Problems with group travel planning?
 

Hi,

I love traveling with friends, but it's so hard to coordinate!

I might be weird in that I like to try and plan trips for my friend group dispersed among SF, Chicago, Boston, and DC all to the same place. It's incredible when it happens, but it's only been able to happen once or twice because it's so hard to coordinate.

Does anyone else run into this problem? Or any other problems with group travel? How do you solve them?

Let me know! I want to try and plan a trip soon, would appreciate any advice.

Not sure what the problem is here. Is it getting everyone to agree to the same dates? The same location? Are you making the plane/hotel reservations for everyone, or do they make their own? Without more information, it's difficult to advise.

let go of some of it

my son (age 29) and a group of his college friends are scattered all across the country ... they've discussed/arranged long-weekend getaways in person and an ongoing group chat for years, and regular Zoom meetups since Feb/Mar of this year

typically, they collectively decide on a destination and date (and yes, not everyone has been able to join the group at every event), one person makes the AirBnB arrangements, and everyone is on their own for getting there (drive/fly/train/whatever, synching up arrival/departure times. etc)

OP can set up the group chats, OP can host the Zoom meetups, OP can make the AirBnB reservation, and OP can make flight recommendations ... friends need to be invested in some of the planning as well

Agree a place. Give everyone two or three date options. Then decide what it is going to be. Don't give people too much choice and don't try to herd cats. You'll hardly ever get 100% participation rate because there's always one straggler, but that's fine. Simples.

I agree with London Elite. Simplify it down to a couple of choices and then people can figure out if it works for them or not.

A lot depends on what the travel involves. Maybe all it takes is coordination on location and dates. Maybe it's a question of one person doing a bit of research. But, some considerations:

1. Have clear understandings about costs. Alcohol, expensive restaurants, car services -- all of those are things which some value and others don't. People have different economic circumstances and it's terrible to put both those who may be flush and those who are not in awkward positions.
2. Don't lay out your own cash. This is how friendships end. If there is a need to pool some deposit or payment, have everyone send in their share before you lay anything out and make it crystal clear that there are no refunds for any reason unless you yourself receive a refund.
3. If you are making group arrangements, use an experienced and trusted TA. While they will likely take a fee, they can also save you a good deal on many items. They can also play the bad guy if it comes to it.

Yeah, it's getting people to agree on dates, e.g. we know we want to travel sometime in the next 6 months (for instance, obviously not right now because of the virus), but we have a lot of trouble figuring out when everyone is free. It usually comes down to polls in facebook chats, which doesn't work very well.

We also have some trouble deciding on where to go -- one friend wants to go to Europe, one friend wants to go to South America, etc. It's hard to figure out also because the prices very so much depending on where you're flying from -- cheap to go to Europe from Boston, expensive to go to South America. Expensive to go to Europe from CA, cheap to go to South America, and so on....

Any thoughts?

If there’s a significant differential in travel costs depending on each individual’s starting point, you could consider averaging these out so that everyone pays roughly the same (e.g. the person with the higher travel costs might pay less towards accommodation). Might get complex and not all relationships will suit such an arrangement though!

Like others, though, I’d agree dates and location and leave it to individuals to get there (or not if they decide it’s too much).

My first advice about trying to plan a trip involving far-flung people with different ideas, different schedules, different budgets, etc. within the next 6 months is "Don't". There's too much risk right now to make it worth the effort planning.

Beyond that....

1) If you're going to do some of the organizing work, let it be your choice where & when to go. Consider input from others, of course; you want people to join you! But understand that you're never going to satisfy everybody.

2) I recommend against booking people's travel to/from the destination for them. Too much financial risk. But at the same time, be clear about how firm the dates are and be ready to help people select appropriate itineraries. For example, if you're going on a cruise that departs Sunday morning everybody should plan to arrive at the port city Saturday evening (or earlier). It's no good if someone flies in Sunday morning, arriving an hour before the ship departs, because the flights are $200 cheaper!

3) Consider what the plan for lodging is. Are you all sharing a big rental? Booking rooms at the same hotel? Booking rooms "wherever" in the same city? Each approach has pluses and minuses.

4) Once you're all there, what are the activities? Does everyone have similar interests and energy levels? Frequently in such groups people do not, so I prefer an approach of planning certain activities for everyone combined with free time for people to head off in smaller groups.

Trying to coordinate anything with (most) people can be a challenge. Never book for others expecting a reimbursement.If you have friends and family who can commit and follow-through, hang on to them!

If you are going to make bookings for friends have them confirm their full name as it appears in the passport they will be using, or better still provide a copy of their passport. Your good friend John could really be Rupert.