If you’re someone who loves traveling with other people, then there are a few things to consider in advance: just because someone is your friend in “real life” doesn’t mean you’ll get along with them while you’re traveling. This doesn’t mean you have a bad relationship—it just means that you two aren’t the most compatible travel buddies. With that said, here are a few things to consider before choosing which friends to travel with.
Your Budget
Perhaps the most important thing you’ll need to discuss with potential travel buddies is the amount of money you’ll be spending. This is a huge deal because if your friend wants to shell out big bucks for a hotel and you’re on a tight budget, things could get tense pretty quickly. So before you make any plans, discuss with your friend upfront what your budgets will look like.
Your Travel Goals
As popular as traveling is, not everyone has the same goals when they do it. Some people love to party all night long, while others get a good night’s sleep and wake up early for that awesome mountain hike. Some people love sightseeing, while others enjoy extreme sports such as bungee jumping and ziplining. So in order to avoid conflicts about what you want to do while you’re abroad, discuss that with your friend in advance.
Overall Chemistry
This may seem obvious, but you should also ask yourself how well you gel with this person. They might be fun to hang out with at home, but will they be respectful and understanding of your feelings in a foreign country?
After all, even if your budgets and goals are different, as long as you two have a healthy, respectful relationship, there’s no reason you won’t be able to travel together. So you really need to go with your gut on that one.