Sarah AntonieTravel doesn’t need to be stressful, but when you’ve got a big party or group to look after, it can no doubt become a little more complex to manage.
From handling all the finances and booking responsibilities to organising a manageable and interesting itinerary, there’s a lot to think about when more people are involved.
Here are five tips that will make travel a bit easier with a big party size.
Appoint leaders and use financial apps
To help make organising travel easier with a bigger party, nominate one person to handle bookings and someone else to deal with and manage finances.
Combining these roles can create unnecessary stress for one person, and make travel more complex than it needs to be.
There are also some great apps that can track shared expenses and avoid awkward money discussions, like Splitwise, for example.
Limit daily activities
We all want to get the most from our travels, but what that means in practice is likely to mean different things to different people. You also don’t want some people in the group to feel exhausted or like they can’t keep up.
When going with a big group, it’s therefore best to avoid over-scheduling. Ideally, plan one major activity per day. This means everyone has time together as well as space to unwind or do their own thing.
Adding too much to the itinerary can limit spontaneity and doesn’t give much opportunity for rest, which some people may want and need on vacation.
Book vacation rentals and villas
When you’re dealing with groups, it’s often better to book a rental property or villa, rather than multiple hotel rooms.
As well as saving on dining and bar costs, a shared living space adds privacy and allows for shared downtime.
Organise transport in advance
Transport is essential to consider well in advance, especially if you’re planning to travel together. If you live close by, a private transfer might be your best option. But if your party live further from one another, as is often the case, it’s important to agree a suitable meeting point that everyone can get to before organising any shared transport.
If traveling via plane, then you may want to organise airport parking for you and your party. Sometimes, it might be more appropriate for everyone to organise their own transport from their home to an airport or train station.
Leverage group discounts and pre-booking
One of the perks of traveling with big groups is making the most of any group discounts on offer. Before booking always check if there are discounts available because larger parties are often eligible for group discounts on accommodation, transportation, tours and attraction tickets. Be sure to pre-book these tickets, especially when it comes to popular attractions, to avoid long waiting times when you’re in a large group.
Banner image: Photo by Luke Porter on Unsplash
Lorraine Worsley-Carter
