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9 Tips For Organizing A Successful Group Trip

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The energy in the room is frenetic and everyone is talking at once, excited by the possibilities of an exciting adventure with good friends. Exploring the world with a group of adult friends enhances your travel experiences while solidifying the friendship bonding journey.

From planning tools to hiring tour guides, group travel has become easy to coordinate and enjoy. When you set expectations from the outset, everyone can have fun and enjoy the friendly bonding time. Reminiscing over the years about how much fun it was will have you eager to plan the next one.

I have been planning group trips for more than 20 years, everything from 50-person outdoor adventures to intimate European vacations with besties. I’ve collected a few tips that can guide you to organize a fun and successful group trip.

1. Decision By Committee (With One Coordinator)

Once the group has decided on a trip, get everyone on board with the itinerary. Have a planning dinner to decide on your destination, travel dates, and activities. Decide who will plan what part of the trip and be very clear on budget expectations and comfort levels.

One or two people should be the lead for the group’s itinerary framework, investigating what is available and disseminating information to everyone.

Break up some of the smaller tasks like where to eat or what activities to plan. That gives everyone who wants to participate in the planning process a voice.

Questions to discuss/decisions to make:

• Hotel versus homestay
• Information sharing

2. Reservations And Money

Agree on a budget or at least a budget range. You don’t want to get to the end of the booking time and find out you only have nine because it was too expensive for someone and you need 10 to get the group rate.

Group rates can save you up to 10 percent or more. If you are a group of eight or more, ask the hotel or activity if they offer a discount or private tour rate.

The decision of hotel versus homestay rests on how much togetherness do you really want? If cooking group meals, living with night owls and early risers, or bathroom sharing is out of the question, select your accommodations carefully.

Many hotels welcome you to reserve a block of rooms for guests to book individually. They will hold the rooms for a short period of time, allowing each guest to pay for their own reservation. When you need to book something as a group, say, an Airbnb, have the attendees send money upfront if possible. It is super simple to transfer funds with Zelle, PayPal, and other financial transfer apps to repay quickly and securely.

Pre-booking dinner tours is a good way to avoid having to work at splitting the bill. This is a particularly good idea if you have a member who is all, “I’ll have appetizers, three wines, the filet, and a dessert,” and you order a prosecco and a salad. That may be fine for one night but not every night. With group dinner tours, everyone prepays, the financial balance is maintained, and there are no separate checks to drive the waitstaff crazy.

Each guest should book their own flights. Set a date for arrivals and departures, then each individual can decide when they want/need to get to the destination. Unless, of course, you want to scoop all the credit card points and don’t mind chasing everyone for payment.

3. Plan In Advance

Every year I plan a girls’ weekend getaway. We have rented houses on the beach, hiked the hills of Vermont, and relaxed at an all-inclusive spa. Different ladies join us for different types of trips — let’s face it, not everyone wants to hike in the woods, nor can everyone afford 3 days at a swanky spa, but almost everyone loves a toes-in-the-sand weekend retreat.

Four to 12 months is a good planning window. Four months for a road-tripping, weekend getaway, and 12 months may be needed for an extended week-long journey. Finances can be a deciding factor in joining a group getaway. Giving everyone a chance to plan vacation time and organize their vacation dollars may sway them in the direction of joining your group adventure.

4. You Are Not The Cruise Director

If you are the person organizing the trip, and I expect if you are reading this, you are that person; remember you are just organizing the trip, you are not Julie the Cruise Director from the Love Boat. In other words, you are not responsible for everyone’s happiness and good time.

Do not feel you need to be in charge of everyone. Since they all should have access to the itinerary, you are not responsible for getting them to the bus on time. This is also your vacation too.

5. Plan Alone Time

We all envision our vacation differently. We love our friends, but a little separation time will relieve the togetherness tensions. Just because you are on a group vacation does not mean you’re attached to each other 24/7.

Daily alone time allows individuals or smaller groups to get out and explore what is important to them. Sitting by the pool, hiking a state park, biking through the city, or touring a museum are all wonderful adventures and are individual-specific. Going off on your own adventure brings interesting conversations and stories when everyone gets back together.

6. Disseminating Information

Keeping attendees on the same page is easier than it has ever been. There are so many great tools for planning, organizing, and communicating for a group trip.

A Google Doc is a free and easy way to keep track of all the important information. Each attendee can have access to view and edit. It is a good place to keep a group itinerary that includes flights, hotels, and activities planned. Adding locations and website links to hotels and activities gives everyone the power to take control of their part of the trip and also keep the group informed.

Group text messages help everyone stay in the loop and is perfect for when you split apart and need to come back together. “I’m standing under the awning that says Luigi’s” is so much better than standing on a street corner barking someone’s name. Whatsapp is a free alternative for international travel where everyone may not have access to a reliable data plan.

A private Facebook group is another fun tool. It will allow you to share photos and updates with your travel group in real-time. It functions as a group journal for all your vacation adventures.

7. Hiring A Travel Agent

Sometimes, hiring a travel agent is the best way to plan a group trip. They have all the insight on tourist destinations, and often, they can access extra, agent-only benefits and comps. Some agents specialize in group trips and are adept at handling multiple guests’ needs and requirements.

Working with a travel agent is key when planning a cruise or pre-packaged tour. Many times they have invaluable personal experience with a vendor and destination. Their guidance will take the pressure off the group coordinator.

Bookending a travel agent planned group vacation with smaller, individually planned tours is a good way to satisfy different budgets and travel availability. For instance, if you are a group of 10 joining together for a European river cruise, that may be all the financial or vacation obligation some of the group can realistically swing. However, others may want 2 or 3 days at either end of the trip as an add-on adventure. Having a travel agent to deal with the larger group frees you up to plan smaller pre- and post-group trips as a smaller group.

8. Type Of Group Trips

A good place to start planning group trips is with a pre-packaged adventure. Many destinations are set up perfectly for group getaways. Guided adventure outfits like Backroads make it simple to book a curated group trip. Viator is a global tour booking resource that offers everything from food tours to week-long explorations.

Group trip ideas run the gamut of locations and bucket list options. Start small with a girls or guys’ getaway weekend. To try your hand at a group venture, book a spa, golf resort, camping trip, wine trail, etc., the options are endless. Once you are confident in your organizational skills, go for a week-long excursion with your besties. Explore a new country, jump on a river cruise, road trip down the coast, or just hang at an all-inclusive resort; sharing your vacation with friends is a heartwarming experience.

9. The Key To Success

The key to the success of planning a group vacation is about what all the travelers have in common, that you all share a common theme and goal. You may not be best buds with everyone when you start, but bringing a group together who share a desire for a particular experience is a wonderful way to become closer friends.

We love vacationing as a couple, but sometimes it’s fun to explore places with a group of like-minded traveling friends.

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• 9 Tips For Traveling With Your 50+ Friend Group
• 12 Proven Tips For Avoiding Travel Exhaustion

Sandi loves writing about culture, cuisine, adult beverages, cruising, golf, skiing, road trips, hiking, New England, and photography. Traveling solo, with hubby Chris, or the entire Barrett clan there is always a story waiting to be told.

Planning a Group Trip Checklist: Everything You Need

by Danielle Owen | May 30, 2023 | Group Travel | 0 comments

Figuring out accommodations, finding the cheapest flight options, coordinating arrival times… there’s a lot that goes into planning group travel. That’s why planning a group trip needs a checklist. When lots of people are traveling together, it’s easy to lose track of the details. Whether you’re planning a trip to Greece or a girls trip to Miami , the steps are all the same!

We’ve put together a comprehensive checklist for your next group trip- check it out:

Group trip checklist

• Decide on dates
• Choose a destination
• Book a flight
• Book your accommodations
• Decide on transportation
• Plan your activities
• Make dinner/show/event reservations
• Have a plan for splitting group expenses
• Confirm the essentials are in order

Checklist items to plan a group trip

1. decide on dates.

First things first. When are you traveling? This seemingly easy first step in planning a group trip can quickly turn into a nightmare. Everyone will inevitably have something they “can’t miss” over some of the suggested dates.

That’s where Troupe makes it easy. Create a trip with Troupe and invite all potential travelers to join.

Next, enter all the possible date options for your group vacation. Troupe will allow all travelers to vote on the dates that work best for them and all group members can see the results.

Whichever date works best for the majority, lock it in! No more need for diplomacy or awkward conversations from the group trip planner.

2. Choose a destination

Perhaps the best part of the group trip planning checklist: choosing a destination ! When it comes to choosing a destination, it’s the same deal with Troupe. Narrow down the options based on what works before for your group, add them all to your Tripsite on Troupe, and group members can vote on their favorites.

Once all travelers have voted, you’ll be able to view the winning destination and start making flight and accommodation bookings.

3. Book flights

Decided where you’re going? Congrats! Now for one of the most vital parts of the planning a group trip checklist. It’s time to find the best flight options for all travelers and click the purchase button. This is where the group trip planning gets real. Booking a flight is the ultimate sign of commitment to a group trip. Once all travelers have made that commitment, you can start looking at where you’ll stay, activities, and more.

4. Choose accommodations

Now for another fun part of the group trip planning checklist experience: picking a place to stay. Choosing the right accommodations can make or break a trip. When it comes to Airbnb vs. hotels , which one is right for you? Think about how much privacy your group will want, whether you want the ability to cook for yourselves, and what location you want to be in. And, of course, give everyone in the group a say after you narrow down the options by allowing them to vote on their favorites.

Then, Troupe makes it easy to book your stay directly from the app.

5. Transportation

There are a couple of points during your group trip that you’ll need to think about transportation:

• How will you get to and from the airport at your origin?
• How are you getting to and from the airport at your destination?
• What will you do to get around at your destination?

Now is the time to look at the costs of carpooling to the airport and paying for airport parking vs. taking an Uber/Lyft to the airport as a group. Once you arrive at your destination, look into options for transportation to your accommodations. Not all destinations have Uber/Lyft available so you’ll want to know what a taxi should cost (ask your hotel or Airbnb host). Frequently, you can also book a shuttle through your hotel which is great for groups.

As you’re beginning to look at activities to do on your trip, think about whether the added expenses of a rental car (rental fee, gas, parking costs) are worth the benefit of having your own transportation.

5. Plan your activities

Ready to check the adventures off the lists? In Troupe’s group trip planner, group members can add notes, videos, and links to articles about all the cool things they discover at the destination. Activities can include things like free walking tours, nature walks, trendy restaurants, museums, boat trips, and more.

Depending on who you’re traveling with, whether it’s a family trip with small children or a getaway with coworkers, there are plenty of fun things to do on vacation based on your trip type.

6. Make dinner/show/event reservations

Once you have a list of possible activities to do at your destination, it’s time to get some things on the books. Narrow the items down to the ones that require reservations or advance planning and get those booked ahead of time.

Within Troupe, this is where you can start creating a day-by-day itinerary as well. All group members will be able to collaborate on the itinerary and view it at any time.

7. Have a plan for splitting group expenses

When you’re traveling with a group there are sure to be plenty of shared expenses. Have a plan ahead of time to save yourself stress when you get to the destination. Some suggestions include putting one person in charge of financials, settling up as you go using Venmo, or keeping track throughout using apps like Splitwise. Learn more about splitting shared expenses here .

9. Confirm the essentials are in order

This item is intentionally ambiguous because the “essentials” are different for everyone. Is your trip international? Make sure you look into all visa/vaccination/entry requirements. Do you have pets? Are you hiring a pet sitter or are they staying at a kennel?

Here are a few essential items to consider before a group trip:

• Arrange a pet sitter/kennel stay or make sure you understand airline rules for traveling with pets
• Look into visa requirements at your destination
• Get any necessary or suggested vaccinations before traveling to certain countries
• Think about anything that might need to be done at your home while you’re away (plant sitter, etc.)
• Are everyone’s passports up-to-date with at least 2 blank pages?
• Purchase travel insurance
• Notify your bank/credit card company of your travel plans
• Unplug electronics in your home
• Clean out anything that may spoil from your fridge
• Put a hold on your mail delivery
• Look into an international plan for your cell phone

Planning a group trip doesn’t have to be stressful. Take everything step by step and use an app like Troupe to help you collaborate easily with the rest of your group. Once you’ve got everything checked off your group vacation checklist, sit back and start getting excited for your adventure!

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Group Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Planning and Organizing Memorable Trips

Having a well-thought-out plan in place is essential when embarking on a group travel adventure. Whether you're venturing with family, friends, or colleagues, the importance of effective planning and organization cannot be overstated to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip. A meticulously crafted plan also helps manage logistics, enhances communication, and maximizes the overall experience.

This article will discuss various strategies and considerations to help you successfully plan and organize a group trip — allowing you and your companions to make lasting memories while minimizing stress and potential hiccups along the way.

Determine the Leader

Any plan can quickly fall apart if there is no leader, and the same logic goes when it comes to organizing trips. Having a leader, along with a couple of helpers, ensures that the trip will push through and that everything will go smoothly. That's why the first step to organizing group travels is to determine who will take charge of the planning.

The leader's responsibility is to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Such a role may include working out each joiner's schedule, disseminating new information, asking each person for their opinions or concerns, and providing the group's final decisions on different aspects of the trip.

As mentioned, the lead planner can have a couple of people helping them with the planning. They can designate specific tasks, such as finding car rentals and searching for activities, to these members to lighten their workload.

Build an Itinerary, But Keep It Flexible

Creating an itinerary for a group trip requires careful consideration of various factors to accommodate everyone's preferences. You can start this step by gathering input from each participant. Doing so allows you to understand their interests, expectations, and what they'll want to see and do.

Based on this information, find activities and attractions that offer a range of activities and attractions to suit different tastes. Remember that not everyone will be eager to visit a certain place or engage in a specific activity, so make sure to look for common ground and compromise to ensure that their wishes are taken into account.

Additionally, consider keeping your itinerary flexible by mixing scheduled activities with some downtime. The latter gives everyone the freedom to do their own thing without missing out on planned ventures with the group.

Choose Your Accommodation and Transportation Wisely

Comfortable accommodation and transportation are vital for days-long travel trips. Making well-informed decisions in these areas can significantly enhance the group's experience and ensure overall satisfaction of the journey.

When it comes to accommodation, opt for group reservations that allow everyone to stay together. This enables the group to easily check in with each other and makes it easy to gather all the participants whenever it's needed. It also fosters better coordination and communication as well as simplifies logistics.

The same can be said when selecting appropriate transportation options. Whether it's for flights, buses, or trains, reserving seats as a group ensures that everyone can travel together. This also minimizes the chances of delays, confusion, or separation.

Set Your Budget

After creating an itinerary, the next thing to do is to set a budget. Doing so allows you to establish financial clarity, promote fairness, and ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of their financial obligations. Having a budget also enables the group to make informed decisions, avoid overspending, and ensure an enjoyable travel experience for all.

To set a budget, you must first calculate the estimated costs for transportation, accommodation, meals, activities, and any additional expenses such as travel insurance or visa fees. Among these expenses, determine which ones are to be divided among the group.

Consider creating a contingency fund as well. This buffer can help cover unforeseen expenses or emergencies that may arise from the trip without affecting the group and each participant's budget.

Be Open to Communication

Communication is the key when planning a group trip as it lays the foundation for effective coordination, collaboration, and a smooth travel experience. Getting to freely talk to each other allows group members to express their preferences, concerns, and ideas — leading to a collective decision-making process and ensuring that everyone's needs are taken into account.

