Planning the Ultimate Housemate Holiday!

AD – this is a guest post, with an introduction from me.

I am yet to go on a ‘housemate holiday’ specifically, but I definitely think that having a holiday, or just a short trip with your uni friends helps with bonding so much.

I’ve been to Rome, Delphi, and Athens with my archaeology class. It was not only amazing but also helped us all become closer friends.

Today I’ve got a guest post for you all about planning the ultimate housemate holiday.

I live with one of my best friends, and we’ve got so many travel plans… Valencia, Budapest, Amsterdam… and also just a little trip down to Brighton when the weather is nice.

How to Plan the Ultimate Housemate Holiday

While some people might see housemates more as a necessity than a choice, some of us have the privilege of living with our best friends. And who better to accompany you on a holiday than people you already know you cohabit well with? It’s time to take that camaraderie overseas, to bars in Spain, museums in Greece, or beaches in Croatia. Maybe even all three.

So, gather your girls and guys in the living room. It’s officially time for a house meeting because we’re going on holiday. Here’s how to plan it.

Step one: decide what type of holiday you’re after

The first step is undoubtedly the most difficult one, but it’s kind of unavoidable – you’ll need to decide as a group what sort of holiday type you’re after.

A culture trip? Someplace with a beach? Literally anywhere cheap? Do you think you’ll want to stick together as a group, or go off on your own?

If you’re on the fence, there are quizzes out there to help you identify your holiday personality. Once you and your housemates are in agreement, you can start the fun part of deciding where you’re actually going to go.

Step two: agree on a destination

Now that you’ve decided what sort of holiday vibes you’re after, you can get down to business and pick out a location.

We’ll admit, this part isn’t always easy. Start first by identifying bucket-list destinations that fit your budget and take a vote, but if all else fails, there’s always the hat trick.

Just have each housemate write down on a scrap of paper a destination you’d all be happy to visit, and then pull out the lucky winner.

Step three: book flights and accommodation

This one’s pretty straightforward. If you’ve booked through a tour operator, you won’t have to worry about flights, whereas DIY holidays take a little more coordination.

To minimise transportation costs and time spent at the airport, you should try your best to at least ensure you and your housemates are on the same flight.

Ryanair and EasyJet are still crowd favourites for budget flights, but Norwegian Airlines has hopped on the budget bandwagon recently with shockingly cheap long-haul flights.

As for accommodation, where you stay should depend on your holiday type. If you just want a single overhead price and don’t plan on spending much time outside of your resort and away from the pool, all-inclusive holidays have your name on it. It’s kind of amazing how low inexpensive all-inclusive packages can be these days.

But for a little more freedom, there are self-catering options, full-blown villas, Airbnbs, and everything in between.

Step five: plan activities

Maybe you and your housemates aren’t the activity-planning types, and that’s totally cool. Not everybody likes to have their holidays planned to the letter. But if you fit into the planning bracket, have a look at local attractions like museums, tours, and beaches on TripAdvisor, not to mention the weather forecast.

If there’s anything that you know you’ll all want to do – eat at a specific restaurant, join a boat party or bar crawl – book in advance so that you can secure your place. Almost everywhere will appreciate advanced notice if a group is coming in.

Step six: enjoy!

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. As you’re out on your holiday, just remember to keep an open mind.

It’s not imperative that you all stick together every second of every day, so don’t be afraid to create splinter groups and compromise when the going gets tough. It’ll make for much more harmonious house-sharing when you return.

Have you been on a housemate holiday before?

Let me know your tips!

Thanks for reading,

Emily