FamilyTravelBlog

Save Money by Taking Private Tours??!!

When we travel to new countries we almost always arrange private tours to visit local spots instead of taking group tours.  Sounds expensive, but it's not.  In fact, it's frequently less expensive and always better suited to our needs.

Most group tours charge per person.  However, it's usually quite easy to visit the same (or better places) with your own private guide and driver.  Since private tours are usually priced by the hour, families of four or more can frequently spend less going private than they would paying per person.

For example, we are currently planning a trip to Costa Rica.  Our hotel is happy to arrange for us to go on a group tour of Palo Verde National Park for $105 per person.  (It's a 2 hour+ drive each way).  That's $420 for a family of four.  On the other hand, I asked what they would charge to get us a driver and private tour guide for the day to take us to the same spot.  The charge is $260 for the day plus $40 per person.  For our family of four, that adds up to the same $420 for a private tour.

Private tours hold a lot of advantages for families.

1. You can schedule your adventures in small increments-- maybe 3 hours one day and 4 the next instead of a blistering 7 hour day that is a surefire way to get the kids crabby.

2. Your kids can get explanations at their level and at their pace instead of tagging along on an adult-oriented excursion.

3. You can visit the off-the-beaten track places whenever you want and skip the touristy spots.  One of our favorite things to do is to stop at a grocery store and check them out.  We were amazed at all of the totally unique types of animals available for sale in Chinese grocery stores and the many aisles of yogurt in the French hypermarket.  Often we have more fun in the grocery stores than we do at the usual tourist attractions.

4. You get to form a friendship with your guide.  We can't always remember the sites we've seen, but we usually remember the guides and their stories.  How they got their name (like "Apple" in China) or what life is like for them (how long it takes them and how they get to work).

So, how do you arrange a private tour?  I usually ask the hotel to arrange it for me.  But, you have to be specific.  Let them know the type of guide you are looking for (e.g., I usually ask for someone with teaching experience), where you want to go (no tourist traps) and how long you need the guide and driver (I always try to limit excursions to a half day with kids).

If your hotel can't help you, you can probably find good sources online (e.g., a google search on "tour operator" for whatever location will get you plenty of places to start.  Of course, a personal referral or review at tripadvisor.com is always nice to have as a way to check credibility.

Creating a Great Itinerary

It used to be that you needed a great travel agent to give you advice on what to do once you get to your destination.  Now there are millions of people willing to give you good advice-- just check out websites like tripadvisor.com.  But, you don't even need to get this advice to come up with an initial game plan.

To come up with our itinerary, I usually do these four things. . .  in total this could take just a couple of hours:

1. I usually start by checking out where Abercrombie and Kent take their (in-the-know) customers in the given country.  So, for example, when we went to Australia, I nearly copied their itinerary exactly (except for a few places that were a little pricey).

2. I read highlights from my favorite travel guides (for adults), the Eyewitness Travel Guides.  So far, they've had a great book for every destination we've visited.

3. I ask friends who have been to the country what they enjoyed

4. I email the concierge at our hotels and ask them for suggestions.  I tell them our kids' ages and what are interests are.  I am always careful, though with this source.  Many of their suggestions will be very touristy, package deals.  So, this is the least reliable of the sources.

I usually make a fancy chart, just like a tour company would do for us with our day-by-day plan and all the important contact/confirmation information.  But, I'm always ready at a moment's notice to ditch the plan if something better comes along.  Spontaneity can often produce adventures that are better than those we can plan months in advance.

Right Time, Right Place?

Before making a decision on a destination, here are a few things I check out and how I get the answers.

1. Is it the right time of year to visit (rainy season, winter vs. summer, special holidays)

To answer the weather question, I usually go to www.weather.com and check out the monthly averages for temperatures and rainfall.  To find out about national holidays, I usually consult a guidebook.  You can also look online at the national tourist bureau's website. If you get to a destination and it's a major holiday, you may not be able to see all the sites you had hoped to visit.  On the otherhand, it can be really interesting.  We were lucky to be in Thailand for the New Year celebration when everyone lines the streets and splashes water on everyone else.  The kids had a blast.  But, it's good to know what you are in for in advance.

2. Is it safe?

The US State Department (http://travel.state.gov/) has an overview for every country as well as travel "alerts" and "warnings". 

I sometimes wonder, if we will be flying within the country, if the airlines are safe.  That can be checked out at sites like this one  http://www.airsafe.com/.

