So many of us are thinking about rebooking all the trips that we had to postpone last year. In this week’s episode of the Travel Babies Podcast we talk about all our tips and tricks to planning the perfect weekend away with your besties! Listen for our guide to planning a girls’ trip!

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Transcript:

Juliana: Hey, travel babies dreaming of rebooking that girl’s trips that you had to postpone, whether you had to delay a bachelorette, a birthday party or just a weekend away. Now’s the time to start planning and we’re here to help.

JQ: This is travel babies. We’re just two sisters trying to travel the world in style. But sometimes things don’t go as planned. Each week we talk about important travel topics to help you decide when, where and how to explore the world in style. I’m JQ from the travel blog JQlouise.com.

Juliana: And I’m Juliana from Travel with Juliana. And before we get started, don’t forget to subscribe and give us a five star review to enjoy our podcast. It helps us a lot.

JQ: I know I’ve had to postpone a bunch of girls trips to the pandemic and I’m so ready to start planning them for later this year.

Juliana: Yeah, me too. I mean, I’m really ready to start planning for the summer especially. I know so many people are in this exact same position right now.

JQ: I mean, starting to think about rebooking trips that they had to cancel. So that’s one reason why we wanted to put this podcast together, just to give everyone, you know, our best tips and tricks on how to plan for those first post pandemic getaways.

Girls’ Trip Planning Who is going?

Juliana: So this sounds like a no brainer, but before you plan any trip, you really want to think about who’s going, you know, who are the different personalities, how do they mix? You know, so that’s actually really important to think about before you go.

JQ: Exactly. So, I mean, Juliana and I are super lucky. I mean, we’re sisters. We typically agree on most of the big decisions when it comes to planning a trip. But if you’re going with a group of friends that you haven’t really traveled with before, really thinking about the personalities is so important. Yeah.

Juliana: And I mean, it sounds like kind of formal to do before the trip. But, you know, everyone has different like if everyone has different expectations for the trip, they you don’t want to be just you don’t want anyone to be disappointed when they’re actually on the trip. So, you know, some people might want to sit by the beach or the pool or some people might want to see sights the entire time, or some people might want to just try all the different restaurants. So really just try to be clear about that going into it. Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Yeah. So this is really about talking about what the priorities are. So if your group can get aligned on priorities and this is just like in a loose fashion, like just get aligned on, OK, is our focus here we just want to stay at the beach as much as we can. We just want to can relax, sit at the beach or the pool or are we trying to sightsee or are we trying to go out every night, you know.

Juliana: Yeah. I mean, I really like something that pops into my mind when we’re talking about this is your bachelorette party. You know, we were a smaller group, six people like including you and me. And it was so much fun. I think we had we all kind of had the same idea of what we wanted to do. You know, maybe some people want us at the beach more, so maybe a little bit less. But I feel like knowing that ahead of time was really helpful. And, you know, we were in Miami. So I think there’s a lot of things you want to do in Miami, but a lot of the main things we all knew that we wanted to do. So that’s why it was easy, easy, fun trip. Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Exactly. And just if you get to new, you know, a point where the group agrees on the main priorities and just the main expectations of the trip early on, I mean, just that’s the more fun you’re going to have. If you guys can all get agreed on the main goals before you even get to the destination, then once you’re there, things will be just a breeze.

Budget

Juliana: OK, so what are some other things to think about before you actually go on the trip JQ?

JQ:  So I think the next big thing to talk about is budget. And I know it’s always awkward to talk about money, especially with your friends. But I mean, look, you’re going on a trip. You want to be on the same page. And I think it’s really about agreeing what’s worth splurging on and what’s worth saving money on. And just you want everyone to feel comfortable, but you also want to make sure you’re optimizing the money that you are spending. Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. And I mean, if you’ve if you’re going on a trip with people you’ve never traveled with, of course, it’s going to be new to you and them on, you know, how do they normally travel versus how you normally travel. So, you know, a good way to kind of get started. And talking about this stuff is, you know, choosing where you’re going to stay, what hotel or are you going to stay in an Airbnb? You know, these are good things to start the conversation off. Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Exactly. I mean, this is one way where it’s not awkward. I mean, you have to choose, OK, what hotel everything at. And obviously there are different price points for different hotels. So, you know, do you want a ultra luxury five star suite or do you want something more budget? You know, do you want something in between, like a four star hotel or maybe an Airbnb? Makes sense if you’re with a lot of people in that way, you can all be in the same house like, you know, just these are the natural things to talk about. And I think if you’re traveling with someone, you should be able to talk about money because, you know, you’re literally going somewhere else and, you know, you will be spending money in this should be something fun. So you want to decide when to splurge and when to save money.

