share travel plans with friends

5 Group Travel Planning Apps to Make Trips With Friends and Family Easier

Planning your next vacation with friends or family will be easier with these free group travel planning apps that promise to make everyone happy.

Travel is more fun if you can share the experiences with your loved ones. On the other hand, planning a trip with a group can be stressful, given the different logistics, opinions, requirements, and interests. These travel planning apps for groups try to make it easier to come up with an itinerary that all your friends can contribute to and feel happy with.

Each of the apps approaches the problem of group travel planning in different ways. So you'll need to keep in mind which one your group is bound to feel most comfortable with.

All the apps in this list are free or have a free tier that has enough features to make you feel like using it for an upcoming trip.

1. Hoku (Android, iOS): Super Simple Group Travel Planning App

If your group isn't too tech-savvy, they're going to be overwhelmed with some of the apps in this list. Simplicity, or the lack of extraneous features, is sometimes the best way to get people to participate in such apps. Hoku keeps it as simple and easy as possible, giving you the ability to make your trip with friends and chat about it.

As the creator, you can give a trip name, add the city or place you'll be visiting, pick start and end dates, and invite co-travelers via email. In the trip, you can add multiple activities. When you open the activity pane, you'll see popular tourist attractions from the chosen location. Tap any to add them to your itinerary while also choosing a date. The activities are then arranged chronologically in the main tab.

All participants in that Hoku group can use the Hoku chat to talk about the plans. A dedicated chat space for the trip is a nice way to keep away clutter from your regular group chat on IM. Once the trip is ready, you can also export it as a document and send it via email.

Download: Hoku for Android | iOS (Free)

2. MiTravel (Web): Travel Planning Board for Groups to Collaborate

Trello or other kanban boards to plan your tasks help you visualize everything you have to do about a project. MiTravel uses that system to make a travel planning board, where you collaborate with others to add various items for your shared trip and even conduct polls to reach decisions quickly. Best of all? It's completely free with no hidden costs.

When planning a new trip, you'll have to first add the location (country, region, or city) and trip dates. Then, invite any co-travelers to your planning board. By default, each trip has a few columns set up: Transit, Stays, Notes, Attractions, and Foods. You can add a card to any of these and give it a header color to indicate what it's about. Each card has a simple text box, but you can also add attachments for things like your flight tickets or hotel bookings.

The Explore tab lets you search for and add places you intend to visit. You can save any attraction to your board, adding the group it belongs to. Cards can be moved around between groups easily.

When you're traveling as a group, there are several decisions you need to make together. MiTravel offers a simple poll maker to get everyone's opinion on an issue, which is visible to all participants.

3. Troupe (Web, iOS): Planning, Polling, Voting, and Shared Itinerary for Group Travel

Troupe is one of the most robust apps made for planning a trip as a group. It includes a host of features that aim to solve the problems that every group has experienced in the planning stage of a trip. Once your invitees join, they can choose to be marked as "interested" or "going" so that you can differentiate between the certainties and the maybes.

Your Troupe dashboard has different sections to make trip planning easier:

• Polls: Create a poll about any decision related to the trip, with multiple choices, and let travelers vote.
• Dates: Add your travel dates and any notes related to them.
• Destinations: Select one or multiple destinations and align them to the overall travel dates.
• Stays: Add accommodation directly, or add multiple options that your travelers can vote on. Whether voting is allowed or not is up to you.
• Activities: Like Stays, add multiple activities by searching on Google Maps, adding direct links, or writing custom plans. Choose whether participants get to vote or not.
• Itinerary: Create a custom itinerary for the trip based on the dates, destinations, stays, and activities that you have decided on.
• Notes: Add any additional information about the trip that anyone might need to know.

Troupe also allows anyone to send a "Broadcast" message that can reach all participants. It's great to use for things other than reminders or deadlines, both of which are options you can set for voting or polling in Troupe.

Download: Troupe for iOS (Free)

4. Plan Harmony (Web): Calendar Planning and Budget Tracking for Group Trips

Plan Harmony lets you create multiple trips to invite friends to by simply sharing a link, after which you can collaborate to plan it. Once you've set the dates of travel, the default view shows a calendar, so you are planning as if in a shared Google Calendar.

Anyone can add an event or an idea to this calendar, where the basic difference is that an event is something you have all agreed upon, while an idea is something you will vote upon. Under the event or idea title, you'll have to choose a category such as flight, accommodation, attraction, food/restaurant, etc. Each category has different prompts for the details you add to the event, such as flight number, car type or confirmation code, locations and links, and so on. You can also add notes and descriptions, give it a custom color, set its date and time, and finally add what it's going to cost.

Cost tracking is a major part of group travel, and Plan Harmony seeks to make it easier by letting you add costs for each event and specifying whether it's the group cost that's to be evenly split or the per-person cost. In the Budget dashboard, you'll see a breakdown of all these expenses and a per-person analysis of what you're spending on the trip.

With Plan Harmony's paid pro version, you get more robust budget tools such as exporting them to a spreadsheet, multiple costs for different people, etc. It also unlocks other features such as syncing with a calendar app of your choice and adding unlimited checklists or attachments to events.

5. Mobili (Android, iOS): Best Mobile App for Group Travel Planning

If you prefer a mobile app over a desktop, Mobili is the best option. It has all the major features of apps like Troupe and Plan Harmony in a simple interface for phones.

When you make a new trip and invite your friends, the main screen shows the itinerary. There are three broad categories: Travel, Lodging, and Activity. In each, you can add different details like departure and arrival times, booking numbers or confirmation codes, links, and images or screenshots of the bookings. Any item you add can be made private, public, or duplicated to all travelers.

The Split feature is a powerful budget tracker. You can add any expense here, noting the amount paid and what it was for, the currency, when and who paid, and which participants will be splitting this expense. Expenses can also be made private if you wish. As you keep adding, it'll all be calculated in the Overview tab. It's almost as good as some of the best bill-splitting apps for groups .

Mobili also has a built-in group chat to discuss your travel plans on IM. The Notes tab lets you add any pertinent things to remember. And in Compare, you can check the different details added by participants to quickly compare things like arrival and departure times.

Download: Mobili for Android | iOS (Free)

Ask What's Non-Negotiable, Not What's Preferred

When making travel decisions as a group, you'll often come to a point where there isn't any consensus. Most apps and travel experts recommend taking a vote to figure out what common ground you can reach. However, that can still leave some people miffed. In such cases, try approaching the issue by changing the question.

Instead of voting, or perhaps before voting, ask what everyone's non-negotiable item is. Sometimes, people don't know what they want but are clear about what they don't want. And with that knowledge, others can help come up with a decision or solution that satisfies the whole group.

18 Group Travel Planning Apps That Make Life Easier

Planning a group vacation with a number of different people can be a fun yet challenging endeavor. It requires effective coordination, communication, and savvy budget management. Whether you’re the group leader or just a member of your traveling group, you should check out the best group travel planning apps that will make the process smooth and simple.

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Table of Contents

Group Travel Planning Apps to Organize Your Next Trip

There are a variety of mobile apps that are designed to simplify vacation planning and help while you’re traveling on the trip. In this comprehensive guide, we have the top-notch mobile apps that are the very best for group travel planning, whether it involves accommodating different budgets, organizing an unforgettable friend group getaway, or discovering expert tips for the best deal on anything from train tickets to hotel rooms.

1. Wanderlog

​Wanderlog is the ultimate travel companion when you’re planning for a diverse group of friends, each with their own unique budgets and preferences. Whether you have a smaller group or you have a lot of group members in your travel party, this comprehensive travel app empowers every member to contribute their preferences and financial constraints. Hopefully this will ensure a smooth, fun trip for the whole group. 

From finding budget-friendly hotel choices to meticulously mapping out the best time for spa appointments, Wanderlog covers every aspect of your adventure. It can even create a detailed itinerary to help you get started.

With its seamless integration with Google Maps, you can easily chart your course and discover the hidden gems that will make your group trip the best thing you’ve ever done together.

Wanderlog offers a free version with basic features, but it also has a premium paid subscription plan called “Wanderlog Pro” for advanced features. Download on App Store or Google Play

2. Shared Notes (iPhone)

​ Communication is key when coordinating a group adventure, and Notes on iPhone helps you maintain clear and concise group texts and notes. From hashing out travel dates and sharing to-do lists to keeping track of key things to remember during your journey, this feature keeps the whole group informed and organized.

Shared Notes is a built-in feature on iOS devices, and it’s free to use. All you have to do is create in your Notes app and then select that you want to share.

​ Handling expenses for a large friend group can be a challenge, but Tab simplifies it by helping you keep track of who owes what. This app’s seamless functionality makes sure that everyone enjoys the whole trip without any financial hiccups, allowing your group to focus on the fun of your adventure.

Tab is a free app for  splitting expenses . Download on App Store or Google Play

4. Trip Splitter

The mobile app Trip Splitter is an indispensable tool for meticulous expense management. Its ability to maintain a comprehensive record of spending is particularly valuable when dealing with different budgets and a variety of preferences. 

Whether you’re tracking expenses for a long-term trip or ensuring that everyone contributes their fair share at dinner, this app has got you covered.

Trip Splitter offers a free version with basic features, but it also has a premium paid subscription plan for additional features. Download on App Store or Google Play

5. Splitwise

Managing expenses — even with a large group of people — becomes a breeze with Splitwise . This free travel planning app is designed to create fairness and financial transparency. No one wants to be bogged down with financial worries during a trip, and Splitwise ensures that everyone enjoys their vacation without worrying about budget disparities. 

It’s a reliable tool for tracking who owes what, making sure your friend group’s budget remains intact throughout your adventure.

Splitwise is a free app for expense splitting and management. Download on App Store or Google Play

6. Facebook Group (FB Group)

​ Creating a private Facebook Group is a great way to facilitate communication about trip plans within your friend group. It’s also one of our favorite platforms to use when  planning a family reunion . This is a versatile platform for discussing everything from the tourist attractions you want to visit to organizing group conversations and answering questions from your fellow travelers.

The platform allows for discussions, event planning, and real-time updates. This is a great free travel app for keeping everyone in the loop.

Creating and using private Facebook Groups is free. Download on App Store or Google Play

7. WhatsApp

​ Using WhatsApp is the perfect way to coordinate a travel-based group chat instead of working your way through texts with everyone’s phone number or email threads when planning. It’s an ideal platform for coordinating plans and sharing arrival times with your friend group. 

Stay connected, share travel ideas when planning, or meet up locations when at your destination. You can make the most of your adventure with this reliable messaging app that ensures everyone is on the same page. This app uses your device’s data or wifi to send the messages, so it doesn’t charge you any international rates. 

WhatsApp is a free messaging app. Download on App Store or Google Play

​GroupMe elevates group messaging with advanced features like event planning and location sharing. It is perfect for keeping everyone informed and connected during your friend group’s journey. Using the app is a simple way to ensure that every member of the group can be a part of the process of working out travel details, and helps you stay connected while traveling.

GroupMe is a free messaging app. Download on App Store or Google Play

​ Streamlining the planning process for your group of friends is effortless with TripIt . This sophisticated app automatically generates a master itinerary that includes hotel bookings, real-time flight alerts, and key things to do during the trip. 

This trip planner app also keeps all of your confirmation numbers for hotel reservations, flight information, and rental cars all in one spot. It’s a must-have tool for ensuring everyone in the group is well-prepared and informed.

TripIt offers both a free version with basic features and a premium paid annual subscription plan called “TripIt Pro” for enhanced features. It’s great for keeping all of the important details in one place. This is one of the best travel planner apps out there. Download on App Store or Google Play

​Band is a fantastic communication hub for friend groups, offering document sharing via Google Docs, creating shared photo albums, and maintaining group chats for discussions.

This is the best way to keep everyone engaged and informed about the latest developments and ideas throughout the planning process and the journey.

Band is a free communication app. Download on App Store or Google Play

11. Coordle

​ When coordinating activities for groups with varying preferences, Coordle shines by simplifying the process of finding the best time for group activities and excursions and allowing all planning to happen in one centralized app. It ensures a good time for everyone, making it easy to have an unforgettable adventure. 

Coordle offers a free version with basic features, but it also has a premium paid subscription plan for additional features. Download on App Store or Google Play

12. Family Album

​ Preserving cherished memories is easy with Family Album, a private photo-sharing app that lets you create dedicated photo albums to relive the highlights of your adventure with your friend group. Share expert tips and insider knowledge through images and captions that encapsulate your experiences.

Family Album offers a free version with basic features, but it also has premium paid subscription plans for more storage and features. Download on App Store or Google Play

13. Shared Photo Albums

​ Capture every moment of your adventure by using Shared Phone Albums, available for use on both iOS and Android devices. Ensure that each member of the friend group contributes their photos to create a complete visual narrative of the experiences from your trip.

This feature is available on iOS and Android devices, and it’s part of the phone’s functionality. It’s one of the best free travel planner apps for organizing your group’s memories.

