They say one of the best ways to really get to know someone is by traveling together, and they’re not wrong. Think about it: Whether you’re traveling with just one person or a large group, you’ll spend a lot of time together, and you’ll get to see the real them: their sense of curiosity, and how they handle stressful situations. You’ll have an opportunity to see them outside of their comfort zone.
Group Trip Planning Made Easy
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Planning a group trip can be a fun experience, but it can also be overwhelming. In this blog, we’re going to focus on the positives and give you tips and tricks to make your next group trip as successful as possible, while bringing you and your group closer together.
Step 1: Pick a Destination
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Choose a destination that everyone in the group is interested in. Consider the time of year and weather conditions to make sure that it's a good time to visit. You should also take the group’s interests into account, such as:
- Outdoor activities
- Party scenes
- Cultural events
Make sure everyone in the group is in agreement with the “rough agenda” for the trip. The reason we say “rough agenda”, and not actual agenda or itinerary, is that you want to get a general idea of what your group is interested to participate in. The actual planning of the itinerary would happen once a budget has been agreed upon.
Step 2: Choose Leaders
We recommend choosing multiple leaders, although it could be one person. The point is to make sure someone is in charge of everything important,whether it’s:
- Paying for groceries
- Taking care of the rental
- Booking a hotel or Airbnb
- Making reservations for dinners and activities
You’ll want to make sure that your leader(s) feel comfortable organizing and communicating with the group. This is a crucial step to ensure everything runs smoothly.
In addition to helping organize the group trip, your leader(s) should expect to pay for the arrangements; the group would then pay their share to the leader(s). It’s important that your leader(s) feel comfortable temporarily putting things on their card. This is one of the main reasons we recommend having multiple leaders as opposed to a singular person; the financial responsibility can be overwhelming!
Step 3: Group Communication
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Set up a group chat or text thread to keep everyone informed of the trip's details. This will help to avoid any confusion or missed information. It’s also a great way to make everyone feel included and for participants to chime in on ideas when the time comes.
Step 4: Determine a Budget
Before booking anything, agree on a budget that everyone is comfortable with. This will help to avoid any misunderstandings or conflicts later on.
Having a rough ballpark on what people feel comfortable spending during the group trip will give everyone a rough idea of the type of activities they can participate in during the trip, as well as keep everyone mindful of their spending as well as come up with ways to make their money go further.
Step 5: Create an Itinerary
The ideal group itinerary should include activities everyone in the group is interested in. We recommend including start and end times for everything, as this will keep the group mindful of how long to expect to spend somewhere if they wish to get to other activities laid out for the day.
It’s also a good way to keep everyone accountable for when they should expect to be up and ready in order to get to the first planned activity. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there are no surprises.
Step 6: Book Accommodations
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Once you have chosen a destination and created an itinerary, book accommodations for the group. Consider staying in a hotel or Airbnb that is centrally located for all activities. Remember that it needs to comfortably accommodate everyone in the group.
Step 7: Transportation
Determine the transportation options available at the destination in advance and book accordingly. Does it make sense to rent a car for the trip, or will ride-share services like Uber and Lyft be a better option? That’s up to you and your group to decide.
Step 8: Meal Planning
Decide how meals will be handled during the trip. Consider whether you will eat out or cook meals in the accommodations. In most cases, groups tend to eat breakfast in the accommodations and eat out throughout the day. But there’s no wrong answer; it all depends on your group’s preferences and budget.
Step 9: Have Fun!
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Remember that the purpose of the trip is to have fun with your friends and create memories that last a lifetime. Don't get too bogged down in the planning process and enjoy the time spent together.
Where to Next?
Planning a group trip can be a daunting task. But with these tips and tricks, you can make it a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. And, if you’re looking for more guidance and control, there are planning tools like Celebration Wishes that make it easy to fund trips, keep track of budgets, and book everything from one singular place.
If you'd rather leave the travel details to a professional, book with Celebration Wishes Travel. You can rest assured that every single detail of your trip will be handled with care. Fill out our interest form to learn more today!