8 Expert Tips on How to Travel with Virtually Anybody

My wife and I are as close to 100% travel compatible as any couple can be.  From the moment we took our first date in the form of a mini road trip through Las Vegas and Grand Canyon, we both knew that being adventure/action travelers was a great omen of the things to come.

Alas, travel chemistry is not in the cards for many couples, friends and family members.  In fact, if my own travels are any indication, it is quite normal for people who are traveling together to partially or fully clash in the way they approach vacationing.

So, what are you to do when the person who you are traveling with has a different travel style than yours?  Here are some expert tips to help you travel with just about ANYBODY:

Know Thy Travel Companion

The No. 1 rule of traveling with someone is to find out what their travel style is like before you plan or go anywhere.  You’ll want to know if they are a shopper-minded traveler, a rest and relaxation traveler, a beach bum traveler, a thrill-seeking traveler, an exercise traveler, a guided tour traveler, a partying traveler, or any mix of the above.  Most travelers are a combination of these types of travelers but you don’t want to discover that blindly, while you are on vacation, so find out.

Set Expectations Early

Once you know what your travel styles are, then it’s time to keep things real with your travel-mate.  What are the things each of you most want to do, see or accomplish on this trip?  What is sacred and necessary?  What would you both most want to do together?  What can you both do separately, without offending each other?

Be Prepared for the Inevitable Travel Challenges

No matter how small or big your group of travel companions are, it is absolutely critical that you openly discuss how you will approach the inevitable challenges, delays or travel philosophy differences that you are likely to encounter.  I have yet to take one single vacation that goes 100% according to plan, so I’ve learned that when travelers talk openly and respectfully about what they are and aren’t willing to do, it will almost always go smoothly to speak about how you will handle different situations that may take place.

Ask the Tough Questions

Some of the things you should consider discussing are:

• What are your food preferences?
• How do you want to handle sleeping and waking rituals?
• What is your travel budget and what are you willing and unwilling to splurge on?
• If you’re driving, who’s driving when and where and for how long?
• Are you planning to do something on the trip that you haven’t previously discussed with me?
• What is your biggest pet peeves?  (if you don’t already know)

The more specific you can be with these pre-travel questions, the more likely you will be to avoid conflicts.

Have an Honest Talk about Money

A frequent source of travel friction often occurs around money.  Some people like to splurge on hotels or tourist spots while others prefer to save money and avoid the tourist traps and other expenses they view as unnecessary.  Hotels, car rentals and, restaurants are the three items you must absolutely align on with somebody before and during your trip or you could face serious conflicts.

Be Realistic About Time

Even the most compatible travel companions always run out of time to see everything they want to do so when you’re in the process of compromising with your travel mate, make sure you both are negotiating with realistic expectations about how much time or money it will take to accommodate each other’s needs.

Be Open to Traveling Separately 

Even when you have a spouse who is as travel compatible as mine, there are travel days when we just can’t or don’t want to do the same things we had planned to do together.  My energy level is often so high that I am prone to tire my wife and kids and sometimes, I’ve literally left them behind to do a one-day trip or tour that they were too darn tired to see.  My wife and daughters are fond of window shopping on vacation, so on those days it’s not unusual for me to stay behind or pick an itinerary that has nothing to do with shopping.

Plan One Big Experience Together

Even the most incompatible travelers are bound to find enough common ground to experience one great, big thing to the fullest together.  In my years of traveling with all sorts of companions and family members, I don’t think I’ve ever traveled with somebody who I couldn’t plan at least one cool thing with.  The best time to plan these quality experiences can be in the very beginning or at the very end of your trip.