Okay, so today I wanted to figure out how to make planning trips with a bunch of people less of a headache. You know, when you’ve got like, five, ten, or even more folks, and everyone has their own ideas about what to do and where to go? Yeah, it can get messy, fast.
So, I started by just jotting down all the problems I usually run into. Things like:
- Keeping track of everyone’s availability.
- Figuring out a budget that works for everyone.
- Finding activities that most people will enjoy.
- Dealing with all the different opinions.
- Actually Booking everything.
First, I doodled some ideas on paper. Just some rough sketches of how I might organize everything. I thought about spreadsheets, shared calendars, maybe even some fancy apps.
Trying Out Some Tools
Then, I dove into some actual tools. I started with Google Sheets. I made a simple spreadsheet with columns for dates, activities, costs, and who’s interested. I shared it with a couple of friends and we started filling it in with a fake trip plan. It worked okay, but it felt a little clunky, especially for keeping track of everyone’s availability.
Next, I checked out some shared calendar apps. I used google calendar with my friend. We added our available dates and times, and it was definitely easier to see when everyone was free. But, it didn’t really help with brainstorming activities or tracking the budget.
I also played around with Trello. I created a board with different lists for “Potential Activities,” “Confirmed Activities,” “Budget,” and “Who’s Doing What.” It was pretty visual and easy to move things around, but I think it would get overwhelming with a really big group.
My current setup
So far, I think the best combo is using a shared calendar for availability, a Google Sheet for the budget and basic itinerary, and maybe a group chat (like WhatsApp or Messenger) for quick discussions. I’m still not totally satisfied, though. There’s gotta be a better way to manage all the different opinions and preferences.
I’m thinking about trying out some dedicated group travel planning apps next. I’ve heard of a few, but haven’t had a chance to really test them out. I want something that can handle polls, voting, and maybe even suggest activities based on everyone’s interests. I think find something that’s pretty easy to use.
This is definitely a work in progress, but I’m feeling pretty good about the progress I’ve made so far. I’ll keep you all updated as I try out more tools and refine my system. I’m sure after some more tinkering. I’ll get this whole group travel planning thing down to a science!
