General Caravan Information
What Is Included In The Caravan Cost?
This is an article written by Bob Bennett.
I frequently get questions from our www.wbccicaravans.org Website. One of the most often asked question is “what is included in the cost of a Caravan”. The cost covers all camping, many meals, many tours or special events, ferry fees where they are part of the Caravan route, and the leaders expenses (our leaders are not paid, but they do recover their expenses either by direct charge to the caravan fee or through comps given by the vendors we use). Our leaders try to include things that would appeal to everyone in the cost of the caravan and then let you know about other tours or events that might be available as optional at your own cost.
Most leaders plan at least one meal (often more) per stop. These can be at a local eatery (we try to find those with local specialties if we can), catered by a local vendor or club (like the Elks, etc.), or planned and cooked by other caravan members but paid for by the caravan (we call these “cookouts” – they often become competitions to see who can do the best). Other times Caravan members will form impromptu offerings – like an “egg in a bag” breakfast or an “everyone bring something” taco feed.
We try to include tours that interest everyone – and are not difficult for the handicapped. Most of the areas we travel in have special things to offer – after all that is why we are going there. There generally is a planned tour or event at every stop – often more. In many cases the event may be an over-night stay at something of particular interest – for instance the Polar Bear may include an overnight stay in the Tundra Buggies to watch the bears, or the Viking Trail (Newfoundland) may include an overnight stay at Woody Island where you can experience life as it was in the 40’s and 50’s. We are often able to get tours to places that are not generally available to the public, or we are able to hire local guides or historians to give us personal tours. We use busses in congested areas, and also use “carpool tours” where we hire a guide who narrates a tour on the CB
While caravan members group together in their Vans/Trucks/Cars and listen to the guide. We can usually get good price breaks on our tours as a group.
We ask that all members in the Caravan participate in the work that needs to be done (like parking assistance, welcome committees, cookout committees, etc.). All of the work is assigned and listed in the drivers’ manual. Since we do that, and our leaders are not paid, we are able to run our Caravans at an attractive price (if you compare prices – do it on a per day basis). Our National Caravans tend to be longer than most of the commercial offerings because we want you to slow down, take your time, and get to know the local area.
When you go on a Caravan you will receive a “Drivers Manual” that will detail the entire schedule, the driving route, the work assignments, the planned meals, the tours, and the general guidelines that the Caravan will follow. It will become your bible for the duration of the Caravan.
If you have not tried a WBCCI Caravan, now is the time to do it and really begin to enjoy Fun, Fellowship, and Adventure.