3. Do we have the right vaccines? Or, am I willing to get the vaccines that are needed?

That question can be easily answered with a visit to the CDC's website http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationList.aspx and a call to your doctor's office. 

4. Can my frequent flier miles get me there "on the cheap"?

Visit the airline's website to see which cities they serve.

5. Is it really expensive due to the exchange rate?

Do a quick search for hotels on a website like travelocity www.travelocity.com  and get a feel for the cost of a one night stay in your usual type of hotel

And, since I have a bunch of travel goals (taking the kids to every continent), I'm always making sure that I'm using our precious vacation time and money to work toward those goals.

Chances are, the answers to all of the questions won't be positive. That's hard to do.  We've spent many family vacations at places when they are really, really hot (like Egypt in August!) because of other factors like the timing of school breaks and when frequent flyer miles can be used.

Here or There? Should You Travel With Your Kids in Your Home Country? Abroad?

My own interest in travel was sparked as a child when I traveled with my family around the US.  To historic spots and national parks.  It was a great way to see a little history and meet interesting people.  I would have thought I would start my own kids off on the same type of US adventures.  While we do try to scout out great spots and national parks right here, I have really pushed to get my kids to foreign countries.  You might be wondering, why?

About eight years ago, my husband and I went to London.  I was struck by how much London had changed in the years since I had been a student there. I was even more surprised by how much it had become just like big cities in the US.

As a student, in the mid 1980"s, I was wowed by all the things about London and England that made them so different and special-- the fashion, the music, the stores, the buildings, the TV/movies.  They were all different than what I was used to.

On my return trip to London, it was very different-- because everything felt the SAME.  That is, London felt like another big New York.  There was a Starbucks on every corner, kids were wearing US brands, they were listening to the same music our kids listened to. 

It's not surprising that this happened.  Low cost phone calls and the internet make London seem like it is right next door to LA, Chicago and New York.  Realizing that this globalization of culture was likely to just accelerate, I made it a goal to take my kids to foreign countries to learn about their history and heritage as quickly as possible.

As we've ventured out to explore new countries, in fact, it does seem like "popular culture" has really spread everywhere already.  There internet cafes in the Galapagos Islands!  Kids from all over the world are playing Club Penguin in the airport lounges. 

However, it is still possible to meet people and get an appreciation for rich, cultural differences.  Especially outside the major cities.  However, a recent UN forecast suggests that by the end of 2008 half the world's population will live in cities and by  2050 that number will rise to 70%. 

So, if it's important to you that your kids learn about other cultures, I wouldn't wait too long to let them go and experience new countries.

Is This Blog For You?

Welcome to the FamilyTravelBlog.  Are you crazy about traveling abroad and want to share that passion with your kids?  If so, then you are just like me.  I love to travel and am having a ball taking my kids to great places all over the world. 

Do your friends and family think you are really adventuresome?  It seems like there are not that many of us who are willing to explore international destinations with kids.  But, overall there are actually an estimated 13 million US families that travel abroad each year!  And, the number is growing.

I hope you like-minded travelers will check in from time to time and share your thoughts on topics relevant to family travel abroad, including:

• how to pick destinations
• how to plan international trips with kids
• how to pack for these trips
• what safety/health precautions to take

If you happen to be planning a trip to China with kids, check out www.go2guides.org for some kid-friendly travel guides for China.  I'm hoping to create more of these guides for the top family travel destinations.  I'd love to hear from you about where you plan to travel so we can get to work on more children's travel guides. Email lcohen@getglobalvision.com

Setting Travel Goals

You probably have career goals or savings goals, why not travel goals? If your kids are getting to the age where time away is getting harder and harder, then it's especially important to spend each vacation doing what's really important to you and your family.

My personal goal is to show my kids each of the seven continents before they are off to college.  So far, we've seen six continents together.  (Antarctica is the last one-- but is it pricey!) We have a great laminated map framed and on the wall in our house.  We have yellow flags on all the countries we've been to and blue flags on those countries that are our "goals".  If you've read The Secret, you'll be reminded of the vision board they recommend. 

Your goals might be very different. . .

• go to every famous beach
• see new animals on every trip
• learn to appreciate the environment and do green travel
• stay in every Four Seasons around the world

One goal I wouldn't recommend is trying to beat Starbucks around the world.  I had that as a goal, and have to admit defeat.  They're everywhere.  I decided if you can't beat them, join them. I bought stock.

Have fun setting your goals and even more fun achieving them.