About
VS1 Travels is a full-service travel agency based in Chicago, helping our clients travel the world.
We specialize in group travel, destination weddings, and celebration travel, including everything from family reunions and birthdays to graduations, honeymoons, and romantic escapes.
our MISSION
Helping you travel the world, creating the best memories
At VS1 Travels, we hope to inspire you and your loved ones to make travel a priority, cherishing the time you have together. Through travel, we learn so much about ourselves and the culture around us, which is why we are dedicated to helping our clients travel the world.
with the people that matter
Our Team
Samantha magante
Our founder, Samantha (Sam), is a global traveler - taking a gap year in 2017 to travel the world and has been to all 7 continents, over 60 countries and 36 US states to date. She started VS1 Travels to share her love of travel with her clients and help them explore the world in their own ways. With her global expertise and attention to detail, your next trip will be full of lifetime memories.
Anya’s mindset revolves around transforming ideas and words into compelling stories and memorable moments. As a travel advisor, she specializes in making those hopes and desires to travel into tangible, personal adventures, crafting avenues that leads her clients towards unique and meaningful experiences that last a lifetime.
Lauren weaves her love for travel into personalized and immersive experiences for her clients. Whether it's curating off-the-beaten-path adventures or crafting cultural escapades, Lauren's knack for detail and her infectious enthusiasm make her a sought-after travel advisor.
anya charles
lauren germann
you might be asking yourself...
”What does VS1 mean?”
Well, it is rooted back to our founder’s first venture, VS1 Events (an event planning company), where Samantha and her two besties (who in high school dubbed themselves as “Diamond Girls” , complete with matching tattoos) were on a mission to find a name that captured the essence of diamonds without calling it “Diamond Events”...and thought using the diamond clarity scale would be unique.
Looking at the top of the scale, “Flawless” is the ultimate goal, but it’s a bit ambitious. Then “Internally Flawless”, doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, haha. Then there’s VVS1 and VVS2, which they agreed were too complicated. And finally they arrived at VS1...which is considered to be a blend of high quality and value. And that is how VS1 Events was born - leading to the creation of VS1 Travels as the dedicated travel planning arm.
Your at-a-glance guide to where we stand on all the truly important things.
THE QUIZ
Favorite indulgence
Sam: Bread pudding & pecan pie
Anya: Expanding my sundress collection
Lauren: Ice Cream
celeb i'd love to meet
Sam: Kim Soo-hyun (iykyk, haha)
Anya: Emma Watson
Lauren: Blake Lively or Chris Martin
Guilty pleasure
Sam: Hotdogs and pizza
Anya: K-dramas / romcoms
Lauren: Bakery pastries
alternate universe job:
Sam: Is being Oprah an option?! She's done it all!
Anya: Bestselling fiction novelist (I love to read and write)
Lauren: Travel explorer / researcher / writer
favorite place i've been:
S: New Zealand (South Island) & Barcelona
A: This is impossible to answer! If I had to choose..Iceland, India, and Indonesia
L: Nepal! Or just about anywhere in South America
drink of choice
Sam: Whiskey, cognac, or tequila neat or on the rocks
Anya: Irish Maiden cocktail
Lauren: Craft beer
can't live without
Sam: my hubby and traveling
A: (serious) my people! family & friends; (fun) house plants
Lauren: The current book I'm reading
usually craving
Sam: Another adventure...and spicy food
Anya: Thai food
Lauren: Any type of international food
beach vs mountains
Sam: Mountain!!
Anya: Another hard one, I think I'll have to go with mountain
Lauren: Mountain all the way (I LOVE hiking!)
favorite show to binge
Sam: K-dramas, LOL.
A: Bridgerton or Friends
L: Whatever people watched 5 years ago that I'm just now catching up on
