Advice required please

[jovi]

Has you all probably know, me and my family, hubby, me and 2 sons are off to Florida in July 2007.
We will also be joined by my brother and his 2 daughters, we went away with them last week to the Isle of Wight, in seperate caravans (our own tourers not statics) for a trial as to how we all got on.
Well we got on ok, some things irritated me, such as, us wanting to do what we wanted to do and my brother not likeing it and making us feel guilty about doing what we were doing, for eg, we have been before, 3 times now, we like going to the beach or just relaxing at the van and in the pool which was on site.
My brother and his daughters like being up and doing all the time and usually stay on sites with clubs etc, also he likes going round the seaside towns and shops ( we don't mind on the odd day if the weather isn't too good, but not every day!) He did have his own car, I suggested many a time that he go and look round on their own.
My question is, when we go to Florida, we have been before, they haven't, we want to do different things now, were as they are beginners (I remember what it was like and you want to do everything) I know that it is a bit daunting driving in a foreign country for the first time, so do we go with them everywhere and not have relax time or steer them in the right direction and let him get on with it?.

[KarenScott]

I must admit my advice would be to hire cars per family. Then you can go somewhere together if you wanted and seperately if you both have different ideas.[msnwink]
I am assumming they haven't been to US before so maybe are a bit daunted but at least they can follow you from the airport initially and after that it becomes quite natural, I think[msnembarrased]
Are you staying in the same home?

[KevinT]

Hi Vicky,
Some friends of ours shared accommodation in Florida with another family a couple of years back and they had one people carrier between the two families. My friend says that if he was to do it again they would hire separate cars as their interests were different and it caused a little aggravation when they would have preferred to do something different.
(Another small source of disagreement was the air conditioning. One family preferred it on during the night - the other family found it too chilly....but I think they managed to compromise on that!)
I would certainly agree with Karen about getting separate cars so you can do your own thing.
Have a brilliant time when you go.[msnsmile2]

[Rhosyn]

I must agree separate cars both parties can then please themselves what they do and what time they come and go. I am sure you will have a fantastic time.

[pbensur]

Definitely hire 2 cars!!! This is a relationship-saving decision for sure. Having 2 cars will go a long way toward keeping the peace. And hopefully you'll all still be speaking to eachother once you're back home!![msnwink]

[heathercobbett]

You will find a Florida vcation much different to a UK one,Vicky

You will have such an exciting time that you will not get on one anothers nerves.Also a rental house and pool gives you so much more space and often a TV in every room that you will not feel on top of one anotherWhen we take friends and I have had enough I retreat to my comfy bedroom and chill out for a while Sunshine day after day helps a lot too

2 cars is a must;then you can split into many different combinations according to what people want to do.I always suggest to my guests that they consider that

A little discussion before you about each doing their own thing helps as well.I would let your family draw up a day by day schedule of what you want to do and then it is a fait accompli and they can decide to join you sometimes We always put $50 pp into a kitty and then refund ourselves when we have shopped,so that doesn't cause bad feelings There is lots of advice on the OV site about places to go and things to do,so while they are at the parks,you can explore other options

DON'T WORRY,you are going to have a fabulous time,the only time I ever stayed in a caravan I felt like murdering EVERYONE!!!!

[MarkJan]

Seperate cars gives you the option to do whatever you wish.

[GrahamC]

Totally agree, it has to be two cars for everyones sanity.

[reemur]

When we take family or friends we have two cars & we allways have a kitty for the food
You will have a lot more room than a caravan so you wont be under eachothers feet
Have a great time [msnsmile2][msnsmile]

[Lyn]

We have been twice with my sister and her family, the first time we had seperate villas on the same street and seperate cars, the 2nd time we shared a villa, but still had seperate cars, there was plenty of room in the villa so as not to get in each others way. The first trip was their first time in the states, but had we only had one car I think there would have been a lot of unhappy people. We sat down before we went and made lists of what we wanted to do. We then drew up itineries that meant some days we were doing things on our own and others we either spent the whole day together or met up somewhere, this works very well.