Traveling with your best friend sounds like a no-brainer. Until a week into the trip when you can’t stand your companion’s crack of dawn cheerful chatter. One of my friends just got back from a month-long dream trip, but didn't really enjoy the experience because his travel companions weren't a good fit.
Listening to him, I realized that the issues stemmed from them never discussing expectations, how they wanted to spend their time, or what they wanted to get out of the trip.
To set the right expectations for a trip, discuss these nine points with any potential travel partners:
Budget
Nothing sours a trip faster than you wanting the penthouse and your companion wanting the cheapest hostel. Determine a budget for the trip and agree on it.
Pace
Ten cities in ten days? Or one city in ten days? Decide before you go so no one is disappointed.
Planning
Some people are cool winging it. Other people need a plan. Are you a planner? Is your partner?
Fitness
Do you want to walk 10 miles a day to see everything? Can your partner physically keep up?
Morning Person / Night Owl
Are you up and ready to go when the sun rises or the last to fall asleep? Will your travel partner hate your face if you wake them up or keep them up every day?
Snoring
Know before you go so you can book your accommodations accordingly.
Culture
Do you want to see every museum? How does your partner feel about that?
Activities
How do you want to spend your days? What activities do you want to do? How much of the day do you want to devote to doing things? How does your partner want to spend their days? Does it match up?
Adventure
If you have adventure on the brain, make sure your partner is down for it too. If they’re not, and you don’t want to adventure solo, pick a new travel partner.
Three final tidbits for a successful trip with someone:
Communicate
If something isn’t working for you, speak up! Your companion can’t read your mind.
Be Kind
It’s amazing how far a bit of kindness will take you. Especially when you’re in close proximity for long periods of time together.
Give each other some space
24/7 is too much on any relationship. Go for a walk or a coffee on your own. Just take some time apart.
the graphics are too funny! and so true…..
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your graphics are too cute!
After many travels with only a close cadre of friends, I not only earnestly agree with the above but also add that travel incurs more dramatic life experiences thus all the more reason to think prudently about with whom 1 may share, noting not to pre-judge as to preclude spontaneous goodness but also practical wisdom especially noting safety & monetary responsibility (even if 1 is just backpacking, or especially so).
Well said, Richard… And very true!!!!
Glad you liked the graphics Richard! Thanks for sharing your experience traveling with other — your points are spot on!
You are so very wise and well spoken! Are those your awesome drawings? Love this!
I usually have an interesting/positive adventure when I travel with buddies but we’ve definitly encountered some of these things before too! Seems to always helps if you both have strong, open gypsy hearts like you do. I’m thinking PNW toward the end of this year, or early next year may actually be smarter. Hard to say about timing at the moment but definitely want to talk more soon!
Lots of love and props to you for this awesome work!
Glad you liked the drawings! It took me an embarrassingly long time to draw the stick figures. 🙂 Very excited for the PNW trip!
Hehe excellent stick drawings! Really looking forward to making some concrete plans for PNW, do you have any availability towards the end of the year? Also are you on Pinterest? 🙂