In a group
Ride together, simply.
A public or private group for your friends, a live ride by code to find each other on the road, a link to share the route.
A group in your image
A public group joined by its short address, or a private group by invitation; a group can also be attached to a club.
Meet up during the ride
In the saddle, create a live ride or join one with a shared code: the riders of that ride see each other's positions on the map.
A route shared in one link
The share link shows a copy masked around your private places; the GPX goes to your bike computer, Strava or Komoot.
Your questions
Do I need a club to create a group?
No. A standalone group is created from My account, under Groups and clubs, then goes through Vistavel's validation before welcoming its members.
Does a group have a calendar?
Not yet: the calendar, pace groups A, B, C and GPS tracking of participants are currently reserved for club outings. The live ride by code stays open to everyone.