Additionally, having open communication allows for the exchange of important information regarding logistics, itineraries, and any changes or updates to the plan. It also helps in quickly resolving conflicts, addressing misunderstandings, and adapting to unexpected circumstances.

Planning and organizing a group travel experience requires careful consideration, effective communication, and thoughtful decision-making. The key lies in finding a balance between structured planning and flexibility to ensure a trouble-free and enjoyable experience for all participants.

With proper planning and organization, a group trip can become a memorable adventure where shared experiences and lasting memories are created.

Such a fun and memorable trip deserves to be immortalized, and our Custom Coordinates Necklace is a great way to do so. You can put in the coordinates of your destination and even add a text, phrase, or name that struck you the most during your trip. If you want a more low-key option, you can opt for our Coordinates Bracelet instead.

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Traveling With a Group? Here’s How to Plan and Stay Friends

Tips, tricks and tools to help in planning your next group getaway, allowing for everyone to focus on the fun, not the logistics.

By Lauren Sloss

From bachelor parties to family reunions, group trips are opportunities to explore the world with the people you love. They also have the potential to be planning messes, with scheduling, decision-making and sorting-out finances coming together in a seemingly endless and possibly disappointing snarl. But they don’t have to be. We’ve rounded up tips, tricks and tools to help plan your next group getaway, hopefully allowing everyone to focus on the fun, not the logistics.

Understand your group dynamic

The first step in planning a successful trip: Ensure the travelers will get along well together. “Is it a group of friends, or is it a couple of families traveling together? Is it a multigenerational trip with a big age range?” said Kate Doty, managing director of premier access at the adventure travel company, Geographic Expeditions ( GeoEx ). “These factors all come into play with activity level, comfort zones and rooming.”

Understanding individual roles within the group is big, too. “There will be someone in the group who will be the natural leader,” Ms. Doty said. “Be candid about this! Find opportunities to talk through these topics with humor and lightness.”

Group dynamics can play a big role in determining where to stay. Families might prefer the ease and facilities of a hotel or resort. Big groups of friends might opt to search through home rental sites like VRBO and Airbnb . Ali Killam, Airbnb’s consumer trends expert, recommends creating a shared wish list and inviting group members to add listings and vote on favorites.

“Determine what’s most important to the group when it comes to accommodations — a pool, a big kitchen, proximity to town, the beach — and filter the search accordingly,” she said.

Shared apps are vital

Once you’ve decided on the group, figure out when everyone is available. Doodle allows users to create a poll online of possible travel dates and then vote on preferred options. Tried and true Google Sheets is a decent way to organize options for destinations, housing and more in a spreadsheet and track when and how people will be traveling.

Katrina Kagan, the partnerships and marketing associate at the weekly newsletter Girls’ Night In is the designated planner in her group of friends, who try to take group trips at least once a year. She created a trip planning spreadsheet that gathers travel details, expenses, meals and more for the purpose; her colleagues were so impressed that they shared it with the newsletter’s 150,000 subscribers.

“If you’re a planner, like I am, this spreadsheet is a way to get organized enough that you can feel personally at ease during your trip. Why not take half an hour beforehand to get organized?” she said. “If you’re not a natural planner and are looking to step into that role, this can be a starting point.”

Beyond the spreadsheet, TripIt is an itinerary-building app that allows you to collect details for flights, hotels, car rentals and more into a master itinerary — the app’s Inner Circle feature allows you to share your itinerary with other members of your group.

Other ways to communicate, beyond unwieldy email chains: set up a private Facebook or WhatsApp group to send messages both while planning and when traveling. Google Docs make for a shared repository of events and suggestions and other vital information. And, if you plan on Instagramming your travels, a fun group hashtag is a nice way to keep track of the memories.

Figure out finances

Tracking expenses is doable via spreadsheet, but still requires a fair amount of work to properly divvy up shares and figure out who owes what. Splittr and Splitwise are popular mobile free apps for tracking, prorating and ultimately balancing expenses, available offline and in multiple currencies.

“I was traveling a lot with friends, and I was the one who did the spreadsheet after the trip. I thought, ‘This should be easier!’” said the Splittr founder and developer, Raphael Wichmann.

Splitwise was originally created with roommates in mind, but translates to the travel space — it also integrates directly with the payment app Venmo, allowing you to make payments and receive money directly.

“We’re looking to helps reduce stress and awkwardness when it comes to finances,” said Jon Bittner, the Splitwise chief executive. Mr. Bittner suggests creating a group as soon as the first big expense, like a house or hotel rooms, has been booked, and continue adding expenses as you go.

Looking to treat your friends or family to free rides during your trip? Uber Events allows you to set up a code to cover transportation for your crew, with options to customize the time window, location and pickup radius (we particularly like this option for weddings and family reunions).

Getting group deals

Investigating group deals may be a bit time-consuming but the research can save you money.

Amtrak recently launched Share Fares , which earns you greater discounts on tickets the more people you travel with. If booked at least three days in advance, this program can reduce ticket prices up to 35 percent for groups of four.

Brian Kelly, The Points Guy , has made a career out of understanding the intricacies of airline and credit card loyalty programs. On his site, he published a free article, the “ Ultimate Guide to Points, Pooling and Sharing ,” for applying airlines miles and credit card points to group travel.

To begin with, he warns about transferring points and suggests instead on combining them.

“Airlines will generally charge you one cent per point or mile to transfer, which negates the value,” he said. He also suggested savings could be had by taking a “look at your trip in terms of one-ways instead of round-trips, and look at it based on availability.” If flying together is a priority, consider letting members of your group with the most available points purchase individual legs of the trip. This allows for booking through multiple airlines, too.

Some domestic airlines offer perks for groups booking together , including discounted fares and flexible ticketing options (while other apps and services for booking group flights exist, we found they were neither streamlined nor consistently well reviewed).

In doubt? Leave it to the professionals

Mr. Kelly may be a points expert, but he decided to use a travel agent for a recent group trip to Iceland .

“The number of options when planning a trip can be overwhelming,” he said. And when one of his friends left a piece of luggage at the airport, the tour company was able to have it delivered to the group.

Not being responsible, he said, “felt like an actual vacation!”

Others are making similar decisions: A return to travel agents and advisers is on the rise. A recent report from the MMGY Global marketing agency noted a growing number of millennials, especially millennial families, planned to use travel agents for trip planning during 2018 and 2019.

Cece Drummond, the managing director of destinations and experiences of Virtuoso , a global travel adviser network, noted that V.I.P. treatment, better value and free benefits are some perks of using travel agencies.

“They can easily be frustration because there’s too much information available,” she said. “Our advisers can help sort and sift through that.”

52 PLACES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE Follow our 52 Places traveler, Sebastian Modak, on Instagram as he travels the world , and discover more Travel coverage by following us on Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter : Each week you’ll receive tips on traveling smarter, stories on hot destinations and access to photos from all over the world.

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The Complete Guide to Group Travel

By Stephanie Wu

The paella was a breaking point. I was in the middle of the most complicated group trip I’d ever planned—13 people, flying in from six different cities, all gathering in a seven-bedroom villa in Andalucia . We were there, ostensibly, on a joint 30th-birthday trip, a group vacation we’d been planning for years . As high school classmates, some of us had known each other for decades, and the group had grown to include significant others and even a not-yet-announced pregnancy.

It would have been an ambitious trip no matter how many people were attending. We had chosen Spain as a middle ground between North America and East Asia, where my friends and I had scattered after college graduation. We were basing ourselves in Ronda, but rented several cars and planned day trips to see the bigger cities—Seville, Granada, Cordoba. But, inevitably, the dreamy idea of bringing us together for a milestone trip took on a life of its own: destination suggestions ranged from Croatia to Marrakech , and a total of 26 people were invited at some point. And I was wrangling it all— finding a villa , planning activities, making restaurant reservations, confirming the rental cars , and generally making sure it all went smoothly. Thankfully, I had some help: a villa specialist , plus a subset of friends I could count on for strong opinions and quick decisions. I took on this role naturally—and my friends were great about checking in to see if I needed any organizational help whatsoever. But generally, it was up to me to shape the flow of the trip while accommodating every travel personality, from super-planner to totally blasé.

Like every group vacation I’ve ever been on, our Spain trip had its ups and downs. On the first night, my head spinning while trying to keep track of a group text chain that had lost all sense of reason, I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. Even though I was seeing my friends for the first time in a while, enjoying a home-cooked, multi-course meal as we shared exciting news (A new job! An international move! That pregnancy!), all I wanted to do was lie down after a very long travel day of planes, trains, and cars. On day two, I came downstairs to a breakfast spread of eggs, cheese, meats, and bread (there’s nothing like traveling with someone who likes to wake up early and prepare breakfast), and proceeded to try and block out the morning noise—questions about what to wear, what to bring, where the chargers were—way too much before I'd had my morning caffeine.

I hung back a bit that day during the group tour, scanning the crowd to make sure all my friends were having fun. Did they like the tour guide we had booked? Were they tired and jet lagged? Was the lunch reservation at an appropriate time? That night at dinner, a random spot we found within walking distance of our villa, I was happy to let someone else take the lead in ordering for the group, since the menu was only printed in Spanish. And then, the next night, we were so excited when our paella was delivered. It was in a massive pan the size of my wingspan, and took two people to carry. The saffron-infused aroma was coming through the aluminum sheets, and we were all crowded around the stove, awaiting the big reveal—until we uncovered the aluminum and realized they hadn’t seen my note about dietary restrictions, and my friends with shellfish sensitivities would be eating leftovers instead.

At its best, travel has a way of making every daily anxiety feel absolutely insignificant. And at its worst, even the tiniest mishaps, like the wrong ingredients in the paella, feel like the end of the world. This is even more the case on group trips, when you’re dealing with people of different ages, needs, and activity levels, or traveling with a group of friends of friends, where you’re close with some and not quite as comfortable with others. When you’re trying to accommodate everyone’s travel wishes, but somehow end up pleasing nobody. And of course, that moment when you realize you’re going to need a vacation to recover from this vacation.

That’s not to say that I didn’t have a great time in Spain. When I look back, I think about the one night we picked to be our joint birthday dinner. We were all gathered around restaurant table, 13 of us trying to blow the candles out together, each dissolving into giggles at different times. And of the one day we smartly split up into smaller groups—one group exploring the town, the other hanging by the pool—and then gathered together at night to share the highlights of our day. And how our long car rides led to long conversations, which was a way for me to really get to know my friend’s significant other—something that would have been nearly impossible otherwise, as they live in Toronto and we only see them a few times a year.

It always takes a few days for me to settle into vacation mode, but this time around, I had the added stress of worrying about everything that could go wrong, when a group of people who became friends at 18 meet again to travel together a dozen years later. I needed those moments of joy, of spontaneous laughter, of lounging around in silence, to be reminded of why we were all together in the first place—and why a few years earlier, we had known that we needed to prioritize setting aside time in our schedules to find a week that worked for all of us.

I think about how, during the vacation, we fantasized about what the next reunion would look like. Would we alternate continents? Would we take a cruise? Would we bring partners and kids along for our 40th birthday trip? At one point, someone brought up making it an annual trip —but the panicked look on my face might have nipped that suggestion in the bud immediately.

Laura Kiniry

Stacey Lastoe

Jemima Sissons

Group travel requires a herculean amount of coordination and compromise. But there’s something about having a group of people in the same place at the same time that can give every trip that once-in-a-lifetime feeling—an adrenaline rush that I only get when I’m traveling. I got to see a new side of my friends, who I haven’t lived in the same city as since I was 18—how some woke up early to check in at the office, how others were unflappable through hours of traffic and confusing driving directions, and how the parents-to-be soaked up the last few months before they became a family of three. That’s the magic of a group trip—you get to see your travel companions out of their daily element, in their vacation selves. And, if you can manage to stay calm throughout the planning process, the truth is, that’s often our best selves.

Why we built this guide

Group trips don’t all have to be stressful before they get good. If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you’ve been tasked to be the planner, at least in some part, for an upcoming trip. Here at Condé Nast Traveler , we embrace group travel in all forms, from big family vacations to a core group of friends that always travels together to traveling alone in a larger group. And we put this package together to help you take care of the big things—from where to stay and how to save money with points and miles —to the little ones, like how one app can change the group travel game.

We’re also letting you in on our best-kept secret, for when it’s time to throw your hands up and let the travel gods take over: Book a cruise . It’s what I did for my recent bachelorette party, where we paid just over $300 per person for 3 nights in the Caribbean, unlimited food and drinks, and endless entertainment. Okay, there was still a little planning, but it was limited to where we’d eat lunch on port day and whether we had brought enough sunscreen for our kayaking trip. As the de facto planner, I never had to think about signing a bill , or making sure everybody was entertained. I simply soaked it all in as my friends congregated in various combinations and got to know each other in vacation mode. It was the best gift I could have given myself—second to this guide, of course.

Four golden rules for every group trip

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Come together for at least one meal a day.

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7 Tips You Need to Know Before Planning a Group Trip

• Group & Multi-Day travel
• Organizing a trip

When planned correctly, a group trip can be one of the most enriching travel experiences out there. Just imagine all the fun you can have exploring a fantastic destination with like-minded travel companions! Traveling as a group can mean inside jokes, great stories, learning more about how to travel, and plenty of laughs. But, there's one question we need to ask first before we daydream about what could be: How do you actually plan a group trip?

First, planning a group trip  involves more precise planning, communication, and a lot of organization.

We love group travel, so we want to help you plan the best group trip possible and make it one of the great ones!

Whether it's a  school break trip , a party vacation with friends, a group hiking trip, or attending a festival, there are many  things to consider when planning a group trip . 

Here are seven tips to get your group trip planning on the right route:

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How to Plan a Group Trip

1. have a leader (or two).

In an ideal world, you could organize a group trip as, well, a group. But realistically, it’s best to appoint a group leader or two, even just to be the go-to person who knows how the planning is progressing and what needs to be done next.

If having one person as a leader seems a bit much, you could also have different people in charge of different aspects of the group trip. For example, one person for accommodation, one for researching activities and things to do, etc. You can still discuss and agree on the final choices as a group, but it will mean that the work isn’t all done by one person and that everything does actually get organized!

Play to the strengths of your group members. If there’s someone who loves planning then let them lead the way (but support them if they ask for help of course!) and if you’re all indecisive, appoint a decision maker or have a method for making decisions. It’s easier to sort all of this right at the beginning and not waste your time on vacation trying to figure out how to do things!

2. Agree on a budget

One of the stickiest points of group trip planning is often the budget because people can have very different ideas about how much money they like to spend when they’re traveling.

As a group, you should agree on a budget for your trip and then adhere to it .

A maximum budget for trip necessities like accommodation will mean there are no surprises for anyone when it comes to paying for the group trip! Of course, some experiences can be optional so group members can decide whether or not they want to participate, but make sure that's clear too.

Think about having a shared pot of money while you’re traveling as a group, especially if you’re staying in accommodation where you can buy your own food and drinks and cook together. It'll be easier than constantly working out how to split bills on the road.

3. Book flights or travel first

The price of flights or ground transport can drastically increase the closer the trip date gets, plus spaces can fill up leaving no room for a big group.

When you’re planning a group trip make sure you book your travel early to get the best deals and make sure you have enough space for the whole group.

Check if there is a group rate that you can take advantage of if you’re traveling by train or road transport.

