This Labor Day Weekend, I went on a much needed Girls Trip to New Orleans for my cousin’s bachelorette *insert party emoji*. We ate great food, explored the city, and laughed a ton! In short: Mission Accomplished!
While large group trips can be tough to coordinate, they can absolutely be an amazing time. Check out these 5 tips for avoiding stress and having the girls trip of your dreams!
1) Plan ahead
While this tip may seem super obvious, spending time planning your activities before the actual trip is key. There are tons of helpful resources and city guides written by diverse bloggers and travelers at your disposal—use them! The goal is not to develop a minute by minute itinerary that dictates every minor detail during your time away, but is instead to have a plan to make your trip as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
Not too excited about research and planning? Split the duties with your group of girlfriends! Consider letting one person look into local brunch spots while someone else investigates the night life. Or maybe each person plans a full day’s worth of activities. Either away, use the divide and conquer approach to prevent overwhelm and ensure everyone’s opinion is factored into the itinerary.
2) Schedule time for rest
Although related to planning, this tip is important enough to be called out on its own. There’s no easier way to sabotage your group’s scheduled events than you or another trip goer being too tired to participate. And if your group is set to experience any considerable travel time or timezone change getting to your destination, energy levels will more than likely be low.
To avoid the frustration (on all sides) of mismatched energy levels and expectations, leave an hour or two of protected time during the day. This way trip goers can nap, call their families/significant others, and the introverts can recharge without issue!
3) Be intentional when booking accommodations
There are so many routes you can take when picking a place to stay. Will your group be better suited for a few traditional hotel rooms, an extended stay-style suite, or a rental home?
While pricing can be a major determining factor when deciding where to stay, your comfort and safety are important as well.
A few questions to consider before booking:
- How far will you be from the airport?
- How far will you be from most of our planned activities?
- Are you comfortable taking Ubers/Lyfts to get to most of your destinations? Are there public transportation options?
- What do you know about the neighborhood you’d be staying in? Is it near a college campus? Family homes? A strip of bars? Are there any safety concerns?
4) Be conscious of your (group’s) budget
It’s more than likely that the girls in your group will have different budget limitations going into the trip. And while having fun is the priority, it’s important to remember that you all will have real lives and responsibilities to return to once the trip is over. As a group, it’s important to talk openly about any budget limitations and comfortable price ranges (before things get uncomfortable).
Personally, spend some time before the trip thinking through how much you can comfortably spend—and be prepared to stick to it! Do you need to buy souvenirs at every attraction? Can you really afford bottle service at the club? This way you don’t get yourself into any financial situations that leave you feeling frustrated and disappointed when it’s time to go back home.
5) Let loose and have fun!
It’s really easy to get caught up on the small details and the minuscule problems that arise when you’re traveling in a group. Is someone annoying you? Are you unhappy with the plans for the day? Is the weather less than ideal? Whatever the problem may be, don’t forget that you went on the trip to have fun.
One of your top priorities should be to enjoy your time away! And while this doesn’t mean that you get super drunk, spend too much money, or ignore any pressing issues, girl, have some fun! You are paying to go on this trip (remember, time is money), so do what you need to do to get the most out of it! Be safe, avoid stress, and live it up! #TreatYoSelf
So happy for my niece!!! Glad you were all there to make her trip memorable.