Advice When Planning A Trip For A Large Group Of People

Planning a trip for a large group of people is always difficult. This is because you have many different opinions and requirements to take into consideration. The organization can be challenging, to say the least. With that being said, we have put together some useful tips that can help you to organize an exciting vacation for a large number of people.

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• Consider transport carefully - The first tip is to make sure you consider transport carefully. If you have a large number of people, getting from activity to activity can be difficult and expensive if you do not have a plan in advance. There is the option of renting coach buses nationwide, and this is something that can work out more affordable when you are splitting the cost between a big group of people. Consider all of your options carefully and compare expenses to determine what is going to be the most affordable for you.

• Don’t wait around for everyone to be happy - One of the most challenging things about planning a vacation for a large number of people is that it can feel like it is almost impossible to make everyone satisfied. If you cannot agree on a date because everyone is busy, you will have to go for the majority, otherwise, you may never end up going anywhere at all! 

• Consider booking a large villa rather than hotel rooms - Accommodation is another area that needs to be considered carefully. There are plenty of different options for people today, and Airbnb has opened us up to the possibility of booking vacation homes rather than staying in a hotel. If there is a large number of people, you can often find that staying in a big villa ends up being much more affordable, so make sure that you look into this. When you are looking at how many the property sleeps, though, make sure you check out how the beds are divided up and where they are all placed so you can be sure everyone is going to be happy and comfortable. 

• Don’t get stressed if people want to do their own thing - It can be difficult to keep everyone satisfied when going on vacation. If you are planning lots of fun activities, don’t take it personally if some people do not want to get involved in all of them. We all have different tastes and different ideas of what makes a great trip, so allow people the freedom to make their own decisions and try not to stress about it!

So there you have it: some key tips and pieces of advice if you are planning on booking a trip for a large number of people. There is no denying that there is a lot to think about and consider when booking a trip for a large number of individuals. However, if you have a plan and you stick to the advice that has been provided above, you should find it somewhat easier to enjoy a great vacation.

Keeping Connected to Home

When you travel, it can sometimes be hard to keep in touch with home, especially if you're traveling out of the country.  I'm not about to just cut off all communication for a week or two just because I don't want to pay $.60 for a text message or much more than that per phone call minute. I know we may only be roadtripping for the time being, but here are the ways I stay in touch with home when I travel.

Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash

You could rely on email, but if you're traveling solo or actually want to speak to a human being, that's a bit impersonal, though you can also email people in addition to emailing them all the fun details of your days. I tend to do both, but I like for people to know that I haven't died, and I want to see my dog while I'm away for a week or more.

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

Voxer

Instead of texting, I use Voxer. Not only is it free, but it works off WiFi, so it can push through your "texts" when you have a signal, but will timestamp it when you actually sent it. It will also tell you when your message was delivered and when it was read. If the recipient clicks on it, can see exactly where it was sent from. This way you save money and people know you're alive, and if you go missing, they know where you were last. Voxer allows you to send/receive messages, videos and voice recordings, and it's free, unless you upgrade for more capabilities. You could use WhatsApp instead. I just didn't think it was as user-friendly.

Photo by Glen Anthony on Unsplash

Skype

Yes, I'm old, apparently, because the kids all snicker when you mention Skype instead of Facetime. One, I don't have an iPhone, and two, I don't want one. Skype is mostly free, easy to use, and allows you to actually see another person, even if you think you look like a hideous beast on camera like I do. 

Trying to figure out a time to talk to someone when there's a very significant time difference can be difficult, but I generally send a Voxer to my mom (or whoever I'm going to call), to let them know when I'm planning to Skype, so we can have the app open. I use it on my phone, so I can give them a walk thru of my Airbnb. Ha! 

Photo by Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash

Swarm

This doesn't strictly help you stay in touch, but it does let people know where you are at any given time. I check in to most places I go, because I like a record of things I did, in case I forget, but I also like my friends to know where I am, just in case. If I'm away and I don't check in somewhere for a day, they probably know there's something wrong. Plus, Swarm check-ins are fun and you earn points and stickers. 

Photo by Oleg Magni on Unsplash

TripIt

This is another way for me to allow people to keep tabs on me. I upload my entire itinerary to TripIt, including my flights and where I'm staying, so I have something with all my confirmation numbers and addresses and phone numbers in one place (which also saves paper) and then I share it with one or two other people who like to know what I'm doing and who I want to check in with.

These are just a few of my favorite apps, but they are especially useful for keeping up with people wherever you are. If you have a favorite app to stay in touch with home, I want to hear about it. Let me know about it in the comments.

Tips On Visiting Bangkok

We've been talking a lot about Thailand. Bangkok in particular because it's so different from where we live and places we've been. We took some virtual tours and saw things we hadn't previously known about the city, and it really made us what to visit. I went looking to some other great travel blogs for tips from those who've been there, some more than once. 

Photo by Evan Krause on Unsplash

I appreciate people who are honest, and Nomadic Matt is one of the most honest bloggers out there. His post here lets you know that he wasn't the biggest fan of Bangkok when he first visited. Perhaps it's easy to love or hate, but it could be that for some it's an acquired taste. He gives you his 3- to 5-day itinerary, now that he has learned to enjoy the city and all it has to offer.

Photo by Evan Krause on Unsplash

I'm always happy when people include pricing for things and also give in-depth descriptions for places along with tips. Nerd Nomads also give a 3-day itinerary, and include a lot of background, so you can decide what's right for you. Not everything is cheap, but food and lodging can be extremely affordable, so maybe splurge a little on the things that sound awesome to you. 

Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash

There are a lot of different neighborhoods in Bangkok, just like with all major cities. Alex In Wanderland has explored many and Silom and Sathorn looked very modern and interesting to me, plus this was much different than everyone else's take on Bangkok that I had to include it. I didn't even know spaces like this were things you could find in Thailand, so I thought you'd like to see a totally different side as well. Maybe it'll encourage you to stay a few more days when you visit.

Photo by PTMP on Unsplash

Only have a short time in the city? The folks from Full Suitcase only had a 12-hour layover and did the city a whole different way than everyone else here. They hired a private driver, so they didn't have to worry about their bags, and could do as much as possible in the short time they had. While most of us will have more time than this, hiring a driver is not super expensive and might be something you splurge on for one of your days for your family, in order to save time for other things later.

Photo by Yavor Punchev on Unsplash

I used to love buying travel guidebooks, but they are usually too big and bulky to take along with me. Two Wandering Soles gives the best of several guidebooks to one easily digestible blog post. They include important info, weather, common words and how to pronounce them, and things to see and do and what to eat. 

I hope you enjoyed learning about some new blogs and this help in planning your trip to Bangkok. What do you most look forward to on a trip to Thailand? 

https://www.twowanderingsoles.com/thailand-travel-tips