Holidays are something we look forward to, but there are times when it can become a bitter experience and end up spoiling relationships. Especially when you are going out in a group with relatives or friends. Here are a few tips to help you avoid difficult situations and enjoy your holiday better.
1. Plan your holiday in advance and be inclusive.
If your holiday is not through any agency with a set itinerary, then plan your holiday in advance. Get information about your holiday destination, by reading books like Lonely Planet or look up the internet for information on places to visit, things to see, things to do, and places to eat.
Use Google Maps to get an idea of the distance and the approximate time that you will need to reach the places you wish to see. Knowing this in advance, will help you chalk out your travel itinerary better.
When planning your itinerary, discuss the places you want to see and also check with everyone in your group to know if they wish to see any place in particular. And try to include places of everyone’s interest as much as possible. This way you too will get to experience a variety of things.
2. How to practice time management in group holiday.
When chalking your itinerary, finalize on the number of places to see in a day. Allocate an approximate amount of time you will spend there. On an average, we mostly end up spending anywhere between one to three hours depending on the activity. For example a small museum’s tour may take one hour and spending time at the beach may take two to three hours, depending on one’s interest.
Once you have a fair idea of the time you will spend, plan out the number of activities for the day. And when you do this, be practical. Keeping too many will not let you enjoy a place properly, and will make your holiday more stressful.
Also, time management is important in a holiday, especially when you are travelling in a group. Explain to all members politely to be ready on time, and still expect a delay of minimum one hour. So keep yourself flexible.
Also, delegate responsibilities. Do not try to do everything all by yourself.
3. Keep your travel itinerary flexible.
When you chalk out an itinerary, sometimes you may end up seeing newer places, and sometimes you may need to omit a few places from your list, due to travel time, fatigue and many other factors. Be flexible about these changes, and enjoy the places you that go to thoroughly. Also, if you are keeping one day full of activity, keep the next day, comparatively relaxed.
4. Be compassionate when planning your travel.
When travelling in a group, remember, everyone may not be able to do as much as you can. If there are elderly or pregnant ladies or parents with toddler, then avoid places that need them to walk extensively through the day. You can even check on wheelchair facilities for elderly or for people with special needs in your group of travel.
When deciding on restaurants, see the menu in advance, and choose the place keeping your groups food preferences in mind. If there are vegetarians or vegans in your group, then go to restaurants which have a decent amount of veg options as well. That ways, everyone in the group can enjoy the food.
5. Do not shy from discussing finances.
This is one of the most important things, and can even end up ruining your holiday and relationships. Be very clear when it comes to finances. Discuss your budget and split the costs as agreed in the group. If you are managing the finances of your group holiday, note down the day to day expenses, keep all the bills, discuss and settle all expenses and bills at the end of the trip, before you all leave for your home.