TOP 5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN PLANNING A GROUP TRIP.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Planning a trip for a group of more than 5 can become daunting. Depending on how you plan, it can make the trip for everyone the most enjoyable or the worst trip they have ever experienced. With the right time of planning, you can really enjoy the moments that make your travel companions reminisce the memories for years to come.
This type of planning can lead to tension, which unfortunately can lead to poor planning. The following tips will help you to plan with a lot of organization and hopefully you’re your trip one of the great ones that everyone will remember.
Here are 5 things that will help get your vacation planning off to a great start!
1. Have a Team Captain
Take a look at the personalities in your group and play to the strengths of those personalities. If someone in the group loves to plan, allow them to be the person that gets group feedback but makes the final say on what the plans will be. Make sure that everyone is okay and on board with your group leader before your vacation ever begins.
If the planning is bigger than a one person job, allow for a second person to take another aspect of the planning. Maybe one person is in charge of activities and another is in charge of meal planning.
Either way, having one person in charge causes a lot less headaches, hurt feelings and arguments when one person is making the decisions for the group.
2. CREATE A BUDGET
One of the most uncomfortable situations for group travel is budgeting. Often, a few people get stuck with the bill for the entire group. By creating a budget up front and asking for each persons portion up front, this helps to stay on budget and helps ensure that everyone is contributing their fair share to the overall cost.
3. PLAN YOUR STAY IN ADVANCE
With no more than 2 beds in a hotel room, it can get pretty expensive fast with a group of 10 or more. Staying in a bed and breakfast home or hotel not only gives you more beds and flexibility, but it also allows you to cook group meals together saving you even more money.
You’ll all appreciate your mornings a little more each day knowing you didn’t have to cram into nooks and cranny’s on the hard floors of a hotel room. Airbnb’s like ours are generally cheaper than hotels as well, especially when you’re splitting the costs among a group.
4. BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS EARLY
It’s better to plan your trips with plenty of advance notice.
For example, if it’s summer, and you’re planning a winter trip, get your plane tickets booked in the summer so you can get the best prices. The rule of thumb with airline travel is: the longer you wait, the higher the prices get. So book early!
Make sure to check your destinations and the travel requirements so you can plan ahead for accommodations, such as shuttle vans and possibly international travel passports and or visas. Double check for any immunization requirements as well.
5. PRE-PLAN ACTIVITIES
Check out the top things to do in the area you are going to and then do some research to find companies that offer group discounts. Getting around in large groups can be tricky, so pre-planning tours and guided activities can be ideal for group travel.
Do allow at least one or two flexible days. Over-planning can cause exhaustion and sometimes people need a little downtime on their vacation as well.