​Troupe makes decision-making easy within smaller groups by facilitating the process of selecting activities and planning excursions together. It ensures that the travel itinerary aligns with the diverse preferences and expectations of your friend group, guaranteeing a well-rounded adventure that everyone will love.

Troupe offers a free version with basic features, but it also has premium paid subscription plans for additional features. Download on App Store or Google Play

15. Tripline

Tripline introduces a creative quality to your group travel experience by enabling the creation of captivating interactive travel maps. These maps serve as an engaging showcase of your journey’s route and highlights. This makes it easier for your friend group to relive the adventure and share their travel tips with others.

Tripline offers a free version with basic features, but it also has premium paid subscription plans for more advanced features. Download on App Store or Google Play

16. TravelSpend

​TravelSpend is great for streamlining expense management. It simplifies the process of splitting costs among friends or family members with real-time expense tracking, and it converts currencies automatically. TravelSpend empowers group travelers to stay on top of their financial commitments, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the trip without financial stress. 

Thia app also offers analytical data about your spending so that you can track what you’re spending the most (or the least) on. 

TravelSpend is a free app for tracking travel expenses. Download on App Store or Google Play

17. Google Maps

​ Google Maps has a function called My Maps that can be used to create personalized maps for different destinations. It’s a great addition to your next trip with family and/or friends. 

You can drop pins on the best places to visit, separate maps by different cities, pin the must-try restaurants, landmarks, and museums, and navigate to the nearest transportation hubs. Everyone can share this travel map, making it essential to have it on everyone’s phones.

It also works as a typical map app showing the best routes and travel time between destinations. You can also get offline access if you don’t have phone service.

Google Maps is a free application that works on Android and iOS. Download on App Store or Google Play

18. SaveTrip

SaveTrip is another app that can be used by family members to plan trip itineraries together. You could work together on each day, or split your trip days between family members and let everyone plan a day. 

After you have planned your days you can present your ideas to the group. The next step is to vote on things, set a budget, and agree on travel. You can even make a vision board using the notes tool. 

Once you take the trip, you can manage a budget, share costs, and use the integrated Google Maps feature to get around. 

This app is free to download and use. Download on App Store or Google Play

Mastering the art of group travel planning with different budgets and varying preferences can be challenging. With these indispensable mobile apps, it can be an easy experience that allows everyone to relax and have fun. With apps like these, you can be your own travel agent. Use these travel apps to put together a successful trip with all of your friends and family.

From expense management to communication and itinerary planning, these apps cater to every aspect of group getaways. So, gather your favorite people, download one of these great travel tools, and get ready to easily make some amazing travel plans!

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6 Apps That Make Planning Group Travel Easier

Planning a trip among friends or family can be tricky. Help keep everyone on the same page with these group travel planning apps that organize itineraries, expenses and photos.

Available on iOS and Android Prava is an itinerary manager that offers in-app messaging, a to do list and notepad, perfect for planning group trips. Additional features make this app a great travel companion as well. From the app, you can share your location with other group members, perfect if you’re arriving in a destination from many different locations. You can also share trip photos and calculate expenses through the app.

At the conclusion of your vacation, your group can choose to share part or all of your itinerary with other Prava users, inspiring other groups to follow in your footsteps.

Available on iOS only; Android coming soon No matter where you are, what currency you paid in or who paid, figure out who owes what with group travel app Splittr. Divide hotel, grocery, attraction and transportation costs between friends or family. The app converts any expense to your preferred currency and allows you to split bills unevenly between group members. After your vacation, export PDF or CSV reports to let everyone know how much they owe other travelers. You unfortunately aren’t able to pay your balance using the app.

For an app that includes all the same functions and works on both iOS and Android, choose Splid.

Available on iOS and Android This is another app the manages expenses within a group. It shares many of the same features as Splittr and Splid, with two exceptions.

• Splitwise integrates with Venmo, making it ideal for groups who already share money via the app.
• There is no option to change currencies in the app, so it’s more appropriate for groups traveling domestically.

Available on iOS and Android Whether you’re planning a spring break trip, bachelorette party or family reunion, keep all the details in a single place with Travefy. Use the chat and polling function to discuss details, collect money (there is a fee to use a credit card) and start building your sharable itinerary. Forward confirmation emails to the app and your flight, rental car, accommodation, activities and restaurant reservations will appear in one place.

You can view your itinerary on a map and search nearby for other attractions, sorted by hotels, activities and food. Whether you imported an activity or Travefy suggested it, your group will be able to see Trip Advisor reviews for the attraction. During the trip, track your expenses (multiple popular currencies are available) in the app so your group can see who owes who what and pay via credit card or PayPal after heading home.

Available on iOS and Android This app is a less robust group vacation planning tool, but if you’re looking for something simple, Tripline may be for you. Multiple group members can map out your accommodations and the attractions you’re planning to explore, then share the map with other people who may be interested in following your trip.

Your group members can upload photos and add text for any location on your Tripline map. The app takes these photos and creates a simple animation outlining your trip, which is available for other Tripline users and can be shared on social media.

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5 Easy Ways to Share Your Travel Plans with TripIt

April 29, 2020

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The TripIt team is always looking for ways to make travel less stressful. We know the importance of staying connected to friends, family, and colleagues while you’re traveling, so we’ve created several ways to help you share travel plans using TripIt.

Sharing your TripIt itinerary via iOS is just one of five ways to let your friends, family, or colleagues know your travel plans.

Share travel plans from the TripIt app

Just click the share icon on your itinerary to share your travel plans via text or email . No more copying and pasting the details about when you’re arriving or where you’re staying.

You can also select individual (or multiple) trip plans within a TripIt itinerary and send them via text, Slack, WhatsApp, or your favorite messaging app, as shown above. 

When you share, you can choose from three different levels of access:

• Traveler: Someone who is going on the trip and can collaborate on the trip details.
• Planner: Someone who is not going on the trip but can help to organize the trip details.
• Viewer: Someone who can see the details of your trip but can’t change or add to them.

Share your travel plans from TripIt.com

You can share your trip from the TripIt website in two ways:

• Private invitation: On the itinerary page of your trip, click “add” and enter the email addresses of the people you’d like to share your trip with. Next, choose if you’d like them to be a traveler, viewer, or planner of the trip.
• Public link: You can generate a unique link/URL that will let anyone with access to the link view your trip. This method is helpful if you want to post your trip on your blog or in some other forum, where any member of the public could view your itinerary. Because trips contain travel dates and flight numbers, use public URL sharing cautiously.  

Share itineraries with your Inner Circle

As a TripIt Pro member, you can select the people in your Inner Circle , and we’ll do the sharing for you. No more forwarding, texting, or calling required. 

• You can add and remove contacts, as well as edit permissions, all from the TripIt app.
• New trips are shared to your Inner Circle as soon as they’re posted in your account.
• When you’d prefer not to share travel plans, simply select “Do not share with Inner Circle” when creating the trip.  

Share travel plans directly from Messages in iOS 

TripIt for iMessage makes sharing travel plans as easy as sending a text. You can send all or part of your travel plans through iMessage to other users.

• If plans change or if an element is added, TripIt refreshes those plans—ensuring everyone in the conversation has the latest information.
• When TripIt Pro users share flight information, anyone receiving that information will be able to check the status of the flight without leaving Messages.

Share your travel plans on social media

Sharing trips to your social network is the easiest way to get travel advice, like where to eat, what to see, and what to do. And sharing can help you coordinate with friends in the same city as you.

Create a shareable link for social media by simply clicking the Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn icon on the itinerary page of your trip.

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Group Trip Planner App: What is Troupe?

by Danielle Owen | May 31, 2023 | Group Travel | 0 comments

The Ultimate Group Trip Planner App

Planning a getaway with family or friends and looking for a trip planner app to help you figure out the logistics? That’s where Troupe comes in. There are endless details that go into planning a group trip. Coordinating flights, arranging transportation, and figuring out accommodations can feel like impossible tasks with multiple people involved.

A group trip planner like Troupe allows you to consolidate the planning into one place. No more endless email threads or constant texting back and forth with questions about the itinerary.

What is the Troupe group trip planner app?

Troupe is a travel planning app that makes group travel easy. Troupe’s intuitively designed app allows group travel planners to seamlessly coordinate, plan, and book group trips all in one place. From voting on the destination to sharing flight bookings, Troupe helps everyone in the group quickly and easily communicate all things related to the group getaway. 

Bachelor parties , girls trips , family reunions, couples’ getaways… you-name-it. Whether you’re flying, driving, or walking to your destination doesn’t matter. Troupe is designed to help with the logistics, no matter how big or small. 

So how does Troupe work?  Check out these features.

(…or click here to start using Troupe now.)

Troupe trip planner app features

Troupe was built off the massive demand for a seamless, efficient group travel planner. The app was developed and perfected based on hundreds of hours of interviews with travelers from all walks of life. 

This taught us which things that are most important to group travel planning, like an easy voting system to figure out dates, destinations, and accommodations, for example. 

So what are the primary features of the Troupe group trip planner app? Check them out:

1. Itinerary all in one place

Troupe isn’t just useful prior to travel . Once you’re on the road or at your destination, Troupe still offers all group travel members the ability to quickly reference the information for all activities.

No more “Where and when is dinner tonight?” text messages for the planners to field from the whole group. Group members can all just open their Tripsite in the app or online and see for themselves.

So how do Troupe’s easy group travel planning features work? 

2. Voting system in the trip planner app

Getting everyone to agree can seem impossible at times, but Troupe’s group trip planner app gives everyone a voice and allows all group travel members to clearly see the results of polls. It helps ease the frustration that can come from getting people to agree on things.

It’s the ultimate group travel planner question: “Where should we go on our group trip?”

And while it may lead to stressful discussions sometimes, it’s also one of the best parts of planning a trip.

Troupe helps take the stress out of destination selection with straightforward voting. Choose your destinations, set them as options, and all group members can log on to vote for their favorite. 

And we all know there are so many more decisions to make once a destination is chosen (or even before, depending on the order you plan group trips !).

Figure out when to travel by letting group members vote on the dates that work best for them. Once everyone has voted, you’ll be able to easily see the dates that work the best for the majority of the group. 

Voting is available for accommodations and activities as well.

3. Deadlines/Reminders

Troupe also helps you implement deadlines and reminders. The app allows you to send out reminders or quick nudges to group members, taking the pressure off the planner and easing everyone along throughout the process. 

4. Sharing Information

Say it with me: All your confirmation numbers are in one place. Everyone’s flight numbers for easy tracking. Hotel reservations with the booking name, phone number, address, and all other important info. 

In addition, you can share a list of possible flight options and see what others have booked. As a group, this helps minimize waiting around at the airport and makes it easier to consolidate pick-ups and drop-offs. 

5. Booking your travels

Troupe doesn’t just help with planning. Once you’ve voted on your favorite accommodations and found your perfect hotel or Vrbo, go ahead and book it directly on Troupe . No need to even open a new browser window.

Ready to start planning your next group adventure? Click here to get started!

What is the best trip planner app?

Troupe is the best trip planner app to help you plan and organize group travel all in one place. You can share options for flights, accommodations, activities, and more while allowing group members to easily vote on their favorites, keep all itinerary numbers in one place, and more.

Is there a vacation planning app?

Troupe is an easy-to-use vacation planning app that allows you to collaborate on the planning of a group trip by sharing information between group travel members, voting on your favorite things to do and places to stay, and sharing links, notes, videos, and more between group members.

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5 free apps to help make vacationing with friends easier 

The last thing you want to do when you get home from an epic vacation with friends is spend time logging receipts into a spreadsheet to calculate each person's share of the costs. And as it turns out, you don’t have to anymore.

While the solo travel trend is on the rise, about two-thirds of millennials say they plan to travel with friends and family this year . But planning a group trip can be a headache — especially when it comes to divvying up the expenses.

Before you start planning anything, make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the general itinerary and budget. "Having an overall idea of what you’re each planning to spend on travel, meals and lodging means everyone can enjoy the trip without worrying about finances," according to the etiquette experts at the Emily Post Institute .

That’s where downloading a good travel app can help alleviate the stress. But since there are tens of thousands of iOS and Android travel apps, CNBC Make It has narrowed down the top five you need on your phone if you’re planning to travel with a group.

Kayak Trip Huddle

Availability: mobile-responsive website

iTunes/Google Play Rating: 4.8, 4.5, respectively

The next time your friends start planning a trip together, use Kayak’s new Trip Huddle tool to make decisions more democratic. The tool allows you to pick out a few destinations and then gives everyone in your group the chance to vote on the location and the travel dates. Plus, Kayak will even surface some hotels and vacation rentals for your group to consider.

"That way, you’re spending less time reading through long email chains and group chats, and more time planning fun activities and dinner spots," the company says . Keep in mind that while Kayak has an app, this tool is available only through its mobile-responsive site.

Already know when and where you want to go? While the site specializes in honeymoon and babymoon travel, Luna also makes sharing your travel plans with your friends easier. The site offers pre-designed itineraries from the professionals, but also offers a comprehensive planner tool.

