Everything You Need to Know to Plan The Ultimate Girls Getaway
How many of you read the words “girls getaway,” or “group trip,” and cringe? I mean the movies don’t lie right? A group trip either means a bachelor or bachelorette party gone wrong, hello Hangover. Or it means a boring group tour where the main characters only have fun when they ditch the overall group. Frankly, a lot of us probably have been a part of a bad group trip, and unfortunately, one bad group trip is enough to make you swear them off for eternity. So what are we even talking about here?
Well, even though I have, thankfully, never had a group trip go completely crazy, I have been a part of trips with plenty of mishaps. However, I keep taking group trips and girls trips. Why? Well, as I’ve said before, girls trips are good for the soul. Because sometimes you just need the company of other women who get you. But mostly, I keep taking group trips because I love sharing the thing I love the most (travel) with the people I love the most. So, over the years I have developed some tips for successful group trips that I want to share with you. So that your next girls getaway is flawless.
Ready to take your next girls trip, but have no idea where you should go? Take this fun destination quiz and find out!
Leave Your Expectations At The Door
All the tips that I am going to share with you for an awesome girls getaway can basically be summed up in one phrase. Which is to take all the expectations you have in your head, and throw them away. When you set high expectations for a group trip, you basically end up like Clark Griswold in Vacation, where everything goes wrong.
Expectations are the enemy. Because they demand perfection, and there is no such thing as perfection. So, instead we are going to talk about all the types of expectations women usually have during a group trip, and how to let those go? Okay? Yes, let’s do it!
The Group Needs To Stay Together
Making the whole group stick together is by far the most common mistake we make on group trips. Sometimes we do this under the guise of safety, and sometimes sisterhood. It’s not really natural to make a large group do the same thing. Even during a party everyone will break up into smaller groups to talk. It’s just the way we as a society have learned how to divide ourselves when groups are to large. This is true for travel too.
Everyone on a trip normally has their own goals of what they want to see and do. So, instead of trying to force the whole group to do the same thing, it’s easier to allow the group to break off into smaller groups naturally. But, what is the point of having a girls getaway if everyone is just going to do their own thing? I thought you might ask this question. Well, you can bring the group back together by planning one group activity and meal per day.
Most recently, my girlfriends and I took a trip to New Orleans. For the whole long weekend we had group dinners and 2 group tours planned. This allowed people to arrive at different times, leave at different times, and see what they really wanted to see. It was actually really awesome. We would do different things during some parts of the day, then come back for our tour or dinner, and all have something different to talk about. Like having micro-experiences all in one group trip. If someone did something really cool that day, it would make the rest of us want to see it during our course of the trip too.
Travel Tip: Allowing for the group to break off into smaller groups also allows for more natural sleep cycles during travel. On our trips we had people who woke up earlier than others, but then took rest in the middle of the day.
You Don’t Need A Way For The Group To Communicate (because you’ll all be together)
The second mistake we make with group trips is not having a pre-planned way for the group to check in with each other. This is because we assume the group will always be together! So, we don’t pre-plan a way to communicate. Group texts have made group communication super easy, so there’s really no excuse to not have one. Even if everyone has Whatsapp or a different type of texting app, you can still form a group chat.
Travel Tip: I also always check the local weather and make sure to send to the group so that everyone is prepared when packing.
You may also want a way to track each other’s location. You can do this by having people drop pins or share location, but you can also use location apps like the Life 360 app. Location tracking does feel a little bit stalkerish, but you can usually turn it off and on for the trip. This way even when smaller groups are doing there own thing, you can keep each other safe. I know it was a comfort to us on our New Orleans trip.
Everyone Eats The Same Thing
This could not be less true, especially in today’s day and age. When organizing a girls getaway, you will usually want to plan a few group meals. And when doing so will have to take dietary restrictions into account. Unless you all have the same food restrictions, you just can’t force the entire group to eat the same thing. The good news is that lots of great restaurants have caught onto this, and have relatively diverse menus.
Being able to fulfill everyone’s dietary needs is easier said than done in some cities, you may say. But even in New Orleans, with vegans and some people that don’t eat gluten or dairy, we were able to work it out. We even did a food tour! We just made sure to book one that was going to have at least some vegan, gluten free, or dairy free options. You might have to do a little extra research, but it will be worth it. Believe me when I tell you a girls trip can easily turn into the gates of hell when you have a bunch on hungry women ;).
Want to learn more about budgeting for travel? You can read this post here.
Embrace The Chaos
Embracing the chaos is really the best way to handle any trip, but especially group trips. When you are coordinating and traveling with a bunch of people, there is always the inevitable mishap. Flight delays, missed connections, food poisoning, allergic reactions, I mean the list of potential pitfalls goes on and on. Being able to roll with the punches, is crucial.
You can try to plan for the chaos. For example, on any kind of group trip, I NEVER plan anything the first day. This gives people a chance to settle in, and also lets anyone who may have had a flight mishap not miss anything important. However, regardless of how much you plan, chances are there will still be a lot of things you and the whole group will have to just go with the flow on. And that’s ok! Because you left your expectations at the door, right? Right!
Now you’re ready to plan your next girls getaway! Or, if you’ve sworn them off forever, maybe give them another chance!
Have you planned a group trip before and think I missed important advice? Let me know in the comments.
