Fun is multiplied the more you share it and this is certainly true when it come to family vacations. Traveling together as a group with friends and extended family members really offers a different kind of travel experience. At Vacationkids, once a group of friends and family come together to take a vacation, we generally see them come back to us year after year because everyone enjoys the experience so very much.

Some families plan reunions together every year. Sometimes folks are gathering together to celebrate an event like a milestone birthday, anniversary, graduation or wedding. We see everything from girlfriend getaways to sporting mancation weekends, from church groups, scout packs to soccer moms who all made friends on the sidelines and decided their families should vacation together once the season was over. We've even seen neighbors join forces for a mega garage sale as a fund raiser to help get everyone on a cruise. In addition, group vacations can be great fund raisers for non profit organizations.

Have you ever dreamed of taking your family on a vacation that seemed out of reach for your budget? Did you know that with group travel discounts you and your family could vacation for free? Well, almost free as the government still needs their taxes but still...if you get enough people to join you, your family can vacation for free.

Group travel means buying power and savings. It's the same principle as shopping in bulk for groceries at a warehouse store. There are particular rules and quotas involved depending on the specific type of vacation you're interested in sharing...

Cruises - Cruise lines need a minimum of 8 cabins to qualify as a group sailing. Normally this is based on two people sharing each cabin or 16 passengers. For every 16 passengers, one person gets to sail for free or that amount or discount can be applied equally to all 16 passengers. In addition there may be other savings and benefits when you book a cruise as a group like ship board credits, special privileges etc.

Hotels & Resorts - Hotels generally require 10 room or 20 adults to qualify for group discounts. The 21st person would then stay free or this monetary discount can be distributed across the group.

Escorted Tours - Generally the magic number here is 15 travelers with the 16th offered free or the amount rebated to the group. Often this number depends on the particular group and location. For example European tours are often scheduled with smaller hotels or means of transport so the tour requirements can fluctuate.

Airlines - The airlines don't negotiate much on price. It's often easier to negotiate deals if everyone is departing on the same exact itinerary from the exact same departure airport. Group airline tickets may not be the cheapest but often you can ensure blocks of seats together.

Each of these different travel components publish their rates and availability at different times. Cruises publish their prices a year or even two in advance so they are the easiest to work with as far as planning for groups. Hotels and escorted tours generally run around a year in advance. The airlines publish their rates and schedules 330 days out and often transportation to destination or cruise ports is the most pivotal factor in travel planning. In addition, there are different rules as far as blocking or holding space for groups. If you're working far enough in advance, cruise lines will allow group leaders to hold a limited amount of cabins while they work their social networks finding friends and family to make deposits and join them. Resorts, tours and airlines generally require a per person deposit which could be as litle as $25 per person up to %50 of costs so initial deposit investments may be necessary. In most cases this money is refunded if space isn't sold by a deadline date but again the rules vary. This is why it is important to work with an experienced group travel agent that can help you navigate the fine print and avoid costly pitfalls.

Back to Family Vacation Articles of Contents

Back to vacationkids.com Homepage

Copyright VacationKids.com, Inc. 2011 All rights reserved including International rights.