Whether you are taking a big camping trip with all of your family and friends or want to visit a new destination to explore, taking a group vacation can be quite rewarding for everyone in the end. It takes up some time to plan but the end result is something you and everyone else will remember forever. Vacations, whether they are done alone, romantically, or with friends, will always bring people together. Traveling alone may seem like a bad thing when you compare it to group travel but both traveller types lead to new connections and relationships. 

 

You get to experience wondrous things with the people you care about and its exciting to think of. But you must begin planning and the planning process can be quite stressful and demanding. Whether you are on a strict budget or wanting to indulge on an expensive getaway, you must plan your vacation to a certain extent. Here are some tips to planning a group vacation properly.  

1. Appoint a leader

Planning a group vacation adds way more stress to the planner because of the amount of people and ideas you must take into account. To make this process easier you should appoint someone to be a leader. If you need, appointing more than one person to help with planning is beneficial as there isn’t too much pressure of responsibility that follows planning a trip alone. Leaders are leading throughout the trip as well. A leader for the trip is someone that regulates, gathers everyone together, and makes sure everything is going smoothly. 

 

It is important to also involve everyone going on the trip with your planning progress. You also want to consider everyone’s ideas and needs. The trip is about everyone and if you are a planner, you must think about everyone. You all will have different interests so it’s important to understand what type of activities you can all do together.

 

You should even consider opinions on destinations and accommodations, as well. There will be areas where compromise may take place but it is needed to keep everything at bay and make a fun environment for everyone. Sometimes people can get bossy and personalities clash on vacations, make sure not to neglect anyone’s thoughts and ideas.  

1. Agree on a budget

Budgeting is crucial when it comes to planning group vacations and activities. Money can become a sensitive topic and issue if there are problems. You will need to know the budgets of everyone attending the trip to muster up a grand budget for everyone. Understand what everyone wants to spend to ensure you know what options you have for dining, activities, accommodations, transportation, and more. 

 

You also want to avoid future issues so having an idea of what you should spend and what you have to spend is beneficial to those leaders you appointed. Everyone going on the trip should agree on the budget. There are ways to travel without going broke. You must research your vacation. Determine how you are going to split bills. Some people like to have a money pot that they use for dining and activities, others enjoy not having to worry about others’ expenses. 

1. Decide on a destination

Destination is the main event of the trip and should actually be discussed first. You want to think about where your group desires to travel to. You should also consider what kind of trip this will be for you all. A simple family trip or an exploring camping trip both have specific types of destinations that correlate with activities. If there are little children in your group you should try to agree on a family friendly vacation destination. Or if your group is full of adults that want to party, deciding on a busy city with exciting nightlife would be ideal.  

1. Book transportation

Transportation is the next important thing. How are you going to get to your destination and how are you going to get around while you are there? This is important to think about regardless of location. You want to find transportation types that fit your groups agreed budget and gets you to your destination safely and timely. Some people prefer to fly when they vacation, some people cannot afford it. Taking group charter buses are great for the big family vacations that need to stick together. 

 

There are many ways to get around a specific destination. It all depends on your location in the world. If you group has decided to travel overseas, you will have to do research to find certain transportation means you will need on your trip. Those vacations that take place in the United States included different means of daily transportation. For example, you can:

• Rent a car
• Catch a taxi
• Order an Uber or Lyft
• Ride trolleys
• Get a bus pass

 

1. Consider the types of accommodations

Accommodations are a crucial part of your planning process. This is important because it is where you will be staying for the duration of your trip. There are different types of accommodations that you should choose from. Make sure to decide on something that will fit your group and the activities you plan on doing. Think about if a hotel would suffice or if you want to put money in for an Airbnb rental or even take on a group resort package. 

 

You also want to consider how far away your resting place is from the activities you want to do and the places you want to do. Having the inconvenience of driving long distances to get to your vacation activities takes away time that you could be spending having fun. Choosing an accommodation that fits well will take time and effort. 

1. Have a central place for information

Keep a central place for you information and your groups information. You want to be able to access certain things while on the trip and igrf you are a leader you will have to. Keeping a central place for information, plans, details, and money will make you group vacation easier and more organized. It can be easy to get confused and unorganized when it comes to dealing with several people at once, but maintaining a main notebook, pocket, bag, or even phone notepad for your group is ideal.  

1. Plan your activities

Plan the activities you want to do for your vacation, but not all of them. It is important to know what you will be getting into when you are taking a group trip. You should think about what everyone wants to do and the places they want to see. Jot down the ideas of everyone and vote to see which activities are getting done and the ones that aren’t. 

 

Try to leave room for flexibility when you plan. Leave room for spontaneous activities and mishaps. You want to be ready for anything while on vacation and planning everything will only lead to miscommunications, complications, and frustrations.