If you've been best friends for a while, one of you has probably said "we should all go on holiday together" at least once. While you get to explore amazing new places with your crew, it can sometimes feel a bit like herding cats. Everybody is different and has their own ideas of what a dream group holiday looks like. Follow these travel tips to cut out the hassle and enjoy making lifelong memories with your besties.

Group holiday tip #1: Use a calendar app to nail down travel dates

Everyone has such busy lives, it can be hard to work out exactly when your crew is all available. Take the headache out of scrolling through multiple messages by using a calendar app. For example, Doodle lets everyone vote on dates that would work for them so you can see at a glance the best dates to book.

Group holiday tip #2: Travel under one booking

While it can be tempting to leave everyone to sort out their own tickets, booking together can save a lot of money and hassle down the line. With Skyscanner flight search, you can book multiple passengers in one booking (typically up to 8–9 people, though limits vary by airline). Remember, airline prices fluctuate due to demand, so booking together means everyone gets the same ticket price if you do your research right. Just make sure to check the single ticket price against the group price, as a larger group can fall into the next booking class if there aren't enough tickets left in the lower fare.

Being the booker can feel a bit risky, especially if you're worried about being paid back (we have another tip on dealing with this). If you have a points credit card, you get extra perks for taking on the risk:

• If you book, you get all of the cashback and points, if your credit card offers this

• Your travel insurance might be covered by your credit card

Not all cards offer these perks. Double-check the small print before committing to anything.

Group holiday tip #3: Be flexible with your departure point

If everyone lives in different places, the easiest way to find the best prices is to add the country – instead of a city – as your departure destination. For example, put in "United Kingdom" instead of "Edinburgh". As well as being a great way to save money, it also means no one feels left out. Even if you all live in the same city, sometimes it can work out cheaper to take a bus or train to another airport. It's always worth doing a bit of cost analysis.

Group holiday tip #4: Broaden your destination search

You can also get some special deals if you type a country into the destination field. This is especially handy during the planning phase, as it shows you what different options are available. For example, if you've decided to fly to Mexico, you might find it cheaper to fly into Cancun than San Jose Cabo. It can also be handy for finding cheaper airports. If you're planning a group trip to Benidorm, flying into Valencia might work out far cheaper than Alicante and is approximately 1.5–2 hours' drive away.

Group holiday tip #5: Share a hold bag

Sometimes a carry-on case just isn't enough, but you can't justify paying for a full hold bag either. This is the beauty of travelling with friends – you can share. Find someone to buddy up with, add a bag to the booking (usually 20-23kg for economy class on full-service airlines, though this varies — budget airlines may offer 15-20kg and premium cabins often allow more), and split the cost. Always check your specific airline's baggage policy before booking.

Group holiday tip #6: Quickly share accommodation options

To decide on where you want to stay, it's a good idea to get a list of requirements from everybody. Ask your friends questions like:

• Do you want to stay in the city centre, or a little out of town?

• Does it need to have a swimming pool?

• Would you rather stay together in a villa, or share a few rooms in a hotel?

• Is all-inclusive your vibe, or would you rather go out to dine and drink?

Once you've decided on your list of requirements, use the Skyscanner app to find the perfect place to stay. You can use our hotel search filters to whittle down the results. Once you find a few places that hit all the requirements, you can quickly share links with your group holiday chat.

Group holiday tip #7: Use apps to keep track of shared finances

Shared costs are at the heart of most fall-outs and arguments during group trips. Forgotten pledges to pay you back later can quickly descend into resentment. If you ask us, it's best to avoid any issues from the outset. Before you even book your flights, get everyone in your travel gang to download the same budgeting app. This will make it easy to split bills, calculate who owes what and see who's being left in the red.

Group holiday tip #8: Consider the ideal group size

The size of your travel group can make or break your trip. While there's no perfect number, most seasoned group travellers find that 4-6 people hits the sweet spot. This size is large enough to split costs and create a fun dynamic, but small enough to make decisions quickly and find accommodation that suits everyone.

