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Top Tips for Corporate Coach Trip Organizers

For many individuals, the news that they have been allocated responsibility for coordinating the coach travel arrangements for an office trip is tantamount to being passed a poisoned chalice.

Although you may have the support of a great coach and limo hire services provider, there are only so many things they can do for you and managing your own personnel isn’t really one of them. So, it’s going to be up to you to make sure everything is organized and goes off without a hitch.

Based upon extensive experience, the following tips highlight where things usually go wrong and what you can do to avoid them.

  1. Put together a process that states a cut-off date by which people must have registered their intention to travel by coach or otherwise. Make it clear to your colleagues that if they haven’t done so by the said date, you will assume they will not be travelling on the coach and that will be final. In reality, you may have some flexibility but failing to get a grip here can result in (e.g.) 45 people turning up to try and board a 35-seater coach!
  2. Some people love travelling by coach or bus whereas others don’t. You may be able to reduce the level of grumbling by investing a few extra dollars in a more luxurious coach and one that is well appointed with fittings and perhaps entertainment.
  3. Publish well in advance, details of the boarding and drop-off points for both the outward and return journeys. Issue a reminder a few days prior to the event, rather than expect people to remember or have noted what you said in a circular several weeks previously.
  4. Be absolutely specific about collection and drop off points as well as departure times. Include a map if possible because ambiguity leads to confusion, delays and potentially chaos with people even being left behind due to being in ‘the wrong place’.
  5. Make sure you count people onto the vehicle.
  6. If possible, build at least some slack into your timings. You can be absolutely sure that there will always be at least one person who is late.
  7. Understand the coach and limo hire provider’s policies relating to things such as eating and drinking in the vehicle. Make sure that this is clearly, communicated to all passengers well in advance.
  8. Where practical, consider hiring a coach that has a few more seats over and above what your specific head count requires. Not only might that give you a little extra flexibility in terms of numbers but it may also permit passengers to sit alone if they wish or avoid people they don’t get on with.
  9. Again, take the advice of your professional coach rental providers but as a general rule, you may wish to discourage your colleagues leaving valuable personal possessions on the vehicle when they disembark for the day.
  10. Finally, if the day is rather more of a leisure and recreation event than a professional one, do whatever is required to ensure that alcohol is consumed only in moderation before the return journey. If you don’t think you have the authority to deal with that issue, you should make sure that you get the support of someone who does. Alcohol-fuelled rowdy behaviour on coaches is rarely amusing for the majority of people and may cause issues with the driver.

These are a few basic tips but if you follow them, you may come to realise that you haven’t been passed the poisoned chalice after all!

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Grand Canyon Tours – Try an End-Of-Summer Rafting Adventure

Even though it gets hot during the summer in the Grand Canyon, it’s the perfect season to see the natural wonder. Don’t let the threat of wilting temperatures keep you from some fun. One way to beat the heat is to float along the water on a rafting tour. Choose a tour that floats along the smooth water area of the Colorado River, and since there are no rapids, these tours are suitable for everyone over the age of 4. You can take one of these 1-day tours out of the South Rim daily, but you’ll want to book your tour early since they sell out quickly.

The Tour Begins

You’ll begin your tour at the Grand Canyon National Park airport which is located near the South Rim in Tusayan, Arizona. You can choose from different tours. If you choose the basic tour, you’ll ride to Glen Canyon Dam by bus, which is a 2 1/2 hour trip. Also included is transportation to Maswik Lodge which is located in the Grand Canyon Village.

The deluxe package includes an hour plane flight rather than the bus ride. Also, for some added adventure, the deluxe tour allows you to tour the canyon by Jeep, including visiting the Horseshoe Bend slot canyons. This part of the canyon has colorful sandstone and eerie slopes and curves, so you don’t want to miss the chance to see it.

Rafting The South Rim

The river portion of your tour begins at the base of the Glen Canyon Dam. These tours take up most of the day since they leave at 7 am and return at 5 pm. The tours utilize a motorized pontoon raft that carry as many as 19 people, which is great for groups, and since they are so stable, you can bring kids as young as 4 years old. The raft is in the hands of a skilled operator who doubles as a tour guide knowledgeable in Grand Canyon history and facts.

Floating By Horseshoe Bend

When your trip is underway, the raft heads for the colorful and mysterious Horseshoe Bend. In addition, the raft will stop at a few nice beaches, and at one of them, you can see some interesting Native American petroglyphs. These drawings were made over 800 years ago by Pueblo Indian ancestors. Finding the beach and the petroglyphs is difficult unless you know the area, so having an experienced guide operate the boat is a big plus.

Bring along your swimsuit because taking a dip in the Colorado River is a great way to cool down on a hot summer day. You’ll want to explore the beach and hike around the area, so wear some sturdy shoes too. Remember, you’ll be in the sun all day, so wear a hat and bring sunscreen. It’s also a good idea to bring along a jacket and a lightweight shirt with long sleeves, and you’ll probably want dry clothes to change into when you’re finished swimming for the day.

