Make the Smart Move. GoMotorcoach!

Jan 08

How To Find Group Friendly Hotels

Finding a hotel is easier than ever these days when you consider all of the technology we have at our fingertips. Gone are the days of calling a travel agent and taking their word for it that you are getting a great deal at a great property.

Now you can read reviews, compare locations, amenities and room details. Everything you need to make an informed decision is available – but why is it still so difficult?

Choosing a hotel for a large group is very different from choosing a hotel for an individual or family. One has to think of all the group members wants and needs. Some members may be elderly and need main floor rooms or access to elevators, some group members may be young and require some kind of entertainment like a pool or game room. All group members will need to eat at some point – will the hotel offer breakfast or does it have a restaurant on site or nearby?

Remember three keys when choosing a hotel for your group: Location, Amenities & Group Friendliness. If you keep these at the forefront of your mind – you will be in good shape!

One site we found that makes selecting a hotel easy is BusRates.com. It’s not your typical directory site. The team at BusRates has personally made connections with group sales leaders at many hotels throughout the nation. This not only give you an advantage over the typical directory one-price-fits-all sites, it gives you a real, live human being to speak to. A person who is on property and can give your group the individualized attention it deserves.

The site doesn’t stop there! It has tons of attractions, events and restaurants they have determined are group friendly – and have the knowledge and ability to properly take care of large and small groups. It’s basically a one-stop group-travel-planning stop!

Dec 18

Christmas Lights Gallore!

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The hustle and bustle of the holidays is upon us. Everyone is running around trying to get that one last gift purchased, wrapped, and given to that special someone. Why not take a little break from all of that and enjoy the scenery? Many communities take tremendous pride in their holiday light displays. Hours of work, and millions of lights later, the displays are ready to be enjoyed. Here are the Top Ten Holiday Light Displays according to our friends at America’s Best & Top Ten:

1. Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland – Tennessee
In West Knoxville and Bristol, Tennessee, Shadrack’s Water Sports puts on two of the most awesome Christmas light show you’ve likely ever seen. Shadrack’s Water Sports has transformed the large hillside behind their boat showroom into a Christmas wonderland with hundreds of thousands of brightly colored lights dynamically synchronized and dancing to Christmas tunes.

2. Silver Dollar City – Branson, MO – November 1 – December 30
Millions of Christmas lights cover the whole park. Plus, the entire City is transformed into a holiday wonderland each evening at 5:30 p.m. as guests join together on the Square for the lighting of the dazzling, five-story Special Effects Christmas Tree. Adorned with over 250,000 lights coordinated to blaze to the musical movements of Christmas songs, this unique Special Effects Christmas Tree presents classics such as “Carol of the Bells” and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in a spectacular light and sound show.

3. Oglebay Festival of Lights – Wheeling, WV – November 4 – January 5th.

In 1985 a holiday tradition began at Oglebay and spread throughout the city of Wheeling. That tradition is the Winter Festival of Lights celebration. The first year, displays and landscape lighting covered about 125 acres over a three-mile drive throughout the resort. Since then, the show has grown into one of the nation’s largest Christmas light shows, covering more than three hundred acres over a six-mile drive throughout the resort.

4. Smoky Mountain Winterfest – Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN.

Smoky Mountain Winterfest is a magical celebration that begins in late fall. Ride the Trolley Tour of Lights around Pigeon Forge and claim a spot on the sidewalk for Gatlinburg’s “Fantasy of Lights” Christmas Parade, featuring lighted floats, marching bands and giant helium balloons. This event combines 3 Tennessee cities: Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. These neighboring Smoky Mountain towns are ablaze with 5 million lights thru February.

5. Trail of Lights – Austin, TX – December 14 – December 23
The Trail of Lights is a mile long display of 42 lighted scenes, US Post Office, Santa’s House, the Yule Log, and an entertainment stage. The festival begins with the lighting of the Zilker Tree, a 155 feet tall, 180 feet diameter lighted tree consisting of 3,309 bulbs on 39 streamers strung from Austin’s historical Moonlight Tower. Since 1987 the honor of lighting the tree has been bestowed upon the winner of the city-wide children’s tree coloring contest. The tree lighting ceremony takes place on the first Sunday of December.

