner, not a sales pitch
It starts with a relaxed call or video chat with one of our planners, at a time that suits you. We ask how you like to travel, who is coming, what you love and what you would rather skip, along with a budget range, so the journey we design is one you will want to take. Expect candor. If a famous hotel has thin walls, or a celebrated sight feels crowded at noon, we tell you and suggest a better choice. Send us your dates and you hear back within one business day, or pick a time on our calendar.
2. Your first itinerary, at no charge
Your planner designs a day-by-day itinerary around your dates and pace: the route, the hotels, your licensed guides and the experiences, from a chef-led market morning to a light hike with the finest views. Each experience is an option, so you pay only for what fits you. Once your trip is clearly defined, your first itinerary usually arrives within three to five business days, depending on its complexity. We refine the plan together until it reads like your trip. Your first itinerary carries no planning fee and no obligation.
3. The invisible work: vetting, access and timing
While you review the plan, we do the work you never see. We choose guides for their experience, knowledge and engaging personalities, not their egos. We vet hotels for location, service and the room category you prefer, reserve timed entries for the quiet hours, and book the tables locals keep for themselves. Most of the guides, winemakers, chefs and drivers we call on have worked with us season after season, so a change of plan takes one phone call.
4. Confirm with a 25% deposit through our U.S. company
When the plan feels right, we send a secure invoice from our U.S.-based payment partner. A 25% deposit confirms your journey, and the balance is due 30 days before your first service date, or in full at confirmation if you book inside 30 days. We accept all major American credit cards and bank wires in USD or euro, with no percentage fee added. Magical Private Travel is a U.S. LLC, planned from Europe, so you book with an American company under clear booking terms. Comprehensive travel insurance is required for journeys of $5,000 or more.
5. Fine-tuning and final documents
Your plan stays open after you book. Add a winery visit, swap a museum for a hike or move a dinner, subject to availability. Behind the scenes, we coordinate the 10 to 20 professionals who touch your trip, from licensed guides and drivers to hoteliers and chefs. Your final schedule, contacts and travel documents arrive 7 to 10 days before arrival.
6. 24/7 support in clear English while you travel
From the moment you land, our bilingual team, led by Rachel Harris, our partner and director of operations, answers day and night, with local teams in Lisbon and Marrakech. If a flight runs late or the weather turns, we rework the day around you. Since 2002, Magical Private Travel has never canceled a journey.
7. Welcome home, and first access
Once you are home, we check in to hear how it went. Past travelers get first access to new journeys as we add destinations beyond Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
How do you want your journey to feel?
Our sample trips are a starting point. Tell us your dates and what you love. Your first itinerary carries no planning fee and no obligation, and you’ll hear back within one business day.
Start planningHow long does planning take, from first call to departure?
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Within one business day | A planner replies to your inquiry |
| At a time that suits you | Your conversation with a planner |
| Three to five business days, once your trip is clearly defined | Your first itinerary arrives |
| When you approve | A 25% deposit confirms your journey |
| 30 days before your journey begins | The balance is due |
| 7 to 10 days before arrival | Final schedule and travel documents |
| On the ground | 24/7 support in clear English |
How far ahead should you start planning?
Starting at least four to six months ahead suits most journeys. For April to June, September and October and the year-end holidays, start earlier, since the most sought-after guides and the best rooms book first. Hotels, like airlines, use dynamic pricing, so rates rise with demand. A higher price marks a popular week, not a poor time to travel. We also plan journeys at shorter notice.
What does a private journey cost?
Private journeys start from $884 per person per day, based on double occupancy, excluding flights, and from $998 for journeys that combine two or three countries. That covers your tailor-made planning, private touring with licensed guides, a vetted deluxe four-star hotel, dinner reservations and 24/7 support. Five-star hotels, private dinners and special access raise the figure. Your planner prices the itinerary around the experiences you choose. Browse private journeys in Spain, Portugal, Morocco or Spain and Portugal together.
How is your journey protected?
You book with Magical Private Travel, a U.S. LLC, through a U.S.-based merchant account, under written booking terms. We are members of Travel Leaders Network and ASTA, the American Society of Travel Advisors, and accredited by CLIA. Comprehensive travel insurance, required for journeys of $5,000 or more, covers cancellation, interruption, medical care and evacuation. Since 2002 we have never canceled a journey, and our team answers 24/7 while you travel.
Why plan with a specialist instead of booking it yourself?
A private journey through Spain, Portugal or Morocco depends on dozens of bookings that rely on each other: a train that meets a driver, a guide timed to an entry slot, a table held for a late dinner. Our planners do this work every day. You get the access our relationships open, the judgment of people who know which hotel suits which traveler, and one team to call if anything changes. Nearly 17,000 American travelers have journeyed with us since 2002.
Who plans your journey?
Your journey is planned by our team, led by founder Dan O’Beirne, an American in Europe since 1998. Planned from Europe. American precision with local expertise.
A message from our founder
Frequently asked questions about planning with us
How long does it take to receive a first itinerary?
Once your trip is clearly defined, with your dates, who is traveling and what you love, your first itinerary usually arrives within three to five business days, depending on the complexity of the trip. Groups still settling their plans take longer, and your planner keeps pace with you.
Is there a fee for the first itinerary?
Under normal conditions, no. Your planner designs your first itinerary at no charge and with no obligation, and payment starts only when you approve the plan and confirm with a 25% deposit. For exceptionally complex journeys or late bookings, we may ask for a planning retainer that reflects the expert time involved, and we always agree it with you before any work begins.
When do we pay?
A 25% deposit confirms your journey. The balance is due 30 days before your first service date, or in full at confirmation if you book inside 30 days.
Is travel insurance required?
Yes, for journeys of $5,000 or more, and we strongly recommend equivalent coverage below that amount. Comprehensive coverage for cancellation, interruption, medical care and evacuation protects the commitments made on your behalf.
Can we change the itinerary after we book?
Yes. Your planner keeps fine-tuning the details with you until departure, subject to availability. A change of dates or destination counts as a cancellation and rebooking under our booking terms.
Are flights included?
International flights are not included. Flights and trains between cities are included when your itinerary lists them, and your planner advises on the best routes.
Do you run group tours?
No. Every journey is private, for you and your own family or friends.
What happens if something goes wrong during the trip?
Our bilingual team answers 24/7 and reworks the plan around you, whether a flight runs late or the weather turns.
More answers on our FAQ page.
