Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Party Bus Rental Vs. A Limo

A party bus is essential whenever planning an event that requires transportation for a group of people. Whether it's that long-awaited 21st birthday, or the big New Year’s plans, a party bus rental can transform the night from ordinary to extraordinary. When planning any event the first thing that comes to mind is where the occasion should be held. Many great ideas are tossed around, but in the end a deciding factor is always, how are we all going to get there? This problem arises all the time when planning a birthday or other special party. In my opinion, the answer is simple; group transportation is always the best. There are multiple aspects to consider when deciding exactly what type of transportation to choose. Everyone can get separate cabs but that wouldn’t be “group” transportation and would be unorganized. This really leaves you with two options; a limo or a party bus.
Deciding between the two is easy if you ask a few questions. Mainly what the group size will be, but other aspects to address include travel length, budget, and event type are important as well. A limo is obviously much more acceptable at events like weddings, airport trips, and smaller formal events. A party bus is usually recognized with birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and events like New Years. So after determining the group size and event you may still be stuck between a limo or a party bus. Let’s look at some advantages/disadvantages of both:

Limo: A limo is usually a great option for smaller groups that are not planning on going very far. They get the job done and keep everyone together in one place. Some cons are their size and functionality. For medium to large groups they can be cramped and not really allow the party to begin or continue during transportation.

Party Bus: A party bus is great for medium to large groups that want to keep the party going while they are transported. Party busses are usually large enough to accommodate most groups and allow enough room to move around and get comfortable. They are great for longer trips for groups that want to bring the party on the road. Some cons with a party bus rental is that they can be a little more expensive than a traditional limo. That being said, they are usually accommodating more people so the price can even out depending on how the cost is being shared.

With all of that being said, it is really up to the event organizer to make a decision on transportation. I am a huge believer in group transportation for the convenience and fun factor provided. So check out some party bus rentals and see if you can add something extra to your next celebration!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Texas Auto Insurance - What Is The Right Policy For You?

Auto insurance can be confusing anywhere in the country and Texas is no exception. Finding the right Texas auto insurance can seem like a daunting task. Many people have had the same coverage and insurance company since they bought their first car. That is not always the best decision. Taking a step back and looking at your options may save you money and get you better coverage. Ask yourself a few questions: What kind of policy do I have? What is my deductible? What is my premium? Does my policy offer any benefits? If you know the answer to all of those questions then at least you have some sense of your coverage. Now it’s time to analyze your answers.


There are two extremely different types of policies: full coverage and liability (minimum coverage). Most people can distinguish between the two but not know exactly what is right for them. Full coverage protects you and your car from damages even if the accident is your fault. Liability only insures the other vehicle or person involved in the incident. Determining what is right for you comes down to your budget and the type of vehicle you are driving. If you can afford the higher premium and your car holds a decent amount of value, than full coverage would be the option for you. If your car holds very little value and you have a tight budget, than minimum coverage is all you need. Determining your deductible is the next logical question to ask. Basically the lower your deductible is, the higher your premium will be. A good way to determine what you want to do here is base it off your previous driving history. If you are prone to accidents than a lower deductible will save you some up-front costs at the time of an incident. If you are a safe or less frequent driver you may want to consider carrying a higher deductible. This will lower your premium and only affect you in the case of an accident. So what else can your Texas auto insurance cover? Some add-ons include incidental damage like vandalism or incidental accidents. Typically the only reason to carry this coverage is if you have a very valuable car or you are a stickler with keeping it pristine.
Answering all of these questions and researching your current policy can prove to be beneficial in the end. It may be a hassle to dig up all of this information, but it could end up saving you hundreds of dollars on your Texas auto insurance.

Charter Bus To The Big Game!

Have you ever thought of an alternative means of travel for a group trip? Coordinating a large group of people is never easy and adding travel to the mix only makes it harder. Let’s say that it’s a local trip for instance; all of your friends want to go to the big sporting event in the city. How is everyone going to get to the game? How will everyone get home? Is there a designated driver and if so, how many DD’s will you need? All these are typical questions among many others that need to be answered by the coordinator of the outing. Typically most people would probably just whittle down the group until there are enough volunteer drivers to accommodate, but there is another solution, a bus charter! This option is often overlooked or forgot about. The fact is it may be the easiest and most fun means of transportation. Chartering a bus is a great solution that gets your whole group of friends together in one place safely. Just set a date and time for both a pick-up and a return trip and let everyone know. I have even entertained the idea of utilizing the bus for tailgating (depending on price of course). Last year we decided to use a charter to go to a football game in Chicago. Most of the attendees were local from the suburbs but some were from out of state. It made for a great time with some old friends. The charter bus really turned the game into more of an event then a typical Sunday. It really helped get the interest of my out-of-state friends and was probably the sole reason they decided to make the trip and visit.



