How to Plan a Girls’ Getaway
I absolutely love planning, in all forms, but I especially love trip planning. I’ll share a sneak peek inside my planning process by sharing the steps I used to plan a girls’ getaway to Phoenix, Arizona.
Choose the Dates of the Girls’ Getaway
For this very first step, just get together a list of potential dates that work for you, along with the dates that work for each of the ladies that will be attending the getaway. Pick the set of dates and a length of time that work best for everybody.
For this girls’ getaway, we chose May 26 to 29. Since Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday, we could enjoy a long weekend.
Choose the Location of the Girls’ Getaway
Maybe the most exciting part of planning a girls’ getaway is choosing the location. You can start by narrowing down a domestic or international destination if you all live in the same country, and then go from there. Take suggestions, and be sure to consider any dream trips that the ladies have been waiting to go on.
Because of my location in Mexico and my girlfriends’ homes in the U.S., we’ve opted for a trip to Phoenix, Arizona. It’s pretty equidistant from everybody and a totally awesome city.
Choose the Budget for the Girls’ Getaway
This isn’t the most fun conversation of planning a girls’ getaway, but it’s definitely a crucial one. You’ll need to consider costs before moving any further. If you want to spend $150 a day but one of your girlfriends can only afford $50 per day, you need to scale back your plans a bit.
We’ve opted to go for $100 per person per day, plus plane tickets. It’s a short trip, there are three of us going, and we want to rent a car and stay in a nice hotel.
Choose the Style of the Girls’ Getaway
Your budget, dates, and location will determine some of your style. For example, you can’t really go high luxury on $30 a day, high season will be more expensive than low, and Chicago is much more expensive than Antigua, Guatemala.
For our girls’ getaway in May, we’ve decided to go on an outdoors-focused trip with a lot of hiking and sightseeing.
Choose the Flight for the Girls’ Getaway
You should definitely take a glance at flights before determining your location and budget, just to get a general idea. You might be positively or negatively surprised by prices or availability. After you’ve nailed down the essentials, it’s time to book your flights!
I like to use Skyscanner.com. I found a one-stop flight on Volaris for $200 roundtrip from Mexico City to Phoenix, which is perfect.
Choose the Hotel for the Girls’ Getaway
After booking flights, it’s time to choose a hotel, which can be incredibly fun. It’s important to look for a hotel that fits your budget while also being in a convenient location.
We haven’t nailed down our hotel yet, but we’ll be using Hotel Planner to pick the perfect one.
Choose the Activities for the Girls’ Getaway
Last but certainly not least, you’ll want to pick out your girls’ getaway activities. If you want to pre-book activities at a great price, you can use Viator or contact operators directly. Always check TripAdvisor reviews first!
We’ll be doing mostly free activities, like hiking Camelback Mountain. We’re still deciding on a Grand Canyon tour.
How do you plan a girls’ getaway?
A short vacation in Thailand turned into a life abroad with a canceled ticket home. Nearly a decade later and after living in Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, Puebla, and Puerto Vallarta, Steph is on to her next adventure and living back in beautiful, cosmopolitan Mexico City. She is living, traveling, and working (both as an expat therapist and an international health insurance representative) around the world to find the beautiful, inspirational, and interesting while sharing it with you!
