Linda

• Pre trip organization. If you are new, logistics should be your # 1 concern. Commentary is secondary -important but logistics is more important. Make sure you have everything you need before you start the trip - technical, and all questions answered on the technical -any electronic transfer funds -pull any cash needed for the tour -determine any pre trip confirmation calls -have all confirmation call numbers -driver number -pax manifest -any vouchers and any else needed for excursions -DVD’s or Digital assets -all digital cords -all questions answered from the TO.

• Commentary / drive time notes. Instead of just researching randomly- Go through your technical and look for topics you can research based on where you are headed. Find stories around these areas. I even put notes right in my technical to remind me what I want to talk about during each driving period. Or if I want to play a game, play music, movie or have quiet time. It keeps me focused. I use OneNote for all my Commentary notes.

 

Erin

• cloud based notes/paperwork so you can access everything on your phone and not carry a whole office worth of paperwork’s around with you…

• do your accounting and reports daily so you can finish them the day the tour ends. 

• packing-wise buy 2 of necessities so you have shampoo, razors, toothpaste and whatever permanently in your suitcase

 

Donna

• I take a small plastic file folder with me that way I have it all organized from pre to post trip. 

• I also use Evernote to organize my commentary. 

• I just began using google slides to give the guest a day by day list of restaurant suggestions, hotels where we are staying, sites etc. I just put the links. I got the idea from Erin E. I use a QR code to share it. Some guests love it but some hate tech.

 

Mary

• Pre-trip: I buy toiletries for each tour ahead of time and have them in small storage bins. Never have to worry about having enough for a tour. I can use “leftovers” rest of the year when home. It’s especially easy for grab and go assignments! 

• I take a tote bag and keep that on the bus with my maps, handouts, DVDs, tickets, etc…from the first day. That way I don’t forget anything. 

• Post: I write notes daily (because I'll forget later) about the tour in my notes app and scan receipts with the phone the second I get them.  

 

Edgar

• I create an itinerary outline for the driver and myself. One sheet per day with each stop, the duration of the stop, the address and the driving time. That way, on say a 10 day tour, I can always see each tour day at a glance without having to look through a 25 page itinerary. I end up with 10 easy to read pages. My drivers also always prefer it to the driver’s itinerary the tour companies send.

• I make a check list of who to call and when for confirmations. I use the Google Keep app. I’m terrible at keeping track of that stuff and tend to do it later than I should. I am usually calling or sending emails 24 hours out and not days ahead like some TDs do. I don’t always remember to look at the check list or even create it. But when I have it, it helps.

 

Karen

• routing - having your route stops/addresses/plan B stops planned in advance, to help organize you, your driver, and your commentary 

• phone - have all vendor contacts saved and all tour stops in your calendar app (in correct time zone)

 

Paul

• Prepare Plan B in advance (proactively address different scenarios)

• Triage (nail down priorities--firm commitments/appointments)--so that appointments with/without "wiggle room" are clearly understood

 

Peggy

• Know the tour route, talk with the driver regarding pickup times and locations, get the drivers input on where those should happen. Dissect the provided itinerary to find holes for quiet time or tight schedules. After I have that done I work on commentary and additives. I do this with the adult tours I work now and it helps me to calm my nerves and better manage my time. I didn't worry so much creating slideshows and connecting to the bus my first couple of years but that is something I am working on now. How to get my Google phone to connect and stay connected to the bus.

• I have my information in two areas. I will always have a paper copy of everything. A Page per day with an itinerary and extra to dos for that day. Annotations on mine and drivers copy if necessary particularly when commentary is warranted. The second place I keep everything is on my laptop. Same information. On the laptop I can put in notes to self on events, places, etc. for future trips

• So the big thing about organizing is to make your plan and execute. But to remember things can happen that require you to reassess and make changes.  I use the five tenants of Project Management: Plan, initiate, manage, control, close.  Plan your course: Meaning make a schedule with timelines, determine your suppliers. For TDs it would be break down the itinerary given by the TO in doable chunks of time. I.e., is two hours enough time for an older adult tour group to walk the north rim of Grand Canyon, go into the girt store and have a bathroom break? What can you fit into a two hour chunk of time because you have a hard requirement to be at lunch at 12 with a 30 min drive. Initiate means make all the contracts, pre calls etc.  Manage: work the plan, perform what the itinerary says. Control: make adjustments when necessary, stay on schedule. Close: finish the trip, write your trip reports, do your invoices.

• Put in the drive times that aren’t provided in a lot of the itineraries.

 

Deana

• Invest your time in pre trip planning. What that means: A. mobile filing system: Break the itinerary down and group supporting documents for every single item on that day (all tickets/contracts/etc) into a filing system that is easy to manage. I want it to have a clasp of some kind so if I drop it it doesn’t spill. I don’t like a notebook. Don’t want to punch holes and also, if I have loose items/trinkets I need to include, you have to have some type of sleeve. I like an accordion file that has at least 10 sections. And then I have a “daily” folder that I fill each day and take with me. I do take the entire folder on the bus, but only the daily goes with me everywhere off the bus. I know some people like all digital. I am old school and like paper because my phone has crashed or am out of cell range and I don’t want to get caught off guard or unable to deliver. B. Confirm all details as far in advance as possible. Specifically that dates and times on contracts match the itinerary. You don’t want to show up to an appointment with a ticket for the wrong date. This applies to buses too. The correct airport and date and time. C. Build a folder for the trip in Google maps and save every destination on the itinerary in that folder. Go day by day and run the route from place to place and make sure the timing flows and is correct on the itinerary. Doing all of this in advance allows you to work with your coordinator/planner to correct anything you might need to. I feel it’s the single most important thing you can do. I’d commit 1 full day to this, two weeks in advance if you have that luxury.

