From family reunions to bachelorette weekends and every kind of group vacation in between, it can be hard to plan a trip that accommodates everyone. Thankfully, we’ve got three tried-and-loved crowd-pleasers everyone in your group will enjoy.
# Cruises
Whether your crew is looking to party on a weekend cruise or take in the scenic views of a seven-day Alaskan cruise vacation, cruises offer endless entertainment for everyone on board. And the great thing about cruises is that there’s something for everyone in the group. If you’ve been tasked with making travel plans that accommodate both your in-bed-by-eight great aunt and your party-hardy college freshman nephew, a cruise is an easy vacation that will meet everyone’s vacation dreams.
From bottomless poolside mimosas to all-you-can-eat steak dinners, cruises cover all of the would-be unexpected added costs that come with vacationing with a big group. With enough fun and family-friendly activities available specifically designed for large groups, cruises also ensure everyone will have a chance to spend quality time together and make the lifelong memories you all came to make.
# Road Trips
Piling everyone into a small car to make a day(s) long trip may not seem like the ideal group vacation, but it’s all about the execution. Whether you decide to take more than one car and make it a caravan or rent a 12-seater, there’s a certain magic about throwing all the people you love in a tight space and settling in for the long haul (plus splitting the cost of gas has a magic all its own).
From rotating designated DJs to making the middle-of-the-night, middle-of-nowhere pit stops for gas and snacks to surviving the inevitably long and winding conversations that turn into the most hysterical fits of laughter you’ll have in your life, road trips really are like no other form of travel. You’ll either make it back bonded to your car-mates for life or ready to throw a certain someone who will not for the life of them keep their legs in their fair share of the leg space out the window. Either way, you’ll know who the real ones are by the time you make it back home.
From famous cross-country trips to regional treks to your neighboring state, the U.S. has many historic and scenic highways to keep your companions happy campers.
# Rent a Cabin in the Mountains
When it comes to good old-fashioned bonding, there’s not much better than sticking all your family and friends together in a big cabin in the mountains. From summer lake houses in Michigan to winter ski trips in Vermont, many cabins are built to accommodate a large number of people and so have an unusually large number of sleeping arrangements. From bunk beds and pull-out couches to private suites, you can fit a lot of people into one house. Whether you split the cost with one or two other families or 17 ways between friends and couples, it usually shakes out to be a fairly economical option.
Many cabins offer fun extras like hot tubs, fire pits, grills, water-front views, and even rec rooms equipped with games like pool, foosball, and a slew of classic board games to make for a quintessentially cozy mountain getaway.
When you’re making plans for a large group, a lot of things can go wrong. Small expenses can pile up, some people get bored while others get tired, and keeping lots of people on a tight schedule can feel like herding cats. There are so many fun and exotic trips to take, but sometimes the simplest ones are the ones that end up being the best. In fact, this list of less-stress group vacations is so simple, you may even sign up to get the gang together next year for round two.
