A Pacific coast getaway, day trips in the Northeast, a girls’ outing to a theme park — however you like to vacation, you know that it’s going to be a good day when you can hit the road or take to the skies. But getting there can be totally nutty, especially if you’re going together with friends or the fam.
Technology has helped make group travel even smoother, thanks to apps and websites such as the ones we’ve pulled together for you below. Consider these new ways to make planning your group trip easier — and have a great time!
1. Venmo: If there’s one major game-changer in group travel, it’s being able to easily split the bill through apps like Venmo. The app is similar to PayPal, but you can conveniently request money from multiple people right at the table. Finally get that one friend who always orders the most expensive thing on the menu to pay for her indulgence in full!
2. Lyft: Yes, you know how to use Lyft for yourself. But did you know you can split the fare too? Now no single person is on the hook for that $60 cab ride from the airport — the app will allow up to five of you to split the bill however you see fit.
3. Spot: Forget Yelp — Spot is the beautiful, easy way to keep track of places you want to go and things you want to do. You can also save those places to lists, which you can collaborate on with friends who also have Spot or send outside the app with a quickly generated link. But Spot isn’t just for planning. You can use it on the ground in a city to see what’s good and cool and influencer-approved right around you. The app is an iOS exclusive for now, but tech-savvy Android users can sign up for the beta waitlist.
DL It: Free on iOS
4. Airbnb: You already know how to use Airbnb to turn up the coolest, chicest properties in a city. Now turn those finds into shareable wish lists. Once you’ve collected some good options in your target area and price range, the group can look at your map or list to narrow it down to everyone’s favorite places. Plus, now you can even book unique experiences led by local experts, such as training with a magician or tagging along with a truffle hunter.
5. Travefy: This might be the mother of all pre-planning tools. Travefy — which is so powerful there’s even a professional version for travel agents — is the easiest way to coordinate group travel. You can customize the days of your trip with widgets that add in things like flight details and hotel confirmations, and then you just share the itinerary with the group. It’ll save you all that time copying and pasting back and forth from multiple sites, and everyone will appreciate your organizational skills.
DL It: Free on iOS and Android
6. Pinterest: You’re saying “doy” to Pinterest, but remember that you can make secret boards and share them as well. An entire bachelorette party could put in links to the activities, places and things you want to see and do. Then you can “vote” through hearts and add comments the entire group can see. It’s definitely the prettiest way to be democratic about your decision-making.
7. Roadtrippers: If you’re headed out via car, use Roadtrippers to find all the hotels, attractions and even “weird stuff” (yes, that’s a category) along the way. The tool maps the itinerary for you, and not only can it help narrow down all the choices out there, but it also helps keep you on track. (Read: “Sorry, Sally, we can’t go see that giant ball of yarn — it’s not on the drive plan!”)
(Featured photo via Getty)