6. Magical Nights of Lights – Lake Lanier, GA – November 22 – December 30
Rekindle an old tradition or create a new one at Lake Lanier Islands Resort’s 16th annual Magical Nights of Lights holiday celebration. Known as the world’s largest animated light extravaganza, the fun kicks off November 22 through December 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm. nightly! Bring the whole family a drive through tour of over six miles of twinkling, holiday light displays and a live nativity scene complete with live actors and animals!

7. Holiday Festival of Lights, Charleston, S.C. – November 14 – January 4. In 1990, Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission created the Holiday Festival of Lights to bring families and friends together and to raise support for the Charleston county park system. With over 600 individual displays located throughout the park in 132 power locations, the Holiday Festival of Lights is a magical sight to see!

8. Enchanted Garden of Lights, Chattanooga, TN – November 21 – January 3.
See Rock City! The gardens’ natural beauty is complemented by more than 25 holiday scenes as half a million lights illuminate rock formations along the Enchanted Trail.

9. Louisville MEGA Cavern, Louisville, Kentucky
Every year, the Louisville MEGA Cavern will be transformed into a Christmas light spectacular for all of Kentuckiana to experience. Lights Under Louisville will feature 35 displays, 300 LED Light characters- over 1,000,000 points of light.
In 2009, the MEGA Cavern’s Lights Under Louisville allowed the public to drive their own vehicles inside the cavern to experience this unique Christmas wonderland.

10. Southern Lights – Lexington, Ky. – November 22 – December 30
The annual Southern Lights event is the largest fundraiser held for The Kentucky Horse Park. Over 25,927 vehicles passed through the electrical wonderland in 2006 alone! Everything from petting zoos, model railways, arts, crafts, and Santa Claus fill the Indoor Attractions section free of charge to guests.

Honorable Mention
Fantasy of Lights – Pine Mountain, GA – November 14 – December 30
100 Miles of Lights – Virginia Beach, VA
Bright Nights at Forest Park – Springfield, MA
Christmas Lighting Festival – Leavenworth, WA –
Clot Family Christmas – Pinecrest, FL – Thanksgiving
Festival of Lights – Galveston, Texas
Galaxy of Lights at the Huntsville Botanical Garden – Huntsville, AL
RHEMA Christmas Lights – Broken Arrow, OK
Tanglewood’s Festival of Lights – Clemmons, N.C
Mission Inn – Riverside, CA
Temple Square in Salt Lake City
Lexington Fire Station 20, Lexington KY
Hyatt’s Extreme Christmas Home , Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Dec 10

Holiday Travel…Wings or Wheels?

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The holiday season is around us, with all its glory! We find ourselves running frantically here and there to get the perfect gifts. We force our family to take the once-a-year holiday photo for our cards that are sent out to those we love. We bake goodies, we wrap presents, and then we hit the road… Traveling and the holidays go hand in hand. Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go – is reality for many of us. This year, more people traveled during the Thanksgiving holiday since 2007!

Many people will be flying the friendly skies…or are they so friendly? Long lines, delayed flights, cancellations and on top of that, there are so many changing rules about what you can and cannot have with you in your carry-on .

Now imagine this: A calm you, relaxed and not worried about long lines or delays. You have a large suitcase, a carry-on and your laptop. Your vehicle arrives and as you board you notice the plush reclining seats, the panoramic views out the large windows and the outlets…..OUTLETS? Yes, you read that correctly, outlets. Many of today’s modern motorcoaches have 110 outlets available for you to power up your computers, iPods and cell phones. Many more coach companies also have Wi-Fi available on their buses – and you can use it the entire ride, not just above 10,000ft!

Along the way, you are able to enjoy the view out of large panoramic windows and when you do arrive at your destination, you don’t have to worry about finding the luggage carousel, or if you bags made it – they have been with you the entire trip.

That’s the motorcoach difference. Most people think that flying is the only way to go, and they are wrong. When you travel by motorcoach, you travel together, you travel safely, you travel smart. GoMotorcoach!

Oct 11

Common Questions

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Unless you are a meeting planner or tour coordinator, chances are you aren’t ordering charter buses on a regular basis. There are some questions that you should remember to ask, before you book your motorcoach with a company.

1. Years in business. This is important simply because companies who have been in business for a long time, know the ropes. You can better trust that they won’t take your money and run, or unexpectedly close their doors.

