Holidaying as part of a big group can be very rewarding. You don’t have to be alone, you always feel safe and protected and there’s always somebody around to help you if you have a problem. It doesn’t matter whether you’re trekking across the desert or hiking up a mountainside in Wales – it’s nice to have company.
Like all forms of travel, group travel has its tricky bits and it’s these bits that you’ve got to conquer if your trip is going to be a rewarding one. To make the most of your Cottages Direct Holiday Cottage here are ten of the best tips for travelling in a large group.
# 1. Have Realistic Expectations
One of the most important parts of group travel is realising that everybody has different needs. You will not spend all of your time together as a group and nor should you want to, says Red Book magazine expert Monique Valeris. As long it’s contextually suitable and everybody is well informed of your plans, you should feel free to spend time alone if you wish. Don’t be offended or upset if members of your group split up and do their own things – just because you’re travelling in a group, doesn’t mean you have to have the same experience.
# 2. Check In Regularly
If you are going to split from the group, make sure that all members are aware of your plans. That way, the alarm will be sounded very quickly if you don’t return when expected. This is very important, so don’t forget to check in with your group on a regular basis.
# 3. Be Willing To Compromise
If spending time alone or wandering off by yourself is going to upset plans for the entire group, ask yourself if it isn’t a better idea to compromise this time. A successful group trip is based on compromise – there may be things that you don’t want to do that somebody else has dreamed about doing for years.
# 4. Make Friends
If you’re travelling as part of a guided tour or expedition, don’t be afraid to make friends. There are bound to be other people travelling alone and they’re bound to feel as nervous as you do. Put them at ease with some friendly banter, suggest the experts at TravelersDigest.com.
# 5. Lay Out Some Ground Rules
Try to keep this as light as possible but do make sure that you implement a few rules, for everybody’s safety if nothing else. Think things like always carrying a mobile phone, never being more than 15 minutes late and never wandering away from the group without forewarning someone first.
# 6. Enjoy Your Own Trip
Don’t be afraid to organize and enjoy your own holiday. Do be aware that not all of your plans might be possible, but most should be easy enough to grant. If there are things that you desperately want to do or see, let the other members of your group know. There’s bound to be somebody else that wants to accompany you.
# 7. Play To Your Strengths
If you’re great at giving directions – by all means, nominate yourself as expedition leader. If you’d get lost on a roundabout, it’s probably best to let somebody else take charge. It’s okay to let other members of the group showcase their strengths, just as long as they’re happy to let you showcase yours, says IndependentTraveler.com.
# 8. Be Prepared To Lose Things
If you’re staying with a large group of people, you’re bound to lose a few things and a few things of yours are bound to end up in different hands. As long as these things are very superficial items (hair ties, socks, sunscreen, pens, paper, shower gel) there’s no need to make a huge fuss about it. Obviously, there’s a difference between stealing or constantly taking without asking and mistakenly picking up somebody else’s hair tie – so, do make sure that you handle each situation fairly and rationally.
# 9. Be Flexible
You should never try to impose a rigid schedule on a large group of people – it just won’t work. Feel free to organize activities and excursions, but do check that there’s enough interest before you make any final bookings. Don’t be offended if some members of the group are a little more laid back about activities than others.
# 10. Designate A Photographer
It can be a good idea to designate a group photographer. Some people like to take lots of photos and some people are too busy having fun to take any, so it can be useful to have a group set of pictures at the end of your trip.
Author Bio:
Sarah is an experienced backpacker and journalism graduate. She can usually be found writing on her blog or organizing her next adventure. She spent her favorite holiday in a Cottages Direct holiday cottage in the Brecon Beacons.
