Who Should You Travel With? Part 2 of 3: Two for the Road

Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by in Trip Planning

(This is a subject that deserves serious thought. Who you decide to travel with affects your trip experience in many large and small ways. Traveling in a group, traveling in a pair and traveling alone, I’ve done all three and will give you my personal advice over the next week. On Sunday I wrote about why traveling in a group might drive you nuts, today I brag about my best travel buddy.)

I may be the only person in the office without a ring on my finger, but I’ve found someone equally important: My Travel Soul Mate.

I met Liz while I was working in London in 2007. Since then we have traveled to five countries together, including a road trip through Iceland this past June. We compliment each other on very practical levels. I love to plan, and she is happy to roll with my ideas. I have zero aptitude with languages but she speaks four and counting. More importantly, we have a certain intangible chemistry. We just click.

Mr & Mrs Puffin

Creative Commons License photo credit: jack_spellingbacon

In many ways deciding to travel with someone is like deciding to live with someone. Only more intense. With just the two of you against the world you will be spending the greater part of everyday together and probably sleeping within arm’s reach as well. It’s important to make sure you and your friend (or girlfriend, or brother or whatever) are on the same page before you book a single flight. If it turns out your friend wants to eat ramen at the hostel every night and you nice restaurant meals, there are going to be major issues quickly.

Talk about budget concerns.  Talk about your travel style (is Lonely Planet your bible, or do you prefer to wander aimlessly). Talk about the things you like to do on vacation. Think about how you and your friend communicate. Do they speak their mind or stew quietly for hours? How would you resolve a conflict? It’s a pain to go over these things when you are just excited to get moving, but it’s even worse to encounter them unprepared.

Traveling with a friend can be rewarding and fun. Liz and I have had some great adventures and it’s nice to have someone to reminisce with and to plan future trips. As with so much in life, to find your ideal travel soul mate (and they are out there in multiples), it’s important to be honest with yourself about what you are looking for.

On Thursday I will talk about the joys of solo travel…

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9 Responses to “Who Should You Travel With? Part 2 of 3: Two for the Road”

  1. In a Pickle

    05. Mar, 2010

    I was telling my good friend about my dream trip and she announced that she’d love to go with me. I squirmed. I can’t see her being down with staying a hostel… Besides that, she’s a shopper. I’m not. And I want this to be MY trip.
    Egad.

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      05. Mar, 2010

      Yeah I could see you running into some problems there. I think you just need to make your expectations very clear. Honesty sucks sometimes but it usually is best.

      Reply to this comment

  2. RelentlessLogic

    27. Mar, 2010

    I think traveling in a duo is particularly difficult. With 3 or 4 people, there is enough members that people can break off and do their own thing. With 2 you are often stuck, for better or for worse. I find that I often need my alone time to decompress and absorb the day, sights, and information. Also, I tend to be a wanderer and I hate being pushed to do things. Traveling with someone who has to have someone there all the time, or doesn’t cherish the value of quiet reflection is a nightmare. I find that honesty is the best policy, because it’s going to come out eventually, one way or another. Also, it is realizing that intense traveling (like sightseeing, backpacking…not lying on the beach) might not be the best with your significant other if you are different traveler types…That is if you still want to be with them after the trip is over.

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      27. Mar, 2010

      With any configuration it definitely depends on the temperament of the people you’re traveling with. A bigger group can work if the people are all pretty chill, but the herd mentality can sometimes make it hard to do what you want.

      I think they any travel group needs to be chosen with great care.

      Reply to this comment

  3. Andreas

    06. Jun, 2010

    I have my travel soulmate since I was 15, a friend with I started to dream about the around the world trip, but he doesnt come with me I will start alone, and maybe in europe I can find someone who travels with me..

    Reply to this comment

  4. ayngelina

    17. Jun, 2010

    I took a job in the Philippines 10 years ago and ended up living with, and subsequently traveling with another girl. I think it worked because we didn’t know each other at first and so the friendship developed through travel.

    It is the only way I would travel with a friend for more than a week.

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      19. Jun, 2010

      think friends that you meet in the travel context are usually a lot better travel partners.

      Reply to this comment

  5. Bronwyn

    05. Aug, 2010

    In 2008 one of my best friends from my Undergrad and I embarked on a 8 wk central europe tour, and it was amazing. We were very open with what we wanted, and made sure every concern was out in the open. Honesty & Open Communication = Excellent travel partner

    Just recently I went on a 3 wk road trip with my best friend from my post grad… We had travelled together before on smaller trips, and it had gone well… this trip went disastrously, and I’m fairly certain we are no longer friends… What did we lack? Open Honest communication.

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      05. Aug, 2010

      Over and over again it seems that in any kind of relationship communication is absolutely key.

      Reply to this comment

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