Are you planning a vacation with friends or family? No matter the group, there tends to be a mixture of personalities and interests. That’s why you’ll find the group travel tips in this article helpful to ensure your trip runs smoothly.
Let’s get into it!
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How Do You Prepare for a Group Trip?
Once you’ve solidified your destination and departure date, it’s time to put together a plan. Determine who will be the primary group organizer and give that person the freedom to outline the initial agenda for the trip. This will alleviate the stress of having an overwhelming amount of ideas and decisions to make. And is one of the most important group travel tips.
But first, everyone should give the organizer their expectations for an overall budget for activities, accommodations, and transportation. Allow the group a few days to weigh in.
After drafting an initial agenda, gather the group in person or virtually. Review, discuss, and revise the plan as needed. The goal is for everyone to feel comfortable with the budget and accommodations and have activities lined up that they’re excited about. Remember to be inclusive and allow everyone to express their desire for the trip.
While traveling, things can change at a moment’s notice but having an agenda is vital for group travel. It gives everyone something to work from without it feeling chaotic trying to plan the entire trip from scratch with multiple people.
Group Travel Tips for Organizing the Best Trip
After you’ve accomplished one of the biggest group travel tips, putting a plan together, it’s time to turn your attention to some details.
Book Transportation
The group organizer should determine how all transportation will get booked. This includes ground and air transportation.
If air travel is required, have each person book their own flight. And if people are flying to the destination from different locations, the group organizer can help coordinate so that everyone arrives at a similar time. Or know how to get ground transportation to get from the airport to your accommodations.
Reserve Lodging
Consider renting a house with enough rooms for every individual or couple in your group. It can be a more cost-effective option and provides a more group-focused environment. VRBO is an excellent place to start looking. A small boutique hotel or a bed and breakfast are also great ways to create a sense of togetherness while enjoying the amenities.
The key to lodging for a group vacation, in particular, is location. Groups move slower than an individual or pair traveling together. Getting to and from the airport and activities will likely take extra time. So, finding central accommodations is helpful.
Also, there may be days when some of your group wants to go out, and others want to sit by the hotel pool. It’s often worth spending a little extra on lodging to be close to restaurants or a grocery store for this reason. Especially if you rent a vehicle and some of the group is left without it for the day.
Determine Ground Transportation
Once accommodations are booked, determine if the group will need ground transportation. If utilizing public transportation, know what your options are. The organizer, or someone else designated in the group, should look into daily routes and know the public transportation system well, including how much it costs and where to get tickets. Having these details worked out pre-trip will be a big time saver.
If you’re planning to rent a car, remember that vehicles differ in size in different parts of the world. So, for example, groups of more than six may need to rent two vehicles. Also, determine which person in your group will be driving. If your destination is in a different country, each driver will need an international driver’s license, which needs to be obtained in your home country.
Plan for a Pool of Money
Determine how you’re going to handle money during the trip. This group travel tip is more important than you may think. For example, restaurants in some destinations prefer not to split tabs. So, having a plan for paying for group activities will be beneficial.
One of the easiest options is for each person to contribute a certain amount of money to a pre-paid credit card before you leave. Assign one person to hold and oversee the card. It can be designated to pay for ground transportation, group meals, day trips, and activities. This will save time from figuring out group bills, who has cash left, and calculating currency.
Another way to pool money is by having everyone put a certain amount of cash in an envelope at the beginning of the trip. Or you could do it daily. Designate one person to keep the envelope and pay for any group bills. If the pool runs low, everyone contributes a second equal amount. And if there’s cash left at the end of the trip, it gets divided evenly among the group.
Keep in Communication
Have a communication plan in place for times when your group is separated. If your cell phones don’t get service at your destination, consider purchasing a couple of pre-paid phones and sim cards once you arrive.
Each group member should also have important numbers written down someplace in case a phone goes out or is lost. The last thing you want on vacation is to have an emergency, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Find Small Group Travel Tours
Small group travel tours are a great way to learn more about your destination, meet other travelers, and get to places you may not have otherwise. And if one person in your group is organizing during your trip, it’s nice for them to have a break and let someone else lead an excursion.
Another group travel tip related to activities is to rotate who plans them. Each group member could take a day and be in charge of planning any activities you didn’t organize ahead of time.
What Are Group Travel Tips for the Introverts and Extraverts?
Inevitably there will be introverts and extroverts on your group vacation. Traveling successfully with friends or family requires being upfront and realistic about individual needs. This will help each person have fun and keep their energy up. Implement a “free day” (or days) into your itinerary. On a free day, everyone can experience the day however they want.
One way to help a group vacation meet each individual’s needs is to create a space before the trip for transparency. Ask each group member to share in a group email or planning meeting what the ultimate “free day” looks like for them. And have everyone name three things you want to make sure to see or do on the trip. This allows everyone to get an idea of the expectations of others and helps avoid discontent during travel.
Use the Group Travel Tips to Have an Epic Vacation
Group vacations can create memories to last a lifetime. Implementing some or all of these group travel tips will make your travels together that much sweeter. Get friends or family together and head to one of your dream destinations!
Have you taken a group vacation? Share your favorite memories in the comments below.
