As we all know, traveling with your friends can be a disaster! What you thought was a good idea – getting all your besties into a groupchat to plan out a trip – can soon turn into one of the worst vacation experiences of your life. Whether you’re spending two weeks in a luxury destination or you’ve quickly put together a weekend city break, you’re unlikely to ever forget what went down!
Indeed, even though you’ve all been friends for years, and you’ve been talking about traveling together for a long time, so much can go wrong and even end friendships in the process. Arguments in the hotel, fights at rooftop bars, leaving each other in the middle of nowhere while visiting a landmark – if you travel with friends, there’s a chance for drama to break out. It’s a nightmare to think about and can put you off group travel for the rest of your life! So let’s make sure your plans don’t end up the same way. If you’re worried your group trip will end up never speaking to each other again, we’re here to pass along some advice.
If you’re keen to travel with your friends, and you want to make sure you did everything you could to keep everyone happy, we’ve got seven practical tips to try out below. Remember, you’re only taking along people you know and love, and even if an argument erupts, there’s always something to be done!
#1 Make Sure Everyone Has a Map & The Itinerary
Making a few paper copies of any routes you’re planning to follow, or printing off the streets of the town or city you’re staying in, means you can hand out easily followable maps to anyone who’s coming along. If you ever get separated, or someone or part of the group decides to go off and do something else, you can be sure they’ll eventually make their way back to the meeting point. Everyone has a copy of the map on them to use, so no one needs data roaming or a battery life to check where they are. That makes this a budget friendly option as well. Sure, it might feel a little old school to have actual paper maps on you, but they can be a Godsend when you’re in the middle of nowhere and you’ve got dinner reservations in two hours!
#2 Don’t Overpack the Travel Plan
What do you all want to do while you’re away? Every person who’s been invited is going to have an activity they really want to do, and maybe two or three other things they’re interested in. Make sure everyone gets all of these ideas onto the table. The one thing each person really wants to do? They’re definitely on the itinerary. This trip is for all of you, and making sure there’s something for everyone to enjoy is the goal here. Once all of these activities have been decided and plugged into the schedule and you’re all agreed, you can pull from the second pool of ideas. However, make sure you don’t overpack the travel plan. You don’t want to have more than three things to do per day, and remember that you’ll need to factor in everyone’s differing sleep schedules and mealtimes as well.
#3 Don’t Let Anyone Drag Luggage Around with Them
We all have that one friend who overpacks no matter where they’re going or how long for. That’s why, before you get going anywhere once you’ve touched down in your destination, you should pay for Radical Storage to keep your bags in. This way no one can complain about needing to walk too far and having too much to carry. You can all drop off the stuff you don’t need and come back for it later when you wind your way back round to the city center. If you’re not able to check into your accommodation yet, and you’ll be dragging suitcases and hauling laden carry-ons around for the next few hours, a place like this should definitely be your first stop! Stop off for lunch without worrying about fitting the bags under the table, go shopping without needing to fit suitcases down thin aisles, and visit museums and galleries without having to visit the bag desk first.
#4 Splurge on Luxurious Accommodation
If you don’t splurge on anything else during your friends’ trip, make sure you pay top dollar for the accommodation you’re all going to stay in. Luxury accommodation can make group trips ten times easier and more comfortable, and even if you have budget flights to get there and back again, you’re going to be sleeping in style once you’re all checked in.
Mention this to the group early on. Luxury accommodation means you all get nice big beds to sleep in, great views of the destination to look out over, and good food included in the package. Champagne buckets and room service in the middle of the night are two privileges every friends’ trip should have! And remember, when you splurge on the accommodation, you’re much more likely to have private rooms. This is essential when traveling with friends – everyone needs a bit of alone time! Even when you’re excited to all be together and explore the destination as a group, there are going to be moments when your social battery runs dry or you just need a moment to yourself to get something done. If you all have a room of your own to return to, it’ll be easy to recharge, have a nap, take a quick shower, and pamper yourself.
#5 Let People Go Off Alone
We mentioned above that some people may not want to do what everyone else is. This is a common thing on group trips; some people are going to detest having to do things they’re not interested in. When you’re all out together, getting a sudden announcement of this can feel quite harsh and even a little hurtful. However, if you agree beforehand that people are allowed to go off alone if they want, you won’t have these problems while you’re there. Institute the rule as soon as you all decide where you’re going. If someone wants to spend time alone or try something else, it’s perfectly OK and they just need to let you all know ahead of time.
#6 Don’t Drag it Out
You might want to spend upwards of a week in paradise with your best friends. It’s a natural thing to want – you might not get to see each other much in day to day life! However, the more you drag out a vacation, the less you’re going to have to do, and the more likely arguments will become. This doesn’t mean your trip has to be short and sweet, but if the itinerary shows you’re only going to need 8 or 9 days, don’t try to turn the trip into a two week thing. It might be best to have a buffer day just in case, but if people are on a budget in the group and definitely won’t be able to afford any longer, stick to the basic timeframe.
#7 Have a Pre-Travel Meeting About What’s Off the Table
Even in the closest of friend groups, there are going to be topics of conversation or actions that cause tension. If you’re all going away together, and you want to be sure you’re going to have a good time (and no one is going to storm off back to the airport after a fight!), you all need to agree what’s allowed and what isn’t. Talking about these potential issues is always a good idea, even if it feels a bit dangerous to approach this territory. It might feel a bit like you’re poking the bear and some people may even ask why you brought this up, but remember that it’s important. You don’t want things cropping up while you’re on vacation and ruining the vibe, which can happen no matter how nice the setting is! Approach this conversation with sensitivity, make sure you’re not judgemental (even by accident), and make the group chat a safe space for someone to share their boundaries. Get it all out now before you’ve put any money or serious planning in.
Want to Travel with Friends? Take Our Advice!
Vacationing in a big group of friends can be troublesome. Even if you’re sure your friends aren’t like that, there’s always a chance someone can be rubbed the wrong way, or feel left out, or like they’re not really wanted on the trip at all. This can leave lasting impressions and impact friendships, even if you stop to apologize. As such, when planning a group trip, be practical about what you expect and what can be achieved. Make sure people have time alone and privacy when they need it, agree what is and isn’t OK with each other, and make sure everyone knows what’s going on. Even in luxury places, people can be argumentative!
