Travel Tips
How to Find a Travel Partner You Won’t End Up Hating
What Makes a Good Travel Partner?
You can find a travel partner anywhere—friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, and lovers are all people we may end up calling a travel companion. No need to embark on an elaborate search. Finding a travel buddy just requires knowing about someone’s personality traits and whether or not they vibe well with yours.
Travel Partner Personalities
Personality clashes can make things tough in every day life with everyone we interact with, and especially so while traveling. But if we understand how people’s different personality strengths can contribute to travel roles, we can appreciate each other and make planning efficient. Whether you believe in zodiac sign personality traits or standard categories, here are a few of the most common travel personalities.
The Navigator
It’s true: most modern vehicles are equipped with automated computer guidance but these programs are not infallible. It’s handy to have a human offering directions. The Navigator doesn’t just navigate roads while driving, this is the person who can intuitively figure out city streets and remember which trail you took.
Strengths:
- Good sense of direction
- Takes initiative
Shortcomings:
- Won’t stop and ask for directions
- Backseat driver tendancies
The Planner
The Planner knows exactly where you’re going and when—and how, even. They research before arrival, so they already have an idea of what they’d like to do and see in a destination even if it’s new. They make sure booking information, documents and more are accounted for. This traveler might be a little Type A, but you’ll thank them later.
Strengths:
- Enjoys organizing
- Gets excited seeking out the best things to do and places to eat
Shortcomings:
- Never schedule down time
- Don’t handle change in plans well
The Entertainer
Just like the Billy Joel song, the Entertainer ensures that the road trip itself is exciting and memorable. The entertainer typically controls the road trip playlist, and might also research fascinating stops along the way to stretch your legs. This along-for-the-ride attitude lends itself to unexpected adventures along your trip.
Strengths:
- Up for anything
- Generally positive attitude
Shortcomings:
- Indecisive
- Doesn’t help with any of the planning
Do Romantic Partners Make Good Travel Partners?
That’s a great question. Think of it this way: Traveling together is like relationship boot camp with better scenery. You’ll either emerge with matching passport stamps and stronger bonds, or learn that your partner’s idea of adventure is wearing socks with sandals. But before you scroll ahead to the solo travel section of this article, we have a few tips.
Talk It Out
Communication is the fulcrum of any relationship. Set some ground rules in the early planning stages of your trip. Once you decide where you want to go and when, here are some helpful questions to ask:
- How long do you want to stay?
- What’s our budget?
- What do you want the vibe of the trip to be? (A city break is a lot different than an all-inclusive beach stay.)
- Are there any must-do’s you had in mind for this trip?
Pro Tip: Start small. Don’t make your first vacation together a two week tour of Europe. Take an overnight or weekend road trip somewhere and build from there.
While Traveling
Remember, just like any trip with family, friends, or alone, not everything will go perfectly smooth. Be flexible, be patient. If you get annoyed with each other, remember that you’re on the same team. After all, the point of traveling together is experiencing new things together. And you’re on vacation – this is not the time to fight! Don’t let one snarky moment of immaturity set the tone for your whole trip or ruin all the great things ahead.
Meeting a Travel Partner Along the Way
Even if you’re on a solo trip, don’t rule out the idea of meeting a travel partner along the way. Whether you’re staying in a cheap hostel in the city or on an all-inclusive wellness retreat, you can always meet new people wherever you go that will enrich your travel experience and give you someone to share the memories with.