Travelling with friends can be a great experience, not least because it usually cuts the cost of your accommodation in half. You can come back closer than ever, with lots of memories to share and take with you for the rest of your lives. But…
Well, there is an ongoing problem that we are aware of if you’ve seen the right TikTok trend. Friends go away on holiday, something bad happens, and the next thing you know someone’s catching an early flight, or sleeping on the floor or otherwise shunning the rest. People can fall out on holiday.
Is it the heat? Is it the fact that you’re spending more time one-to-one with someone you’ve never spent that much time with? Is it the stresses of looking after yourself and each other without an adult for the first time? Well, it can be a complication. If you don’t address these things before you leave going on holiday can feel just as stressful as exam week.
So, how do you avoid it? By talking of course. Take a look at our list of things you should maybe bring up before going on holiday with a friend.
What you’re getting out of it
This one usually naturally occurs when talking about a holiday, because people get excited. But if you’re listening to your friend talk about what they want to do on holiday and it’s not matching what your idea of a holiday is, don’t ignore it. If your idea of a holiday is to relax solidly for a week while theirs is to hit every cultural landmark in a 10mile radius, you’ve got two different trips in mind. This is the fundamental point of going on holiday and if you both have different ideas of what makes a holiday, someone is going to have to compromise maybe too far.
Sleeping arrangements
Twin rooms exist for a reason. As much as you might like the idea of a week-long slumber party, you’ll regret that when you realise the lowered drinking age and suddenly the morning light feels like a laser on your head and there’s someone with a knee in your back snoring next to you. Even without a hangover people need space, and there’s always someone in the dynamic trying to re-enact the starfish they saw at the aquarium. Twin beds can help you avoid fights/a bruise when you push your friend out.
Travel insurance
Sure, the parents say you’ll look after each other, but the freedom of going on holiday with friends allows for a lot of mistakes to be made. No rules mean lots of fun. But if you’ve got no rules at least have cover. If you dive into a pool that has a clear “no diving” sign, you’ll need insurance to cover your medical bills. If you lose your baggage, travel insurance will cover you so you’re not wearing your airport outfit all week. If your holiday is cancelled or cut short, your insurance should cover you. There is a lot of reasons to buy travel insurance and they’re usually to protect against very common issues, providers like Staysure offer a range of holiday cover so you should be able to an affordable option that can cover any eventuality you face.
The budget
Look, even if you are on the same paygrade, have the same income, same support, same savings, etc. everyone has a different idea of what is worth it. Set out a budget and do some research on how much things are going to cost where you are so that no one feels like the cheapskate that can’t afford the good hotel or the scuba lesson. Suggest but don’t pressure.
Make sure you get some alone time
The easiest way to avoid falling out with your friends forever is to accept that you don’t have to be with them for every minute of every day. If you’re in the same hotel room it’s likely that you won’t even get some downtime to yourself, so make a point of going for a wander yourself once in a while. Make sure you tell them where you’re going and when you expect to be back but get some time to yourself.
Article by Born Realist