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Based in New York, Just Go Vacations is a member of the JG Travel Group, a leading provider of group travel with a head office in the Cotswolds, England.

With a knowledgeable team, we are destination experts in holidays to Great Britain, Ireland and continental Europe, and have operated more than 1.5 million vacations across these nations.

Just Go Vacations gives American travelers the opportunity to join a selection of our most popular tours in the company of British holiday makers, for a more authentic vacation experience. This bespoke collection of great-value tours offers a diverse range of interests, from vibrant cities and picturesque countryside to glorious gardens and spectacular coastlines. From visits to historic castles and stately homes to journeys on authentic steam trains and cruises along scenic waterways, Just Go Vacations offers the best of Britain and Ireland. There’s also the chance to join an ocean cruise to explore some of Europe’s finest gems.

All the arrangements are taken care of for you, leaving you free to sit back, relax and enjoy the vacation. Every tour features hand-picked quality hotels, conveniently located for each touring itinerary, and luxury motor coaches with on board facilities and air conditioning.

We pride ourselves in great customer service meaning you will always be well looked after when you travel with us.

National Holidays brand saved by Just Go! owner

JG Travel Group, which includes Just Go! Holidays and Omega Breaks, has acquired the National Holidays brand and database from the administrators of Specialist Leisure Group (SLG). The purchase will help the group to expand its presence in the north of England.

JG Travel Group says its National Holidays programme will use coach operators from the same regions that tours were delivered from previously. It aims to “take the essence” of the brand and replicate it, the Cheltenham-based group says in a statement. The initial National Holidays selection for 2021 will be announced soon.

Adds Chairman and CEO Luis Arteaga: “The addition of the brand will enable the JG Travel Group to become the leader in over-60s group travel in the UK, particularly for tours, events and theatre shows by coach.

“The value for money and diversity of products that the JG Travel Group brands will offer are unmatched by the rest of the UK travel industry. National Holidays will help us to grow our presence in the north of England and complement the already strong market penetration that both Just Go! and Omega have in the rest of the country.”

The product will be delivered by third-party operators, adds JG Travel Group Director of Product and Operations Paul Mason. “We will be working with a number of coach operators throughout the National Holidays sales regions. Some we work with already, but we will be very happy to hear from others.

“There is a big opportunity for coach operators here. The majority of National Holidays departures were operated by its in-house fleet, but we have no intention of owning vehicles ourselves. We like to work with coach industry professionals to deliver our product.”

Larger suppliers will be required to run some of their fleet carrying National Holidays branding, says Mr Mason.

SLG ceased trading on 22 May after the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic causes “a significant cash shortfall.” The Shearings brand, database and customer website were purchased by Leger in June.

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St Petersburg - Go Russia Travel Company

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• Go Russia Travel Company

We've just arrived home from our Highlights of the Trans-Siberian journey having loved our trip to... read more

Excellent trip, all my questions were answered, same as all my situations. I needed to change... read more

St Petersburg

Just returned from the most amazing holiday experience. St Petersburg is a lovely city but the experienced was enhanced by excellent Go Russia guides. The organisation of the tour by the company was first class - booking, visas, flights, tours, hotel. Superb. Even the weather was fantastic. Blue skies all week in February. Can't wait to see more of Russia with GoRussia

Dear schoolgroup, Thank you very much for your great review of Justgorussia, it sounds very encouraging. We will continue providing excellent service in Russia. Thanks for travelling with us. Elena, Customer Services

We used this company to arrange a tour to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, as they are one of the few who advertise that they have this tour in English. It seems like everything was just a touch out of synch. We didn't get confirmation about the trip until about 2 days before, which was worrying because we knew that they needed to get special permission for us to visit star city. We were picked up at noon, the tour was to start at 2pm, but the guides didn't know that, so we sat in a little building for almost an hour. The guide was good, he spoke good english and we were happy with the tour. Our driver seemed to enjoy the tour also.

