Trying to plan a multi-family trip just may send me completely into the abyss. Bickering back and forth about which tours to see, which ones we can’t go to because Aunt Jane can’t get there in her fucking scooter, and agreeing on which restaurants to go to … at this point all of you can do whatever the fuck you want…I’m going to do the coffee tour in the morning and then the hiking tour in the afternoon. Anyone who wants to come? Knock yourselves out; otherwise I’ll see you at dinner. Just tell me when/where. F-me, it does not need to be this G.D. complicated you selfish, uninspired fucks.

Been there, Done that. Don't do it!

Our rule - here is our plan, join us if you want, if not, make your own. Everyone now understands that they just do what we plan.

I travel a lot for work, mostly on my own. I travel for lesure about 75% of the time solo, I accustomed to it, I like it, it's what I know at this point. When I travel with someone else or people, the little things bother me, mostly being on other peoples time table, that's the biggest hang up for me.

Trying to travel with "families" I'd need a lot of alcohol and I need to be mostly hands off from a planning perspective, it wouldn't end well.

Leave Aunt Jane in the car, make sure to crack a window

Aint nobody got time for that



My wife loves planning these things, have at it. What would I like to do this day and that day? I'm doing what you're doing Puddin

quote:

Originally posted by MikeGLI:
I travel a lot for work, mostly on my own. I travel for lesure about 75% of the time solo, I accustomed to it, I like it, it's what I know at this point. When I travel with someone else or people, the little things bother me, mostly being on other peoples time table, that's the biggest hang up for me.

Trying to travel with "families" I'd need a lot of alcohol and I need to be mostly hands off from a planning perspective, it wouldn't end well.

Same thing for me. I have a different philosophy as it comes to my time off. If I’m getting on a flight, paying for lodging, rental car, food, activities, etc, well you aren’t going to spend my money for me. You are not going to dictate anything so fuck your entire timetables as I’m not going to be on them and they will not be tolerated. Unless you are paying for my trip you really aren’t going to get much of a say. Where I go to, pre-booking things is fools play. It’s cheaper to wait until you are there, call around and get a deal from people backing out, not showing up, etc. You get a better price, you get better service, and I have the advantage if the weather gets sour for a day or two. Or if it’s too busy, well I’m trying to avoid tourists, and might need to make on the fly alternate plans. I call it emergency avoidance plans. And how do I know what kind of food I’m going to be in the mood for 3 months, 6 months in advance, on say a Tuesday night? Fuck I’d rather just get there and figure it out then. It’s just got damn food, not a fucking Space X launch. The foodies, oh my, I can’t even stand to be around them. It’s just fucking food, something I have to do 4-6 times a day, every day of the year.

These busy body pre-plan every minute of the day people..my goodness they’ll take a vacation and turn it into something that is worse than work. I see it every time I go on vacation. People planning every single moment of the day to the worse degree. I look at them and wonder if they have their preplan spreadsheet on them at all times. People getting up at the crack of dawn. Nah, R&R is the priority. I come back from vacation well rested. They are the opposite, needing a week to recoup from their vacation. “I need a vacation from my vacation” well all that tells me is you did it completely wrong. If I sleep in, I sleep in. I rest. I wake up when I damn well feel like it and make my plans then. Planning everything out ruins all enjoyment out of it and doesn’t factor in weather or the swell. I get it if it’s some event or activity where you have to book it well in advance. But that’s a 1 or 2 time thing for the entire week. These people, if you let them, they’ll have shit like that planned every day of the damn trip. Time off is absolutely precious to the point I can’t even put a price on it. Mental and physical health in my book so I learned decades ago to treat vacations like your own bed. Be extremely picky about who and when. I’ve been on trips where dictation is being done. I’ve checked out and got alternate lodging, with the phone off. Another time, I left, and went home. They finally call and wonder where I am and I have to explain I had enough of their shit and just came home so I could enjoy what little time I have left off, at home, in peace.

No matter what the plan is, or what badly organized group is involved, always have your own transportation ready at all times. So you can bail quickly and use your own plan.

To make matters worse… we’ll be in… Seattle.

My wife and I have been on several cruises with either friends or family.
The only rule, if you want to call it that, was we all eat dinner together. The only time we went away from that was if someone in the party had a reservation at a specialty restaurant others did not want to eat at or could not get reservations for.

Other than that you did what ever you wanted to. When in port our friends wanted to go to a beach while my wife and I like to shop. Told them we would see them at dinner. Not a problem.
Same thing on the ship, you wanted to hang out at the pool we would be at the bar.

It has never been a problem, so far.

quote:

Originally posted by phil in indy:
Been there, Done that. Don't do it!

Same here.

I love my family, but trying to organize a trip, even with my adult kids, is an exercise in frustration.

Earlier this year the wife and I celebrated our 40th anniversary. I thought it was kind of a big deal and tried a couple of times to organize a weekend getaway with the kids, but I couldn't even get agreement on which weekend to go, much less where to go or what to do. I finally said "forget it" and just went away for the weekend with the wife.

quote:

Originally posted by SigLaw:
Our rule - here is our plan, join us if you want, if not, make your own. Everyone now understands that they just do what we plan.

Tried this too. Invariably, someone can't make it and there is a big stink about them being "left out".

I loved my late wife very much. I learned early in our marriage that I was ill-suited to travel with her family. Actually, she was too, but could never give herself permission to avoid doing it.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
No matter what the plan is, or what badly organized group is involved, always have your own transportation ready at all times. So you can bail quickly and use your own plan.

Best advice yet.

quote:

Originally posted by SigLaw:
Our rule - here is our plan, join us if you want, if not, make your own. Everyone now understands that they just do what we plan.

This and have your own transportation.

Was supposed to be in Mesa,AZ for the month of March,
7 people in. Nine bd. rm. B&B

I wrangled my way out of it beautifully.

Free room, was a great deal.
But with car rental , food, I just told the others I wasn't prepared financially.

Some really good advice here. I'll sum it up:

Never go on a multi-family trip. Ever.

Never go anywhere without your own vehicle close by.

My self centered sister whom I tolerate less and less lately has planned a huge family Alaskan cruise this summer. I’m absolutely dreading it. The only thing worse than her company is being stuck on a boat.

quote:

Originally posted by dry-fly:
My self centered sister whom I tolerate less and less lately has planned a huge family Alaskan cruise this summer. I’m absolutely dreading it. The only thing worse than her company is being stuck on a boat.

If it’s on NCL the first week of June, I’ll see you there brother. I’ll hang with you instead of my ridiculous relatives!

quote:

Originally posted by Bassamatic:
Some really good advice here. I'll sum it up:

Never go on a multi-family trip. Ever.

Never go anywhere without your own vehicle close by.

Yes and yes.

My wife comes from a very large family. As we've gotten older, several of her sisters have organized "sibling reunions" every two years with spousal attendance considered "mandatory". I said "F*ck that. I'm not going." Even though I got phone calls and texts begging, pleading, and cajoling me to attend, I said "No".

I agreed to attend last year's reunion because one of the sisters was tragically killed a few months before and the family was very emotional about that event. But, I still made sure I drove so I could leave whenever I needed to get away - even for a couple of hours.