*Collaboration
Are you going away with the girls next year? Nothing is more uplifting than the oestrogen-fuelled euphoria which underpins these holidays, and they’re a wonderful opportunity to develop deeper bonds with your closest friends.
Whether you’re celebrating milestone birthdays, honouring a bride-to-be or just hankering after some sunshine, here’s how to plan an unforgettable trip that’s stress-free from start to finish.
Choosing your destination
Being somewhere that suits everyone is crucial to ensuring the holiday is enjoyable for all, so prioritise interests and any accessibility needs when choosing your destination. A shared passion for certain types of holidays such as beach breaks or ski trips could help narrow your choices. Alternatively, opt for a varied destination with a wider range of things to do.
Beach lovers can look at the likes of Lanzarote holidays for tranquil tropical sunshine at great prices or head to popular party spots in the Mediterranean like Ibiza and Mykonos for a livelier experience. You could rent a private villa close to the sea for peace and flexibility or take advantage of the facilities at local resorts.
City breaks are a great way to keep everyone happy: you can enjoy world-class indoor attractions such as museums and theatre shows and do outdoor activities, from nearby hikes to guided walking tours and picnics in pretty parks. Live the life of luxury in swanky capitals like Paris and Rome or explore lesser-known European destinations such as Ljubljana and Split.
Creating the itinerary
The next step is creating the itinerary, and here flexibility is key to ensuring everything runs smoothly. Overload your time with pre-set plans and you risk rushing activities, tiring out the group and getting frustrated with time-keeping instead of being free to enjoy each day as it comes.
Balance any group activities with leisure time which can be spent independently. This keeps everyone united while leaving room for solo adventure and quiet moments to recharge. When you are planning joint excursions, try to give options within that experience where possible to ensure everyone is comfortable with the activity.
Budgeting and sharing costs
No one likes to talk about money, but it can be a major source of tension even between the best of friends. Eradicate any unease by encouraging transparency from the start, and asking for the maximum amount people would be happy to spend. Propose a budget based on the lowest figure given being clear on what it does/doesn’t include and organise your plans accordingly.
Make sure money doesn’t become an issue during the trip too by pre-planning how you’re going to split spending while you’re away. One option is to nominate an organised person to champion a pot of spending money so all the payments are made using the same card and account. This makes it easier to track holiday finances but can be a burden for the money monitor.
Alternatively, you can build in essentials such as activities and meals into the trip cost and ask people to bring their own additional spending money for spontaneous shopping. Smaller payments like rounds of drinks are easily divided on money management apps which allow instant settlements so no one is left short.
I'm Squibb Vicious, better known as Haydy!
Happiest with a craft beer in hand, eating til my heart is content or exploring somewhere new.
Here you can read about my adventures!