1. Determine Your Destination
First things first: Nail down the locale. Will it be nodding palms and big drinks with tiny umbrellas? Stilettos, speakeasies, and shopping? Pub culture, museums, and misty ruins? Generally, one of your pals will have a hankering for a certain spot, play ringleader, and get the gang on board. But what if you have nothing more to go on than the “We should all take a trip together!” convo on repeat? Simply: Make it happen. Have everyone over for a bucket-list breakdown. Once you’ve decided the where, then you can get to the who, what, and when.
2. Choose a Point Person
Most crews include at least one type-A #BossBitch who is hyper-organized, list- obsessed, and spreadsheet-fluent and will be down to lead. And that’s OK as long as she respects input. No natural-born leaders? Danielle Thornton, of the women’s travel company WHOA, says to divide and conquer: “Let the foodie choose the restaurants and the culture hound select activities.”
3. Time It Right
Two words: shoulder season. It’s the sweet spot between a destination’s high and low times, when rates will be reasonable, crowds light, and weather lovely (usually — fingers crossed). Use scheduling app Doodle (free, doodle.com) to crowdsource dates that work for all.
4. Rally the Troops, Selectively
“Choose people who are chill,” says Emily Nathan, founder of indie travel mag Tiny Atlas Quarterly. “Travel, like life, always brings complications. If you’re with a person who gets easily stressed, you need to actively plan how to handle her.” Or you could just leave her at home. Here’s how to drop the bad-news bomb: “Share your plans and your concerns, but ultimately let her make the decision,” says Allison Fleece of WHOA. “Odds are, she’ll decline.” Once you’re on the road, go easy on the “Best trip ever with my BFFs!!” posts to avoid hurt feelings.
5. Get Organized
Say sayonara to Google Docs and hola to PlanChat (free, planchat.us). This new app handles the dirty work of group travel planning: Set up price alerts on flights and hotels, poll pals on hot spots you want to hit, divvy up expenses, and group-chat. Basically, it’s like having a tiny concierge in your pocket. When you return, Venmo rules for making sure everyone pays up. And to organize your memories, Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder of luxe travel company Indagare, suggests starting a shared photo folder.
6. Win at Airbnb
It’s all about the icons: A badge means the owner’s a superhost (aka quick to respond, well-reviewed, rarely cancels), and a lightning bolt means the place can be booked instantly. With booking complete, take advantage of Airbnb’s new Trips feature for recs of cool, insider-y spots and to hook up fun experiences, like a street-food tour with an in-the-know local.
7. Figure Out Ways to Get There
Planes: “Many airlines offer discounts on group airfares for 10 or more,” says Ruzwana Bashir. But if you’re not rolling that deep, “your best bet is to use Google Flights to sniff out the cheap flights, or check out discount carriers like Norwegian Air or WOW,” says Brian Kelly, founder of travel site The Points Guy.
Trains: When flights are pricey and a car would be a hassle (think gnarly roads or impossible city parking), go all aboard. Pro tips: Some companies offer discounts for even small groups, avoid the quiet car (your crew will get shushed), bring external batteries for your phones, and sit facing forward if you’re a puker.
Automobiles: Renting a car is your play if the drive is simple, you can fit the whole posse in one vehicle, and you’ll be dropping the car off where you picked it up (one-way rentals = $$$). Use AutoSlash, says Howie Rappaport, of Frugal Travel Guy: “It finds you the best rate, and best of all, the service is completely free.”
8. Try These Money Hacks from the Experts
“Tour operators generally offer discounts and extra perks for groups. You can also take advantage of a larger group and book a private tour that will not only be more cost- effective but is also often customizable to your specific interests.” —Ruzwana Bashir, of booking site Peek
“It can actually be cheaper for groups to take a taxi than buying, say, four public-transportation tickets. Plus, you get to see the sights, as opposed to being underground.” —Emily Jablon, of travel site Million Mile Secrets
9. Make Solid Plans to See What You Want to See
“Book as many tickets and reservations as you can ahead of time, so you’re not scrambling when you’re there,” says Brit Morin, founder of Brit + Co, a lifestyle company. And make sure to schedule some solo time — ideally a couple of hours — when you can BYOB (be your own bestie), take a breather, and explore exactly what you want at your own pace.
10. Know How to Avoid Drama
If Tempers Flare: Verbally press pause on the argument (“It sounds like we all need a break”), and go for a solo stroll around the block or grab a glass at that wine bar down the way.
Moving On from a Fight: Calmly discuss the issue and let everyone speak — respect and honesty are key here — and as a group, come up with ways to prevent conflict going forward.
Where to Go for A…
Bachelorette Bash
Get your party on in a place with its own signature scene and good vibes. Here comes the bride (and all her besties)!
Try:
- Palm Springs, California
- Montreal, Canada
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Baja, California
How to split rooms fairly: Keep bunking assignments as unbiased as possible, except for the bride — she gets first pick. Flip coins or draw names from a hat to say who goes where.
Music-Festival Adventure
Summer is festival season in all its mud-splattered, dance-like-nobody’s-watching glory. These four give Coachella a run for its money.
Try:
- Sasquatch George, Washington: May 26 to 28
- Bonnaroo Manchester, Tennessee: June 8 to 11
- Pitchfork Chicago, Illinois: July 14 to 16
- Panorama New York, New York: July 28 to 30
What to Do When You Lose the Group: Share your GPS location via the Glympse app (free, glympse.com), in case your porta-potty trek turns into a nachos quest turns into your being hopelessly separated from everyone.
Chill Beach Escape
The sun’s hot, the sand’s fine, and the surf’s up at these beachy locations (time to get that salt-spray hair in real life).
Try:
- Miami, Florida
- Maui, Hawaii
- St. Kitts, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Sayulita, Mexico
Leave the Sand at the Beach: Never be that girl dragging half the strand back into your rental car. Sandusa’s towels ($50, sandusa.com) have a nylon side that repels sand and water, while the other side is totally cute and super cuddly.
This article was originally published as "Plan a Drama-Free Girls Trip" in the May 2017 issue of Cosmopolitan. Click here to subscribe to the digital edition.
