Pick two or three things that matter
Choose the experiences you would miss most: historical sites, food, contemporary cities, family time or a particular personal interest. A trip has a finite number of full days after arrival, departure and transfers.
Count usable days
Write down flight arrival and departure times before assigning cities. Mark each intercity move as a real task, including packing, station or airport procedures and the final connection to your hotel. Avoid treating travel days as full sightseeing days.
Describe your constraints
Share group size, walking comfort, language needs, fixed appointments and hotel preferences. A rough budget and whether it covers international flights are more useful than an unexplained number. It is fine to be undecided.
Prepare the practical layer
Check entry conditions through official channels, prepare a payment backup, confirm that your phone and connectivity plan will work, and save your hotel address in a form you can show locally. These are separate tasks from selecting a travel agency.
Ask for a comparable proposal
Request clear hotel nights and room types, transport, guide language and hours, inclusions, exclusions, contracting party and cancellation rules. Leave uncertain resources labeled as such until the agency confirms them.