The Characteristics Of A Good Travel Companion

Going on a trip is a wonderful experience in almost all circumstances. You can travel alone or in company, with or without money, near or far. Because when you go on a trip, you break your routine and gain new experiences. It’s like putting your heart in “adventure mode”. Travel is stimulating and has many benefits. And having a good travel companion can make your trip even better.

When you think of your ideal trip, isn’t it always better that you can share it with someone? Because a travel companion provides more options. They offer you the chance to immediately share your discoveries and impressions of everything you visit.

But you can’t just go on a trip with everyone and expect a pleasant trip. Because some traveling companions are a nightmare. They are capable of ruining potentially incredible moments. Others enrich your experience. So how can you recognize a good travel companion? In this article we give you five tips that can help you.

A good travel companion is supportive

The word “companion” implicitly contains the idea of ​​solidarity and support. “To accompany” means to be there for the other person. You are empathetic and receptive to how the other person is and how they act. Moreover, you are willing to help and gladly put your personal interests aside so that you can help the other person.

A supportive travel companion does more than make your trip enjoyable. They increase your confidence and make it easy for you to be adventurous and discover new things. In addition, a good traveling companion is a valuable support when things get difficult. A selfish travel companion, on the other hand, will let you down.

Flexibility and independence, characteristics of a good travel companion

When you travel to a new and unknown place, you will be faced with surprises. For example, you have planned to go to the beach. But it’s a cloudy day. Besides, it’s starting to rain and it doesn’t look like it will stop. So you have to change your plans. Or maybe you find something more interesting to do that wasn’t part of your plans. If your travel companion is not flexible, you may not agree on those changes.

No one wants to be someone else’s babysitter. That is why it is also important that your travel companion is independent. Because traveling together doesn’t mean you have to do everything together. If your companion is independent and adaptable, this can lessen the burden on your shoulders.

You must have a similar budget

Unless you have extra cash for all expenses, we recommend traveling with someone who has a similar budget. Because otherwise it can lead to conflicts. Or one person has to sacrifice things for the other. That’s not always fun.

The ideal situation is that you are able to share the costs and split everything evenly. Unless, of course, you have another agreement. Nor should it be an exact calculated equal distribution. But it is a healthy way for both people to bear the costs in a fair way. Before you go on a trip, it is good that you are both on the same wavelength.

Same interests or at least no opposing interests

This is really important if you want everything to run as it should. By this we mean, of course, that everything runs smoothly! What you like or what interests you should be the same. If these things are not equal, make sure that they are not completely opposite. Otherwise, the journey could turn into a nightmare for one or both of you.

Because when the way of life and the interests are very different, there will be tension and conflict every day. As much as you try to adapt to what the other person likes or dislikes, you will eventually get tired of it. You don’t have to agree on every little thing. But it’s also important that you don’t have a conflict about everything.

You must have a similar energy and rhythm

Sometimes traveling companions do not have the same expectations about the pace of the journey. Because some people like to sleep in and not make too many plans. Others want to take advantage of every moment, even if they get tired or don’t get much sleep.

It is therefore important that you and your travel companion agree on the daily schedule. Forcing another person to be more active or passive can become very uncomfortable. You also need to know how tired you get from traveling. So it’s good if your traveling companion has the same rhythm. That way you complement each other. You support each other instead of clashing with each other.

We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. There is no such thing as the perfect travel companion. Or you won’t find it anyway if you’re not patient now and then. There will always be something you disagree with. But if you discuss the points in this article with your travel companion before you leave, you can ensure that you are on the same page and enjoy the trip. If you are too different, it might be better to travel alone. You can also look for people who are more “compatible” and travel with them.