2. What is their safety record? Companies who have good safety records tend to brag about them, and they should. Knowing the company’s safety record is like viewing a snapshot on how they conduct business. Do they have driver’s hours violations? If so, that could indicate they don’t take the hours of service laws seriously. Driver fatigue is a real issue and has the potential of causing a terrible accident. Better to be safe than sorry.

3. Maintenance and cleaning. Imagine this: You schedule a motorcoach for a large business function. The bus shows up dirty, and half-way through the trip it breaks down. Ask your sales person about how they maintain the buses, from cleaning to oil changes, it all makes a huge difference.

4. Cancellation and deposit policy. What if you change your mind? What if you don’t have as many people RSVP to your event that you thought? Most companies understand that things happen and have cancellations policies in place to help you out. Some operators may require a deposit to hold the buses. This most likely would be refunded if you cancel within the time frame.

5. Rates. Each company figures their services on different factors. Some may add a fuel tax, some a clean-up charge. Rates can range from a hourly minimum to a daily charge. Ask you sales person to break down the costs per bus and per passenger. It can make it easier to understand the cost savings of traveling together when you see it broken down in that way.

Just asking a few key questions can make or break your trip. Your sales person will be there every step of the way, helping create a positive experience for your group.

Sep 23

SAFETY – WHY IT MATTERS

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Most people will assume that the company they travel with is safe. Let’s face it, someone in an office with an education has hired this person to be in this position of driver, right? We mindlessly jump into a taxi, bus, airplane without thinking about the credentials of the person who is ultimately responsible for our lives during the time of our ride.

The internet is a great tool when it comes to checking into the safety record of a transportation company. One search on Google can provide you with a wealth of information – both good and bad.

Start with the source. The company’s website should provide you with a ton of information regarding their services, vehicles, maintenance and safety training. Reputable companies love to brag about their safety records. They should also have a link to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s website (FMCSA) which rates each company and shows any accidents or violations.

Next, check out the company’s social media pages. See if they have any complaints and how they handled them. Did they ignore it or respond? Do you feel satisfied with the response? Are they we represented and do they seem to match your group? For instance, if you are looking for corporate transportation for an upcoming convention, and the company you are looking to hire only shows party buses on their social media sites, you may want to think twice about hiring them.

Lastly, ask around. Nothing is better than word of mouth. Do you know anyone who has used the company before? How was the experience? How did the drivers act? Were they kind, knowledgeable and professional?

Before you hop on a bus, plane or taxi – do a little research – it could save you some headaches in the end – and maybe your life!

Aug 22

Fantastic Fall Foliage!

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Spring isn’t the only time for new beginnings! Autumn boasts many changes, including the beginning of a new school year, football season, and of course the beautifully colored leaves.

We are blessed in the United States with an abundance of beautiful places to see the view the fall foliage. From sea to shining sea, here are a few of our favorite locations for your groups to view the changing leaves!

North:
Wisconsin: Door County boasts over 300 miles of shoreline has it all when it comes to fall beauty. Lake Michigan, miles of hiking, biking and great views of the leaves.

East:
Vermont: Vermont’s Route 100 is a major north-south route, winding its way from Stamford to Newport. The farther north you travel, the less crowded you will find it, leaving you and the leaves with peace and beauty.

West:
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon: With breathtaking scenery year-round, adding in fall colors is the icing on the cake. You will have beautiful views by following either I-84 or the old Historic Columbia River Highway.

South:
Ellijay, Georgia: Located 80 miles north of Atlanta on the edge of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Celebrate fall in the Apple Capitol of Georgia with 10 apple orchards.

An easy, affordable and enjoyable way to see all of these sites is by motorcoach. Motorcoaches offer panoramic views of the landscape, without worrying about directions. Many companies offer tours during the fall season that highlight their specific geographic areas. Call your locate motorcoach operators for details and tour information.

Jun 26

Ahhhh, Summer!

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There is no better way to celebrate summer and our nations birthday than a road trip to some unusual All American places, with friend/family, on a motorcoach.