Work out details like how you’ll get from the airport to your accommodation, and how you’re going to get around. Is it worth hiring a vehicle? If so, you might need to get in early since minivans and larger vehicles tend to book out quickly.

4. Consider alternative accommodation

Choosing where to stay when you’re planning a group trip is a big decision and can make a huge difference to your travel experience.

There’s more to accommodation than hotels, and in fact, they’re not necessarily the best option for a group, unless you’re after an all-inclusive resort experience.

Staying in an apartment or house as a group gives you the chance to cook group meals and hang out together without cramming into one small hotel room! You can also stay in some amazing houses, and at more affordable prices than hotels.

5. Have a place to organize plans and take payments

This is one of the most important aspects to consider on how to plan a group trip. Having a central place where all group trip members can access the group trip plan is key to keeping everyone informed. A group travel planner will help to keep everyone on the same page with what's happening when and what they need to do.

Even better, use a payment system to accept payments and pay who you need to, and cut out all that trouble of working out who owes who what. With WeTravel you can create your trip for free, share it with the other group members, and organize the payments for the group in one central place, with just a few easy steps .

Encourage everyone to be on board with the itinerary and group travel plan. Communication is the key to great group trip planning.

Curious to know how WeTravel can help you optimize your trip planning, booking, and payments?

6. Pre-plan some activities

Take a look at the top things to do in your chosen destination and consider pre-planning some activities, especially if you’re a large group.

If there are any tours you want to do you may be able to get a group discount . Sometimes you absolutely have to book in advance if you have more than a certain number of people, and it would be a shame to miss out on something the group really wants to do because it wasn't booked soon enough!

Don’t be too ambitious and overzealous with planning every second or day though, sometimes the best things happen by chance and you don’t need to add stress to your vacation!

7. Split up during your group trip

Just because you’re traveling as a group doesn’t mean you need to be glued together all the time. Everyone will have different ideas of must-see things or must-do activities.

If you can’t reach a consensus then split up according to whatever everyone wants to do. One group might want to spend the day at the beach while the other goes to a museum.

And don’t be afraid to go off on your own during a group trip, if there’s something you really want to do and no one else does. It’s your vacation too so go home with no regrets!

To summarize, what should your first steps be in planning a group vacation?

• Have a group leader or two to channel, manage, and organize the group's suggestions, expectations, and activities.
• Agree on a budget that fits your group's pocket, and stick to it!
• Book your flights in advance to get the best available rates for your group trip.
• Consider other accommodations like rented houses or apartments that will feel more comfortable and allow you to engage with your group more personally.
• Rely on tools (like WeTravel's free trip management software ) to make the information available for all participants and manage payments from your group.
• Map the most exciting activities your group can embark on at the destination and seize group discounts for tours. 
• Let the group split up from time to time so everyone can enjoy the destination at their own pace and preference.

Figuring out how to plan a group trip can be stressful, so use these group travel tips to help you organize and get excited about the trip instead! Once you’ve completed the group trip planning process, then you can enjoy the anticipation of the vacation itself.

Make sure everyone is aware of your itinerary and all the details, which is easy if you create your trip for free on WeTravel , and then pack, sit back, and relax!

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• Jan 2, 2023

10 Essential Tips for Organizing a Group Trip (2023)

Updated: Mar 30, 2023

This year was a huge year of group travel for me. I personally took several group trips with friends or extended family. I also helped plan a couple of trips for large groups.

I learned a lot during this - and usually not the easy way - so I wanted to share my lessons and tips with you.

Going on a group trip can be a great way to bond with your friends and make lasting memories, but it doesn’t always come without its challenges. With careful planning and preparation, you can enjoy a hassle-free group getaway. Here are seven essential tips to help you plan the perfect group trip.

Decide on a Destination.

Establishing a destination for your group trip is one of the most critical steps towards planning. You’ll need to consider factors like budget, travel time, and interests when selecting a destination.

Brainstorm together and take polls to determine where the group would like to go—whether it’s an international adventure or something closer. Answering this question first will make the rest of the planning process smoother and help ensure everyone is happy with the outcome.

This fall, my friends and I went to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park . We had initially dreamed of a beach vacation but happily settled on leaf peeping in Maine once we looked at calendars and realized that the only week we could get together would be prime time for New England.

Figure Out Everyone's Budget and Understand Differences.

Even if you have similar incomes, you may have different levels of debt or different preferences to how to spend your money.

If you genuinely want to go with certain people, you should be willing to meet everyone’s budget. That may mean that a cross-country flight is off the table in lieu of a trip that is within driving distance.

It may also mean that instead of fancy dinners, you prepare your own meals or eat at places that are moderately priced. I have one friend that has an excellent salary and much disposable income. She enjoys eating at nice restaurants and often orders more than one dish because she wants to try things.

Sometimes, this drives me nuts. Likewise, she doesn’t want to hear from me or anyone else what she can and cannot order. Fortunately, she’s also very generous and is always willing to share (which of course she doesn’t have to do) and often covers or over-covers her expenses.

Bottom line: understand budgets and preferences early and you will mitigate most problems during your trip.

Manage Group Expenses During the Trip

A couple of years ago, a different friend introduced me to the app “ Splitwise .” It is a game changer to help with managing group expenses.

You can create a group (e.g., the trip name) and then invite your friends to the group. Each person can add any expenses that are incurred and easily delineate if the cost should be shared and if so, how so. You do not have to share equally and can select a percentage or dollar amount.

You can also remove group members from that particular line item. In the end, you can settle up through your payment method of choice.

Create a Timeline and Itinerary Informed By Everyone’s Preferences.

Aside from money management, this is the biggest difference in how well a group trip goes.

Consider all the possible activities before you go on a trip and have everyone give one or two things that they really, really want to do. Knowing what other things people are interested in but can live without is also helpful. Are there any things that people do NOT want to do? That’s helpful too.

Make an agenda that considers all these things but may not be perfect. Ensure you have enough time for each activity, preparation steps, transportation, meals, rest periods, and more.

Provide each group member a copy of the plan so they’re always on the same page throughout your trip.

Encourage People to Opt In or Out As They See Fit

Here’s the challenging but essential part: let people opt in or out as they see fit. If you are active and/or like getting up early and doing things, don’t make the less active person do a million things. Or make the later sleeper get up early on their vacation.

My dad always wants to scrap group plans if everyone doesn’t want to do it. He thinks we should all be together. I disagree. We usually come together late afternoon or early evening, so we still have quality time together. I agree that is important to find a time that everyone can agree to get together, but resentment builds if people don’t get to do what they want to do.

Communication Is Key

Communication is essential when planning a group trip. Make sure everyone in the group knows all pertinent information and regularly shares updates. Utilize apps such as WhatsApp or GroupMe to keep everyone in the loop with travel updates, deadlines, and reminders.

Also, it’s important to remember that each person has different communication styles and needs. Ensure everyone is heard by creating a space to provide feedback or express concerns throughout your trip planning process.

Allow Deviations from the Plan

Before you leave, you can come up with a great plan. But when you get there, you may change the pace or the activities based on new knowledge or how you feel in the moment. That’s OK.

Acknowledge Different Fears / Comfort Levels

This one was really driven home to me on a trip to Acadia with my closest friends. I had arranged the agenda and selected a few hikes for us to do while there. One of those was the Bee Hive trail. It’s 0.9 miles straight up a mini-mountain and includes narrow ledges, extreme heights, climbing small ladders, and in some cases, walking over grates. It's appropriately named the "Bee Hive."

I found it exhilarating. Another friend appreciated it at the end but was nervous throughout. My other two friends wanted to kill me. We’ve been friends for years but had never hiked anything that high or nerve-wracking.

My lesson learned was to really understand a hike before doing it and make sure to communicate any challenges to my group before deciding on behalf of everyone. I could see this lesson applying to any other adventure activity: know what you are getting yourself and others into before committing to it!

Try to Understand Daily Routines

This was another funny lesson from Maine. And also Thanksgiving with my family. Actually, all of the group trips.

We stayed at a beautiful cabin that belonged to a friend of a friend in Maine. It had two rooms and there were four of us so we split into groups of two. My friend, Julie, and I had already learned on our cross-country trip over the summer that we both snore. On this trip, our other friend, Stephanie, was clued in and unhappy about it. She wanted to sleep on the couch but that didn’t work out for the rest of us because we all like to stay up late and she likes to go to bed early and get up early.

If we had such an opportunity again, we’d make it work as we did this time. But if we are starting anew, I think we are all realizing that we may each need our own room.

Additional Questions or Considerations for a Group Trip

You’ve now learned how to plan a great group trip. Here are some questions that are worth addressing while planning your trip.

Personal Preferences

How does your travel style differ from the group?

Who needs to be part of the plan vs who can just roll with it?

How do you manage people that plan vs people that want to take time and see where the day takes them?

Does anyone snore?

Who takes a lot of time getting ready vs who can be ready fast?

Are group members militant about time or habitual procrastinators?

Money Considerations

Are some folks more cost-conscious vs splurgers?

What is everyone’s budget for accommodations? Air travel? Car / Ground Transport? Food? Activities?

Getting Around

Who does/does not like to drive?

Does anyone have poor eyesight at night or in poor conditions?

Does anyone have motion sickness?

How do you decide who’s Designated Driver (DD) or take a car service?

Health and wellness

Does anyone have a fear of heights? Fear of air travel? Other fears?

Are there food allergies?

Does anyone have physical or other limitations?

I hope this helps you with future group trips. SAVE for later and share with a friend who may benefit from this!

Happy Travels,

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Your Ultimate Checklist to Planning a Group Trip

Are you excited to embark on a group trip but feeling overwhelmed with the planning process? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! 

Planning a group trip may seem daunting at first, but with our ultimate checklist, you’ll be able to plan like an expert in no time. From choosing the perfect destination to managing logistics and budgeting, this guide has everything you need to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey for everyone involved. So grab your pen and paper and get ready to plan the ultimate adventure with your favorite people!

Table of Contents

What are the benefits of going on a group trip.

When you travel with a group, you have the opportunity to meet new people and bond with old friends. You also get to experience new things together and create memories that will last a lifetime. But that’s not all — there are many other benefits of going on a group trip. Here are just a few:

1. Save money

When you travel as a group, you can often take advantage of discounts on accommodation, transportation, and activities.

2. Stress-free planning

When you’re planning a trip for just yourself or your family, it can be quite stressful. But when you’re planning a group trip, there are more people to help with the logistics and organization. This can make the whole process much less daunting.

3. More fun!

Travelling with a group is simply more fun than travelling alone. You always have someone to talk to, explore with, and rely on if things go wrong.

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How to pick the right destination for your group

When planning a group trip, it is important to consider the interests of all members of the group. Discuss with your fellow travelers what kinds of activities everyone would like to do on the trip. Once you have an idea of the overall tone and feel of the trip, you can start narrowing down your destination options.

Consider the climate of your potential destinations. Would your group like to go to a tropical destination like Thailand , or a cold location like Iceland ? Do you want to go a touristy-y location like Paris , or an offbeat location like the North Pole ?

If you are traveling during peak tourist season, some destinations may be too crowded or expensive. Alternatively, off-peak travel can often be cheaper and provide a more relaxed experience.

Do some research on each destination to find out what kinds of activities and attractions are available. Make sure there is enough to keep everyone in the group entertained for the duration of the trip. Also, check that your chosen destination is safe and has adequate infrastructure to support a group of tourists.

Finally, remember to factor in your travel budget when choosing a destination. Some locations may be out of reach for your group if you are working with a limited budget. However, there are often ways to save money by finding discounts or staying in less expensive accommodation options.

How to pick the right travel dates

Picking the right travel dates can be tricky. You want to make sure that everyone in your group is able to take the time off from work or school, and that you’re not traveling during peak season when prices are high. Here are a few tips on how to pick the perfect travel dates :

• Start by checking everyone’s schedules and seeing what dates work best for the majority of people. You may have to be flexible with your travel dates depending on people’s availability.
• Once you’ve picked a few potential dates, c heck to see if there are any major holidays or events happening in your destination around those times . If so, you may want to avoid those dates as hotels and attractions will be more crowded and expensive.
• Finally, check pricing for flights and accommodations on your potential travel dates . If prices are significantly higher on certain days, try changing your dates by a few days to see if you can get a better deal.

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How to choose accommodation for your group

There are a few things to consider when choosing accommodation for your group. The size of the accommodation is important, as you will need to make sure there is enough space for everyone in your group. You will also need to consider the location of the accommodation, as it should be close to the activities and attractions that you are planning on visiting. Additionally, you will need to think about the budget for your accommodation, as this can vary depending on the type and size of the accommodation.

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How to budget for a group trip

When it comes to planning a group trip, budgeting is key. You’ll want to make sure you have a clear understanding of what your costs will be so that you can make informed decisions about how to allocate your resources.

There are a few things to consider when budgeting for a group trip :

1. Travel costs

This includes airfare, ground transportation, and accommodations. If you’re looking to keep costs down, consider flying into an airport that has multiple flight options and compare prices. Ground transportation can also be costly, so consider using public transportation or renting a car instead of taking taxis everywhere. And finally, accommodations can be one of the biggest expenses, so try to find a hotel or Airbnb that offers discounts for groups.

2. Activity costs

This includes admission fees, tours, and any other activities you plan on doing while on your trip. Once again, it’s all about finding ways to save money here. Many museums offer group discounts, and you can often find cheaper tour options if you book in advance.

3. Food and drink costs

This is probably the most variable expense when it comes to group travel since everyone has different dietary needs and preferences. A good rule of thumb is to budget $50 per day per person for food and drink expenses. This should cover everything from breakfast and lunch to snacks and dinner. If you’re traveling on a tight budget, you may want to look into cooking some meals yourselves rather than eating out.

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Asking for help from an in-destination travel expert

If you’re still unsure about how to plan a group trip or if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to an in-destination travel expert. They can help you plan a trip that meets your specific needs and make sure that you are getting value for money. 

In-destination travel experts can help you figure out the best places to visit, find accommodations at the best prices, and arrange for transport and activities. They can also provide useful advice about safety, visas and other necessary paperwork. Some in-destinational travel experts even offer additional services such as translation and personalized tours.

Need help looking for an in-destination travel expert? Look no further than Baboo! Check out our helpful in-destination experts here.

Ready to plan your next group trip?

Now that you know what to do to plan your next group trip, you have nothing to worry about anymore. Just keep this group travel checklist in your bookmarks. It will help you with picking the right destination for your group, choose the tour dates, get accommodation, compute the budget, and connect with an in-destination travel expert . Happy trip!

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How to Plan the Perfect Group Trip (Without the Stress)

After a five-person european backpacking trip, a 10-person utah airbnb situation, and numerous group bachelorette and wedding trips, travel writer annie daly knows a thing or two about organizing group travel..

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Traveling with your friends is a true art form. Done well, it can be the most glorious of times, filled with casual day drinking, perfectly curated Spotify playlists, and tons of laughter. Done poorly, it can get bad. Tension-filled, he-said-she-said bad. No one wants that.

But you can avoid that fate as you plan your next “friendcation.” I consulted a slew of experts and travelers with plenty of wisdom on group getaways, and together with my own experience traveling all over the world with friends, we’ve got you covered.

Consider this your ultimate guide to traveling with a big group of people—no big headache required.

