Travel planning is something I’m proud to say I’m exceptional at. I have a group of friends who often join me on my travels, and the planning is always left to me. And that’s how I like it. I enjoy organizing big trips and have enough experience and know-how to make sure I can prepare something special every time.

There’s an art to planning a group trip. Whether it be a three-week road trip across the U.S., train hopping through Europe, or backpacking through Asia, you need to employ certain tactics and methods. It requires a lot of time and research, but it can also be fun. The buzz of the trip starts with that planning.

Research, research, research

It’s an obvious one, but research is essential, and the more you put in, the more you get out.  Most people limit themselves to a handful of travel sites/blogs/videos and stick to the sites which rank at the top of Google. But these will tend to only show the obvious ideas. You need to dig deeper.

Depending on how much time I have to plan the trip and how many locations we have to visit, I’ll split it into different elements and focus on one thing at a time; history, nature, food, nightlife, music, activities etc. I’ll also focus on one location at a time and start to build up a database of ideas.

It’s important to spread your research and not limit yourselves to the top listed google sites everyone is looking at. Dive into forums, search for ex-pat blogs, and explore youtube videos. Read a bit about the history of each area and get an idea of its geographical layout. Build your knowledge. If you are pushed for time, podcasts can be an excellent way to get your research on the go.

Research your travellers

As well as researching the places you’ll visit, it’s as important to research your fellow travellers. As you build up your research, you’ll start to get a lot of options and different ideas, most of which you won’t have time for. Knowing the tastes and interests of your group will help you make the right choices and design a trip with moments for everyone to look forward to.

Talk to your travellers and quiz them on their expectations for the trip. Do they already have a bucket list? What do they already know about the destinations you’ll visit? What are their hobbies, passions, and tastes? Get as much information as you can. The perfect trip is where everyone has several items to tick off their bucket list.

Check for events

Events can often be the jewel in the crown of a trip. When planning a trip, I’ll search for events and festivals for every location. Check live music listings, search for regional festivals, and find every theatre, stadium, and event venue to check for scheduled events.

It pays to search for events before you fully lock in your trip dates. Flexibility can make a big difference; if there’s a large annual fair a few days before or after your planned dates, it may be well worth shuffling things around to be part of the experience. I’ve often found an event or festival worth reshaping a trip for.

Leave time for surprises

A well-planned trip needs lots of room for exploration and surprises. One of the biggest mistakes I made when planning trips was trying to be too organized and plan out every hour. Being too rigid with the planning not only makes things stressful to execute but also leaves no room for surprises. I soon realised that some of my trips’ best moments were unplanned.

There will be certain events and attractions you’ll want in for specific times, but you can plan around these. The important thing is not to pack out every hour of every day. Instead, find areas you can explore, like old/historic parts of a town, large parks, and waterside walks, and set a half or full day to wandering around.

I will often create a custom Google Map of an area and drop pins on all the points of interest, and good places to grab a bite and coffee. As we explore the area, I’ll have the map to refer to if we need direction or have an urge for something in particular. Ultimately, we will just wander and be open to what may come.

Schedule downtime

As well as scheduling time to explore, make sure to pencil in some downtime. Another mistake I made with many earlier trips was not considering how tiring travel can be, especially on a road trip or when it involves several flights. As a general rule, I’ll schedule at least 1 half day of downtime for every 2 and half days of activity.

If you are staying at a hotel with a pool, planning a morning by the pool on day 3 can be an excellent way to recharge the batteries. Alternatively, schedule a late start followed by a nice brunch, letting everyone get a layin. I will always have some backup activities planned in case no one needs to rest, but not scheduling some downtime can lead to burnout, and people will soon start to get fatigued and irritable as the trip goes on.

Create a planner

Once you have a solid plan in place, create a schedule you can share with the rest of the group. You can use several great sites and apps to set out a shareable plan for your trip: TripIt, WanderLog, Tripsy.

As well as sharing a planning itinerary, I’ll also share custom google maps with all the key locations pinned, including accommodation. I’ll also create a shareable folder with all the reservations and confirmations.

Not only will all this build the buzz and get everyone excited, but it’ll also get the trip proofed and approved, as someone may point out a mistake or missing event.

Recap

• Do you research: History, nature, layouts, food, music, activities.
• Research your travellers: Expectations, hobbies, fav food, bucket list items.
• Search for events: Live music, festivals, sports, exhibitions.
• Plan for wandering days: Half/Full days exploring old city or park.
• Plan for downtime: At least ½ day of rest for every 2.5 days of activities.
• Make a planner: Create an itinerary, Google Maps, and share reservation docs.