Group Trip Planning Guide

Feature overview

Group trips fall apart when planning is scattered across WhatsApp threads, Google Docs, and payment apps. Brunchie puts your itinerary, expenses, polls, and guest list in one hangout — one link, no app downloads required.

How to plan a group trip

1. Create a trip hangout

Tap + and pick a trip template from the carousel in Step 0 of the wizard — Japan Trip for international adventures, Camping Trip or Bali Trip for other styles, or start from scratch for any destination. The Japan Trip card pre-fills a title, description, and a starter itinerary so you can skip the blank-page moment.

If your accommodation has a max headcount (Airbnb sleeps 8, cabin fits 6), set an attendee limit to cap signups automatically.

2. Plan your itinerary

Add a day-by-day schedule with activities, restaurants, flights, and check-in times. Everyone in the group can see the full plan. No more "what are we doing tomorrow?" texts.

Optional: a second host-only itinerary for trip-leader logistics. If you're organizing the trip and want to keep some details out of the public schedule — Airbnb door codes, host phone numbers, payment cues, surprise stops — open the itinerary manager and click + New itinerary. Tap Hide on the Guests row to make it host-only. The new itinerary never appears in the guest view, the shared .ics calendar feed, or the guest preview link. Other group members see only the public schedule. Full walkthrough in the itinerary guide. This is the same pattern bach trip planners use for surprise reveals — see the bachelorette setup guide.

3. Make group decisions with polls

Can't agree on activities, restaurants, or the Airbnb? Create polls:

• Where to stay — list options with prices, let the group vote
• What to do — day activities, tours, restaurants
• When to go — date options for people with different schedules

Polls support single choice, multiple choice, and ranked voting. Set a deadline so people actually decide.

4. Split expenses as you go

Link an expense group to your trip hangout. As the trip happens:

• Log shared expenses (Airbnb, rental car, group dinners)
• Mark who paid and who owes
• Brunchie calculates the running balance
• At the end, settle up with one payment per person — not 15 individual transfers

Multi-currency: Brunchie supports multiple currencies, so international trips work seamlessly.

5. Share links and documents

Add links to your hangout for:

• Flight confirmations
• Hotel bookings
• Restaurant reservations
• Activity tickets
• Travel insurance docs

Everyone has access — no digging through email chains.

6. Share one link

Your entire trip lives in one hangout. Share the link with the group. No one needs to download an app or create an account to see the plan. They can RSVP, vote in polls, and check the itinerary from any device.

Why Brunchie for group trips

• Everything in one place — itinerary, expenses, polls, and guest list together
• Multi-itinerary — keep a public schedule and a host-only logistics runbook in the same hangout
• Expense splitting built in — no separate payment app needed
• Polls for decisions — stop the endless group chat debates
• Free — no subscriptions, no per-person charges
• Works internationally — multi-currency expenses, timezone-friendly scheduling
• No downloads required — guests access via web link

Real example: Japan trip

See the Japan Trip Setup Guide for a complete walkthrough of planning an international group trip with Brunchie — including itinerary, expenses in yen, and activity polls.

Related guides

• Itinerary Guide — multi-itinerary manager with audience visibility
• Bachelorette Setup Guide — the bach trip is its own hangout, not part of the wedding hangout
• Expense Splitting — detailed expense and settle-up guide
• Importing Data — paste your trip-mate list and bring in any existing seating or floor plans
• Calendar Sync — sync trip dates to your calendar
• Wizard Templates Guide — full list of trip and hangout templates

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