How to Take Me Time on a Group Trip Without Guilt

By Brittany Gooden

There is something special about waking up in a beautiful villa with people you love. Sunlight fills the rooms, a chef is already moving through the kitchen, and the days unfold without urgency.

Group trips bring laughter, shared playlists, and inside jokes that somehow get funnier after day three.

And still, another truth exists.

Travel opens something internal, and sometimes you want to be alone. Not because you do not love your people, but because most of us crave both connection and solitude. A good group trip makes room for both.

Here is how to move at your own pace while staying connected to the people you came with.

1. Arrive and leave on your own timeline

Group trips rarely begin in one place. People are flying in from different cities, juggling work, kids, energy levels, and time zones.

What works best is simple: flight details are shared directly with the villa. Some people aim to arrive around the same window, but timing never has to match perfectly.

The villa handles the rest.

Sometimes we hire a driver for the week. Other times, cars are arranged around individual arrivals. Either way, it is seamless.

No spreadsheets.
No group texts tracking flights.

With Autre & Part, arrival details are organized in one place. You simply upload your flight, and the villa sees everything they need at a glance.

Just arrive. Everything else is taken care of.

2. Let the concierge support your solo plans

When your villa includes a concierge or butler, think beyond meals and drink refills.

This is where independence becomes seamless.

They can:

• Book a solo massage or spa visit
• Drop you at a quiet beach, museum, or local market
• Make a reservation at the restaurant you have been thinking about all week
• Point you toward low-key spots the group might skip but you will love

You share your timing, your budget, and what you are curious about. They take care of the rest.

You move freely, without disrupting anyone else’s day.

3. Build in quiet moments

No need to announce this as a group rule. This kind of travel works best when you move at your own pace.

For me, morning meditation is non-negotiable. I spend a few quiet minutes at sunrise with tea in hand before the house fully wakes up. My husband takes the girls, and the day unfolds more gently for everyone.

For you, it might be:

• Morning journaling
• An afternoon nap
• Time alone after lunch
• A solo walk before dinner

Once you take that space, something interesting happens. Others begin to soften too. Rest has a way of spreading.

4. Let it be flexible

Group travel works best when there’s space to come together and space to step back.

Some moments are shared. Others are quiet. Both belong.

When the environment supports that flow, nothing feels awkward. The day unfolds naturally.

Some people chase adventure, while others seek stillness, and both are part of the experience.

5. Your vacation your way

You can love your people and still need time to yourself. You can be fully part of the trip while moving independently within it. You can share an experience without losing your own rhythm.

That is the kind of travel we believe in. Considered, flexible, and grounded in how people actually live.