Let someone lead

Anyone who has ever traveled in a large group knows that someone, somewhere, inevitably ends up stepping up to the plate and acting as leader. I cannot emphasize this enough: Do not try to resist this dynamic. “Having a leader or even a small committee of two to three [leaders] maximum makes things much easier for everyone,” confirms Michael Brein, PhD, travel psychologist. Risking understatement: It streamlines the process big time.

Assess your group dynamics

In a dream world, we would all be able to choose exactly who we travel with at all times. Fun Bobby? Always yes. Fun Bobby’s annoying best friend? Hard pass. But the reality of the situation is that you often have to invite Fun Bobby’s annoying best friend. So Brein suggests you put on your psychologist’s hat and act accordingly.

A couple of questions to ask:

• Are all your group members on the same page about how you like to spend your time?
• Do most people in the group prefer to chill out at home or go hit the clubs?
• Are people more fearful or more adventurous?
• What about introverts and extroverts?

Brein recommends making notes on how your group spreads out across those various personality factors so you can better design an itinerary that addresses everyone’s needs.

Look for for group rates

One of the biggest perks of traveling with a (friendly) wolf pack is that you can clean up in the deals department. Tim Hentschel, cofounder and CEO of hotelplanner.com , explains that “if you’re flying with 10 or more people, you qualify for group airfare rates, which could help you negotiate perks, like the ability to waive a change fee, or even swap passenger names.” This means that you could theoretically replace a friend who can’t come at the last minute with someone who can—all at no cost.

Layovers are much more bearable when everyone is together.

Photo by Jon Tyson/Unsplash

You can also score sweet group deals on your accommodation. “Most hotels will offer a complimentary suite upgrade if you book more than 10 rooms. Be sure to ask if it’s not offered,” says Hentschel. His other advice: Try to plan at least one group meal or cocktail gathering at the hotel. “If you organize something through the catering department versus just going with a group to the bar, you’ll be added to the hotel’s group VIP list and will be considered a higher priority.” Hotel perks aside, group rentals are also a great option. If you want to go super luxe, check out some upscale home rental sites, like onefinestay and Oasis , in addition to your usual suspects ( Airbnb , VRBO , etc.). If the rooms aren’t equal, give the best one to your fearless leader as a reward for all the hard work.

Use Google Drive and apps to keep things organized

While it may seem a bit soul crushing to apply your office skills to your vacation, group travel pretty much demands it. Or, as travel writer and group trip–planner extraordinaire Sophie Friedman puts it, “Google Docs and Google spreadsheets are life—especially because everyone can edit them and put in any requirements they have or activities they want to do.”

There are (free) apps for that, too.

• Travefy . It lets you gather everyone’s flight and hotel info into one single, shareable itinerary, and you can chat with everyone on your trip in the app. You can also create group polls, enabling you to easily take a crowd vote.
• Doodle . If you only want to create group polls, go for this one. It’s also available in desktop form, which allows you to send a Doodle poll in an email.

Apps can help you with the dreaded money issue, too. I ask you: Is there anything worse than having an amazing trip with your favorite people, only to realize at the end that you still have to tally everything up and see who owes what? Fortunately, both Travefy and Prava have additional group financial features, but these other apps can also help:

• Splitwise (free). Everyone enters the amount they paid, and Splitwise tells you who owes what. Thanks to a partnership with Venmo, you can settle your bill directly in the app. One problem: Splitwise doesn’t factor in international currencies, so if you’re traveling abroad, consider downloading Splitwise Pro, which costs $2.99 per month but has currency conversion capabilities, as well as other features, like the ability to scan your receipts.
• Splittr ($1.99). It does convert your currency, but it does not incorporate Venmo or payment abilities, so you’ll have to pay your friends back outside of the app.

Plan your meals

A lot of your money goes toward food and drinks, so go into your trip thinking about food and drinks.

If you’re staying in a hotel, you’ll probably end up eating out for most meals, so don’t forget to book restaurant reservations in advance (and be sure to do as Hentschel recommends and get in on that group-rate dinner). But if you’re taking the rental route, you can cook up big, fun group meals—which is one of the reasons Yasmin Fahr, food and travel writer and founder of the hospitality consulting service LokaPack, loves the homesharing option. “Cooking adds a nice element to your experience. You make a nice cocktail, chop some vegetables together, and talk. I love how food fosters a sense of community and brings everyone together,” she says.

Twinkling lights and sparklers are optional but recommended.

Photo by oneinchpunch/Shutterstock

Of course, cooking for a large group is easier said than done. Fahr’s advice: Make one grocery run at the beginning of the trip for basic stuff—think eggs, bread and jam, and good cheese, for starters—and then go local for the rest. “When I was in Deauville, France, for a group trip, we went to this incredible farmers’ market and picked up fresh scallops and prawns. Then we made cioppino , a tomato-based fish stew, and paired it with local crusty bread. It was so much fun to use what was from that region and make our own thing out of it,” she recalls.

Fahr’s other go-to dishes for group trips are tacos in the summer—which have something for everyone, even people with dietary restrictions—and a big roast with lots of veggie sides in the winter. “Both are fun, communal meals that bring everyone together,” she says.

And now that you know how to plan a low-stress trip, you’ll be able to enjoy that quality time together even more. In today’s all-too-hectic, digital world, those rare uninterrupted moments of togetherness are precious. And that’s really what traveling with your friends is all about.

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Group travel planning 101, group travel planning 101: 5 key tips to organize a successful group trip, travel is always enhanced when you share it with someone, no matter if you are soaking up the sun on the golden beaches of florida or exploring the majestic temples of thailand. making memories with family, friends, and meeting new like-minded individuals along the way are all reasons group travel is great. but here’s the zinger – your group travel will only be as successful as your group planning and organizing efforts enable it to be. , successful group organizing.

To make sure your travel group has the best experience possible, you need to lay the right foundation from the beginning. To help you succeed on your next group trip (and have a good time), here are key tips on coordinating and planning group travel that you can adopt right now. 

Group Planning Prerequisites 

Creating a group planning prerequisite list is your key to setting the tone for an easy organizing process for yourself and others. To start, you will want to know your target group size, budgets, desired travel style, and travel goals (i.e., relax, go on adventures, be on the go, etc.). 

The more you know about what your group wants, the better you can plan a trip that meets needs and gain your desired level of attendance and participation. Other key prerequisites include:

• Setting your budget and allocated amounts for each leg of the trip. Here you should have a set budget for activities, accommodations, meals, transportation, etc. 
• Designating a group leader or leaders to be the main point of contact for information and support. This will reduce confusion and avoid having too many people doing the same thing at the same time, which often leads to frustration and wasted resources. 

Create Your Itinerary Base

With your prerequisites handled, the next thing you should focus on is getting transportation and accommodations set in stone. Once you have addressed these travel factors, you will have a better idea of what you will need to cover in terms of timeframes, windows of opportunity, and on-site transportation. During this phase, keep in mind that there are often group discounts and travel deals that you can take advantage of which can help meet your group's budget goals.  

Activity and Meal Plan In Advance 

Travel booked? Check. Accommodations booked? Check. Next (and likely the most fun part about group travel organizing) is planning your activities and meals. During this part, you really have free reign to scope out your destination and discover all the cool things you can do together as a group. Though you can certainly do this part on your own if you are the leader, it would be wise to include your entire group during this part so they can have a say in how the trip itinerary should look. Surveys are a great way to share activity options with your group members and get their input to ensure you’re planning the ideal itinerary for everyone attending. Just be sure that whatever you choose to do to fill up your time that you don't overschedule, which could easily make your group feel more drained than fulfilled. 

Have Some Backup Plans In Your Pocket 

Remember all those awesome activities and landmarks you were considering that didn’t make the trip planning cut? Keep those in the back of your mind as a quick backup plan if something goes wrong with your current itinerary. In general, you never know when a scheduling error or fluke of fate can arise (like rain) , and having a backup plan on standby is an excellent way to rebound from it. This doesn't mean you need to schedule two different things simultaneously, but simply use the idea as a safeguard for those “just in case” moments. 

Don’t Forget To Add In Alone Time 

Planning every single detail of your group travel trip is ideal for making it go smoothly. However, be sure to leave in some time or even a full day where your travelers can make their own plans. If there is one thing you should take from this, it is that not everything has to be organized down to the last second, and sometimes the best planning is no planning at all. Overall, giving your group some freedom to explore on their own however they wish is what can really be the big red bow that ties up the trip and makes it much more personal, immersive, and enriching for your group.

Organize, Plan, and Enjoy!

It doesn't matter if you're used to or new to group planning there's no doubt that there are many moving parts that need to be in place to make sure a group travel adventure is smooth, fun, and enjoyable. Luckily, with the planning tips and guidelines above, you can easily create a concrete roadmap that ensures no stone is left unturned before and during the travel organizing process. 

Never forget that what you put into your travel planning is what you will get out of it in the end. When you do your due diligence and avoid tempting planning shortcuts, you are well on your way to creating a trip that will leave a lasting impression long after the trip ends. And while avoiding shortcuts is important, you can make your organizing process easy and fun with group travel planning software . GroupTools is here to help make your planning process safe and stress-free. Visit GroupTools to learn more or jump right into your planning today

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The ultimate checklist for planning a group trip

Understandably, though, planning isn’t for everyone, with so many things to take into consideration and the many organizational measures you need to keep in place. 

Consider us your sidekicks with this handy checklist from our serial planners — we've got your back. Create the ultimate getaway experience as a group with zero hitches, all thanks to the hard work you put into your planning phase. Thank us later!

1. Decide on a destination

Once you've made the decision to embark on a good, old group trip, the next step is to consider where you’ll venture off to in the first place. 

If you already have a destination in mind, you’re halfway there, but let’s face it – half the struggle is coming to an agreement on where to explore and for how long. If this is you (and your group of buddies), you can find travel stories from real travelers on Travis , giving you all the inspiration you need to start your brainstorming.

Additionally, if you’re really stuck on where to go, social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram can even shed some light on what to expect in various locations.

The aim is to agree on a destination as soon as possible, so that you can jump onto the other to-dos in your list.

2. Consider the length of your trip

Getting away for weeks on end isn’t easy for everyone, so your trip might mean you’re only jet-setting off for a few days at a time. On the other end of the spectrum, you could be planning a lengthy trip that sees you roaming city after city – the world’s your oyster. 

Tip: Remember that the longer your trip, the greater your chances of actually saving money. This is especially true if you plan on visiting multiple countries in places like Europe; while the cost of airfare to one country may be high, once you're there, most transportation is relatively inexpensive .

3. Estimate your group budget & find travel hacks

When you're organizing a trip for four people, the costs can quickly add up. Researching expenses early on will help you establish how much money everyone should be contributing, and ensure everyone has funds left to spend while they're away. It will also eliminate any hiccups before the big day comes.

Tip: Apply for a credit card that gives travel rewards and benefits to gain discounts on certain experiences or resources while you’re out and about.Options like Amtrak for US adventurers allow you to reap those nifty guest rewards through their Platinum Mastercard® (two points for every $1 spend on Amtrak travel). If you’re heading out to the UK, American Express’ Gold credit card is perfect for beginners, giving you 20,000 bonus points to reduce the cost of travel, as well as no annual fee. Meanwhile, Chase Sapphire offers two great cards for all-round rewards in Europe.

Another option is to switch over to a no-fee ATM card, as this may be your Saving Grace when you’re abroad. On that note, also remember to let your bank know that you are traveling so that they mistake overseas transactions as something more negative.

4. Collect your travel ideas in one place 

The worst thing that could happen as the designated group trip/travel planner is that you start to get a barrage of 42 different suggestions sent to you in all directions – group chats, website links, emails, etc. And of course there’s also people's varying preferences, on top of your own furious research on socials, figuring out how far places are from each other, opening hours, and so on. The point is, it very quickly becomes a mess of websites and tools often don't connect to each other to make things easier. 

The solution? Have Travis handy so that you can collect all of these group trip ideas together in one place – think a visual travel moodboard, where you can: 

• Save places shared by other travelers and creators
• Save links from websites and publications you trust
• See all places automatically mapped (yep, no copying and pasting on Google Maps)
• Share your group trip Moodboard with a link – so everyone can see saved places in a shared view.

A good ol' spreadsheet and Google Maps will definitely do the job, but if you want it to be more visual and interactive, the Moodboard tool on Travis is a very good alternative.

Easily create different moodboards for the different days of your trip, or different areas that you're visiting – and share them amongst your friends. Best of all, you can see all places automatically mapped with business info – like addresses and opening hours – saving you and your mates precious time that could be used for looking up even more inspo instead!

5. Book your flights

Once you’ve locked down where you want to go and for how long, the next step is to secure your flights. Because there are so many options to choose from and costs that continuously fluctuate, keep these handy questions in mind when assessing available tickets:

• What airlines fly to your destination?
• How much will your flight be?  
• Are there any different deals with various dates?  
• Are there any discounts available? 
• Do you have any miles/points with this airline? 
• Do you have any credit card rewards that I can use for your flight?
• Do you need specific seating or accessibility arrangements?

An important note on travelling and COVID-19:

While we recommend taking a single flight, if you do find yourself booking through transit flights, make sure you have ample time in between, especially COVID situations changing all the time. Most airlines also allow free cancellations for when circumstances call for it

Pro tip: A nifty trick for booking flights is to use the Incognito function on your browser to search for the same flight; most times you'll find price drops ;)

6. Pick your accommodation

Gather as a group and consider what kind of accommodation you’ve going to need and how long you plan to actually spend inside it. If you’re stopping over from one location to the next, a six-star hotel isn’t necessarily your highest priority; if you’re spending a lot of time in a specific place, you may want to choose something more fitting for the duration.

Remember to also shop around for deals and packages – you never know until you look.For example, Travis neatly integrates and partners with various awesome hotels, as well as Booking.com , so we recommend checking in frequently to see the latest deals.

7. Get packing 

This is as literal as the heading. Don’t procrastinate – hop straight into packing everything you’ll need on your adventure, and cross-check with your itinerary to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Feeling unmotivated? Amp yourself up with these handy tips:

• Create a packing list. Do you throw everything and the kitchen sink into your bags at the 11th hour? Or are you a methodical packing checklist-ticker ready two weeks ahead of your trip? We've learnt the hard way that a simple packing list can go the distance and save you unwanted headaches on the road.
• Pack a weather-friendly wardrobe. Even better, mix and match like a pro with a super flexible capsule wardrobe.
• Check your baggage allowance. On average, flights allow 15kg of carry-on luggage and up to 32kg for checked baggage. Double-check with your chosen airline to make sure you’ve ticked all their boxes here.
• Get organised with packing cubes .
• Have a dedicated ‘tech bag’ for all your chargers, cables, etc. 
• Don’t forget your adapters! Especially if you're going overseas.
• First Aid kit (think Panadol, Band-Aids and general medical essentials).

More on this in another post.

8. Consider travel insurance

In our eyes, travel insurance is a must. You never know when you’re going to get caught out with medical bills, cancellation fees, or other hurdles along the way and with COVID-19 changing circumstances every day, this protection has never been more important. In a post-pandemic world, we see travel insurance as an ongoing essential, allowing you to negate many risks and giving you coverage when you need it most. 

The final step: Enjoy your trip

Having done all the hard work to plan and prepare, the only thing left to do is marvel at your organizational skills and just enjoy the moment . While we know trudging through the preparation and planning stages can seem like a hassle, it will all inevitably make your trip far easier in the long run. And it doesn’t have to be boring! Travis will even help the non-planners of your group by encouraging them to participate and contribute ideas to your adventure, and you’ll be able to visualise it all in the fully mapped out Moodboard tool. 

