Our 6-Step
Planning Process
How we create your Colorado mountain dream vacation
When you hire us to plan your itinerary, we follow a 6-step travel planning process in order to create the mountain trip that is the best fit for you and your travel companions.
In order to create your personalized mountain getaway, we need to know about you!
STEP 1:
WE WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU & YOUR TRAVEL COMPANIONS!
As soon as you contact us we will send you a questionnaire, followed by a Zoom call. Some things we want to know about you include:
- How many people will be traveling, ages, interests, and anything you think we should know in order to make the best recommendations.
- How much time you have, and whether you have a budget (we’ll work within your budget).
- Describe a perfect day as you envision it on this trip.
- Let us know whether you’ve been to Colorado before. (If so, when did you go and what did you see.).
- We want to know whether you have any must-do activities or experiences that you want to include on this trip. These may be as specific as “Ski at Breckenridge Ski Resort on the least crowded days” or as general as “Apre ski with a glass of wind and some great apps”.
STEP 2:
THE OVERALL ITINERARY
The next step to creating your custom vacation is to put together the overall itinerary. Based on your feedback to our set of initial questions and our initial meeting, we’ll send you recommendations for destinations and activities we think you’ll love.
Based on your feedback, we’ll create an itinerary that:
- Includes all of your “must-dos” (although here, depending on the amount of time you have, you may need to decide what not to do); and
- What is a good balance of activities and relaxation for each day (ex. Day 1 ~ski day, Day 2 ~ a non-ski activity, Day 3 ~relax at the spa followed by a fancy dinner, etc)
- What works for you logistically? For example, if you don’t want to drive, then we need to set up shuttles for you.
STEP 3:
ACCOMMODATIONS
After the overall itinerary is perfect, we move to the next step of creating your booking accommodations! We want to know about your preferences. Tell us whether you like big hotels, small hotels, boutique hotels, B&Bs, or large vacation homes. Do you need or prefer amenities such as an onsite restaurant, a bar, gym, or pool. Maybe a good breakfast is important to you. Whatever it is, let us know! Would you like a room with mountain views, a balcony, or a suite. We’ll talk to you about the pros and cons of renting a large private vacation home or a hotel in the center
We will send you specific recommendations for accommodations that:
- Meet your preferences
- Are within your budget
- Are in excellent locations
- Have availability for your specific dates
You have the final say, but we book, check all details, and make sure everything gets done!
STEP 4:
After accommodations are booked, the next step in creating your custom vacation is activities! During Step 1, we identified the highlights of your trip so we know for example, that you want to ski 5 out of the 7 days but only half days, and that you’d like to go on an ATV ride one day. But here’s where we delve into the details.
We also understand that some days may be more flexible in terms of activities. On the days you’re skiing, for example, you may just want to eat somewhere close. But, if you decide you’d like to venture out and try other activities, we’ll put together the logistics for an exciting outdoor activity followed by dinner close by when possible.
For each and every activity, we’ll work with you to recommend (and then book) activities that meet your preferences, budget, and travel pace. Then we’ll make the bookings.
STEP 5:
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Logistics in Breckenridge and the surrounding mountain towns can make or break the trip. There are very few Ubers and Lyfts and they are not reliable. Most of the ski towns have free buses but other than skiing, they will not get you to any of the great outdoor activities.
So, the logistics of your trip are really important.
During this step in creating your Colorado custom vacation, we book your rental car and arrange shuttles or limos to get you to where you need to be. We also book airport shuttles.
STEP 6:
FOOD AND RESTAURANTS
The last step in creating your Colorado custom vacation is food! Many people we work with want to discuss food throughout the entire planning process, because it’s an important part of the trip. And that is absolutely no problem, but if we try to make restaurant reservations too early, many places will tell us to call back later.
Here too, we want to know whether you have preferences or allergies. Gluten-free or Dairy Free? Vegetarian or Vegan? No problem.
We always recommend having a dinner reservation so you are not wandering around hungry at dinner time in high season.
AND FINALLY…
Before departure, we’ll send you our pre-trip checklist. This has advice and information on travel insurance, packing, and more.
As you set out for Colorado, you’ll embark on your journey with a meticulously crafted, tailor-made itinerary containing all the pertinent details regarding accommodations, activities, logistical arrangements, ad dining options, readily accessible via your phone. All that remains is for you to unwind and relish the experience. Reach out to us to plan you dream vacation!
Ready to find out more about Mountain Travel Mavens?
Drop us a line today or schedule a meeting.
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