A trip with friends takes you to places you can't explore alone. Not due to geographical limitations (you only need yourself and a destination to travel) but because of your internal map, which can provide direct access to emotions and experiences that only emerge when shared. This type of getaway, unlike solo, couple, or family trips, is broadly a movement of connection. Exploring the world with friends allows you to expand infinitely and beyond. In this article, we offer practical tips to organize a trip with friends, along with the best destinations to celebrate friendship and special ideas to enhance the experience.
Key Considerations to organize a trip with Friends
What do you need to organize a trip with friends? Firstly, flexibility and a desire to have fun. Proper planning and setting common priorities help foster a good atmosphere before and during the trip. Balancing budgets and deciding how to manage expenses beforehand also simplifies things. If you divide tasks and responsibilities equally based on each person's skills, your vacation will flow smoothly towards collective well-being. Like traveling with Generation Z kids or your significant other, it's crucial to carve out moments of solitude, respecting everyone's personal space and freedom.
As for what to bring on a trip with friends, here's a tip that always works: include a shared suitcase packed with your favorite board games, card decks; as well as books, comics, or magazines; possibly a tablet or laptop for watching movies together anywhere; and, on a practical note, a basic first aid kit, documents for itineraries and bookings, extra chargers, and any other item you think might be useful. Don't forget to download apps like Splitwise, to split all your expenses, TripCase, to create routes that include flights, accommodation, and car rental data, or Journi, for saving and sharing photos. Choosing the ideal hotel and destination will do the rest.
The best vacation spots for friends
Crete
Crete is a top Mediterranean vacation spot for friends. With the vibrant energy of the Greek Islands and over a thousand kilometers of coastline, this land of myths and poets hosts countless idyllic coves, not to mention its lively nightlife. You’ll find the Palace of Knossos and the site of the legendary Minotaur's Labyrinth, the pink shores of Elafonisi, or the stunning Samaria Gorge, a hit with hiking enthusiasts.
Iberostar Selection Creta Marine, a five-star resort with a private beach, is located in Rethymnon, in a privileged natural setting. It features three seawater pools, an indoor pool, three restaurants, and six bars; plus its own Underwater Music Club. At its SPA Sensations, you'll find the wellness you deserve after dancing till dawn. The resort also has a tennis court and fitness area to keep the energetic ones active. Plus, if you're planning to travel during June, July, or August, you can follow the UEFA Euro and the Paris 2024 Olympics from the hotel.
Balearic Islands: Mallorca, Ibiza, or Formentera?
The Balearic Islands are a vortex of possibilities. In one vacation week, you can move between islands (the ferry is the most sustainable transport option) and enjoy diverse experiences. Start with a few days in Mallorca enjoying beauty treatments, dining well, and soaking up the sun. At Iberostar Selection Llaut Palma, an adult-oriented hotel, you'll find peace and exclusivity. Its Katagi Blau restaurant, located on the rooftop, offers a blend of Japanese and Mallorcan cuisines, with signature cocktails and a chef's show cooking.
After the calm comes the party. Ibiza is home to some of the world's most prestigious nightclubs and clubs, catering to all tastes, though electronic music, from house to techno-house and techno, is predominant. Iberostar Selection Santa Eulalia Ibiza is located in the Es Canar area, an oasis surrounded by Mediterranean forest and open to the sea. Booking its Star Prestige rooms, you’ll enjoy premium attention, with a relaxation room, private reception, and sky lounge with solarium, Balinese beds, and an infinity pool. The perfect finale? Ending the trip with friends in Formentera, watching the sunset and swimming in crystal-clear waters, fully present in the moment.
Fuerteventura
What do you for a trip with friends focused on water sports and outdoor adventure? Simple: a magical destination like Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands. The Canarian beaches here meet all the requirements for surfing and related disciplines that demand specific geological and climatic conditions, like kitesurfing or windsurfing. Whatever your preference and skill level (even if you're just starting), you'll discover the exciting universe that surrounds the surfer lifestyle, highly recommended for making new friends and strengthening bonds between waves.
Iberostar Selection Fuerteventura Palace is located on Jandía Beach, at the heart of the island. After your surfing sessions, at this five-star hotel you'll gaze at a cinematic starry sky, relax, and indulge in a volcanic landscape and the rich, varied Canary Islands cuisine. With six restaurants and bars, you'll also taste a wide selection of international delights, like the modern Japanese cuisine of Teppanyaki. Additionally, this accommodation features a drink truck and pool bar, where sunlit cocktails taste even better.
Cádiz
The combination of Cádiz and good friends never fails. In Chiclana de la Frontera is the multi-awarded La Barrosa Beach, considered one of the most beautiful coasts in Andalusia and also in the rest of Europe. With a panoramic view of the beach, the hotel Iberostar Selection Andalucía Playa is part of the Iberostar Novo Sancti Petri golf complex, which hosts a club with two 18-hole courses designed by the international champion Severiano Ballesteros. From its exceptional location, you’ll also enjoy unique views of La Barrosa.
Adjacent to the resort is the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park, a large estuary that encompasses areas with marshes, dune beaches, pine forests, and some muddy habitats. Thanks to its excellent location, from this accommodation you also have the option of visiting other nearby Andalusian natural parks, such as Doñana, where important populations of birds, amphibians, and other endangered species in Spain are concentrated.
Praia do Forte
What are the best vacation spots for friends outside Europe? There are many, but Brazil has something that will captivate you. With some of the most interesting carnivals in the world among its festivities, such as those in Rio de Janeiro or Bahia, this joyful country also houses the largest of terrestrial forests, the Amazon rainforest. Its coastline, lined with long white sand beaches and turquoise waters (yes, the kind of coast you think of when you think of a postcard coast) will elevate you to another level of harmony with the environment.
Iberostar Selection Praia do Forte is located in a natural reserve, on the beach of the same name, recognized as an example of ecological balance where four species of endangered sea turtles coexist. To protect them, this all-inclusive accommodation has its own surveillance station, along with all the comforts to combine luxury and sustainability during your stay, like it's five pools and its five bars and six restaurants, where Brazilian and international recipes are prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Special Ideas to organize your Trip with Friends
Where to go or what to bring on a trip with friends matters, but so does what to do to make the getaway extra special. Community tourism offers alternatives to traditional vacations, linking sustainable plans, cultural diversity, and support for local economies. Thus, this growing philosophy invites you to travel consciously and connected to the territories, prioritizing environmentally respectful activities and community engagement, focusing on aspects like learning and responsible consumption.
Other unique getaways involve celebrations, for example, a birthday or a tailor-made wedding. In this regard, if you're getting married and want to take care of every detail as well as your guests, in top wedding destinations like Mexico you'll have the assurance of a team of expert wedding planners ensuring that everything goes perfectly. Meanwhile, you'll just need to worry about celebrating with your loved ones. Whether there is a celebration in the air or not, these offers at Iberostar hotels will make organizing a trip with friends easier. With them, your next escape will be closer than ever.
