Unless you’re the lone spreadsheet queen of your friend group (we see you, we love you, don’t change), you probably hate trip planning.
Which is why you’ll love the whole “drop-in travel” thing that’s happening right now. Here’s the gist: You book whatever shortish vacay you want. Then you tell a few friends (three or four is ideal) that you got a room at this insane spa for [insert dates here] and it still has some open spots. Whoever’s free can just hop on in.
Honestly, this is the *ideal* way to vacay: You get to run the show (read: do exactly what the hell you want) without having to coordinate a million schedules or get sucked into logistical nightmares, says Natalie Shalk of HotelTonight. Plus, it’s more of a guarantee that you’ll actually use your PTO instead of throwing in the towel when the planning gets too annoying.
You also still get that Zen-like alone time if your friends can only make part (or none!) of your fab getaway. “It’s not a problem if I go solo,” says Candice Wigfield, 36, who regularly uses this drop-in strategy. “It’s just a bonus if my friends can come.”
Even better: If you’re invited to this kind of sitch, you’ll spend zero weeks picking a place or finding housing (dreams). That’s how Morgen Henderson, 24, ended up on a last-minute girls’ trip to Vegas—one friend rented an Airbnb and hit up five others. “It’s near impossible to find a weekend we can all meet up in the same place,” she says. But for the one night they overlapped, it was full slumber-party mode. Ideal.
Tell friends you’re just. Gonna. Chill.
Seriously. Set the bar super low from the very first text convo. That way you avoid becoming trip mom.
Only reserve a room you can pay for on your own
I forbid you from going broke making drop-in plans. Don’t lay out a bunch of money and assume people will pay you back. Instead, book only what you can afford, and what you end up splitting with whoever shows is gravy.
Keep the crew tiny
This ain’t a bachelorette party. To avoid falling into 20-person brunch-research torture, gently suggest that your plus-ones not invite their plus-ones. Sorry, randos.
Be prepared to go solo
Of course, you run the risk that no one else shows up. But is that so bad? You’ll be left with some sweet, sweet me-time. Books are your friends now. Hi, books.
