TJ
Regardless of whether there are 3 or 30 people traveling, it can sometimes be a challenge to go on a trip as a group. All the troubles with trying to plan the itinerary, organize all members, and book tickets and accommodation for several people at the same time can make you want to give up the whole idea of a group trip even before you start. Fortunately, there are some simple tips following which you can ensure a smooth and pleasant group trip. And, if you have some papers to submit but don’t have the time, you can always use custom writers services and proceed with the trip.
Set Up a Communication Channel
Do yourself a favor and create a common channel where everyone can communicate with one another. It can be Facebook, email, WhatsApp, or any other platform that everyone uses.
Once you have considered the platform you are going to use, everyone from your group knows where they can consult in case of any trip-related question or initiate a discussion about the journey without having to scroll all the way to old messages or send the information to everyone individually. Keep it simple and use the platform everyone feels most convenient about.
Think About Payments
Decide as a group how you want to manage the payments needed for your trip. Should one person pay for the whole group and then gather the money from all the other participants afterward? Or should you share each invoice evenly, as a group?
To facilitate this aspect, we suggest you download some apps that can help you calculate the costs without having to split the invoices manually. The Splitwise app can help you keep track of money and who owes who (and how much). The best part is that it is free and available for both iPhone and Android. Venmo is another app that allows you to send requests for payments to those you are traveling with to remind them about covering the expenses.
You can use these apps not only during the actual journey but also in advance to help with the management of flights and other reservations.
Decide on Your Travel Preferences
Before booking something, it’s important to find out the preferences of your co-travelers and make a picture of a perfect journey for everyone. What kind of accommodation will satisfy everyone? What budget is the best for the group? Are you nature-lovers or townspeople? Is anyone in the group interested in food, fashion, or architecture?
The better you know the participants, the less you risk dealing with conflicts and issues caused by people having different opinions about what they want to see and do during the trip.
Start with Booking the Flight
Determine your travel plans by booking the plane tickets first. It will be a relief to know who is guaranteed to come along and enjoy the journey with you. When you have the start and end days, it is much easier to organize other activities. The sooner you book, the more money you will save on the flight tickets, as the price tends to rise, the closer the departure date is.
If you have a hard time choosing a destination and deciding where to go, we recommend that you check such platforms as Momondo Trip Finder or Trip Advisor. There, you can set the budget, specify the airport you start the journey at, and choose what activities you are interested in (cities, beaches, nature, nightlife, etc.).
Buy the Tickets Together
If possible, it’s good to appoint a person who will buy the tickets for everyone in the group when you have decided on them. Thus, you increase the chances to sit together, which is quite convenient.
You can buy the tickets separately, but then there’s the risk of not getting them for the same date, time, or even at the same price. If everyone from the group comes from different destinations, you can look for flights separately and then consider the flights with the prices you think will work best for you. When everything is taken into account and everyone is ready to buy, you can make a collective purchase.
Consider the Accommodation Options
Research different types of accommodation and see what suits everyone best. Want everyone to have their own hotel room? Does the whole group want to live together in an apartment or a holiday home? Or how about a quaint bed and breakfast in the country? There are so many options, and you can pick any of them! (Well, almost all of them.)
Focus on the Details
It’s not enough to know where to go and where to live: you also have to be prepared for various—usually neglected—issues. How do you get from the airport to the hotel? Are you planning to rent a bike or a car in town? Have you booked your first-journey-day dinner somewhere?
Details are essential, so make sure to decide everything in advance so that it doesn’t get stressful. But, on the other hand…
Don’t Immerse into the Details
When you need to organize many people at once, it’s tempting to plan everything from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep. But, try to allocate a few hours or maybe even days in the schedule for unplanned meetings with the locals, spontaneous evening activities, hours when you just look at people, shop for souvenirs, and basically chill.
Leave room for unexpected adventures!
Have Your Own To-Do List
Just because you are traveling in a group, you don’t have to see and do what the others want to. You spend thousands of dollars on this trip, so be sure to have fun!
Make a list of things you want to experience and be sure to inform the rest of the group about the importance of these journey aspects for you. Who knows, maybe others would like to join you.
Leave Some Time for Breaks
Traveling in a group can be overwhelming, no matter how long it is. With the constant interaction throughout the days, most of the participants appreciate spending some time alone.
Discuss with your friends that your traveling together as a group doesn’t have to mean spending every minute together. It’s okay to visit a museum alone, read a book, relax in a cafe — do whatever you want! As long as you agree, it doesn’t have to irritate your companions.
Divide the Preparations
Don’t let one person take care of planning, booking, and money-spending — it’s not fair to put the whole burden on only one member of the group. Consider the participants’ strong and weak sides and let each person take responsibility for what they are best at. For example, make the one who is a master of good deals and finding hotels be responsible for booking the rooms. Choose someone who knows what works during trips and make them responsible for finding excursions and sightseeing.
Use Offline Apps
Apps are the best helpers on the trip! It never hurts to download a city guide so that you don’t have to use up all your traffic when looking for activities. Devote your time to a little investigation and consider different apps that can ease your traveling and make it even more enjoyable for everyone!
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