Travel Buddies; Choose Them Well

written on May 16th, 2016 by Rafia Abubakar

You know what can make or break your trip? Travel buddies. If you enjoy the company of family or friends, going on a trip is a fun activity. That is, until tempers flare and disagreements on what to see, where to eat, and how to get there abound.

They say, if you want to really get to know someone, travel with them. You will be together almost 24 hours. Their quirks, idiosyncrasies, and things you didn’t know about them will magnify.

Fun and excitement aside, it is during travel when you see how people react and respond to situations, far from the security of familiarity. This is an opportunity to see how well you handle each other. Lucky are those who realize they make great travel buddies.

There’s an article I read on Lonely Planet tackling the same issue, but with the question of what if it’s your significant other who’s not the best travel buddy.

Tread that trail carefully.

The article touches base on the following points and how to remedy them:

Your travel styles don’t match. When one is more outdoorsy and the other is indoorsy.

You can’t agree for love nor money. The travel budget, money matters that need to be discussed and agreed upon.

The fuss factor: excuses, excuses. Yes we all have our pet peeves and sometimes they can get in the way or annoy travel mates.

One of you is a control freak. Ah the age old who shall take control argument.

Your amour isn’t in love with travel. And lastly, the big question of what if you’re the only one who’s enthusiastic about travelling? What then?

Here’s a link to the full article.

You may find that the tips in the article are widely applicable to any companion whilst on a trip. At the end of the day, there’s a reason why you end up with the people you’re travelling with. For one thing, you chose each other. No relationship is worth straining over not agreeing on sightseeing options.

The keyword is: Compromise.

When I travelled with good friends abroad for the first time, our excitement was overwhelming. The best part of the experience was finding out that we were a perfect travel buddies blend. As long as one had their sleep, one had been fed, one got a breather, and the last one got coffee, everything was perfect.