Planning a
Group Vacation

Marching musicians and guards at Buckingham Palace, London, England

Traveling in a group can bring to light things you wouldn't have seen on your own. You may be introduced to new world-views. You might even end up making friends for life with new people you meet. Traveling with family and friends can be exciting and fun. It can also be a (teeny, tiny) bit stressful at times.

Here are some of the best ways to get the most out of traveling with a group.

Assign a Patient, Positive, and Motivated Group Leader

While not mandatory, this is one of the best ways to avoid the stress often associated with group trips. Planning and coordinating are much easier when the bulk of emails and phone calls are coming from one consistent party.

Before choosing a group leader, make sure that they actually want to do it. Don’t overly rely on this individual – last thing you want to do is leaving them feeling overwhelmed. Make sure to reward them for their hard work. A lot of planning and communication goes in to the success of your vacation.

Pick the Destination Together

For some groups, deciding where and when to travel can be a tough decision. If your group isn't sure where it wants to go, encourage members to identify their top two locations or sites that they want see. Then look for trips that include as many of these choices as possible.

If your group is taking their first trip to Europe, you may want to consider one of our European panoramic vacations. Never be dismissive of someone’s idea. It might not appeal to you but it might be something that they've dreamed of doing for a long time and might even serve as an idea for your group’s next trip.

Book Early and as Soon as You All Decide

With a destination or trip in mind, we recommend planning your travel dates 6-9 months ahead of time. It’s the best way to ensure that the trip you've chosen has enough space to accommodate your group. It is always helpful to have alternate dates in mind just in case your first choice is not available.