"Best Practices" Park Trip Information

As soon as I read about wonderful park experiences far from where I live, my first question is "How do I get there?" More specfically, information about:

• What airport to fly into
• Airport rental car or shuttle service to the park/hotel
• How far is the park from the airport
• Best hotel to stay in
• Best travel route to the park

Pretty much any detailed travel logistics involved with visiting a park. It would be great if someone, ala moosh, posted a best practices travel tips section for getting to popular parks (maybe start out with the big name parks). Either in a newly created forum or if it's classified as General Buzz or Trip Reports.

Anyway, it might involve a collaborative effort by many enthusiasts across the country, but just a thought as I'm planning new and distant summer park visits. Would be nice to learn from others who have already been through the travel routine to parks many times. Namely CP, SFMM, and BGW.

1. This is CoasterBuzz, not TravelBuzz

2. All the info you listed is readily available and can be found in just minutes if you do a few quick searches on the sites listed in Moosh's Travel Tips thread.

So what you're essentially saying is, 'I don't want to take a few minutes and do the legwork myself, I want someone to make a list for me to look at'?

For the questions you listed, I'd do the following.

1. What airport to fly into?

I'd personally stick with Major Airports. Typing the name of the city the park is in (or the nearest 'big' city) into any of the travel sites and choosing to search the largest radius will give you a list. The choice is yours.

2. Airport rental car or shuttle service to the park/hotel?

All the major companies have airport terminals. Most travels have a personal favorite choice they'll use - just go to that site and search for rental cars at the airport you chose in step on. If price is the biggest factor over brand loyalty, then do a search on one or two travel sites and you'll get an idea of which company is the cheapest. Check their site (often a better deal can be had directly). Go with the best price. If the hotel is near the aiport, they'll have a shuttle. If you're unsure, go to step 4 first and find out.

3. How far is the park from the airport?

Mapquest. Driving directions. Park address in one location, airport address (zip code only give very close approximations) in the other. You should already have a general idea if you did step 1.

4. Best hotel to stay in?

This is all a matter of personal preference. I might like the such and such hotel at $199 a night, but you're looking for a deal. Or maybe the opposite, I prefer the 39.95 a night "place to sleep" hotel and you're after room service, breakfast and a bar. As with the other choices most people tend to have a brand preference. Go to that hotel chain's site and search for hotels in the same city as the park, the site with list the closest hotels.

5. Best travel route to the park?

Again, what is 'best'? Shortest, fastest, what?

I personally wait and get directions from the hotel. They always know the best way to get to the park. If you chose one of the hotels listed when you did step 4, they'll know how to get there. Alternately, mapquest gives step by step directions that work just fine.

Of course, much of this info can be found on the park's site itself (especially directions and accomodations info - often more)

I'm starting to think the problem people are having isn't where to look (as Moosh's thread has so thoroughly covered), but how to look for the info to plan their amusement park travels.

For me the hardest part isn't planning the trip, that's the easy stuff. The hardest part is deciding where to go :)

*** Edited 5/27/2004 6:10:05 PM UTC by Lord Gonchar***