- Image by Wisconsin Historical Images via Flickr
Traveling with friends can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a recipe for disaster. If you’ll keep a few things in mind, though, you can avoid or at least diminish any problems that may occur:
The most important thing is to plan on some alone time, particularly if you are couples or families traveling together. Nowhere is it written that you have to spend every waking minute together. Getting away with just your significant other or just your family, even for just a few hours, can make all the difference in the world.
Consider getting separate rooms, or at the very least having only two people in a room. Overcrowding can sometimes cause tension that might not otherwise occur if everyone has enough space.
Try a short trip first, so that you can work out the kinks. You don’t want your ski holidays ruined if it turns out that you’re great companions at home, but not so much when you’re traveling.
Be flexible. Take turns picking out the restaurants for each night. If you are staying in lodgings that allow you to prepare some of your meals, take turns cooking. Nevertheless, don’t think that you have to follow a rigid schedule. Allow for some flexibility. For example, your friend may find a good bargain on lobsters and you have no idea how to prepare them, but it’s “your night to cook.” Volunteer to cook two nights in a row, or offer to pay for all or part of a meal out so that she doesn’t have to double up on her kitchen duties.
Don’t expect it to be perfect. Those trips you see friends taking on TV shows are scripted. That’s not going to be the case with you and your friends, so realize that there are going to be a few glitches, and go with the flow.
