How to (successfully) plan an international trip with friends

Last updated on 5th January, 2024 at 12:06 pm

“Super keen.” “Definitely.” “Count us in!” Your chat app is abuzz with excitement after you suggest an international trip to your besties group. However, translating that initial energy into a successfully executed plan can be difficult with conflicting preferences or a lack of commitment. Here are some tips to help make the process smooth sailing.

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In this article you’ll learn:

• Why clear communication is essential among friends, especially when making big plans for travel.
• How taking the lead simplifies decision-making and ensures everyone is aligned.

Dates and details

Agreeing on dates is an important early step. Suggest a time frame: for example, a summer beach vacation in Croatia, a shoulder season trip to Paris or a winter ski holiday in Colorado. Create a shared calendar, ask everyone to input their preferred date ranges by a deadline, and then, once everyone has noted their dates, select those with the highest overlap.

Before you book anything, find out what your group would like to see or do – try to limit this to two or three things. Everyone may be excited about visiting Bali, but could have different expectations. You may want to spend hours at the beach, indulge in delicious food and only visit a few temples, while your photographer friend has their heart set on capturing every temple on the island.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

Communication is key. After initial discussions, it is often more efficient to have one person take the lead in the overall planning, although you can delegate specific tasks such as restaurant or accommodation selection. When faced with choices, present clear options within categories and gather votes, like asking, “Would you prefer to visit Koukounaries Beach or Kolios Beach on Skiathos?”

“When it comes to planning group travel, I like to pre-plan as much as possible,” says Farirai Sanyika, travel content creator and founder of Gophari. “This works well because it can be nearly impossible to get everyone to work together on a plan and agree on everything. So, I take the lead as the group trip planner. This also helps everyone to prepare well for the trip. If you know what activities you’ll be doing ahead of time, it’s easier to pack the right things.”

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Be clear about financial expectations

Communicate with each person, or couple, at the start to find out what their preferred spending limits are for accommodation and daily expenses. Remember, not everyone wants to splurge on a fancy hotel (even if they can afford to) or split the bill for an extravagant meal.

To help keep the budget controlled, it’s best to pre-book accommodation and outings. This not only saves you from the stress of last-minute arrangements, but also ensures you don’t end up in a long queue, or discover everything is fully booked upon arrival.

Make time for yourself

Travelling with a group can be exhausting, so planning a little downtime helps – whether it’s taking a snooze in your hotel room, treating yourself to a spa session, going for a solo walk or simply lounging by the pool with a book.

“I always include at least one full day of free time during group trips. This allows for rest and also gives everyone an opportunity to choose their own activities for the day,” says Sanyika.

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