A friend group holiday can either be one of the most memorable experiences of your life or a challenge of unexpected proportions. The direction of your trip will usually be determined by how well the experience has been planned, considering everyone’s budget, expectations, preferences, and ability to go with the flow.
You and your pals might be a bunch of laid-back travellers happy to go with the flow and see where your adventures take you. Or you might be part of a group that needs a strict daily schedule with a carefully balanced amount of relaxation and activity.
The key to travelling with friends is finding somewhere to stay and things to do that will keep everyone happy without causing any friction. There’s a travel style that brings out the best in every squad, and in this article, we explore five of the best of them.
Best Ways to Travel with Friends
Here are some ways to travel with friends that make your journey more enjoyable:
Go Camping
Many of us will have experienced childhood camping trips with friends and family, and there’s something wonderfully nostalgic about venturing back out into the wild with your crew. Camping is a brilliant option for friends who want to travel on a budget, but it can also be the perfect answer for groups looking to disconnect from modern life’s noise and pace.
A great thing about planning a camping trip with your friends is how it can bring you closer together, whether you’re bonding over struggling to put the tent up or sitting in a sleeping bag, staring at the stars. The only costs are travel to a campsite, site fees and food, but when split amongst quite a few people, you’ll find this a cost-effective holiday idea.
You also don’t have to be ‘outdoorsy’ to enjoy a friend group camping trip properly. Instead, book a spot at a glamping site and make the most of the modern amenities and even double beds.
Here are some of the best destinations for a group camping trip:
- Scotland’s Loch Lomond is known for its dramatic scenery and wild swimming.
- Spain’s Costa Brava for combining beach camping with vibrant nightlife
- Croatia’s national parks to hike waterfalls by day and enjoy incredibly affordable local wine by night
Rent a Campervan
Do you like the sound of a camping holiday with your gang but are less of a fan of full-on living in the great outdoors? We suggest renting a campervan for a holiday instead. You can take turns driving, change locations every couple of days, and laugh together about trying to park in a much larger vehicle than usual.
Whether you hire a small converted van or turn up the luxury with a properly kitted-out motorhome, a campervan holiday turns your accommodation into your base camp and gives you the freedom to take as many spontaneous detours as you want. It’s an excellent option for groups of friends who don’t want a rigid schedule for their holidays and instead would like to chase good weather, follow local recommendations, or park wherever looks interesting and call it home.
Some of the most popular places for campervan holidays are:
- New Zealand’s South Island is a classic option with van-friendly routes through fjords and mountains
- Portugal’s coast, which provides the perfect combination of surf beaches and charming towns
- The Scottish Highlands, specifically the North Coast 500 route
Hop Between Hostels
No matter your age, a classic option for a friend group holiday is to plan a multi-destination trip, staying in hostels as you travel. This is another brilliant budget-friendly option that means you can splurge most of your budget on food and activities, especially if you opt for a cross-continent journey via train.
Hostels are the ultimate social travelling experience, so if you thrive on meeting new people and welcoming stragglers into your squad, a hostel is the perfect environment. They’re also a great place to get recommendations for things to see and do, but they’re probably not the best for friendship groups that are more introverted!
Plenty of hostels now offer private rooms, so you don’t need to worry about sharing a dorm unless you want to commit to the experience fully. Backpacking around hostels can also be spontaneous outside of the peak season, so it’s an excellent option for groups planning a more extended trip.
Top hostel holiday locations include:
- Southeast Asia’s hostel trail through Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, offering incredible value and endless adventure opportunities
- Europe’s network of hostels in cities like Berlin, Barcelona, and Prague combines budget travel with seriously superb accommodation.
- For a UK break, the Lake District has an impressive concentration of hostels scattered across the mountains.
Book a Villa
Celebrating a special occasion? Searching for a holiday where you can relax? Want to spend your time away from other travellers?
A self-catering property like a villa is your best option.
Renting somewhere you and your friends have sole access to can make you feel like a temporary local and grant privacy that allows you to relax and unwind properly. You have the space to cook, socialise and chill out without worrying about bumping into other guests.
A villa holiday is ideal if you and your friends are quite a mixed bunch with different hobbies, interests and energy levels. You’ve got communal spaces to hang out together and private bedrooms where couples can enjoy alone time and introverts can recharge in peace.
The initial cost of a villa might seem steep, but you can save money by cooking and buying groceries at local markets and food shops.
When searching for large houses to rent, research:
- Tuscany, which offers incredible villa experiences surrounded by vineyards and medieval hilltop towns
- Bali’s villa scene combines tropical luxury with incredibly affordable pricing.
- Costa Rica’s eco-lodges provide adventure activities alongside private pools and volcano views that’ll make everyone back home seriously jealous.
Choose All Inclusive
Are you and your friends happy to spend a lot on your holiday? Treat yourselves and choose an all-inclusive resort.
Gone are the potential arguments about where to eat and what to do. The most significant decision facing you and your friends will be whether to spend time by the pool or on the beach, and when to start sipping on your first cocktail.
All-inclusive resorts offer a wide range of experiences depending on the kind of place that you choose, with guest activities ranging from spa treatments to water sports and outdoor pursuits. Many resorts are also located in towns with nightlife scenes that rival any major party destination and all-you-can-eat-and-drink restaurants.
Look for all-inclusive resorts in places like:
- Mexico’s Riviera Maya, which combines ancient Mayan culture with Caribbean beaches and legendary nightlife
- Turkey’s all-inclusive scene offers incredible value with activities ranging from hot air ballooning to traditional Turkish baths.
- Croatia’s newer all-inclusive properties, which provide stunning Adriatic settings with music festivals and yacht excursions
Travel is Better With Friends
Friend group holidays aren’t ever really about the destinations. They’re about the people with whom you experience the whole trip.
From curling up in a tent next to your besties to trying to make sense of a foreign public transport system, these holidays are an excellent opportunity to create special memories together and return home feeling closer than ever.
Be sure to communicate properly when planning to avoid drama while on holiday with your friends. Before anyone books anything, you need a clear idea of expectations, budgets, and personal preferences.
Choose the style that matches your group’s energy, embrace the chaos that inevitably comes with coordinating multiple people’s schedules and preferences, and remember that the best travel memories often come from the moments when everything goes slightly wrong. Still, you’re all laughing about it together.