Luna’s planner lets you create a day-by-day itinerary that anyone on the trip can easily share, access and edit. This allows you to split up the responsibility for planning each day of the trip. Luna's planner also gives suggestions for hotels and attractions based on the destination, so you can either select from their options or upload your own lodgings like Airbnb rentals or private tours. The ability to split payments on things like hotels is coming soon, according to a spokeswoman for the company.

Roadtrippers

Availability: iOS, Android, website

iTunes/Google Play Rating: 4.7, 3.7

Roadtrippers is great for those sharing driving duties while on vacation. This app allows you to collaborate with friends and family to find a route that works best, and also provides suggestions on stops and nearby attractions. The app also gives you estimates on how long each leg of the trip will take to drive, so you can figure out the best places to stop to switch drivers so no one is doing a majority of the driving.

"While this app is a little confusing to figure out, once we did it has turbo charged our family vacation," wrote Google Play Store reviewer Ben Niebuhr . "We are still on a week-long drive and have been able to add interesting things as we travel."

Availability: iOS, Android

iTunes/Google Play Rating: 4.6, 4.3

It’s tough when you’re out to dinner with a group and you need the split the check when everyone ordered different entrees and drinks. Tab gives users the ability to simply take a photo of the check and have everyone claim what they purchased. The app also factors in the tax and tip. Voila! No hard feelings when you’re forced to cover someone else’s three-drink habit.

iTunes/Google Play Rating: 4.5, 4.6

By the end of trip, it can be daunting to calculate who owes what. Splitwise makes it easy by keeping a running tally — so as soon as you get a bill or receipt, you can log it and split the costs. The app also integrates Venmo for easy payments. The only downside is that in order to convert any purchases made in foreign currencies to U.S. dollars, you're required to log onto the website .

Don't miss: These 5 travel apps will save you money

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How to Plan the Perfect Stress-Free Trip with Friends

Candice Walsh

September 19, 2023

Picture this: you and your friends have just arrived in Argentina. You’re ready for an amazing two-week trip, but before you’ve even had your first empanada, there’s tension as you start disagreeing about how to split funds and how to do everything you want when the group has wildly different interests and budgets.  

Trip planning can be a lot of work even if you’re traveling solo, but when you add a handful of other people to the mix, things can get even more tangled. The good news: a little work and some honest conversations before you depart—and even before you book your trip—can reduce the stress and help ensure everyone gets the trip they want. 

Here are twelve tips for planning an epic trip with friends (going with family? Read our guide to multi-generational trips !) 

1. Choose the right friends, and set expectations from the start.

Let’s get the most obvious point out of the way first: You can be friends with lots of different people, but it doesn’t mean you’ll make good travel partners. Choosing your travel buddies wisely and being up-front on your expectations can mean the difference between a group trip you’ll always remember and one you can’t wait to forget. So how do you know you’ll be a match if you’ve never traveled together? 

Consider things like interests, budget, and personality. That doesn’t mean you need to be perfectly aligned on each of those things, but think about where you can appreciate the differences, and where they could cause friction. 

For example, if your art-loving friends expect you’ll do every activity as a group, but you’re just not into museums, you may get annoyed by the time they’re on their third hour at the Louvre. But on the other hand, if you’ve got independent friends who are cool with separating for an afternoon, you can do what makes you happy while they spend another 90 minutes admiring Etruscan antiquities. 

Have a frank discussion with your friends—and yourself—around the following: 

• Will they want to map out each hour, or are they open to spontaneity? 
• Do they want to go, go, go, and see it all, or do they prefer to take things slower? 
• Are they night owls who want to party until dawn or early-birds who want to rise with the sun? 
• Is their budget more street food and hostels or Michelin-starred dinners and luxury hotels? 
• Do they want to spend all their time as a group, or occasionally separate and do their own thing? 

2. Be upfront about your finances.

Money can cause a lot of resentment among friends, especially if you have different financial expectations for the trip. If you can only afford a hostel dorm but your friends want to stay in a resort, tell them. There’s no point in putting yourself in debt to please someone else.

From the start, be upfront about how much you can afford to spend—and how you would prefer to spend your money. While your friend may have the same budget as you, you might find out that while you prefer to splurge on a nice meal, they put their extra funds into shopping. 

Be clear not only on how much you can afford for the total trip, but also on how much you’re willing to spend per night for accommodations, what you’re comfortable spending on meals and activities, and how you prioritize your spending. Again, you don’t have to agree, but you should set expectations for what happens when you have different budgets and priorities. 

3. Consider how you’ll pick your destination. 

Deciding on a destination might actually be the toughest part of this whole trip planning process. How do you choose a place that everyone is happy with and can get to relatively cheaply?

One option: have each of your friends write out their top three to five preferred destinations, bearing in mind the length of time you have to travel and the budgets of everyone involved. 

You can easily do this over email or on paper. For a more tech-savvy way to do it, check out Kayak’s new Trip Huddle tool. First, you sign up and pick your destinations and preferred dates.

Once everyone has added their input and voted, Kayak will recommend some hotels and vacation rentals for your group. It’s useful if you have a large group and would prefer not to scroll through hundreds of messages to keep up with the conversation. 

However you vote, compare everyone’s answers, and see if there are any common destinations. If there are none, think about the common factors. Did you all choose a beachy destination or a European city? This can help narrow down your choices.

Another option: decide based on airfare and go wherever you find the best deal. The group might have been thinking London, but if nonstop flights to Paris pop up for $250, they might say “oui” to a different idea. 

If you’re coming from different destinations, make sure you choose a place that’s realistic for everyone, especially given the number of days you plan to travel. For example, you might be up for a 3-day weekend in Hawaii if you’re based in Los Angeles, but for your friend in NYC, that may be too far to go for a shorter trip. 

When you join Going, you can select multiple airports to follow, so if you’re got friends spread across the US, you can see which deals apply from the most departure cities. 

>>Read our guide to the world's cheapest destinations or check out ideas for where to go in Europe

4. use the right tools to find airfare deals. .

Aside from joining Going, there are a few tools you can use to make it easier to find the best deals, especially if you are flexible on travel dates and destinations. 

Skyscanner has a handy “Search Everywhere” option that shows you the cheapest flights from your airport during your selected date range. 

The Google Flights Explore map is similar. Input your departure airport(s) and it will show you the cheapest places on the map you can fly to either during specific dates, or during a date range like a weekend, one-week, or two-week trip during a specific month. You can type in a specific region or move the map to narrow down your options. 

>> Read our complete guide to finding cheap flights. 

5. start planning far in advance..

The more people involved, the slower the planning process can be—and speed is your friend when it comes to snagging cheap flights . Two to eight months in advance is the sweet spot for the best airfare prices, you’ll want to start looking for flights as early as you can, especially if your dates and destination are fixed or you’re traveling over peak season like the summer or holidays. Start tracking prices by setting up flight alerts so you’ll get notified when the price dips. 

If your dates and destination aren’t fixed and you’re open to wherever there’s a good deal, chat with your friends in advance about what dates you’re all free so that you can cut down on the back-and-forth and quickly jump in a great deal when you see one. And remember, the 24-hour rule means that in most cases you can cancel a flight within 24 hours of purchase so you don’t miss a deal while waiting for your friends to confirm the dates. 

6. Use apps to keep your finances sorted.

It’s important to keep track of everything you’re splitting as a group, whether it’s the flights, hotel rooms, activities, or meals. You can create a simple spreadsheet to do this, or use an app like Tricount or Splitwise .

Tricount was developed for roommates to keep track of split expenses, but it’s completely customizable so you can use it for your travels instead. Splitwise works the exact same way. If you want to keep it simple, Venmo is also a great option for sending money quickly to your friends (but it’s not available everywhere just yet). 

>> Check out our list of the best travel apps.

7. check refund policies carefully and don’t get stuck with the bill. .

It’s a cautionary tale often repeated: a group of friends plan an epic trip, with one friend making the reservations on her credit card. One by one the other friends cancel, until the friend who booked it all is left sleeping solo in a nonrefundable room for six. 

Book refundable hotels and tours as much as possible, and for anything nonrefundable, have each person book individually when you can. When you can’t, such as sharing the cost of a room, get payment upfront and be clear than any nonrefundable payments are just that: nonrefundable. Anyone who cancels at the last minute, will be out their share of the nonrefundable costs. 

If you’re booking Airbnb accommodations, you can use Airbnb’s “Pay Less Up Front” option to make a partial payment, giving you time to collect everyone’s share before the rest of the payment is due. 

If you’re traveling with a very large group and need several hotel rooms (usually at least 10) you can call the hotel and reserve a “room block.” This holds a certain number of rooms up until a specific date, but doesn’t require you to cover all the costs. When your friends book a room as part of the block, they pay individually. Any rooms not booked by the cutoff date are released, so you’re not personally on the hook if you end up needing fewer rooms than you thought. 

10. If you want to book your seats together, it may cost you.

If members of your group are each booking their own airfare, you’ll have to take a few steps to make sure you’re all sitting together. 

• Book early . Waiting until the last minute to book not only increases prices, but it increases the chance you’ll be left with only middle seats to choose from. 
• Don’t do basic economy . The cheapest rates come with fewer perks, like not being able to select your seat until check-in. While there’s a chance you could still get seats together at that point, if you want to guarantee it, upgrade to main economy, or pay extra to choose your seats in advance, if allowed with your fare. 
• Show up at the airport early . If none of the options above work for you, arrive early at the airport. You can speak with the attendant at check-in to see what seats are available, and if there are several seats altogether, he or she will likely be happy to accommodate you. 

11. Take some time for yourself. 

As mentioned above, it’s unrealistic to think everyone wants to do the same activities all the time, and taking some time apart from your group can help keep everyone stress-free. 

If there’s something you want to do and your friends don’t, there’s no harm in stepping out on your own—so long as that expectation was set at the beginning. A little bit of space ensures you get to do everything you want, and it can help you appreciate your time together even more. 

>> Read our tips for solo travel.

12. but don’t be afraid to let your friends push you out of your comfort zone. .

Maybe you’re not normally into the idea of cliff jumping in Hawaii, or tackling a via ferrata in Switzerland, but there’s a big difference between not wanting to do something, and wanting to do it but feeling apprehensive. 

In the latter case, a little encouragement from braver friends may be all you need—and if you decide it’s not, you can always hang out nearby or snap photos of their adventure.  

That’s the joy of traveling with friends. When it’s bad, it’s stressful and tense, but when all goes well, not only will you have an amazing adventure, you may wind up growing in unexpected ways. 

Freelance Writer

Published September 19, 2023

Last updated December 21, 2023

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Smart ways to share your travel itinerary

Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, sharing travel plans with family, friends, and co-workers is essential. Here are three ways to do it.

Planning a trip can be an exciting and/or daunting experience. Thankfully online tools make it easy to book flights , transportation, and accommodations from a laptop or mobile device. And once you've built your itinerary, you may want to share it to the people closest to you. Here are three ways to do just that.

Whether you travel a little or a lot, Tripit is a fantastic free service and app. Adding trips to your Tripit account is so easy it's almost magical. Once you receive your airline travel confirmation via email, simply forward it to [email protected] to have an itinerary created for the duration of your trip. You can even forward hotel, car rental and restaurant confirmations or have it auto-imported from your Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook account.

Once your full itinerary is set, choose to share some or all of your travel plans with other contacts inside Tripit's internal network, via email, or social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

If you're a frequent flyer who constantly forgets to share their travel plans with others, consider upgrading to Tripit Pro. For a $49 annual fee (about £29.50 or AU$52 in the UK and Australia, respectively), Tripit Pro shares itineraries with others automatically. For example, if your flight gets delayed or canceled, Tripit Pro will instantly notify your preselected inner circle like your spouse, parents or boss. But when trips are marked as private, nothing will be shared to anyone.

For those who travel a lot for business and work for large organizations, Tripit for Teams can consolidate travel schedules into a central travel dashboard. Team wide trips and calendars can be created and shared among colleagues across an entire organization.

RoadTrippers

For most people, a road trip with family or friends is an annual summer tradition. But if you're the type who relies on Google Maps to get you around in town, consider RoadTrippers , the backseat driver you'll actually want on a road trip.

RoadTrippers allows you to create custom route plans online or via the app. Discover new places along the way by adding various attractions such as entertainment venues, food & drink stops, and historical landmarks. While it's currently just for North America, the company's site says that trips for Europe and Australia are in the works.

Once your itinerary is completed, RoadTrippers will calculate the travel distance, approximate driving time, and estimate the cost of gas. Itineraries can be printed or synced to the app for turn-by-turn directions. Trips can be made public or private and shared to others via Facebook, Twitter, email, or embedded link.

If the hardest part of traveling is planning the trip itself, then Mygola is the personal travel planner you've always wanted. It's an intuitive travel planner that creates custom trip plans based on default trips that fit your destination, duration of stay, and interests. Users can search destinations, select from preset itineraries, or create a new one from scratch.

Instead of just sharing your travel plans with family, friends, and colleagues, have them help plan your itinerary. Enter email addresses in Mygola to collaborate with others on your custom-built itinerary. Notes can be left with suggestions, comments, recommendations, and tips. Once your custom itinerary is finished, share Mygola with others on Facebook to avoid paying $2.99 to print out a detailed plan of your trip.