Dear Earthling911, Thank you very much for your review of Justgorussia and your comments. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour and found the guide’s quality excellent. Thank you very much for your positive feedback. Please see below some comments regarding organisations issues: Waiting at the Star City Your tour started at 2 PM and you were collected from the hotel at noon, i.e. to allow 2 hours to get to the Star City. This is a reasonable time given the fact that the Star City is located outside Moscow and Moscow is very congested. You were quite lucky to get to the Star City quickly. Unfortunately we cannot predict traffic conditions and always allow 2 hours to get to the Star City. The tours there cannot be rescheduled, and as you got a bit earlier you had to wait till your confirmed slot. Tour reconfirmation You are right in saying that the Star City needs a special permit and all your data had been forwarded well in advance to the authorities and the tour prebooked (they require minimum 2 weeks for foreign visitors). However before emailing you the final trip schedule we had to reconfirm everything once again with the Star City and get a permit for the guide, and unfortunately there were some delays after long New Year and Christmas holidays in Russia. This year this was only the third week in January when the Russians returned to work. This is similar to the western Christmas holidays in December when the last weeks in the month are very quite. We are sorry if it caused some uncertainty to you. We hope this answer clarifies your concerns. Regards, Elena.

We booked this trip at the last minute as a way of travelling to China to start teaching. Right from the outset the company were helpful and professional. They were always on hand to answer questions and quickly responded with an obvious large amount of knowledge. Right from the first pick up at the airport to the last drop off at the railway station all the drivers and tour guides went out of their way to make sure that the trip went without a hitch. The excursions included and those that were optional were very good value. The amount of free time and excursions were pretty well balanced. I would recommend this company to anyone who was thinking of taking the trip . They were not the cheapest but for value for money I do not think you can complain. Unless you pay for PVT cabin then be prepared to experience life when travelling. ourselves we had a great time trying to chat to Russians and Mongolians in our cabin but what an experience. take some track suit trousers to wear during the longer journeys as they are better than wearing jeans or trousers all day. The usual toilet paper, anti bacterial gel is very handy throughout the trip not only just the trains.

Dear Janlaw82, Thank you very much for your review of Justgorussia, we are glad to hear you have enjoyed travelling with us and thanks for sharing some useful tips. Julia, Go Russia Customer Services

Just returned from a weeks 3 centre tour for my husbands birthday treat. First tour holiday as usually travel independently but was a little concerned about safety having read some scare stories on the internet about Russia.DONT listen to any of them. We felt safer here than in London. Wanted weekend that was in between their usually fortnightly dates and they happily obliged. Perfect time of year as no crowds or queues for anything. We were only two on the tour which worried us when we found this out but was brilliant. All the best bits were covered and explained and form 2pm we then did our own thing. Everything was perfect from start to finish. Visas arranged and back to us in 5 days. Good email communication throughout. Picked up at airport within 5 minutes of landing. Moscow guide Irina was excellent. Very knowledgeable and lots of stories from her own experiences. Moscow underground just like London with colour coded lines and the brown circle stations must be seen to be believed. Easy to buy tickets and navigate. We got off at every stop on this line as each station different. Trains every 2 minutes. Hotel lovely and good location in business area by the river only 1 stop on metro from Kremlin. All pickups exactly as planned. Taken directly to exact carriage of overnight train and he even waited 45 minutes with us until they opened up the train. Worth extra for upgrade to get cabin for 2. Warm and comfy but take some food with you as only offer a basket with basic snacks. Novogorod not so interesting to be honest. Only went for the wooden building museum as hubby used to make and restore anything wooden but felt it was a bit rushed and didn't get to see it all properly. Hotel like going back in time. Had a junior suite which was clean and comfy. Food basic but OK for 3 star and no where near as bad as we feared. Again pick up for train dead on time. Excellent guide and tour for next 4 days in St Petersburgh and hotel lovely. Perfect location. Tonys NYC bar did great food and we were so tired from miles of walking each day that basically too lazy to walk any further than next door each night after we'd had an hours snooze and a shower. Pick up for airport dead on time. Could not fault anything about this trip. All pre conceived ideas of Russia completely blown away. Surprised at how expensive everything was though. Almost everything we saw is cheaper in England. Were told average wage 200 Euros a month but if any truth in that cannot believe that everyone we saw belonged to the 1-3% rich group. Beautiful country, very friendly and safe. Would definitely help if you're interested in the history to have a list of the Tsars from Peter the great onwards with a corresponding list of English Kings and dates so that you can compare periods. We did this towards end of week but would have helped a lot to have had this at start of week. (GoRussia - maybe you should think about supplying sheet of this info with your packs) All in all worth every penny and would definitely recommend.

