Happy Summer! Perfect time for a Girlfriend Vacation!

One thing we all have in common … we were once young girls. We loved hanging out with our girlfriends … sharing secrets, giggling, shopping, exploring, listening to music (and maybe even dancing) … it was a great time to have female friends. Guess what? IT STILL IS! Like the quote says: Never go on a trip with someone you do not love.

You may think your days of hanging up a “No boys allowed!” sign on a girl’s clubhouse were long left behind with childhood. However, sometimes, you just need to gather a group of besties and get away on a girlfriend vacation with just the girls. If you need a substantial reason, medical studies, such as one from the Annals of Leisure, show that the bond between women is critical to emotional and physical health. Take along these great tips for girlfriend vacations, and get in touch with your college roommates, best girlfriends from childhood, sisters, or cousins to plan a long-overdue girlfriend getaway of togetherness complete with special female bonding.

Set a Date, Time and Budget – Before booking and losing possible down payments, be sure everyone is available, on board, and marks off the getaway dates on her calendar. The next most important step is to set a budget, so you don’t feel pressured to over spend while enjoying time together. To keep the cost low, look into group rates and off season trips or go in together with several girlfriends to splurge on a luxury vacation rental house, an all-inclusive resort or guided tour. Another option is a bed and breakfast which offers a comfortable home-like atmosphere with breakfast included. If you decide on an international destination, make sure you allow plenty of time to obtain or update passports.

Choose a Theme – Instead of selecting a specific city or location you want to visit, select a theme. Plan a spa trip of pampering, indulge in a shopping frenzied weekend, cooking classes in Italy, go the extreme with white-water rafting, cowgirl up on a dude ranch that offers horseback riding and days ending with spa treatments, or relaxing quietly beach side. Travel to several unusual roadside attractions. Museum hopping or crafting getaways are also fun.

Turn Planning into a Group Effort – Take a vote on which destination to choose a winning vacation spot, and then take the pressure off of one friend in charge by assigning one task to each friend attending. For instance, put one in charge of making accommodation reservations, one in charge of planning activities, on in charge of finding restaurants, one in charge of rental cars. Or, alternatively, trade off throughout the time away, assigning one complete day of planning to each girlfriend.

Ditch the Tourist Hot Spots and Truly Getaway – Plan your trip mid-week, if possible, and during off seasons. Also, instead of jumping into the crowded tourist hot spots, select a more out-of-the-way destination.

Sharing Saves Arguments – Avoid taking time to divide up meal checks or taxi fare. Estimate the total cost and then pool money ahead of time to cover meals and incidentals. At the end of the trip, equally divide anything left over. Or, go all out and toss any questions of who owes what out the window by booking an all-inclusive cruise or resort getaway.

Communicate – From the start, set up an email group message or a Facebook secret group where everyone posts updates and stays in the loop with the latest updates. Make sure you share your expectations before the trip – things you’d each like to see/do, things you’d rather not see/do, does anyone want to be online/offline, giving approval of any photos before they’re posted on social media, etc. Go out to happy hour or dinner to talk about the trip in advance and make sure everyone adds their thoughts on how to make this Girlfriend Trip the best girlfriend trip!

Now, it’s time to plan your own girlfriend getaway. Women love to travel – so get the girls together to plan a fun, fabulous, friend-filled vacation. Soon, you and your friends will be enjoying a relaxing and friendship-bonding getaway!

^Girlfriend Gift Finder for:

• Birthday Gifts for Women
• Holiday Gifts - Christmas Gifts, Mother's Day Gifts, Valentine's Day Gifts
• Cheer up Gifts, Sympathy Gifts, Just Because Gifts, Congrats, Housewarming, Hostess Gifts & More!

Free Resource Library?

• 150 Friendship Quotes
• 3 FREE eBooks - including Resumes & Cover Letters
• 2 Inspirational Quote Coloring Book Pages
• JUST ADDED: Tips to make Grocery Shopping Easier
• Girlfriend Trip Beach Recommendations
• Money-saving Tips & Sites
• & more!!