A vacation with friends could be the best or worst vacation you’ve ever been on. To make it a success, it’s important that you plan it properly. Below are just a few tips for planning a successful vacation with friends.
Choose the right friends
It’s important to choose friends that you’re actually likely to enjoy spending time around. Avoid going away with friends who you think may be too regimental or too laid back to the point of being irresponsible – both could cause you a lot of stress. If a friend wants to invite one of their friends, and you’ve never met them, it could be important to meet them first. It’s worth noting that different types of friends may want to go on different types of vacations, and it’s important that you share their preferences. If you’ve got your heart set on a cultural trip or a physically active vacation, don’t choose friends who would prefer a week at a beach resort.
Find out everyone’s budget
It’s also important to make sure that the vacation is within everyone’s budget. Find out exactly what everyone is willing to spend before you start suggesting ideas. Some friends may try to pressure you to spend more than you can reasonably afford – make sure to stick to your guns so that you don’t end up regretting the vacation. Check out some of these tips for planning a vacation on a tight budget.
Start planning early
Planning a vacation with friends early gives you plenty of time to get everything ready. Even if you’re ready to hop on a plane tomorrow, your friends may not be – especially if they haven’t been on a vacation in a while. Certain friends may need time to go shopping for suitcases or clothing, or may need time to save up spending money. If you’re planning on going abroad, there may even be friends that need to apply for a passport or renew their passport, which will take a few weeks to get done. All in all, it’s good to plan early.
Arrange to all meet up in person
When it comes to booking everything, it could be worth meeting up in person to confirm it all. This can prevent any booking mistakes such as one person accidentally booking the wrong flight. It could also be useful for putting things to a vote if you are undecided on certain aspects.
Use a group trip planning app
If you can’t all meet up in person to book your vacation together, consider using a group trip planning app to help plan your trip remotely. These apps can allow you to all communicate and suggest ideas together – with some even allowing you to book hotels and flights directly through them. Do your research to find the best group trip planning app for your needs.
Divide and conquer
One strategy to consider when booking a vacation is the ‘divide and conquer’ method. This involves delegating the job of organising different aspects of the trip to different people. For example, once you’ve chosen a destination, one person could look into flights, one person could look into accommodation and another person could look into hire car rental. This does involve trusting every person to do their part – there may be cases where it’s better for one friend to lead if they enjoy organizing and the others are more laid back.
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