How to Stay Sane When Planning a Trip with Friends

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You haven’t eaten because your friend didn’t wake up in time for breakfast. Now you missed your train because your other friend was running late, so you missed out on the one tourist destination you really wanted to see. This is not the vacation you wanted when you imagined planning a trip with friends.

Before the friend trip makes it out of the group chat, it’s important to have a pre-trip check-in with the group. Following these tips to make sure you’re all still speaking to each other after a group trip.

Questions to Ask Before Planning a Trip with Friends

Ask yourself these questions before committing to a trip with friends: 

1. Do your travel styles align?
   Figure out if you’ll be happy doing the same activities, staying in the same type of accommodations, and generally moving at the same speed. Comparing travel styles also means considering transportation preferences; for instance, would you take a long bus ride to save $100 on a flight?

2. What is the most important thing you want to get out of the trip? 
   When planning a trip with friends, think about what you most want to get out of the trip. Are you longing for plenty of low-key beach time, or do you want to see every museum on your route? Figure out your goals before agreeing to a trip with another person or group.

3. Do you have the same budget?
   Money is a big deal when it comes to travel. Don’t book a trip with someone if you know they’ll want to spend significantly more (or less) than you overall. Also, discuss what you are willing to save on and what you prefer to splurge on, such as going out to eat.

4. Who will take charge of booking and reservations? 
   There’s a lot of leg work that goes into planning a trip with friends. If you don’t have the time, patience, or organization to take charge of these details, don’t volunteer to plan the whole trip.

5. How many vacation days are you willing to use? 
   Before you book a trip, make sure you know how many days people are willing to take off from work so you know how flexible you can be with dates.

6. Do you want to book everything in advance?
   Some people like to travel with flexibility, while others prefer to have a set plan, so discuss this beforehand.

7. Do you have the same level of physical fitness?
   Many trips include long days on your feet or some sort of physical activity. If your friend is notorious for lagging behind, you might not want to go on a walking tour or volcano hike with them. Make sure you’re on the same page about just how much activity you want to do on your trip.

8. Are you okay with splitting up?
   The larger the group size, the more difficult it is to choose an itinerary for the day. Are people in your group okay with everyone going their separate ways for a few hours, or does everyone want to stick together the entire time?

Things to Consider When Planning a Trip with Friends

Here’s what to discuss when you’re planning a trip with friends:

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• Type of accommodations. Don’t book a five-star hotel if you’re trying to save on accommodations. But also remember that hostels and budget hotels aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Make sure you agree on what type of place you’ll stay at and a rough budget.
• Type of transportation. Decide if you’ll fly, drive, or take a train ahead of time. It’s important to weigh the costs and benefits of each option, i.e., saving money by taking a long train ride or spending more to get to a destination quicker.
• What you can’t miss at the destination. Make a list of what you each want to do at the destination and allow time for everyone’s top activities.
• On a road trip, who will be driving? Driving for hours on end is tiring. If you’re taking a road trip with a group, plan on switching off and taking breaks. If you’re renting a car, make sure everyone who is driving will be on the contract.
• Eating schedules. Some people need to eat first thing in the morning, while others can go hours before needing a meal. Discuss this ahead of time to avoid any hunger-induced arguments.
• Sleep schedules. Jet lag and fatigue will vary by person. Make sure you don’t plan a bunch of activities right when you land if people want to rest or nap during the first few days of your trip. This can also help when deciding who should share a room in a vacation rental, so you can put early birds with others who wake up early.
• How you’ll split up costs. Decide ahead of time what you’ll split expenses for, including meals, accommodations, and transportation. Also, figure out how you you will pay for things while traveling—do people want to keep a running tab and split everything at the end of the trip, or should everyone pay for their share as you go?
• What you’ll pay for individually. Decide what you’ll pay for individually, such as flights, tickets, alcoholic drinks, Wi-Fi, travel insurance, etc.

Tips for Splitting Expenses

Splitting expenses is one of the biggest problems you’ll encounter when planning a trip with friends. Use these tips to help alleviate money tension:

• Rideshares: One of the reasons people love Uber is because of the built-in split cost feature that allows you groups to split the cost of a ride evenly. No more keeping track of who paid for which cab.
• Apps: There are countless expense apps out there, but Splitwise is one of our favorites for group trips.
• Jar Fund: Another alternative to tracking expenses is to create a “jar fund.” All group members contribute a set amount of money that goes onto a credit gift card. You can use the card for meals, drinks, and other agreed-upon expenses.
• Carry Cash: It can get annoying if one person is always borrowing cash for tips or not exchanging enough money, so make sure everyone gets cash before the trip.

Important Tips for Traveling with Friends

Following these tips can help keep everyone on the same page and prevent offense:

• Know what annoys them, and tell them what annoys you. When I travel with friends, I tell them that I always need something small to eat in the morning before we go out and do anything. The sooner they know that something will bother you, the better.
• Raise issues before anything builds up. You’re more likely to reach a breaking point or get angry if you let little annoyances build up.
• Be flexible and have patience. This helps you realistically manage expectations. Group trips are all about give and take. 
• Don’t say, “We’ll figure it out later” when paying. Keep track of expenses when they occur by using an expense app.
• Pack well. Make sure you both pack things like chargers, adapters, proper footwear, and outerwear. It can get annoying when your friend asks to borrow your phone charger for the 10th time when you’re also trying to use it.
• Have your alone time. Take time every day to separate yourself from the group if necessary. It can be as simple as walking to a coffee shop or a museum alone.
• Take turns. It can be exhausting if you’re always in charge of navigating or choosing a restaurant. Switch off being the group leader.
• Limit phone time. Take time to be with your friends rather than on your phone. This also goes for taking photos: While it’s great to have your friends as photographers, taking 40 photos at every monument can be annoying.

Trip Planning Help for Traveling with Friends 

If planning a trip with friends is too overwhelming for your group, consider these alternatives.

• Go on a cruise. Cruising is a great way to travel with friends. There’s no planning involved once you’re on the trip, and everything is priced per person. Plus, you’ll have plenty of time to do your own thing.
• Go on an organized tour. If you don’t want to do a cruise but want something preplanned, look at a guided tour. Intrepid Travel and G Adventures have great trips options for all types of travelers.
• Look into all-inclusive resorts. If you’re on a strict budget with your trip, book an all-inclusive resort so your drinks, meals, and some activities are included in the up-front price.
• Use a travel agent. This isn’t the cheapest option, but a travel agent can plan and book a great itinerary for your group travel while keeping in mind everyone’s budget and must-do activities.

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