Nothing more exciting than friends gathering together to take a break from a busy schedule. Some considerations can be thought of to allow stress free holiday planning. Here are five tips you need to know to have a fantastic holiday with your friends and most importantly a stress free holiday.
5- Finalize Your Attendance List
Knowing who’s joining the trip and who’s not is one of the first things you must do. Contact everyone you wish to invite months in advance to allow sufficient notice. Some prefer to take spontaneous trips however some would rather plan.
An attendance list reduces the stress of planning trips. Activities like booking tickets for a train holiday in Australia or hotel accommodation will be a breeze when you have a final headcount. It also helps you budget your travel finances better. You’ll only set aside enough money and contingency cash for those going.
4- Set And Agree On Your Holiday Budget
Money sometimes brings out the worst in people, even among close friend groups. Avoid finance issues by being transparent about how much you expect to spend on the holiday. Explain to the group that you’ll only use a specific amount and adjust it weeks or months before the trip if needed.
Allow consideration to all and communicate to agree on how much everyone’s willing to spend.
3- Assign A Leader And Maintain Open Communications
While it seems wise for only one person to do the chunk of the planning, it’ll be better if you involve those joining, too. It’ll make all companions feel included. So, assign a leader to avoid confusion and chaos, especially if many people are in the group. The representative can oversee coordinating and delegating tasks. For example, if you’re going on a cross-country road trip, have someone and a backup responsible for driving.
Everyone must be on the same page to prevent encountering problems during your entire holiday. Maintain communication to ensure no sudden plan changes without the others’ knowledge. Have everyone onboard a single messaging app so all texts are readable by all included in the trip. This app is where you’ll discuss everything related to your holiday and contact one another while in another location.
2- Follow The Buddy System
It’s normal for large traveling groups to split momentarily while on holiday. There’s only so much you can all do together in a short period. But before you take off, assign each one a partner. Three friends may form a unit if you have an odd-numbered group. Never let anyone venture off alone, no matter how used they are to travel. A buddy can assist the other or call for help in emergencies.
On that note, have a system to meet back up whenever you do mini itineraries. Agree on a time and place to reconvene, especially if you’re exploring an area with a weak network service. You can group back together and stay safe despite the lack of real-time communication with an agreed-upon meetup spot.
1- Stay Open And Adapt Accordingly
Even the most complete travel plans aren’t immune to changes. The idea of going on a holiday is to relax, but you can’t always avoid sudden changes to the itinerary. Planes may have delays, rain may pour on a sunny day, and locations may be temporarily closed off. So, you have to stay on your toes.
Weeks before you leave, make several backup plans to keep your holiday with friends moving forward. Having backup plans opens new ideas to allow a more stress free holiday for all.
For instance, if you intend to visit a place in a particular country, list the possible nearby substitutes you can check out. You might even see unique locations you never thought of going to like the can’t-miss places to visit in Australia that locals recommend. It may not be what you had in your itinerary but it’ll be exciting nonetheless since there’s excitement in the unexpected.
Summary
Being surrounded by your best friends while on holiday is one of the loveliest feelings. You’re all together due to shared experiences and similar interests, and going on a trip as a group may strengthen that bond.
However, that connection can easily be severed by failed plans and huge mistakes. So, cooperate and keep these tips in mind while planning your next group vacation. Work together to create an itinerary all of you will enjoy.