Now that you've shared your itinerary with others, let Lexy Savvides show you how to keep in touch with people while traveling . Safe travels!

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Tips & Tricks · May 3, 2022

The Ultimate Guide For Traveling With Friends [15 Tips]

Traveling with friends isn’t always easy. You are dealing with sleep schedules, expectations, quirks, and budgets that are not always in line. The goal is to enjoy time and new experiences with your friends, but sometimes you quickly realize people are more complex when you spend 4 days in close quarters vs. a night out for dinner.

Group trips are usually amazing or quite the opposite and the truth is, the little things usually make the difference! Here are 15 tips for traveling with friends that will help create a positive travel experience and create memorable moments.

Make sure everyone has a good time—the whole time.

Before You Commit to Traveling with Friends

There are top things to consider before you even sign up to take a trip with friends. The first step…

1. Understand WHO You are Saying Yes to:

You are not required to travel with everyone and anyone. It’s not always a good idea are simply people we are compatible with and those who we should spend a limited amount of time with—even if we appreciate it to the fullest.

Red flags? You’re a morning person and get up at 6:00 am and your potential traveling companions prefer 11:00 am. Maybe they can’t walk .5 miles without complaining or they only eat kale. Take some time to think about who your good friends are, how they operate, and if a trip together is a great idea.

If you have common travel styles and are able to set similar expectations, book those flights! There’s nothing like traveling with those closest to you. And who doesn’t love finding “vacation friends?”

Here are a few questions to think about:

• Does their travel style line up with mine?
• What about travel costs? Do you have similar budgets? (At least for this trip)
• Can I voice honest opinions with these people?
• What do I love about them?
• What really annoys me about them? (And is this list longer than the question above…)

2. Understand WHERE You are Saying Yes to:

You’re not done thinking yet. Equally as important, you need to consider which travel destination they are asking you to go. If the destination is on your list (and you’ve decided they are a trusty travel companion)—great! But if it’s somewhere that has never been of interest or looks boring, chaotic, or unappealing, you should say no.

Maybe they want to head to the boundary waters but sleeping on the ground makes you cringe. Or they want you to join their kids birthday party in Wisconsin Dells because “it will be fun for the adults too.” (Okay, Megan…) You know what you are interested in and what will be fun for YOU. Unless it’s required, don’t commit and spend money on a trip you know is going to drive you nuts.

Commitment Rule of Thumb: If It’s Not A Quick Yes, It’s a No.

Let me explain. You get a text from your best friend Hey! Me and Brittany are thinking about going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras! Wanna come? What is your VERY FIRST thought? Listen to that. It’s your intuition.

Maybe it’s OMG I have always wanted to experience Mardi Gras. On the flip side, it might be, Mardi Gras with Sam and Brittany…those two partying together is bad news…

Your first thought is going to give you A LOT of what you need to know. If it’s excitement, keep the door open. If it’s negative, you probably don’t want to do it and shouldn’t force yourself.

3. Pick One Way or the Other

It’s not required that you say yes to traveling with friends. We all have priorities. If you have reasonable friends, they are going to understand if you don’t have the money right now, or are committed to something else, feeling burnt out, or not interested in the destination.

That said, one thing to stay away from is the middle ground. That sounds so fun, let me think about it! And then…crickets. Don’t put your friends, or yourself, in that position. For them, it’s hard to continue planning. For you, you are wasting time thinking about your decision when you likely deep down already know the answer.

If it’s a no, don’t fall into avoidance mode. Thanks for the invite but I’m going to have to pass. I don’t have the money right now and it’s not great for my schedule. I hope you guys have a blast! Or Thanks for the invite. I’M IN. LET’S GOOOOOO!

Tip: Set a date for decisions to be made as a group so everyone knows that’s when the next steps are going to happen.

Once you’re committed to traveling with friends.

You’re all in! It’s time to start planning what’s going to be an unforgettable time traveling with your friends—assuming you follow the rest of these tips.

4. Appoint a Leader

In most cases, this happens naturally. It could potentially fall on the person who ties the group together. Or maybe it’s the one friend who knows what she’s doing 18 weeks from now—she just loves planning and being a travel agent.

She can schedule the pre-trip chats, book the hotel, provide information, and give reminders. Have the planner start a group text or email chain which is a great way to keep a record of your plans.

5. Schedule a Group Chat

This is one of the best things you can do! Trip plans and details are easily sorted out when you meet in person. Avoid only communicating through text where you can’t gauge emotions and feelings. Make it fun and grab happy hour after work one night (in-person or on Zoom) to discuss the next steps.

Tip: If you can’t meet up before the trip, use the first breakfast as a time to align.

6. Determine Transportatio n as a Group

Planes, trains, and automobiles. Determine the times of day first. Are you aiming to leave Thursday night and return Sunday afternoon? Great, now the group knows what to look out for instead of scanning every available flight, as well as the information needed to take off work and other activities. It’s also helpful if you are coming from different cities in order to align the arrival times as closely as possible. (And don’t forget rental cars!)

Tip: if you purchase on one credit card, you are much more likely to sit together without paying any extra fees – even if you don’t choose the seats yourself.

If you are taking a road trip, make sure to lock down who is driving and what vehicle you are taking. Schedule a time/place to meet and don’t forget to tell the notoriously late friend a solid 30 minutes earlier. In addition, be mindful of how many bags can fit with the number of bodies going! Notoriously late friend’s suitcase has to fit too!

7. Determine Where You are Going to Stay as a Group

AirBnbs are great options when traveling with friends and are typically budget-friendly. A hotel room allows for great perks like pools with swim-up bars. Figure out the following:

• Max budget; Most websites will have a filter to only show what is in your price range. Four people, $75 per day = filter at $300/night (likely a little below due to taxes/fees). Don’t even look at what’s not in everyone’s range.
• Location; The heart of downtown for the experience and walking accessibility? A nearby suburb to save money? Near one particular attraction?
• Special Accommodations; Free breakfast, outdoor pool, etc. Note: this may cost more upfront, but think about a day at the pool—very inexpensive compared to other activities, so it may be worth it. (I take that back if you opted for the swim-up bar.)
• The key to finding the perfect place to stay is determining all of the above and then filtering. It’s much easier to pick and choose between 3 than it is to sort through the 100s that come up in your initial search of the city.

8. Choose One Priority Each

As you’re discussing how to get there and where to stay, listen to everyone’s feedback. It’s likely going to give you answers as to what everyone wants to do. Make a mental note or write down any restaurants, shops, museums, and activities people mention.

Talk about the list of things along with any other ideas and have each person name one experience they want to make sure you do. You want to make sure everyone has input. Plus, it allows people to try new things and get out of their comfort zone!

While Traveling with Friends

9. make splitting expenses easy:.

When traveling with close friends, credit cards are going to be flying around left and right. Paying the bill at dinner, purchasing tickets for the group, hopping in Ubers after the unnecessary round of shots. To make it as easy as possible, here are my tips:

• Don’t “figure it out later:” when someone pays, make sure you determine who owes what and at least have a running note on your phone. You are going to forget if you go through 4 days of expenses.
• Venmo App ; the easiest and best way to pay others back—if you don’t have it, it’s time to get with the times!
• Community Fund ; have everyone in the group throw in $50 or so that can be used throughout the trip on Ubers, a round of drinks, or any other smaller purchases that requires everyone to pitch in. That way, you’re not constantly sending $5 back and forth.
• Don’t count pennies ; we all have that friend Becky who calculates the bill and says “Okay, everyone owes me $22.47.” Don’t be, Becky. Pennies all come full circle in the end.

10. Break Off Into Smaller Groups

Is your group not agreeing on an activity? Not. A. Big. Deal. Don’t let this turn into tension or a fight—you don’t need to be together the entire trip. Split off into smaller groups, or head somewhere alone if you’d like.

Tip: make sure to set a time to meet up again.

Whether it’s the end of the day or even the next morning. This helps set expectations and no one is left out or feels bad. Continue using the group text for communication and everyone can enjoy their own great adventures!

11. Find Personal Time

Traveling with a group of friends forces you to be around people at all times. If you are any bit of an introvert, you will likely need to make space for some alone time.

Spend an hour at a coffee shop in the morning or head to the hotel lobby. Maybe it’s before bed as you scroll your phone and watch the day’s best YouTube videos. The chance to unwind and be alone, outside of the shower, is crucial and the best way to remain a good travel companion.

12. Do NOT Gossip About Each Other

If she talks about her boyfriend one more time I am going to freak out. Stop. Do not talk crap about your travel buddies; it’s the best way to end things in disaster. This will cause a divide for the rest of the trip and it’s likely not worth it at all. Have FUN with each other; that’s why you are together and you want to spend as much time HAPPY as possible.

13. Always Carry a Few Snacks

For when your friend starts whining about something dumb. They need a Snickers. (Nuts, apples, and beef jerky are healthier, easy to carry, no mess options as well.) Ha, seriously, this is one of those small ideas that end up being one of the most important things.

Final Tips for Traveling with Friends

14. communication is key..

Make sure everyone is on the same page with travel plans as often as possible. And don’t be afraid to speak up. Did your friends do something they weren’t thrilled to take part in? Say thank you. Travel companion annoying you? Tell them, nicely, to cut the shit. Just kidding, but do nicely say something. If you’re traveling with them and they are true friends, you should feel comfortable being honest.

Most group travel frustrations are due to a lack of communication and expectations.

15. and remember….

Traveling with friends can be an amazing experience and bring you closer than ever before. You will share good times and memories you remember forever, learn more about them, and experience new places. Make planning, listening, and communicating a priority, and you are going to have an incredible time.

Enjoy your next adventure with your closest friends!

My Best Group Trip Recommendations? Sedona , Las Vegas , and Austin !

Do You Have More Tips for Traveling with Friends?

Let me know in the comments how you can have the best time with a travel buddy or five!

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Make your travel plans easier with Expedia's Trip Planner. From saving favorites and organizing, to deciding with your group and booking your ideal trip, everything is together all in one place. You can select your favorite stays and activities while you search, and then find them later in your account. Avoid the hassle of sending multiple links to a group chat by inviting your family and friends to collaborate on a group trip where they can share ideas and see everything at once. After you've settled on your itinerary, you can make the bookings you need and keep them organized all in one place. Its ease of use makes it one of the best trip planning tools around.

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2. Head to the Expedia homepage, click on Trips in the top right corner (on desktop) or in the bottom menu bar (in the app), and then select "Create a trip".

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Once you've signed into your account and created your trip, you can save accommodations and activities to your trip. Soon you will also be able to save your preferred flights in our Trip Planner.

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When should you start planning a trip?

Any time is a good time to start planning travels, and our Trip Planner can be used for everything from last-minute weekend getaways to a summer vacation planned over the winter. Just click on Trips on our homepage to get started.

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Where can I find the items that I saved to a trip?

Head to the Expedia homepage and click on Trips in the top right (on desktop) or in the bottom menu bar (in the app). Select the trip that you want to view and look for "Saved items" to see all the items you've selected for that trip that haven't been booked yet.

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On the Expedia homepage, click on Trips in the top right (on desktop) or in the bottom menu bar (in the app). Select the trip that you want to view and head to "Bookings" to see all the items booked for that trip.

When you plan a trip online with us, you can keep your booked and saved items all in one place, making it easier to manage and build your trip.

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First, select the trip that already has the items you want to move. For booked items, tap the three dots on the top right corner of the item and select "move to another trip". For saved items, follow the same process and select "save to another trip" instead.

How can my friends and family help me plan a trip online?

Friends and family invited to collaborate on a trip with you will be able to view, save, and book items in your trip planner itinerary. All they need to do to start collaborating is accept the trip invite sent to their email.

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The best trip-planning apps for Android and iOS

The best trip-planning apps can make the difference between an OK trip and a great one. As people start ramping up their travel plans again, the right app can help to design trips that are affordable, comfortable, and safe. Trip-planning apps for iOS and Android can help us store travel documents; remind us of gate, confirmation, or seat numbers; and allow us to plan ahead by showing reviews of restaurants, museums, and landmarks. If your trip plans are too ambitious to remember by heart, try on one of these trip planners for size.

• TripIt: Travel Planne‪r
• PackPoint Travel Packing Lis‪t

TripAdvisor

Roadtrippers, travelspend, sygic travel maps offline & trip planner, google maps.

If you need further help with your travels beyond trip planning, check out our roundup of the best travel apps .

