You know, traveling doesn’t have to be just a couple or a family of Mom, Dad, and the kids.
- What about traveling with extended family?
- Do you have a group of friends that have talked about going on a trip together?
- Do you belong to a special interest group, like a car enthusiasts club, a book club, or a wine club?
- Do you belong to a church or a faith-based group?
There are some definite benefits of traveling with a group and a variety of travel styles that you can take advantage of.
The Benefits of Group Travel
Reduced Cost
With groups, there are available price incentives. These can include discounted prices for all attendees, reduced costs for amenities on board an ocean cruise, or reduced ocean cruise excursion costs. Some river cruise operators offer significant savings for groups on select cruises – sometimes as much as 30% off the regular rate.
Additional Amenities
These can include reduced drink packages on a cruise, private events and excursions, or other amenities. With some villa rentals, you can have a private butler or chef join you.
Customized Itineraries
With escorted tours and cruises, you have the luxury of having someone else take care of the driving. With a group, you not only have that luxury, but you can also create your own itinerary.
Custom Groups
In this category, virtually everything is possible. We can create a tour entirely to your specifications. Do you want to stay in an Italian Villa in Tuscany or on the shores of Lake Como? Do you want to visit the Malt Whisky Trail in Scotland, or visit sites related to the Outlander series or the Downton Abbey sites?
Bottom line is that we can create trip for your group when you want, where you want, with what you want to do.
These groups typically work best with a minimum of 16 people, sharing 8 rooms.
Travel Style Options Available for Groups
Escorted Tours
Most tour operators like Trafalgar and Globus offer options for groups. These options include the ability for a group to travel within a regularly scheduled tour. With enough people on the tour, you can also have the option to have them create a separately scheduled departure exclusively for your group.
There are also options where tour operators have created tour itineraries specifically for extended families or faith-based groups.
River Cruises
Most river cruise operators offer options for minimum groups of ten (five staterooms). With larger groups, there can be options for a dedicated motor coach, special events onboard, and special excursions.
Ocean Cruises
Like river cruises, ocean cruises offer special options for groups, like private meeting spaces, private events and private excursions.
Custom Groups
In this category, virtually everything is possible. We can create a tour entirely to your specifications. Do you want to stay in an Italian Villa in Tuscany or on the shores of Lake Como? Do you want to visit the Malt Whisky Trail in Scotland, or visit sites related to the Outlander series or the Downton Abbey sites?
Bottom line is that we can create trip for your group when you want, where you want, with what you want to do.
These groups typically work best with a minimum of 16 people, sharing 8 rooms.
Some common questions about group trips
How many people are required in a group?
The minimum number of people required will depend on many factors, but for River Cruises, the minimum is 10 (5 staterooms). Some escorted tour companies will require a minimum of 16. For custom private groups, I recommend a minimum of 16.
What is the process to arrange a group trip?
Creating and booking a group trip typically involves the following process:
- Identify the group and determine the type of travel (cruise, escorted tour, etc) and itinerary.
- Confirm the minimum number of participants.
- There will typically be a required deposit to hold the spaces for the group. This is required within 1-2 weeks after a contract is created.
- The names of all participants are then collected, and accommodations are assigned.
- A second deposit is required at the time of the registration.
- Full payment will then be required before the trip. This deadline will vary but is always at least 60 – 90 days before the trip.
What is the time requirement to plan a trip?
The further in advance to start the process, the better. Twelve to eighteen months in advance is not unreasonable. The first 3 – 6 months can be spent getting the group together and an agreed-upon itinerary.
Also, keep in mind for cruises and escorted tours, the closer you get to the trip date, the less availability there will be, especially in high-demand months. This is even true for custom private groups. Hotel availability and the price of accommodations will be affected by the time of year and the time until the trip.
That said, there are opportunities for excellent cost savings in certain cases. For example, one River Cruise company I work with has select sailings in the current year with savings potentials of as much as 30% off the regular fare.
How do we start?
Well, the first step is to talk with me about what you would like to do. Click the button below to let me know you are interested.