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. And I mean, this is a good time to also talk about, like, what activities you’re going to do, because when we went to Miami, we were like, what are we actually going to do besides like sit at the beach? And we did this fun, like cooking class. So, you know, all the activities you do, like where we were going to eat. What restaurants, a lot of you, like, really want to go to, you can talk about those so, you know, kind of you can get an idea of how much you people are going to want to spend and see if you’re on the same page. Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Exactly. And like, no one in your group is really taking the lead on this. You know, feel free to, you know, empower yourself to do it. I mean, do your research I mean, usually comes down to research like you can get luxury hotels and luxury things at great prices, too. I mean, if you do your research, you can, you know, make your dollar go farther and also have more fun. Yeah, exactly.

Juliana: And I think you and I both are like making sure that we get the best value for our dollar. Like, we don’t want to overpay on something when we could easily go to something, you know, maybe slightly cheaper, but and it’s just as good. So I think we’re both about, like, really getting the best value, which I really like.

JQ: Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think it’s so important to, you know, because then you feel like, OK, like this was a little vacation. I really got a lot out of it. But you’re not breaking the bank and you’re not overspending and you’re just not wasting money. I mean, there’s nothing worse than the feeling that you’ve overpaid for something and you’ve wasted your money and you didn’t have fun.

Juliana: Exactly. That’s the worst feeling. And we’ve definitely both experienced that. And so we know, you know, do your research beforehand, read reviews, read blogs about it before you go like do as much research as you can beforehand so, you know, before you go. Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

Where are we eating?

JQ: So one of my biggest pet peeves when we’re traveling is just indecisive decisiveness when it comes to meals. So I’m obviously a foodie and I know Juliana is too. So we always just want to try the local cuisine and really experience the destination wherever we’re going. So we always research at least where we’re going to go to dinner most of the days on our trips, because no one like you don’t have to worry about it.

Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

You get to do your research ahead of time and really scope out the area. And then number three, you just literally you don’t have to think about it. I mean, it takes a big pressure off of your plate.

Juliana: Yeah, definitely. And I think, you know, I totally agree with JQ because planning the dinner is usually best instead of, you know, you can eat a really quick breakfast or you can eat a huge breakfast and skip lunch or you can get a small lunch and do a big dinner. So I think, like planning the dinner is a good, you know, point in the day where you’re like, OK, we can we have this much time before dinner and this is where we’re going to go. This is the area we need to be in. So it really like helps shape your whole day, pretty much. Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Yeah, exactly. And when you’re on a group trip, I mean, I think there’s a really fine balance between planning and over planning. So I’ve learned over the past few years as being a travel blogger that you should never book big lunches unless, you know, it’s a special situation. Like in one of our other podcasts, we talked about going to Michelin starred restaurants for lunch when you’re when you’re in places like Paris or London or Rome. But, you know, that’s for a specific reason. So if you’re just on a fun girls weekend in Miami, don’t plan a big lunch, because during the day you want to be out and about going to the beach, doing stuff, going to the spa, like that’s when you’re doing everything. So usually you’re going to have a quick lunch. Yeah, but like Juliana just said, you know, dinner is a big point in the day where you want to have something booked where, you know, OK, before dinner reservation at seven o’clock, we have this much time to get ready. We have this much time to get there. And we have a dinner reservation at one of the hot, cool restaurants.

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. And I mean, if you’re going with a bigger group or you’re going with, you know, people who have different, you know, eating styles and whatever, it’s good to know exactly what the restaurant has to offer so everybody will find something that they like. So that’s another reason to just try and plan ahead.

Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Yeah, that’s a great point, because, like I mean, that’s something that even sometimes I forget about, like is accommodating for like different dietary needs or different diets. I mean, you know, if people are vegan or vegetarian or, you know, gluten intolerant, like, you know, those are needs that I don’t have to think about because I eat everything and Juliana eats everything. So honestly, even for us, like, that’s something that I might overlook if I have to make a spur of the moment decision. But if you’re planning the trip ahead of time, that’s when you have, you know, the luxury of time and you’re not pressured. So, you know, you can get input from the rest of the group and make sure everybody’s taking care of.

Juliana: Yeah, and I know, like, when me and you can go on trips together, I think we usually especially when we plan these dinners and we know, okay, at dinner, we’re going to be eating a lot of food and it’s going to take long. Like when we were in London, we would do big, long extended dinners. So lunchtime we were like, okay, let’s just get something quick and healthy. And we typically tend to agree on these things. So I think that can also help to, you know, just know how much you’re going to eat at what meal, I think when you’re traveling, it can be really easy to overeat. And so then you’re just like, oh, I feel sick from this and it kind of messes up your day. So I think if you can, you know, kind of, eat a small breakfast. A smaller lunch, you know, you’re going to eat a big dinner or, you know, just spread it out throughout the day so that you feel like you can still do stuff that you want to.

JQ: Yeah, like, that’s a great point, because, I mean, I think everyone has this tendency to overindulge when they’re on a vacation because you’re like, oh, I’m on vacation. But like, if you eat foods that are different than what you normally or more than you normally or less than you normally, you’re not going to feel your best. So, yeah, like, that’s such a great point that I think doing your research ahead of time also helps you just to plan how much you’re eating and at what times.

