Traveling With a Group of Friends : And How to Survive
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Can’t We All Just Get Along? – Traveling With a Group of Friends
Travelling is one of those experiences that changes you forever. Usually for the better, and even if it didn’t go so well that experience betters you too (even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time). That is normally the case when you are traveling with a group of friends.
Due to the nature of my work I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively over the past two years. I’ve travelled alone, with friends, as a group on a press trip with people I vaguely knew as acquaintances, as well as part of press groups where I didn’t know a single damn person! While I’m still learning everyday here is what I have picked up on so far that can definitely make travelling in groups, in pairs, or alone much smoother.
It’s all about the money, baby. Like it or not money matters. Before planning a trip with your tribe make sure you’re open and honest about what everyone is comfortable spending. You don’t want anyone to be in a position where they’re feeling stretched because that gets the trip off to a bad start before it’s even started. If you’re not comfortable about talking about something as important as budget than maybe you need to reconsider your travel mates because even the closest of friends can have a lot to overcome with travelling without having to throw money into the mix. If you’re on a trip where the costs are covered for you, like for work (or maybe you have a sugar daddy) this might be less of an issue. You do want to make sure you detail per diem costs and what is and is not covered by the person banking your trip beforehand just so that there’s no nasty surprises on both ends.
Pack Wisely. Unless you’re a 5 year old going to Disneyland with Mom & Dad you should be responsible enough to remember everything you need. If you’re old enough to get on a plane, leave your country/city/state/province etc… you’re old enough to make sure you’ve got the basics covered. Don’t get me wrong, every now and then we all (myself included), may forget that tube of toothpaste, but if you’re consistently doing it on a regular basis and expecting your travel mates to cover for you then don’t expect an invite the next time around. Keep in mind that most people try to pack as light as possible which means that they most likely are only packing just enough for what they need for themselves and to now have to split that with someone else can be frustrating and leave them without the things that they need. If you do happen to forget something, be considerate to your travel companions and ask the hotel if they’re able to provide it for you or quickly stop off at a nearby store to get what you need.
Talk to me. Being open about what everyone wants to do beforehand will make the trip that much better and that much more enjoyable. Talk about what activities are a must for everyone and be realistic about how much time you’ll need to do them. If there are activities that some people want to do, but other’s don’t there’s nothing wrong with…
Splitting Up! Just because you came as a group does not mean you have to be with each other all day everyday. Splitting up once in awhile can give people who need it the alone time they crave and ensures that everyone gets time to see exactly what they want without having to feel like they ‘wasted’ precious trip moments on something they weren’t interested in.
Come Back Down to Earth Please. As much as I like the idea of a jam packed day to get the most of the amount of time you have, be realistic about what is possible. I have been on trips where you are literally on the go from sunrise to well past 2am-3am and let me tell you it is not fun. It felt like boot camp and to the point where I wasn’t even enjoying myself at all. Most people need some downtime, some more than others so make sure respect that and be realistic about what you yourself can handle as well. You don’t want to cause injury or over exhaustion so plan for some down time in the schedule and if you can’t accomplish everything as a result, well then that is just an excuse to take another trip next time.
While there are definitely a million other things you’ll want to consider, everything from logistics right down to where you should get your morning coffee the most important factor in anything is definitely communication! As long as you all communicate well with one another you’ll most be able to overcome any potential group trip pitfalls. Happy travels! Hopefully these tips will make traveling with a group of friends the best experience ever.
