Out of the Groupchat: How to Make that Girls’ Trip Actually Happen

Your dream destination doesn’t have to stay trapped in group chat purgatory forever.

By: Isabella Licwinko

Photo by Eden Dolan

It is a universally acknowledged truth that all aspiring travelers within the friend group must want a girls’ trip.

Planning a hypothetical vacation with your closet pals is not a rare experience. You’ll bounce destination ideas off each another, send a plethora of Airbnb options, and possibly create a Pinterest board or two. However, it is quite rare that these ambitions “make it out of the group chat.” Oftentimes, these far-fetched, fantastical plans remain just that—a fantasy. But rest assured, there are methods to breaking out of this mold.

Though the odds are stacked against us, it is possible to escape this doomed stereotype, and it doesn’t take a travel agent or an unlimited bank account to succeed. Whether the problem be budgeting, timing, or even cooperation amongst friends, I will break it all down because these dreams are realistic and attainable!

Team Building

First order of business: gather the troops. There is nothing more crucial than forming a compatible and committed team when planning the “big trip”. Understandably, travelling to a beautiful destination with all of your best friends is going to sound like a dream come true to just about everyone; however, not everyone is going to be fit for it. Problems manifest when individuals begin to display hesitation and already have one foot out of the door—a tell-tale sign they’re going to flake.

In Summer 2025, I mentioned the idea of taking a girls’ trip to Montréal to my friend group. There were many immediate takers, but as the months passed and planning became more serious, more of my friends didn’t do any individual planning and became hesitant.

This is totally acceptable, and many times, people have valid reasons for not diving

headfirst into a girls’ trip. Backing out sooner, rather than later, is much less complicated and saves some drama. So don’t latch on to the hesitant travelers; give them space and reconvene with your committed team. Fortunately for me, a few friends were just as attached (sometimes obsessively so) to the success of this girls’ trip, and I knew with enough brainpower, we would reach the glistening metropolis of Montréal.

Planning

With a solidly assembled team, the planning begins. In my opinion, comprehensive research is so crucial when you’re in a balancing act with the budget, your friend’s schedules, and unfamiliarity with the destination. As much as I am an advocate for simply booking a flight and seeing where the wind takes you, girls’ trips don’t always have the luxury of being spontaneous. 

Schedules are jam-packed with work, school, and family functions—it’s hard to find time to breathe. Pick a week/weekend where everyone is certain they can take off and don’t have prior commitments. Though maneuvering around everyone’s schedules is possible and well worth it, even if it means shaving off a day or two from the trip. In my experience, your best bet is planning around a few different weeks/weekends to see which one is most compatible for all participants. Ultimately, the dates will probably be a result of a compromise, but it will all come together in the end. 

Budgeting

The final, deciding factor lies in the budget. With the increasingly outrageous price of accommodations, flights, food, and excursions, a reasonable travel budget seems to be a relic from the past. Realistically, many college students may not have the means to abandon their responsibilities and empty their wallets all for some weekend vacation. The capability to travel on a girls’ trip is certainly the exception, not the expectation for students. However, I’ll give my best advice in avoiding breaking the bank. 

First, choose carefully which elements of the trip you’d like to splurge versus save on. Ask yourself: What am I here for? Is it a relaxing stay within the grounds of my living quarters, adventurous expeditions across the landscape, eating delicious food, and drinking luxury beverages, etc? Do the expenses from transportation (flight, train, etc) leave me options to splurge? 

For example, there are a variety of options to research in regard to living accommodations. They range from luxury hotels to mid-priced Airbnbs to budget-friendly hostels and everything in between. Take into consideration the safety of your destination and what lifestyle accommodations you can’t live without when choosing.

Research plays such a massive role in saving money due to the plethora of lucky transportation deals and sneaky, hidden fees that could make or break your wallet. Additionally, there is an incredible number of free activities that could truly elevate your trip without spending a cent. 

Being hundreds of miles away from home with my best friends—where we simply walked the streets and saw the sights—felt like an adventure in itself. If I can do it, you certainly can make

your dreams come true too. As the saying goes: where there’s a will, there’s a way!