7 Tips to Plan a Trip for a Tribe

We’ve all been there. Scrolling down our timeline…minding “our business” when we see it. A group of friends posting pictures from the top of a mountain or from the back of an elephant. Immediately we wonder, how did all those people coordinate a trip like THAT?!?! I have had the “pleasure” of planning a few trips and while there is mild stress, they have been some of my best experiences to date. I am here to give you some tips you need to help you go from a scroller to trip go-er.

1.Take the Lead — every trip needs a “Type A” leader. If everyone is just saying “sounds good” the idea will never leave the group. If it is something you want you have to take ownership and make it happen.

2. Pick a Place & Set the Date — this seems basic, but a lot of trips die at the hands of indecisive organizers. Some will drop an option in the group and everyone will say oh yea, for sure, and then it dies. Decide where you want to go, decide when you want to go, and lock it in.

3. Set the Group — Before you get planning you need an idea of the count. Sure this will fluctuate as things get solidified, but a group of five versus a group of twenty will impact decisions about the trip. Think of this as a “save the date” of sorts. Send out feelers and see who responds.

4. Decide Housing — Where you are going and the type of vibe you want will decide where you are staying. If this is a trip where you will be visiting multiple countries or you are just pulling up for an event, hotels for a quick stay might be ideal. If this is a group you want to be together the entire weekend, an airbnb is probably ideal (think adult sleepover with no parents).

5. Make Guests Invest Financially — One troublesome part of a group trip is trying to plan with a bunch of maybes. One thing that can give you an idea of who is really in and who is just talking is to collect money. Once money is sent in, the trip becomes more real. I would suggest a no refund policy to avoid being stuck (or sticking the other guests) with an extra cost.

6. Technology is your Friend — Unlike the travelers of lit trips pasts, we have the benefit of different apps to help our trips succeed. Once I have a set group I will create a GroupMe to keep everyone updated on things as it happens, this saves you from having to send a million individual texts every time something happens. You can also create events within the group so guests have all the details in one place. If you are taking payment, Splitwise can help you keep track of who owes you what. Guests can even log in to see a record of what they have paid you. Finally, people can easily send you dough using Cash App, Venmo, or PayPal. I would suggest picking one method of collecting money for each trip, this can help keep all the money for the trip in one place so keeping track is a little easier, it’s almost like a savings account for the trip.

7. Do your research — there is nothing I hate more than wasted time during a trip. When coordinating a large group it is best to have options set and decided before you get there, otherwise you waste time getting everyone to weigh in on the yelp options you pulled while being pressured to share “the next move”. I will say that even with a plan you should remain flexible, you never know what the turn-up universe wills end your way.

With these tips you will be able to at least lock in a trip and get it going. What you do when you’re there, is totally up to you.