Traveling with friends is fun but sometimes you and your group will encounter challenges along the way. You may have different preferences on what you’d like to get out of the trip so some degree of cooperation will go along way in having a smooth trip. To help others enjoy group travel, here are some tips on traveling as a group:

It’s all about people

Make sure that your group is not too big. Usually, 4-6 people is a good number because it makes sharing taxis or rooms more cost-effective. If more people join, it would be difficult to move around since there will be too many wants and needs to satisfy. It's good to have a flexible mindset when it comes to doing things as a group. You don't always have to do things together.

Have a pooled fund

Paying bills as a group may prove to be challenging because keeping tabs of expenses is tedious. I suggest pooling money and assigning one person in the group to be the treasurer. The treasurer would then be in charge of paying for group purchases such as rooms, groups meals, or train tickets. When eating out, the group can decide on a budget per person and if one’s order costs more, then one can pay out of pocket. This will save so much time because only one person heads to the cashier to pay and it takes away the burden of not having loose change to foot the bill.

Spread your cash

To keep your money safe, put your cash in different pockets. If you put all your money in one place and the unfortunate happens, you might end up losing all your cash in one go. I put my big bills inside my wallet which I’d keep in my bag (ideally the most secure place hiding place). I put smaller bills in my side pocket because it's difficult for pick-pockets to try and sneak up to my side. Then I place loose change in my back pocket since it's easy to take them. With this configuration, you can avoid opening up your whole wallet and exposing all your cash just to pay for a short commute or to buy a buy drink.

Read up

Researching about the history and background of the place will make your trip more meaningful and and enjoyable. Read blogs or watch videos online so the sights you will make much more sense. Reading up on the culture will make you communicate effectively with the locals. Learn a few words in the local language to have a better appreciation of the culture.

Positive Attitude

Don't expect all your plans to work out the way you planned them to. The unexpected twists and turns are all part of the trip. When things go awry, take it with a grain of salt and try to see it in a positive light. Being worked up and negative about sudden changes will only make things worse. It's going to ruin the mood of the people on the trip as well. At the very least, an unexpected turn of events will make for a good story once you get home.