Yahoo Lifestyle 18 Traveling Tips To Keep In Mind The Next Time You Book A Girls Trip
Girls Trips are the best. What's better than spending quality time with the people closest to you?
If you've never been on one, though, it can definitely seem intimidating to plan. Luckily, you've come to the right place. To help you out, I consulted the wise people of Reddit —specifically members of this post and this post — to get all the best tips to prepare you. I also added some of my own tips for good measure below...you're welcome!
1.First things first, make a plan.
"Even if you are the go-with-the-flow kind of person, at least have a general idea of what you'd like to do each day. Make an itinerary. Communicate it. Even if it's just, 'Friday, we'll have a free day and meet up for dinner. Saturday we'll plan to go to the beach, bring a picnic lunch, and go to a movie that night. Sunday, we'll wake up to check out of our hotel and plan to spend the day in town.'
I like to use Wanderlog to plan my trips. You can share your plan with other people, and allow them to just view the plan or have editing rights. It helps you organize, budget, and map things out." —Playful_Coffee_1948
2.To avoid problems, have everyone contribute something to the plan.
"Let each member pick a day. They're in charge of that day — activities, restaurants, logistics of getting places, buying tickets, making reservations, etc. This way everyone gets to do their top wish list item, and one person doesn't have to be the travel planner for the entire trip for everyone. If someone wants to opt out of an activity, they are welcome to do so, but complaining isn't allowed." —brimstone404
3.Also, make sure you carve out time for being alone.
"Set the expectation/understanding that not everything needs to be done as a group. Plan days for you guys to do your own thing." —Devillitta
4.Download Splitwise for tracking expenses.
"Splitwise is the best app for managing expenses among couples and groups. We travel with other couples, and we’ll take turns managing hotels, rentals, transportation etc. We put all shared expenses in Splitwise and 'settle' at the end of the trip." —Violet_Crown
5.Drop a pin when you park the car.
"As soon as you park the car, send out a group text with the GPS. Now you have a meet-up spot, and everyone is on one chat thread." —SpringMan54
6.Stay together, especially at night.
"If you go for a night out, you come back together. No one stays behind, no one leaves with 'new friend(s).' Watch out for yourselves, and definitely watch your drinks." —Asleep_Individual_44
7.Bring a portable phone charger.
"Biggest tip for me is to have a portable battery pack. I’ve saved multiple people from bad situations when their phones were going to die." —CouchGremlin14
8.Only keep the money you will use for the day in your purse.
"To avoid being robbed or pick pocketed, if you carry a purse, carry it cross body, and only keep the money you will use for the day in the purse. Keep your larger stash of money, your ID, and your credit cards either on your person or in your hotel safe." —Imperial_Cookie
9.Snap lots of pics, but be careful about posting in real time.
"Take photos, videos, and record daily vlogs that you can look back on, but don’t post your location in real time." —flowers2107
10.Do a daily check-in with family.
"I also check in regularly, almost every day, with my best friend and my mom. If something happens (we all hope not), then someone outside the country will have an approximate city location for you. People suggested using Find My Friends during the trip. You could also add a parent or friend back home as well." —ArtemisElizabeth1533
11.Research transportation options.
"For the taxis, I’d also recommend figuring out where the nearest taxi stand is to places you’re likely to be after dark. It’s a sure bet place to find a legit taxi at any time of the day. I feel much more comfortable grabbing a taxi there than trying to haul one off the street." —xqueenfrostine
12.Plan outfits in advance.
This is completely optional, but if you're planning on taking lots of pictures, the best thing you can do is coordinate your outfits in advance. You don't necessarily need to match exactly, but a general, cohesive vibe always looks nice!
13.Make digital copies of your documents.
"Email yourself a copy of your passport, national insurance/equivalent/contact numbers for your group, etc. Have a physical copy of these details too." —flowers2107
14.Set a budget
"Try to research out the cost of big-ticket items like flights, car rental, gas, hotels, etc., and then overestimate a little before having people commit to going! Giving people an idea of what things will cost them upfront will allow you to have more flexibility in your decisions. And then you might want to communicate if you like to be a little more budget-friendly or if you are willing to splurge on extras during your trip--because this could impact activities, food, etc." —Playful_Coffee_1948
15.Coordinate shared items.
If you're tight on suitcase space, designate one person to bring items like hair tools, shampoo, and sunscreen to avoid unnecessarily packing duplicates.
16.Make reservations.
While it's always fun to spontaneously stumble upon a local restaurant, my advice would be to make at least a few reservations, depending on how long your trip is. Personally, I hate spending money at a restaurant where the food is bad, and making a reservation at a place I know will be good has never done me wrong.
17.Set up a shared album.
Set up a shared item and have each member contribute any photos they took at the end of the day. You'll end up with so many candid photos!
18.Lastly, designate one day for relaxing.
This may depend on the destination, but IMO, a girl's trip isn't complete without some sort of relaxation time. I'm not saying you need to spend hundreds at a day spa, but coordinating a day of pure, stress-free chill time is never a bad idea.
Do you have group trip tips? Let me know in the comments!
