Group travel with friends

This group travel plan must take into account various parameters in order to prevent your trip from turning into a fiasco. If you are planning a group trip with friends, this means knowing how to live in community and having an open mind when it comes to going with others. Now comes the time to organize the trip: how to go about it, what steps to follow, what are the keys to the success of the organization of your group trip with friends/girlfriends?

Here are some tips to ensure that your group trip with your friends takes place in the best possible conditions.

1. Choice of destination and type of trip

It is important to define your group travel plan according to everyone’s desires. All participants in the group must be in the same frame of mind. To keep a good atmosphere throughout your trip, it is necessary to define a type of trip that suits everyone: itinerant trip, adventure, cultural, seaside, sports… It is essential to agree on the theme and then the destination of your trip!

Respect everyone’s interests and find a destination that will allow everyone to find what they are looking for. You probably won’t agree on everything, but try to make some concessions!

2. Travel dates

Plan your vacation! In a group, everyone has their own obligations, so it is essential to find a date and duration of stay that suits everyone. Without your dates, no one leaves!

3. Who organizes?

You have the choice between two possible options for organizing your trip with friends:

– You delegate the organization of your stay to a travel professional: This option is the safest for setting up a stay that requires meticulous organization like that of a trip with a group of friends. The tour operator will provide you with professional advice and experience. He will be able to offer you a turnkey trip corresponding to the desires and needs of each one. The saving of time and energy is significant, especially if all the members of your group of friends work and are busy on a daily basis.

– You can also create your own group trip with friends: but be aware that this type of organization will require time and a lot of patience. You can find information on specialized travel sites or blogs in order to draw on the experience of travelers and adapt it to your group project. If you organize your group trip yourself, divide up the tasks to involve everyone.

4. Travel budget

“Good accounts make good friends” – It is important to define your travel budget including all the services of your stay. Set a budget for the whole group and an individual budget for transportation, accommodation, food, and sightseeing activities. This budget will allow the professional in charge of your trip to offer a stay adapted to your group.

For your expenses on site, some applications such as Tricount allow you to share your expenses when you organize group activities. This application allows you to make your accounts between friends and manage the common expenses of your stay. In another case, you can set up a common kitty.

5. Transport(s)

Moving a group of more than 6 people requires time and meticulous organization. Before your trip, define the modes of transport you will use to get to your destination and to get around: car, plane, train, bus, etc.

Calling on a travel professional to book your transport is the most suitable solution for trips with friends. It is indeed difficult or even impossible to book tickets online for more than 10 people.

Absolutely avoid booking your tickets individually! The first people in the group accessing the online reservation will be able to check availability, but it is likely that there will be insufficient places for your entire group.

Depending on your budget, you can choose to rent one or more cars on site or use public transport. Ask for advice from the tour operator who will take care of your trip, accessibility in the destinations is uncertain, he will specify the option best suited to your stay and your group.

6. Accommodation(s)

Consider everyone’s individual needs. You do not live with all of your friends and some sometimes prefer comfort during their trip. Are you a backpacker, accustomed to adventure trips and nights in tents but your friends prefer to have their little comforts on vacation?

Try to agree on an accommodation that will suit everyone. Indeed everyone has their own lifestyle and sharing a trip must necessarily lead to some concessions.

For a trip with friends, choose spacious places to respect everyone’s privacy. Choose accommodation close to the activities you want to do during your stay, this will allow you to save time on your journeys and make the most of your stay.

7. Restoration

Choose a formula adapted to your group. Have you chosen a hotel as the type of accommodation for your group stay? The breakfast or half-board formula can be a good compromise which will allow you to remain free in the choice of catering. You can choose to have lunch on the go between two visits or in a typical restaurant in the city for lunch and dinner in the evening at the restaurant of your hotel.

Have you opted to rent a house for your whole group? You will then be free to make your choices in terms of catering and will probably be more economical!

8. Activities

Define a list of activities before your trip and choose together the visits you want to do as a group and those you want to do on your own. You are sporty and like activities requiring a certain effort while your friends want to take advantage of this trip to rest? Do not force them to participate in all activities, everyone must be free to choose.