I've been thinking about our recent trip to Italy, now that a few months have passed and we've had time to reflect on it. Planning a trip of this magnitude is not for the faint of heart! When you consider that we had 56 passengers on 7+ different flight itineraries, coming from 4 different states arriving on varying days, it could make your head spin. But to me, after 15 years in this business, it was like my thesis, my graduate project. Can I do it? Should I do it? Honestly, if I mess this up, it's a small town, we have a tendency to bring to light the mistakes, the missteps, the things that didn't go well. But I made up my mind, I was going to do it. And I had that resolve in 2019 when the trip planning began. Then this thing happened called the pandemic and our date to travel in 2020, became unachievable. Not to be discouraged, we rally for 2021, and again our hopes are dashed, as Italy is one of the hardest hit countries and they are not welcoming guests. As things finally began to improve, we already had a group trip planned for a River Cruise from Amsterdam for 2022, so we push forward and set Italy for June 2023. We weren't expecting much, fears about traveling were still present, but as countries began to reopen and as travelers realized they missed traveling so much, our group grew much larger than it was supposed to be in 2020. The airfare prices grew as well, but that didn't deter our travelers, we wanted to go!
Our core trip was a 8 night escorted tour with Globus to the Hidden Treasures of Southern Italy, with the same amazing guide we had when we did Rome, Florence and Venice in 2014, Lino Nefando. But since we were paying so much for our airfare, it seemed only right to make sure that everyone got to see everywhere in Italy they wanted to see. So preparations began for a 2 night pre-tour stay in Rome, taking the high speed train to Naples to begin our tour. And then who doesn't dream of Capri, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, so there was a post-tour planned there and when it was all said and done those of us who did the pre- and post-trip were gone for 2 full weeks. We had about 28 people do the pre-tour, 55 on the Globus tour, and then 15-20 on the post-tour. I bought the huge 3 ft x 3 ft post it notes and hung them on my office wall, so that at a glance, I could see who was traveling on what day on what flights and same for the return. I also, of course, had my excel spreadsheet, so I could double check the post it details. So many of the travelers said to me, I don't know how you keep this all straight. I don't know how you do this. You are so good at this. And I replied it all looks good on paper, we won't know how good of a job I did until we execute the plan. Did I mess up someone's flight, would everyone arrive on the right day for the right tour? We will see!
Well, there were no errors on the plan, thank goodness. The execution had some flaws that were not in my control (for a control freak, that's not easy). We had airline craziness abound. Issues with our connection in Boston, people missing their connections in Paris, Air France causing every snafu possible, some having to spend a night due to flight interruption. We had lost luggage, luggage that never did arrive, transfers that were missed, cab drivers who then in turn overcharged. It was stressful. We were tired, we did a lot of walking, we did a lot of dragging luggage (that was lucky enough not to get lost), a lost credit card that was in turn found. So it sounds pretty dire, doesn't it?
As the trip began, we saw breathtaking views, amazing local people and their homes, ruins, architecture, amazing water locations, religious sites, and our group, some of who had previously traveled with us and were already part of our "travel family" and those who were joining us for the first time, began to get to know each other, enjoy, laugh, smile, drink good wine, eat delicious food, and enjoy and feel blessed that we had the honor of traveling and visiting this beautiful place! You have to remember that when we started planning this trip, we were 4 years younger than when we actually took the trip. Heck, I still had both my own knees at that point. 4 years can make a difference as you age, but our gang were troopers. They got their money's worth, and did it ALL!
When your travel agent travels with you, you can tend to relax a little more, because let's face it they are going to do what they can to make the trip smooth for you and themselves. I got the first notice that our guests leaving at the end of the escorted tour without the post tour, were going to have their flight cancelled to come home. I immediately got to work finding an alternative that would work for all of them to fly home together, so that when I announced on the bus that they had a problem, I also already had their solution. I had warned everyone that there would be missteps, there would be issues, but when they got home and thought about the trip, those issues would fade and the amazing memories they made will be what sticks with them for the rest of their days! And that's exactly how I feel now. When we first got home, I felt like I needed to step away for a bit and regroup, 4 years of planning for a trip is a lot of pressure. Bob & I enjoy traveling with our groups. It's very important to us that guests feel like they are getting a wonderful experience for the price they paid and that we are providing them with something that is hard to find nowadays, great service. We really do care about our clients, they become our friends, our travel family. So now I'm not so focused on the large post it notes (we had a ceremony where I burnt them in the firepit at the campground), not the issues that took place, or how the airlines are taking the FUN out of travel, now we are focused on what a blessing it was to get to take this amazing trip, with some amazing people, who we care about very much. We appreciate our clients and that they entrust us with their vacations. We are so glad that we were able to have Lino as our guide again, he was such a huge help to all of us. And we are glad for our group of travelers who pitched in and helped when anyone needed a hand, a piece of luggage thrown on or off the train, who shared food, drink and these fabulous memories. I'm also happy to report that those who did encounter issues, have been able to file reimbursement claims for their items with the travel protection we included in their tours, and some have reported receiving their funds already.
Bob & I try to do whatever we can to make the group travel experience one of inclusion, friendship, and sharing in new locations and activities. Don't believe the world you see on the evening news, go see for yourself. We've found local people in our travels to be welcoming and friendly. If you get the chance, you should go! #ilovemyjob
Comments