20 tips to make group travel more enjoyable

The best tip for enjoying group travel is going with people you genuinely like. Choose your travel companions wisely, and do with anyone you won’t be able to spend significant amounts of time with. 

The destination is obviously the most important detail of traveling, so make sure you’re traveling somewhere everyone wants. Select your destination as a group, or come up with a system that allows different people to make the selections at different times to keep things fair. 

If you’re traveling with couples or families, rooming arrangements will be obvious. If you’re traveling with a different mix, though, things might not be so obvious. Figure out the arrangements ahead of time so everyone knows what to expect. 

Having varying budgets is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome with group travel, but if it’s not addressed properly, it can cause lots of tension. Be honest with your travel partners about what everything costs, and if someone doesn’t want to spend as much as you or wants to spend more, respect that. 

Planning a trip can be a lot of work, and not everyone has time or wants to do it. If no one in your group wants to make arrangements, hire a travel agent. It’s also a good excuse if someone in your group is unhappy with the plans. 

Everyone travels differently, but most people don’t want to have a packed schedule. Still, it’s nice to have a plan, so build a loose itinerary around one or two primary activities each day, so there’s room for everyone to operate according to their preference. 

Traveling is expensive, and costs multiply for a group. Require advance payments for certain aspects of your trip, like lodging and transportation, so you’re not eating unnecessary costs. This should also help mitigate bail risk, and if someone does opt out of the trip at the last minute, the rest of the group won’t have to foot the bill. 

Depending on where you’re going, there will likely be an overwhelming number of options for activities, restaurants, shops, and excursions. Get input from your traveling companions before making a schedule to help narrow down options and ensure you’re putting together a schedule everyone likes. 

Some vacation days are ruined by an unwanted dinner reservation. Some restaurants don’t allow parties of certain numbers without a reservation. Sometimes you need a reservation, and other times you don’t. Feel it out, and only make reservations if necessary. The same goes for activities other than eating, too.

Not everyone wants to do the same things on vacation, and that’s okay. For a group trip to be a success, everyone needs to enjoy themselves. Allow your travel companions to opt out of some activities in case they’re not interested. 

Everyone has a different level of comfortability when it comes to traveling with kids. Decide ahead of time whether you want kids on your trip, especially if you’re going somewhere within driving distance. 

Just because you’re on vacation together doesn’t mean you need to spend every waking moment together. If necessary, schedule alone time. Give the introverts in your group a chance to recharge. 

Doing lots of research before you go on a vacation is always important, but it’s especially important with group travel. Share what you’ve learned through your research with your travel companions so everyone has the same expectations for your trip. 

Travel is expensive, but there are often group discounts available. Getting a good deal on certain activities will make them more attractive to the group. 

If you travel with the same group of people often, have a standing schedule for your trips. It could be an annual weekend, one week every six months, or another time that works for everyone. Having a standing schedule makes planning the rest much easier.  

Group travel requires a great deal of organization. Although people don’t want to have responsibilities while on vacation, someone needs to keep track of the time, arrange transportation, and more. Instead of leaving that all to one person, assign jobs so everyone has a part in the planning and organization.  

One of the aforementioned jobs should be group leader. The group leader shouldn’t be in charge of everything, but they should know the schedule and what needs to be coordinated. The group leader should be the one to assign jobs to the rest of the group, and they need to be very organized. 

Everyone’s sleep preferences are different on vacation, and that’s okay. Don’t shame anyone for sleeping in, and don’t get mad at anyone for waking up early. If you absolutely can’t handle spending leisure time with someone who’s on a different sleep schedule than you, don’t travel with them. 

It’s vital to be flexible on a group trip. Unless you have a unicorn group, not every part of your trip will be ideal for every person. Remain flexible, and don’t get upset if a few details don’t go as you envisioned. 

Group travel isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Before suggesting a group trip or accepting an invitation, consider whether you actually want to take a trip with a group of people. Don’t commit to anything if there’s a high possibility you won’t follow through.