friends travel - who's trip is this?

friends travel together and have fun all the time

friends travel in Paris

When friends travel together, it can be a very fulfilling experience.

It creates bonds that last forever. Having someone share in the day to day ups and downs can be so much better than going alone. You can talk about your trip, for many years ahead.

If you find someone that you are compatible with, (old friend or newly found travel buddy) you could take many future excursions together.

friends travel together and end up with problems

You think you know your friend, but have you ever travelled with them. It could turn out to be the trip from hell if you are not careful.

You are into art and culture your friend is sleeping all day and partying all night.

They don't care what they pay and you're on a budget.

They are into physical adventure, and you have health issues.

Maybe they are selfish and want to make all the decisions and you never get to do anything you want.

More than two friends can be more of a compromise, and can get stressful.

friends travel or solo

one way no better than the other

I have seen friends travel together year after year. It can be very rewarding.

I have helped many people with their trips, and here are some things that you should take into consideration when travelling with friends.

First the thing is to sit down and have lunch or coffee with your friend. Find out what they want out of the trip. Especially important if this is the first time you have travelled with them.

Tell each other the truth about habits

fast paced or slow travel
early birds or like to sleep in late
night owl or a morning person
slow getting ready and spend a lot of time in the shower
endless shopper
like to sit in cafes or parks people watching
need some alone time or want to be together all the time
control freak
like to save money by eating in or have elaborate restaurant meals
like a strict itinerary or spontaneous
over pack or one bag or carry-on only
tight budget or luxury

some questions you might ask

Are your interests the same or are they willing to compromise?
Are you both flexible with the vacation dates or not?
How will you finance your trip?
Will you put cash in a pot and share everything equally?
Will you each book your tours on your separate credit cards?
Who will do the planning
What's the budget?

If they are big spenders and you need to be on a tight budget it probably won't work out.

It would be better to go without your friend.

One of you could be short on money. Be careful repayment can be a problem. Work it out upfront.

The burden of expenses should not fall on one person.( unless they have agreed to treat )

I remember a trip I made with a friend once to Asia and I ended up with everything on my credit card, even though I never got to do hardly anything I had planned on.

She never paid me back for her share, or even things that were just for her.

Very naive of me, and I was very unhappy about it. You have to trust the person. We remained friends, but it was not a good experience.

Some people love it when someone else does all the planning for the trip.

Not me, not anymore.

Learning the hard way, I now know not to let the other person plan the whole trip for me.

You may think because they lived where you were visiting or they have family or friends there, that they will know better than you.

what if neither one of you like to plan

A cruise or a package tour can be a really good option. Each of you pay for your share, including excursions.

more decisions

How will you pack; carry on only or checked luggage
Make sure both of you have gone over safety measures.
Decide ahead of time when to be ready for the airport or train.
Where will you meet if you get separated and are unable to make a phone call?

One does carry on only and the other checked; it can be a problem depending on the kind of trip. The one with the carry on will always be waiting for the other to deal with their luggage.

If one person is careless, you both will waste vacation time while dealing with loss or theft.