How to have a great trip as a group
Travelling in a group
Holidays with lots of company can be great fun, you feel safer and can relax knowing that your friends are there to back you up if problems arise. This together with the excitement and energy that can come with doing things as a group can make for some of the most enjoyable and memorable holidays of your life and can be the talk of the group for years to come.
They aren't without hassle however as organising anything becomes more complicated with everyone having lots of activity ideas and wanting to do something different to everyone else and there is always that one person that doesn't seem to want to do anything. It can be well worth it however and should it all go well it will bring you closer as a group and may start a trend of getting together for another holiday even when you are otherwise apart. For those wishing for some tips on group holidays we have put together this helpful guide.
Some tips on travelling as a group
Travelling in a group of people comes with a few issues that everyone will likely be aware of within moments of discussing going on a trip together. Even the first question of where to go will soon be met with several answers per person and that's without everyone even chipping in. As much as we wish a perfect democracy would work we recommend that the first thing to do is to pick a leader or two, this sounds hard but is normally reasonably simple, most groups have a leader anyway and those that don't will normally have a couple of well liked and respected people that can fairly balance what others want to do.
After you have a leader there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Don't try to do too much - organising a group of people to do anything is difficult but getting them to do multiple things in an order to a timetable is even harder. Aim for one or two main activities per day maximum, if you manage more then great but don't be surprised if you only manage to successfully complete one thing.
- Budget - not everyone will want to spend much on a trip but some want to make the most of the holiday regardless of cost balancing this can be a real issue so it's best to budget for the trip so people will know at least roughly how much the trip will cost.
- Prioritise - this ties into the budget tip. Make a list of places and activities that are important to everyone work out the costs involved in doing or seeing them, including the time cost and make these the priority goals to aim to get done over the vacation.
- Allow more time - getting a group of people to do an activity or get to a particular place together is like herding cats, it will take you longer and is more difficult than you expect. It's not worth trying to force a strict schedule as it will be less fun for everyone involved, make sure you give yourselves lots of extra time and don't try to do too much each day. If you find yourselves with lots of extra time there are always ways to fill it. You can go shopping, get some souvenirs or hunt for new places and find more activities that you might want to do later.
- Be flexible - group travel will often includes activities that you wouldn't normally choose to do. If you are really uncomfortable sit the activity out, but you will be amazed at how much fun you can have if you step out of your comfort zone and give the different group plans a go. It's also worth noting as a group you may find yourselves wanting to change plans mid way through, remain flexible here too and go with the flow, it may lead to an unexpected, fun adventure that truly makes the holiday great.
- Plan ahead - book well in advance, it is often cheaper and will allow people to budget for the trip, it also lets you make sure there is the space for the larger group of you on a particular activity or at the chosen restaurant and if there are enough of you it could be you get a group discount. Don't forget details such as how everyone will get to and from the important locations such as airports, accommodation, restaurants and planned activity locales.
- Split up - don't be scared to split the group up sometimes to do different things, doing this can mean those not wanting to join in with particular activities can go do something else such as souvenir shopping, hunting for new great ideas or even get another activity going entirely. Maybe the food at a particular restaurant doesn't cater for everyone but some still want to try it, well book a second place and split the group to make sure everyone gets something they enjoy. You can always meet up again afterwards.
Whatever you decide to do make sure everyone is up to date and aware of your itinerary and all the details, and have the leaders you selected confirm everything and re-update everyone just before the trip to make sure. After that let the excitement build and be ready to enjoy the trip and hopefully make some great memories with everyone that is going.
Travel insurance for multiple travellers
Before purchasing travel insurance for a group you will probably wish to get the plans sorted first so that you know what you will need to cover. When this is done you have several options as to how to get insurance, you can each purchase individually or you can get a group policy that cover some or all of the people travelling. Please be aware not everyone will want to be on a group medical travel policy as they may not want others knowing all of their details such as pre-existing conditions or even just dates of birth. If you do want a group policy also be aware that most insurers limit the number of people on one policy and that you may need to phone up to get the maximum number.
Probably the most important section to look at for travel insurance when travelling as as group is cancellation. There are a lot of things that can cause a trip cancellation that you can not do anything about so being covered for this will help mitigate the cost and should allow you to re-book when it's next feasible. After cancellation the next important general cover section for you is likely to be baggage cover. Losing or having items stolen is never nice but particularly if the items are important. Getting baggage cover helps mitigate the cost of the loss and allows you to continue your holiday without disrupting everyones plans too much.
You will probably want to take a phone with you so that should you get split from the group you can contact them. You may also want a laptop or tablet with you to check online for bookings and restaurants, important numbers or to post group photos or updates. The costs of such devices are on the rise so you may want to insure these devices separately. Other than that you will want to tailor your insurance to you and the holiday you plan on taking, so if you are going skiing you will want wintersports, cruise cover for cruises and so on and make sure you add each persons pre-existing medical conditions for the medical cover to be valid.
As per normal we at medical travel insurance can aid you in finding travel insurance for your group travel trips just click here to go and get a quote. Make sure to select group and select the number of people on the policy. Don't forget to add the options you want such as golf, winter sports or travel disruption to get the cover you want or need.
In need of assistance?
Our medical travel insurance team are ready to provide you with assistance regarding your quote. If you would prefer to talk to an advisor to receive a quote or have a query please contact our UK based customer service team. Find out details on our contact us page.