Larger groups (8+ people) can access group booking discounts with some airlines and tour operators, but they come with challenges: harder to coordinate schedules, more difficult to find restaurants that can seat everyone together and increased likelihood of the group splitting into smaller factions. If you're planning a bigger trip, consider appointing a trip leader or breaking into smaller sub-groups for certain activities.

Smaller groups of 2-3 people offer maximum flexibility but fewer opportunities to split costs. Whatever size you choose, make sure everyone's on the same page about the group dynamic from the start.

Group holiday tip #9: Set expectations and handle disagreements

One of the biggest challenges in group travel isn't logistics — it's managing different personalities, budgets and travel styles. Before you book anything, have an honest conversation about expectations:

• What's everyone's budget for accommodation, activities and meals?

• Are you early risers or night owls?

• Does everyone want to do everything together, or is it OK to split up sometimes?

• How will you handle it if someone wants to do something the rest of the group doesn't?

It's also worth discussing what happens if someone needs to cancel. Will they lose their deposit? Can someone else take their place? Having these conversations upfront might feel awkward, but it prevents resentment later.

If disagreements do arise during the trip, address them quickly and calmly. Remember, you're all there to have a good time. Sometimes the best solution is to split up for an afternoon and regroup for dinner. There's no rule that says you have to be joined at the hip for the entire holiday.

Best destinations for a group holiday

Choosing the right destination can make group holiday planning much easier. The best group-friendly destinations offer a mix of affordable accommodation, easy logistics and activities that appeal to different interests. Here are some top picks for a fun group holiday:

Lisbon, Portugal – Affordable accommodation, walkable city centre, vibrant nightlife and easy day trips to Sintra and Cascais. Perfect for groups with mixed budgets.

Barcelona, Spain – Excellent public transport, beach and city activities, group-friendly tapas dining and plenty of cultural attractions. Large apartments and villas are widely available.

Budapest, Hungary – Budget-friendly destination with thermal baths, ruin bars and river cruises that work brilliantly for groups. Accommodation and dining are very affordable.

Bali, Indonesia – Ideal for larger groups wanting to rent a villa. Offers everything from beach clubs to temples, with affordable private transport options for getting around together.

Marrakech, Morocco – Riads (traditional houses) are perfect for groups, offering private accommodation with a shared courtyard. Easy to organize group activities like desert trips and cooking classes.

When choosing your destination, consider factors like visa requirements for all group members, the availability of group accommodation and whether activities can be easily booked for your group size.

Essential apps and tools for group holiday planning

Make planning, budgeting and communication easier for your group with these apps.

For scheduling and polls:

• Doodle – Best for finding dates that work for everyone

• When2Meet – Free alternative with a simple grid interface

For splitting expenses:

• Splitwise – The most popular expense-splitting app, perfect for ongoing trip costs

• Settle Up – Great for minimizing the number of transactions needed to settle debts

• Revolut or Monzo – Banking apps with built-in bill-splitting features

For group communication:

• WhatsApp – Create a dedicated group chat and use pinned messages for important information like flight details

• Telegram – Offers better file sharing and organization than WhatsApp for larger groups

For itinerary planning:

• Google Docs – Collaborative document everyone can edit with the trip itinerary

• TripIt – Automatically organizes travel confirmations into a master itinerary

• Wanderlog – Free trip planner that lets groups collaborate on routes and activities

The key is getting everyone to commit to using the same tools from the start. Choose 2-3 apps maximum to avoid confusion and make sure everyone downloads them before you begin planning.

Ready to make memories?

Organisation is more than half the battle when it comes to getting a group trip off the ground. Once you've decided where you want to go, found a time when everyone's available and sorted out your finances, all that's left to do is get out and enjoy yourselves. The key is clear communication, realistic expectations and a bit of flexibility — remember, the goal is to create amazing memories with your favourite people, not to execute a perfect plan.

Start by using a calendar app to lock in dates, book your flights together to secure the same price and set up a budgeting app before anyone spends a penny. Choose a destination that works for your group size and budget, have honest conversations about expectations, and don't be afraid to split up occasionally if interests diverge. With these nine group holiday tips in your back pocket, you're well-equipped to turn those "we should go away together" WhatsApp messages into an actual holiday.