Dear Debbie C, thank you very much for reviewing tours offered by Justgorussia. We are very happy that you enjoyed your time in Russia and we also glad to hear that your trip did blow away all the stereotypes you might have previously had about that fascinating country. We also thank you for your positive comments about the guides, drivers and the hotels we use. This really encourages us and our local staff in Russia. On a slightly different note, you are right in saying that Russia is not a cheap country, as a tourist in Moscow or St. Petersburg you should probably allow the same amount that you would spend in any big European city, eg. London, Paris. Provincial Russia is cheaper though. However we are noticing a big progress in terms of developing the tourist infrastructure and there are more and more places affordable to tourists - cafes, bars and restaurants. Public transport is just a fraction of what you would pay in Western Europe. We also thank you for your suggestion of adding some additional info in our departure packs, we will definitely have a think about it. Thanks again for travelling with us. Julia, Go Russia Customer Services

Excellent trip Kiev Moscow st Petersburg . Guides were excellent . Transfers on time . All arrangements as advertised cant fault anything. I have to say our guide in Moscow was Sasha and he was excellent the best guide I have come across he made us all laugh. Can't fault the company.

Dear Chris263999, thank you very much for your review, we are very happy you liked your guide, we will pass your comments to him. Thanks from travelling with us.

altogether we had 5 city tours with go russia. each one was very good the guides were always there on time , spoke good english and were very friendly ! there were 2 tours in moscow seeing all the main sights and still with plenty of spare time after to go back to favourite parts or do your own thing. the tour in yekaterinburg was also very good learning a lot about the last days of the russian royals and seeing where the events unfolded. irkutsk is a nice colourful city easy to walk around our tour guide give us plenty of time to take things in. our last day tour was in vladivostok. there was only the two of us and we had our own guide and driver both very friendly people. our guide would walk with us to some places then our driver would be there waiting for us.vladivostok is a fantastic city hope to go there again ! we would not hesitate in using go russia again for any future trips to russia !

Dear deborah d, we thank you for your comments. We are glad you enjoyed tours with Just Go Russia in different cities. Thanks for travelling with us.

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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2023

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2023 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 12-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,124 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $559 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $800.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 7 million dollars to over 130 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-29 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience unforgettable wildlife encounters on Intrepid Travel’s Premium Uganda & Rwanda trip which includes time with the mountain gorillas of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. 

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination.

For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina). Can’t stay long? Book one of Chimu Adventures’ scenic flights to Antarctica , which fly as far as the south pole in one spectacular 16-hour day.

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $5,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to nearby destinations like Mexico or Denver—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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For independent explorers who don’t want to miss out on these amazing destinations, book your hotel stay for a great rate with SmarterTravel Hotels .

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Moscow Travel Meeting - 16 November, 2019

Looking forward to seeing several of the Moscow Region Travel Group on Saturday, 16 November at 10:30 at One World Café, 533 South Main Street in Moscow...IDAHO! We get to have the "Back Room" till 1:00 so you're welcome to come and go as you need--we're very laid back! Some of us have just returned from trips so we can expect some great Trip Reports but we also thoroughly enjoy helping plan trips, answer questions, love new tips and suggestions. Everyone's experience and perspectives are fascinating! You'll see a world map on the table in the Back Room as well as several Rick Steves' guide books, maps or miscellaneous Show & Tell items for travel. (Anyone have something for Show & Tell?) Please let us know if you will be there so we can be sure to have plenty of chairs. Because of the busy season and the usual challenges with the snowy roads, we don't meet in December. Our next meeting will be January 18, 2020. Looking forward to seeing you!

I'll be there! And no, I won't have a PowerPoint presentation of my recent trip, haha! What about you? Will you have a PowerPoint?

