Planning a Family Trip in Kerala? Read This Before You Book a Tempo
Kids, grandparents, luggage and long drives. What a tempo traveller does well for a Kerala family trip, and the one case where it is the wrong vehicle.
A family trip in Kerala is a different job from a group of friends going to Munnar, and it is worth understanding why before you decide on a vehicle.
Families move differently. Someone needs a stop every ninety minutes. Someone else cannot climb into a high seat. There are more bags than people. Nobody wants to be split across two cars, and nobody wants the arguments that come with it.
That is exactly the problem a tempo traveller solves — up to the point where it does not, and I will be straight about where that point is.
Why one van beats two cars
The obvious thing is that everyone travels together. No convoy, no losing each other at a junction, no phone calls to find out where the other car stopped.
The less obvious thing is the luggage. A Kerala family trip is not hand baggage. There are strollers, there are suitcases for a hill station and a beach in the same week, there is the bag of snacks, and there is whatever the grandparents decided to bring. A van swallows all of it and leaves the aisle clear.
The third thing is the driver. On a hill road like the Munnar ghat, the person doing the driving does not get to enjoy it. A tempo traveller with a local driver means the adults who would otherwise be taking turns at the wheel are present for the trip.
Sizing it properly
Size for people plus bags, not people.
- A family of ten with normal holiday luggage is comfortable in a 12 seater.
- A family of twelve with heavy bags is not — that is a 17 seater.
- A mixed group of fifteen plus children wants the 17 seater at minimum, and usually a 19.
Getting this wrong is the most common mistake. A 12 seater is not cramped for twelve people going to a wedding. It is cramped for six people with a week of luggage and two children who need floor space.
Age matters more than size
Young children need stops, and they need them without warning. A van can pull over on a hill road far more easily than a convoy can. Tell your driver at the start that you will be stopping often — it changes how he drives.
Elderly parents need the seat nearest the door and a step that is not a climb. Mention it when you book and we will assign the right vehicle and the right seats. It is a small thing that matters a lot on a four-hour drive.
Anyone prone to carsickness should sit forward, and on the Kodaikanal run in particular, ask for the Theni road rather than the hairpin climb.
What it costs
Package rates are per vehicle per day, from the garage and back:
- 12 seater — ₹3,000 per day, 100 km included per day
- 17 seater — ₹3,300 per day, 100 km included per day
- 19 seater — ₹4,600 per day
Driver allowance is ₹700 per day extra. Tolls and parking inside Kerala are free.
For a family, the honest comparison is against two or three cars. Three cars means three drivers, three fuel bills, three parking problems and a permanent problem keeping everyone together. One van at ₹3,000 plus allowance usually wins, and the trip is better for it.
When a tempo traveller is the wrong choice
If you are four people with light bags, do not book a van. A car seats four comfortably, costs less, and gets into places a van cannot.
I run tempo travellers for a living, and I will still tell you that. A family of four driving to Alleppey for a night does not need twelve seats, and hiring them anyway is money spent on nothing.
The van earns its place at six people and above, or at any group size where the luggage is serious.
Booking
Tell us how many of you there are, the ages, the luggage situation and the route, and we will recommend the right vehicle — including telling you if a car would serve you better.
Call +91 70343 01815, or book online and we will come back to you with the confirmed quote.
Common questions
- Is a tempo traveller good for a family trip in Kerala?
- For six or more people, yes. One van keeps the family together, gives everyone a real seat, and carries the luggage that a car cannot. For four people and light bags, a car is cheaper and easier.
- How many seats do we need for a family of ten?
- A 12 seater is comfortable for ten with luggage. Sizing is about people plus bags, not people alone — a group of twelve with heavy holiday luggage is better off in a 17 seater.
- Can we stop as often as we like?
- Yes, and on a package trip the included kilometres remain yours to use. Families with young children or elderly parents stop far more often than groups of friends, and that is fine — we plan for it.
- What if our family group is only four people?
- Then a tempo traveller is the wrong call. A car seats four comfortably and costs less. We will tell you that rather than sell you a van you do not need.
Book this trip
Send us your dates and group size and we will confirm the van and the rate.