5 Tips to Planning the ULTIMATE Girls Trip!

We know you love getting away and what's better than leaving the kids with the husband and jetting off for a few days your best girlfriends? Answer - very few things are better than that. We want you and your gals to have the BEST time you can on your getaway so we have put together 5 of our most helpful tips to planning the ultimate girls trip! 

1. Decide on a planning strategy.

No one likes to feel out of control when it comes to their travel plans. We recommend deciding on a planning strategy up front, as a group. Is the trip going be group-planned, where every decision is decided on by the group as a whole? Is one highly organized person going to handle all the details while the rest of you go with the flow? Or, our favorite, what if you alternate? One trip is planned by one friend and the next year is planned by someone else! This gives everyone a chance to be on the surprised end and also the chance to be the one planning the surprises. Plus you'll have something to look forward to at the end of each trip!

2. Pick (and stick to) a budget.

While you and your friends may all be in similar walks of life, not everyone will agree on what a "reasonable" budget is for the trip. To one person, that might mean $1500 to another it might mean $500 and still another, $5000. This is one area where you don't want to leave things open ended and up for interpretation! That's just a breeding ground for someone feeling left out, underappreciated or like they have to push their wallet beyond their means. Talk openly about what feels realistic to each of you before any planning starts and then let that amount drive your decisions. And don't worry! If one friend is on a tight budget, that's okay! There are still plenty of ways you can have the trip of your dreams without breaking the bank! 

3. Discuss expectations.

This is another area where views can be wildly different so it's a good idea to discuss things ahead of time. Have everyone share their expectations and their idea of a good time. Are you ladies feeling adventurous? Are you hoping for downtime so you can chat and read a good book? Do you want to cook every night or eat out? Are you going dancing or on guided tours? Get a feel for what each person in the group would like to do so that you're all on the same page. You can plan a little something for everyone but you definitely would want to know if you're dreaming of an adventure packed weekend and the rest of the group was thinking spa. Same page = everyone is guaranteed to have fun!

4. Don't overschedule.

Speaking of activities...Whatever you do, don't overschedule! Think about when you ladies get together, what do you end up doing? Talking, duh! Leave room for chatting and spending time together without packing your schedule full of things to do and places to be at specific times. Also be prepared that it will take 2x as long to get anywhere (hello, a gang of girls getting ready does not breed punctuality) and leave margin if the group wants to want to rest and catch up. We recommend planning one activity each day and then holding the rest of your trip loosely and being flexible! 

5. Create a group packing list.

We love this idea especially if you're all staying in one house or hotel room! There are certain things you will need to bring but then other things can definitely be shared! Items like blowdryers, hair straighteners, travel steamers for wrinkly clothes (no, just me?), etc can all be passed around. Also if you're in an airbnb making a grocery list ahead of time can be helpful as well! That way you don't end up with 20 bottles of wine and no snacks - well, I guess that wouldn't really be a problem...

We hope these tips prove to be helpful while planning your next gal's getaway! Tell us, where are you and your best girlfriends heading next? Have any tips you would add to this list? Make sure to pick the ultimate place to stay too! Check out some options here!