As Rhonda Ortiz, a mother of two young girls in Los Angeles, finalized her family’s travel plans to Italy this summer, she did so without knowing her goals and expectations were representative of a lot of young families these days.
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“We were thinking a car trip would provide us with more options, and we could stop off in little towns and any remote areas that interested us along the way,” Ortiz said.
While past generations of travelers might have chosen an escorted bus tour, today’s families are looking for more flexibility, independence and authenticity, leading them to self-drive trips instead.
In order to capitalize on this type of family travel, many travel agents will have to look toward smaller, specialty operators such as Seattle-based AutoVenture. For 38 years, the Strandoo family, led by father, Orv, along with sons Mike and Rob, has focused on self-drive and private-driver tours in Europe, the U.S., Canada and even the South Pacific.
According to Orv, the company’s founder, AutoVenture uses its intimate knowledge of a destination to create completely original itineraries.
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“We map out the trip just like an independent vacation, only geared toward families,” he said. “It takes a lot of careful planning, but we do all of that for the parents. No two itineraries are exactly the same.”
Strandoo said that in planning a trip, AutoVenture will take into consideration accommodations appropriate for families (including suites and joining rooms); food options geared toward individual tastes (he suggests picnicking, especially in France); and age-appropriate activities to keep kids interested.
For those families who can afford it, Strandoo highly recommends a private driver/guide. Over the past 35-plus years, the company has developed a network of guides throughout Europe that they can depend on.
“We have a family traveling in England right now with twin teenage daughters, and they are interested in anything related to Jane Austen,” Strandoo said.
Otherwise, Strandoo suggested that, just as with other types of family travel, parents need to be aware of how hard they are pushing their kids on a road trip.
“Once you get to a destination, slow it down,” he said. “Parents feel like they have come all this way and they have spent all this money, and ‘We have to do this, and we have to do that.’ But you have to remember you’re not dealing with adults. You’re dealing with children.”
Contact
AutoVenture
800-426-7502
www.autoventure.com
Research It
In addition to founding AutoVenture, Orv Strandoo is an accomplished guidebook author. His Essential Driving Guide series includes books on France, Italy and England/Scotland/Ireland. The guidebooks can be purchased online for $14.95.
www.europedriveguide.com
