Forget what you know about
about
traditional
travel agencies.
inauthentic, cookie-cutter, commission-focused trips?
No, thank you!
I never used a travel agent before starting a travel business of my own
here's the deal
Why?
Because I wanted something unique. Something exciting.
Something that would let me truly feel the vibe of my destination.
And definitely not something that could be picked out of some glossy travel brochure.
And it turns out, I wasn't alone.
Plenty of people over the years expressed to me that
they wanted to travel, but didn't know where to start.
Just beginning the planning process was wildly overwhelming:
"How do I know if I'm picking a good flight?"
"How do I decide what to see in a limited timeframe?"
"How do I find the destinations, accommodations, and things to do that align with my interests?"
"How do I know if I'm getting the best bang for my buck?"
But they still liked the idea of
independent exploration away from a pre-packaged itinerary.
So in that regard, a traditional travel agency was out.
and thus, jlj travel was born
My approach to travel planning is a little different than the average travel agency model:
no.1
All of my trips are built from scratch - 100% custom to each client.
No run-of-the-mill packages here!
no.2
I do not make recommendations based on commission. My upfront planning fee ensures you aren't getting pushed something mediocre just because there's $$ incentive.
no.3
I plan my trips based on real, on-the-ground experience, thorough research and advice from locals. This ensures my clients aren't just hopping from tourist trap to tourist trap.
Meet Your Travel Designer
Jillian Gibas
Born-and-raised Wisconsin girl with a love of exploration, Jillian started JLJ Travel after noticing an enormous hole in the world of travel planning.
Fun fact: the JLJ stands for "Jet Lagged Jill", the name of her former travel story blog.
Over the last 10+ years, she has perfected the art of creating well-balanced, independent travel itineraries that allow visitors to experience their destination away from the packaged tour groups and cruise ship hordes.
And while she certainly adores luxury travel, Jillian also has an undeniable thirst for adventure - perhaps, a most notable example being when she spent 2.5 years living and traveling the U.S. full-time in an RV and converted van with her husband and two cats.
Her favorite part of visiting a new place is trying the local food and drink, and if the destination is known for its wine, she's especially happy.
