Going on a holiday with a group of friends can be tremendously rewarding. You’ll be able to enjoy yourself in a special environment and share special experiences with the people in your life who are special to you.
On the other hand, group holidays can also be rife with conflict and bickering. Tensions often rise when different members of your group have different, incompatible objectives. After all, not everyone can sleep in the master bedroom of your rented villa.
In order to get the best from a group trip, it’s worth getting any concerns out in the open from the word go, and encouraging everyone to speak up if they want something in particular.
Let’s take a look at how to approach this kind of holiday, right from the planning stages.
Start with an Honest Group Chat
Most group holidays start with a mass invitation to a WhatsApp group – or they evolve from an existing group. This is where you can encourage would-be holidaymakers to be vocal from the start. Give everyone the freedom to contribute their preferences and raise any potential deal-breakers or must-haves.
Beach holidays tend to be a default option for many. They’re low-pressure and offer the freedom to choose different activities. One half of your group might spend hours on a sunlounger, watching the other half careen about the ocean on the back of a speedboat. If one activity begins to bore you, then you might easily switch to another. Then, during the evening, everyone can reconvene for a shared meal. That way, you’ll get the best of both worlds: a little bit of freedom and a little bit of togetherness.
Agree on a Budget Early
Money is another potential source of disagreement. More specifically, if different members of your party have different ideas about how much they’d like to spend they might resent the other members forcing them to spend more (or less) than they’d ideally prefer. In some cases, a failure to speak up can put a person at risk of falling into financial hardship. This might foster resentment and conflict.
The solution here is to be vocal and honest from the start. Get everyone to state how much they want to spend, and come up with an agreement. This will help you to select not just your destination but also your accommodation and activities.
Choose the Right Destination
Different destinations suit different personalities. Look at the combination of activities available. You might also think about things like food, culture, and safety. Some kinds of holidays might demand particular skills. For example, if a group of friends want to go skiing together, it’s a good idea to find a resort that caters to any beginners in the group.
Assign Roles Based on Strengths
If you don’t assign clear roles and responsibilities when it comes to organising the holiday, then the chances are good that a single person will end up taking care of everything. This can be unfair, as this level of responsibility can be a mental and emotional burden.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to split up the labour. Have one person track spending, another research potential restaurants, and a third chase people up for information. Then, appoint a lead organiser to take final responsibility for every decision, and to make sure that bookings have actually been made!
Build in Solo Time
If you’re going on holiday with a group, it can be difficult to find time by yourself. For this reason, you might set aside chunks of free time where everyone can do their own thing. In most cases, the few hours before the evening meal are a great bet. Just make sure that everyone is clear when they need to be after free time is over.
Be Flexible with Plans
If you overplan your group holiday, then you’ll suck all of the spontaneity out of the trip. This can be stifling. You might not fully understand what you want from the holiday until you arrive, so make sure that your itinerary leaves you some freedom to choose your next move.
Consider Accommodation That Suits Group Needs
Your accommodation should ideally be cost-effective while still affording everyone a basic level of privacy and communal space. This is where villas, chalets, and rented properties can be fantastic.
Handle Money with Shared Apps
Dealing with cash can be time-consuming and risky. It might also be awkward when you come to split certain bills. Fortunately, there are apps like Splitwise and Monzo that might allow you to solve money problems without every restaurant meal descending into an argument.
Discuss Group Etiquette Before You Go
It’s difficult to say that you truly know a person until you live with them. Thus, it’s worth establishing a few ground rules for the entire group. These might refer to bathroom privileges, punctuality, and noise late at night. If you know that everyone is going to bed at roughly the same time, you’re much likelier to avoid conflict.