TripIt: Travel Planne‪r

TripIt is a powerful, easy-to-use, comprehensive travel-planning app that lets you create master itineraries for your trips. All you have to do is forward reservations and bookings to its dedicated email address, and it will create a single itinerary for your upcoming excursions. Even when you’re offline, double-check the app for where you need to be in the next hour, day, or week. Other handy features include neighborhood safety scores and the ability to plot road trips on a map. If you upgrade to the Pro version for $49 per year, you’ll receive flight status alerts, terminal notifications, and updates on the length of airport queues.

iOS   Android

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Wanderlog is a fully featured app that saves all your reservations, flights, and tickets in one place to create a single itinerary for your trip. You can view your plans on a map, which is perfect if you’re traveling everywhere by car. You can also use the app to share plans and itineraries with friends, who can also update your plans and add their own details. All of the plans you make are stored offline, while you can also add activities during your trip, such as eating or sightseeing. The app also provides links to reviews and guides for each place you’re visiting, so you’ll never be short of ideas. Recent versions offer improved lists of top restaurants for thousands of places around the world via thousands of top blogs and Google search results. You can now use the app to track expenses and budget for your trip.

Kayak is a solid trip-planning app that lets you compile all of your reservations and bookings into a single itinerary and share it with friends and family. It augments this basic feature with its flagship price comparison service for flights, hotels, and rental cars. In addition to using the app to plan where you’re going, it also links with the best flights for getting there, as well as the best hotel rooms and cars. It promises exclusive deals that aren’t available anywhere else. Once you’ve booked a flight or reservation, the app saves everything to your itinerary, making it a one-stop shop for your travels. Recent versions have improved management of your active search filters for quicker results on the go. If price fluctuations are a concern, you can freeze an entire set of results for a given number of days by paying a small fee.

PackPoint Travel Packing Lis‪t

We’ve all been there. You set off on your much-awaited beach holiday, only to forget your swimwear. PackPoint Travel Packing List promises to avoid repeats of such mishaps with packing lists. Not only can you create a manual list yourself, but the app will recommend items to take based on the info you provide, such as the kind of trip you’re going on, planned activities, the time of year, and the destination. It’s an excellent way of ensuring that you don’t leave home without all-important clothing, accessories, or gear. If you don’t mind paying $3, you can also check out the similar Packing Pro  for iOS.

TripAdvisor is one of the most exhaustive mobile trip-planning apps you can find. It lets you plan trips and build itineraries, and add places, events, landmarks, restaurants, and other destinations to your schedule. Most notably, it also offers millions of reviews, images, and videos related to any place you may be thinking of visiting, meaning that you can really research your trip before planning just where you’re going. Everything you add to your planned trip will be visible on the map, while you can also find deals and book tickets via the app. It also offers forums for users to share information, and you can add your own reviews. While you’re traveling, the app offers a variety of recommendations, so you don’t even have to plan anything beforehand. Recent updates have rebuilt the app to improve planning, booking, and traveling. You can now save, organize and share travel ideas with Trips and discover places nearby on a map. You can seek guidance on where to stay, what to do, and where to eat from travelers who have already visited a location. You can access health and safety information for hotels, restaurants, and experiences and book them with free cancellation.

iOS Android

As its name suggests, Roadtrippers is aimed mostly at road trip fans. It lets you plan car-based voyages across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, plotting stops and layovers along the way, whether at landmarks, restaurants, or hotels. If you’re short on ideas, the app offers recommendations, and there are ready-made trip guides for some of the more popular areas and regions. The app is free to use, but if you want to add more than seven waypoints to your trip, you’ll need to upgrade to the Roadtrippers Plus, which costs $7 per month or $30 per year. This subscription lets you collaborate with friends and offers offline maps, custom maps, and access to exclusive deals. This update improves the app’s RV-friendly routing with additional error reporting and further optimized routes for hauling propane.

If you’re worried about navigating around a busy metropolis, Citymapper is the answer. It provides different travel options for your trips in urban centers, showing you the various means of travel available and how much they cost. It shares public transport schedules and lets you subscribe to particular bus and train lines. Other helpful features include alerts for when you need to get off a bus or train, info on accessibility options and wheelchair access, and the ability to access public transport maps offline. The app works with most of the biggest cities in the U.S. (and some in other countries), though it may not be relevant if you’re traveling off the beaten path. Recent versions feature voice instructions for walking, cycling, scootering, and public transportation, complete with calendar sync, routing, and turn-by-turn instructions. It now covers all of Taiwan, including major cities.

TravelSpend is a budgeting app for trips, aimed at backpackers and anyone else who may travel for extended periods of time without having a planned endpoint. It lets you enter expenses, receipts, and purchases, compiling all of your entries into helpful visualizations that indicate your spending patterns. You can also use the app with friends, who can collaborate with you on drawing up budgets and entering expenses. You can also split bills and fees among your companions so that each person knows exactly what they should set aside. You can even export your data from the app so that you can work on your expenses when back at home. The app is free to download and use, but you can remove ads and activate some extra features for $4 per month or $18 per year. Recent versions set the last used payment method as a default for new expenses.

TripCase caters to the business and professional traveler. Once you’ve signed up for the app, you can forward all of your confirmations and reservations to its email address, and they will be added automatically to your itinerary. You can also add items and locations manually, building up a schedule that can then be shared with others. The app also lets you search for new flights and hotel bookings, while it sends you status information, terminal and gate information, and seat maps. You get a one-month free trial, but thereafter it requires a subscription of $6 per year.

Sygic features a detailed and in-depth trip planner that lets you view maps offline and plot where exactly you intend to travel. You can build your itinerary step by step, where the app provides estimated travel times and walking distances for each of your stops. It also offers specifics like opening hours, fees, links, and photos for over 50 million locations, including landmarks, galleries, restaurants, parks, hotels, beaches, and nature spots. Major cities even feature their own dedicated guides, helping you to plan your trip to see the most interesting places. You can also share plans with friends, book hotels and accommodations, and view 360-degree videos that can help you decide where to go on your next vacation.

Google Maps is arguably the best navigation app you can download right now, but it’s also a valuable resource if you’re planning a trip. Not only does it offer directions for travel by various means, but you can also find recommendations for restaurants and cafés regardless of where you are. Anyone can upload photos and reviews of the places they have visited, so you’re sure to encounter more helpful info on Google Maps than with any other trip-planner. You can’t construct an itinerary using the app, but you can use it to find flights and trains to desired destinations. You can also use it to plan road trips, with the Directions feature letting you add stops along the way.

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While you could get a second SIM card (or even an eSIM), an easier option for casual use is to use an app that lets you set up a second phone line. Whether you're after an Android app or an iPhone app, you'll find plenty of options to get a second phone line, including some which are free to use. We've hunted down some of the best options for apps that will give you a second phone number for whatever reason you need it, and we're sharing them with you below. Vyke

iOS 17 brought a number of new iPhone features and optimizations to the table, and one of these tweaks adds a few cool layers of entertainment to your FaceTime experience. It’s called FaceTime gestures, and once it’s set up correctly, you’ll be able to send 3D animations to your friends and family during FaceTime video calls. You’ll even be able to trigger the animations with physical gestures!

Getting your phone ready for action doesn’t take much time or effort, but we put this guide together to walk you through the process nonetheless.  How to make a FaceTime gesture in iOS 17

Apple started the whole idea of a smartphone, so it's probably no surprise that it makes some of the best on the market. Of course, they are known for being quite expensive, especially if you want to grab the best iPhones, which will easily run you close to or over $1,000. Luckily, there are some great iPhone deals you can take advantage of, whether unlocked or through a carrier. There are also some other alternatives in the form of refurbished phones. Now, a lot of folks do sometimes shy away from refurbished gear, but it's important to note that many, if not all, refurbished phones come with a guarantee and extended return windows, so you shouldn't worry about getting something defunct. Also, refurbished phones tend to be substantially cheaper than new ones; plus, they do cut down a lot on e-waste, so you are helping the environment.

Either way, we've gone out and found some of the best refurbished iPhone deals out there to save you a little bit extra. We've found a pretty wide range too, so be sure to checkout all the deals available below. iPhone XR -- from $166 iPhone XR Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends / Digital Trends

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The Friend Trip: Fun Without the Friction

By Shannon Sims

Whoever said a friend is a friend forever has clearly never experienced a group trip that has devolved into a maelstrom of conflicting plans and bickering over restaurant bills. Traveling with your besties can be tricky. Here are some ways to do it without anyone getting unfriended.

Invite with care

“First and foremost, you cannot travel with everybody. All your friends are not travel friends,” advises N’dea Irvin-Choy, a 27-year-old Los Angeles-based travel influencer, on her popular TikTok account. She suggests picking travel partners who share similar interests, and deciding ahead of time what kind of a trip you will be taking — relaxation, partying, adventure. “The last thing you want is for your friends to be giving each other the silent treatment on a nonrefundable excursion somewhere on a beautiful tropical island,” she explained in an email.

Poll, brainstorm, then book

You can get the ball rolling by asking your friends where they want to go and what they want to do using services like Doodle , Google Forms and Troupe . Some people prefer to use familiar spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to organize the plan and share it with friends. Others prefer to use apps like Hoku , MiTravel and Plan Harmony that allow group members to collaborate in the planning process with photos, maps and more. And creating an Airbnb wish list lets friends suggest lodging options for the whole group to see. Once you’re in booking mode, Mobili provides a way to see each group member’s travel bookings at once, a tool that is especially useful for larger groups.

For sorting out flight arrangements, Robert Driscoll, who owns the L.G.B.T.Q.-focused travel agency VentureOut , swears by TripIt . After making your bookings, you can forward your confirmation emails to the app, which puts them all together on one timeline. Others in the group can then collaborate with the same trip by adding their own bookings to create a group itinerary. “It’s basically a chronological compilation of all your arrangements: flights, accommodations, car rentals, restaurants, activities, tours,” he said.

Commit cash up front

When one participant on a friend trip suddenly drops out, it can throw financing for the whole trip into disarray. Hedge against those monkey wrenches by setting a firm deadline for a monetary commitment. When people put down real money, whether for lodging or activities, they’re more likely to follow through.

Trade off the captain’s hat

Use a classic schoolteacher’s trick to keep everyone engaged and share the planning burden: Schedule a rotating group leader to take ownership of each day’s activities. This person will be responsible for making that day’s restaurant and tour reservations, or simply keeping everyone on schedule. Ask each friend to share a personal desire for the trip — for example, a tour of a museum or an afternoon at the beach — and assign that person to lead the group on the day of that activity. By making everyone the driver, everyone also gets the chance at some point to sit back and be a passenger.

Automate the money flow

Tracking expenses for a whole group can expose a lot of pain points. Differing price sensitivities and priorities make things complicated enough, and that’s before you get into the challenges of pricing couples versus singles, people who join late or stay longer, or charges in multiple currencies. “I have seen so many friendships dissolve because resentment builds when one person suspects other friends are taking advantage of her financially, or not pulling their weight,” said the friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson , who is based in Tampa, Fla.

Apps can help make complicated calculations easy and transparent, even while the trip is still underway. Mrs. Jackson said she liked TravelSpend , which automatically converts currencies, and Splitwise , which integrates with Venmo, to “help groups manage everyone’s tabs so there’s no confusion about who owes what.” For divvying up restaurant bills, Ms. Irvin-Choy said she recommended the app Tab , which uses a picture of the receipt to track each diner’s responsibility.

Avoid the ‘travel amoeba’

Groups can easily become what Dina Vaccari, a Seattle-based traveler, calls the travel amoeba: “an excruciatingly slow-moving blob of people that doesn’t really get anywhere.” There are countless situations where the group may end up stalled — when one member runs back to grab a lost hat or needs to use the bathroom or stop at an A.T.M. Decide as a group ahead of time that it’s OK not to wait and set a time and a place to meet up again. Or use the location-sharing feature of apps like WhatsApp , so that stragglers can catch up on their own schedules and the rest of the group is free to keep exploring.

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Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

How to travel with friends – without falling out

Sep 3, 2019 • 6 min read

Travelling together offers friends the chance to enjoy quality time awash with in-jokes, proper catch-ups and unforgettable experiences. Sound like bliss? It can be. But beware: even the best of friendships can be tested on the road.

Whether you’re about to embark on your first adventure with your mates in tow or are looking to improve on past experiences, here are writer Emma Sparks' 10 tips for having a harmonious trip with friends.

Beginners: start on the right foot

1. choose the right people to go with.

Pick any old pal with a passport at your peril. Just because you share a love of Nicolas Cage movies and Chinese food doesn’t mean you’re compatible travel buddies. Think twice before travelling with someone you only ever see in one context; your coffee-and-cake companion, yoga chum or work bestie might be a dream to hang out with at home, but a nightmare when it comes to exploring somewhere new. Opt for someone you’re confident you could tolerate for three days straight and you should have a reasonably hiccup-free trip – but there are no guarantees.

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2. Set expectations

Is this trip about winding down and going with the flow, or ticking off a list of sights the length of your arm? Will it be action-packed and outdoorsy, or heavy on the hangovers? It’s easy to make assumptions about your friends’ vision for a trip based on their usual behaviour, but travel can bring with it a different set of priorities and reveal a totally different side of people. Night owl travelling with early birds or vice versa? Proceed with caution – or agree to adjust your body clocks accordingly. Verbalise your needs: a simple conversation about what each of you wants to get out of the holiday – and what you don’t want to do – should do the trick.