After that experience, I started thinking on a bigger level. If it was that much fun to travel on a charter bus for an hour or so to a game, imagine an entire trip. This got me thinking and researching. I also do a snowboarding trip every winter, but some people get left behind due to space. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have enough room to accommodate everyone? My thoughts exactly! I decided to look into chartering a bus for a trip up north to Wisconsin. I brought the idea up to a group of my friends and everyone seemed on board. I thought this might take a little more planning then just going on a day trip to a Bears game, but it was surprisingly easy; granted I haven’t booked it yet. The plan is to take the charter to a ski mountain for a weekend. This way everyone can travel together and there is plenty of room for all our gear. Depending on home many people we get, the charter bus could actually be relatively economical as well! I still have to look into lodging but I am really hoping this trip happens! The first bus charter trip went so well, I can only imagine this one being just as much fun!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Finding The Right Chicago Auto Insurance

Traveling for any occasion should be a fun and interesting experience. I have traveled using many different means of transportation in the past. Obviously I have previously spoken about using a charter bus for group transportation, but not every trip is planned with a group large enough to support a bus. In that case, many trips are taken in a care, aka “a road trip.” I feel that if I were to take a survey about enjoyment levels of a road trip it would come back as either love it  or hate it. Regardless, it is the most economical means of transportation for small groups to travel. But there are a few things to think about before you hit the road.
Most importantly, what if something happens? Will you have the right insurance to cover damage? Say you are in Chicago, is your policy considered Chicago auto insurance?  Auto insurance, in my opinion, is becoming a major expense in every budget of an American that owns a car. This is for good reason because its purpose is to protect one of the most expensive purchases a consumer can make. The problem is most people do not understand their policy and find out the hard way after an incident. There are a few major questions to address when determining what kind of coverage you need. Factoring into your decision should be previous driving record, type of vehicle you are purchasing, and how of often you drive. Using these determining factors will get you the coverage you need.
Some insurance companies will do anything to get your business. They can manipulate plans to appear budget friendly when in fact, they may end up costing more if a claim was ever filed. This is because of the main types of auto insurance that is offered, full coverage and liability. It is fairly easy to understand that full coverage covers damages to your car but at what cost to you. That’s when your deductible plays in. Some plans that are cheaper monthly may have high deductible making it hard to get your car repaired. Others are low, but you will pay higher monthly. Either way if you drive extensively or your car has a decent value, than full coverage may be best. Liability insurance only covers damages to other vehicles. This type is often referred to as minimum coverage. You can end up in a mess with this type of insurance if you happen to get in an accident and your car is totaled. There are also add-ons such as incidental coverage that covers vandalism and other incidental damage. In the end, it is important to choose the right coverage for your vehicle and lifestyle. This is something that consumers may not spend a lot of time researching until something bad happens. My suggestion is to take a look into your insurance before a long trip. It can really come in handy even if it’s just something small that happens and you just need a tow!  

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Charter Buses

Charter buses are great for any kind of group travel!
Recently I realized that some of my favorite childhood memories came from vacations and trips. Some of these were obviously family vacations, while others involved various sports teams and clubs that I was involved in. I played soccer and softball through high school and was also involved in a few extracurricular clubs that occasionally traveled. One striking memory that I have is from a trip I took with my club soccer team in eighth grade. We headed up to Michigan to play a competitive indoor tournament. We had played many tournaments before but this trip had one distinct difference, we booked a charter bus. It was my first time traveling in a coach bus and being with all my friends made it that much more special. In the past, we had all typically driven separately with our parents and possibly siblings. This wasn’t necessarily a terrible way to travel, but there was a disconnect with the rest of my teammates. Some of the trips were long and everyone was arriving at different times and possibly on different days. It made it very hard to coordinate meals and practices, all of which can help build team camaraderie. All of this was made much easier by using charter buses to travel as a team.

The reason why I am brining this topic up is because I recently was trying to think of some trip to plan with friends and family that breaks away from the norm, and keep everyone together. Charter buses can be utilized form much more than just sports teams. Coach transportation is booked every day for church travel, executive travel, city tours, and everything in-between. I was tossing around ideas of how to get everyone together for a sort of outing and my childhood memory came back and pointed me in this direction. Currently my thoughts are leaning toward chartering a bus to travel downstate to see a Big 10 college football game! I feel like this can help get my friends and family together to enjoy a sporting event together and create a lasting memory. The most difficult part in trying to plan a trip like this would normally be the transportation, but this is made easy by getting everyone together in one place. The cost is supplemented by not having to book any hotel rooms. Being able to leave and come back in the same day also makes the trip easier for anyone that might have ties at home that would prevent them from making a weekend trip. I just want to see if I can recreate such a wonderful experience.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Fall Travel

Every year when the leaves begin to change and the air is crisp, I begin to think of possible travel plans. It seems that everyone has the same ideas, visiting some pumpkin patches and possibly finding some apple picking destinations. This year I figured I would dig a little deeper and locate a few beautiful fall destinations that are sure to have a lasting impact on my view of this wonderful time of year. I am a local to the windy city so for me, I don’t have much access to nature outside of the occasional prairie and vast amounts of farm land south of the big city. I want to see more than just flat lands and wilting corn husks. That’s why my first destination researched is the Smokey Mountain region. Although the drive may seem a bit daunting, (coming in at just over 10 hours) I believe it will be worth a trip. The magnificent rolling mountains are covered with a variety of trees that change color as the seasons begin to progress down through the mountains. Just viewing pictures makes me rethink why exactly I live in the Midwest. I have read a few other travel blogs that have also mentioned this as a great destination. Nature is not everybody’s thing, but trees with this much color might just change your mind. This time of year brings the perfect climate, at least in my opinion, to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, bike riding, and camping under the stars. This type of trip may be a bit removed from traditional autumn travels, but it would certainly be a rewarding one.

After digging into more details and possible activities I came across a great thought. I love to travel with groups but making the trip isn’t always the easiest thing to organize. Depending on the size of the group, coordinating airfare is not a task that I want to delegate to myself. One alternative that isn’t commonly thought of is a bus charter. This gets all members of a traveling group all together in one private area. I know it may seem expensive but it really can become a cost efficient way to travel when compared to airfare. To me, chartering a bus is a fantastic way to bring a group together and create some wonderful memories. Now it’s just convincing your group to think outside the box!