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Spring break is increasingly becoming a team sport.
New research from vacation rental platform Vrbo shows that Americans are traveling together more than ever, whether it’s with extended family, friend groups or a mix of both. But packing more people into one vacation also seems to be packing in more potential for drama.
According to a new survey of 2,000 U.S. travelers who have stayed in a vacation rental with at least two other people in the past three years, one in three travelers says they’ve gotten into a fight during a group vacation. Among Gen Z travelers, that number climbs to 43 percent. And yet, group travel demand continues to rise.
The research found that 57 percent of parents plan to take a multi-generational trip within the next year and 42 percent plan vacations with friends or other families. In other words, the classic spring break getaway isn’t just about beach parties anymore; it might also include grandparents, cousins and a group chat of multiple people trying to decide where to have dinner.
A few different things tend to spark tension on vacation. One surprisingly heated issue is sleeping arrangements. The study found that the number of beds (not bedrooms) is one of the biggest factors in people's rental decisions. Nearly two-thirds of travelers say they’re happy to share a bedroom as long as they have their own bed. Among Gen Z travelers, that jumps to 75 percent.
Bathrooms, however, are another story. While 55 percent of travelers say they would rather share a bathroom than a bedroom, most respondents agree that four people is the absolute maximum who should share a single full bathroom before things start to get uncomfortable.
Money is another frequent flashpoint. Travelers largely agree that shared costs (like the rental or groceries) should be split evenly. But when the details get more specific, opinions start to diverge. Half of the respondents believe guests who arrive late or leave early should pay less. About 44 percent say travelers forced to share a bedroom should also get a discount and nearly 40 percent of Gen Z respondents think people traveling the farthest distance should pay less toward the overall cost.
Then there are the classic vacation pet peeves: friends who run late and derail group plans, housemates who mysteriously disappear during cleanup duty and travelers who spend more time glued to their phones than actually hanging out.
To avoid turning spring break into a group therapy session, travel experts recommend a few simple strategies: set a budget before booking, agree on how expenses will be split and create a group chat to coordinate plans.
Because when a dozen people are sharing one house for a week, a little planning might be the only thing standing between paradise—and a full-blown vacation meltdown.