If you’re a mum, getting away from the family for a weekend away takes much organisation and even more planning. Most weekends are a juggle of kids’ sport activities and getting stuff sorted for the working week ahead.
So, choosing a weekend with your girlfriends to plan and pack for a girls’ weekend away is not something that can ever be an spur-of-the-moment type thing.
This year, I was super lucky to go away on a fabulous weekend with my girlfriends to Byron Bay (you can read about it HERE). There was shopping, cocktail making and fabulous food balanced out with walks and dancing. You know the dancing I’m talking about, don’t you? The type that only happens when groups of girls hit the town. HAH.
We started talking about and planning our trip a year in advance, so I thought it would be handy for you to share my tips for that if you’d like to do the same with your girlfriends in 2019. Make that a goal for the New Year, I say!
12 tips for how to pack and plan for a girls’ weekend away.
1. Nail down a weekend as far in advance as possible – one that everyone can commit to. This is tricky as unforeseen work and family stuff can happen but if everyone can agree and stick to the date, budgeting and planning will be a whole lot easier.
2. Budget-wise, make sure everyone in the group is on the same page in terms of how much they’d like to spend on accommodation, eating out, any activities etc.
3. Be aware that most weekend shared accommodation will have either a two or three-night minimum stay as part of their terms and conditions. Ideally, everyone is able to stay for that length of stay. If not, make sure the others are happy to pay a greater share to make up the minimum-style cost.
4. For groups of five or more, a house will be the best option for your weekend away. We started with eight girls able to come on our trip, which in a four-bedroom house meant two to each room. In the end, we had five join us so we got to spread out, but also had to each pay more.
5. With a house, it’s likely that a bond will be required. Assign one person who is happy to cover that on their credit card but agree to split costs of any breakages etc.
6. Start saving for the trip in advance by depositing your share of the agreed budget into a separate bank account on a weekly or monthly basis. Someone can play banker and this is the account that accommodation deposits, food and dining out can be paid from. We had grand plans for this but didn’t get around to doing it but I know lots of groups of women who do, putting aside a little each month to help it not make a big indent on the family budget at the time of the trip.
7. Have someone in the group put together a grocery list of items everyone might want for the stay. Consider having that order home delivered in time for your arrival.
8. Book in advance any dinners out you’d like to do as a group. The bigger the group; the more this will be necessary to secure a table.
9. Consider dining in! For a little more than the cost of eating out, we had caterers come to us. We BYO-ed and probably saved money on an evening out in town. We were staying in a spectacular house so staying in allowed us to take full advantage of that.
10. Think about any activities the group might want to do. Or do you want to make it about doing very little at all? Have everyone on the same page or have it ok for some to do stuff and some to find a day bed and read a book.
11. If it’s a spa/massage situation you have in mind, book in treatments in advance. Many tourist destinations also have businesses that come to you.
12. Take out travel insurance. Yes, even for domestic holidays, this is something I now do. The unforeseen can happen. Read on for why.
15-piece girls’ weekend away capsule wardrobe
I’m going to be straight up and say that I packed A LOT. In my defence, across our chosen weekend, the weather was swinging between winter and spring, so I needed both options.
I also needed options for day AND evening. AND it was a girls’ weekend. We dress up for girls more than we do for guys. Well, maybe that’s just me?
Below is a 15-piece capsule starting point for a trans-seasonal getaway. Add in swimwear and/or extra layers as required for the time of year you’re travelling. As always, check the weather app in the lead up to your trip and adjust what you pack accordingly.
(This capsule will be updated as close to publishing date as possible)
So tell me, do you plan annual girls’ trips away? Where do you go and how do you organise it?