3. Discuss your budget

You probably have an idea of how flash or frugal your friends are, but it’s worth chatting about what you intend to spend on food and activities before you go. In situ, manage money sensitively – some people are happy to split the bill every time, while others will find subsidising your dessert addiction stressful. Keep a tally in a group budgeting app like Splitwise if you like, but don’t sweat the small stuff – no-one likes a penny-pincher.

You might also like this:  What I learned from backpacking in my 20s and 30s

4. Prepare for close quarters

If you’re sharing accommodation, prepare to learn a lot more about your mates. Sleeping habits, bathroom routines and kitchen cleanliness (or lack thereof) can all cause friction between friends. Years of sharing rooms with incessant snorers, shower hoggers and the occasional gleeful farter have taught me that the best way to overcome small irritations is to make light of them – no doubt you have your own shortcomings too – and always pack earplugs...

‘When we travel as a three, Emily always gets a room to herself as she’s the loudest snorer. Emma puts up with my mild snores and I ignore the fact she leaves hair in the plughole’ – Mary, Emma’s travel buddy on many long weekends in Europe .

Intermediate: avoid common pitfalls

5. hanger and fatigue.

The needs of travelling adults often mirror those of a two year old’s. If someone’s acting moody, chances are they’re hungry or overtired. Punctuate sightseeing with plenty of pit stops and snacks, or work siestas into your holiday routine to keep the peace.

‘I like my sleep and I’m prone to energy dips if I don’t eat at regular intervals. Before a long hike through the Latvian wilderness, Emma made sure to buy some carb-heavy snacks and sugary sweets, which saved the day’  – Helen, Emma’s travel buddy in Australia , Latvia and Estonia .

6. Too much time together

Find yourself lingering in the loo, or volunteering to pop to the shops for the milk and a few precious minutes by yourself? Don’t feel bad about taking some time away from each other. Introverts in particular often need plenty of alone time to avoid burnout – but splitting up for a few hours here and there can refresh and revive everyone. 

7. Lack of flexibility

Travelling with friends is a masterclass in the art of the compromise. When Friend A is laser-focused on finding a tabbacheria for their strictly-on-holiday smokes, Friend B wants nothing more than an Aperol spritz and a sit down, and you want to get to the top local landmark before it closes, something has to give. If it isn’t essential to you, let it go – but don’t let dominant or demanding personalities get their way every time. If you’re lucky, everyone’s wants and needs can be met with some tactical shuffling of schedules. 

‘Emma has dragged us up church spires and medieval towers in Florence , Porto , Seville and more – we expect it now, just as she expects to skip a few sights so we can sample local tipples in the sun’ – Emily, Emma’s travel buddy on many long weekends in Europe.

8. Overenthusiasm

The weeks and months ahead of a trip can be saturated with hope and high expectations, excited text messages and squeals of anticipation. So much so that by the time you board the plane, you’re already exhausted. Then, in the face of adversity – a disappointing Airbnb, bad weather or mosquito invasions – one friend may appoint themselves as a hype man, ignoring glaring issues and refusing to let anyone whinge. While positivity is a lifesaver on group trips, you can still keep it real. It’s OK if things aren’t perfect, so don’t put pressure on yourself or each other to have the best time ever – go with the flow and it will happen naturally.

Advanced: be your best self

9. forgive (and apologise) quickly.

An intense dose of togetherness coupled with new, sometimes challenging experiences means minor niggles are almost inevitable. Left to fester, resentment and pettiness can thrive. Unresolved tension is a sure-fire way to spoil a trip, so be honest about the way you’re feeling. If anyone gets snappy, forgive and forget immediately – and always apologise if you’re the grump of the group.

You might also like this:   How travel helps me cope with grief

10. Be considerate and self aware

When it comes to maintaining a good group dynamic, basic courtesies go a long way – and taking extra care of each other (without fussing) will give you the warm and fuzzies. Make sure you’ve got the fundamentals covered, such as doing your fair share of washing up and collecting the morning croissants, then go the extra mile by keeping tabs on hydration levels and sunscreen top ups, or volunteering to drive.

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How To Easily Create Collaborative Trip Itineraries With Google Lists

Do you like having an itinerary or bucket list when you travel or do you just enjoy flying by the seat of your pants? Google Lists can accommodate you regardless of your travel personality. If you want to completely plan out every stop on your trip, you can easily create a list for that and even a customized map route . If you want to remain spontaneous, but ensure that you have some quality options available in case you need them, a list will come in handy for that as well.

Related: Help Small Businesses By Suggesting Edits and Adding Photos on Maps

The List feature on Google Maps lets you collaborate with others so that you can each edit and add places you’re interested in seeing. This has been such a time-saver when I plan trips with my husband and with friends that live in other states. I usually start my lists with some hidden gems I’ve found by scouring Atlas Obscura and then invite others to round out the itinerary by adding their own points of interest.

Do you want to find pet-friendly or kid-friendly locations in your town? Maybe you want to find some good hikes? How about great dessert spots or live music venues? You can search for public lists that other Google Local Guides have created and use their recommendations or create your own lists to share with your local community.

We all have a unique perspective to share based on our interests and experience – why not help others discover some worthwhile spots by creating some public lists? Lists are also a great way to support small businesses that might not otherwise get much exposure. Here are a few lists I’ve created for my local area and for the US as a whole.

• International Bucket List
• Healthy Food in the Triad
• Epic US Road Trip for Outdoor Lovers
• Best Bubble Tea in the Triad
• The Best Small Business in Kernersville
• Best Triad Fitness Spots
• The Best Triad Area Hikes
• Pet Friendly Businesses in the Triad

Are you ready to start making your own lists? Watch the quick video overview below where I give you a step by step guide on how to create and share your own lists.

If you don’t have time to watch the full video, just follow the easy steps below:

How To Create a Google List

• Search for the first location you want to add, then once you click into the location, select the “save” icon. Google will prompt you to “create a list”.
• Name your list and add any optional notes that are helpful.
• Continue adding locations until you complete your list.
• You can keep the list private, make it fully public for all of Google to view, or choose to share it only with friends.
• If you choose to share your list, you can make it editable so that friends/family can easily collaborate on the list or itinerary, which makes travel so much easier when your map is already pre-populated with points of interest!
• If you make the list public, you can add hashtags to the list description so that others in your community can easily find and follow your list. Share those hidden gem #brunch spots and #petfriendly patios that have #livemusic!

If you have a constantly expanding bucket list like I do, Google Lists is a great tool to stay organized and make sure you don’t lose track of anything. Any time I come across a unique or interesting location or business, instead of writing it down somewhere that I might forget about, I just add it to one of my categorized lists. Easy peasy!

You never know when you might be taking an unexpected trip, so it’s nice to always have options ready on your map. On a recent trip to New River Gorge National Park (the newest national park by the way), we ended up in a miserable traffic jam for over 2 hours and ended up turning around to come home since we didn’t want to be in the car all day.

We didn’t want the whole drive to be for nothing, and thankfully it wasn’t because I had previously saved some local points of interest on the map. I’d honestly forgotten that I ever tagged them, but I was glad we had ready-made back up plans so we were able to keep exploring without driving around aimlessly in an unfamiliar location. Another great perk about lists – these saved locations also work offline, so when you’re off the beaten path with no signal, you can still get to the locations that you have saved.

What do you think? Have you used Google Lists before? If not, do you think you will use this feature in the future?

Reminder – if you love the outdoors, check out my Triad Trails IG page here – I share the best hikes within 3 hours of me here in NC!

Thanks for reading,

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How To Plan a Trip With Friends

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The key to a successful trip with friends comes down to two things: proper organization and choosing the right traveling companions .

Have you ever traveled with a group? Was it great, confusing, fun, frustrating, hectic? Yeah, probably a bit of all of that.

Traveling with friends can be either a wonderful or awful experience.

It’s fantastic to travel and share new experiences with your partner, but it can be even more amazing when you are sharing these with a bigger group. Plus, with friends you always have someone to take a picture of you when you’re standing at that Instagram-worthy photo op under a waterfall!

We’ve done a few trips with friends and for the most-part they have been so much fun – save a few hiccups here and there.

There are some pitfalls you should try to avoid. Just like everything else in life, the outcome generally is better when everyone understands the guidelines and expectations of the group. This is in regards to deciding on things to do, booking in advance, staying on schedule, paying your share, and being accountable in general.

Just because you took the lead organizing a trip with your friends, it doesn’t turn you into their Mommy – and hopefully your friends understand that. It’s time for adulting now; which means everyone is responsible for their own time/money/enjoyment.

Getting Started

Here are the key elements to planning a successful, stress-free group trip:

• Pick Your Organizer

Designate a person who will put the trip’s details together and keep the group updated.

• Go with Low-Maintenance Traveler Friends

Avoid being miserable traveling with people who need constant attention and help.

• Agree on the Destination

Form a consensus on where the group will go and decide who is doing what, where, ahead of time.

• Make Sure the Budget Works

Be realistic with budget costs and make sure you’re being considerate of those who can’t afford the same things that others can.

• Be in Constant Communication

Make sure everyone is aware of all updates.

• Have Some Flexibility

If something doesn’t work out the way you expected, go with the flow and commit to still having a great time.

• Use Planning Tools to Assist

Let technology help you make your trip-sharing details easier.

How to Plan a Group Travel Trip

• Set Proper Expectations  – While it is important to do this throughout the whole planning process, from the get-go you want to explain what you expect from your proposed group event. This means, explain how you like to travel, propose some rough ideas on what you might want to do, and what you expect out of others (will you be sharing a hotel, carpooling across country and expect the others to take turns driving?). Make sure your intentions are clear.
• Ask Who’s In  – Discuss the trip with the people you plan on inviting and get an email distribution list going. As people opt-out remove them from the list so you’re not spamming everyone with travel updates.
• Group Votes  – If you want a destination by committee, discuss the options together and take a vote on where the group wants to go and what they’ll want to do there. Otherwise, if you have your own itinerary in mind, just create it yourself and send it out. Often, people appreciate your willingness to come up with all the plans, especially if they don’t have the time to do the research themselves, so you may opt to pass on the voting since it can be frustrating to hear crickets at your requests. It’s also difficult when there are more people involved to come to a unified agreement.
• Initial Budget – Once you have a rough itinerary, use a travel website to get some rough estimates on how much you think the entire trip will cost. Send this out to everyone and inflate the price higher than the total based on if they’ll need to pay for food/drinks/excursions/transportation/miscellaneous shopping. Unless you are doing a cruise or an all-inclusive resort this will most likely be the case. Err on the side of over-budgeting to help your friends out, they won’t want to find out that they didn’t have enough money after they’ve booked the trip.
• Finalized Budget: Send a more finalized itinerary out with specific prices once you know the locations and possible excursions people are interested in doing. You might also want to look up some of the average cuisine costs, to get people’s mindsets prepared for what they will be spending on average. This might also shape some of where you decide to roam. For example, drinks in the less populated areas of Mykonos are under $10.00, while the more popular clubs in town will charge you easily over that price for a basic drink.
• Share your Booking: Give people links to airfare or the package you’re considering (or have purchased) to make it easy for them to make the same arrangements as you. Obviously, they may choose a different company to make their arrangements with, but this will give them a good starting point to match to your locations.
• Must See/Must Do Lists: Have each of your committed traveler friends come up with their list of “must see/must do’s” on their own. Also include a “nice to see” section. When everyone is done, share these collectively and see what overlaps. This is a good way to ensure they are getting their voices heard and what will be done collectively is agreed upon before hand. Then communicate and decide which ones you will buy before hand and which ones can be spontaneously purchased in town. Be careful with assuming there will be things like guided tours on islands, sometimes they have to be booked in advance. Do your research on excursions.
• Don’t Forget Transportation: While Uber has definitely made it possible to be WAY more spontaneous when it comes to getting around, if you are in a foreign country cars may be a little harder to come by. Read up beforehand on different methods of transportation, especially for things like island hopping, where Uber will not be useful. Factor these in and figure out if you need to book ahead of time.
• Finalize It:  When everything is agreed upon as far as where people are going, what they are doing, when and with whom, make sure someone (detail-oriented) documents the heck out of it all,  down to the finest details of exact times and locations – maps are a beautiful thing here. Get familiar with where you will be using TripAdvisor forums, Google Satellite views, a travel agent, someone who has been there before, or your local friends in the area… You want to know things to avoid, what to wear, what to expect weather-wise, EVERYTHING. Don’t be afraid to let your obsessive-compulsive neurosis blossom into full bloom here. It’s important that you are as organized as possible, because these trips are usually a little chaotic all-by-themselves without a lack of organization.

Emergency Contingencies

Stuff happens. Travel plans can get thwarted easily with flight delays, natural disasters, or any combination of events (oversleeping, your Uber had a flat tire). Being prepared is necessary and important even when you’re not traveling with a group, but it’s especially important if people are waiting on you that you have an agreed upon emergency plan for every place you go.

