Historically, I’m not a fan of group travel. There’s always someone crying out of nowhere or making a personal attack about not everyone wanting to take an overpriced brewery tour.
But for me, one of the most stressful parts of traveling in a group happens before the vacation begins: when one person backs out at the last minute.
The rest of the group will then either have to bear the now-slightly higher cost of travel or come face-to-face with that eccentric friend to find out exactly what they’re still paying for—two less-than-ideal options.
However, Flash Pack co-founder Lee Thompson says there’s a right way to go about it. Flash Pack is a company that plans group trips for solo travelers in their 30s and 40s.
“Regardless of the reason you are no longer able to attend, you should always offer to pay for the travel you have booked – accommodations, rental cars, planned excursions, etc.,” Thompson said.
“For group travel, I highly recommend arranging your own accommodation”
Travel journalist Victoria M. Walker says it’s best to communicate when planning or choosing not to join a group trip. Friendships can become strained by assumptions about who pays for what.
“I’ve seen friendships break up or be ruined because of a bad vacation or having to drop out of school for some reason,” she said.
Walker agrees that if you back out of a trip at the last minute, you should offer to pay part of the cost: “It’s just common courtesy, good etiquette and good manners to at least provide some sort of compensation.”
It’s just common courtesy and good etiquette and good manners to at least provide some sort of compensation.
victoria walker
travel reporter
However, depending on a person’s reason for canceling, it may be appropriate to give them some grace. Walker said if someone loses their job or has their job canceled because they need an emergency medical procedure, covering the costs could be a supportive approach.
You can also solve this problem by booking your own accommodation.
“On a group trip, I highly recommend making your own accommodation arrangements,” she says. “If someone does need to withdraw from school, then that’s their responsibility.”
You may still need to account for other plan expenses, but at least one of the larger expenses won’t be affected by a last-minute cancellation.
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