The ultimate guide to organize a trip with friends 

We know there's no better thing in the world than being able to travel with your best friends! This helps strengthen our friendship bonds, increases trust, and creates memories that will last a lifetime.

Organizing a special trip among friends can be a good opportunity to learn from each other and grow personally. When we are on a trip, we broaden our cultural horizons and learn things we may never have imagined. Having that adventure with friends helps us face challenges together while sharing knowledge and skills. A trip can change our perception of everything around us!

In this blog I will give you six practical tips and five ideal apps to make that dream trip with your friends a reality.

1. Planning

One of the most important parts of a trip is planning. Everyone in the group has a different trip purpose and it is a great idea for everyone to share it. Establish an open channel of communication to make sure everyone agrees on the itinerary, accommodations, transportation, and planned activities. Working together on the planning will create a collaborative environment and avoid misunderstandings along the way.

📆 Download a free basic itinerary format here - feel free to edit it as you wish!

2. Budget, organization, and commitment

We know that every trip requires commitment, so it is very important to have an itinerary that is realistic and within each person's budget. The idea is to establish a daily spending limit for each activity or to gather small groups of like-minded people with different activities.

For example, not everyone likes to buy souvenirs on their trips. But if you are one of those who enjoy browsing the local markets and stores in search of souvenirs, you can organize it with other people in the group who have the same desire as you.

All these details can be added to the itinerary, so the other part of the group can take it into account to do another activity at the same time without modifying their budget or preferences.

Good planning needs tools, so here are some apps that will help make your trip more comfortable and practical. They make our lives easier. They'll come in handy!

- Splitwise

This app is suitable for both mobile and computer use. It is designed to help share group expenses and simplify the management of shared finances. Here are its main functions:

1. Expense splitting

2. Account calculation

3. Reminders and notifications

4. Expense history

5. Simplification of payments to settle debts

- Tricount

This app can only be used on the phone, but it is still just as productive. It has the same features as Splitwise but one good thing to note is that Tricount offers the option to perform currency conversions for those groups traveling to countries with different currencies. This allows you to record expenses in the local currency and get a summary in the group's currency of choice.

Tip: Once you learn how to use them, they can even help you in your day-to-day life to keep track of your finances. 

- Citymapper

A great option is to be able to use public transportation in different cities. It allows you to plan routes from your current location to your desired destination using a variety of transportation modes such as bus, train, subway, bicycle, and walking.

Available for cities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and some cities in Mexico.

- Wanderlog

This is an excellent option to create a shared itinerary! This app allows you to have a collaborative document that can be modified in real-time and can also be accessed by the other people accompanying you on your trip.

It also gives you the possibility to visualize a map with interesting places or places worth a stop. You can display information about the address, opening hours, and more.

It is very useful for groups!

- Notion

This is a versatile app that can be adapted for many needs, including travel planning. There are different templates that you can use according to your needs. You can create a Notion page to organize your travel itinerary, including details such as dates, destinations, activities, and reservations.

This app allows you to create checklists and tasks to make sure you don't forget anything important before or during your trip. 

3. Personal space and boundaries 

This is a tip for travelers who may become frustrated by not being able to do all the activities together. The reality is that even the best of friends need time and personal space during a trip. It is important to respect space and if someone decides to do so, it is valid to have separate activities.

Remember that compromise is also about respecting each other's moments of rest. If someone wants to do an activity you don't like, respect that and plan later meetings to share your experiences.

These actions will help maintain a positive atmosphere during the trip.

4. Divide responsibilities

Everyone can work together to plan the trip; distribute responsibilities among the group. For example, one can oversee the map, one can oversee restaurant reservations, and one can oversee entertainment. This will ease the workload and allow everyone to feel involved in the planning and organization.

5. Establish moments of technological disconnection

In previous points we mentioned how easy and practical it is to have an app to have all the details organized. However, I advise you to have a balance. You should not be on your phone, email, or social media all the time. Disconnection is important when connecting with a new culture, nature, or a new experience.

When we travel, we are exposed to new traditions and ways of thinking.

I recommend learning a few words of the local language wherever you go. Saying a simple "hello" or "thank you" can mean a lot and enrich the way you express yourself to others. 

I once read a sentence that said: "The world is too beautiful to only travel online". 

So offline moments will become your favorite moments after the trip is over.

6. Create memories and enjoy the moment

Our last piece of advice is to learn to understand that there may be unforeseen events and that sometimes the itinerary cannot be carried out 100%.

There can always be difficulties, whether due to weather, availability, or budget.

Traveling takes you out of your comfort zone and confronts you with new situations and challenges. It helps you develop skills such as adaptability, decision-making, problem-solving, and communication. As you face different experiences, you also grow as a person and gain self-confidence.

The best thing you can do is learn to enjoy the moment and be flexible!

This is a great memory of our last trip to Guatemala, I loved getting to know that country! 🇬🇹

Even though we all live in different countries we were able to organize a great trip. We planned everything in advance, from lodging reservations, activities, and restaurant options. Good planning and communication make all the difference!

Tip: I advise you to make a collaborative playlist for those long road trips and a shared photo album so everyone has the same photos on their phone.

I hope these tips and tools will be useful to organize a trip full of adventures, learning, and memories with your best friends.

Let’s travel around the world!

See you in the next blog