Smooth Waters End At Lee’s Ferry

The final stop on your tour is Lee’s Ferry. This historic area was a Mormon settlement at one time, and then it was a fort, and now it is the dividing point between the smooth water tour section of the Colorado River and the whitewater tours.

Lee’s Ferry is where you will find Cameron Trading Post. There are many interesting Native American crafts at the trading post which has been a feature of the area since 1916. There is also a store to visit, a restaurant, and a beautiful garden to stroll in along sandstone paths. This gives you the opportunity to relax and get ready for the trip back to Tusayan.

Grand Canyon Rafting Is The Ideal Summer Activity

A floating tour is not only relaxing and fun, it is also a great way to enjoy the beauty of the canyon. Everyone in the family can enjoy rafting along the smooth water section of the river. The deluxe tours are more expensive, but you should consider buying one since you get the Jeep tour and can eliminate the long drive to the river. Summer is a busy time at the canyon and the rafting tours are very popular and fill up fast, so be sure to book your tour in advance to lock in your seats.

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Why You Should Fly to Destinations Within the UK

If you’re considering travelling within the UK, and are not sure of the best way to get around, you might want to consider flying.

Here’s why flying to UK destinations might be more appropriate.

1. Many towns and cities either have an airport or are not too far away from an airport. This means that it’s easier than ever to get to an airport, and you can be on your way sooner.

2. For some journeys, flights within the UK can actually be cheaper than getting the train. In addition, with the high cost of fuel and city centre parking costs, it can work out cheaper than driving too. If you need to travel from Southampton to the Isle of Man or from Aberdeen to Liverpool, then flying is likely to be much more cost effective.

3. As well as cheaper, many journeys by plane in the UK will be quicker than going by car or train too. This means that business travellers who need to be in Aberdeen, Jersey or Liverpool, can be at their destination sooner, or can travel to more destinations in a day. Those travelling for pleasure can make more of their time at their destination, without having to spend days in the car or waiting at stations.

4. If you’re a business traveller, then you’ll be able to get more done, and be more productive by flying. You can work whilst you’re on the plane, which you can’t do when driving, and you don’t have to wait at different stations for connecting trains. You’ll be able to see more clients, or visit more suppliers, or make the most of your meetings whilst in a different location. Imagine being able to take in Liverpool, the Isle of Man and Aberdeen all in one day?

5. Leisure passengers will be encouraged to see more of the UK. Why not take the time and opportunity to explore more of the UK, and see what else there is to see and do here. No matter whether you enjoy shopping, surfing or cycling, you’ll be able to find somewhere new to go and fun things to do. What about going to Southampton, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Jersey, or the Isle of Man? Why not step off the traditional tourist trail, and see what else there is to do within the UK? Maybe you’ll also be tempted to explore more of the local region too.

6. Maybe you’ll want to travel in order to see friends and relatives you haven’t seen in a long time. Perhaps you’re reluctant to spend many hours in the car stuck in a traffic jam on a summers day, or spend the small fortune train tickets can cost for you and your family to travel to see your relatives just a few hundred miles away. When internal flights even from Aberdeen to Southampton only take just a couple of hours, there’s no excuse for saying that the journey is too far.

7. Why not make more of your weekends? Instead of staying at home, and lying in, why not follow your football team around the country, or go shopping in Liverpool, see an exhibition, or a play, in a new city? Perhaps you’ll take your children to see the place where you grew up, or somewhere that will help them with their history to geography schoolwork Jersey or the Isle of Man. Because you don’t have to go by car, or risk an unreliable train service, you can be sure that you’ll be able to have a fun filled weekend.

8. Why not make more of your hobbies? Perhaps you’re a keen cyclist, so why not try exciting new mountain bike trails, or challenging road routes on the Isle of Man? What about learning to surf or scuba dive off the coast of Aberdeen? Why not see whether skiing or snowboarding is as much fun as everyone says it is in the Scottish Highlands? Why not go fishing in some of the most beautiful surroundings in the world? What about getting away from it all in Jersey? Internal flights to the UK will allow you to do all this, and you’ll still have plenty of time to do what you came for.

9. As travel will be quicker, you’ll be able to save time, and make more of your visit, whether for business or pleasure purposes. Instead of having to drive to Scotland and back in the same day for work, why not fly, and be there and back in a morning, or an afternoon? Why not make the most of following your football team to the North West, and go to more away matches, and enjoy your time in different cities like Aberdeen?

10. As well as saving time, make the most of your visit, and being able to enjoy your hobbies more, you’ll also be able to save money too. By buying your ticket, booking your accommodation if needed, and airport car parking, in advance, it can work out much cheaper, and you’ll have everything you need so that there are fewer things to do on the day you fly too.

Now you know why flying within the UK might make more sense for you, isn’t it time for you to book your flights to the UK destinations you want to see, like Liverpool, Abderdeen, the Isle of Man and Jersey?