You know what’s better than going on a trip alone? Going with your closest girlfriends! Sipping a bloody mary, twirling your glass of wine, hiking a mountain, or enjoying the beautiful views of a new place together!
Take it from me: nothing beats spending quality time and making new memories with your best friends. But going on the trip is the easy part; planning it can give anyone a headache. In this article, I will make your work easier by highlighting some tips on how to plan a girlfriend getaway.
Planning a girlfriend getaway is easier said than done, especially when you’re the designated organizer. You have to be mindful of everyone’s budget, preferences, and feelings. Whether it’s a long vacation, a weekend getaway, or a day trip, this guide will show you how to plan a girls trip smoothly.
Planning a Trip with Friends: Step-by-Step
1. Have Someone Take the Lead
First thing first, have a designated coordinator who is willing to help with the planning process, ensuring that decisions are made efficiently. A designated leader will simplify coordinating activities, managing the budget, and keeping everyone on the same page. This approach reduces confusion, enhances communication, and ultimately contributes to a more enjoyable and stress-free experience for everyone involved.
During the trip, the group can show their appreciation by doing something special for her. Considering she’s investing time and effort to enhance everyone’s experience, this is a thoughtful way to acknowledge her contributions.
2. Start a Group Chat
Start by creating a group chat and adding all your friends. A group chat will serve as a crucial tool for facilitating easy planning and communication throughout the entire girls’ getaway experience.
This way, everyone can share their trip ideas, everyone knows what’s going on, and everyone can share the pictures from the trip.
3. Decide on the Purpose of the Trip
Step two on how to plan a girlfriend getaway is deciding the intention of the trip. Keep in mind that the idea of a getaway is different from one person to another, so you have to know what you and your best girlfriends expect from the trip.
The purpose can range from anything like distressing to outdoor adventure or even partying. It’s important to have a clear understanding of the purpose of the getaway, as the entire experience will be tailored accordingly. If, for instance, the goal is to enjoy sunny days by the beach, the options will be narrowed down to destinations, hotels, and activities that cater to this preference.
Once you figure this out, you can move to the next steps, creating a budget, selecting a destination and making an itinerary.
4. Make a Budget
Before you start planning your trip, you need to create a budget based on everyone’s financial possibilities. This is no doubt, a challenging aspect of organizing any girlfriend getaway, but with the proper approach and a little planning it can be easily sorted out.
You need to be thoughtful and ensure you create a budget that aligns with everyone’s pockets and interests. You can start by reaching out to all your friends to ask how much they are comfortable spending on the trip.
Once you’ve spoken to them, discuss with all the girls a budget suggestion you created based on what they told you. Once everyone has agreed on a range, you can go ahead and start doing some research.
Having a clear budget will help you select the ideal place to visit, activities you can partake in, and narrow down your hotel choices.
Make sure no one feels left out from the vacation budget.
5. Decide on a Destination
One of the most important parts of your adventure is deciding on a destination with your gal pals. With a clear purpose for the trip and a budget, it should be easy to identify potential destinations for the trip.
If everyone agrees they would like to explore new food, then you might want to go to a destination with an impressive foodie scene. Suggest about 2 to 4 possible destinations that fit the type of trip and budget the girls want and ask them to vote.
6. Pick a Date
Once you’ve locked in the destination, you can now decide when it’s the most convenient time for everyone to travel. The time you go on your girls’ trip will also depend on where you are going.
Some destinations are best in summer, while some are better in the winter months. Find out the best time to go to your ideal spot and discuss possible dates with your friends.
7. Book Your Flights and Accommodation
Now is the time to book your flights and accommodation. The sooner you book them, the better.
Consider your budget and research different lodging options like luxury hotels, a boutique hotel, Airbnb’s, or hostels. Select a few suitable options for your perfect girls getaway, and between all vote for the favorite.
Keep in mind that togetherness is essential, so try to find a place where everyone can be close together. If you are getting hotel rooms, make sure you’re all on the same floor or in a single suite to make bonding easy.
If you are flying, it’s best to have everyone book their flights at the same time so that you all travel together.
8. Make an Itinerary
Based on your destination and purpose of the trip, you can now make a list of activities and attractions that you and your girls will enjoy. Communicate, compromise, and have a flexible itinerary in case things don’t go as planned.
Consider researching the popular activities and sights, things like historical sites, art galleries, wine tasting, taking a cooking class, best shopping, best restaurants for a group dinner, spa treatments, etc… to add to your itinerary. If possible, book the activities in advance.
It’s also okay to split your girl group into smaller units to enjoy activities that suit everyone’s preferences. For example, while two of your friends would like a spa day, others might prefer an outdoor adventure or some alone time. Instead of having everyone do one thing together, you can create room for each group member to explore on their own or try activities of their choice.
How to Plan a Girlfriend Getaway Tips
Start Planning Early
Always start the planning as soon as possible. You will need plenty of time to plan a weekend getaway, not to mention a longer trip, so it’s never too early to start planning.
Sometimes, it may take months to get everyone on the same page, find the perfect destination, agree on a suitable time, secure travel insurance, etc. So, start today!
Use Apps!
Another good tip on how to plan a girlfriend getaway is to use apps that help you streamline the process. Here are some:
- TripIt: Organize travel itineraries in one place.
- Splitwise: Easily manage shared expenses for fair financial arrangements.
- PackPoint: Create customized packing lists based on the trip’s specifics.
- Yelp: Discover local hotspots and dining options.
- WhatsApp: Facilitate seamless group communication for coordination.
Coordinate Packing/Outfits With Your Girlfriends
Don’t leave packing your clothes till the last moment. Communicate with your friends to coordinate outfits according to the weather and activities you have planned. For example, if you have swimming or hiking on your itinerary, you should let everyone know they need to pack their swimwear or hiking boots.
You can also send a friendly reminder to your group chat for essentials like a camera, charger, travel documents, and toiletries. Also, when it comes to items like hair dryers and curlers, your girls’ group should pack just one that everyone can share.
Plan to Change Plan
Despite all your efforts, some things might not go as planned. Some new activities or things might come up, so prepare to accommodate changes during the trip. It’s a good idea to change plans as long as everyone is on one page and having fun.
Avoid Problems
Finally, have a great time on the trip and avoid problems that can escalate into an argument or a fight. Keep things fair, consider everyone’s ideas, keep communication open and be flexible with your plans.
Remember, the idea of the trip is to have a good time, and the last thing you want is a fight that gets into having the time of your life with your girlfriends.
Also read “How to pack like a pro for your next trip” and “Traveling with money” for more useful travel tips.
