Taking a vacation with your favorite people can be one of the most amazing experiences you will have. You will create memories, build bonds, and learn more about one another all while exploring a new place together. Travel is good for your health and should be considered whenever you have much free time.

Planning a group vacation with your friends, though, can get tricky. You want to make sure that everyone enjoys their time and that the trip is a success. You must plan to help create a smoother trip. Going to a destination blind will lead to frustrations, conflict, and unnecessary chaos. Make sure to plan your trip but try not to over plan as it could lead to these things as well.

Regardless of destination, activities, and vacation type, you must research and plan as well as you can. Planning helps you stay organized before and during the trip. Whether you are all planning it together or you have appointed someone to do the planning, make sure that everyone gets a say and their ideas are acknowledged. Include them in the planning process and have them weigh on these tips for the ultimate vacation with your best friends.

1. Find out what kind of trip you need.

Talk to your friends to discuss what they need at the moment. Figure out if they want to have a relaxation based vacation or a adventure-filled trip. It’s important to think about your friend’s needs and wants when planning a vacation because you want your friends to feel fulfilled in multiple areas. You want your friends to have time away from their responsibilities but not to try and forget about them. Get in tune with your friends’ desires and needs to help you decide on what kind of trip to take.

Consider your needs as well. Don’t go all out to plan a vacation for your friend group if you aren’t thinking about your desires as well. You want to think about what everyone needs and if it is the same thing, it won’t be difficult to decide on destinations and activities.

2. Weigh your options.

Weigh your options when it comes to the destination you decide on. Try to think about the needs and desires you and your friends agreed on. Try not to create an overwhelming list of possible destinations and think about the type of trip you want to take. There are many different types of vacations you can take with your close ones, from ski trips to camping trips. Discuss what you all want this trip to do for you and what experience you want to have.

Do you want to party and enjoy nightlife? Do you want to relax and indulge in pampering activities? Or do you want to have an vacation filled with exploring and adventures? Ask yourself questions to help you narrow down your options. There are places perfect for girls’ trips and family trips. Think about what you want to pay and how much time you have as well. These are important factors in deciding on a destination because you wouldn’t want to travel to Bali, for example, for a weekend getaway. Longer distances are usually meant for longer vacation times.

3. Create budgets as a group or personally.

A budget is what’s going to help you manage your money. Whether you want to combine everything for your group or keep things individual, you must create a budget. A budget consists of the things you will have to pay for. You want to understand what kind of money you need to bring with you on your trip. Your budget helps determine what you need to spend and what you should spend. Some things to include in your budget are:

• Clothing
• Accommodations
• Transportation
• Activities
• Food and drink
• Shopping
• And the miscellaneous

Make sure to leave room for emergencies and spontaneous activities. There’s nothing like being in an unfamiliar location and not be prepared for an unexpected event. It will just lead to more complications and frustrations. Try to rememeber that a budget isn’t meant to limit you but help you keep track of your vacation spending.

4. Find what accommodation options you have.

Finding the right fitting accommodation can take much research. You want to be smart about it and consider your budget when you are deciding where your group will be staying. Hotels can get expensive, but if you and your group want to enjoy the amenities and ambiance then booking rooms would be ideal. Those that want to stick together should consider renting a house or apartment for your stay. This will allow for comfortability and give you the space to enjoy downtime with one another.

When it comes to transportation, you want to think about the smartest way to get your group to your destination. Use the distance from your current location as criteria for transportation means. Planes are great for longer distances you are unable to drive to. Renting charter buses for your destination is also a good idea for large group travel. Trains are less conventional ways to travel these days but it is still relevant. Consider this as a more reasonable means of transportation if they are available.

5. Leave room for exploration.

Your vacation may not be all about exploring and adventures, but it is always rewarding when you leave room for that. You never know what may happen when you are visiting a new place. Staying prepared is important but having some flexibility for unexpected situations is ideal for vacations.

Give yourself the chance to try something new. You will be surprised at the outcome. If you feel as if you are always doing the same things, vacations are great times to step out of your comfort zone. When you have your best of friends there supporting you, it will be easy to get out of your norm. Have everyone do these new things with you as well.

6. Communicate.

Communicate before and throughout the trip to allow for a smooth and organized vacation. Miscommunication and being disorganized leads to further issues and conflict. You want to avoid negative reactions and situations while traveling to make sure the good times are flowing. Communicate through text messages, phone calls, and face to face. Talk about the things you want to do and hat you don’t. Everyone should feel comfortable voicing their opinion. You want to make sure everyone is well and on the same page. Communicate certain ideas, activities, and issues to help with planning the ultimate vacation with your friends.