When it comes to experiencing new things, it’s safe to say that nine times out of ten, the experience is made all the richer when it is share with friends. Heading off on a holiday is one such experience, and whether you’re looking into a luxury Fiji holiday or an adventure through South America, doing it in great company can only enhance the fun.
If you are planning on booking a group holiday somewhere, we’ve got a few tips that will help you make the process a whole lot smoother! Enjoy!
Planning
- When it comes to planning a group holiday, email can only get you so far. Sure, it’s great to gauge who is in and who is out, but once you’ve got a solid idea of numbers and your destination, get everyone together with a computer in front of you and book at the same time.
- Double and triple check your dates to make sure that everyone can make them. If there is some conflicting dates or overlap on the time you can spend away, make sure that you create a compromise so that everyone gets to make the most of the trip.
- If you’re flying, it can sometimes be best to call a travel agent for help, rather than booking online. When you book flights online it’s impossible to see how many seats are left on that particular flight, and you don’t want to get half way through the bookings and realise that one person misses out and has to come on a different plane!
- Make sure that if one person is booking on their credit card, you give them the money upfront. Taking on that big a liability is scary, and nobody wants to be chasing up friends for their money.
Destination
When planning where to go on holidays, it can be difficult for everyone to agree on somewhere.
- Try to find somewhere that has something for everyone. For example, if one person is interested in exploring local culture and another just wants to laze on the beach, choose somewhere that both activities are possible.
- If you all have very different ideas about where you want to go and can’t seem to agree on a destination, don’t book a holiday together. Chances are that one person will feel as though they have been railroaded and tensions will surface down the line.
Accommodation
- Whether you’re booking luxury Vietnam hotels or rustic backpacker accommodation in New Zealand, make sure you enquire about a group discount. You’ll be amazed at the deals you can get when hotels know there are ten of you coming!
- If it’s a big hotel or hostel, make sure you ask for accommodation near each other. There’s no fun in trekking all the way across the resort to see one another—or worse, someone being isolated from everyone else.
- It can prove economic to rent a house or apartment if there is a large group of you, because you can not only have a little bit more independence, but you can share the cost of meals and the work of preparing them!
Travelling with friends is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences you can have. These tips will help you make sure you get the most out of it!