All Booked Up: Juggling Differing Holiday Requirements
For some of us, booking a holiday is not a simple process.
The major reason for this is that there is a consideration in your party that you have to be aware of. Perhaps you are travelling with older family members and need to be aware of the chance of mobility problems and how feasible it is to walk from place to place.
Or it might be a dietary restriction through allergy or religion. It’s tough to go to France and sample the array of local cheeses if someone is lactose intolerant. It’s tricky to find a way to enjoy halal holidays in style if you aren’t sure which restaurants you’re going to be able to frequent. You might find life difficult if you’re gluten-free and visiting Italy, the land of pizza and pasta.
Thirdly – and less drastically – it might be a preference you have to accommodate. You can’t book that hotel because Uncle Mike doesn’t like to be near the sea. You can’t choose that airline as your 6’2” husband hates the lack of seat room.
All of the above can take the fun out of booking a holiday, as you desperately try to grab together all the different preferences, needs, and wants into something that works for everyone. It can make the simple process of booking your family holidays into something time-consuming and taxing, when it should be more about the promise of fun in the sun to come. So with summer fast approaching and the annual big holiday just around the corner, follow these steps to hassle-free booking.
Step 1: Collect Together Everyone’s Requirements
If you are booking for a large group, then you have to treat the people involved as a collective. If you try and find something that will please everyone, well… you’re not going to be going on holiday any time soon!
Instead, contact everyone with the things that they absolutely need (or don’t need, as the case may be) for the trip. Here’s an example of where to draw the line between “need” and “want”:
Need
- Suitable food for dietary restrictions.
- An accessible hotel room that isn’t too far from the main reception.
- Warm temperature (as those with mobility issues may struggle more in cold temperatures)
Want
- A hotel near the beach.
- Exciting nightlife to go to that isn’t just a part of the resort.
- A short plane ride as they’re afraid of flying
Tell people you will guarantee anything in the “need” category and will do your best – but make no promises – with the “wants”.
Step 2 – Check Before Booking
If you come up with something that ticks enough of the right boxes, don’t just book it and hope for the best. Send out a group email (or gather everyone together if you live in the same house) and go through the details. Everyone has to approve and – perhaps literally, if you want to make the point – sign off on the holiday – so there can be no complaining when you get there!
Step 3 – Book It (And Then Handle Arguments)
Even with the above, once you’ve booked, it’s inevitable someone will think of something they would have done differently. The best way of handling this is just to nod, smile, and say fine – why don’t they take care of the booking next year and make sure that they get it?
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