These are the most popular cities for group travel in 2026

Revive the group chat, dust the cobwebs off the travel spreadsheet and get the posse to turn “let’s plan the trip” into “all flight tickets and stays are booked!”… Sometimes, this is easier said than done.

In Opodo’s “Solo Travel Trends 2026: The Year of Travelling Alone with Purpose” report released in August, as many as 30% of the 9,000 travellers surveyed said they opted to go the journey alone because their friends or family weren’t available.

But when the group chat does finally deliver, travelling with friends can have its perks.

Dividing costs among friends for accommodation, rental cars, petrol and even food can “unlock significant savings”, according to Kayak, which added that renting a large villa overlooking an ocean view is a lot less expensive once the nightly rate is shared between five or more people. “The trick? Knowing where to go.”

Top searched destinations for groups

Kayak surveyed hotel and holiday rental searches for bookings made by parties of five or more between March and September for stays between July and December 2026.

In both cases, Europe took centre stage, with London ranking as the most searched hotel destination for groups. According to Kayak, the average price per night was €181 – 6% less than the previous year.

Second on the list is Paris, where the average hotel stay per night was found to be €144, a 3% decrease from last year. Meanwhile, the French capital was also the most searched for holiday rental destination for groups, with rental rates averaging €151 a night.

Other French destinations proved popular on the holiday rentals ranking, including Marseille and Nice, which took the second and eighth spots on Kayak’s list.

Steeped in more than 26 centuries of history, the port city of Marseille is typically less crowded from during October and November and the climate becomes cooler, too – making it ideal for exploring its oldest neighbourhood: the Panier District, dating back to 600BC.

Its streets are described by the official tourism board as open air museums in their own right, replete with murals, street art, and central venues with artisans and designers selling their wares.