At a minimum, your entire group should know these 2 things:

• Contact Info –  This might be the most important thing for an emergency – make sure you not only have all of your friend’s contact info and itineraries in your phone, you also have this on printed paper . I know right, so archaic? Foreign land wifi/cell strength can be spotty, and technology can be unreliable – what happens if your phone ran out of battery in the middle of a foreign city? You may actually have to use a land line at that point, and what’s the name of that hotel they’re in? Good thing you have this weird fibery sheet in your hand with that information.
• MeetUp Spots – We had an incident on a cruise we took with friends where we thought someone was “lost” and some of the group was losing their mind trying to find her, to the point of almost asking the boat to turn around in case she had fallen overboard. It turned out she had gotten separated from the group and just went back to her room and went to sleep. Funny enough, no one thought to check her room. To avoid this, have a plan in place in case someone from your group gets lost – say that if you can’t find each other by a certain time, you’ll be at X location (maybe the hotel you started from) by X time. Then, you will know if you should be worried enough to organize a search party.

How to Stay Organized and On Track

• Updates: Once you have a “locked in” group, send regular updates anytime new information is discovered (prices change, dates change, or excursions are researched). You will want to keep in touch every now and again to remind people that the trip is approaching and to get them prepared. It’s easy to get consumed with work/life and forget, especially if you’ve been a good planner and booked this well ahead of the date your group is leaving.
• Before you Leave: Right before the trip, send out all the itineraries to everyone going along with your meeting points/emergency contact info, etc. Also include a list of packing must-haves – you can use our list of recommended items to pack for a trip so that no one forgets anything. You don’t want to spend your first hours in Italy searching out an electronics store because someone didn’t bring their laptop cord.

Travel Apps for Group Traveling

Here are some of the best apps for group travel or keeping track of your expenses as a group.

GRUP TRIP (no longer running)

I think this is my favorite group travel planning app of all the ones I have tried so far. Reason being, it’s easy to use, intuitive, and has most of the features you would want in a tool like this. You enter your information, invite friends to join, and then the group can vote on the activities they want to do, post group messages, photos, and track and split expenses easily. The only downside is that there is no website access (I find that easier to enter all the info into, then access through the app), so you end up having to enter everything through the app, which can be tedious. Available on iOS/Android

NOMO FOMO (no longer running)

This app will help you find friends in your network when they are traveling or reside in the same location you are. It will also keep track of your itinerary and you can add items as needed. If you are looking for a very simple itinerary holder/itinerary share app, this will do the trick, and has no ads which is a big advantage over the other apps with ads.  You can send your itinerary to their email and they will add it to your calendar, which is great, as it saves you the pain of entering it in manually. The highlight of this app is that it connects to Facebook so you can see when your Facebook friends’ locations overlap with your own if you’ve allowed that in the settings.   Available on iOS/Android

GROTU (no longer running)

I love the features of this app – but I installed it and the ads became an annoyance to the point where I uninstalled it after a few minutes. This app comes with incessant video ads that you can’t stop and they show up on every screen. However, you can pay for an ad-free version, it looks like the pricing models are $4.99 or $9.99, but it was confusing as far as if that’s monthly or yearly, and it also wasn’t clear on what you get at the different price points. It might be worth it to pay for this if you and your friends travel often. This has a survey tool where you can poll your friends on where they want to go and what they want to do, expense tracking and reimbursement options, and photo upload capabilities in the cloud, where you can share these with friends. Overall pretty cool functionality, if I could stomach the constant ads or wanted to pay the fees.  Available on iOS/Android

TRAVEFY (no longer for individuals – only for Travel agencies)

Travefy used to be good, if not great, it sounds like… but as of October, 2018, they have removed most of the functionality that people loved – I am not sure why. What sounds like it was originally a very useful group travel planning tool has turned into a very simple app where you can enter and share your itinerary, but that’s about it. You no longer have the option to do group polling or track and share expenses which is one of the main drivers of the people installing this app. I also noticed there doesn’t seem to be any way to automatically import itineraries, which is something that makes an app like this much more useful. I tried it then uninstalled fairly quickly, when the activity search did not seem to bring back any good results, and they were not in my language.  Available on iOS/Android

Worth mentioning as it has really good ratings, however I can’t try it since I don’t have an iPhone and they don’t have an Android app just yet. If you (and all the people in your group) use an iPhone, you may want to check it out.  Available on iOS

TripIt is a pretty slick app from its parent company Concur, with a way of instantly uploading your itinerary so that you don’t have to enter it manually.  You have the option to share your itinerary with a group, but this is not specifically a group travel app, so it is lacking in features such as photo sharing, messaging, expense sharing and voting. A nice feature of this app is that you can access your information even while offline, so if you are searching for your reservation number you don’t have to connect to an email that’s not coming up while you’re in a foreign country. Pro version ($49/yr) also offers additional features such as finding upgraded seats and instant notifications on flight changes, etc.  Available on iOS/Android

Although not a travel app per se, this can be very useful for free communication with your travel group. Most people use WhatsApp for its free phone capabilities, but there are other features you should know about for group travel. You can set up a specific group for each Travel Group you go places with, and you can talk, chat, upload documents, and even drop your current location on a map for the rest of the group to see where to meet up. For instructions on how to add Google Maps pins to your WhatsApp conversation, read this how to on installing and using it.  Available on iOS/Android

ROADTRIPPERS

This app is for people carpooling with friends or family to a drive-able vacation destination and want to share driver duty. It will help you find the best routes and suggests things to do along the way such as restaurants or landmarks. You can calculate all the legs of the trip to determine how long it will be until the next stop. Available on iOS/Android

Great app for sharing expenses on a trip, the only thing that would make this better is if you had a total accumulated balance instead of a balance only for each individual entry. You can see who paid for what items and then divide up the reimbursement amounts – you can also do this unevenly which comes in handy in the case of splitting bills with people who have kids, etc.   Available on iOS/Android

If you are sharing the cost of things with your group such as AirBnB rentals, cab fare, food, etc., it can get a little sticky as far as who pays for what. Splitwise makes keeping a running tally of who owes what easy and also integrates with Venmo for payment purposes. Converting foreign purchases however, is kind of a pain, and requires that you log into their website to do so.  Available on iOS/Android

Ways to Prevent Group Travel Misery

• One Organizer To Rule Them All  – You will most likely want a type “A” personality leading the charge, one and only  one is important; someone who can put together the entire itinerary with all the details accounted for. These people can be painfully annoying at times (I know because I think I might be one of them), but will make your travel life so much easier with their OCD-ness. Be careful if you are leaving travel plans to someone who is a last-minute, fly by the seat of their pants type of person, as the whole plan might fall apart – if there even is one.
• Expectations – Make sure the expectations of the group are understood and agreed upon by all. For those who want to travel together but do things more independently, it might not work out to travel with a group which plans to do everything together. If your idea of a vacation is relaxing on a beach all day while the rest of your party wants to get up at the crack of dawn and see all the landmarks of the city, make sure you have been clear on what you plan on doing with and without the group.
• Physical Requirements – It’s important that you understand the level of energy you will need to exert during activities on the trip, and that if your friends plan on accompanying you to these activities they are able (and willing) to keep up with you. If you plan on swinging through vines on the jungle like Tarzan, just make sure your traveling companions want to be Jane, or maybe they have something else in mind to do at that time. Research on excursions is important, you don’t want to find out at the bottom of a volcano that your friends aren’t physically able to make the climb and expect you to stay back with them. Most excursion companies will tell you the level of activity required for the event.
• No Drama – Collectively commit to having a “drama-free” trip. Although this may not be completely mitigated with this verbal contract (it’s not legally binding, after all), it should be the common goal everyone agrees to, for the enjoyment of the entire group. In our past group travels we have experienced a few temper tantrums or couple’s fights that put a damper on the rest of the group’s fun (and wastes valuable vacation time). It’s so much better to avoid these if possible.

Following these tips, you should be off to an amazing  adventure. Wishing you all Happy and Safe travels!

Where have you gone as a group? Did you love it or hate it?

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How to Plan a Friend Trip (and Keep Your Friends)

I F THE POINT of a vacation is to get away from it all—should that include friends, too? I used to dread the thought of running into people I know while traveling and, obliged to hang with them, having to derail my plans. But a recent trip challenged my thinking. On holiday with my husband and two kids, six and three, at a small hotel on Mexico’s Pacific coast, we bumped into some friends with their young children. Over a few days, I started to see the appeal of traveling with friends: built-in companionship and social levity for the adults, playmates for the kids.

The accidental run-in got me weighing whether I might want to organize my own “friendcation,” an increasingly popular portmanteau I promise to use sparingly here.

When friends from our son’s school mentioned they were going to Turks and Caicos in February, I saw my opportunity and arranged to join them. Unprepared to go all in on shared accommodation, I booked a rental near the Grace Bay Club resort where they will stay. As planning began, the sheer number of variables at play raised my heart rate: The kids all need to jibe, partners must like each other. The adults must, at bare minimum, tolerate how everyone else parents.

Would my friends, for example, abide what I deemed an appropriate breakfast: Nutella on a hot dog bun followed by a doughnut or two? What if a discussion about current events spiraled into a friendship-ending argument? I’d have to see this family at school drop-off for the next five years at least. Even without our kids, I realized, a trip among friends can leave the relationship in tatters.

In an attempt to arrive prepared, I started sourcing advice from friend-trip veterans.

For years, Tanya Scalisi, a 38-year-old public relations professional, has taken trips with a couple who have similarly aged kids. She told me the key is setting the pace to match that of the group’s most laid-back member. “I’m definitely more type-A than my friend, who has helped keep the weekend more relaxing,” said Scalisi, a fan of Airbnb rentals in the Catskills and the Hudson Valley with easy access to snowboarding, an activity that lets everyone be alone together.

While discussing our itinerary with Grace Bay’s pre-arrival concierge, I learned that the resort’s chief operating officer, Nikheel Advani, undertakes up to eight trips with friends every year. I told Advani that I worried I’d be judged a derelict parent for my lax approach to sugar and screens. “Everyone needs to take it down a notch,” Advani advised. “I’m a cleanliness freak normally—my house looks like a hotel—and my kids eat very healthy at home, but on vacations with other people those things go out the window.”

Talk About Money

A few things no one wants: 14 credit cards on the table after dinner, a surprise four-figure bill at the end of a trip, a fight over who owes what. Lisa Karvellas, 35, founder of Cedar Lakes Estate, an event space in Port Jervis, N.Y., has been regularly traveling with the same four college friends for the last decade. She credits her enduring friendship to transparently establishing a budget with which everyone is comfortable well before planning begins. “It’s not fun to travel with friends who want to spend more than you do, or who have a much smaller budget than you,” she said.

Advani has everyone prepay the designated lead planner (every friend trip needs one) a lump-sum estimate for all the meals and activities.

But even incompatible budgets needn’t be a deal breaker. On a recent trip to Barcelona to see a Beyoncé concert, Matt Butler, 41, founder of a New York City-based college test-prep company, booked the Soho House for around $650 (600 euros) a night. That price was out of range for one friend on the trip, so Butler found him a cheaper hotel nearby. “It does help if everyone is willing to spend the same amount of money, but there is always a workaround,” Butler said.

Set Expectations

“Friendcations are not for the faint of heart, and you must be on the same wavelength: Are you sightseers or relax-by-the-pool people?” said Butler. Having checked Beyoncé off his list, Butler recently set his sights on a Taylor Swift show in Rio de Janeiro. On the trip, Butler dissuaded one of his friends from splitting off for a trip to Iguazu Falls because he felt it wasn’t in keeping with the spirit of their weekend together: group bonding.

Janet Rodgers, 83, who has traveled with different friends for decades, disagrees with Butler’s approach. She says she would have encouraged the travel companion to visit the Falls. “Try to plan a number of daytime activities that are separate or individual, so when you have dinner together, the conversation will be lively, fun and newsy,” she advised.

Cayla Hollis-Emery, 25, recently traveled to Canada with a group she met on a study abroad program. “I told my friends that my only must-do for Montreal was to try a bagel, while my friend wanted to hike up Mount Royal,” Hollis-Emery, a trip planner for FTLO Travel, said. They made sure to parcel out time for both activities. “When traveling with a group, there can be so many opinions of how the vacation should go. What’s most important is that everyone gets to enjoy themselves and does at least one of their ‘must-dos,’” she said.

As for my own trip, mere weeks away, I’m still worried whether our friends will like us after a few days in proximity. To allay some of my concerns, I came up with my own rule: a pact, obliging us to say the silent parts out loud and be transparent about our preferences. It already seems to be working. When I suggested we book a boat trip for one of our days there, my friend texted back: “We will pass. Every time we take [our son] on a boat, it’s a nightmare with the weather or he gets sick.” We’ll take that particular excursion alone and see them at dinner.

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Ask a Travel Nerd: How I Introduce Friends to Award Travel

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

I’ve been an enthusiastic award traveler for over a decade, using points and miles earned from credit cards to book flights, hotels and more. Award travel has granted me experiences that would have otherwise been over my budget, helping me explore the world, spend time with loved ones and get where I’m going in comfort.

I’m grateful for my hobby and eager to share it with curious friends and family. However, award travel has complexities and pitfalls that make it risky.

