The More the Merrier!

The more the merrier can be the theme for your next vacation but it is not as easy as it sounds.   There are some vacation options that work better for a group such as cruises and all inclusive resorts but you can plan a group vacation just about anywhere.   Here are some of the pros and cons to traveling as a group.

PROS
1. You get to enjoy a vacation and you get to hang out with a lot of friends or family that you might not see very often.  Being on vacation together means you can really spend some quality time catching up and making new memories.  
2. Save money.   Most times you can score some nice group discounts for traveling together.   I highly recommend working with a travel agent, not just because I am one, because an agent will know the ins and out of a group rate so that you don't end up paying more.  I have worked with many groups over the years and it can sometimes get tricky making sure the group qualifications get met.  
3. You might do something you never would have done if it wasn't for the group deciding to do it.  There are also some things that might only be available to a group that you couldn't do if you were traveling on your own.  


CONS
1. It takes a lot more planning.  It can be hard to get a large group to decide on when and where to travel.  Getting everyone to find dates they can agree on is one step then you have to agree on where to go too.   Even once you are on vacation there might be more issues getting everyone to agree one what to do each day, like where to eat.   As long as you plan far enough in advance you can avoid some of these headaches. Again this is where a good travel agent comes in.  If you have one main contact person, like a travel agent, for the group that can help make sure no one feels like one family member is making all the decisions  or having to do all the work.
2. You might have to do something you do not want to because you get out voted by the group.  Sometimes in a group the majority rules so might end up going with the group to do something you don't want or it might take twice as long to do something because not everyone moves at the same speed.  One way to deal with this is by picking a vacation that might offer multiple options to do each day so the group can split up if not everyone wants to do the same thing all the time.  
3. More drama.   With more people all spending time together there is bound to be more drama than your normal vacation.   Let's face it spending a lot of time all together is just bound to end up in a disagreement or two.  Planning for some downtime and having options for everyone so that you are not all together all the time can help diffuse the drama. 

Some ideas for group trip can be family reunions, school reunions, milestone birthday or anniversary celebration, bachelor/bachelorette party,  shared hobby or interest, or just a bunch of people that want to get together and vacation together.  You can have a big group or a small group but either way the key to a successful group trip is planning.