Traveling with friends…it can be an amazing adventure or your worst nightmare. Just because a person may be your best friend, it does not mean they will be your best traveling companion. Each person has a different vision of their ideal vacation. The trick is to combine both ideas into one fantastic trip.

Establish expectations. If the main goal of your vacation is to lie on the beach and soak up the sun, make sure your friend knows this. They can either join you on the beach or schedule their own excursions. You must also establish financial obligations (i.e. – if you are sharing a hotel room, how will you split the cost?).  Knowing what you each expect beforehand will help defuse any awkward situations.

Make a plan. Create a list of the top attractions you would like to visit. Compare your list with your traveling companion to see how similar they are. Make plans to visit all of the attractions you have in common and then each of you pick two more places from your own lists. After finalizing your list, you can decide if you want to follow an itinerary each day to see the sites or fly by the seat of your pants.

Allow for alone time.  Spending 24-hours together can be a little stressful. We all need a little “me” time at some point. Plan some excursions on your own. You can meet some great new people this way and have some fun stories to share when you meet up later.

Compromise. This vacation will be a group effort and no single person is the decision maker. You must realize that you may have to compromise a little to be considerate of your travel mates and they should do the same for you.

Traveling with your friends will be a memorable experience. Make it a great memory!