Planning a Girls Trip to Jamaica: How to Move Your Group Around the Island

A girls trip to Jamaica works best when nobody in the group has to be the driver, the navigator or the one haggling for a taxi at midnight. Book one private driver for the whole stay, put everyone in the same van, and the trip runs on your schedule instead of a resort shuttle timetable. Here is how we set it up for groups of friends, and what we tell them before they land.

Where should a group of friends stay in Jamaica?

The three bases we drive to most are Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios, and each suits a different kind of group.

Montego Bay is the easy pick if you want short airport runs and the Hip Strip close by. Most hotels there are 10 to 30 minutes from Sangster International, so the first night is not wasted in the van.

Negril is the one friends choose when the plan is beach days and sunsets. The drive from the airport is about an hour and a half along the coast. You get Seven Mile Beach for daytime and Rick's Cafe for the evening, both a short hop from the hotels.

Ocho Rios is about an hour and a half to two hours from Montego Bay airport, and it has the biggest menu of excursions within a short drive: Dunn's River Falls, Blue Hole, river rafting, the Mystic Mountain rides and Dolphin Cove. If your group wants to do something different every day, this is the side to stay on.

How does a private driver work for a group?

Every trip we run is private and never shared. One driver, one air-conditioned van, your group only. The driver meets you at the airport with a name sign, takes you to the hotel, and comes back for each excursion day and night out you have booked.

The pricing for tours is per person, and most of our tour packages start at a minimum of four people, so a group of friends is the sweet spot. Bigger groups get adjusted transport pricing, which usually works out cheaper per head than four people in a van. You can stack up to three tours in one day, though two is the number most groups are happy with once the sun and the rum punch kick in.

Payment is simple. We send a quote within 24 hours, you pay a small deposit online, and the balance is cash on arrival. One person can book for everyone and settle up with the group however you like.

Which excursions are the most fun with a group of friends?

These are the days we see friends enjoy the most, all tours we actually run:

• Catamaran booze cruise to Rick's Cafe. A sunset sail out of Negril with an open bar, a snorkel stop and the cliff divers at the end. This is the one most girls groups ask for by name.
• Clear kayak photoshoot. A see-through kayak over turquoise water with a photographer taking the shots.
• Bamboo rafting. Two people to a raft with a captain poling you down the river. The Montego Bay version includes a limestone massage from the knee down, which is where the chalky-white legs in everyone's photos come from.
• Dunn's River Falls. Climb the falls hand in hand as a chain. It is a workout, so do it in the morning before lunch.
• Blue Hole in Ocho Rios. Cliff jumps, a rope swing and a natural pool. Good for the daring half of the group, with a calm pool for the rest.
• Rick's Cafe or Seven Mile Beach in Negril. Not a tour so much as an evening. We drop you, wait, and bring you back whenever you are ready.

ATV rides are popular too, but keep in mind the rider needs a valid driver's license, so check who in the group has one before you book.

Can we celebrate a birthday or a bachelorette on the trip?

Yes, and we see a lot of them. When you book a transfer with us you can add balloons and a birthday or congratulations sign, a bottle of wine with rum punch, cold beer, or flowers to the van. The driver sets it up before pickup so the surprise is waiting when the doors open.

For a night out, the Hip Strip in Montego Bay and Rick's Cafe in Negril are the usual picks. Our nightlife transport means the van waits for you or comes back at an agreed time, so nobody has to find a ride home late.

What should the group pack and bring?

A few things make the days smoother:

• Water shoes for every river and waterfall stop. Flip-flops get lost in the current.
• A dry bag or a zip pouch for phones. Most of the fun here involves water.
• Small US dollar bills for tips, drinks and craft market stops. Bigger notes are hard to break at a beach bar.
• A change of clothes in the van for anyone who plans to do rafting or the falls before lunch.
• A copy of your driver's license if ATV riding is on the list.

One more tip from our drivers: agree a lobby meeting time and keep to it. A group that leaves at 9:00 reaches Dunn's River before the cruise crowds, and a group that leaves at 11:00 does not.

How do we book a girls trip to Jamaica with you?

Send us your dates, your hotel and a rough idea of what the group wants to do, and we will reply with a quote and a day-by-day plan you can share with everyone. You can book a tour for the excursion days, set up private airport transfers for arrival and departure, or ask us to put the whole stay together in one request.