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Planning a trip with friends, family, or a group of soon-to-be new pals can be an exciting experience. Group trips offer an opportunity to create lasting memories that are thoughtfully planned for all travelers in mind. 

St. Olaf’s Director of Alumni and Family Travel Heidi Quiram provides guidance on how to identify what type of traveler you are and how to plan group travel experiences that are fun and impactful. Alumni and Family Travel is available to the general public to book international and domestic travel experiences led by St. Olaf faculty and staff. 

What are the first three things people should consider when they begin planning for a trip?

When it comes to group travel, I recommend that travelers learn what to expect from this type of experience. Group travel has many benefits, including taking a lot of the stress of planning off your plate. That also means that travelers need to learn how to be an “independent group traveler,” which is not the oxymoron that it seems to be. Group tours offer built-in learning, transportation and logistics, and companions, among other elements, while still affording the opportunity to personalize your trip during free time.

How do you find or identify your group’s travel style?

To determine your group’s traveling style, there are several things to consider. 

• Accommodations: Prioritize safe and centrally-located hotels for good access to free time activities. 
• Pace: Itineraries should offer a mix of group activities for learning-in-community and free time for recharging, processing what you’re experiencing, and pursuing your own interests.
• Activities: St. Olaf trips feature cultural excursions — what most people would call “travel” rather than “vacation.” 
• Budget: Trip fees reflect a balance between inclusions that make sense for the itinerary and items paid for independently to reflect best personal value.

When should planning start for memorable trips?

A big ticket item like this deserves a lot of thought: a good time frame is at least 12-15 months prior to departure. After registering, do some research on your destination. Consider whether you want to arrive a few days early, possibly extend your journey, or both. Get a feel for the lay of the land and the can’t-miss sites and special restaurants that you want to fit into your free time. Also, take a look at books, articles, websites, movies, music, and more to help you learn about your destination before your arrival. 

What is a common travel tip that is no longer relevant?

I always advise anyone taking a trip – through St. Olaf or on their own – to pre-book anything that is a must-do so that you don’t miss out. For example, a visit to the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam must be reserved a couple of months in advance. You don’t want to arrive at your destination only to find out you should have made arrangements weeks ago. And don’t book those crucial visits on a travel day – if you’re delayed, you don’t want to be disappointed. I also encourage travelers to leave room for spontaneity –– you may find on any given day that you need some rest, or that the weather is not cooperating, or that you didn’t realize how enjoyable it would be to simply sit at a cafe and people-watch.

How does your work support St. Olaf’s mission?

St. Olaf Alumni and Family Travel offers lifelong opportunities for Oles and the general public to stay engaged with the college, continuing the St. Olaf Promise that “Every Ole Can Become a Global Contributor. A good example is our upcoming tour “Majestic Capitals: Prague, Vienna, and Budapest,” which offers learning in community through activities steeped in the humanities and the arts, on site in concert halls, museums, and neighborhoods. Our itineraries are often a classic mini-liberal arts education sampling and reacquaint travelers with what makes St. Olaf distinctive.

About Heidi Quiram

Heidi Quiram obtained her B.A. in German from the University of Minnesota, and has been the director of Alumni and Family Travel at St. Olaf for over 27 years. She enjoys creating memorable experiences for alumni, families, and friends of St. Olaf. Quiram accomplishes this by putting together all the pieces of the group travel puzzle in a creative and pragmatic fashion, including the following considerations: faculty recruitment, budgeting, marketing, customer service, crafting itineraries, collaborating with tour operators, and more. 
Quiram deliberately joins at least one tour every year to stay connected to the realities of group travel. When she stays home too long, she has learned that she makes poor decisions that look good on paper, but don’t play out well in the real world – such as packing the schedule too tight or booking activities on opposite corners of a city on the same day. That experience has helped her stay on top of changing trends within group travel, and evolving interests among Oles and honorary Oles.