• Finances and receipts: Every company is different. Most TDs work for multiple companies so they have different credit cards and reporting policies. I streamline that by keeping a separate “wallet” for each. It has the cards and I store receipts for that card only in that wallet. And the wallet is unique to that company. For example my tour company is from Texas so I bought a wallet in the airport that said Texas on it. Road scholar is in Boston so I bought a Boston wallet to keep that stuff together. But the most helpful is that I save the important info ie PIN numbers and zip codes and mailing addresses as a contact in my phone. Like this: First name: worldStrides Last name: credit or debit Company: xxxx (pin) Notes: billing address Then I don’t have to remember it and it’s super easy to look up on the fly.  Also with finances, snap a photo of the receipt when you pay. Saves so many headaches. Make sure it’s dated and clearly legible for vendor name.

• Commentary: If you can develop a theme to the day, and have a unique story for each place that ties it back to that day, it makes it more memorable and will help you to flow. Ie if you do a student tour in DC and it’s Arlington, holocaust and 9/11 - that’s so heavy. But you can call it service and sacrifice and then you have a way of processing and debriefing.

 

Mili

• I use OneNote.  It works for me for commentary notes and my videos are all on Drive. This can be a problem when you are in no service areas so I download what I will need to a flash drive. I used to carry all kinds of wires to connect to any coach but found that the drivers with the older coaches were less experienced or old timers who didn't know how to hook up those wires any better than I do. So I just carry my HDMI hook up and if it doesn't have that I keep it old school. But one thing I did learn is that if it does work it is going to kill your battery. And most phones have only one port. So hit best buy for a splitter so you can play videos etc and charge your phone at the same time.

 

Miriam

• Physical organizing: Use a seat caddy with compartments. It allows you to sort things in a neat way. Use folders with each days vouchers, notes, maps, pass-arounds - and a to-do list for each day. 

• Planning/commentary: Break down your itinerary per day, then time out every single stop. Once that is done, look on Google maps (unless you know the area well) for unique locations, spots, etc. Shape your commentary around each segment and add how long your commentary will be. 

• Follow-up/post each tour day: Make notes and adjust timings and topics as per how the day played out and any adjustments for the next time. Time-consuming for sure, but gives you confidence and control over your day-by-day.

 

Liz

• Folding fabric boxes to sit on my seat and on the floor

 

Lori

• Directional Guidance Research: GuideGuides, YouTube & Google Maps to get a birds-eye view of where offices are, ticket pick ups, etc., For places you have not been. 

• IATDG or TO's chat room to ask other TDs these questions

• Keep commentary & schedule, ticket/res confirm docs all in Wanderlog. 

• Download a receipts/expense report app before going & snap all receipts & record as you go along the trip.

 

Julie

• I still keep a trip binder. Has everything in it I need for the current tour - confirmations, names, phone #, rooms list, meal sign-ups, etc. TO emergency contact info. Tabs for each day. I use a clipboard for “today” - night before take out of binder what I need for next day and put it by the door. It’s the former secretary in me! 

• Commentary research - for a new tour I go day by day down the itinerary stops and what I need to know. Put that commentary on my iPad according to tour and day.

 

Sarah

• Organize the timing of the itinerary! I don’t trust the office to have the timing right! I go through day by day with Google Maps to get my timing down for each venue!! I usually add 15 minutes to what Google Maps say since we are on a bus, not a car! This also helps me set times for breakfast, bag pull, bathroom stops, lunch which is never included!! Once I am comfortable with all of this I can start with my reconfirms!! I do emails first and then calls! I do all of my reconfirms before I leave home!! 

• Do research on the area that you are traveling through and specifics on places you will visit!! So important!! I am the handout queen, as Cathy Nail used to say!! However, for a new TD setting up commentary would be more important in the beginning!! 

• Understand the importance of luggage!! I have an alphabetical list of the guests! Each guest, not couples!! It is a chart for each day we will be loading luggage! I check off each name as I see the bag!! I make sure that the driver does not load a bag until I tell him it is checked off!! This is so important!! I have never lost a bag until my last tour! Had a couple who always brought their own bags down until the morning they didn’t!! I will never forget that again!!

 

Danielle

• I usually say to call every supplier and ask basics like can you have backpacks, water, is there a gift shop, restrooms…etc

• Commentary research is important but I feel like newbies usually focus so much on that and not on actual stuff. I say anyone can google when the Lincoln memorial was built but they can’t google where the bathroom is.

 

Hollijo

• I would say that the best system is the one you use. So if it's in your phone, or a binder, or a notebook or whatever. But you should be able to quickly access the information when needed and the tasks you need to accomplish. 

• Trust but verify. Reread and question everything. Never assume what the TO meant or that they have their ducks in a row.

 

Troy

• Write out your itinerary and see if it makes sense with timings. Confirm the hours of operations of the venues you're visiting. Look at traffic patterns. 

• Coordinate the day's activities with the group leader (if applicable) and coach driver (if applicable) so that everyone is on the same page. 

• Insure that you have all necessary administrative items such as tickets, tips, parking passes, confirmations (along with calling ahead when possible.)

 

Suzanne

• When adding your drivers & Guide’s number in your phone add a D in front of the Driver name and a G in front of the Guides name to help find it quicker in case you are struggling remembering their name