Which Summer Destination in

THE DO’S & DON’TS OF travellingWITH FRIENDS

by Amina Moustapha

Planning on travelling with your pal/s this summer? That’s so cool. There is nothing more fulfilling than travelling and wandering the world, and no one better to share the road with you than your friend. But here is the issue, the choice of a travel companion could make or break any trip. It can sometimes even ruin your relationship with this person.

Before you even pack your bag or decide on dates, you’ll need to decide on company. Many trips like family trips, honeymoons, school trips, etc. already have predetermined companions. Those come with certain expectations, but what about the regular trips? What should the expectations be? Let’s not waste time and discuss what are the do’s and don’ts of travelling with friends.

1. Discover If Your Travel Styles Synchronize

Some character differences could be overlooked, meaning the two persons could find a middle ground, but with some differences it is hard to find a middle ground. In order to avoid bumping into this second type of differences, you must learn about them even before organizing the trip. For instance, if you’re an early bird and your companion is a night owl, if you’re the type who likes to really savour the place you visit, and your friend prefers to rush to see everything there is to see…you might have a problem here. If there is no middle ground, you better reconsider this trip. 2. Agree on a General Budget

It is always awkward to discuss money with friends, but agreeing on a general budget before organizing a trip is a must! For example, if you like to spoil yourself and stay in luxury hotels, while your friend tends to play it cheap; how can these two scenarios coexist with each other? Same goes with food, places to visit, activities…When you agree on a budget, it gives you both a sense about the other person’s mindset.

3. Make Deals Together When It Comes To Decisions

When the ‘middle ground’ option isn’t always applicable, the “Let’s make a deal” option should come to the table. That’s the thing about having a companion; it’s not ‘me’, it’s ‘us’. Therefore to avoid someone always having things their way, or having to fight over every decision, make deals together. ‘You want to visit this place, so we will dine at a restaurant I pick’ and so on.

4. Check Each Other’s Energy Level

One of the main problems that could face travel companions is not having the same pace. Is one of you looking forward to a leisurely pace, the other ready to see a whole city in one day? Check each other’s energy level. Some of you ought to be tired, hungry, sleepy or maybe too energetic to sit in one place. Not having enough energy could milk the fun out of anything even if you’re in Disneyland, and having so much energy and not using it, is a major disappointment. Pace your energy together to be able to have fun together.

5. Break Out So You Don’t Break Up

Yes, you travelled together but that doesn’t mean you can’t launch on your own sometime, especially if it is a long trip. Sometimes you need a break from each other, and that’s more than alright. Don’t consider it an insult to your friendship; having some time apart releases the negative energy that surely will rise. Recharge and then go back to have fun together, it will make you appreciate each other even more.

6. Keep Your Head in a Crisis

You have no idea about the number of crises that could occur while travelling. Flight delays, losing money, getting sick, getting lost…In those cases tension will arise, and who better to toss this tension on other than your travelling companion? This will be a major mistake. Even if it’s their fault, we all mess up, so you must think before saying anything because angry words spoken in a stressful moment can have lasting effects throughout the rest of your trip.

7. Talk About It

Obviously none of the above tips will work without this one. It might happen that you go on a trip with someone you assume is a great match, but then it turns out to be a disastrous one. As mentioned before, all sorts of unpleasant things could happen. Negative energy could be flying in the air around you. Don’t pull these feelings under the rug; talk about them in a civilized way and clear the air, or else it might explode in a very unexpected moment.

A trip is meant to be full of fun, new experiences and discoveries, so we advise you to pick that travel companion carefully. And no matter what happens, just stick to the having fun plan.