When it comes to group bonding, road trips present a prime opportunity. They’re certainly more conducive to forming lasting friendships than plane rides. But booking transportation for a group involves more factors to consider than you might think. How can you pick reliable transportation companies in faraway destinations? How do you make sure you’re getting the best price? And how do you choose what type of vehicle will best fit your group’s needs? Whether you’re brand-new to leading trips or have limited experience booking a certain type of ground transportation, here are five tips that will guide you when booking group transportation.
1. Choose your vehicle type
The first step in booking group transportation is determining what type of vehicle to charter. That’s going to depend on a few factors, the first being the size of your group. Large groups of 40 to 50 will require a full-size motorcoach. But travel groups are getting smaller, and a group of 20 to 30 can get by on a minicoach, while groups of fewer than 15 can often fit in a van or minibus. It also depends on your group’s style. While it sometimes can’t be helped with large groups, sitting elbow-to-elbow on a long ride may not be your customers’ preference. If your midsize group would benefit from spreading out on a full-size coach, it may be worth booking one. While they may offer half the seating, a minicoach isn’t necessarily half the price, and the savings may not be worth your group’s discomfort. However, if your group has sustainability in mind, smaller vehicles can be a huge perk.
2. Vet transportation companies well
If you’re setting out from your home destination, you probably already have a great local transportation company in mind. But if you’re taking your group far away — say, flying into a city for a hub-and-spoke tour — you’ll need to find a reputable company there. The best way is to rely on your network of planners and destination contacts. Ask your tour planning friends which companies they book with and what their experience was like. If you don’t know anyone in that destination, contact the local CVB and DMCs for recommendations and look at online reviews. It’s also important to independently check the company’s safety record with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which documents any safety or compliance issues from a transportation company.
3. Get in touch early
You should get in touch with your desired transportation company before you publicize any parts of your itinerary or begin selling a trip. That’s because these companies will have a lot of insight about your trip you may not have considered before, including routes and drive times to certain destinations. If it traditionally takes you six hours to travel to a destination, but a motorcoach needs to find alternate routes to avoid tunnels or toll roads, that’s something only your transportation company will know. Additionally, transportation companies will be more knowledgeable about the laws and regulations regarding their drivers. Strict regulations mandate commercial drivers spend a certain portion of the day resting off the clock for safety. You may want to keep your group out from sunrise to sunset, but if that itinerary exceeds the driver’s legally allotted driving time for the day, they’ll be prohibited from accommodating your itinerary. And you don’t want to have to change your itinerary after you’ve already publicized it to your customers.
4. Understand what affects your cost
Several factors affect what you’ll pay when booking group transportation. One of these factors is the level of luxury on the vehicle itself. Some motorcoaches come equipped with amenities like movie screens, Bluetooth audio and a nice bathroom. Some don’t even have Wi-Fi. The more luxurious the coach, the higher the price is likely to be. There are also other factors to examine in your charter agreement, like the price differences between day trips and overnight trips. Some companies charge per day, and some charge per mile. Some transportation companies double as tour operators themselves and offer distinct tours, which will be more expensive than transportation alone. Go through your charter agreement point by point to understand what you’re being charged and why so you can look around at competitors and ensure you’re getting the best rate.
5. Don’t forget about insurance
As in all aspects of travel, you’ll have to pay special attention to a transportation company’s insurance when booking group transportation. (Reminder: This insurance is different from travel insurance.) If you’re a new group leader looking for tips to take your group of 10 friends on a trip, you should be fine to rely on the transportation company’s insurance. Ask the companies to give you an overview of their insurance coverage and how it protects you and your customers. However, if you’re a tour operator marketing and selling a trip, you’ll most likely need some form of insurance to protect you from being sued in case of an accident or emergency. As you know, insurance can get complicated, so the bottom line is you must talk to a trusted insurance specialist when booking group transportation to make sure you’re not exposed to liability and nothing falls through the cracks.
