How To » Travel With Your Best Friend

My best friend, Stacey, is one of my favorite travel partners and after a slew of successful international and domestic trips under our belts including the massive 101 days in Southeast Asia! So, I thought I would share our wisdom that we’ve gained while traveling across ten countries on four continents with 7 tips on how to travel with your best friend!

⋙ C O M P R O M I S E ⋘ 

You have to remember that there are two, unique people, traveling together, therefore the things each of you want to do won’t always line up perfectly. However, you have to remember that the trip isn’t just yours- be sure to do what the other person wants to do! It’s all about the give and take!

⋙ C O M M U N I C A T E ⋘

Having an issue? Not feeling well? Frustrated? Over the moon excited about something? Communicate these feelings! Nothing can make or break a trip more than communication. If you’re not at the top of your game one day, that’s fine, we all have those days, but be sure to let the other person know so they aren’t caught off-guard by a snippy comment, a meltdown or anything else that could possibly happen. I also think it’s important to communicate the excitement because it will just fuel the mood and keep each other in high travel spirits!

⋙ E N C O U R A G E   E A C H   O T H E R ⋘

Sometimes traveling isn’t a walk in the park. When Stacey and I did the Inca Trail last fall I depended on encouragement from time to time because there were moments that were more difficult than I expected, and I also tried really hard to encourage her as well. Not only is encouragement important on the physically difficult moments, but sometimes even the simple things like encouraging each other to take that bite of guinea pig or to go ahead and splurge on that museum are just the thing you need to enhance that trip!

⋙ E X P E R I E N C E   T H I N G S   T O G E T H E R ⋘

Experiencing new things is one of the many beauties of travel, and I think that actually sharing the joy of new experiences is so important! Be sure to take part in those new experiences and include your best friend! It’s great to be sure to really take the time to grasp on to those moments together and be a team!

⋙ T A K E   P L E N T Y   O F   M E – T I M E ⋘

While compromise is important, it’s also important to remember that sometimes you need alone time. And guess what? That’s totally fine! Sometimes you just need a moment to regain composure, clear your head and recharge. Just remember to communicate, and be understanding if your bestie needs some time to his/herself. Me-time is very important!

⋙ S H A R E   T H E   L O A D ⋘

If you’re traveling with your best friend then you know their limits and/or their weaknesses, and if it’s something you can help with be sure to help them out. It’s all about being supportive!

⋙ C E L E B R A T E   V I C T O R I E S ⋘

Alongside sharing the load, I think it’s important to celebrate the victories! Did you totally conquer a hike together? Score a hostel or flight for next-to-nothing? Have an awesome day touring something or bottle-feeding a lion? Celebrate that stuff! Be in the moment and love the experiences you’re sharing!

When I told Stacey about this post she added four bonus tips just for you guys!

⋙ D O N ‘ T   N I C K L E  &  D I M E   I T ⋘

Stacey brought up a really great point. Don’t freak out about things being perfectly even because it will essentially even out in the end, and you’d just drive yourself crazy keeping track of every penny you each spend.

⋙ T R U S T   I N   T H E I R   S T R E N G T H S⋘

Stacey and I have figured out what we’re good at, and we have learned to embrace these things about each other. Stacey is better with money, making reservations and many other things, while I am good at planning, researching, negotiating and such. We have learned to let each other take the driver’s seat on these things!

⋙ T A K E   C A N D I D   P H O T O S ⋘

We all love those photos of us doing really awesome things. 9 times out of 10 the photos I love most are the ones that are truly in-the-moment, and taking these photos is something that you should do as a travel partner!

⋙ S P L I T   F O O D ⋘

This is great for a few different reasons- you save money, you get to try a couple different things, and you don’t overeat! It’s a perfect system!

Thanks, Stacey, for being an awesome best friend to travel with, and for adding those four extra tips!  What tips do you guys have for traveling with your best friend? What mistakes have you made?

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