On holiday with your friends, fun! Many stories unfortunately end in more drama than fun. Here are some tips to avoid the drama and embrace the relaxation.
Preparation is half the battle
It may sound very logical, but it is forgotten more often than you think. Discussing things in advance is really important for a successful holiday. What kind of holiday does everyone want, what time do you get up and how long will you be away? You discuss all these points, and many more, before the holiday starts. Does everyone want a sun, sea and beach holiday? Or are there also culture sniffers? The holidays should be fun for everyone. Sure, you sometimes add water to the wine, but one person doesn’t have to do this more than another.
Also discuss who arranges what. The larger the group, the greater the chaos if you do not discuss this properly. Let one person handle everything, or give everyone a task. For example, someone does the transportation, someone else does the accommodation and someone else does the sightseeing.
Respect each other’s wishes
This is also part of the preparation. Does one half want a beach holiday, while the other half wants to go for a walk? Perhaps it would be a better idea to split the group in two. You discuss every little thing that you take for granted with the rest to ensure you have a nice holiday. Do you want to plan all activities in advance, or do you prefer choosing on the day itself? Do you want to be together all day, or would you like a moment for yourself?
Also take each other into account. Dietary requirements are especially important not to be forgotten. Is anyone Islamic? Then check whether the restaurants you have selected are suitable for them. Are there halal options? The same with people who are vegetarian and vegan. Eating a salad every day is also boring and no longer tasty. Consider a vegan restaurant when planning, you might discover the tastiest recipes there!
Budget during a holiday with friends
One has a different budget than the other. That’s not a problem, but keep it in mind when planning your holiday. Especially if you arrange a part where money plays a role, it is important not to go over someone’s budget. If you really really want to go to one place, but it doesn’t fit within the budget of the other, then make some extra money yourself. Holidays should bring peace and pleasure and should not entail financial worries.
Keeping an eye on who pays what is also a good idea. You don’t want to pay for everything, while that one friend paid for dinner once. Nowadays there are various programs that can easily help you with this. You enter all the names and everyone enters the amounts they paid and for what. The program then calculates who gets what or has to pay for what. Very handy. Especially with large groups, it is smart to keep an eye on this in order to catch free riders.
