We are rapidly approaching spring break (even though it doesn’t really feel like it) and I’m sure at least a few of you are planning a trip with your college friends. Now’s the time to go on those wonderful trips we see in all those movies that focus around wearing bikinis, day drinking, and hook up culture. That being said, if you’re planning one of those trips, I have never done one. My trip was to Paris, which was more destination based. With that in mind, here are my tips for taking a trip with your college friends.
-
While going out to drink can be fun, especially when in a new place rather than just the traditional college bars with the same group of people, being drunk the whole trip isn’t always the best way to do this. Maybe you enjoy that, in that case skip this tip, but I recommend that you have more planned than just sitting around and drinking. This will get old after a day or two. Plus, there is so much to see and do, no matter where you go, that I feel like it’s a waste to just sit around.
-
Make sure you know what everyone in the group wants out of the trip. This can either be just a list of sites that everyone wants to see or if people want to stick together as a group the entire time. It can be difficult to work together if one person always wants to be up and moving early but someone else wants to have the chance to relax, especially if you don’t take the time to discuss this.
-
Come up with an itinerary if you have a lot of things in mind. This way you can make sure not to waste time wandering because you don’t know where things are in relation to each other or you couldn’t get tickets until the next day. It also helps to make sure that everyone gets to see things that they were looking forward to seeing.
-
Know that spending all day every day with people can start to become monotonous and someone will likely get on someone’s nerves. People aren’t good at living in close quarters for extended periods of time and something will eventually happen that will irk someone. Just make sure to talk it through and take breaks from each other every once and awhile, even if it’s just sitting in the same room on your phone in silence.
-
Make sure you all get photos of everyone, even if the person isn’t asking. Candids are nice too. Eventually the person will thank you, maybe even post it. Plus, the funny ones are great to look at when you’re all awake talking at three in the morning.
-
Spend the money on the experiences. I understand that it’s not always possible to do everything in an area, especially when on a budget, but my recommendation is to spend less time on clothes, knickknacks, and fancy food in exchange for access to museums, tours, and weird things that pop up in the place you are visiting. While in Paris, we stumbled upon the opportunity to take a ghost tour and I was much more excited about that than looking at the expensive shops.
-
Remember to roll with it. Vacations never go exactly as planned so be prepared to be set off course once or twice. In the end it will make for some great memories.
Enjoy your spring break, even if it is sitting on your couch eating cookies and binge watching Criminal Minds.