Top Tips from Marcy
Tips for planning picture-perfect Travel
Planning the perfect trip to keep everyone happy can be as difficult as snapping that perfect shot of the Eiffel Tower. Marcy Zyonse, owner of Live The Dream Travel, knows exactly how to keep everyone happy on vacation. She's been planning custom luxury travel itineraries for the past 14 years. Whether it's an anniversary trip to Bora Bora or a European family vacation, Marcy has endless ideas and tips to make sure everyone goes home with the most important souvenir.... great memories!
Top Tips from Marcy:
Start with the basics: Before every trip we plan for our clients, we start with a consulting call to learn about the basics and come up with a game plan. If you are planning on your own, you will find it much more efficient to gather the most basic requirements from everyone before you get started. Our list includes favorite activities, budget, bedding, timing, interests, and hotel quality.
Know logistics, entry protocols and cancelation policies: Ultimately every trip we plan starts with logistics, especially in Europe. Planning the perfect trip means you need to know how to get between locations without too much hassle. Trains, planes, drive, this should all be mapped out before you begin. For our clients, we recommend travel insurance on any trips with significant pre-paid non-refundable deposits.
Stimulate the senses: Both kids and adults will enjoy and learn more by active engagement. What can you see, smell, hear, taste? Cooking classes, painting sessions, animal experiences, Segway tours, helicopters, boat trips or even e-bike tours keep things interesting for everyone. Boat trips and bike tours consistently rank as some of our clients' favorite activities
Schedule downtime: As Americans, we tend to want to get as much as possible out of vacations. But if you’re traveling with kids, especially teens, you will win more cooperation by including some downtime. A few years ago, before our Disney Alaskan cruise, my 11-year-old daughter said having at least one hour a day to chill in her room was her number one wish. What a difference this made, allowing her to just relax in the room. She actually got more out of the trip by having time to do nothing.
Food is key: Our family has an Italy ice cream policy. When in Italy, we eat ice cream every day! Creating new traditions and trying new foods is something kids tend to remember. Find out what everyone is most looking forward to eating and try food tours to sneak in cultural education. A great guide can keep everyone engaged whether you are trying empanadas in Argentina, sampling currywurst in Germany, or eating tapas in Spain. I've tested these and many more with my own family and it works!
Share the plan: Whether you have a printed copy of your itinerary or have it stored in a digital app, sharing the plan with everyone in advance is key. We build digital itineraries for our clients in a custom app which is great for tech savvy teens. This is also a perfect time to set expectations and take last minute requests before you head out on your trip.
Family Meeting: Shortly before your departure, we recommend gathering your entire travel party and asking each person what is the one thing they are looking forward to most? Write these down and ask everyone to respect each person's #1 “moment” when that time comes. In Berlin this summer, my most important moment was a day with a guide who had escaped from East Berlin. I reminded our kids this was my #1. It really helped, not to mention, we had the perfect guide who kept them intrigued with the story of his escape!
Want to learn more about planning a picture-perfect vacation? Let’s Get Started!