Travel Tips with Friends-

Travel with friends can be an incredible experience you’ll remember happily for years. Or it can be a challenging experience that makes you wish you’d traveled solo. As Mark Twain put it, “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”

So here’s a list of dos and don’ts to make a trip with friends as easy and argument-free as possible.

Avoid the negative side effects that can stem from travel with friends –

1) What does everyone want?

This is by FAR the most important thing, and important to discuss before any further planning. Just because you all want to go to Greece doesn’t mean you all want the same thing out of it. Sure you might say “oh the beaches” and “ooo, ruins” but if you’re thinking 90% beaches and 10% ruins, and they’re thinking the opposite, there’s going to be conflict.

This happened to me. Some friends and I spent all this time planning our trip to the Netherlands and France, and once we got there, all they wanted to do was party until 5am, sleep until 3pm, and repeat. I, you know, wanted to see the country we were in.

2. Set a clear budget

Money can be a sticking point when traveling with friends. Make it very clear from the initial planning stages how much you can afford spend on the adventure. Be specific. Everyone’s definition of “traveling on a budget” is different. Identify exact dollar amounts, if not for the trip as a whole, but for its separate components. For example, tell your friend you can only spend $200 per night on accommodations or $50 a day on food. That should help set the expectation for the amount of money you’re comfortable spending on the trip. So I would suggest you to make booking by using various cashback sites like khojdeal, Grabon, couponduniya and use makemytrips coupons etc.

3. Get Involved-

Travel with friends is a great gift. A wonderful trip can bring you closer with shared experiences and memories. Make the most of being together by limiting your time on social media, emails or texts.

4. Everyone will need some personal time

This one was recommended by my friend Thaynara. We’ve traveled together several times… so I’m hoping this isn't a not-so-subtle hint. Regardless, it’s good advice. Everyone needs some “me” time, especially introverts traveling in a group. It’s not being anti-social, it’s just some quiet time (or music-infused time) to recharge the social batteries. For example, with Thaynara and I, she’d wind down at the end of the day watching shows on her laptop, while I’d listen to music and work.

4. Be Flexible-

Trips don’t always go according to plan. There’s a good chance you’ll encounter a snafu somewhere along the way. Go with the flow and recognize you (or your friend) cannot control every aspect of your shared experience. You might miss a train or the hotel room may be smaller than you expected. While aggravating, don’t let these inconveniences ruin the trip for you or your companion.

5. Overcommunicate-

Chances are, your friend isn’t a mind reader. To avoid problems, communicate with your friend clearly and often. If you don’t tell your friend your needs and desires, he or she won’t know.

On the other hand, pay attention to your friend’s mood and energy level. If you get the vibe that he or she isn’t up for cocktails and dancing, perhaps you should suggest another activity. Or if you know your friend is simply dying to see the sunset over the water one last time, go along with her, even if you think packing is a better way to spend the evening. In 10 years, you’ll remember that sunset, but you probably won’t remember an evening spent in your hotel room!