Planning a Group Trip on a Budget

If you’re planning a group trip, be it an office party, stag weekend or even a wedding away from home, one of the first things to take into account is everyone’s budgets. Keeping to budget can be tricky, especially when working with more than just your own cash and when you’ve got people relying on you to deliver. However, we’ve put together some top tips to ensure that your guests stay happy and no one’s out of pocket.

1. Book it well in advance.

Flights tend to be cheaper the further in advance you book and it’s also more likely that your accommodation will have slots free on your desired dates. Booking in advance will also give you more time to research the area and find out the best budget/ free things to in the area so that you don’t end up forking out a small fortune on over-priced attractions. Avoid both over-paying and chaos on arrival by booking all elements of your holiday well in advance.

2. Take advantage of any offers.

Hunt around for any flight or transport offers and book your trip dates accordingly. Once you’ve done that have a search for any deals you can get on hotel rooms, and if you’re booking a large amount of rooms then there’s no harm in phoning your accommodation and asking for a discount. Find money-off vouchers for sites and attractions at your destination and shop around before paying for anything.

3. Stay on top of the financials at all times.

Whether you’ve been given a budget by your boss for your staff trip or you’re still waiting for friends to pay you back for your group holiday, stay on top of all the finances. Make a spreadsheet detailing how much has been spent, how much everyone owes and any potential costs you haven’t yet faced. This way there wont be any nasty surprises for you (or your group) later on and you’ll be able to look forward to the trip with peace of mind.

4. Tailor it to the group.

Don’t always go for the cheapest options just to save costs, make sure you tailor the weekend to your group. If your group loves culture and sights then book somewhere in the centre of it all. If you’re on a classy work weekend then don’t book the first cheap hostel you find, and if you’re after a simple, budget weekend away then don’t plan expensive, over-rated activities.

5. Spend time looking around

Instead of filling an itinerary with incredible activities and expensive sight-seeing why not just have a look around yourselves? It’s amazing what you can see if you spend your time just wandering around and taking in the sights, sounds and smells. Observe your surroundings and you’ll be justly rewarded when you have striking pictures to admire back home.

Although these are 5 ways you can plan a group holiday on a low budget we’d welcome any more suggestions-just let us know in the comments below!

Mr. Andrew M. being good at road trip planning and having quite a few experiences about this, can help you; you can check him at www.roadtripwise.com.