Girls' Getaways in 3 Easy Steps

By Margaret Waller

Have you and your gal pals wanted to take a girls’ getaway but nobody has had time for all the research, planning and booking?

The answer is very likely “Yes.” There are a lot of details needed to turn a getaway idea into a reality. So, rather than spend your time and effort pulling all the details together, just make a call and let a professional travel advisor get it done for you.

Sounds easy enough…and it is…especially when you know the steps you and your travel advisor need to take to get your getaway completely booked. That is exactly the point of this article.

Step 1 – Agree on venue, dates and budget

There are all kinds of great options available to you and your group, and the first step is to agree on the venue, dates and budget. For example, a fun-filled cruise or an all-inclusive resort are great venues for getaways and have activities, shows and nightlife included. You also need to agree on the things you want to do together. A week-end spa retreat at an all-inclusive resort; 3- to 4-day cruise to the Bahamas or Caribbean; or a shopping-spree and club getaway to a major city are popular getaway examples. There is really no limit to the ideas and your travel advisor can help you and your group put details to any of those ideas.

You can take your getaways at various times of the year and you can also choose the length of stay that is best for you and your group. A budget that is comfortable and realistic for you and your group also needs to be determined. Be sure you give yourselves enough time because overall cost as well as availability will be based on the amount of time you have prior to your desired departure date. That is, the more time prior to departure will likely result in less cost and more availability while a short time period will mean higher cost and lack of space with desired hotels and flights.

Knowing these things before you call can certainly help expedite research and planning by your travel advisor, but a professional travel advisor does not expect you to come with all decisions fully made. If you have some overall ideas, needs and expectations for the getaway, you can count on your travel advisor to work with you to provide recommendations on venues and costs.

Your travel advisor will research various options based on requirements provided by you and your group and develop a couple of recommendations that meet those requirements. Feel free to ask any questions you might have about the recommendations and make adjustments that might be needed.

At this point, you and your group should be ready to make the decision to proceed with the recommendation and book the reservation with your travel advisor. An extremely important point to know is that travel fares and rates, especially airfares, can change overnight so be prepared to immediately book the desired getaway.

Step 2 – Reservations and payments

There are two things to have ready when getting reservations booked and paid. The first is current government-issued ID or passport information, and the second is the valid credit card to be used for payment. Having this information available for your travel advisor will expedite your reservations and help ensure that you get the venues, cabins/rooms and dates you want at the desired budget.

Here again, your travel advisor can save you precious time and effort by contacting each person in your group and getting all the necessary information for the reservations and payments. This is a value-added service that you cannot get by trying to do it online by yourself.

Step 3 – Prep for the getaway

When your reservations are complete and confirmed it is time to fully prepare for the trip. Preparation timing will depend on when you made your reservations. That is, do you have 2 months or 2 weeks to prepare? Of course, the more time to prepare the better but people have been known to book a trip with only a couple weeks to go and still have everything in order at time of departure.

Anticipation and preparation for the getaway are fun parts of the total experience so take time to accomplish them. For example, shopping is an essential part of the prep because you want to be sure your wardrobe and accessories are right for the planned getaway. You will also want to make sure you have the appropriate luggage for the trip – short trips may only need a carry-on but longer trips probably need a larger piece and that will need to be checked with the airline. Be sure to check that you have necessary batteries, power cords and adapters for phones, laptops, I-pads, etc.

A day or two prior to the getaway, you will want to check in with your travel advisor to re-confirm reservations. You and your group should also complete early check-in for your flight, and if you are going on a cruise be sure to complete the pre-cruise check-in process including the boarding documents. Arrange transportation to the airport or cruise port, whichever is needed. And finally, be sure you have your travel documents and required government-issued IDs.

So, it really only takes three specific steps to help your girls’ getaway happen easier, better and faster. But you need to work with a travel advisor that takes the time, effort and stress of researching, planning and booking off your shoulders. There is no need to try and do everything on your own. Your travel advisor is only an email or phone call away. Just go and have a great time with your gal pals!

If you have an idea for a girls’ getaway and need help pulling the details together, we would like to hear from you. Please give us a call at 847.825.7761 and let’s talk! You can also reach us via email at margaret.waller@cruiseplanners.com

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Margaret Waller

Margaret combines her years of travel experience and passion for dream vacations to help clients get the most out of theirs. She provides thoughtfulness, patience, and careful attention to details in planning and accomplishing every client’s needs and desires for new and exciting vacation opportunities. Whether it is a luxurious cruise, relaxing resort and spa, or an adventurous escape from day-to-day lives, Margaret goes above and beyond to help turn vacation dreams into reality.