Plain Sailing: Top Tips For Planning The Perfect Group Trip

A group trip such as a corporate away day, an extended family occasion, a school trip, or community club event is an exciting prospect. However, if the majority of the planning and organising falls on your shoulders, it can be rather daunting: what could possibly go wrong? 

We hear you, which is why we’ve put together a guide to help you plan the perfect trip with coach hire. 

Get an idea of numbers

First up, put some feelers out about who will be interested in going on the trip so that you have got an idea of the headcount. This will ensure that you book the most appropriate size of coach, such as a minibus, standard coach, or even a double decker. 

Consider if you want luxury features such as tables, catering and bar options, toilets, full entertainment systems, and leather interiors. This will make the journey all part of the experience, and can help to make longer trips such as sightseeing tours all the more comfortable and enjoyable.

If you are looking for wedding transport, you may want to hire an executive chauffeur driven car, or even a vintage Routemaster Bus if you have a large party or just want something that will look brilliant in the photographs!  

Research your coach hire company carefully and check out reviews and recommendations so that you can be confident of their reliability, quality and safety standards.

Decide on the destination

The right destination is obviously the key to a successful day out, and this will probably be led by the purpose of the trip—an educational school visit; a historical tour; a night out on the town; a corporate event; a Christmas shopping trip; or a big sporting event, for example. Make sure that the destination holds something of interest to everyone in the group.

For example, many historical and cultural venues such as castles and museums have special programmes that link in with the various stages of the National Curriculum. Check which age groups they cater for if you are planning a school trip, so that the students can get the most out of the day.

The distance and journey time involved should also be considered. Longer travel times may be best incorporated into an overnight stay to avoid rushing and make the effort worthwhile. If you are travelling for more than two or three hours, plan some breaks along the way. You may want to consider stopping off at places of interest. 

Plan the itinerary

Put together a plan for the day so that you make the most of your time and don’t feel under pressure to make constant decisions when you arrive. Don’t pack activities into every single minute, otherwise you might feel as though you are on a route march and you will not have a chance to properly take everything in.

Leave some breathing space so you are not continually worrying about timescales: you can always fill up spare moments with some spontaneous ideas. However, too little structure may mean that you end up drifting aimlessly or lingering too long in one place or on one activity, and the whole trip might feel rather unsatisfactory. 

Aim to strike a good balance between interesting sights and activities and more chilled moments. Don’t forget to consider meals and refreshments, whether you ask everyone to bring their own packed lunch and snacks, or want to make more formal dining arrangements. 

Consider any special needs of the group members, such as accessibility or dietary requirements. If you have a larger group, they may want to divide up into smaller groups so that everyone has a chance to see or do everything they want to. The key is to stay flexible, but be familiar with the destination so you will always have a plan B.

Keep lines of communication open

Start planning your trip well in advance so that everyone has the best chance of being available and you can be sure of your first choice of coach hire company, destination, and so on. Share the itinerary with the whole group in advance so that they know what to expect, and ask for everyone’s emergency contact details.

Confirm all the details with your travel company and venue a few days before the trip so you are sure everything is set up and ready to roll.