This great nation of ours is home to thousands of great travel destinations that would make a memorable vacation for any group. Below you will find our Top 5 Places You May Not Have Thought Of As A Summer Destination list. Enjoy! #GoMotorcoach

5. Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska. Many have heard of England’s Stonehenge, but have you heard of Carhenge? Thirty-eight, gray spray painted cars placed as a life size replica of the ancient formation. Created by artist Jim Reinders in 1987, Carhenge now boasts 80,000 visitors per year. It’s free to the public and open year round.

4. The World’s Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, Minnesota. In 1950, Francis Johnson began winding twine for 4 hours per day until the he passed away in 1989. What resulted was a 17,400 pound ball of twine that was nearly 40 feet in diameter. Darwin, MN celebrates each August with its Twine Ball Festival in which visitors can create their very own twine balls. The attraction is open year round and free to the public.

3. The Desert of Maine in Freeport, Maine. Enjoy camping, hiking and a tram tour of Maine’s very own Sahara-like desert. Scientist believe that a glacier left this 300-acre stretch of sand, that was buried for centuries, until poor farming techniques exposed it in the 1800’s. The park is open May through October with admission cost of less than $10 per guest.

2. Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida. For over thirty years, Ed Leedskalnin carved his castle out of solid coral, using only basic hand tools. Leedskalnin who was only 5 feet tall and weighed 100 lbs. worked mostly during the night, to prevent prying eyes from seeing his creations. The castle consists of over 1000 tons of coral and has a 9 ton revolving gate.

1. Marfa Lights in Marfa, Texas. On clear nights, onlookers can oooh and ahhh over the mysterious lights that appear over the Mitchell Flats. Scientists have yet to explain why the light phenomenon happens. Some say the lights are car lights and others say they are alien spaceships or ghosts. Whatever they are, each Labor Day, Marfa celebrates the lights with the three-day Marfa Lights Festival. Enjoy music, food, craft and art vendors and a night parade during the festival.

May 28

The Summer Road Trip.

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Nothing says summer more than a road trip. There is something about the good old American road trip that’s romantic to us. Perhaps it’s the memories of us as children, piled in the back of our parent’s station wagon with no seat belts on, and if/when it was your turn to sit backwards you felt like the king of the road! Perhaps you were traveling with a group of family or friends, each of you in your own vehicles, driving for hours and only getting to meet and visit at a road-side gas station during bathroom breaks while your Dads fueled their vehicles. After the break, you would hop into your own car, and wait to chat until the next break time.

Fast forward to 2014 where you don’t have to wait until someone has to gas up or relieve themselves to talk to each other. When you choose to use a motorcoach, instead of separate cars, everyone can travel together, the whole time! Not only do you save time and money, but you save wear and tear on your individual vehicles.

Today’s motorcoaches are designed with your group travel in mind. They have plush amenities, including Wi-Fi on board and outlets. No more running into the gas station and begging for an outlet to charge up your dead cell phone. No more using your data plan up on the first day of the trip. We have you covered!

Here is the best part: You tell us what you want to do, where you want to go and what you want to see, we do the rest. Motorcoach companies are well versed in travel and can help groups of all sizes get tickets, hotels and meals all lined up – and if they can’t, they know who can.

Summer is almost here, don’t wait to plan that fun group getaway, call your local motorcoach company and begin planning your epic summer vacation today! Go Motorcoach and leave the driving to us!

Apr 22

Green Group Travel: It’s Easy Being Green!

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There is a benefit to traveling with a group. Private rooms in restaurants, special behind-the-scenes tours only available to groups, and awesome experiences with friends just to name a few, but did you know that when your group travels by motorcoach, you are also being green?

That’s right! Today’s motorcoaches are the greenest, most efficient mode of ground transportation available – and it’s not close!

One full sized motorcoach removes up to 57 single passenger cars off our already crowded highways. That single motorcoach is 475% more efficient than a hybrid vehicle in regards to the amount of fuel used per passenger. That same coach provides over 206 passenger miles per gallon of fuel compared to 92 MPG for commuter rail, 44 MPG for air travel and 27 MPG to single passenger cars.

Not convinced? A single passenger car emits up to 400 pounds of CO2 per four hour trip –a motorcoach on the same trip only emits approximately 150 pounds. Now that’s GREEN!

Motorcoach companies nationwide are excited and proud to be the greenest transportation option for group travel. If your group is interested in going green, a motorocoach is the best choice.

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