How to Plan a Couples Outdoor Fall Vacation

Going on a couples outdoor fall vacation may sound like a great way to spend some down time with friends. However, the planning involved in a couples vacation may be enough to intimidate most people from making the trip. Keeping several key ideas in mind will help to make the process of planning a couples outdoor fall vacation a smooth one. Follow these steps to start planning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Survey everyone who is planning to attend to find out their interests and the kinds of places they would like to go on vacation.
2. Determine everyone's definition of "outdoor." To some, outdoor may mean pitching a tent in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. To others, outdoor could mean spending a weekend in a luxury log cabin, complete with feather pillows, a stocked kitchen and a hot tub.
3. Consider the weather of the destination where you are traveling and plan to pack accordingly. If you're headed to upstate New York to check out the fall foliage, the temperatures may be considerably lower than what you're used to, depending on where you live.
4. Discuss with the group the costs of the proposed vacation for each couple. Consider any potential changes to the cost estimate that may occur and why. For example, consider if a resort charges extra for canoe rentals or other additional activities.
5. Designate tasks so that each couple is responsible for a different aspect of the vacation planning. Perhaps one couple will bring groceries, while another brings beverages and another brings sporting equipment.
6. Keep in touch with everyone in the group in the weeks and days leading up to the vacation to make sure that all tasks are accomplished and any loose ends are tied up. A blog is a great way to keep in touch. It can be set up so that the vacation couples are the only ones who can see it, planning questions and issues can be resolved online. You can even post your vacation pictures to it as an online keepsake of the trip.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit your public library for up-to-date travel books to almost every destination. Fodor's, Frommer's, and Lonely Planet are reputable publishers of travel guides.
• Keep all important vacation information, such as reservation confirmations and contact information, in one place. If you decide to do a travel planning blog, this information could be added to the blog so that everyone knows where it is and has equal access to it.
• Have a "backup" travel destination in mind in case a couple cannot make it. To stay within budget, this backup should be slightly less expensive than the original destination, to make up for one less couple splitting the costs.