I’ve learned over the years that introducing others to award travel requires a degree of care, so here are five guidelines I use when I welcome new players to the points and miles game.

1. Set realistic expectations

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. household spent over $1,850 on transportation and lodging for out-of-town trips in 2022. With that figure in mind, I’m not surprised people commonly get into award travel as a way to cut costs. But while “get a credit card and travel for free” sounds alluring, the reality is it’s not free and not that simple.

Booking with points and miles takes varying degrees of effort, depending on where you want to go and how luxuriously you want to travel. In addition to planning your itinerary, you’ll have to figure out which airline and hotel programs you’ll use to book it.

Once you earn enough points and miles, there’s no guarantee the airplane seat or hotel night will be available. Even when they are, booking them may involve out-of-pocket costs, such as taxes, fuel surcharges or resort fees . In short, it’s no sure bet.

To manage expectations, I paint an honest picture of award travel. While it’s not a golden ticket to first class seats and presidential suites, it can help you travel for less.

2. Start small

Since I started collecting points and miles in 2010, I’ve opened over 80 credit cards in pursuit of sign-up bonuses, spending rewards and other benefits. I've sometimes averaged more than one new credit card per month.

I can handle that volume because I’ve worked up to it, learning how to manage my credit and loyalty accounts over the years. But a beginner attempting that same pace would be like a student driver entering a Formula One race.

I encourage newbies to start small and set an achievable travel goal (like booking one flight or hotel stay with points) and figure out how best to meet it. That narrow focus provides an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of award travel without getting overwhelmed. If things go well, ramping up is easy. If not, the cost of failure is low.

3. Emphasize good financial habits

You’re not likely to ding your credit score by trying chess or snorkeling, but getting into award travel generally involves opening (and monitoring) various financial and loyalty accounts.

Richard Kerr, vice president of travel at Bilt Rewards, says that award travelers must set their priorities appropriately.

“Rewards never outweigh interest and fees,” Kerr said, who adds that it's important to make sure "the well-being of your personal finances always comes first in your pursuit of points and miles.”

According to data from the Federal Reserve, credit card annual percentage rates averaged more than 20% in 2023. Meanwhile, when redeemed for travel, most points and miles are worth just 1 to 2 cents.

Mismanaging accounts can be costly, so I stress the importance of organization and fiscal responsibility. I implore new award travelers to pay their credit card balances on time and in full and warn them against overspending. I also offer tips for keeping track of accounts and due dates and share my organizational tools where needed.

4. Follow along 

Points and miles can open a lot of doors, but throwing folks in the deep end to fend for themselves can do more harm than good.

Once I introduce someone to award travel, I feel some responsibility for the outcome, so I offer my continued assistance as needed to help them stay afloat.

I try to proactively check in with folks about their progress and ensure they’re meeting spending requirements, managing accounts and avoiding unnecessary costs. If all goes well initially, I keep them apprised of future opportunities (like award sales or outsized credit card bonuses ).

5. Don’t be pushy

The prospect of traveling at a heavy discount has the ring of a late-night infomercial, making many folks distrustful of it initially. I talk about award travel without sounding like I’m selling something. I speak plainly, avoid overhyping and never force details on disinterested parties.

On a related note, I’m upfront about any way I stand to gain personally. For example, I always disclose when a credit card offer earns me a referral bonus (even though I send my friends only the best available offers anyway).

Finally, I don’t ask for anything in return — my help comes with no strings attached.

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Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spend on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.

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You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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On a similar note...

White House says Kamala Harris will travel to Arizona after state Supreme Court abortion ban ruling

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Arizona on Friday, the White House announced Tuesday, shortly after the state Supreme Court upheld a near-total abortion ban .

Harris will travel to Tucson, the White House said in an advisory, "to continue her leadership in the fight for reproductive freedoms." It noted that it will be the vice president's second trip to Arizona this year and her fifth time since being sworn in.

"Last month, the Vice President visited Phoenix, AZ to highlight how extremists in states across the country have proposed and enacted abortion bans that threaten women’s health, force them to travel out of state to receive care, and criminalize doctors," the White House said.

The White House said that the trip was part of Harris' nationwide "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour "that included stops in Wisconsin, California, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, and Minnesota."

Since the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Harris has held more than 80 events on reproductive rights in 20 states, the White House added.

The announcement about her upcoming trip came just about an hour after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a 160-year-old near-total abortion ban still on the books in the state could be enforced. Under the law from 1864, anyone who performs the procedure or helps a woman access that care could face felony charges and up to two to five years in prison. The  law  — which was codified in 1901, and again in 1913 — includes an exception to save the woman’s life.

President Joe Biden, Harris and Democrats in general are hoping that existing abortion bans and threats to expand them nationwide will help them win their races in this November's general election.

Rebecca Shabad is a politics reporter for NBC News based in Washington.

Didn’t make eclipse plans? Here’s what to know and how to view it.

Thousands of people from around New England and beyond are heading north to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine to view the solar eclipse today, setting up camp in cities like Burlington, Vt.; Colebrook, N.H.; and Jackman, Maine — which land along the path of totality .

But if you didn’t make plans to travel to totality — couldn’t get off work, didn’t want to deal with the traffic, or just didn’t think of it in time — you can still catch the partial eclipse with Boston and the rest of Massachusetts seeing more than 90% of totality.

The weather forecast is looking mostly good , said Boston Globe meteorologist Ken Mahan, with temperatures in the Boston area reaching 60-plus degrees for the first time this month. And cloud coverage should be kept mostly at bay during eclipse time, making for a clear and comfortable viewing experience.

Here’s how to view the partial solar eclipse, even if you’re piecing together last-minute plans.

How can I get eclipse viewing glasses?

Sunglasses won’t cut it. Make sure your eclipse glasses meet the international safety standards for solar viewing — you should see an “ISO 12312-2″ code labeled somewhere on the shades.

According to NASA, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing, even if you’re looking through a camera lens, binoculars, or telescope, which also should be equipped with special-purpose solar filters.

Eyeware retailer Warby Parker was giving out free eclipse viewing glasses, but if you haven’t snagged a pair yet, you’re too late — the stores are out of stock. You can still visit the Warby Parker website to download and print their DIY eclipse pinhole projector , which will allow you to safely observe the eclipse through a projection.

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If you can’t get your hands on a pair of eclipse glasses (Boston Public Library locations are also out of stock), you can create your own DIY indirect viewer using an empty paper towel roll or cereal box, some foil, and paper.

What exactly is a total solar eclipse, anyway?

A total solar eclipse is the result of a cosmic coincidence, according to NASA. It occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow that completely blocks the face of the sun in some areas, plunging them into darkness.

Although the sun is about 400 times bigger than the moon, it is also about 400 times farther away, making them almost exactly the same size in our sky, according to NASA.

The path of totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun, cuts across the United States beginning around 2:30 p.m. at the Texas-Mexico border before exiting the US in northern Maine at around 3:30 p.m. In areas outside the path, viewers can see a partial eclipse, where the moon casts a partial shadow over the sun to varying degrees depending on how far you are from the path.

The last total solar eclipse visible from North America was in 2017. The next one visible from the contiguous US won’t be for two more decades , in August 2044, according to NASA.

What time will the eclipse happen?

In Boston, the partial eclipse will start at 2:16 p.m., and reach its peak at 3:29 p.m.

Along the path of totality, the total eclipse will last for three minutes, the only time when it’s safe for viewers to look at the sun without eye protection. In Massachusetts, you’ll need protection throughout the duration of the partial eclipse, since the moon won’t fully cover the sun’s rays at any point.

If I didn’t plan a trip to the path of totality, where can I view the eclipse?

There are lots of viewing events being hosted throughout Boston, such as at the Brighton Branch Library , Somerville’s Central Library , Cambridge’s Main Library , and across the state, including several state parks .

The Boston Calendar compiled a list of 18 events in and around Boston for community eclipse viewing, including at various rooftops, parks, and museums.

And if you don’t have time to make it to a viewing party, you can always just step outside and take a look for yourself, with proper eclipse viewing glasses.

What will the partial eclipse look like in Massachusetts?

In the path of totality, with the sun entirely blocked by the moon, daylight will turn to darkness , and a “360 degree” sunset will emerge. The air will get colder, and winds will change. As the moon eclipses the sun, viewers will witness little filaments of sunlight called Baily’s beads, which will disappear one by one and merge to form a “diamond-ring effect,” only a faint corona around the sun left visible.

Meanwhile, in places outside the path of totality, the moon will just partially cover the sun, giving it a crescent shape. In Boston and other parts of Massachusetts, only a small sliver of the sun will be visible. It won’t be as dramatic as totality, but the lighting outside will dim noticeably.

Caity Sullivan, a planetarium educator at the Museum of Science, told WBUR that the change in light will be “somewhere between a very cloudy day and dusk,” and the temperature may drop a few degrees as well.

If you really can’t make it out of the house or office, the total solar eclipse will also be livestreamed on the Globe website and via the Globe app . It can also be viewed using the NASA app .

Madeline Khaw can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @maddiekhaw .

Take a closer look at the plans for the main regions of Neom, Saudi's epic megacity project

• Saudi Arabia is plowing on with its ambitious Neom project, despite reported setbacks.
• The Kingdom has said "millions of cubic meters of earth and water" are being moved each week.
• Here's a closer look at the main regions that officials plan to build as part of the project.

Saudi Arabia 's futuristic and highly ambitious Neom megacity has been billed by officials as a place where people can "dream big."

First announced in 2017, Neom is being constructed in Tabuk, located on the northern tip of the Red Sea.

In February, the Kingdom released a promotional video sharing updates on Neom's progress. The video claimed the project was "progressing rapidly," adding that "millions of cubic meters of earth and water" were being moved each week.

Denis Hickey, the chief development officer for The Line, said: "We've done a lot of the foundation work literally and figuratively. We are ready to go. I think the construction of The Line is unique in terms of its industrialization and its modularized approach."

"We think there's an opportunity to create a better model for a city to interact with the landscape and nature and the environment and we think The Line is going to be an example to the rest of the world," Hickey said.

The kingdom has been funneling money into the 26,500 km² megacity, with costs projected to reach around $1.5 trillion for the development . The Line — a key part of the project — was planned to be finished by 2030, but recent reports suggest developers may be facing financial difficulties.

In February, The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia was borrowing to help fund an array of ambitious projects, including Neom. A month later, Bloomberg reported that the Gulf kingdom has significantly reduced estimates for the number of people expected to settle in The Line .

Neom is the flagship project of the Vision 2030 plan announced by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi wants its Vision 2030 projects to boost residency, provide better opportunities, and help the nation diversify beyond fossil fuels — but it remains to be seen whether expectations will match up with reality.

Neom is designed to comprise several regions. Here's how officials say the city will be laid out.

The Line is the most well-known section of Neom.

Officials say the city is set to be contained within two 1640-foot-high mirrored skyscrapers positioned 656 feet apart. According to Neom's website, the city will have no roads, cars, or emissions and run on 100% renewable energy.

The city was originally planned to accommodate nine million people by 2030. However, Bloomberg reported that this estimate was recently downgraded to less than 300,000 people by the same deadline.

US studio Morphosis is reportedly working on the glossy city, with several more architects on board to design smaller sections .

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Several e xperts have raised ethical issues about the city, claiming it could be fitted with Chinese technology to gather data on residents as part of a sweeping surveillance program.

Located on the coast of the Red Sea, Neom officials have announced plans for an octagonal city, which they claim will house a "next-generation" sustainable port.

If completed, the plan is for Oxagon, as it's being called, to spill partly into the sea, with a section set to float above on the shore. Neom officials have made the bold claim the floating part of the city will be the "world's largest floating structure."

Planners have also claimed the city will cover 48km² and house 90,000 people by 2030, as set out in the Vision 2030 plans .

Saudi officials claim Sindalah, a luxury island resort, will be the first region of Neom to be completed.

Developers have said they want the island to act as an "exclusive gateway to the stunning Red Sea," adding that they planned to welcome the global yachting community and luxury visitors.

The resort is set to feature several luxury spots, including a beach club, a spa and wellness center, and a yacht club.

Located in the mountains of the Tabuk region, Trojena has been designed to be Neom's ski and adventure resort.

Neom's website says the region will host 36 km of ski slopes. The site is also aiming to generate 10,000 jobs, per Neom's promotional site.

Saudi plans for Trojena to play host to 700,000 tourists annually by 2030.

The Gulf Of Aqaba

Saudi plans for the Gulf of Aqaba coast include several of Neom's main tourist destinations, including Epicon.

Plans for Epicon include an "ultra-luxury" hotel and resort and include a residential offering. Official statements say it will feature two towers, one 738 feet tall and another 902 feet tall.

If completed, the Gulf of Aqaba will include Leyka, a natural valley with three boutique hotels; Xaynor, an exclusive beach club; Siranna, a "luxury hospitality experience," and Aquellum, a community built inside a 1,476-feet high mountain range.

There are plans for the region to also host several other luxury escapes and wellness retreats.

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