Survival guide for group travel How to divide vacation expenses without drama or surprises (and remaining friends)

August is just around the corner, and that can only mean one thing: vacation time. Some dream of Greek sunsets with a margarita in hand, others of sunrise after six hours of techno in Ibiza, some feel called to the mountains (but only if there's a spa), and some have booked a one-way ticket to Bali with just a backpack and a situationship on pause. Whatever your plan is, if you’re not going solo, get ready for the spiritual experience that every friendship must face at least once: splitting expenses. Planning a group trip is a delicate dance between different desires, budget limits, and vaguely passive-aggressive messages in your WhatsApp group. It can be done, actually, it must be done, but you need a minimum of strategy. That’s where we come in, with five (un)written rules to avoid financial meltdowns, friendships ending on the patio of an Airbnb villa with an infinity pool and awkward silences at breakfast.

How to split costs on a group vacation

1. Asking "how much can we spend?" isn’t rude

You never truly know how much someone earns or spends, even if they’re your BFF for years. So no assumptions: before booking places, activities or restaurants, ask. You can simply create a poll in your WhatsApp group. Or, if you’d rather not ask directly, use an anonymous Google Form like The Cut suggests: give multiple price ranges for each activity and let everyone choose what suits them best. Then go with the most popular budget. Clear deals, long friendships. Literally.

2. Appoint a trip CFO

That is, a Chief Financial Officer (aka the money boss). There’s always someone who can fill out an Excel sheet even after a few drinks: let them manage the budget, track expenses, and remind everyone that check-out is at 10. If it’s you, take the honor (and the burden), and go ahead and prep a Splitwise folder. If you’re headed somewhere where cards aren’t widely accepted, it’s best to set up a shared cash fund: just be careful not to lose it.

3. Expense-splitting apps are your new best friends

Splitwise, Settle Up, Tricount, Splittr: use them. Every expense will be tracked and you can split costs in real-time, avoiding any forgotten debts (or credits). Beware of the big dilemma: do you split dinner evenly, or pay for what you personally ordered? It’s a tough call, especially if you’re the only sober one and everyone else is already on their third Negroni. Also, don’t forget to use an app to send money easily: from Satispay to PayPal, or Revolut (especially useful abroad to avoid crazy fees).

4. Leave room for the unexpected

This is a vacation, not a school field trip. Someone will run late, someone will fall for a local, someone just wants to nap. The more flexible you are, the more you’ll enjoy it. Also, be ready for a few potential conflicts: talking about money is awkward, but ignoring it is worse.

5. Don’t take it personally if someone says "no"

Not everyone will make it, and that’s okay. Not everyone will want the boat ride or the fancy dinner, and that’s also okay. Creating a space where everyone feels free to join in - or not - is the true luxury of adult friendship. And the key is always finding balance: maybe not a Hollywood villa, but not a hostel either. Maybe not oysters and champagne every night, but not takeout dinners either. In the end, it’s about sharing: it doesn’t matter so much where or how, but with whom.