Traveling with a big group overseas is not a small undertaking. In order to pull this off, you are going to need to be organized and arrive at your destination with a researched plan. Here are six tips that you can employ when taking a group of travelers on an international trip.
Tip 1 Choose Your Destination Wisely:
One of the keys to a successful trip with a large group of people is to choose the right destination. While a sweeping multi-city European tour may be feasible with a small group of travelers, this can be harder to implement with a bigger cohort. For this reason, it may be a better idea to choose one home base location for your destination to keep everyone together.
Consider Renting a House:
When traveling with a large number of people, you will also enjoy more bonding time if you are staying in the same place. Renting a house rather than splitting up into individual hotel rooms will also save you money on lodging costs. If your group scatters during the day for various activities, it is nice to all gather again in the evening in one place to spend time together. In addition, having your own kitchen will allow you to prepare meals onsite, providing convenience and cost savings.
Host a Dinner Party:
You can elevate an ordinary group trip into something extraordinary by planning a special dinner. You can choose to do this at the beginning of the trip to kick off the experience or host the party at the end of the vacation as a celebration. Gathering everyone together in one place for a commemorative meal will provide long-lasting memories of the experience. Tips for planning a dinner party include picking a great theme. Incorporating local customs, food, and traditions is an ideal theme for an international trip.
Keep the Itinerary Simple:
It may be tempting to want to plan out every minute when traveling as a large group, but it is a far better idea to keep the itinerary simple. The goal when planning the trip is to provide structure while still allowing plenty of time for spontaneity. A good idea is planning just one or two group activities each day, giving the travelers plenty of time to break out into smaller groups or do things on their own.
Agree on a Budget:
One of the biggest challenges of traveling with a host of different people is trying to come to terms with a budget. It is imperative that you agree on a travel budget ahead of time so that there are no surprises for anyone. Your trip will also go more smoothly if you decide on an app or process to help you to split costs and keep all of the budgeting organized. A central payment system will save a lot of headaches down the road as you divide the costs.
Have a Leader but Solicit Input:
While it is admirable to want to involve everyone in the trip planning, it is more realistic to choose one or two people to lead the charge. Having a go-to person to lead the planning process will ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. It is important that this person solicit input from everyone so that all of the travelers feel like they have a say in the details of the adventure.
Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on this website. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have young children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.