Sound like a treat? It is. Start planning your group trip with Travis now!

Plan your next trip with our free travel app

Whether it's a road trip, solo trip or group trip , Travis easily helps you and your friends create beautiful, visual interactive Moodboards of your ideas in one place.

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10 Tips for Your Next Group Trip

Wrangling up all of your crazy friends for a trip might sound like an impossible challenge, but we're here to help. We've put together 10 of our best ideas (and resources!) for a fun and unforgettable group trip for you and your squad.

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Tips for Traveling in a Group: How To Plan a Trip With Friends

By: Author Eliza Jeffrey

Posted on Last updated: March 15, 2022

C'mon be honest, you have planned a trip with your friends around a zillion times in your imagination.

The places you want to explore, the puns you wish to make about being “tourists” in your own city, the bingo nights, the bar crawls—it's all planned and ready to go.

What about when it comes to putting your dream into action?

All those million-dollar ideas suddenly don't seem like enough, and you find yourself stuck on where to begin. 

In this article, I'll share tips for traveling in a group so you can plan a fun experience together.

Table of Contents

Who Is On the List

Choose a destination, be clear about budget, a task for everyone on the group, get travel insurance, apps to the rescue, where's the first aid kit, download and pack your fun, the essentials to keep, tips for planning group travel.

First things first, mate! You need to know who you are planning this trip for. Is it just for the girls? The guys? A group of both?

Once that's clarified, you can start to get a feel for what kind of activities everyone would be interested in and what kind of budget you're working with.

If it's just the ladies, then a day of shopping and spa-ing might be in order. Maybe a golf or poker weekend would suffice if it's just the guys.

But if it's a group trip, you'll need to find some middle ground with which everyone can agree.

Be prepared for this one because it can get heated. You and your friends might have different ideas of what kind of trip you want to take.

Maybe you're more inclined toward a beach holiday in Bali with sunsets and cocktails in hand, while your bestie is looking for a more relaxing getaway in Gatlinburg condos with hot tubs.

Sit down and make a list of places everyone would like to visit. It'll help narrow it down, and eventually, you'll find a destination that will make everyone happy. If not, maybe it's time to travel in separate groups. Ouch!

We all have one or two such friends in our group who are always ready to splurge on a trip while the others are trying to save up.

It can get frustrating when you have to skimp and save only to end up at an overpriced resort.

So you should set a budget for the trip beforehand so that everyone can get an idea of the cost involved.

This way, your friend trying to save can also enjoy the journey without breaking the bank.

Speaking of expenses, one way to alleviate some of that financial pressure is by splitting costs evenly between all travelers . It could be anything from airfare and accommodation to food and activities.

It just takes a bit of organization before you leave and makes for less headache once you're there.

It always sounds easier than it is, but your trip will be that much more enjoyable if you pack smartly. By this, we mean bringing only the essentials and clothes that can be easily mixed and matched.

No one enjoys lugging around a heavy backpack, especially if you're going to be doing a lot of walking.

It can be downright crazy and confusing to pick between your best dresses and your favorite shoes , but trust us—you won't need them.

And if you really can't bear to leave them behind, consider storing them at your accommodation instead of packing them in your bag.

Everyone in the group must be on board with the game plan if you want things to go smoothly.

Who is planning the itinerary (well, we are sure everyone would like to participate in this one), what activities are everyone interested in doing, how much those activities cost, where everyone will be staying, etc.

Everyone in the group is assigned a task, and as a result, it will be more organized and less stressful for everyone.

It's probably the essential tip on the list. No matter how well you plan, sometimes things happen that are beyond your control.

When you're traveling in a group, those mishaps can end up costing a lot of money if someone gets sick or injured. That's why it's always safe to get travel insurance before you go on any trip, just to be safe.

Factor in what your insurance will and won't cover, as well as the cost of the policy, when you're budgeting for your trip.

Let technology do some work for you. You'll find a few friendly apps that can help you keep track of your spending when you're on vacation.

One is called Trail Wallet, and it's an app that enables you to track your expenses by category (food, transportation, lodging, etc.) so you don't go over budget.

Another app to check out is TripIt, which organizes all your travel information in one place (flights, hotels, car rentals, etc.).

This way, you always have everything at your fingertips and don't have to spend time digging through emails or printed-out confirmations.

Ask your friends to install and familiarize themselves with the apps before the trip.

You forgot about it, didn't you? Of course, who thinks of dangers and damages when planning an exciting long-awaited trip with friends. But just like any vacation, Murphy's Law is always lurking around the corner, ready to strike.

Be sure to have a first-aid kit packed and easily accessible. It's not only for cuts and bruises but can also come in handy if someone gets sick while on vacation.

If you're really into planning and want to be extra prepared, consider packing some over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen and antibiotics as well.

Is your music list updated? Make sure to download your favorite tunes and pack your headphones for some much-needed personal time.

If you're traveling with friends, ask each person to download their best travel playlist to share with the group.

This way, you'll never be out of new music to listen to! If anyone in the group has a portable speaker, bring that too!

Another crucial thing is planning and packing games to keep everyone entertained. Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity, and charades are always great options.

Okay, you're going to have a good time, but don't you think there's some need for rest?

Don't forget your travel pillow, an eye mask, and a scarf or shawl. These will come in handy on long car rides or plane rides when you need to catch some shut-eye.

Last but not least, don't forget your camera! With all of the new friends you'll make and the memories you'll create, you'll want to have a way to document it all.

If you don't have a physical camera, be sure to use the camera function on your phone. And if your device is short on storage, you can always delete old photos to make room for new ones.

Be sure also to pack your sense of adventure and spontaneity—essential for any good vacation. With a wee bit of planning and preparation, you're sure to have a fantastic time traveling with your friends.

This story was brought to you in partnership with Park Place On The River.

Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:

• G Adventures for small group tours.
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22 Essential Group Travel Tips to Prepare for Your Trip

Never been on a group tour before? Then you’ve come to the right place. Over the past 11 years, Under30Experiences has run thousands of small group tours all over the world. We’ve seen and heard just about everything a traveler can encounter during that time. Group travel is not a new concept but if you haven’t been on an actual group trip before it can be intimidating. 

In this guide, I will break down everything you need to know to prepare for your first group tour. When you are finished with this guide you will be able to confidently book and attend a group tour knowing you made the right choice. 

The 22 group travel tips are broken into four sections:

• What to know before booking group travel.
• What to do after booking your group tour.
• What to do when you arrive at your destination on your group tour.
• How to keep in touch with travelers and stay involved in a community after your group tour is over.

What is group travel?

The term “group travel” or "group tour" refers to any organized, multi-day trip that you pre-book and meet a group of other travelers who booked the same trip. Group tours are popular because they involve very little planning, you get to meet new people, there is safety in numbers, and you will have a dedicated trip leader with you. Group tours and group travel are often used interchangeably so don’t be alarmed if you see a company use either term. 

Group tours are a great way to go from a beginner traveler to a confident and experienced traveler. Many people start out taking international trips with groups and as they become more comfortable they start to take more trips on their own. It’s a really great way to experience the world and get out of your comfort zone without being completely on your own. 

Further reading: Group Travel vs Solo Travel. What’s Best?  

What to know before booking group travel:.

When researching trips it can be overwhelming to pull up trip pages that have hundreds of images, words, reviews, videos, and marketing materials for the trip. This is more information than you would ever need, but there are a few specific things you should always double-check before booking. 

Length of your trip 

While this seems obvious, it’s important to think about just how long you want your trip to be. If this is your very first group tour, I recommend a trip no longer than a week. Even in small groups, the social aspect of the trip can be overwhelming and exhausting! Testing out the experience with a shorter trip is helpful to better understand how you feel about group travel before booking a whirlwind month-long trip. 

Further reading: The Introverts Guide to Small Group Travel .

Make sure you look at the exact departure dates you are considering and the price associated with those dates. Many companies will advertise a price for a trip, but this might be the lowest rate they offer at some point during the year. If you are looking at a trip departure during the high season or on a holiday weekend, you might find the departure is significantly more expensive! 

The easiest way to compare trip prices with different companies is to calculate the “cost-per-day” of each trip. For example, a 7-day trip that costs $1500 would be $214/day. It can be difficult to find trips across different companies that are the exact same length but by calculating the “cost-per-day” you can quickly see if the prices are similar. 

What’s included vs not included

It’s crucial to read this section of any trip you are looking at. Often, you will find that things like lodging, transportation to and from activities, breakfasts, and some lunches or dinners are included in the costs. Here are some questions to ask or research:

• Are the accommodations camping? Hostels? Or boutique hotels?
• How much free time is there during the trip?
• What are the costs of the optional activities in the area?
• How many dinners are NOT included? This is the most costly meal of the day. Remember that the cost of a dinner in London is very different from the cost of a dinner in Thailand. 
• Is transportation to and from the airport included?
• Are you supposed to tip your guide?

Pro Tip : Bring cash in the local currency. Most tours will suggest an appropriate amount of cash to bring for food and optional activities. Keep in mind that, in many countries, not all vendors will accept credit cards, especially American Express.

Bonus Pro Tip: Sign up for a credit card with no foreign transaction fees for international travel. 

Where you go can have a big impact on your experience. For example, an English-speaking country like Ireland has a lot less culture shock compared to Southeast Asia. You should also consider how long it takes to get to your destination and the jet lag you may encounter. It can take three layovers over the course of two days to get to Southeast Asia from North America. It’s part of the adventure but just understand what your travel time will look like before booking your trip. 

If the travel times seem intimidating, know that there are always more reasonable options. You can get to Costa Rica or Iceland in less than six hours from most US airports. In Costa Rica, you may even be in the same time zone as at home. 

If your travel times are longer than six hours you will have to think about how to deal with your jet lag . Many group trips will hit the ground running on day one! 

Style of trip

Are you looking to spend time at the beach or the mountains? Outdoor adventure or city exploring? Maybe a combination? Most companies will label their trip styles, in some fashion, to help guide you to what you are looking for. Just keep in mind that your group might also reflect the style of trip you choose. A city trip will probably have more partiers looking to stay out late and explore the local nightlife. The outdoor hiking trip will likely have more people going to bed right after dinner to prepare for another big outdoor adventure. These rules don’t always apply, but it’s a good guideline to go by.

Group size and demographics

You will find that group trips range in size from 5-50 people, depending on the company. Some will focus on similar ages, like Under30Experiences , while others will be open to anyone. If it’s your first group trip, smaller group size is generally better, so you’ll have more individualized attention from your guide. I recommend ten to fifteen other travelers, which is a nice size to meet people and make friends, but not too overwhelming. 

You can also reach out to the tour company and ask about the demographics currently booked on the trip. Are you the only female traveler joining an all-male trip, or vice versa? If the company doesn’t target specific age groups you may want to know how wide the age ranges are on the trip. If you are traveling solo you will want to know if the group is made up of other solo travelers, or if it is primarily friends or couples traveling together. Tour companies should be able to tell you the basic makeup of the trip, and you can then decide if it’s right for you or not. 

Pro Tip: I think it’s important to find out how many other solo travelers are on the trip before you book. Groups of friends or couples tend to isolate themselves more than most solo travelers on a typical group trip, and it can be difficult to connect with them. It’s fine if there is a handful of people who already know each other on the trip but just make sure you have at least a few other solo travelers in the group with you. They are the ones most eager to make new friends and go out of their way to connect with others in the group and make friends. 

Travel insurance

Travel insurance protects against things like lost luggage, canceled flights, medical costs while overseas, trip costs if you can’t travel last minute, and many other trip-related issues. What some people don’t realize is that almost all tour companies will require some level of travel insurance for the trip. Each company has its own requirements, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $50-$200 for the insurance plan depending on the length of your trip. 

My best advice is to make sure that you understand the insurance coverage you are purchasing. If something happens on your trip you will be dealing with the insurance company and there are always things that are not covered in the policies. One of the most common questions to ask the insurance company is how they deal with flight delays or cancellations, especially if you miss the start of your group tour. 

Refund & Cancellation Policies

This is one of the more important policies to find for any company you are researching. Some companies offer a lot of flexibility while others, not so much. A relatively normal policy will usually give you a deadline of 1-3 months before your departure to let them know if you are canceling your trip. At this point, you may lose a set percentage of your deposit or with more flexible policies, like at Under30Experiences, you will be able to put your funds on hold for use at a later date. 

It’s also important to read these cancellation policies in full. Most companies have different policies for specific locations that are stricter than their general policy. This is usually due to permits and government regulation for certain places like the Inca Trail or Galápagos Islands. 

If you’re joining a group tour you should expect to have a roommate, or multiple roommates, for the entire trip. It’s important to find out how many roommates you will have and if travelers are grouped by gender or not. If you’ve ever stayed in a hostel, you probably know that some rooms can be big, sleeping 8-12 people at a time. This can be cost-effective for the tour operator but is not always a great experience for a traveler on a long trip. 

You will also find that some tour operators use houses or villas during the trip where you will have a roommate and share a bathroom with the house or floor. This is just personal preference, as some of these houses can be beautiful, but always find out how many bathrooms are in them. It can be difficult for a dozen travelers to all get ready in the morning if there are only a couple of showers. 

Is it possible to get a private room? Most tour companies offer this option for an additional fee. It’s almost always dependent on the exact trip and availability. If the single rooms are already taken, or there is only one seat open on the trip, you may not have the option. The fees can range from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands depending on the trip. The costs are usually higher than it’s worth.

Pro Tip : It’s never a guarantee, but if you are signing up last minute for a trip you may get a room all to yourself without an extra charge. If there is only a single room available or a double room, but you are the only person in it, there shouldn’t be an extra charge. You can always ask the tour operator about their trips to see if you would be the first person in a room or if you are joining another traveler in the room. 

It’s like buying a last-minute plane ticket and picking a seat where the one next to you is also open. Another traveler may sign up at the last minute and fill that seat, but sometimes it just stays empty! 

Arrival & Departure Times

Seems simple right? Not always! When researching flights to a destination, there is usually a cheap option that can look very attractive. But does that flight's arrival or departure time align with your group's arrival? The cheapest options usually have the most obscure travel times which might mean missing your group's airport pickup. In some locations, airport pickup may be available all day if your destination is close by. 

For example, in Costa Rica, we have a set time to meet at the airport because it’s a 3+ hour ride to the trip's destination. If you miss that van, you will have to pay for a taxi for that 3-hour trip. In other destinations like Thailand, you can arrive in Bangkok at any time because your first night is at a hotel in the city, so we can easily arrange transportation. 

It’s a small detail but don’t assume that the cheapest flight you find on Google Flights will automatically work for your trip!  ‍

Looking for a flight deal? Check out our Flight Hacking Guide before your next trip! 

Traveling vs being a tourist 

I always recommend finding a company that makes an effort to highlight the true local culture of the area you’re visiting. We all love to see the popular tourist sites and Instagrammable spots but there is so much more to these areas. There is history, local traditions, cultural norms, foods, and hidden spots that are a little too far off the beaten path for the big tour buses to reach. You should strive to be a responsible traveler and come away with an understanding of the people and places that you visited. 

Some of the best days of traveling are eating at small restaurants, finding the “locals” bar, or finding that hidden beach that was a hell of a hike to get to but worth it in the end. 

