Relationships Sundays

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin

Taking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with a bunch of your best friends can be an incredible experience, but can you handle the logistics of travelling in a group? This post goes through the ins and outs of planning a successful group trip.

After your group trip, you’ll be chatting about your time spent ziplining in the Costa Rican jungle or the epic beach parties you went to in Koh Phangan until you’re old and grey. For some however, the idea of trying to gather your friends for a trip can feel a little like herding cats. Between schedules and logistics, group travel can be a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. These 7 tips for travelling in a group will help you do just that, so you can get out there and make lasting memories. 

Travelling in a group: 7 easy tips for your next trip

With the right attitude and a few travel hacks up your sleeve, you’ll be on a plane from Vancouver or Toronto to Maui with your friends and family in no time. 

Tip 1: Book your tickets at the same time

Purchasing your tickets all in one booking is a great travel hack for your group to snag the best flight prices and save money. Booking at the same time means everyone in your group pays the same rate, which is always a good way to start a group trip! Plus, it makes it much easier to pay back whoever booked the tickets (e-transfer is always a great way to settle any outstanding balances). 

If staying on a strict budget is a concern of your travel buddies, setting up a Price Alert can help the group find the best rates for flights to amazing destinations, like, Rome for instance. Being the booker of the flights also comes with its own set of perks.

Perk #1: Points! If you have a credit card with a rewards system, you’ll be able to rack up those miles and points and put them towards something extra fun on your trip, like an amazing hotel upgrade. Air Canada Rewards offers a number of options should you have an Aeroplan Rewards number connected with your card.

Perk #2: Some Canadian credit cards offer travel insurance if you book a trip with your card. BMO offers some credit card programs that will have you covered for up to $2 million for 21 days. Having this kind of peace of mind while travelling is priceless. If your card doesn’t cover multiple travellers, Allianz Travel Insurance is an affordable option with extensive medical coverage. 

Tip 2: Choose broad departure points when travelling in a group

Are you travelling in a group that’s spread across the country? If so, you can easily save money on flights by using the Everywhere Search feature to see what’s available for the group within your desired travel dates. Being able to search for flights throughout Canada can help you coordinate the ultimate group adventure. Let’s say you’re planning a group trip to New York City make sure you put Canada as the starting point and New York as the destination, and you’ll see all flights leaving throughout Canadian cities on that date. That way, you can make sure your Aunt in Calgary can join as well as your parents in Toronto. 

Tip 3: Choose broad destination searches

If you have a group of friends who are up for a real adventure and ready to get out there–whether it be Bahamas or Bali–try a broad destination search. Maybe your group has decided on a country but that’s as far as you’ve gotten. This is another instance where you can take advantage of Skyscanner’s Everywhere Search tool.

By searching flights from Toronto to Greece, you can scan all the options for a spring trip to the islands. You can even search by Whole Month, which will help you pinpoint the cheapest days to fly in and out of your destinations.

Maybe you’re looking for the cheapest flights or someone in your group wants the least amount of layovers, you can choose from a number of options that suit the tastes of the travel group. Plus, it might open your eyes to a destination you had never considered before!

Tip 4: Share the baggage allowance

Plenty of airlines nowadays are beginning to reduce their free baggage allowance and additional baggage fees can quickly add up, especially when you’re travelling in a group. By booking a bag per couple or people who share a house, you and your travel buddies can save on those extra baggage charges. Always nice to find areas to save so you can spend your money making memories together at the destination.

Don’t be surprised by baggage fees at the airport! Here’s the latest baggage allowance for checked & carry-on luggage in Canada.

Tip 5: Use a budget app for better group travel

When travelling in a group, it’s important to track your daily spending. But, pulling up a spreadsheet every time someone pays for a meal would be quite the buzzkill. By using a budget app like Splitwise or TravelSpend, your travel buddies can focus on making great memories and not on who paid for what. Every expense can be logged in the app and divided among the group. This can really save time in countries that don’t allow for bill splitting at restaurants or experiences. One person can pay and the others can transfer money to call it even.

Tip 6: Use a group trip scheduling app

People are busy and coordinating free time can be a nightmare if done via text or email. To save you some stress, calendar apps such as Doodle allow you to set dates and have the group vote on which ones work best for them. This means no more back and forth with numbers and months until everyone gives up and cancels the trip. Scheduling apps allow for a quick poll to see when everyone is free. Use these dates when searching for a flight and find out what might get you the best rate. 

Tip 7: Find the best accommodations for your group

If you’re travelling with kids on your group trip, an all-inclusive party hotel won’t be the ideal family-friendly affair. To help you with planning a family group trip, these travel search features can help you select any preferences your travel buddies have for where you stay.

• Searching for free cancellations can be a great option for group travel in case someone has to bow out at the last minute.
• Share any options over a group chat (WhatsApp or Signal are great places to start a travel chat) and see what the consensus is. Global messenger apps like WhatsApp now offers a Polling feature that makes for an easy voting system while Signal offers a new payment option between users. Choose the chat that makes it easiest for you to communicate and you can continue to use your group chat while travelling, too! 

Friends & Acquaintances

Have you ever successfully navigated a trip with friends who have a completely different travel style than your own?