No, Pam, no PowerPoint! Although don't ever be surprised if Doug does one. Knowing Doug it would be all about numbers though! Might bring my Album (yes, the kind with real photo paper) from the Sisters of SJ Heritage tour for people to flip through on their own.

3 7 42 12 19 See? I can do numbers too, lol!

How many do we have for Saturday? Have you heard from M&S?

Yea!!! So happy you all will be there!

Yay! So far we have Monte & Sharon, Rena, Judy, Pam and Doug & Darcy. I'll let you do the math, Pam.

And Rog, we'd sure like to see some of your packing spread sheets! Could you bring your scales so we can weigh my coffee mug and heating coil, please? (Pam, do you think by asking for the scales that I can get Rog to come to the meeting again? It's been a while!)

Hahaha....not sure. They've got some stuff to do.

I've got kitchen scales if you actually need them!

My digital kitchen scale is one of the best purchases I ever made (about 20 years ago, it seems like!). I weigh every piece of clothing I pack down to the tenth of the ounce!

Happy meeting, you guys!

Thanks, Pam and Janet but actually I don't need to weigh anything! I was just trying to get Rog to the meeting--SHHHHHH, don't tell!

and we have Rod and Lanore--Yay! We just have to contend with the fog but Doug said that we'll be through before we get to the top of the Lewiston Hill. We're leaving early just in case. See you all there!

You'll probably be out of the fog once you get to the top of Lewiston Hill. It's not foggy in Troy right now so I suspect no fog in Moscow or Genesee either.

Thanks, Pam. That's reassuring because at the moment, I can just barely see our back fence! You'd never know there was a "lake" behind us. See you shortly!

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.

10 tips to make traveling with a large group hassle-free

Posted: June 2, 2023 | Last updated: August 3, 2023

10 tips for traveling with a large group

Traveling with a large group can be wonderful. Bigger numbers mean more people to do things with, more memories to be made, and more folks to split expenses between. But without careful planning, group trips can also be miserable. There's nothing worse than misaligned expectations, budgets, and disagreements about the adventure ahead.

Bounce has assembled a list of first-rate tips for big-group travel in order to ensure the best group trip possible. Whether you're planning a long-awaited family reunion, a coworker offsite, or an adventure with friends, these tips are sure to make your trip go off without a hitch.

Of course, before you take off, or get too far into your planning, be sure to check the CDC for guidance on travel during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first step to a successful getaway is making sure everyone in your squad is safe and in adherence to current regulations.

Assign a group leader

Establishing a group leader or two should be one of the first steps when group traveling. These leaders aren't in charge of making every decision about the trip, but rather they are responsible for coordinating most aspects of travel: assigning tasks—like making dinner reservations or booking off-site adventures, disseminating information throughout the group, and booking tour guides or event tickets.

This will help make sure everyone going on the trip is aware of all dates and activities, on board with the plans, and conscious of how much everything will cost. Good leaders help maintain healthy social dynamics and assure no one feels out of the loop or uncomfortable with any proposed plans.

Plan in advance

Once you've established a group leader, get everyone together for a general planning meeting. Use this time to pick dates that align with everyone's work, family, and life schedules, identify a general destination, and come up with a broad framework for your vacation itinerary.

Now is the perfect time to decide things like whether you're all after a more active trip or a more relaxed getaway, if you want to stay in an all-inclusive resort or check out home shares, etc. Don't worry about the smaller details, like where to have dinner every night or what airline to fly, just yet—there will be plenty of time for those decisions down the line.

Establish budget preferences

One specific thing your group should discuss in a planning meeting is the budget. It's likely everyone will have different ideas about how much they're able or willing to spend, and getting on the same page about finances early on is a key part of a successful group trip.

During this time, ask everyone about what they aren't willing to pay for—like alcohol or fancy dinners out—and the things they are willing to pay for—maybe private airport transfers or admission to cultural sites. Knowing where every member of your party stands on these issues can help you hammer out more detailed itineraries or even multiple itineraries for different subsets of the group. Arguably there are few instances more awkward than on-the-spot fights about splitting a dinner bill or staying behind on an excursion.

Document itineraries and preferences

Most group trips can often take weeks for everything—from flights to restaurant reservations—to get pinned down. While in the planning phases of travel, keeping everyone in the loop on itineraries and any new information will smooth out the trip overall.

