In 2022, I dropped my book How to Plan a Girls Trip: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning and Hosting the Best Experience for Intentional Friendships, to help friend groups plan a vacation that not only focused on having fun, but also to connect on a deeper level with one another.

You can click here to see the details of what’s already included in the book to make that happen.

But since then, I’ve been on two more trips and while I stand by everything I wrote in that book, and I know the content is still relevant in 2024, there are some updates that I think are worthy of its own blog post.

As I’ve gained more experience, I’ve learned new things that will help you get your girls trip out of the group chat, and ensure you have a fun and drama-free vacation with your besties.

Think of this blog post as bonus content to all the amazing things you can find in my book!

10 Ways To Improve Your Girls Trip

1| Check EVERYTHING

Whether you’re booking your hotel, an excursion, or transportation, make sure you check your confirmation for accuracy.

Typically you would receive an email confirmation, but sometimes if you use an app they have details of the booking in there as well—CHECK IT ALL.

Make sure you have booked exactly what you intended to, to ensure no mistakes.

Things to look out for in your booking:

The proper business name/event name
Guest names (and spelling)
Dates
Times
Location
Payment amount
The quantities listed
Requirements, rules, pre-check responsibilities, etc.

These businesses have THEIR best interest at heart, so you need to have yours. Don’t assume their systems have processed your transactions properly.

My book addresses hosting a Prep Pep Rally, which is a pre-trip meeting to get you and your friends excited about the trip, but it’s also an opportunity to discuss details and address any concerns. This is when you all can check everything together as a group.

Please do your due diligence to avoid any future headaches on your girls trip!

2| Book flights for similar arrival times

Listen, I get it.

For reasons like finances, schedules, or the location of each of your friends, coordinating flights to get to your destination at the same time can be challenging.

However, there are some really good benefits to getting to your destination at the same time like:

Arranging transportation to the accommodation
Exploring the area together
Starting activities at the same time
Having the same amount of time to rest and reset.

Maybe you and your friends could try flying from your respective locations to the same layover airport and catch a flight to your girls trip destination together.

Or maybe it’s just impossible to do with your entire group of friends, but is it doable with at least one other friend?

3| Book airport transportation in advance

Whether you were able to get to the airport at the same time as your friends or if you had to fly in solo, it’s still a good idea to book your transportation to your accommodation in advance.

Traveling day can already be stressful, so booking this ahead of time will help you avoid the hustle and bustle of trying to find a ride to get to where you’re staying.

It can also help you save money and keep you from getting scammed by local businesses that upcharge for airport transportation.

Some companies offer round-trip transportation, so you don’t have to worry about missing your return flight trying to find a ride to the airport at the last minute.

If you can coordinate this with some of your friends, make sure that transportation times (especially round-trip) work for everyone and that you split the cost evenly.

4| Require friends to research at least ONE thing they’re interested in

My book emphasizes the importance of having host(s) who are responsible for the girls trip planning, but it also stresses that it is not a dictatorship.

The hosts’ responsibilities include funneling everyone’s ideas, organizing them, and creating fair voting systems that meet the majority’s wants and needs.

But the host needs ideas to do their part, so make it mandatory for your friends to look up at least ONE thing they are interested in.

Why is this important?

One, because you want to be fair, it’s everyone’s vacation, and you want them to have a good time.

And two, sometimes your friends say they love to be hands-off with the planning, but then complain on the trip or leave feeling dissatisfied.

Your friends can research things like:

A restaurant they’d like to try
An excursion/activity they’d like to do
An area they’d like to take pictures
A store they’d like to shop in
A landmark they’d like to visit

It doesn’t mean that every request or suggestion will happen, but it allows the host to know the true desires of each friend’s heart.

Plus, it’s helpful to the friend who researches it because even if it can’t be done as a group activity, they may want to venture off and do it on their own before the trip ends.

5| Keep a shared note of the trip details

My best friend changed the game for our vacation when she created a shared note that included all the important details of our trip.

In the past, the trip hosts would create a similar list for their planning, but this is a more organized list that keeps the group up to date on all things related to the girls trip.

