Traveling as a Group: Headache or Great Idea
This can be hard enough when you are just planning for yourself, but the more people you add to this equation, the more messy it gets. If it is you and your significant other, finding activities you will both enjoy may be a challenge. With each person you add in, you have more likes and dislikes to consider. You also have to look into many other factors like attention span and limitations. Planning a vacation for a whole family or another large group can be maddening!
I am currently planning a trip to Chicago for my family (Mom, Dad, Boyfriend and possibly my sister) in mid July. I had planned a similar trip for my mother and I back at Christmas time. We had met in Chicago for a weekend of shopping. It was easy to plan because there were only two of us, and we had the same goal: to complete our Christmas shopping. This time around I have more people to keep in mind, and more obstacles to leap over. When I signed on to put this trip together I never would have imagined all the work that needed to go into it! I have so many things to keep track of! Sometimes it is best to put a few things in perspective before trying to plan a trip.
1) What are your expectations for the trip? What do you anticipate the trip looking like. Sometimes people just have differing ideas of how the average trip should look and cost. How are you getting there? How long are you staying? much will all of this cost? Little details like that can be deal breakers. How
When my mother and I first went to Chicago to Christmas shop, we had a blast. We knew my dad and my sister were disappointed because they were unable to go. My dad had only been to Chicago once, but he loved it. My sister and brother had never been to the city. Plus, my dad had been hinting for a while he would really like to take a train ride. When I was home for Christmas, we made tentative plans. We would take the train to Chicago for a couple days as a family. My brother was not able to get the time off work, and my sister had just started and internship that may not allow her to go wither, but my parents and I decided we would still go.
Taking the train would be cheaper than the gas money and tolls to get there, plus we wouldn’t have to pay for parking. My parents did not want to drive in the city, so we would use public transportation. That would save money too.
A few months later I asked my boyfriend to come with us. When I invited him, he thought I meant we would drive to Chicago, spend the day, and then drive home that night. He was very shocked when I told him our plan. He didn’t see how the train would save money. He didn’t want the added expense of a hotel. He wanted to be able to drive around the city. To him, his idea would save money. I was afraid he really might choose to decline our offer. Our idea of what the trip looked like differed from his ideas. In the end, he agreed to come along.
2) Is everyone doing their job? If you have the planning responsibilities broken up, is everyone following through? If another person does not do what they are supposed to do, this can have major (and sometimes expensive) effects.
Because of the costs, my mother and I decided to split up the responsibilities. Initially, I was supposed to find the hotel and book train reservations (from Indy to Chicago) for my boyfriend and myself. Mom was supposed to book the train reservations (from Toledo to Chicago) for my Dad, herself and possibly my sister. Later we decided we would all be leaving from Indianapolis, so Mom was now responsible for booking all the train reservations. She had the travel vouchers and the AAA, so it just made sense.
I went online, shopped around and found a hotel. I made the reservations and followed up with the hotel to put in requests for a certain type of room. I figured my mom would have made the train reservations shortly after I had secured us a place to stay. Instead, she kept putting it off. I kept explaining to her how Amtrak works. The fuller a train is, the more expensive the train fare is. The longer she waited to make her purchase, the more it would end up costing her. Plus, I did not want to find out that the train was sold out because she waited too long to make our reservations.
I called home every Sunday, and every Sunday I would ask if she had made the reservations. Every week she had another excuse. I was getting more and more worried that we would end up without train reservations at all.
3) What are your lodging needs? Make sure that you know the lodging preferences for all the members in your party. Just because you are all for the budget hotels or even a hostel, does not mean the rest of your group is the same way. Be sure to know the cost, types and preferred location of your lodging before you book.
I am a budget traveler. I do not have a huge amount of money to work with. I will admit I am a little past my hostelling phase, but I wouldn’t refuse to stay in one under the right circumstances. I can handle more European Style, less frilly accommodations. However, I am not all for dive hotels, or hotels that are not in the best neighborhoods. I am also okay with not being centrally located. I know that you can get cheaper, nicer hotels out by O’Hare airport. These usually require using public transit a great deal, and I will take you longer to get places. Still, I am all for them.
The rest of my family isn’t so lax. They aren’t expecting a five star hotel, but at least a three star, or a Holiday Inn at worst. They aren’t looking for huge rooms, room service, or even a pool, but they have some standards. Also, they are looking for something centrally located in The Loop (downtown Chicago). They want something that isn’t far from Union Station, and that is close to attractions and public transit. They don’t want to spend 45 minutes on the Blue line to get to their hotel after spending 4 hours on a train.
These are all things I had to keep in mind while I was booking our hotel. I had find something within our budget that was in The Loop, and at least a three star hotel. This was very difficult, but I managed to find something on Hotwire.
4) What do you want to do? This can also be tricky. You want everyone to have fun. If you only do what you want to do the whole time, there is a good chance that at least one other person will be bored. Make sure you are taking everyone’s interests into consideration when you plan your days.
We will only be in Chicago for two days. I have a list of all the things I want to do; however, my ideas may not go over so well with everyone. Most of my ideas involve shopping. My mom, my sister and my boyfriend all love to shop. That leaves my dad as the odd man out.
To try and remedy this, I am trying to think of things we can do that he will enjoy too. I am not too interested in going to Navy Pier, but I know my Dad really liked it there last time he visited. Even though it isn’t my idea of a good time, you can bet it is on my list of things to do. As I pick neighborhoods to visit, I try to find things that will interest him. Like I know he loves garage sales, flea markets and all things resembling them such as thrift stores. I have been searching for thrift stores and other things like antique malls and bookstores we can stop by so make the trip a little better for him.
5) Other factors that can complicate your trip. There are always other little details that complicate trip planning. Some of them are pre planning issues. Others are things you have to keep in mind once you have reached your destination.
Pre Planning issues can be stressful too. What if you book your trip on Hotwire and Priceline and after you book you discover they do not have a luggage hold area? That means if you arrive early or if your train or plane does not leave until well after check out you are responsible for your luggage. This can be a major headache! Little things can pop up and make planning your trip a bigger challenge.
There are also other things to keep in mind. Does anyone in your party have any medical conditions that will cause you to make changes to your plans? My dad is diabetic and so he has to eat at certain times because of his insulin. He also is on a strict diet because of the diabetes, so that will eliminate some dining choices. My dad has also had problems with his foot in the past. He wears a brace, but sometimes he has a hard time keeping up when walking. Sometimes he can only stand on is foot for a short period of time. Do we have a plan for this?
The weather can also hamper things. A little rain isn’t a problem. Torrential rains are a problem. Be prepared with a back up plan, or be prepared to “punt” if bad weather hits.
In the end the best thing to do is plan the best as you can, and then relax. Enjoy your time away from the office. Enjoy your time with your friends and family and even if things do not go exactly right, it will still be a worthwhile trip.