Curating lists and itineraries on platforms like Google Docs or shared iPhone notes can help keep the party up to date. Dropping links for everything from the hotel to that one off-site day trip you're going to take—as well as notes about price, reservation time, etc.—ensures that everyone knows exactly what's being planned and can raise questions and concerns beforehand. And of course, group chats on platforms like WhatsApp can facilitate discussions.

Check for group discounts

Many airlines, hotels, ground transportation companies, and tours offer group discounts to larger parties. As you're booking the various pieces of your trip, be sure to inquire about the possibility of a deal. Worst-case scenario, the company will tell you no, and best-case scenario, you'll be able to save a few of your hard-earned coins. This tip is particularly important for groups looking to travel on a budget or groups dealing with a huge budget disparity among their members.

Create a routine

Before you go on the trip, consider establishing a routine for the members of the group. We're not talking about a hard and fast schedule broken down into 15-minute increments, but rather a general plan of how you want the days to go.

How long do you want to spend at each event? An hour at breakfast for example, or two hours at the pool each morning. Most importantly, what time should the group be awake by each day? Keeping the broad strokes of each day the same will help everyone feel calmer and in more control over their time away.

Consider homestays or group lodging

While hotels and all-inclusive resorts tend to be the first type of accommodations thought of when planning vacations, consider a homestay or group lodging instead. Unless you're after a very specific experience or destination, staying in a rented house or group of houses might be a better option. These properties are often more affordable and spacious.

Additionally, they offer more opportunities for cooking meals together or spending downtime as a group. After all, if you've chosen these specific people to go away with, you likely want to be with them as much as possible.

Avoid too many activities in one day

While spending time together is likely your top concern on a group trip, be conscious of how you plan to spend said time. Scheduling too many activities in a single day can leave people feeling tired and stressed, which can cause them to act irritable and anxious. And likely the last thing you want is to be stuck far from home with a group of cranky folks.

Limiting the number of activities you do in a day allows everyone to slow down and enjoy the moment rather than mentally rushing ahead to the next thing. Being less ambitious with planning also helps conserve energy for building happy memories rather than expending it all too early and burning out.

Play to each person's social strengths

In any group of friends, coworkers, and family members, there are likely a variety of social and mental strengths. There might be one person who is exceptional with directions, another who's good at math and can always calculate the tip accurately, and a third whose outgoing nature makes it easy to ask strangers questions.

Whatever the strengths in your travel group, allow them to shine while you're away together. Giving everyone different jobs keeps any one person feeling overburdened and discourages anyone from turning into a control freak.

Plan some time for solo exploration

Make sure you leave some time for solo exploration. Even if your group is in agreement about almost every aspect of the trip, there will always be at least one activity not everyone wants to do—and that's natural.

Scheduling time where everyone can head off and do their own thing increases the likelihood of each member of your group leaving the trip feeling happy, fulfilled, and satisfied. And as a bonus, you'll have a wealth of interesting stuff to talk about when you all reunite at the end of the day.

This story originally appeared on Bounce and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Mums go on 12-hour party trip to Ibiza for just £34

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A group of mums travelled to Ibiza for a 12-hour party trip for just £34 – and they were back in time for the school run.

Rebecca Rattcliff, 38, proposed a day in the sun with her close-knit group of mum friends – Laura, Danielle, Danielle, Lauren and Fay.

However, they quickly ran into a hurdle: because of childcare commitments, they could only find space for one free day – and so chose to fly to Ibiza from Manchester for a 12-hour day trip, leaving at 6am and landing back in the UK at 11pm.

A time-strapped Rebecca had previously done a similar trip in January 2023, when she flew to Lanzarote for the day, so was inspired to suggested the Ibiza trip to her friends.

She has four children and between the six of the group, the mums have 15 children – so it’s little wonder they could only find one day that would work.

‘We were keen to look for a good deal and everybody loves the Ibiza sunshine,’ Rebecca, who works as a travel consultant, said.

