Traveling With Friends – A complete Guide

Traveling with friends!

This is a topic that I’m definitely passionate about. I have been a traveler for the longest time and know what it’s like to travel solo and with people. And when in your 30s, traveling with friends can be a great opportunity. Especially when you and your friends probably don’t have as much spare time to spend with each other. Being able to plan a trip together can be fun while bonding further with your friends.

But how do you go about traveling with friends? What are some key things you should know before you plan and embark on a trip together with your besties? That’s what we will be talking about today!

In this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know about traveling with friends. This article will help you prepare going abroad with friends while managing the potential downsides of doing so. Overall, traveling with friends is not the same as going out with them to a bar or a restaurant, and it can be stressful doing a trip with friends. But it can also provide an amazing opportunity to bond with them and create wonderful memories. Let’s go over what you need to know.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Traveling is not the same as hanging out.

Before you decide going on a big traveling trip with friends, I would suggest trying out a smaller vacation first. You need to find out if you’re compatible traveling with them.

Because the biggest thing you need to know: traveling with friends is NOT the same as say, hanging out with friends for the evening or for the day. It’s totally different. It’s one thing to have a drink or eat at a restaurant together for a few hours. It’s another thing to have to share a vehicle, bed, washroom and even finances together for several days or weeks.

So what I recommend is trying out a short trip with your friends to see how they are. For example, take them out for a 3-day road trip weekend and see how it goes. If you can easily get along with your friends and their habits during their trip, then great! If they annoy you a lot and can’t stand them, then it’s okay. You only had to spend a weekend with them, instead of an entire trip!

You don’t have to spend every single moment together.

One misconception when it comes to traveling with friends is that you need to spend all your time with them during the trip. That is not true at all! Not only can you spend time alone during the trip, you can decide which attractions you and your friends want to attend separately. For example, if you’re in New York City and your friends want to visit Times Square but you rather go see the Empire State Building instead, then that’s a perfect opportunity to get alone time during your trip.

As an introvert myself, I definitely always need my time away from people (click here to read how to be a social introvert). And this is important when you’re traveling with friends and having to spend all day with them. So if you decide to travel with friends, then do plan some time away from them so you don’t go insane!

Traveling together will put your friendship to the test.

Oh yes, this is an interesting topic worth talking about. As mentioned previously, going traveling with your friends is not going to be the same like going out to the bar with them

When you have to go on a road trip together and spend all day with them, it will really put your patience and even friendship to the test. I certainly felt that way, especially when it came to staying in the same hotel with them. Maybe their habits will annoy you. Or they themselves become impatient with you during the middle of the trip. And that’s why I recommended doing a small trip first to see if you guys are compatible travelers, before embarking on a longer trip or internationally.

For example, I know some of my friends are a lot messier than I am, and that can get annoying. Or I’m sure my friends dislike how organized and detailed I am with my travel planning. We’re not always going to agree on everything while traveling.

Which leads me to my next point…

Make your boundaries clear.

This is something you should establish with your friends before you guys travel together. As mentioned before, everyone has different habits and behaviors, and they may not mesh well together while traveling. You need to find a balance between giving some leeway while also putting your foot down on certain stuff.

Here are some examples of boundaries you can set while traveling with friends:

• Money and travel expenses. You can make it a point that everyone has to pitch in their fair share for the travel expenses. If one of your friends is a cheapskate and expects everyone to pitch in for them, you don’t have to put up with that! You can kick them out of the travel group if they’re incompatible that way.
• Listening to what your friends want to do. I think one of the biggest issues when traveling in a group is that everyone wants to do something different. Maybe you want to sit by the beach all day, while your other friends want to go sightseeing. This would be a good time to separate and do your own itinerary. That way, you don’t get in the way of each other and get to do what you want, and your friends get to do what they want.

• Set ground rules for shared places. In places like the hotel room or in the car, you guys should make rules for what you allow and don’t allow. For example, maybe you guys make a rule that you must keep the washroom clean for everyone else. Or you all go to bed around the same time. That way, you strike a balance with you and your friend’s habits and routines.

You will create everlasting memories together!

Let’s face it; traveling with friends can be pretty stressful. While it’s more expensive, sometimes I prefer to travel on my own because I get to make my own rules, rather than compromise for others.

On the same token, traveling with friends is totally awesome! Some of my most memorable travel experiences were with my friends. It’s so much fun being able to explore the world and share that with your friends. You can save so much money traveling with friends, and you can be there for each other. It’s such a lovely experience traveling with friends. Even if it’s a hassle sometimes, it’s totally worth it. 🙂

Conclusion

I hope you found this post about traveling with friends useful. It’s never going to be perfect when you’re on the road with friends; you may have disagreements and things may not go as planned. But for the most part, traveling with friends results in a wonderful time regardless.

If you have any questions or feedback, leave them in the comments below!