Pro Tip: The bigger the tour group size, the less likely you are to have the “local” experience. Small restaurants, bars, and charming places only the locals go to can’t accommodate large groups. Small group tours will often focus on the hidden gems a little more. 

Read reviews 

Reviews are the best way to see some honest opinions about other people’s experiences with the company and on their trips. Try to find a review that mentions the exact trip you are considering. It’s important to understand that comments in reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. Many people don’t do enough research before booking something and then end up surprised when they get there. But that won’t be you!

Keep in mind that things like the weather, flight delays, and numerous other factors that are out of a tour company's control often influence a traveler’s overall experience. 

Most companies will have reviews on Facebook, Google, & Yelp. Third-party review sites are always your best bet vs reviews published directly on a company's website. 

What to do after booking your group tour:

Booking your flights .

Depending on when you book your trip, you may not be able to book flights immediately. Tour companies will usually send out flight information a set number of months before your trip letting you know the arrival and departure details. 

When you are ready to book flights, pay close attention to the arrival & departure details. Things to consider: 

• Look for flight deals that arrive a day early or depart a day late. Use this time to extend your stay in the country and explore somewhere new. 
• Almost all airports have airport hotels that are nearby. This is a popular choice for travelers who arrive a day early or depart a day late. 
• The optimal time to book international flights is 3-4 months before departure and 2-3 months for domestic flights. 

Further reading: Travel Hacking: Saving Money and Finding Cheap Flights .

Prepare for travel time.

Most group tours will include various amount of time traveling from one location to another. Make sure to look at your itinerary to understand just how much time is spent on buses, trains, or planes. You'll find that some trips include a lot of time traveling as the tour is packing in as many locations as it can into an itinerary. Other tours may stay in one or two locations but you still might find yourself traveling to and from the airport or activities.

While too much travel time can be a negative to some people others use it to get to know their group. It's a great chance to talk, play games, and learn about everyone on your trip.

Join any pre-trip groups that are available 

This is something that everyone should take advantage of. Many companies provide a way to contact your fellow travelers before your trip. Not everyone will participate, but it is a good way to see if anyone is traveling from your city, arriving early, or is even on the same flight. 

Even if the group seems quiet, speak up and lead the way. Introduce yourself and let the group know where you are traveling from and what you are looking forward to doing on your trip.

Pack like a pro 

You will have to do some research here depending on the country you are going to, the time of year you are traveling, and the style of your trip. The most important thing to remember is that less is more. The #1 packing mistake we see are travelers who bring too much and struggle to move their bags from buses to hotels to ferries to flights and so on. 

Remember, all cities around the world are not created equal. Be prepared for dirt or cobblestone streets, long walks, hikes, no elevators, boats, planes, and small vehicles. 

The bag of choice for almost all of our travelers is a travel backpack. There are a ton of options that meet carry-on requirements, but even ones that you have to check are a great option. You’ll find that a large backpack is still easier to manage than a small suitcase in unknown areas. 

If this is your first time packing for a longer trip, it’s best to start the process early. Begin packing a few days before your departure and test ways to organize your bag and slowly eliminate items that you realize may not be necessary and take up a lot of space. 

If you prefer a roller bag, this one is most popular with our travelers.

Further reading: The Essential Guide to Packing Like a Pro .

Further reading: how to pack your life in a backpack ., what to do when you arrive on your group tour:, have an open mind.

Group travel can lead to some of the best memories of your life, but it will, no doubt, test your patience a few times as well. Be ready to meet new people and try new things. Go into the trip expecting to be uncomfortable. Know that your roommate may not be your first choice and that’s okay. Join in on conversations and games when they happen. Keep a positive attitude and go with the flow. 

This is a group trip, so the more you get involved and get to know your fellow travelers the more fun you will have. 

Participate. Participate. Participate.

Stay with the group as much as possible during the first few days of the trip. Join others if they go out at night or wander around during free time. Connections happen early on these trips and if you wait to participate with others, you may find they have already formed small cliques. 

If you are tired a few days into the trip, just remember that everyone else is too. When travelers skip out on activities or time with the group they often regret it later. It’s your choice, but you are only in your exact location for a short time before moving on. Use the group’s energy to your advantage!

Pro Tip: Trip leaders will often sit next to different people at meals, on the bus, and during activities to help connect with everyone. I highly recommend that you do the same at least a couple of times. While seated during meals and on buses are the best chances of having really in-depth conversations with other travelers. If you stick to the first couple of people you met, you may miss out on other great friendships!  

Get to know your tour leader

Your tour conductor is your best resource while you’re on the tour. They will be happy to help you with any questions about the local area, provide suggestions on what to do, or just have a friendly conversation. 

They have, most likely, grown up in the region and have run group trips before. Tour leaders love talking about their country and are proud to educate others about it and show off all that it has to offer. Your trip leader probably has some funny stories about other groups or travelers they have come across while on the job. Asking about these stories is always a great way to connect with them. 

Remember, they are part of the group so don’t be shy about engaging with them and getting to know them just like you are getting to know your other travelers. They are there to help so take advantage! 

Pro tip: You will be able to connect with your tour leader more on a small group tour. Even if your trip has 50 travelers on it there will still only be one tour leader. 

This is more important than you might think. Smiling brings good energy to you. It helps other travelers feel that you are approachable. It will also keep your mind focused on the positive. 

As I have mentioned in this article, group travel, and honestly, any type of travel, can present all kinds of challenges that might make you uncomfortable. It’s important to stay positive and realize that it is all part of the experience. 

How to stay involved after your tour is over:

Use your new friends for local trips.

A great thing about meeting new people who have traveled from different locations is that you now have friends in cities around the world. Use this opportunity to travel and explore these places while staying or meeting up with your new friends. They’re great resources to have and make solo trips a lot more fun. 

Plan reunions

We’ve seen a lot of Under30Experiences groups plan awesome reunions after returning home. Entire groups have gotten together in places like Lake Tahoe , Asheville, Austin, and many others. These are usually quick 3-4 day weekend trips to anywhere the group agrees on. Not every group clicks at this level, but when they do it’s a lot of fun to see these things come together. 

Don’t be afraid to take charge and help plan a reunion trip like this. You’d be surprised how many people are interested and are just waiting for someone to take the lead.

Leave a review or provide feedback

Every travel company works hard to provide a great experience for their customers. It is extremely difficult to control everything that happens while exploring foreign countries for days or weeks at a time. A company needs its travelers to provide feedback to know how things went on the trip itself. Companies will collect this feedback in different ways but at Under30Experiences we ask travelers to fill out a trip feedback form and leave a review online. 

We also ask travelers to contact us directly with both good and bad feedback. It’s how we improve, and we love hearing from everyone. 

It’s Time to travel! 

You’ve done the research, and now it’s time to book a small group tour . Remember, start small and work your way to longer and more expensive trips. Wherever you decide to travel it will be a memorable experience, and you won’t regret it. 

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Travel Experts Share How To Plan a Group Vacation Without All the Drama

• Alex Simon , Alex Simon is the CEO and co-founder of the budget-based travel app, Elude.
• Kat Jamieson , Kat Jamieson is a travel blogger and founder of the app, With Love From Kat.
• Mike Parker , Mike Parker is the general manager of trips at Atlas Obscura.
• Ravi Roth , Ravi Roth is a LGBTQI+ travel expert and host of the Youtube show, Ravi Round the World.

While traveling can be an excellent way to build connections and make lifelong friends, it can often be strenuous on relationships, too—especially when you're stuck with the wrong travel buddies. A 2022 survey sponsored by Exodus Travels found that 69 percent of travelers say the right companion can make or break a trip. This is why many people, like me, narrow it down to a select few people, like partners or siblings. Other people hate group travel so much they simply fly solo. In a 2021 survey of more than 2,300 independent travelers, an average of 56 percent said the reason they go alone is because they want to do what they want, when they want, without anyone holding them back.

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This raises an interesting question: Can traveling as a group not  suck? At some point in the future I'm going to have to put on my big-girl pants and attend a friend's bachelorette weekend or milestone birthday in Miami or Vegas. When the time comes, how do we avoid arguing over which restaurants to go to, or who's footing the bill at the end of our meal?

Kat Jamieson, blogger and founder of the travel app, With Love From Kat , says it all comes down to planning and setting expectations. "The best thing everyone on a group trip can do is be on the same page about finances prior to leaving," she says. Meals, tickets, toilet paper for the house—it all needs to be accounted for ahead of time, and documented thoroughly during the trip, so there's no confusion when it's time to cash out. "It’s better to be overly detailed prior to everyone leaving so there aren’t any surprises."

But, I know from experience, it's not that  simple. Despite a running tab on Splitwise, the group vacation is an unpredictable beast. Here are the top tips for avoiding trouble in paradise, and how to handle it when it arises.

Expert tips for planning a *good* group vacation

1. choose your travel companions wisely.

Your adventure buddy (or buddies) are unanimously the most important piece of the group vacation puzzle, so say all of the experts interviewed for this piece. "So much of it comes down to who you travel with and what they want to get out of the trip," says Mike Parker, general manager of trips at Atlas Obscura. "I’ve got dear friends who I think would drive me mad if we had to spend a week straight on the road together, and some of the best co-travelers I’ve ever had are people I hardly knew before taking off."

The solution, Parker says, is picking people who have similar travel interests as you. If you're someone who wants to bop around from hostel to hostel, don't invite the person who prefers luxury, 5-star resorts. Similarly, if you're the type of person who wants to splurge on fancy drinks and Michelin-star restaurants, find a travel companion who can afford to do these things with you. "Know what you want out of a trip and find co-travelers who share your interests," he says.

2. Set a budget

Alex Simon , the CEO and co-founder of the budget-based travel app Elude , says that finances are one of the biggest sources of conflict on vacation. "Different incomes, spending preferences, and vacation styles in groups can translate to conflict over spending money on accommodations, excursions, and even meals," he says. "Finances will always be the elephant in the room, but in order to execute a group vacation, it is important to have a clear understanding of everyone’s budgets and boundaries, as well as set your own."

Once you gauge everyone’s budgets, it is even more crucial to stick to them. "A good rule of the thumb is to make the person with the lowest budget of the group feel comfortable with the travel plans," he says. Noted.

3. Build in free time (or set the expectation of a loose itinerary)

Fun fact, folks: You don't  have  to do everything together, even if y'all showed up to the same spot. Ravi Roth , LGBTQI+ travel expert and host of Ravi Round the World on Youtube, suggests that everybody get comfortable with a loose itinerary. "Be open to the group splitting up," Roth says. "People travel for different reasons. One person in your group may thrive with Instagrammable photo opportunities, while someone else may just want to read by the pool. Folks clash when folks do not communicate. I suggest having a talk before a potential trip and each person communicate what they want to do."

Don't get offended that your friends want to read by the pool—just let them read by the pool. And plan for this ahead of time, with things like multiple rental vehicles or access to public transportation, so you can successfully and safely split up.

4. Communicate, then communicate some more

Again, things are less likely to go awry if everyone knows what the expectations are before hand. Talk to your group members prior to departure to discuss itinerary planning, dinner reservations, how expenses will be paid, and other logistics. "If cards are all out on the table pre-trip then you will likely all be on the same page," Roth says.

That said, don't be a bulldozer, either. There's a fine line between running point on logistics and abruptly steamrolling what everyone else in the group wants to do. It is, after all, a group trip, so listen to your travel companions' opinions. "As long as everyone is included in decision-making, they will feel more included and conflict is less likely to happen," Jamieson says. "Open communication and dialogue is key!"

5. Be adaptable

When is the last time you went on a totally perfect, completely stress-free vacation where nothing went wrong? The answer is never, right? Because stuff happens. Flights get cancelled, credit cards get frozen, bad weather rolls in, and plans change. Don't be the drama. Just roll with the punches.

"Oftentimes, things come up on a trip and someone may want to veer in a different direction," Roth says. "Be willing to be adaptable with the itinerary and not stuck in your own way." And when more large scale itinerary changes do pop up (which can happen), go with the flow. And travel with people who can do the same.

"The best people to travel with are your friends or family that are willing to compromise," says Simon. "You are never going to find a group of people who want to do exactly the same thing. Therefore, the best qualities to look for [are] someone who is flexible and is happy and excited to adhere to all preferences and make the experience enjoyable for everyone."

6. Leave the planning to someone else

If you really can't decide on a travel companion, but want to meet people who are interested in the same cultural experiences you are, join an organized tour. "Just knowing you’ll be with people who have a similar approach and are up for a bit of adventure makes a big difference," Parker says. "If someone else is setting everything up, there’s less to negotiate with your co-travelers and less to figure out on the fly."

A quick Google search will serve up hundreds of organized travel tours you can join based on a myriad of different demographics and travel preferences. Some tours, like Eldertreks (ages 50+) and Contiki (18-35) plan tours based on age. Groups like WiFi Tribe and Remote Year host professionals who can work remotely. Companies like Atlas Obscura , Wild Women Expeditions , and Intrepid Travels plan their tours by themes.

"Focusing on a theme can help," Parker says. "[For example] we offer some incredible food trips that dive really deeply into the culinary scenes of places like Lisbon and Oaxaca. Not everyone wants to spend a week eating adventurously, hanging out with people in the local food scene. If you join a trip like that, you can be pretty sure that your co-travelers are going to want the same kind of experience you do."

And if conflict does arise...

• Rely on your resources:  Can't decide between snorkeling and a sunset cruise? Sushi restaurant or a steakhouse? Ask a local, your host, or your hotel to weigh in. "If you’re staying in a hotel with a concierge, they can provide a myriad of vetted suggestions for the area, as well as local treasures and hotspots, " Simon says as an example. "These tend to always be a hit, as people are eager to learn more about the culture of the places they are visiting."
• Take a beat:  All of the experts agree the best thing you can do when your group starts getting ornery is take a break from each other. "Sometimes travel can bring out a different side of someone," Roth says. "Stress levels can be high. Comfort levels can be exhausted. Take a beat." Go for a walk, relax by the pool, meditate for 15 minutes—give yourself some time to cool off and reflect before reacting.
• Talk it out: Parker says that if there’s a disagreement, a five-hour car ride in close quarters or on the plane ride back to your hometown probably aren't the places to commiserate. Neither is the group chat (things can get convoluted quickly). "If you’re hanging out in a beautiful hotel at the end of the day with nothing left on the agenda, it can take a lot of the pressure off of a tense conversation," he says. "Talk it out in a low-pressure setting."

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18 Group Travel Planning Apps That Make Life Easier

Planning a group vacation with a number of different people can be a fun yet challenging endeavor. It requires effective coordination, communication, and savvy budget management. Whether you’re the group leader or just a member of your traveling group, you should check out the best group travel planning apps that will make the process smooth and simple.

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our  disclosure policy  for more details. Thank you for your support!

Table of Contents

Group Travel Planning Apps to Organize Your Next Trip

There are a variety of mobile apps that are designed to simplify vacation planning and help while you’re traveling on the trip. In this comprehensive guide, we have the top-notch mobile apps that are the very best for group travel planning, whether it involves accommodating different budgets, organizing an unforgettable friend group getaway, or discovering expert tips for the best deal on anything from train tickets to hotel rooms.

1. Wanderlog

​Wanderlog is the ultimate travel companion when you’re planning for a diverse group of friends, each with their own unique budgets and preferences. Whether you have a smaller group or you have a lot of group members in your travel party, this comprehensive travel app empowers every member to contribute their preferences and financial constraints. Hopefully this will ensure a smooth, fun trip for the whole group. 

