Some say that you should always travel alone, but many more people prefer to go traveling with a friend and share the experience with someone. There’s no doubt that you can have a fantastic time traveling with someone else, but spending so much time with your best friend can have its challenges.
Here are some tips to make the most of the experience and ensure you come out at the other end still friends.
Pick Your Travel Partner with Care
The first thing you will need to do is choose the right person to travel with. Just because you are best friends, it does not mean you will automatically make great travel partners.
Have a good think about whether you will be happy to spend all day, every day in their company for the next few weeks or months. If you have your doubts, be very careful about heading off on a backpacking adventure together.
Three’s a Crowd
You may have more than one best friend who you want to go traveling with, but remember that three can often be a crowd. Whereas traveling in a pair can provide you with the perfect mix of freedom and company, traveling with two other people can sometimes be difficult. That’s not to say it cannot work, but you have been warned.
Decide on a Rough Route in Advance
Always decide on a rough plan before you buy your tickets. Choose a country, the highlights you both want to see, as well as a general route and timescale. The worst thing to happen is if you both arrive with completely different ideas for where to go and what to see.
That’s not to say you cannot be flexible. You may love the idea of turning up somewhere and working it out as you go, but it’s good to have a basic plan in mind.
Stick Together or Have Time Apart?
You may want to stick together for the whole trip, or you may want to have some time on your own for a few days or weeks. Make sure you make this clear before you go off together, and that way there will not be any nasty surprises when one of you decides to do their own thing.
Have a Plan for Emergencies
It’s good to have a plan in place for emergencies, so think over some of the things that could go wrong. Make sure you have good travel insurance, and if you are going on a road trip in Wisconsin, you may want to get the details of a Wisconsin car accident attorney in case you are involved in an accident. It’s always good to plan for possible eventualities while traveling, so spend some time on this.
Work Out Your Budget
Finally, make sure you have a budget in mind, and make sure you both have the same idea for how much you want to spend. Things can become difficult if one of you has a lot more money to spend than the other. If you want to see all the sights and eat out every night, this could cause friction if your friend cannot afford it. So make sure you plan your budget carefully in advance and ensure you are both on the same wavelength.
Harold Donovan readily admits he has the travel bug bad! He enjoys solo travel as well as travelling with his family and friends and shares some tips on successfully enjoying your time away.
