Alright – you and your girlfriends have made it official. You’re FINALLY going on your long awaited girl’s trip. Dates are locked in, but how do you choose where to go?! It’s likely that you could stay in a motel, off a random highway, and still make it into the best weekend ever…but, let’s all agree that choosing the right location only enhances your weekend together. So, let me share how to plan an unforgettable girl’s getaway.
How to Plan a Girl’s Getaway: Step 1
I’d recommend beginning by throwing out ideas and seeing what sticks. Options will depend on a) how much time you will have together, b) what kind of things you like to do and c) how many ladies will be on the trip.
There are also certain destinations that are prime for a girl’s trip such as Scottsdale or Sedona, any wine region in California, Santa Fe (for good food & fun adventures), New Orleans, and Nashville. Even the latest hot spot for outdoor experiences in Asheville. The opportunities are endless. So, the first step is to all agree on a location based on what you want the trip to entail. And, if you’re anything like my girlfriends and me, we like to choose a place where no one has been!
Of course if you have more time – considering a Mexico getaway is always a good idea. Sayulita, Tulum, Oaxaca – oh my!
The last, but not least, thing to consider is mode of transportation. We’ve gone on girl’s trips where we chose the location based on driving distance, meeting in the middle, such as Kohler, Wisconsin. However, if flying is an option – always best to check into flights: costs and length, to determine if the city you picked is do-able for everyone in the group.
Moving on to: Step 2
So, you’ve picked the location. Step 2 is to choose your accommodations. I am headed to Los Alamos, California with a group of six women. Rather than splitting up into different hotels rooms, we opted to rent an Airbnb.
I am admittedly quite picky when it comes to my lodging. I appreciate a beautiful aesthetic…so, that was the next step for me. Finding the right place to stay! We rented an adorable house that accommodates our group – has a pool, and is in a great location. Done ✔️
If your group is smaller – consider a hotel. I do love me some hotel amenities! No dishes to wash, a bartender to make our drinks…but, again – unless you want to split up into a few different hotels rooms, that might not be the best option.
Pro Tip: While planning a girl’s trip is always a collaborative effort – I do think it’s less stressful if one person takes the reins on the planning. You don’t want ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ which typically leaves everyone feeling bummed before you even go! OR – if you know a few people with complimentary strengths when it comes to planning, divvy it up before the coordinating is underway.
How to: Step 3
Alright – you’ve picked the destination. Booked the hotel or rental property. Next step is determining if you need a rental car. This will of course, again, depend on your group size and where you are going. If you stay in a walkable location – no car rental is needed. Many cities do require a car rental – or, if you plan on adding some adventure, it’s always nice to have your own car.
For my next girl’s trip, I rented through Turo. It was super affordable (although, I’ve looked into this option for other destinations and found it to be quite pricey…so, always compare!).
I love having the autonomy to get in a car and explore – but, again, it all depends on where you’re headed.
How to Plan a Girl’s Getaway: Step 4
I LOVE maximizing my time in a new city. Whether I am traveling with my family, curating and guiding my retreats for women, or, especially, on a girl’s trip! This is not to plan out every second, rather to make the most of those precious hours we have together – we don’t all live in the same city, so this is often the only time we see one another in real life!
I start by purchasing a Wild Bum Travel Guide (yes, even I buy them!) and since I am travel-research obsessed, I always create a Google Doc. I first organize the document by our travel dates.
My priority numero uno is to choose our dinner restaurants. In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than wasting meals at bad restaurants! So, I make all of our dinner reservations ahead of time. Easy and done! Enter them in your doc.
Under each day I type some ideas of what we can do! This way we aren’t trying to figure out what we are going to do while we are there. Downtime is always needed, so again, if we end up hanging out at our rental house – great! But, if we’re itching to get out and explore I know exactly where we are headed. I break it out into hiking options, if applicable, where to eat breakfast and/or lunch, cool shops, things to do and see and so on.
And, if there are any special experiences you know you want to do – get those booked as well. For example, in Los Alamos we are doing a private yoga class and wine tasting (so fun!). But, on previous trips I’ve arranged horseback riding, tarot card readings, and private cooking classes. This of course depends on your group of besties – but, always fun to add a few unique experiences in there…why not?!
And, the planning is done…
And, voila! That’s it. You are all set for your ladies adventure…minus the countdown with your gal pals and of course a million texts about what you’re going to pack!
I am always more than happy to brainstorm with you! So, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need some help.
Have the best time! Happy and safe #wildbumming, friends.
