You know you've found your ideal travel companion when they meet these four qualities (2023)

VAction can be a great opportunity to relax, unwind, and make memories. Butlife-enhancing benefits that travel can provideIt depends on a number of factors, including who is traveling with you. Aside from creating a great itinerary, good company can make a big difference in whether a trip is a success or a failure. That's why your trip will be as relaxing and enjoyable as possible by finding out who your ideal travel companion is.

This is key to identifying the qualities of an ideal travel companion, because the same aspects of a trip that make it remarkable and memorable — unexpected adventures and mishaps, exposure to other cultures and people, and spending time with friends and loved ones — can also lead to it Infriction and tensionin the wrong company. However, knowing your travel soulmate can make the experience fun and memorable.

Because many of your friends may not be your ideal travel companion

Finding someone to travel with is a lot like going on a date, because compatibility is what matters most, says the consultantAlexandra Cromer, LPC.But your ideal partner doesn't have to be someone close to you on a day-to-day basis. In fact, many friendships are not suitable for a travel companion.

If you travel with an unsuitable travel partner, you run the risk of changing your own expectations to meet theirs, which may detract from your own experience.

Think about it: going on vacation means naming all the possible scenarios that could happen, e.g. B. not available during vacation. a lunch or a phone call. Even if you get along with a friend on a day-to-day basis, it may not work so well on a trip. Having constant contact with a partner throughout your journey will expose you more to their habits and weaknesses, creating more opportunities for arguments. And when you travel with an unsuitable travel partner, you risk changing your own expectations to match theirs, which can spoil your own experience.

For example, you might not have a problem with a friend who doesn't adapt well to unexpected circumstances at home (you might not even know about it!). But that quality can cause problems when dealing with all those traveling curveballs, especially courts. "It can be convenient to travel with your best friend," says Cromer. "But the reality is that some people are just inconsistent." She says.

What to look for in a potential travel partner

It might sound counterintuitive, but Cromer says that people who aren't close to you can make great travel companions. You can judge that person without the added pressure and expectations you might have from a close friend, and even someone who isn't as close to you might be better at being upfront about what they want from you, while also respecting your boundaries .

Where do you find these people if not in your closest circle of friends? Cromer suggests checking social media to see if anyone you know seems to enjoy traveling and doing the same things you want to do, and reaching out to local advocacy groups.

For example, Cromer says some of her clients in Richmond, Virginia, who met through a hiking group, had started taking local day trips to Washington, D.C. to do. to explore their shared interest in visiting new cafes. Expanding your community beyond your immediate circle of friends can help you find people who share your interests, which can help you find your ideal travel companion.

It is not necessary that you share the same habits or have the same interests, rather common principles and common beliefs help everyone feel comfortable. Read on to learn about the four qualities of an ideal travel companion.

4 characteristics of an ideal travel companion

1. You are flexible and willing to compromise

Flexibility is an essential characteristic of a good travel companion. Someone who can recover from setbacks -- say, inclement weather leading to a canceled activity -- and adapt to unexpected circumstances will make it easier to deal with the headaches that travel brings.

“When you travel with someone who is flexible, it doesn't matter if they're a designer or not, or if they like to sleep in or not, it means they respect your needs and goals on that journey. "Oneika Raymond, says TV host and travel content creator.

Raymond says that she and her husband, who is her ideal travel partner, have different travel styles (he's a planner while she likes to go with the flow; he's an early riser and an early riser), but they managed to travel more together than 80 countries, adapted to each other's habits and made sure that everyone on the itinerary had something to look forward to.

2. Arrange the finances

Your ideal travel partner doesn't have to have the same financial situation or budget as you, but they do need to have a clear understanding of their individual financial expectations for the trip. To ensure no one falls behind on payments or unexpectedly pays the bill, have an “open and honest dialogue” about all financial aspects of the trip during the planning phase.

It pays to keep as a partner someone who knows what they can and can't do financially and want to work out those details early on to prevent drama and chaos in the actual journey. Before traveling with anyone, especially someone you may not know well, confirm that you are comfortable with the financial details and expectations of the trip.

Go through the details that go beyond how flights, activities and accommodation are paid for. Raymond suggests talking about different scenarios that might arise, such as how bills are split at dinner, what happens when someone overspends during a trip or meal, and what to do when someone's credit card doesn't functions. Use their answers to evaluate whether this travel pairing works.

3. They have the same travel destinations as you

Another sign that you have found an ideal partner is that you expect the same from your journey. It becomes difficult for everyone on a journey to achieve what they want when their goals differ wildly. Someone who wants to spend all their time downtown exploring museums and shops might not be satisfied with the ideal itinerary, while someone who wants to do all the rustic outdoor activities and never spend time in the city might not be . A traveler who is determined to go out every night and hit every club cannot be with someone who would rather do everything else.

A previous self-observation can provide information here.Sahara Rose De Vore, founder of the Travel Coach Network, helps clients maximize their trips by encouraging them to explore what they want out of the experience. "Everyone's personality and their different quirks and expectations come [on the journey], but if they have common ground, they'll be able to make the journey together as partners," he says.

Some of the questions De Vore asks to assess whether people have similar goals include how you want the person to feel after the trip, what the trip means to them, and how it should affect their relationship. "It really defines what you want to make of it," he says. “Do you want to enrich [the relationship], strengthen your bond, understand each other, create lifelong memories, or all of the above?” If you agree with your travel partner on overall goals, you can smooth out any unevenness and are a good indicator for getting along with each other.

4. You are independent

Plan some alone timeRelaxing and recharging is key, and an ideal partner understands and respects that. "Travelling with someone doesn't mean you have to give it your all because that's a really unhealthy way of traveling and it's going to create tension at some point," says Raymond. Someone who can be happy and confident when having fun and spending time alone will also help everyone on the journey achieve their goals.

A good travel partner won't mind if you leave them alone for a while or change your mind about an activity. At the same time, they don't want to pressure you into just doing what they want. "'My Way or the Highway' is a killer trip," adds Raymond.