Solo travellers often find it hard to enjoy, or even survive, a trip with friends for obvious reasons. And we completely understand – once you taste the freedom of solo travel, you can’t go back easily. But you know what? There are a few ways for you to enjoy a trip with friends if your gang wants you to join so bad! You’re not necessarily a lost cause just because you’re a lone wolf.

6 Ways to Enjoy a Trip With Friends

Choose your friends wisely

Just because you’re best friends doesn’t necessarily mean you can live together, and travelling is just like living together. Travelling can bring out the best in you and can also bring out the worst in you. That’s why when we travel with people, we tend to notice their traits that we cannot live with. 

One of you may be a neat freak, and the other one may be messy. One of you could be an early bird, while the other is a night owl. Maybe one of you likes to stick to the plan and one likes to wing it, and maybe you have completely different travel interests. 

So, before getting too excited about travelling with some of your friends, you’d better make sure first that you’re on the same page. You’re probably wondering how to know for sure. It’s simple; through communication. Just talk to them and see what you both want out of this trip. You can even come up with hypothetical scenarios and discuss what you’d both do. Clear communication is key to guaranteeing a drama-free trip with friends. Also, if you actually sit and plan the trip together, you’ll figure out most of your similarities and differences. 

Be flexible

Don’t be too stubborn, both of you! If you want to enjoy your trip with friends, you’d better ditch the “it’s my way or the highway” mentality. Whether you’re a group or just two, you should all be open to the idea of not having to do EVERYTHING together. 

For instance, if you feel like staying up late partying and your friend is not in the mood or simply isn’t that much of a party animal, they shouldn’t hold you back. They should be okay with you going out without them and you shouldn’t feel guilty for letting them be. You may be a hiker, and your friend who can’t stand the heat may be a shopper. In this case, how about you both do your own thing and meet again over dinner? Trust us, if you’re both that flexible, you’ll save yourselves so much pain.

Learn to compromise

Yes, there has to be room for flexibility, but there also has to be room for compromise. After all, you’ll be travelling for a limited period of time that’s not enough to grant everyone all their wishes. You don’t want to end up doing everything on your own when you’re supposed to be going on a trip with friends. Again, not everything has to be your way.

Choose a destination with a lot of activities

Solo travellers are often people who very much appreciate their alone time. This explains why these people tend to find it hard to be around others for long periods of time. It doesn’t mean they’re introverts – they’re actually social butterflies! But they’re also free spirits who don’t like constraints, which may sometimes come in the form of other human beings. 

That being said, it’s important to choose the destination as wisely as you choose your friends. Nature, for instance, tends to be very tricky, as spending time in the great outdoors may either result in strong bonds or huge fights. That’s why, if it’s your first time travelling together, it’s better to choose a destination with a lot of activities. Having so much to do and so many options will keep you and your friend(s) distracted if trouble ever arises. You’ll also find various ways to release your energy.

Plan everything together

Planning trips is not for everyone, especially group trip planning as each group member has different demands, needs, and interests. However, having everyone involved in the planning process is the teamwork you need as a warm-up for the trip itself. If you can manage to cooperate while planning, you’ll most likely achieve the needed harmony on the trip.

Remember to have fun

Last but not least, don’t forget to smile and make memories even if things don’t go as planned. Remember to have fun because that’s the whole point of the trip!

So, if you’re a solo traveller, do you often travel with friends or do you find it extremely difficult? If the latter describes you best, try out these tips and let us know how it goes. You might also want to check out our article about meeting friends online as a solo traveller too.