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While big family holidays can be wonderful opportunities to reconnect with your loved ones and trips away with your friends can be exciting, sometimes there’s something to be said for keeping it simple and taking a trip away with just the two of you.
A fun way of combining the two approaches, however, is to plan a group couple’s holiday.
This way, you not only get to spend quality time with your partner in a fresh location, but you also get to spend time with your friends and unwind without the romantic pressures that can sometimes be associated with a conventional holiday for two.
Planning a memorable trip for multiple couples, however, requires thoughtful coordination to ensure a harmonious and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Choosing the Perfect Destination
Choosing a location that caters to the potentially diverse interests of a big group can be complicated.
Whether it’s a sun-soaked beach resort, a bustling city break or a lush mountain retreat, the destination should offer plenty of opportunities for relaxation, adventure, and cultural experiences.
It’s a lot to ask for but certain holidays are tailor-made for such dynamism. For example, group ski holidays provide both thrilling activities and cosy environments for socialising, while all-inclusive resorts offer a mix of relaxing options and late-night parties.
To make deciding on a location as easy as possible try to think of shared interests that could help you narrow down potential destinations, or send a poll to your groupchat to find out what your friends main priorities are when going on holiday.
Being aware of what everyone is looking for can help to rule out more generic places, whilst having something to focus on can make sure you’re not wasting time by looking in all the wrong places.
Selecting Suitable Accommodation
Finding lodging that offers both communal spaces for socialising and private areas for individual downtime is key here to ensure everyone can enjoy each other’s company without feeling like they’re living on top of one another.
Shared villas, interconnected hotel rooms and chalets can provide the right balance between fun and privacy.
It’s important to consider the size of your group when booking accommodation, as some won’t accept group bookings over a certain number of guests or may require a larger upfront deposit.
Hostels and hotels can work well for smaller groups, whereas Air BnBs or local villas might be more suited to larger groups as you have your own space to make your own for the length of your trip and can come and go as you please without worrying about disturbing others in the building.
Planning Group Activities and Downtime
Organising a mix of group activities and allowing for personal time ensures that everyone enjoys the trip together while allowing the couples time to take a break from “the pack” with their partners.
Combining group excursions, such as guided tours or adventure sports, with free periods allows couples to explore on their own or relax as they wish.
Don’t try to peer pressure any one couple into doing something they don’t want to do either. That’s just bad group holiday etiquette.
If you’re planning activities or excursions that are a noticeable distance from your accommodation it’s often wise to try to pre-book any transportation you might need- especially during peak tourist seasons or if you’re travelling as a larger group.
Mini vans and large taxis can get booked up quickly in many tourist hotspots- and you don’t want to be left wondering how to get back to your hotel in a brand new country!
Coordinating Schedules and Preferences
We saved the most important for last. Anyone who’s ever tried to organise a group holiday will tell you that getting everyone’s availability to sync up is beyond frustrating.
To cut down on these frustrations, ensure you open discussions early in the planning process to accommodate work commitments, personal obligations, and what everyone actually wants to do.
Using tools like shared calendars or planning apps can streamline this process.
Encourage all group members to make their preferences and ideas for the trip known well in advance so that you can all work together to curate a trip that everyone can look forward to!
Don’t shy away from splitting the group up for some activities- remember that everyone has different ideas of fun and spending some time apart doesn’t take away from the overall experience of a trip away together!
Most importantly, if you start a WhatsApp group specifically for the trip, don’t let the group chat descend into jokes and memes.
That’s the ultimate group chat faux pas. Keep it focused on the trip and the trip alone!
