Travelling with your friends can be a great way to get away from it all and reconnect when everyone gets tied up with busy lifestyles. If a guy’s-only trip is in the cards for you, we have some tips for how to plan one that you and your friends won’t soon forget.
Think about the type of trip you want
First things first, think about what the purpose of your trip is. Is it to catch up? Do something adventurous? Relax on a beach somewhere? Toss some ideas out and see what the general consensus is about who wants what. If there’s a split vote, aim to find a destination that will offer the opportunity for both adventure and relaxation, of culture and a hopping bar scene – whatever the split may be, so everyone involved is happy and feels like they’ll have something to do.
Quick tip: Get everyone to write down the one thing they’re most hoping to do on this getaway (beach time, hiking, fishing, gambling, checking out the nightlife, etc.) Next, put the activities in a list and hand a copy to everyone going on the trip. Have them rate the activities from one to five, five meaning most excited about. Choose your destination based on the activities that scored the most fives.
Narrow down your choices
OK, so now you know what you want to do, you just need to figure out where to do it. Think about the spots that offer the most bang for your buck, especially if you have some diverging interests (three guys craving adrenaline, two guys who just want to chill). Check out a few multi-faceted options to consider.
• Las Vegas: gambling (duh), nightlife, food, adventure (desert dune buggy tours, hiking), shopping
• Costa Rica or Nicaragua: beaches, hiking, eco-adventure in the jungle, volcano hikes
• Palm Springs: architecture (mid-century modern fans rejoice), hiking, golf
• Montreal: night life, food, culture, shopping
• San Juan: beaches, night life, adventure (zipline through the rain forest), culture
• Belize: beaches, adventure (jungle treks, caving), fishing, diving
• Santa Monica: beach, outdoor activities, food, shopping
Make sure everyone is on the same page
The last thing you want when dealing with a group trip is to find out halfway there that someone isn’t happy with the choice. Before any tickets are booked, or rooms reserved, make sure everyone is satisfied with the plan. Anyone who doesn’t speak their mind before the trip is finalized doesn’t get any right to complain (and should really have to buy at least a few rounds of drinks).
Keep an open mind
Group trips can often be tricky – there are a lot of different personality types who may want different things and have different expectations. Keeping an open mind makes the trip flow much better, and ensures that even if there are snags, the important thing is that everyone is together, having a good time – the whole point of a guy’s getaway.
