How far ahead should you plan a group trip?

Three to six months for domestic trips and six to nine for international ones. Annual leave is usually requested a quarter ahead, so the dates need to be settled before that window closes.

What if nobody's schedules overlap?

Shorten the trip. A long weekend has far more viable windows than a full week, and a shorter trip that happens beats a longer one that does not.

Guide

How to plan a group trip when everyone has different schedules

Group trips fail in a predictable place: everyone agrees enthusiastically, nobody names dates, and three months later the idea quietly dies. Fixing the date stage fixes the trip.

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Settle the dates before anything else

Destination debates are fun and infinite. Dates are finite, and everything else — flights, accommodation, budget — depends on them. Run the date decision first and treat the destination as a separate conversation.

Poll a season, in blocks

Put two or three months in a single poll and ask people to mark the days they could be away. Look for consecutive blocks rather than individual days: a run of four days where the same five people are free is your trip.

For anyone with school-age children, the school calendar will decide their answer for them. That will show up immediately in the grid and saves a long conversation.

Know who is really coming

Poll the people who are committed to the trip, not everyone who reacted to the idea. A date chosen around uncommitted people is the most common reason a group trip shrinks after booking.

Ask for a deposit or a firm yes soon after the dates land. It is uncomfortable and it saves the trip.

Convert the maybes deliberately

On trips, maybe almost always means "if I get leave approved". Once you pick the block, message those people directly with the exact dates so they can request leave the same week.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should you plan a group trip?: Three to six months for domestic trips and six to nine for international ones. Annual leave is usually requested a quarter ahead, so the dates need to be settled before that window closes.
What if nobody's schedules overlap?: Shorten the trip. A long weekend has far more viable windows than a full week, and a shorter trip that happens beats a longer one that does not.

plan a group tripFind travel dates for your group.create a free availability pollStart collecting dates.

How to plan a group vacationThe order of operations that keeps a group vacation on track — and the two conversations most groups avoid until it is too late.How to coordinate a girls tripThe steps that get a girls trip from "we should do this" to booked, without the organiser burning out.

Find the day everyone can make it

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