If you're coming to the Hunter Valley for a weekend with a small medium or large group and wondering where do you start we are here to help!
With over 5 years experience of running tour groups in the Hunter Valley and over 100 tours of the valley later, I've put together the top five tips that customers have told me the troubles that they have booking groups into the Hunter Valley.
1. Accommodation - work on a per person budget.
There are many different types of accommodation in the Hunter Valley and a few different levels and prices we strongly recommend that you work on a per person budget and what type and style that you are looking for. The different styles of accommodation in the Hunter Valley are as follows rent a house, rent a villa, standard hotel room, rent a villa on the grounds of a hotel, or budget accommodation.
2. Check for hidden accommodation charges.
They say always read the fine print... some accommodation can charge you for parking, breakfast, cleaning fees, weekend surcharge so read the small print and find exactly what is included in your accommodation.
3. Getting to the Hunter Valley
Transport options to the Hunter Valley include companies that can organise buses to pick your group up from the Newcastle airport or Sydney airport, or pickups directly from your homes in Sydney or other areas and drive you to the Hunter Valley where, with a little twist of the arm, a drink or two can happen on the bus on the way up. Or you can carpool so everybody gets to enjoy the road trip.
4. Book your restaurants and bring some supplies.
There are not many supermarkets or convenience stores in the Hunter Valley and often restaurants book out. People often forget or leave sorting out their food to the last minute and buying food for a group for 2-3 days can be a problem. Talk to your bus driver when you get on the bus and make a stop at a supermarket to pick up supplies. Book your dining options in advance or let us sort out breakfast hampers for you!
5. Pay your mates!
When putting together a group outing, the dreaded payment keeps coming up so make sure somebody in the group who runs a tight budget is able to put together the horrible spreadsheet to give a fair and even run down of costs, and sort out a method of paying them so no one is out of pocket. Paypal.me is a great way of sharing money easily - simply give everyone coming your paypal.me account and let them know how much they need to transfer. And make sure you bring some cash with you to make splitting payments during the trip easy.
If all this seems too hard don't hesitate to reach out to Hunter Valley Day Tours and so our team can organise a great, affordable stress-free weekend away in the Hunter Valley.
We look forward to putting together a quote to fit your needs for your Hunter Valley experience.