Plan a trip with friends: 7 steps

The idea usually comes quickly: "We should go away together again." Then often nothing happens for weeks, because everyone in the group chat suggests something different and nobody decides. A trip with friends rarely fails because of the destination, but because of the order of decisions. This guide takes you in seven steps from the idea to settling up afterwards. Our example is a group of six friends choosing between four cities by the sea. For planning a trip in general – booking order, documents, packing – see our guide How to plan a trip: step by step.

Step 1: Find out who is really coming

Before you talk about destinations, ask clearly who is in. "Maybe" is not an answer you can book with. A group of four to eight people is easy to organise; from ten upwards it is worth thinking in smaller groups, for example for restaurants and day trips.

Also choose one person to drive the planning. That does not mean they do everything alone, but that they set deadlines and follow up.

• Ask clearly who is coming
• Choose one person who sets deadlines
• Agree one place for planning and decisions

Step 2: Find the dates

The dates are the hardest constraint, because holidays, family and work differ for everyone. Suggest two to four specific date ranges and let everyone tick the ones that work. Anyone who has not answered by the deadline is no longer planned in – that sounds strict but keeps the planning moving. Only once the dates are fixed does everyone book their time off.

Step 3: A budget that suits everyone

Money is the topic groups least like to discuss – and the one that causes the most trouble. Ask early for a range per person for the whole trip, with and without travel. What counts is the lowest budget in the group, not the average. Anyone who wants to spend more can treat themselves to a pricier dinner on the spot; anyone with less should not be outvoted on every decision.

Agree at the same time how you will split costs: accommodation and shared meals equally, drinks and extras by consumption. Our article Split travel expenses fairly shows how.

Step 4: Vote on the destination

Only now comes the destination. Collect ideas, but vote on three or four at most – with ten options the group splinters. Each suggestion should answer three questions: does it suit the dates (weather, season), the budget and what the group wants – beach, city, nature, nightlife?

In our example four cities by the sea are on the shortlist:

Base map: Natural Earth

The group chooses Split: the old town and the beach are close together, and ferries leave from there to the islands. What matters is not which destination wins, but that the vote has a deadline and the result stands afterwards.

Step 5: Share out the tasks

If one person organises everything, they need a holiday afterwards. Share the work by role, ideally by what each person enjoys.

Every task needs a name and a date. "Someone will look at places to stay" in practice means: nobody.

Step 6: Book and collect the money

Book in the usual order: travel first, then accommodation, then everything on the ground. A group adds one question: who pays up front? Usually one person books the accommodation for everyone. Collect everyone's share straight away, not after the trip – otherwise one person carries the risk for weeks. Check the cancellation terms, because in a group someone is more likely to drop out.

Flights are usually booked by each person, which keeps everyone flexible on luggage and seats. You can compare flights together, for example in the Kiwi.com flight search^*, so that everyone arrives at about the same time.

For a day on the islands or in the hinterland, a hire car is often more practical for a group than several bus rides; you can compare hire cars in Croatia^* at Localrent, for example.

Step 7: The programme on the ground

The most common mistake on group trips is a programme where everyone always does everything together. Better: one shared fixed point per day – a day trip, a dinner – and the rest is free. Whoever wants to swim in the morning swims; whoever wants a lie-in sleeps. In the evening you meet up again.

For restaurants and day trips, short votes with two or three options help. One person books tours and timed tickets for everyone, for example tours and tickets in Split^* at Tiqets, and records the expense straight away.

• Set one shared fixed point per day
• Plan free time on purpose
• Record expenses straight away, not in the evening
• On the last evening, agree when you will settle up

Group chat, spreadsheet or trip planner?

• Group chat: good for the mood and quick questions, bad for decisions. Links and agreements disappear in the history after a few days.
• Shared spreadsheet or document: clear for dates, tasks and costs, but someone has to maintain it, and on a phone on the road it is fiddly.
• A trip planner with group features: plan, map, votes and costs in one place. In return, everyone has to sign up to one more app.

Many groups combine them: the chat for the conversation, one tool for whatever should count in the end.

How YesTrip helps

In YesTrip you create the trip and invite your friends by link – to plan together or to view only; the invite is valid for 14 days. Everyone sees the same day plan with map and routes and can add or move stops. A history shows who changed what, and you can comment on every stop.

For decisions there are votes, including on dates or places. Tasks such as "Who books the hotel?" get a name and a date. The group can set a shared budget that everyone sees, and the app works out who owes whom how much – with splitting by shares or amounts and a setting for who is there on which days.

What YesTrip does not do: it never books anything and does not collect money. You book with the provider and pay each other outside the app. Sharing needs a free account; you sign in with a code sent by email, no password. For Split there is a ready-made city plan you can use as a starting point.

* Ad – Partner link: if you book there, we earn a commission. Your price stays the same.