Going on a trip with a large group is a lot of fun, but doing so also requires a decent amount of work. The person in charge of planning the trip often ends up with a great deal of stress, and this individual may even find the vacation unenjoyable. When you’re tasked with heading such a trip, follow some tips to stay calm and to plan a great vacation.
Define Roles
Asking other people to help plan the trip is certainly reasonable. Even when you are going to take care of the majority of the arrangements, you don’t need to do everything. For example, you might ask a friend to book the plane tickets while you take care of the hotel and dinner reservations. You can allocate small roles to people as well. Let individuals know that everyone will be responsible for contributing to food for the kitchen or for driving to certain locations.
Discuss the Budget
You might want to go ahead and book every possible activity without asking people for financial input. On the other hand, you might feel so concerned with money that you waste time asking for guidance every step of the way. Early on in the process, you need to discuss the budget with other travelers. Let them know about estimated costs. Also, ask them what their maximum spending is for activities and reservations. By doing so, you can have a good idea of what to book.
Plan Travel Arrangements
Regardless of how you’re getting to the location and how you’re moving around upon arrival, you need to discuss transportation. Whether the group is planning to divide up and carpool in a few vehicles or you think opting for a bus charter is the best idea, you must specifically talk about this information with the group. A bus charter could be a good option if you will be driving around an unfamiliar area or somewhere you are uncomfortable driving. Regardless, you need to plan out arrival and departure times, who is paying for gas and repairs and other elements.
Relax and Enjoy
You need to be able to relax and enjoy the trip, and you have to let other people do so as well. Some of the travelers might not want to go to every stop that you have planned out. Don’t take offense when your relatives or friends want to hang by the pool or go grab lunch instead. Other people are allowed to have fun on the vacation just as much as you are.
Traveling with a large group has some benefits and some drawbacks. You can follow some tips to ensure that the positive elements stand out.