As an expat couple, we dream of the day when we can bring all of our family together in one spot. With our family living scattered throughout the US, on the continent, and in different places in the UK we yearn for a reunion to rival all others. But this means a holiday abroad for those visiting us. That’s exactly why I have been searching for large houses to rent in the UK in the hopes that once the accommodation is sorted we can focus on everyone’s schedules and get the ball rolling. For a long time, I felt it was a pipe dream but finding party houses to fit all of your guests is easier than one may imagine.
Whether it’s for a massive birthday party, a summer holiday, or just because it’s not that simple to gather a lot of people in one spot. And it’s especially difficult if you are planning on bringing people that live in different places together. As I mentioned before I have been planning on making it happen and today I want to share with you what I’ve learnt when it comes to organising and planning to bring a group of people together.
Location
The first thing that you need to consider is the location. This can be the most fun part of the planning process yet it can also be the most stressful. If people are coming from different places in the world to visit England for the first time it’s nice to think of a place that they’d choose to have a family holiday abroad anyway, which is essentially what this will be regardless of how long it will be for.
You really have to get a feel for your guests and find out if most of them are wanting to spend time exploring the English countryside, for example, or if they prefer to stay close to London to take on the city. The good thing is that you also have great options to stay in a country manner with good city access too, which means everyone will be pleased!
If you plan on a destination that your guests will be happy about staying in you will not only make it easier for them to want to be accommodating when it comes to the time of year, for example, but it will be easier for you to continue the planning process.
Transportation
With so many different modes of transport, the selecting a location that caters to all is ideal. You may choose a city in like Cambridge that doesn’t have an airport but with great train access. Consideration for the location of the facilities is important but so is planning for how your guests will be arriving.
Whether it’s trying to get a discount by buying out most of the coach or hiring a 7-seater to make sure you have enough room for everyone and their stuff getting the transportation part of the trip sorted is essential!
Look for Discounts
On that note try and get your hands on some good discounts months ahead of your trip! It depends on your location but I know that in the US you can contact your local tourist board to try and get discounts if you are purchasing tickets for heritage sites or other tourist attractions for large groups.
English Heritage also offers discounts for a group of 11 or more and offers many locations throughout the country that you’re bound to find an abbey or a castle close to your location. The National Trust will offer discounts if your group is of 15 more or 20 or more depending on the property whilst some properties are exempt from providing discounts. It’s always good to check ahead of time so whoever is footing the bill can be aware of costs.
Activities / Entertainment
This is another extremely important aspect of organising a holiday abroad for your extended family. There’s only so much time you can spend catching up as a group before people will start getting bored or wanting to do something to enjoy the experience entirely.
If this is a family holiday and there will be kids and pets about then also take into consideration what you’ll need for their stay to be enjoyable too.
Some ideas for activities to plan are –
- spa days
- amusement park outings
- going to a West End show
- hiking
- a drive to the coast
- visiting heritage sites
- going on a hot air balloon ride
- fishing with a versatile reel
- golfing
- helicopter flights
- horse riding
- watersports
Frankly, the list and options are endless. If your event is a wedding or a hen/stag do then the activities will be different but they can all be arranged!
No matter what you are planning, holiday abroad or not, it can be a much more enjoyable experience to spend time with your family and friends in a place that you can all consider your home away from home. I am all for hotels but a house that’s all yours whether for a weekend or for a week can help create memories that you will surely always cherish!
