by
Robert Janis
Suppose there is a group of a similar demographics and this group wants to visit specific sites in the United States. How does the head of the group or a transport director go about finding the proper bus company or bus hire that can provide the transportation and amenities we humans expect when traveling some distances?
Well, to help explain what to do let’s look at a specific scenario. A group of junior high or middle school students want to visit historic American Revolutionary War sites in Philadelphia, New York and Boston.
History Tour
First things first. And the first thing here is that the school needs to appoint or assign the task of developing the trip to someone. It is probably best to select a teacher who is involved with the students who will be making the trip.
Second, the assigned transportation director must do his or her homework. They must determine how many children will be traveling and if there are any special needs that must be catered to. This includes special diets or to determine if special equipment will be necessary for handicapped students, etc.
Third, it needs to be drawn out in no uncertain terms what is expected of the kids during the trip as far as their behavior is concerned. The kids should be briefed along with their parents so that it is certain that all concerned are on the same page. Determine how many adults will be necessary to watch after the kids.
Fourth, determine what sites you want to see in each city and the approximate dates when you wish to arrive. Create an itinerary.
Fifth, get some idea of the cost of hotels so that you can give the bus company a strong parameter of what you are able to afford. You can determine what hotel chains may provide the type of accommodations you are expecting and Google those hotels to find out the price of staying there. Some bus companies have alliances with some of the top hotel chains in the country so they can offer you a price for accommodations within the budget you have learned you are able to pay. These bus companies also have alliances with restaurants that they will use to provide meals for the kids. Moreover, these companies are well versed in your situation and the needs of your party. They know, for example, that kids will want to have something to do during the down times -- times when they are in the hotel. So bus companies may suggest hotels with swimming pools and other attractions to keep the kids occupied.
Google for a few bus companies you can research. Be concerned with the bus company’s training program for its drivers, its financial stability, its maintenance program and its operation quality.
Once the homework has been done, then the travel director can approach some bus companies for a possible bus hire.
Working with the travel director, company personnel will take the outlined itinerary and plug in specific times at which the sites will be visited. Moreover, many bus companies have alliances or partnerships with the sites and can arrange for guided tours. If the bus company you select does not have such partnerships, then the travel director will have to arrange for the guided tours with the individual sites. Another advantage of working with bus companies on finalizing what sites to visit is that they have been there and are knowledgeable about whether the site is worth visiting or not. If a site is not worth visiting, the bus companies can come up with better, alternative sites.
“They can map it out,” said Steve Klika, president of International Motorcoach Group, an alliance of tour bus companies, attractions, hotels and restaurants that cater to the traveling public. “A lot of our companies can do the legwork because they have relationships with some of these sites or organizations. They can help coordinate the activities and may even have access to getting group discounts.”
The other information you provide them with will allow them to select the right hotels and restaurants.
And, again, since these companies have been through these types of things before, and if they are involved with an alliance like International Motorcoach Group, then they can arrange additional entertainment for the down times such as the evenings that can include such things as tickets to a play.
Finally, at the end of the selection process when you are going to identify the particular bus hire, there are a few things to keep in mind. It is best to actually go to the bus company so that you can see first hand how they run their operation. Check out their buses, ascertain the age of their fleet, determine if they have a good maintenance program. Ask about their drivers’ training and years of experience and whether that company has alliances or partnerships with bus companies in the cities you will be visiting. This is important because if the bus breaks down, then the bus company can contact their partner in an alliance and provide them to you in order to successfully complete the tour.
Of course, the final price is of concern to you. And that is understandable. But price should not be the only thing you use to decide on what company to hire. “Competition in the bus tour industry is great, but there are some in the industry who will bring the prices so far down to get the deal that they under value the product,” cautioned Klika. “Then you have to question what type of product they are providing. It may look good on the surface, however, a company that is low balling its price may take short cuts in the maintenance of their fleet or the training of their personnel.”
Many of these same guidelines can be used to set up tours for other types of demographics. For example, a group of elderly citizens who wish to visit ante-bellum homes in the south. As explained previously, the travel director should come up with a rough idea of what the purpose of the trip is about. Where do you want to go and when. So, as in the previous scenario, the travel planner should create an itinerary outline. All the other concerns mentioned earlier should also be of concern for a tour of elderly citizens or any other type of demographic.
It is imperative that the travel planner supply the bus company with as much information as possible not only concerning the sites you want to see but the needs of the people in the group, the demographics of the group, etc. This helps the bus company determined if such things as a motorcoach with a kneeler that reduces the height of the step a person needs to negotiate to get on the bus.
You do your homework and the bus company will do theirs to assure that a pleasant trip is the result.
