Girls Trippin’ 4 Part Series
Part 1 of 4: 6 Reasons Why Your Girls’ Trips Are an Epic Fail
09/10/2019 12:16 PM CST
Read Time 4 min 8 sec
My mission is to help you plan a successful girl’s trip! Although I love solo trips, girl’s trips hold a special place in my heart. Because I have organized over a dozen successful girls’ trips, I speak from experience. I have made mistakes along the way, I lost people that claimed they were going, but in the end, the trip was a success. Everyone plays a part in the plan, but there is usually a designated organizer. After being apart of dozens of girl’s trips, here are common mistakes that people make during the planning process.
1. You invited the wrong people– You must be very selective when choosing friends to go on your girl’s trip. Asking the wrong people is the quickest way to set yourself up for failure. Not everyone can go! We will dig deeper into this topic in part two.
2. You did not set a budget, or stick to an agreed-upon budget– There needs to be a clear budget for the trip. With anything in life, people need to know how much money they are spending. The budget can be five hundred, or it can be five thousand. Whatever you decide is fine, but you need to create one, make sure the people going agree with the budget, and stay as close to the number as possible. If you have issues with the budget in the beginning, those issues need to be addressed in the early planning stages. If anyone is unsure at this stage, there is a huge chance of cancellation down the line.
3. You did not give people adequate time to pay– People need adequate time to pay. Unless you are dealing with millionaires, you will need to set a date when the final payment is due. For some trips, you should implement a payment schedule. I start sending out details for my girl’s trips six to twelve months in advance. By doing this, people have details far in advance. If it’s a cheap domestic trip, you may not need to plan far in advance. The important thing is to discuss your plans with your girls and come up with a timeframe that is reasonable and suitable for everyone on the trip.
4. You are unorganized– Although you are traveling with your girls, you still need to be very organized. Whether you are communicating via text or email, your communication needs to be clear and organized. Before you send out information, make a list of the trip components. It is best to break everything into sections and provide details for each bullet. If you do not have all of the details, document the information so that it is accounted for. For example:
Flight– The best airline for the trip is Emirates. Flights will be purchased on July 15.
Accommodations– We are staying at Kimlee Villas. The deposit is due by August 1. All payments are due by the first of the month. The final payment is due by December 1.
Excursions– To be determined.
Transportation– Transportation will be provided and is included in the accommodation rate.
Food– All breakfast meals are included. We also include five lunches and six dinners. You will be responsible for all other meals.
Nightlife– On Saturday, we will be going to Chart Nightclub. The amount per person is $150. This amount is due by December 30.
Visas– Since our stay is under 30 days, no visa is required.
Packing List-Stay tuned.
By doing this, you organize your thoughts and make sure that everything for the trip is accounted for. It will also show your girls that you are organized and very serious about the trip.
5. You did not ask questions, or obtain input– You are organizing a trip for your girls, not just yourself. It is essential to get their input. Do not assume that because you are friends, you know them well, travel brings out a different side of people, and people have stopped talking after taking a trip. For the flight, which airline do they prefer to fly? Do they have any special needs that need to be taken into consideration? What type of excursions do they prefer? Do they prefer to chill at the resort, or visit the local area? How many nights would they like to go out? Are they ok staying at the villa or doing something on their own while you explore? Once you get their input, then you communicate. Maybe they love Southwest Airlines, but EVA is the best airline for your particular trip. These are just examples of some of the questions that you may need to ask. It may seem tedious, but asking questions upfront will prevent a headache later.
6. You are inexperienced– Lack of experience is not a deal-breaker, but it can cause your girl’s trip to fall apart. The determining factor is going to be the area of the trip that’s lacking. I have seen girls get to the airport, and nobody had a visa, so the entire trip was canceled. We cannot blame a single person for this because we all have to do a little research, but trust me if you are the trip organizer you will receive the blame. If it is something simple like an excursion, that can easily be fixed. If your inexperience is causing issues in the planning stages, some people will drop and advise that they are not going.
My final thoughts: I know this is a lot to take on as the organizer of the trip. My girl’s trips have been a success because I was determined to make them great, and I learned from past mistakes. There is no way to guarantee that your girl’s trip is epic, but by avoiding common mistakes, you will set yourself up for success.
Please check back next Tuesday for part two of my girl’s trip series- ‘Type of Friends to Include on Your Girls Trip.”
Have you planned an EPIC trip? What did you learn? If you have any tips, please share below.