From finding budget-friendly hotel choices to meticulously mapping out the best time for spa appointments, Wanderlog covers every aspect of your adventure. It can even create a detailed itinerary to help you get started.

With its seamless integration with Google Maps, you can easily chart your course and discover the hidden gems that will make your group trip the best thing you’ve ever done together.

Wanderlog offers a free version with basic features, but it also has a premium paid subscription plan called “Wanderlog Pro” for advanced features. Download on App Store or Google Play

2. Shared Notes (iPhone)

​ Communication is key when coordinating a group adventure, and Notes on iPhone helps you maintain clear and concise group texts and notes. From hashing out travel dates and sharing to-do lists to keeping track of key things to remember during your journey, this feature keeps the whole group informed and organized.

Shared Notes is a built-in feature on iOS devices, and it’s free to use. All you have to do is create in your Notes app and then select that you want to share.

​ Handling expenses for a large friend group can be a challenge, but Tab simplifies it by helping you keep track of who owes what. This app’s seamless functionality makes sure that everyone enjoys the whole trip without any financial hiccups, allowing your group to focus on the fun of your adventure.

Tab is a free app for  splitting expenses . Download on App Store or Google Play

4. Trip Splitter

The mobile app Trip Splitter is an indispensable tool for meticulous expense management. Its ability to maintain a comprehensive record of spending is particularly valuable when dealing with different budgets and a variety of preferences. 

Whether you’re tracking expenses for a long-term trip or ensuring that everyone contributes their fair share at dinner, this app has got you covered.

Trip Splitter offers a free version with basic features, but it also has a premium paid subscription plan for additional features. Download on App Store or Google Play

5. Splitwise

Managing expenses — even with a large group of people — becomes a breeze with Splitwise . This free travel planning app is designed to create fairness and financial transparency. No one wants to be bogged down with financial worries during a trip, and Splitwise ensures that everyone enjoys their vacation without worrying about budget disparities. 

It’s a reliable tool for tracking who owes what, making sure your friend group’s budget remains intact throughout your adventure.

Splitwise is a free app for expense splitting and management. Download on App Store or Google Play

6. Facebook Group (FB Group)

​ Creating a private Facebook Group is a great way to facilitate communication about trip plans within your friend group. It’s also one of our favorite platforms to use when  planning a family reunion . This is a versatile platform for discussing everything from the tourist attractions you want to visit to organizing group conversations and answering questions from your fellow travelers.

The platform allows for discussions, event planning, and real-time updates. This is a great free travel app for keeping everyone in the loop.

Creating and using private Facebook Groups is free. Download on App Store or Google Play

7. WhatsApp

​ Using WhatsApp is the perfect way to coordinate a travel-based group chat instead of working your way through texts with everyone’s phone number or email threads when planning. It’s an ideal platform for coordinating plans and sharing arrival times with your friend group. 

Stay connected, share travel ideas when planning, or meet up locations when at your destination. You can make the most of your adventure with this reliable messaging app that ensures everyone is on the same page. This app uses your device’s data or wifi to send the messages, so it doesn’t charge you any international rates. 

WhatsApp is a free messaging app. Download on App Store or Google Play

​GroupMe elevates group messaging with advanced features like event planning and location sharing. It is perfect for keeping everyone informed and connected during your friend group’s journey. Using the app is a simple way to ensure that every member of the group can be a part of the process of working out travel details, and helps you stay connected while traveling.

GroupMe is a free messaging app. Download on App Store or Google Play

​ Streamlining the planning process for your group of friends is effortless with TripIt . This sophisticated app automatically generates a master itinerary that includes hotel bookings, real-time flight alerts, and key things to do during the trip. 

This trip planner app also keeps all of your confirmation numbers for hotel reservations, flight information, and rental cars all in one spot. It’s a must-have tool for ensuring everyone in the group is well-prepared and informed.

TripIt offers both a free version with basic features and a premium paid annual subscription plan called “TripIt Pro” for enhanced features. It’s great for keeping all of the important details in one place. This is one of the best travel planner apps out there. Download on App Store or Google Play

​Band is a fantastic communication hub for friend groups, offering document sharing via Google Docs, creating shared photo albums, and maintaining group chats for discussions.

This is the best way to keep everyone engaged and informed about the latest developments and ideas throughout the planning process and the journey.

Band is a free communication app. Download on App Store or Google Play

11. Coordle

​ When coordinating activities for groups with varying preferences, Coordle shines by simplifying the process of finding the best time for group activities and excursions and allowing all planning to happen in one centralized app. It ensures a good time for everyone, making it easy to have an unforgettable adventure. 

Coordle offers a free version with basic features, but it also has a premium paid subscription plan for additional features. Download on App Store or Google Play

12. Family Album

​ Preserving cherished memories is easy with Family Album, a private photo-sharing app that lets you create dedicated photo albums to relive the highlights of your adventure with your friend group. Share expert tips and insider knowledge through images and captions that encapsulate your experiences.

Family Album offers a free version with basic features, but it also has premium paid subscription plans for more storage and features. Download on App Store or Google Play

13. Shared Photo Albums

​ Capture every moment of your adventure by using Shared Phone Albums, available for use on both iOS and Android devices. Ensure that each member of the friend group contributes their photos to create a complete visual narrative of the experiences from your trip.

This feature is available on iOS and Android devices, and it’s part of the phone’s functionality. It’s one of the best free travel planner apps for organizing your group’s memories.

​Troupe makes decision-making easy within smaller groups by facilitating the process of selecting activities and planning excursions together. It ensures that the travel itinerary aligns with the diverse preferences and expectations of your friend group, guaranteeing a well-rounded adventure that everyone will love.

Troupe offers a free version with basic features, but it also has premium paid subscription plans for additional features. Download on App Store or Google Play

15. Tripline

Tripline introduces a creative quality to your group travel experience by enabling the creation of captivating interactive travel maps. These maps serve as an engaging showcase of your journey’s route and highlights. This makes it easier for your friend group to relive the adventure and share their travel tips with others.

Tripline offers a free version with basic features, but it also has premium paid subscription plans for more advanced features. Download on App Store or Google Play

16. TravelSpend

​TravelSpend is great for streamlining expense management. It simplifies the process of splitting costs among friends or family members with real-time expense tracking, and it converts currencies automatically. TravelSpend empowers group travelers to stay on top of their financial commitments, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the trip without financial stress. 

Thia app also offers analytical data about your spending so that you can track what you’re spending the most (or the least) on. 

TravelSpend is a free app for tracking travel expenses. Download on App Store or Google Play

17. Google Maps

​ Google Maps has a function called My Maps that can be used to create personalized maps for different destinations. It’s a great addition to your next trip with family and/or friends. 

You can drop pins on the best places to visit, separate maps by different cities, pin the must-try restaurants, landmarks, and museums, and navigate to the nearest transportation hubs. Everyone can share this travel map, making it essential to have it on everyone’s phones.

It also works as a typical map app showing the best routes and travel time between destinations. You can also get offline access if you don’t have phone service.

Google Maps is a free application that works on Android and iOS. Download on App Store or Google Play

18. SaveTrip

SaveTrip is another app that can be used by family members to plan trip itineraries together. You could work together on each day, or split your trip days between family members and let everyone plan a day. 

After you have planned your days you can present your ideas to the group. The next step is to vote on things, set a budget, and agree on travel. You can even make a vision board using the notes tool. 

Once you take the trip, you can manage a budget, share costs, and use the integrated Google Maps feature to get around. 

This app is free to download and use. Download on App Store or Google Play

Mastering the art of group travel planning with different budgets and varying preferences can be challenging. With these indispensable mobile apps, it can be an easy experience that allows everyone to relax and have fun. With apps like these, you can be your own travel agent. Use these travel apps to put together a successful trip with all of your friends and family.

From expense management to communication and itinerary planning, these apps cater to every aspect of group getaways. So, gather your favorite people, download one of these great travel tools, and get ready to easily make some amazing travel plans!

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5 Group Travel Planning Apps to Make Trips With Friends and Family Easier

Planning your next vacation with friends or family will be easier with these free group travel planning apps that promise to make everyone happy.

Travel is more fun if you can share the experiences with your loved ones. On the other hand, planning a trip with a group can be stressful, given the different logistics, opinions, requirements, and interests. These travel planning apps for groups try to make it easier to come up with an itinerary that all your friends can contribute to and feel happy with.

Each of the apps approaches the problem of group travel planning in different ways. So you'll need to keep in mind which one your group is bound to feel most comfortable with.

All the apps in this list are free or have a free tier that has enough features to make you feel like using it for an upcoming trip.

1. Hoku (Android, iOS): Super Simple Group Travel Planning App

If your group isn't too tech-savvy, they're going to be overwhelmed with some of the apps in this list. Simplicity, or the lack of extraneous features, is sometimes the best way to get people to participate in such apps. Hoku keeps it as simple and easy as possible, giving you the ability to make your trip with friends and chat about it.

As the creator, you can give a trip name, add the city or place you'll be visiting, pick start and end dates, and invite co-travelers via email. In the trip, you can add multiple activities. When you open the activity pane, you'll see popular tourist attractions from the chosen location. Tap any to add them to your itinerary while also choosing a date. The activities are then arranged chronologically in the main tab.

All participants in that Hoku group can use the Hoku chat to talk about the plans. A dedicated chat space for the trip is a nice way to keep away clutter from your regular group chat on IM. Once the trip is ready, you can also export it as a document and send it via email.

Download: Hoku for Android | iOS (Free)

2. MiTravel (Web): Travel Planning Board for Groups to Collaborate

Trello or other kanban boards to plan your tasks help you visualize everything you have to do about a project. MiTravel uses that system to make a travel planning board, where you collaborate with others to add various items for your shared trip and even conduct polls to reach decisions quickly. Best of all? It's completely free with no hidden costs.

When planning a new trip, you'll have to first add the location (country, region, or city) and trip dates. Then, invite any co-travelers to your planning board. By default, each trip has a few columns set up: Transit, Stays, Notes, Attractions, and Foods. You can add a card to any of these and give it a header color to indicate what it's about. Each card has a simple text box, but you can also add attachments for things like your flight tickets or hotel bookings.

The Explore tab lets you search for and add places you intend to visit. You can save any attraction to your board, adding the group it belongs to. Cards can be moved around between groups easily.

When you're traveling as a group, there are several decisions you need to make together. MiTravel offers a simple poll maker to get everyone's opinion on an issue, which is visible to all participants.

3. Troupe (Web, iOS): Planning, Polling, Voting, and Shared Itinerary for Group Travel

Troupe is one of the most robust apps made for planning a trip as a group. It includes a host of features that aim to solve the problems that every group has experienced in the planning stage of a trip. Once your invitees join, they can choose to be marked as "interested" or "going" so that you can differentiate between the certainties and the maybes.

Your Troupe dashboard has different sections to make trip planning easier:

• Polls: Create a poll about any decision related to the trip, with multiple choices, and let travelers vote.
• Dates: Add your travel dates and any notes related to them.
• Destinations: Select one or multiple destinations and align them to the overall travel dates.
• Stays: Add accommodation directly, or add multiple options that your travelers can vote on. Whether voting is allowed or not is up to you.
• Activities: Like Stays, add multiple activities by searching on Google Maps, adding direct links, or writing custom plans. Choose whether participants get to vote or not.
• Itinerary: Create a custom itinerary for the trip based on the dates, destinations, stays, and activities that you have decided on.
• Notes: Add any additional information about the trip that anyone might need to know.

Troupe also allows anyone to send a "Broadcast" message that can reach all participants. It's great to use for things other than reminders or deadlines, both of which are options you can set for voting or polling in Troupe.

Download: Troupe for iOS (Free)

4. Plan Harmony (Web): Calendar Planning and Budget Tracking for Group Trips

Plan Harmony lets you create multiple trips to invite friends to by simply sharing a link, after which you can collaborate to plan it. Once you've set the dates of travel, the default view shows a calendar, so you are planning as if in a shared Google Calendar.

Anyone can add an event or an idea to this calendar, where the basic difference is that an event is something you have all agreed upon, while an idea is something you will vote upon. Under the event or idea title, you'll have to choose a category such as flight, accommodation, attraction, food/restaurant, etc. Each category has different prompts for the details you add to the event, such as flight number, car type or confirmation code, locations and links, and so on. You can also add notes and descriptions, give it a custom color, set its date and time, and finally add what it's going to cost.

Cost tracking is a major part of group travel, and Plan Harmony seeks to make it easier by letting you add costs for each event and specifying whether it's the group cost that's to be evenly split or the per-person cost. In the Budget dashboard, you'll see a breakdown of all these expenses and a per-person analysis of what you're spending on the trip.

With Plan Harmony's paid pro version, you get more robust budget tools such as exporting them to a spreadsheet, multiple costs for different people, etc. It also unlocks other features such as syncing with a calendar app of your choice and adding unlimited checklists or attachments to events.

5. Mobili (Android, iOS): Best Mobile App for Group Travel Planning

If you prefer a mobile app over a desktop, Mobili is the best option. It has all the major features of apps like Troupe and Plan Harmony in a simple interface for phones.

When you make a new trip and invite your friends, the main screen shows the itinerary. There are three broad categories: Travel, Lodging, and Activity. In each, you can add different details like departure and arrival times, booking numbers or confirmation codes, links, and images or screenshots of the bookings. Any item you add can be made private, public, or duplicated to all travelers.

The Split feature is a powerful budget tracker. You can add any expense here, noting the amount paid and what it was for, the currency, when and who paid, and which participants will be splitting this expense. Expenses can also be made private if you wish. As you keep adding, it'll all be calculated in the Overview tab. It's almost as good as some of the best bill-splitting apps for groups .

Mobili also has a built-in group chat to discuss your travel plans on IM. The Notes tab lets you add any pertinent things to remember. And in Compare, you can check the different details added by participants to quickly compare things like arrival and departure times.

Download: Mobili for Android | iOS (Free)

Ask What's Non-Negotiable, Not What's Preferred

When making travel decisions as a group, you'll often come to a point where there isn't any consensus. Most apps and travel experts recommend taking a vote to figure out what common ground you can reach. However, that can still leave some people miffed. In such cases, try approaching the issue by changing the question.

Instead of voting, or perhaps before voting, ask what everyone's non-negotiable item is. Sometimes, people don't know what they want but are clear about what they don't want. And with that knowledge, others can help come up with a decision or solution that satisfies the whole group.

Travel in a Group: How to Plan the Perfect Trip

by Dyah | Mar 10, 2023 | Group Travel , Travel Tips

Travel in a group and discover an extraordinary way to explore the world! Traveling with a group or with your friends can lead to exciting experiences, crazy adventures, lots of laughter, and boozy moments. Whether you want to have an awesome beach party in Mexico or sail through the brilliant blue waters of Greece , group travel doubles the fun. Moreover, traveling in a group makes it safe and sound to go around, as there is safety in numbers. 

On the other hand, group travel might sound intimidating. Spending a few days to weeks with a group of people, sharing different perspectives, and having distinctive needs are challenging. However, you can get the best out of your group trip with proper planning ! So, how to plan a group trip? 

Say goodbye to the tension and say hello to the fabulous experiences! In this article, we will show you the best ways to plan your perfect group trip. So, check it out before you call your friends to travel with you! 

