Dave Bonnel

(36 Reviews)
100% Recommended

Lawrence, KS

Email me Call Me

Director of Group Travel

Dave Bonnel

Director of Group Travel

Ph. 785.842.4000

dave@lawrencetravelco.com

Hey there! I’m Dave, and if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love bringing people together through travel. It’s not just my job—it’s my happy place!

For over 25 years, I’ve been designing unforgettable trips for all kinds of groups—students, businesses, families, alumni, and more. Whether it's a high school language class exploring Europe, a university alumni group reconnecting in an incredible destination, or a company rewarding employees with a bucket-list getaway, I handle all the details so you can focus on the experience.

I don’t just plan trips—I can lead them! I’ve personally escorted groups to the UK, Mexico, Greece, Egypt, Iceland, and even domestic destinations like New England or Alaska. That firsthand experience means I know what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to making group travel seamless and as stress-free as possible.

From cruises and guided tours to all-inclusive resorts and custom itineraries, I make sure your group gets the perfect trip—without the planning headaches. Need someone to travel with the group and handle logistics? I can do that too! If you're thinking about organizing a group trip but aren't sure where to start, let’s chat. I’ll help turn your vision into an exciting adventure that everyone will rave about for years to come!

My Travel Albums

Egypt

View Album

England, Ireland and Wales

View Album

Customer Testimonials

Family Vacation

Our experience with Travel Leaders has been excellent. Dave gave us more information and tips on places to stay and things to do then we could have imagined. He was extremely helpful and contacted us via email and phone several times during the process of getting reservations set up. He never hesitated to answer a question or find out the answer to a question if it was one he did not already know. My wife and I would highly recommend him for any travel related plans where some expert advice and assistance is needed.

Tommy, Taos, NM

Oceania Cruises and St. Andrews!

My wife and I recently returned from a two-week journey bookended by stays in Istanbul and Venice, with an Oceania Cruise connecting those two cities by way of the Greek Isles and several Adriatic ports, and Travel Leaders did a five-star job in arranging passage on Oceania, setting up the necessary flights from Dulles International to Istanbul and back, setting up a guide service for us in Istanbul and Ephesus, and overseeing the details for the entire trip. The best recommendation we can give Travel Leaders---and our travel manager there, Dave Bonnel---is this: we have called on Dave and Travel Leaders to arrange our trip next summer (2015) for a tour of Scotland that includes golf at four courses and two days at the Open Championship at St. Andrews.

William, Washington DC

True Travel Expert!

We've worked with Dave at Travel Leaders twice and had phenomenal experiences both times. He's organized, responsive, efficient and he's a true travel expert. I appreciate that I can give him a general outline of the vacation I'm imagining and he makes thoughtful recommendations that are right on point. Booking travel online is really accessible these days, but also comes with a lot of risks. I will continue to use Travel Leaders because they always find the most competitive pricing and I know they'll be there to address all of my questions & concerns.

Amanda, Overland Park KS

My Reviews

38 of 64 people found this review helpful

Dave is amazing

Dave is amazing. He was able to go take exactly what we wanted in a vacation and make it a reality. We are very happy we booked our vacation with Dave!

By Bacon from Lawrence, Ks
Traveled to Negril ~ Jamaica ~ Caribbean

I would recommend this agent to my family and friends

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30 of 49 people found this review helpful

European Bucket List

Dave saw to every detail and made our trip much more enjoyable!

By D E Smith from Topeka, Kansas
Traveled to Eastern Europe ~ Europe

I would recommend this agent to my family and friends

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30 of 49 people found this review helpful

2018 Italy

At the first meeting, he took time to get to know us and listened to our wishes. His knowledge of the areas we wanted to travel was top notch. He responded to our phone calls and emails in a very timely manner. He also gave us his contact information, if we needed to reach him during the trip. The itinerary booklet he prepared for us was exceptional and we referred to it as our "travel Bible" every day. Our accommodations were perfect. I would highly recommend him for anyone planning an adventure. The fee for this service was very reasonable. All his planning and coordinating gave us the opportunity to enjoy each and every day of the trip! I know we will definitely use him again! Keep up the good work, Dave and thank you!

By Mimi from Lenexa, Kansas
Traveled to Italy ~ Europe

I would recommend this agent to my family and friends

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21 of 32 people found this review helpful