words Al Woods
After over a year at home, many of us are itching to travel abroad and experience new surroundings. A holiday is a perfect way to relax and reset so that you can return to your everyday life in a positive mindset.
Whether it’s a girls’ trip, lads’ trip or university friends going on holiday together for the first time, we have got you covered.
Make sure to pick the right friends
It may sound a little harsh – but you need to pick good people to travel with who don’t mind being stuck in a car or train for a long time. Some people can get travel sick or restless during long journeys.
Make sure your travel group is prepared for the road ahead and aware of what’s involved in the holiday. It helps to travel with like-minded people who want to do similar activities and visit tourist attractions. Decide on a budget for the trip, and ensure everyone can afford transport, accommodation and activities.
Pick a destination
Choose a country, city or beachside town that you all want to visit and decide how you want to travel there, whether it be a road trip or catching a plane. Plan ahead and make sure to arrange any airport transfers for the smoothest possible journey. Remember to pack your travel essentials for a road trip, including high visibility clothing and torch in case of a breakdown.
Accommodation
If you are travelling to multiple places, you will probably want to opt for more affordable accommodation. You may need to stay at a camping stop or a hotel between a layover to your final destination. Estimate how much you can spend on accommodation and narrow down whether you want to stay in hotels, tents or bed and breakfasts.
Share and conquer
Make sure everyone has actually paid their share of the trip – ideally in advance. Try to book accommodation and transport ahead of time so you can equally divide the costs. When travelling, pool together some money to pay for dinners, groceries and fuel to keep things even. There’s nothing worse than someone who doesn’t pay!
Assign a leader
Some people are more decisive than others – and it helps to have a decision-maker when travelling with a group. Try to assign a leader who has an open mind and can evaluate the needs of everyone in the group. Ideally, this person will be organised, honest and fair with their decisions. They can make decisions when the group is divided or unsure of what to do in some situations.
Preplanning everything for a trip can take the fun and spontaneity out of your holiday. Try to pre-book the big things and leave activities and restaurants to be determined at the location – unless they are super busy tourist attractions.