Some of the things you can add to this list are:

The dates of the trip
The name of the accommodation, website, address, check-in and out times, and contact information
Everyone’s room number
Everyone’s flight information
Trip costs that relate to the entire group and expected payment dates
Currency info.
Closest restaurants and menu links
Excursion details and links
Social media links of the accommodation, restaurants, activities, and excursions
Group poses ideas (images)
Group social media post ideas to recreate (links)
Fun info like everyone’s pretend nickname or the rules to a game that’s played throughout the trip

The host(s) should maintain this list to avoid confusion (if you only have one host, appoint one person to assist with this).

Allow everyone access to view the note, but if they are aware of information that needs to be updated, added, or removed, they should send those details to the person(s) responsible for maintaining the shared note.

Also, if someone doesn’t have an iPhone where you can use the shared note feature, you can find an app. to use.

6| Vet new people before the trip

In my book, the second chapter is titled: Who All Is Going?, and goes into detail about putting together the right mix of people for your girls trip guest list.

But let’s say you or your friends want to invite new people on the trip.

This could be a great way for your friends to meet other people that you care about, but a little homework can help assess if the newbies would make for a good mix.

This could be done by:

Hanging out with them in person before the trip
Having them join virtual hangouts
Including them in a separate group chat
Playing group chat games to learn more about them
Getting on a group video call to make introductions
Sending them a survey to learn more about their travel style

It probably sounds weird to say you’re “vetting” someone out, but getting to know any newcomers before the trip is a good idea. This will also help everyone feel more comfortable.

7| Consider doing a roommate swap

If you and your friends have gone on a girls trip before and are planning another one, consider switching up the roommates.

This creates an opportunity for different friends in your circle to get to know one another on a deeper level and make new memories together.

If this is the first girls trip and you think this doesn’t apply to your friends, think again. Those two who always gravitate toward one another will probably request to share a room together.

But this is a great way to get your friends out of their comfort zone and help strengthen all of the friendships.

In your initial planning survey, include a question to ask your friends if they’d like to participate in a roommate raffle or choose their roomie.

8| Explore the accommodation together on the first day

Checking out the area right at the beginning of your trip is fun and exciting, but it will also help you all get the most out of your accommodation, and save time and stress.

The benefits of exploring the accommodation early include:

Learning where each other’s rooms are located
Familiarizing yourselves with the layout
Finding out where the activities will be held
Selecting areas you and your friends would like to take pictures
Discovering hidden gems and even areas where you may want to spend a moment of solitude

9| Host the Theme Night on the first night

One of the most fun things to do on a girls trip is coordinating a theme and getting dressed up for cute pictures.

For my friend group, it’s typically for a nice dinner (but that doesn’t always have to be the case).

For the past two trips, we had been doing this on the last night, and we learned that the end of the trip wasn’t the best time for the following reasons:

Our energy was depleted, and getting dolled up takes real effort
Our excursions left us looking and feeling a little tired and worn out
We just wanted to have fun and spend quality time together, not worry about getting the perfect pictures

But here’s the thing, we WANT beautiful pictures as keepsakes and of course, to post on social media!

So, it just makes more sense to do it on the first night when we are looking and feeling our best! (Because you know you and your friends got your hair, eyebrows, lashes, and all of the things done before coming) .

10| Host a reunion at the end of the trip

With my friend group, we typically let the themed dinner (see tip #9) be our last event together, but we’ve learned that it’s not the most fulfilling way to end our trip.

After the dinner, we found ourselves scattering back to our rooms and preparing to leave, and it left me feeling sad before I even needed to be.

Instead, opt for you and your friends to come back together after dinner (or even an hour or so later if people still need time to pack) and have a little reunion.

Play games, recap the trip, record videos, have heart-to-heart conversations, pray, dance, talk about ideas for the next trip, and do whatever will bring joy, light, and laughter to your friend group.

As adults, it’s so hard to find the time to get together, and you and your friends have already managed to do it, so make the most out of all the time that you do have.