Traveling with friends can either be a hit or a miss.
As we get older the family trips tend to get less frequent, which is quite honestly so annoying because they are typically paid for (sorry dad) so in order to be happy I chose to travel as often as I can with friends. I don’t get that much vacation time (only 3 weeks) however I always want to make sure I keep at least 2 of those weeks saved away to go to Naples,Florida to visit my family for Thanksgiving/Christmas since I don’t get to see them that often. Now what do I do with the 5 other days that I have, well, I travel, duh with friends! This summer I have a couple trips lined up with friends, mostly Dana and Allie, and I am so glad we are extending the trips to make them a long weekend. It’s only been 2 years since they basically adopted me into their friendship family (bless up) and we’ve been hitting the road ever since. It’s actually funny because the first time I met Allie we were on our way to the Hamptons for a day trip. We fortunately hit it off (sure would be awkward if they felt differently LOL) and can travel together without a problem. We all get along really well and have the best time together. We definitely lucked out because there are some people where you just can’t travel with and you hear horrible stories where the trip is a total flop and friendships suffer. I decided to round up some tips on how I view trips with friends and how I make them easy as pie.
Ask what everyone wants to do. Before a trip with friends, I ask everyone for one thing they want to do or see during the trip. Since I am a planner at heart and are usually the one planning a trip, I make sure I incorporate what everyone wants to do throughout the trip. You don’t want to be that person who just does things for the sake of your own happiness. Remember it is a group trip and everyone deserves to be happy, heck you even paid for the trip so you better get everything you want out of it!
Each person should have a say on where we eat. This one is important because we all have different budgets. Luckily Allie, Dana, and I are always on the same page when it comes on where to eat. We always like 1/2 treat yo self meals for dinner (we deserve it) but are always down for a meal that includes chicken nuggets or pizza. You don’t want to make reservations at places that are SO expensive and not everyone is on board. It can be uncomfortable to tell that planner that you don’t have the funds for it but don’t be afraid to speak up and don’t be ashamed, they are your friends after all.
Split costs evenly. This is where it can get a little uncomfortable. Usually the best thing to do is split the bill by 4 ways (if you have 4 people) but that isn’t always fair considering everyone gets different food / drinks and everything costs differently. I mean a $5 difference won’t kill anyone but if it is a larger bill, it can. What I typically do is just charge it to my card, save the receipt (itemized and all) and then wait until the trip is over to venmo my friends. Since I’m a crazy Excel-wiz (I’m in business) I make it fair for everyone and do the tip/tax according to what everyone ate/drank. To me, it is fair and highly suggest you make one person responsible for the charges or you can alternate between restaurants.
Put away the phone. I’m guilty of this too, we are addicted to our damn phones. When it comes to eating meals together I always try to put my phone away and enjoy my friends company. It is a time to talk about the trip, catch up, and build more memories.
Go with the flow. Not everything has to be a schedule and remember you are on vacation after all. I would say though definitely have your meals and main activity for the day scheduled to make your life easier but everything else should be a toss up! Go out there and explore with your besties.
Take a break from each other. It is okay to have some alone time especially during a longer trip! It can be a lot to be constantly surrounded by someone and this is usually when the problems start to occur. It is totally fine to go “hey, I’m going to walk to the local coffee shop for a bit but I’ll be back in an hour or so.” No one should be offended and in return, you even get alone time yourself!
Do you like traveling with friends?
Thanks for reading Elle’s Edit. If you have any topics that you would like for me to discuss, feel free to email me at elizabeth.lane.dooley@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you! xo
