Next Time Do It With a Group

Have you ever gone on vacation with your spouse/partner or immediate family and seen groups just having a great time and wondering wow wouldn't that be fun. Let me tell you yes it is, lets face it if you have someone who just likes to lounge by the pool and you want to check out all the amenities of your resort or cruise ship, you end up by yourself. Then lets talk kids, you can lead one to a kids/teen club but you can't make them participate, and then don't you always dread that they will sulk about friends back home and turn into trip killers. No you don't want to be that person yelling I spent X number of dollars, have fun! Or you would just like to get away with friends and let dad hold the fort down for awhile. Tired of spending the holidays with pots & pans instead of your family? Why not gather everyone and go somewhere, enjoy time with them and let someone take care of you.

What are great ways for groups to travel? All inclusive resorts, cruises of any type and tours. Don't like the idea of a big bus tour, go with a tour designed just for your group. And you don't have to have a huge amount of people to do this cost effectively. Big cruise ship not your cup of tea, how about renting a yacht complete with captain, crew and cook for a week?

Here are a few ideas for you;

Want to show those kids/grandkids the world? Yes there are companies that specialize in this, so everyone has a great time and they keep the kids engaged with activities like a scavenger hunt at the Louvre.

Looking for a girls getaway plus a little holiday shopping, A Christmas market river cruise either on the Danube or Rhine, where you'll be able to find unique items to give to your loved ones.

Have a bunch of friends that are Downton Abbey fans, why not play the part by sailing to England on the Queen Mary 2. Have afternoon tea, dress for dinner and pretend your Lady Mary. Then spend a few days in London and head out for a tour of Highclere Castle.

I know you are thinking this would be all a big headache to put together, and you don't have time to herd cats. That's where a group travel professional comes in, they know who to work with to give you the trip you want and answer all those questions that will arise. This leaves you to just be able to count the days till your departure. Give me a call, professional cat herder(aka group specialist) and let's get your group on!

What You Should Be Talking About Over the Holiday Dinner

Yes, it's that time of year when extended families gather for various holiday meals.  And instead of
the usual banter across the crescent rolls, why not bring up the idea of a family trip. Is there a family member celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary in the coming year and they would rather spend time and make memories with their loved ones than get gifts.  Kids/grandkids graduating from high school or college, that last big gathering before your baby leaves the nest. Or perhaps the chief cooks, who secretly are annoyed of having to spend days in the kitchen and would like to take a break and have someone else cook the holiday meal with all the trimmings next year.

This is a great place to bring up the idea, everyone is usually in a good mood(this maybe a great trick to get the tweens/teens to put the phones down for just a short time and interact without the sulky face). And planning this far in advance allows everyone to check their schedules to see when is a good time for them.

So you come up with a great plan, who's going to handle all this? They're your family/friends but you know them, and trying to do this yourself, with all you have on your plate is too much. But someone has to be the "leader" or the trip will never get off the ground. So how do you keep from herding cats and just have to sit back and count the days till departure. Call a travel professional, like myself. A good one, wants to get to know your groups likes/dislikes and will come up with ideas that fit your budget and travel style. Also we can tell you that a certain location may not work with your timeframe to go and suggest a different one. Once you pick the trip, we are the ones that handle all those details like booking flights, making sure staterooms are close together for families and I know you have at least one person who has more questions than you can shake a stick at. We'll be the ones   getting the answers. We can present to the group to save you your voice from explaining it multiple times. So what are you waiting for?

Guided Tours: Why They Are For You

       Every year at this time, the American travel industry produces statistics showing that fewer Americans are travelling  internationally; at the same time more of us want to travel abroad.  The reasons given in these surveys for not traveling include lack of time, complexity of planning a trip, and perceptions of cultural and safety concerns.  What tens of thousands of Americans are discovering each year is a great way  to enjoy their international travels, and that alleviates many of their reasons they did not travel, guided tours.  This popular method of international travel that offers many benefits to travel and they really do suit the purposes of a lot of travelers.  Here are some of the more popular reasons you should consider taking a guided to for you next international vacation.

Hassle Free Planning
       Planning for a foreign vacation can take a great deal of time and sometimes, seem never ending.  Where to go, how to get around, where to stay, what to see,  what will everyone eat, who to talk to for help; the lists of tasks never end.  For many people, this can be tiresome, irritating, and stressful.  Taking a guided tour means removing all the hassle of the planning stage.  Someone will work for you and handle the details, while you concentrate on what you want; exploring, learning, eating, drinking, shopping, and having fun.

Time
       With only 2 weeks on average of vacation, and flying to your destination often taking a whole day or more; many Americans may not have the time or they can not make independent travel work for them. This is where guided tours with the leading tour companies can prove to be a great choice for those who want to see as much as possible in a short amount of time.  They allow you to maximize the time you can spend seeing and experiencing the sites on your vacation and minimizing the the time lost on the uncertainties of travel, like figuring out where to go or how to get there.  A quick tip on choosing a tour: try limiting the number of countries you visit so you can experience more of the culture of your destination.

Comfort Levels
       For many Americans, the thought of traveling to a foreign country with their different cultures and languages, makes them nervous.  A lot of travelers, especially when first beginning their around the world adventures, start with guided tours.  This helps them to adjust to this new lifestyle, slowly stretching the comfort zones out until they feel confident enough to take it on themselves.  For some people the thought of trying to order food in a foreign country causes them to become nervous.  Instead of never leaving the house, a guided tour would be a great way to travel with in their comfort zone limit

Meeting People
       Meeting people in another country can be intimidating to some.  Tours allow you to meet new people who share a similar interest to you and to develop new friendships with others who all shared a common travel memory.  This can also be very reassuring to those shy folks who might not be so great at getting out there and meeting people on their own.

Insider Information
       Guided tours are a great way to visit a historic site or that cultural experience on your vacation.  Tours are a great way to learn more about the place you are visiting, instead of walking around trying to read it from a guide book while you are there.  Guided tours are a great way for someone to point out certain features for you, tell you stories about the area and relay the important information.  In addition, certain tours will offer you certain benefits at popular sites not offered to the general public, like early entrance or private tours.  Guided tours are a great way to sit back, absorb the area you are in and allow someone else to tell you all about it.

Safety
       Many people fear travel as they believe the world is unsafe.  A guided tour may give a person like this the opportunity to travel as they feel much safer.  There is always someone  watching their back and people who they can turn to for help and for comfort when feeling afraid.  By itself, foreign travel is extremely safe, but for many people they want the safety of numbers.