Written by Nancy Lova
Image by @pinterest
Oh I love a getaway with all the girls! The cocktails, belly laughs and good vibes start from the airport and flows throughout the holiday. It’s a great feeling to be abroad and surrounded by your friends, it really is but let’s be honest, it ain’t always easy to organise!
If you’re all on the same wavelength about things, then your holidays are going to be a breeze but what if you have different tastes or habits? What if you’re the early bird and one of the girls likes to snooze until noon, or what if you’re a party animal and the others love to play tourist? You won’t lose love but such differences can make a trip a bit more challenging.
I’ve been on the challenging holidays with friends where we’ve bickered over timing and costs and I’ve also been on the vacays that are stress-free and pure bliss so for this article, I’m going to tell you how to travel with all the huns.
First of all, get on the same page
This is pretty obvious but it’s important that everyone has similar expectations as to what they want to experience on a holiday once booked. For example, you’re off to Ibiza and one friend assumes they’ll be raving it up along San Antonio’s strip every night when really the intention is to relax, go island hopping and cruise the waters in a sexy yacht. So you’ll be surprised how different everyone’s intentions can be once you’re abroad. Therefore to avoid someone dragging you out for a pub crawl when you thought it was going to be chilled vibes with summer anthems, it’s best to get clear.
Make a group chat on WhatsApp or have a pre-holiday gathering to discuss what everyone would like to get up to and look forward to the trip. Balance is key, (something I’ll discuss in more detail shortly) as everyone should feel like their needs are met but travelling together is definitely easier when there’s an overall theme.
Plan and Pre-book
I know, I know, this may sound like a chore but you and the huns will thank yourselves later that you planned and pre-booked as much of the trip as possible before boarding that flight! I’m talking, day beds, sun loungers, tables, tickets to clubs, events, even museums and restaurants because some destinations are absolutely heaving with guests so the last thing you want, is to not be able to enter certain venues, experience lack of availability and not live your best lives. The beauty of getting organised before you jet off is to also avoid any nasty surprises such as high costs, instead you just arrive at your destination knowing that everything is already covered and you can just enjoy!
Have a responsibility each
I love this idea. It was only until I went on a hen-do that I realised how each person in the group having some kind of responsibility, can make the entire trip all the more easier. From anything as simple as reserving a table at a restaurant to something more committed like being the designated driver, it just means that no one is slacking and everyone is contributing a fair amount of effort to making the trip a joyful experience.
We all have that one friend that’s naturally the mother-hen of the group and we certainly all know one friend that’s a bit of a liability who just shows up for a good time for themselves. Things like this can create tension and it’s not fun sweating in the heat and arguing at the same time. Very much not on brand.
Balance is key
When with friends, I’m a very thoughtful traveller. If I want to be more selfish, which is necessary from time to time, then I go on a solo-trip but on a girls trip, I’m aware everyone has their needs as well as routines or habits. I’m aware that some prefer lounging by the pool or topping up their tan on the beach whilst others love to soak up the culture and explore landmarks. A few of the girls may prefer day-time parties at beach clubs rather than the night and spend their evenings sipping wine and indulging in tapas. It’s nice to be considerate by applying a sense of balance of everyone’s wants and needs to the holiday. Switching things up and being open to things you may not usually be interested in, makes a trip a lot more fun too.
Leave room for spontaneity
Being organised is great, I love it but having an itinerary for every single day can be annoying. We ain’t in the military, we’re on holiday so know how to go with the flow and the best way to do this is by leaving a day or a few, empty. This allows all the babes to just chill out, relax, recover and welcome some spontaneity into the holiday. After all, some of the greatest memories are made from last minute plans so leave room for the unknown.
It’s a blessing to have good friends and to travel with them so whether this is your first trip with everyone or looking to make this the best holiday yet, I hope this article helps in some way and you and the huns enjoy your travels!