Juliana: Yeah, definitely. So do you think we typically agree on like what specific foods? I think mostly

JQ: I mean, I think we mostly agree on the specific food. I mean, I think like I mean, sometimes we may be disagree on the specific restaurants to go to when we do have to make spur of the moment decisions.

Juliana: Yeah, and I think there’s some foods where I’m like, well, I didn’t check them like this, you know, and I’m like, I want my deviled eggs, you know? But other than that, I mean me and Jacqueline, like, are always open to trying anything. So I think that that’s really that’s why we like to travel together, because we know the other person’s not going to be like a super picky eater. But I think. Yeah, sometimes you don’t like some foods. Like, why not?

JQ: So see, like even we disagree sometimes, but, you know, at least we always have our dinners planned. So at least we know what time we’re going to there. Because the other thing is on girls trips, everyone takes a different amount of time to get ready.

Juliana: Yeah, that’s a good point, because if you’re like, OK, we need to be at dinner at 7:00, then everyone needs to plan their own time on when to get ready.

Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Yeah. And I also like it, you know where OK, maybe lunch time like everyone either does their own thing or there’s flexibility where you don’t have a reservation. That’s the other good thing. Like if some people do want to have a long, luxurious lunch, they can, but then the rest of the group can go to the beach.

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. And I think that was what we did in Miami, where it’s kind of like we had certain like checkpoints for all of us need to be together at the same time. But we had a lot of freedom within that. So getting the right amount of planning in is, you know, it’s definitely hard, but with more practice, it’s fun.

JQ: I mean, Juliana and I have learned this from, you know, going on so many trips together. It’s like look like once you start traveling with someone, you do learn their habits and you learn, you know, what keeps them going and keeps them motivated during the day. So if this is your first time traveling with a group of friends or, you know, a particular group of friends, like, just give it a chance. I kind of go with the flow and you’ll find out right away if it’s if this is a group that you want to travel with all the time.

Juliana: Exactly. And I think one thing that comes to mind, too, is like me and Jacqueline, you know, we don’t always agree on everything. And when we go on trips, we take a lot of photos. And no matter where we are and sometimes I’m like, OK, let’s just go, let’s just go. I’m done. And JQ is  like, still making me want to take more photos. So I think you have to, you know, it’s a give and take.

JQ: Yeah, exactly.

What Should You Pack for a Girls’ Trip

JQ: OK, so let’s move on to packing and you know how to prepare for packing. Yeah. So I feel like this is something that’s so important for girls trips, but it’s also so easily overlooked because you know, what you pack seems personal. But honestly, when you’re on a girls trip, it’s really not.

Juliana: Yeah. I mean, I think the best example, again, your bachelorette party in Miami, we were talking about like which days we were going to wear what bathing suits, what like basically every day had a theme. And so I think that was really good to talk about beforehand so that everybody was prepared and really felt, you know, it was a really inclusive environment, like we were all kind of matching and it was so much fun. So that’s a great example of just like talking about it before can really help.

JQ: Yeah. And I think, you know, it’s definitely an opportunity to, you know, make everyone feel included because I mean, I know personally, like, if, you know, you’re going somewhere and everyone brought, like, jean shorts and you forgot to bring jean shorts, like you’re going to feel left out.

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. Even just the smallest thing. Like jean shorts.

JQ: Yes. It’s yeah. It’s like you just want to make sure, like, if you have an idea in mind, you know, you want to make sure everyone is aware of that and just like talk about it ahead of time. But also, you know, it’s an opportunity to have fun with it. I mean, I think like having themes are like, you know, different color schemes or whatever is something that should go beyond bachelorette parties. Because if you’re on a trip with your best friends, then why not have fun with it?

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. And I mean, these things obviously differ, like, you know, with who you’re going with. I think obviously when it’s just you and me, we’ll talk about like exactly what pieces we’re going to bring or if it’s just like me going with one friend again, same thing we’ll talk about like, oh, we should take a picture with me wearing this and you wearing that. So but if it’s a bigger group than you, the themes is a great idea because everyone can just, you know, take their own kind of version on that theme.

JQ: So that’s what makes it fun. Yeah, and it also kind of just helps you bounce ideas off of each other because, you know, if you forget something, the great thing is when you’re in a group trip, hopefully someone else has that thing that you forgot.

Juliana: Yeah, exactly. And same with, you know, not just clothes, like anything.

Keep reading for more on How to Plan a Girls Trip!

JQ: Yeah. Like sunscreen or beauty products or whatever it is. Like, hopefully by talking about it, you might remind someone to bring it like it’s also just like you’re all in the same team. This is supposed to be fun. Yeah.

Juliana: And so like definitely make a group chat before you go so that you’re all just like ready to communicate. You know, you can plan, you know, going to the airport together and all that kind of stuff.

JQ: We hope you learned a lot about planning your next girl’s trip. Catch us next week for all the travel mishaps to avoid on these trips

Juliana: Thanks JQ.

JQ: Thanks, Juliana.

I hope you enjoyed learning How to Plan a Girls Trip!