Being friends with someone and travelling with someone are two entirely different things. Hanging out, even on a regular basis, doesn’t give you the same insight into a person as travelling with them can. Whether it’s a road trip, a backpacking adventure or a week on a tropical beach, jetting off with a BFF can be great fun, but it also has the potential to test your friendship. If you’re planning to go on holiday with a friend, there are ways to make sure it all runs smoothly. We’ve put together a helpful guide on how to travel with a friend and keep your sanity and BFF status.
Before you book
Think long and hard about who you want to travel with and why. It’s important that your travel companion is someone you already know pretty well and have already spent time with in a variety of situations – so not just the person you go for brunch with once a month or a new friend you just met at work. Knowing a person well before you go and having an idea about their moods, what sets them off, etc. can make a huge difference when it comes to having an enjoyable trip.
Before you leave
Sure, there’s the packing and the planning and the excitement since travelling is all so exciting, however there are a few important things to discuss before you leave.
Budget: Big spenders and thrifty travellers don’t always mix. If you’re more of a spontaneous, “YOLO” kind of person who doesn’t mind splurging now and again and your travel pal is going to want to pinch pennies, you could hit some snags. So before you go, establish a budget that you’re both comfortable with.
Type of trip: What is the goal of this trip? Total relaxation? Eating your way around a city? Whirlwind sightseeing? If the two of you have different ideas of what the trip will entail, friction could arise. It’s important that your overall goal for the trip matches that of your co-traveller, so no one gets upset when their expectations aren’t met. Discuss in advance, what are the aims of the trip.
Deal breakers: There are certain aspects to everyone’s personality that should be disclosed before spending an extended amount of time with someone else. These include whether or not you are a morning person (or you need at least two coffees), or a night owl.
What to expect
If you’ve chosen your travel companion wisely and you’ve established that you have similar visions for your trip, things should roll along smoothly. Surprises invariably happen. To ride any waves without losing your friendship footing, we suggest the following:
- Acknowledge, that at some point, one person will get tired and cranky. We all do, but this is especially the case when travelling. Don’t sweat it and don’t take it personally.
- You established you have the same trip goals, however there will be things that you’ll want to do and your friend won’t or vice versa. That’s OK and totally natural – you don’t need to be attached at the hip. It’s good to split up from time to time.
- Expect to learn new things about the person you’re travelling with. Some of the qualities you may like and some you may not. No one is perfect, ultimately, the more you learn about someone the closer your relationship can get.
Avoiding fights
No matter how close you and your co-traveller are there’s a good chance an argument will come up. Spending an extended amount of time with someone will do that to even the closest of friends, however all-out brawls can be avoided.
Communicate: Remember that friends can’t read each other’s minds. If you’re in a bad mood, air it out rather than waiting for your travel companion to figure it out.
Be honest: If the thought of going to an all-night rave on the beach with strangers you just met at a café turns you off, say so. Agreeing to going and then moping while you’re there will only make matters worse.
Compromise: OK fine, he/she dragged you to the rave and it was OK, but now you’re kind of tired. But you went because you knew it would make her happy. That’s called compromise. And maybe today he/she will go with you to that museum exhibit you’ve been trying to drag him/her to. Travelling together is all about give and take and quintessentially compromise will keep you both happy.