Travel in a Group: How to Plan a Perfect Trip – Summary

Plan the trip in advance, choose the leader, work together on figuring out the trip, agree on the budget, download travel planning apps, get the best out of google suite, let everyone have their free time, hand it to group travel companies.

Traveling in a group means you will have a quite number of people going with you. So, to make it convenient and stress-free, early preparation is a must. Planning a trip in advance allows you to arrange the itinerary and essentials neatly. 

You have more time to book flight tickets and accommodation for the group, as well as secure them at lower prices. Moreover, you can have more time to research the destination and choose the places that suit the group. Additionally, early planning gives your group less reason to cancel the trip last minute. With that being said, planning the trip in advance gives you tons of benefits! 

When ideas are running wild, and tensions are rising, it would be nice to have someone to cool them down. That’s why a group leader is essential if you are traveling in a group! You can choose someone in the group to be in charge of your trip. A leader doesn’t just mean someone who can lead the way, but they can be the decision maker or fun factor of the group. 

However, if one person for everything sounds too hard, you can choose multiple people to be in charge of something. One person for accommodations, one person for itineraries, and others. Discuss it with your group and go with what fits you perfectly. 

Here is the fun part of group trip planning: teamwork and discussions! Make sure to include everyone in your group during the planning process. It is great to choose destinations, itineraries, and activities that everyone likes. Thus, sit together with your group and talk about the trip. Ask questions to each other, let crazy ideas pop out, shoot recommendations to the table, and write them down. 

However, this planning step might be overwhelming. Your group might stumble upon different preferences, too many ideas, and expectations. So, we have these prompts to help you plan and discuss the trip. Ask your group about the following: 

• Trip style: What kind of trip would you like to go on? Do you want to travel in full backpacker mode or boujee ? Do you guys want it to be an active, outdoorsy trip or a calm, indoor one? It is first and foremost to discuss!
• Activities: What kind of activities that your group would like to do? Relaxing city tours or adrenaline-rushing hiking trips? Culinary hunting or hidden gems scavenging? Note down what the group likes and consider adding it to the itinerary
• Transportation: What are the transportation modes you would use during the trip? 
• Accommodation: How would the group like to stay? Does everyone comfortable with sharing beds? What are the facilities that the group needs? 
• Time: How long will the trip take? 

Here are the most important things when planning a group trip! Setting the trip budget in advance is important for planning the whole trip. Put in mind that everyone in the group might have different budgets. There are some who like to splurge, while others tend to go for affordable options. 

Thus, setting the budget makes it convenient for everyone during the trip. You can choose whether you want to spend more money on an Instagrammable villa or save it for other amazing activities. Moreover, agreeing on the budget makes it easier for you to split the costs, as everyone will spend roughly the same amount. 

Mobile apps are the most effective ways to keep on track of your travel essentials. Yes, you need something to help you track the costs, locate your travel buddies during split-up, find accommodation, and more. Then, you can download these awesome applications to help you during the trip: 

• Travefy: An itinerary management app. You can easily drag and drop itineraries to the app and choose the people who are in charge of them. 
• Troupe: Vacation-planning app with features like polling, reminders, and maps
• Splitwise: Track your group expenses and split the bills easily 
• TravelSpend : Another mobile app for tracking costs. Has the option to change currency, which is very helpful for traveling.

Another good option to document, plan, and arrange your trip is by using Google Suite. Tools in Google Suite, like Google Drive and Spreadsheets, are shareable and easy to use. You can make a folder or file and let everyone in the group have access to it. Then, here are some Google tools that can help you in planning your group trip. 

• Drive: Compile photos and videos from your trip in a folder. It has a huge space that can fit your large files. Moreover, Google Drive is shareable and safe. 
• Spreadsheets: A great tool to keep a track of your travel plan and expenses. You can write down itineraries, schedules, costs, and ideas in the sheets. Also, you can download travel planner templates to make your life easier
• Docs: Microsoft Word-like tool. Use it to write down plans and itineraries. Also, a nice tool to keep a note of important and fun things that the group needs to know. 

Traveling in a group means you will go to exciting places together and share tons of fun times. On the other hand, it is important to arrange a free time for everyone . You and your travel buddies need time to recharge and relax. Besides that, free time also allows you to wander around places that are not on the itinerary or do a fun activity by yourself. 

Are you looking for the easiest way to plan a group trip? Then, let a group travel company take charge of your trip! There are lots of group travel companies offering tours , from small group trips to large, 20-people group trips. They plan the perfect trip for you while you can sit down and relax. 

Hosted group trips have become one of the easiest ways to travel. You can book a trip with your friends or even go solo. Thus, the greatest thing about group trips is that you can sit back and relax while they arrange everything for you. Nowadays, group trips are available worldwide. Whether you want to explore the beauty of European cities or go island hopping in Southeast Asia , there is always something for you! 

Go on Awesome Group Trips with JoinMyTrip

Yes, group trips are a fantastic way to travel the world because you can make long-lasting memories and share an awesome time with your buddies. Then, are you thinking of going on a group trip?

Sit back and relax, JoinMyTrip got your back! JoinMyTrip offers fabulous small group trips to hundreds of destinations all across the globe. The trips are hosted and arranged by experienced travelers who are crazy about exploring the world. On these trips, you can get unique itineraries, thrilling experiences, and like-minded travel buddies ! Sounds like an awesome way of traveling, right?

Start traveling with JoinMyTrip and get a taste of an authentic way to travel!

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How to Plan a Large Group Trip (Using 4 Easy Tips!)

It’s no secret that planning a big trip with a large group of people can be messy, especially when everyone has different ideas of their dream group trip. But don’t let that scare you away from trying to enjoy a fun trip with your friends!

Here are 4 tips to make planning a vacation with a large group easier and stress-free.

1. Communication is Key

The number one priority while planning a trip is making sure that everyone is on the same page. When there’s multiple people, it can become difficult to keep up with what every single person wants, but it’s the most important part of making sure that the trip is fun for each and every one of you. Communication is particularly crucial in foundational travel aspects such as budget and timing. If a trip goes over someone’s budget or interferes with other aspects of their life, it can ruin a trip for them or prevent them from being able to go at all. 

That being said, communicating with a large group of people can be a bit complicated when there’s so many people to keep track of. The best way to minimize this problem is to find a time for everyone to sit down together in real life and plan the trip while everyone is in one place. However, this is often not possible, especially with larger groups, and the next option is usually to resort to a big group chat and using various platforms to keep track of different things. 

This can easily become disorganized and important details will often be left out, which is why the key to maintaining good communication while planning is to stick to one platform that everyone can use easily and that can be used for every aspect of the planning. There are various trip planning tools (such as the MiTravel Planning Board ) that make it easy to keep up with every person’s side of the planning, allowing for smoother communication via utilities like shared boards and polls.

2. Balance a Variety of Activities

With a large group of people come a large group of interests, which means it’s important to find activities that everyone will enjoy. Although maybe not everyone will agree on the same activities, so planning several different ones will ensure that every part of the group enjoys the trip equally. 

Even if some activities suggested aren’t ones you would normally partake in, it’s the perfect opportunity to try something new! Vacations are all about stepping outside of your comfort zone, and there’s no better opportunity to do so than to try out new activities with a group of good friends. In addition to Google, travel apps will provide you with a variety of options in any location you’re thinking of. 

Coming up with activity ideas ahead of time is ideal, as it allows you the chance to make the most of your trip. More importantly, however, planning activities ensures that everyone is on the same page of what you’re all hoping to achieve from this trip. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to leave some free space in the plan for more impulsive activities…

3. Divide and Conquer

Travel planning can be complicated when trying to balance every aspect of it, especially with other people constantly inputting new suggestions and opinions. When everyone is trying to do everything, planning becomes messy and ultimately annoying. To avoid this, split up tasks between different friends. Although the basics of the trip, like timing and budget, have to be planned together to ensure everyone can participate in the trip, smaller aspects of planning are much easier to handle when split among the group. One friend can plan everything food related, while another is in charge of booking tickets, and so on.

One very important thing to keep in mind while planning each part of a trip is to keep in mind the preferences of everyone involved. A person put in charge of dining should be on the lookout for places that cater to everyone’s tastes and dietary restrictions, to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy the same. Activities should be engaging for everyone, or balanced so that everyone gets to do something they enjoy. Therefore, the most important thing to keep up when tasks are split between people is communication, to ensure that everyone agrees with everything on the itinerary.

Platforms like MiTravel are ideal for dividing up planning work while still having everything in the same place, as they allow for several people to achieve multiple tasks on one board that everyone can access.

4. Don’t be Afraid of Spontaneity

When planning for a big trip, it can be tempting to prepare something for every day to make sure you’re getting the most of your vacation. Although it is best to ensure you have at least some activities lined up for that exact reason, sometimes it also pays to stand back and just let things happen. Leaving some days, or even just hours, free gives you the opportunity to try impulsive things that come up in the middle of the trip that you wouldn’t have thought of before. 

In addition, leaving some free time means that everyone has a chance to do their own thing, so you can do planned activities together while also giving everyone a chance to do something on their own that the rest of the group might not have agreed on beforehand. Leaving some free time also means some time to relax. Sometimes, even in the midst of vacation excitement, people just need time to sit back and do nothing.

At the end of the day, it’s important to allow time for impulse decisions, because you never know when those might turn out to be some of your best memories from the trip.

Planning trips with other people doesn’t need to be as complicated as it seems. Implementing various ideas, splitting up the work, and using a single organized platform all make travel planning significantly less stressful for large groups, which can ultimately decide how enjoyable the trip itself is going to be. As long as everyone’s suggestions and ideas are considered, and communication within the group is good, planning can be made much simpler, and everyone in the friend group can have a vacation worth remembering.

Check out our  MiTravel Planning Board  to begin your stress-free group vacation planning. Happy planning!

For more updates, feel free to check out  MiTravel . We are a small team reinventing how group travel planning can be done. 

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10 tips to make traveling with a large group hassle-free

Posted: June 2, 2023 | Last updated: August 3, 2023

10 tips for traveling with a large group

Traveling with a large group can be wonderful. Bigger numbers mean more people to do things with, more memories to be made, and more folks to split expenses between. But without careful planning, group trips can also be miserable. There's nothing worse than misaligned expectations, budgets, and disagreements about the adventure ahead.

Bounce has assembled a list of first-rate tips for big-group travel in order to ensure the best group trip possible. Whether you're planning a long-awaited family reunion, a coworker offsite, or an adventure with friends, these tips are sure to make your trip go off without a hitch.

Of course, before you take off, or get too far into your planning, be sure to check the CDC for guidance on travel during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first step to a successful getaway is making sure everyone in your squad is safe and in adherence to current regulations.

Assign a group leader

Establishing a group leader or two should be one of the first steps when group traveling. These leaders aren't in charge of making every decision about the trip, but rather they are responsible for coordinating most aspects of travel: assigning tasks—like making dinner reservations or booking off-site adventures, disseminating information throughout the group, and booking tour guides or event tickets.

This will help make sure everyone going on the trip is aware of all dates and activities, on board with the plans, and conscious of how much everything will cost. Good leaders help maintain healthy social dynamics and assure no one feels out of the loop or uncomfortable with any proposed plans.

Plan in advance

Once you've established a group leader, get everyone together for a general planning meeting. Use this time to pick dates that align with everyone's work, family, and life schedules, identify a general destination, and come up with a broad framework for your vacation itinerary.

Now is the perfect time to decide things like whether you're all after a more active trip or a more relaxed getaway, if you want to stay in an all-inclusive resort or check out home shares, etc. Don't worry about the smaller details, like where to have dinner every night or what airline to fly, just yet—there will be plenty of time for those decisions down the line.

Establish budget preferences

One specific thing your group should discuss in a planning meeting is the budget. It's likely everyone will have different ideas about how much they're able or willing to spend, and getting on the same page about finances early on is a key part of a successful group trip.

During this time, ask everyone about what they aren't willing to pay for—like alcohol or fancy dinners out—and the things they are willing to pay for—maybe private airport transfers or admission to cultural sites. Knowing where every member of your party stands on these issues can help you hammer out more detailed itineraries or even multiple itineraries for different subsets of the group. Arguably there are few instances more awkward than on-the-spot fights about splitting a dinner bill or staying behind on an excursion.

Document itineraries and preferences

Most group trips can often take weeks for everything—from flights to restaurant reservations—to get pinned down. While in the planning phases of travel, keeping everyone in the loop on itineraries and any new information will smooth out the trip overall.

Curating lists and itineraries on platforms like Google Docs or shared iPhone notes can help keep the party up to date. Dropping links for everything from the hotel to that one off-site day trip you're going to take—as well as notes about price, reservation time, etc.—ensures that everyone knows exactly what's being planned and can raise questions and concerns beforehand. And of course, group chats on platforms like WhatsApp can facilitate discussions.

Check for group discounts

Many airlines, hotels, ground transportation companies, and tours offer group discounts to larger parties. As you're booking the various pieces of your trip, be sure to inquire about the possibility of a deal. Worst-case scenario, the company will tell you no, and best-case scenario, you'll be able to save a few of your hard-earned coins. This tip is particularly important for groups looking to travel on a budget or groups dealing with a huge budget disparity among their members.

Create a routine

Before you go on the trip, consider establishing a routine for the members of the group. We're not talking about a hard and fast schedule broken down into 15-minute increments, but rather a general plan of how you want the days to go.

How long do you want to spend at each event? An hour at breakfast for example, or two hours at the pool each morning. Most importantly, what time should the group be awake by each day? Keeping the broad strokes of each day the same will help everyone feel calmer and in more control over their time away.

Consider homestays or group lodging

While hotels and all-inclusive resorts tend to be the first type of accommodations thought of when planning vacations, consider a homestay or group lodging instead. Unless you're after a very specific experience or destination, staying in a rented house or group of houses might be a better option. These properties are often more affordable and spacious.

Additionally, they offer more opportunities for cooking meals together or spending downtime as a group. After all, if you've chosen these specific people to go away with, you likely want to be with them as much as possible.

Avoid too many activities in one day

While spending time together is likely your top concern on a group trip, be conscious of how you plan to spend said time. Scheduling too many activities in a single day can leave people feeling tired and stressed, which can cause them to act irritable and anxious. And likely the last thing you want is to be stuck far from home with a group of cranky folks.

Limiting the number of activities you do in a day allows everyone to slow down and enjoy the moment rather than mentally rushing ahead to the next thing. Being less ambitious with planning also helps conserve energy for building happy memories rather than expending it all too early and burning out.

Play to each person's social strengths

In any group of friends, coworkers, and family members, there are likely a variety of social and mental strengths. There might be one person who is exceptional with directions, another who's good at math and can always calculate the tip accurately, and a third whose outgoing nature makes it easy to ask strangers questions.

Whatever the strengths in your travel group, allow them to shine while you're away together. Giving everyone different jobs keeps any one person feeling overburdened and discourages anyone from turning into a control freak.

Plan some time for solo exploration

Make sure you leave some time for solo exploration. Even if your group is in agreement about almost every aspect of the trip, there will always be at least one activity not everyone wants to do—and that's natural.

Scheduling time where everyone can head off and do their own thing increases the likelihood of each member of your group leaving the trip feeling happy, fulfilled, and satisfied. And as a bonus, you'll have a wealth of interesting stuff to talk about when you all reunite at the end of the day.

This story originally appeared on Bounce and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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