With high school and college graduation coming up right around the corner, there will be many friends who are taking trips together.  This can be a wonderful time for everyone involved, or it can lead to a lot of problems. This is the first in a three part series which covers some tips that can make things much easier for the whole group and that will help to avoid any awkwardness.

• Plan ahead – The first thing that you have to do is sit down and figure out the logistics of payment.

1. Who is going to pay for the hotel room? Who is going to pay for the rental car?
2. How are they going to be paid back and when is payment expected? How will things like groceries and gas be handled?
3. For restaurants, will you be getting checks separately or will you divide it evenly throughout?
4. How will expenditures be tracked?

• Share in planning – Assign each person a task for planning the vacation so that everyone has a fair share. One person could research restaurants; another one can research activities, another research shopping. This way, everyone has a say and everyone can enjoy the vacation.
• Know Your Accommodations – Before you go, know what the sleeping arrangements will be in the hotel room or condo where you will be staying. For example, if you are staying in a condo, usually the master bedroom is the one with a big bed and its own bath, while other bedrooms have the shared bath and two beds.  If this you’re staying at the condo, know ahead of time who will get what and for how long. If you are staying in a hotel room, consider having a cot brought in to avoid awkwardness if need be.
• Put it in Writing – Any plans that you make for your trip together put it in writing and have everyone sign it. This way everyone knows where they stand and what was agreed upon before the trip.

These are the tips for Planning a trip with friends. The next part of this series will cover the trip.