While many of us prefer to travel alone or with a close friend, there is something about a group road trip that tends to put a smile on anyone’s face. A road trip has the potential to become one of the best experiences of your life and go down in family history as the trip that changed your life. And while the people you are traveling with matter a lot, there are several other things that can make or break a proper road trip. So, in case you haven’t planned such a trip before and feel that you could use some help with it, here is a list of tips and tricks that you should keep in mind so you can all have the time of your lives.
How to Plan a Group Road Trip
Transportation
The most important part of a road trip is the choice of vehicle. Depending on your group’s size, you can rent a minivan, a camper, a bus or even a car. Make sure to assess how much space your group requires and get a bus rental price quote to see if it is within your budget. Then you can decide whether people from your group will drive the vehicle themselves or you need to hire a driver too. This way, every one of you can relax and connect over good trip music and bad gas station pizza on the way.
Map out your journey
To make your journey hassle free, make sure you map out the route you’re going to take on your road trip beforehand. Also, make sure to take a look at all the alternative routes that lead to your destination. And don’t forget to keep a GPS device or a physical map on you the entire time.
Planning accommodations
Once you decide what route you’re taking for your journey, make sure to look up motels or hotels along the way in case you want to sleep under a roof for a night. Many groups prefer to camp though, so it would also be wise to look at any possible camping locations along the way. Make sure to pack all the important camping gears and you are ready to spend the night bonding around a bonfire, s’mores and some silly old ghost stories.
Choose pit stops
Choosing resting spots where you can stretch your legs, take a bathroom break and recharge is a very important part of a road trip too. Sure, there will be some hotels and petrol pumps along the way, but it doesn’t hurt to check where they are on the route. So if there’s an emergency, you will have an idea about where you can stop. Also, make sure everyone saves the numbers of hospitals and emergency services on their phones.
Choosing sites to see along the way
Choosing the best attractions to stop at along the way may seem like a very easy task but things aren’t always the way they seem. For each spot you choose, you need to take into account the entry fees, the opening and closing times, the average time required to tour the place, parking facilities etc. You need to also be careful to choose things that everyone in the group can enjoy.
Budgeting
Take into account how much each person will be able to comfortably spend before deciding on the average budget. Make sure to discuss everything with your group before starting on the bookings. When you are renting a vehicle, you need to also take into account the money that will be spent on gas refills. If you plan on booking hotels for a few nights, make sure that the prices complement your budget. Also, include the money that will be spent on refreshments for the entire group and make sure to keep a few hundred bucks aside as emergency money.
Plan distractions
After everything is said and done, it is not only the pit stops and comfortable transportations that make a group trip successful. It is also your responsibility to make sure everyone has fun. So, when the playlist is on its third loop and the radio is just plain boring, playing a few road trip games will cheer everyone up and make sure that all of you have the time of your lives. If you need some ideas, here are a few options you can check out.