A timeline of Rebecca’s day trip to Ibiza

1.30am – Wake up 6am – Flight to Ibiza 10am – Brunch in Ibiza town Midday – Cocktail time 1.15pm – Arrive in San Antonio 6pm – Dinner time at Bresca 7pm – Sunset at Café Mambo 11pm – Flight back to Manchester 1.15am – Arrive back in the UK 6.30am – Up for the school run.

‘We found Ryanair flights on Skyscanner, and we knew for everyone to be able to come it had to be that Sunday.’

The group paid £10 each for a return minibus to Manchester Airport, and they were picked up in Ibiza by a travel company for a cost of €27 each. They saved on luggage too, since they only needed one small day bag each.

‘We had brunch at Passion Café and had an explore around the marina…then we had cocktails overlooking the marina and then the transfer picked us up and drove us to San Antonio bay,’ Rebecca detailed, noting that they used biodegradable towels to save on space.

‘We ended up doing 26k steps just exploring and then we went for a beautiful dinner at a place called Bresca.’

Finally, they watched the sunset at Café Mambo before being picked up to go back to the airport.

‘We were so blessed with the weather – the sky was cloudless,’ Rebecca added.

‘It was such a good day – I spent time in gorgeous company with supportive female friends all on the mum journey together.

‘It was a blissful day off to treasure and we all felt we’d been there longer than a day.

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‘You feel refreshed after 12 hours in the sunshine.’

Best places in Europe for a day trip

Feeling inspired by Rebecca’s day trip? There are plenty of similar options in Europe from London, including:

• Paris: 2 hrs 16 minutes by Eurostar from London St Pancras, 1 hr 20 minutes flight
• Amsterdam: 1 h 15 minutes flight
• Dublin: 1 h 25 minutes flight
• Brussels: 1 hr 53 minutes by Eurostar, 1 hr 5 minutes flight
• Bruges: 1 hr 5 minutes flight
• Copenhagen: 1 hr 50 minutes flight.

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Israel-Gaza latest: 'Stop it now, Joe' - Biden's wife 'tells president to end war in Gaza'; Israel 'foils assassination plot'

President Joe Biden was overheard telling Muslim community leaders that his wife had told him to "stop" the war in Gaza, according to reports. In Israel, the internal security agency says it has thwarted a plan to assassinate a minister.

Thursday 4 April 2024 16:59, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• 'Stop it now, Joe': President Biden's wife reportedly urges him to end war in Gaza
• Shin Bet 'foils plot to assassinate Israeli minister'
• UK breaching international law by arming Israel, Sunak warned
• IDF halts combat leave as fears of escalation with Iran grow
• Israel 'in the dock' over airstrike on aid convoy - ex-general
• Podcast: Will volunteers leave Gaza after aid deaths?
• Watch: Evidence suggests three separate strikes
• Live reporting by James Robinson

 Earlier we reported that, according to Sky News' understanding, Sir Alan Duncan had been placed under investigation by the Conservative Party after criticising his colleagues for backing Israel (see 15.29 post).

Now, the former Foreign Office minister has responded to say that he has not heard directly about the probe.

"Although I have heard nothing myself, I have been told by many in the media that the Conservative Party has issued a statement to say that I am to be investigated by them with a view to expulsion," he said in a statement.

"They did not lay out any substantive grounds for their action."

The senior Tory had called for three Conservatives to face consequences for their views, in an interview with LBC.

An Israeli minister began waving his arms around during a heated meeting with top US officials over Israel's plan for a ground invasion of Rafah, it has been reported.

Ron Dermer, Israel's minister of strategic affairs, was also yelling while defending his country's plan, according to NBC News - the US partner of Sky News - citing two unnamed US officials.

The meeting is reported to have included White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who are said to have kept calm throughout, according to the officials.

NBC reported that, during the meeting, Israeli officials presented their plan to move 1.4 million civilians over several weeks from Rafah to tents that would be set up north of the city.

However, the Israeli proposal did not include plans for addressing sanitation needs or an assessment of how much food or water would be required or where it would come from, the officials said.

They said the Israeli officials had only thought through sourcing for a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of tents that would be needed.

According to NBC's sources, when US officials said they did not see the plan as realistic, Israeli officials erupted, with Mr Dermer one of those to become animated.

