A group trip usually starts when a person, or two, decides they want to celebrate something or go somewhere. They mention it to a few people and before they know it, the whole gang is going. AWESOME! Now you have to plan to accommodate everyone and their interests, budget, standards and attitudes. In the words of Marko from Taken, “Good Luck!”, especially if you’re traveling with women.

We tend to think “the more the merrier” applies when traveling to help cover costs, but choosing the right people to travel with will make or break your trip. I’m sure you will want to take all your friends with you, we all do. I’ve always wished that I could travel the world with all my friends, but the reality is everyone is not fun to travel with! So here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding who can tag along and who can’t:

 

1. Make sure that everyone in the group gets along with each another.

By day 3 or 4, maybe even sooner, people stop being polite and will become very vocal about things/people that are annoying to them. This can be a major turning point in the trip. If everyone is not able to recover from a verbal exchange, you’ll have to separate the group, which defeats the purpose of taking a group trip in the first place. If you know two personality types may not mix well for extended periods, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to pick a side.

 

2. Stay away from needy people and complainers.

These are usually the people getting snapped on in the item above. Lol Not to mention, traveling includes a lot of stressful moments. Prepare yourself for delays, cancellations, mix-ups and lost luggage. Needy complainers will only add to the stress. Save yourself the melt down and leave them at home!

 

3. Make sure you trust the people you travel with.

I mean seriously trust. Like with your life. Usually when traveling we like to unwind and do things we can’t do at home. Whatever that thing is, you want to make sure you can trust everyone on the trip to either help you get back to the room in one piece or keep a huuuuuge secret from everyone back home. Judge free zone over here! Lol

 

4. Plan for your “broke” friends to stay at home.

No matter how hard they try to stunt, you know who your broke friends are. I recommend being very up front with them. Tell them how much you’re willing to spend for and on this trip. Anyone not willing to at least match this, should not be considered. I know it seems harsh and you want everyone to go, but your broke friends will do one of two things: drop out at the last minute and f*ck up everyone’s budget, or spend all their money getting there and be a burden on the rest of the group. Avoid the trouble and just don’t take them… Sorry not sorry!

 

5. Take an adventurous friend with you.

I beg you not to travel around the world and stay on your resort. That is a wasted trip. If you do stay on a resort, ask them to recommend an excursion or some group activities that you can do for fun. Ask questions. Show some interest in your surroundings and have a genuine conversation with at least 1 stranger per day. You never know what you could learn from this world around us.