How to plan the perfect girls’ getaway

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Plan the perfect girls getaway

One thing I appreciate about my kids getting older is having the freedom to travel without them sometimes, especially for a girls’ getaway. There’s something special about taking a break with women who get each other — all that uninterrupted talk. Bliss!

Planning the perfect getaway can be tricky, though. Hopefully, these tips will help you plan a great girls’ getaway for you and your besties soon!

5 steps to plan a Girls’ Getaway

Budget Thoughtfully.

My best friends and I come from different backgrounds. We’re in different stages of life. Some have more flexibility with finances than others.

When planning a girls’ getaway, consider the person with the tightest budget and work around what she can afford. It’s about time away to relax, and if someone’s worried about the credit card bill when they get home, she will not relax!

One of the greatest expenses is lodging. Some budget-stretching alternatives include choosing an all-suites hotel so that ladies can split the cost but still have personal space. Or travel midweek, if childcare works out, to take advantage of weeknight savings at places that sell out on weekends.

Our recent girls’ getaway to Charlottesville highlights some of these budget-saving options!

Four ladies showing our paintings on a girlfriend getaway to Charlottesville, VA.

Speak up!

This goes hand in hand with step one. Talk to each other as you plan! Discuss budget, how far you’ll travel, what you want to do. Keep the lines of communication open.

Of course, some people are “go with the flow.” If you have one of these in your group, ask her specifically to choose one thing you’ll do, whether choosing a restaurant for lunch or dinner or selecting an activity from a list of three. Give the quiet ones a voice, too!

An artisan dessert of strawberries and cream over a biscuit.

Use a group chat

Our little group has a private group chat. We talk a lot, not just about girls’ getaways, but about life, kids, work and more. For our trip, we used the group chat to communicate flight information and plan the itinerary all in one place. Super simple!

Have a theme for the trip

There’s so much to do in cities and towns across America, that planning can be overwhelming, so give your trip a theme.

It might be as simple as eat and drink at nice places all weekend since we don’t always get to do that at home. Or, it could be more “complicated,” like our recent girls’ getaway that centered around art. It was a loose theme. We enjoyed the “art” of wine and craft beer, wine and design, and an artisan trail.

Some of the pottery on display at an artisan gallery in Charlottesville, VA.

Ceramics and other art at The Barn Swallow

An artisan working on a hand made leather belt.

An artisan at work, Pinnell Custom Leathers

Be flexible.

Once the planning is done, it seems the work is done. BUT, pack your flexibility. Expect hiccups. It’s real life after all.

On our girls’ getaway to Charlottesville, one of our group had to fly in last minute instead of driving in. We adjusted the schedule to pick her up at the airport. Another day, a group member woke with a headache. She skipped breakfast at the hotel to sleep a little extra. Again, no big deal.

Planning a girls’ getaway is a lot like planning a family vacation: budget, communicate, plan and pack your flexibility. If you do these things, you’ll have the time of your life and start planning the next trip before you ever get home.

Quilt work at Crozet artisan depot.

An amazing quilt piece at the Crozet Artisan Depot