When you’re traveling, having a travel buddy to lean on and share the experience can really help relieve stress and enhance the trip. But with the wrong person or the wrong dynamic, stress can actually be increased, so it’s a good idea to prepare when you’re traveling with someone you’ve never traveled with before. Traveling can bring out new sides to someone, but with a little mental prep and flexibility, you’ll have a great time no matter what.
Be Open to Doing Things Separately
Often we feel like we need to do everything every day with our travel buddy. But in fact, different people have different interests and some people need alone time to recharge. If you’re open to spending some time apart, it can relieve possible tension and solve the problem if the two of you want to see different things.
Plan Ahead … and Be Flexible
Talk in advance about exactly what the two of you want to see and when you want to see it. If you have a schedule already set, then you can be sure you’re both getting to see what you want and you won’t need to waste time debating where to go while you’re there. At the same time, be flexible! Be sure you and your buddy both get to do something you like and if things don’t go according to plan, remember that’s okay. Different people have different travel styles, so try to plan extra time into the schedule to keep the pressure down if you or your buddy aren’t the most efficient.
Keep Communication Open
Communication is the key to any healthy relationship, and travel buddies are no exception. Rather than letting issues stew inside, speak up respectfully if something is bothering you and continually check-in that your travel buddy is having a good time too. Let them know they should also feel comfortable bringing up issues with you and that their experience is also important to you.