Group Trip Advisor

Quick Tips for Group Travel Organizers

Whether you're planning a family reunion, bachelor party, wedding or spa weekend, there are common challenges in organizing group travel. Group communication and decision making are two of the biggest headaches that group travel planners face.

Here are 5 tried-and-true tips to keep in mind:

1. Plan in advance. Whether it's deciding where to go, what to do once you arrive, or simply coordinating everyone's calendars, group travel planning always takes longer than expected.

2. Include the group in decision making. Although you may be rounding up the troops, it's their trip, too. While it may be impossible to satisfy everyone's requests, it's important for everyone to have the opportunity to voice their travel preferences. Taking a group vote often helps facilitate decision making.

3. Keep it simple and make it fun. The anticipation leading up to a trip, as well as the follow-up and story telling post-trip, are a big part of the travel experience. When you need to assign tasks to the group or individuals, keep it simple so positive vibes stay with the trip from beginning to end. For example, provide a clearly defined set of options to consider or items to research. Make it easy for someone to say "Yes, I'm in!"

4. Stay organized. Details, details. In travel, it's the little things like the timing of a layover, the cost of a cab ride from the airport to the hotel, or the quality of a meal that will have a huge impact on a trip. Understand and focus on those details that matter most to you and to your group.

5. Be especially clear about budgets. Make sure everyone is comfortable with the cost of the trip up front and that everyone understands how much they owe and when. Collecting money from friends and family can be awkward. Inevitably, there will be someone who pays late (or not at all). But communicating early and often can help.