Following the publication of the report by NBC, an Israeli official who attended the meeting described the claims as a "a misrepresentation of what occurred in the room. 

"The meeting was constructive and respectful, even during disagreements. There was no yelling at any point," the Israeli source said.

Jill Biden has been privately urging her husband to end the war between Israel and Hamas and the crisis in Gaza, according to reports.

While speaking with a group of Muslim community leaders at the White House on Tuesday, the president allegedly said that the first lady had told him to "stop it, stop it now, Joe".

The comments were published by our US partner network NBC News and first reported in the New York Times.

Joe Biden reportedly made the remark after a doctor who had been treating injured people in Gaza explained to him that his wife didn't want him to participate in the meeting, according to Salima Suswell, the founder of the Black Muslim Leadership Council, who was also present.

The president replied he could relate because of his own wife's views on the conflict.

Ms Suswell told NBC News that she noted down the president's statements because she was moved to hear that the first lady was so concerned about the war in Gaza. 

For context: In the picture below - taken in Ukraine in 2022 - the first lady can be seen paying tribute to the work of volunteers for World Central Kitchen. As we've been reporting, the seven aid workers killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza this week also worked for the charity.

The IDF have told Israelis that there have been no changes in guidelines for home front preparedness, amid concerns of a possible escalation violence after the killing of Iranian generals in Damascus this week drew threats of retaliation.

"There is no need to buy generators, gather food and withdraw money from ATMs," Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari posted on X. 

"As we have done until today, we will immediately update any change, should there be one, in an official and orderly manner."

Earlier, Israel halted combat leave for troops due to worries of an increase in aggression from Iran.

Sir Alan Duncan, the former Foreign Office minister, has been placed under investigation by the Conservative Party after criticising his colleagues for backing Israel, Sky News understands.

Sky News understands that the Conservative Party has now placed Sir Alan under investigation.

There has been no progress in the ceasefire talks despite Hamas showing "flexibility", according to a senior member of the group.

Osama Hamdan said Benjamin Netanyahu was placing obstacles preventing both parties from reaching an agreement, and that he is "not interested" in releasing Israeli hostages.

"The occupation government is still evading, and negotiations are stuck in a vicious circle", he told a press conference in Beirut.

Efforts by Qatar and Egypt, backed by the US, have so far proved fruitless, as Hamas is pushing for an end to the offensive in Gaza, while Israel prefers a prisoners-for-hostage release deal, and is refusing to commit to ending its military campaign. 

Israeli soldiers have been pictured operating near the Israel-Gaza border as the conflict continues to rage on.

Smoke can be seen billowing from Gaza during the IDF tank operations.

Israel's internal security agency says it has foiled a plot to assassinate a government minister.

The Shin Bet said 14 people were arrested in connection with the alleged plot to kill national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

According to The Times of Israel, Arab-Israelis and Palestinians were among those arrested.

The Shin Bet said those taken into custody also planned to attack Israel's main airport, a sports stadium, army bases and government buildings.

The statements did not provide any evidence, and indicated the plot was in its early stages.

Three of the suspects, from east Jerusalem, had started learning how to make explosives, according to Shin Bet, adding that others, from southern Israel and the occupied West Bank, had been in contact with Hamas in Gaza.

Mr Ben-Gvir is a provocative figure in Israel, known for his fiery rhetoric and hard stance on the Palestinians.

He is the leader of the right-wing Otzma Yehudit (or 'Jewish Power') party, one of seven political parties in Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition.

World Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres has blamed Israel for "directly" attacking the charity’s vehicles and killing seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip. 

In an emotional interview, the Spanish-American celebrity chef said the Israeli airstrikes that hit the aid convoy were not "an unfortunate mistake" but a "direct attack on clearly marked vehicles whose movements were known by everybody in the IDF".

The IDF said the strike did not intend to target aid workers and that it would carry out an investigation into the incident.

Israel has hinted that its probe into the airstrike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza could take weeks. 

"In the coming weeks, as the findings become clear, we will be transparent and share the results with the public," Israeli government spokesperson Raquela Karamson said in a briefing. 

Israel previously said the strikes were "a mistake that followed a misidentification". 

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