Top Ten Tips - Traveling In A Group
By Tip Diva | Jul 25, 2008
Categories: Activities, Airplane, Auto, Automobile, Bathroom, Bed, Bedroom, Behavior, Car, City, Difficulty, Eating, Etiquette, Family, Friends, Fun, Manners, Personal Hygiene, Public Transportation, Restaurants, Sleeping, Tips, Travel
Traveling with more than one person can be a bit of a feat - you’ve got many different personalities, opinions and preferences to deal with. Here are ways to make traveling in a group a little less stressful:
- Delegate Tasks Beforehand - Have one person be in charge of renting a car, while another person is in charge of reserving a hotel room and another in charge of buying tickets to an evening show. Make sure responsibilities are split evenly so one or two people aren’t handling the brunt of the work.
- Discuss Money Before You Leave - Before you leave on the trip, make sure payment for transportation, rooming and activities is discussed. For instance, the person who rents the car might say, “I need $60 per person plus gas at the end of the trip by cash or check,” while the person reserving the hotel room might say, “I need $50 per person upfront, in cash.” Make sure everyone knows where money has to go so no one is short-changed or has to front extra money that he or she does not have.
- Make Sure Everyone Has Everyone Else’s Contact Info - Collect cell phone numbers, emergency numbers and any other relevant contact info, type it up, and print out a copy for everyone on the trip. In case someone gets lost or you need to call home in emergency, everyone knows how to reach the person or a contact.
- Discuss What You Want To Do Ahead Of Time - Don’t wait until the day of the trip to decide what you want to do - everybody’s going to wind up disagreeing and wasting time. Have everyone make lists of what they want to do, and try to coordinate schedules so everyone gets to do something they want to do, even if they have to split up. For instance, you may decide that Abigail, Bobby and Clara will go to the beach on Monday, while David, Emma and Fred go shopping in town.
- Coordinate Sleeping And Eating Arrangements - Make sure you coordinate sleeping arrangements, such as who is sleeping in which room and with whom, and eating arrangements before you leave on a trip. For instance, one person may be a vegetarian, so eating at a steakhouse might not be the best option.
- Make Schedules - To make sure things go smoothly and everything gets done, make schedules. Know when everyone’s arriving on the plane. Split showering time so three people aren’t showering in the morning and make everyone late for breakfast. And make sure the slow-pokes of the group have enough time to get ready and leave with the rest of the group.
- Make Sure Everyone’s On The Same Page - Make sure everyone knows all the arrangements and travel plans ahead of time. The more everyone knows, the smoother the trip will be.
- Go Dutch For Entertainment - Don’t split bills or owe others money. Pay your fair share (don’t forget the tips!) and have everyone pay for themselves each time. The more money that gets moved around, the more confusing it gets - and the more likely someone’s going to be out of a few bucks.
- Stay In A Central Business District Or Near Good Public Transportation - If you can, stay at a hotel near a central business district or good public transportation. If Abigail and Fred don’t want to go to the theater with the rest of the group, who are taking the rental car, they’ll have the option of walking or taking the train into town to do something else.
- Be Flexible - A successful group trip does require a certain amount of flexibility. Do realize that you’re not going to get to do everything you want to do, and you may have to give in here and there. The less stubborn people you have, the better.
Other Tips To Check Out:
