I am planning a family trip for August 2010. The itinerary looks good but I am concerned because my travel agent said that Insight could cancel a trip or change hotels and activities. We plan on using miles for the airfare so if the itinerary is cancelled we will be stuck. IS this a good trip for teenage boys? What is the likely hood of it being cancelled?

Twoboys...

Welcome to the board.

This type of tour will be great for your teenage boys and even for you.

Think positive and the tour will go. If not, then rent a car and do it yourself and stay where you want.

Cat's

[QUOTE]Originally posted by twoboys:

..... Insight could cancel a trip ....

I wouldn't worry too much about the Hotels and activities, decent replacements will apply.

How flexible can you be ?

One option is to delay booking until a few months prior to your preferred departure date, then get your TA to check with Insight if any of the scheduled tours are already guaranteed to run. This happens once Insight has reached the minimum number of bookings for any given tour - once that number is reached than cancellation is much less likely.

Our teenage boys would have been bored even if we had taken them to the moon but stick them in the helicopter over the Grand Canyon and they will be putty in your hands.

I am alos looking at the Tauck Bridges tour. That tour is specifically geared towards family travel. I am worried that my boys might feel like there are too many "old people" on this tour. Im 45 and they consider me OLD!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by twoboys:
I am also looking at the Tauck Bridges tour.

Sorry, cant help you there but somebody else may know.

At 45 you will be at the younger end of the scale. As for the boys, tricky question - up to 15, unless they are travel buffs, I would opt for a resort with activities like wind surfing, rifle shooting or water rafting etc. Maybe you should just leave the boys at home and go on your own.

Somebody with experience of taking their boys on an Insight Tour needs to respond, I am not qualified to do so simply because I would not have taken ours. Not their scene as they say.

My OH asks - Do you think the boys will be bounding out of bed by 07:00am every morning and will they return to the coach punctually at the appointed times - failure to do so will doubtless iritate other passengers.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Hornet,

If you've done coach tours before then you'll be able to judge how appropriate this might be for your sons. Tours start early in the morning and keep to a strict schedule during the day. (The evenings are where you have the most flexibility of time.) Will your sons have problems with the early rising time? Do they appreciate nature? I've taken tours of the canyons in the past and loved them because I love scenery. If your sons are more the amusement park type then you'll want to give this a rethink. If, however, they are open-minded then they should have a great time. (The optional tour flights at the Grand Canyon are expensive so start budgeting for them now.) Yes, there are lots of "old people" on the tour but they are interesting old people coming from all over the world. Tours I've taken in the U.S. have always had lots of people from Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., South Africa and even Canada! People are friendly. If your sons like interacting with adults they'll have a great time. And there is also the possibility that there will be other families on the tour.

If you can wait to book your flights until 6 weeks before the trip when the tour dates are usually finalized that would be the best option. These days is nothing is absolutely guaranteed and it's quite possible that a tour company will be combining 2 different tour dates into one. My points plan allows me to cancel and have points reinstated but there is a charge. Does yours? That is why I'm willing to risk a points flight but only when the tour company shows the tour as a "DEFinite departure" date. And, although it is rare even DEF dates can be cancelled or changed. (It would be interesting to see what airfare rates Insight would offer you. When they do the flight booking you pay a higher price but if the tour gets changed you're not out any money.