How to Travel Peacefully with Your Friends

09 Sep How to Travel Peacefully with Your Friends

We usually spend time with friends in three or four hour blocks, going to dinner and the movies or watching a football game. So when friends decide to travel together, they’re suddenly faced with each other’s whims, needs and preferences 24/7, which sometimes causes enough friction to sabotage the vacation. Here are some tips on how to make sure that friends remain friendly while traveling.

Discuss Your Differences Before You Go

When planning the trip, openly discuss your travel styles. Some travelers plan every minute, while others prefer to wander. Some stay only in city centers, while others roam the countryside for a taste of rural life. Some like to relax throughout the day at cafes and parks, while others jam as much as they can into every day so that they don’t miss a thing. Some prefer trains, while others like buses. If your travel mate’s style differs from yours, find an amicable compromise in the planning stages in order to prevent any conflicts while at the destination.

Separate and Share

Plan to do separate activities once or twice during the trip, promising to meet up for dinner to share your experiences. The perfect time to play apart is during a cruise where each of you chooses a different shore excursion for that day. Come nighttime, you’ll be trading wild tales over cocktails about your divergent adventures.

Consider Energy Levels

If you know your friends well enough to plan an international trip with them, then you should have a pretty good idea about their overall energy level. Are they peppy in the morning and sluggish in the afternoon? Are they notorious night owls ready to prowl the streets? Would they be able to race up a mountain path or would they need several breaks? Take these into consideration when planning your adventure.

Agree on the Budget

Have a frank talk before you go about how much you intend to spend, how frequently you want to eat at fancy restaurants and other activities that will cost money.

Keep Talking

The key tip to peacefully traveling with your friends is keeping the lines of communications open. Always express your opinions and ask for theirs in return. Only by knowing what both parties like and dislike will you be able to find a common ground.