Traveling with a group of friends and family can give you more socialization and fun adventures than if you were going solo, but it also means that there are more interests and personalities to cater to. Group travel can be a tricky thing to navigate, especially when you all have different budgets, interests, and vacation goals to consider.
How can you avoid drama when traveling with other folks? Here are a few ideas to have fewer conflicts and more fun:
Make It Budget-Friendly
Making sure that everyone in your budget feels comfortable with the cost of traveling is crucial to avoid drama. No one likes to admit that they don’t have as much to spend as someone else in your group, but it is necessary to get a sense of how much everyone has to work with so that you do not plan for things that are out of someone’s budget.
You might consider opting for all-inclusive vacation packages, which can limit the number of surprise costs you might incur on your vacation. These packages typically include lodging, dining, and even some activities, for one price instead of paying for them separately.
Also, be on a lookout for group discounts when you are traveling. You can sometimes find significant savings for activities you want to do as a group if you plan them out and do your research before you leave.
Set Ground Rules Before You Go
Before you embark on your adventures, you need to sit down with your group and discuss some important things like:
- Where everyone will be sleeping?
- Curfew, which can help curb problems between night owls and early sleepers.
- How you plan to do activities (together or separately)?
- Exact costs everyone needs to pay for the trip.
- What to do if someone runs out of cash and can’t pay their share?
- And any other rules you think you should make clear before you head out!
Having a solid plan that everyone has discussed together and agreed to before you leave can help prevent disputes while you are away.
Get Separate Rooms
You can save a lot of money, usually, by pitching your money together to get a large cabin or huge hotel suite instead of getting separate lodging spaces. That is a budget-savvy way to vacation with a group, but it also can be stressful if your lodging space does not have enough room to give everyone their space.
In the planning stages, be sure to do some thorough research on your vacation living space. Make sure that everyone will have a bed or pull-out couch to sleep on and that there are enough separate rooms to give everyone some privacy. Saving money should not have to necessarily trump your group’s comfort levels.
Share Each Other’s Interests
It is important to remember that not everyone in your group is going to love the same kinds of activities. You might agree on a few things before you leave, but you also might find some other things that your friends or family want to do once they get there.
As horrible as an activity or restaurant might sound to you, remember that vacations are the best time to try something new that you normally wouldn’t have the chance to try. Seize the opportunity to have a new adventure while appeasing others in your group by sharing their interests.
Make it fair! You can highlight a different person in your group each day, letting everyone have a chance to be in the spotlight and choose an activity they want everyone else to try with them.
But Also Let Others Be Free
This does not mean that you have to do everything with your group though! In fact, one of the quickest ways to get everyone mad at each other is by insisting that you do everything together. Yes, you are on a group vacation, but you are all still individuals. Give yourself and the others in your group some much-needed time alone to discover new interests or have some time to unwind.
Some people in your group may need just one or two quick breaks from everyone during your traveling week to clear their heads and get some quiet time. Others might need a couple of hours a day for their “me time.”
Whatever they need, respect it. Take that time to do something you love, meet some new people, or even take a quick nap to rejuvenate yourself for your next adventure.
Make Having Fun a Priority
Before you leave for vacation, make a pact with your group to have the best time possible. Research shows that when you think about the fun you’re going to have before you leave, you will likely have a more relaxing, mood-boosting vacation. Get everyone psyched up, talk about the things you are going to experience, and have each person explain what they are most excited for.
Once you are there, keep your eye on the prize. There is bound to be something that irks you along the way, but remember the bigger picture. You are traveling to have fun and make new memories with some of your favorite people. Do not let anything stand in the way of that.
