Road trip etiquiette?
 

Hi all! I am planning a road trip with a few of my sisters to a city where my GLO has another chapter. I am looking for some "road trip" advice as I have never been on one before. Any advice is welcomed!

Thanks!

Obviously be courteous. Be apologetic when appropriate. Bring a small gift for their housemom if they have one. If you can bring a gift from your chapter to theirs that would probably rock, but it isn't necessary. Make sure you say thank you over and over again. Don't make a mess, and don't ask that someone escort you all over. You'll have more fun if you do a little exploring on your own. However don't totally ignore your hosts. If they invite you to a party and insist that it will be fun, go.

Send a thank you immediatly when you get home.

if you're the one doing the driving, don't hesitate to ask the others for a couple of bucks for gas. i drive a durango, and it's $30 to fill my tank! it can be expensive especially if you're goin more than a couple hours away. . .

Also if you're going to be "exploring" and going to any frat parties, sometimes there is a dire need to bring back a "memento" or "trophy" from tha frat. Make sure that you don't place your host in revenge status with that frat. And of course be courteous and have plans to return whatever you take. ;)

Oh and always have a back up plan... or at least someone to bail you out of trouble. I knew a few friends who went on a road trip and had to spend a night in jail.... :eek: But it was all in fun... Have a great time... where are you planning to go?

This may seem obvious, but...
If you haven't already, I would call the chapter and let them know of your plans to visit...especially if you are interested in staying at their house.

Road Trip Advice:

- Map your routes on mapquest.com and make sure each car (if you are taking more than one) has a copy.
- Book hotel rooms, call chapters and find out if they have guest rooms, etc... to make sure you will have somewhere to stay.
- Divide up lodging costs evenly and make sure everyone pays their share to whoever put rooms on her credit card.
- Buy snacks for the road... for some reason, road trips give you the munchies.
- Have enough people who know how to drive stick if you are taking one!
- Take enough cars that you have plenty of space to be comfortable (four people to a car usually).
- Take little gifts for chapters you are visiting... pictures of your girls and house, lots of extra tee-shirts from your school and your chapter functions.
- TAKE LOTS OF MONEY -- you never know what expenses will come up!

And, oh yeah... before you go... find out about the nightlife in all the places you are stopping so you know what clubs and bars to hang out at!

On the more serious side, make sure that you understand the liability rules for your fraternity. I know with our chapter, all out of town itineraries have to be approved through our alum advisory board so that we can check them over for potential risk management issues. In fact, technically, we're not even supposed to participate in out of town or overnight parties.

It's always good to get a deposit from all members interested in participating, in case someone backs out at the last minute, which can hurt your budget. Each car should have detailed directions (contact the CAA for a Triptik- they'll highlight your route and make note of exits, landmarks etc. It's free for members but you need to give them a few weeks notice), contact number at the destination chapter and an envelope of money to pay for gas etc. This can be from each persons deposit. If you're travelling to the States, make sure the envelope has Canadian and American currency. If you're crossing the boarder, make sure everyone has their ID. Also be sure that each car has a cell phone and everyone knows the numbers so that the cars can be in communication with eachother.

I have been on 4 "road trips" with the chapter, visiting sisters in the U.S. and have gathered a ton of other tips. Feel free to PM me if you want.

dont steal their stuff or they will get pissed off

if you have time to stop in fun places, do it. road trips are a lot more fun when you can do crazy stops for stupid touristy stuff.

shelley j
sigma k