The four of you were successful with that brief four-day road trip to Chicago. Everyone got along and walked away with fond memories.

Now the four of you are talking about traveling to Europe for up to a month backpacking. Everyone is excited and can’t wait.

For one of the friends, it will be the first time traveling somewhere other than her cabin. The second friend has traveled to China every year with her family ever since she was a kid, but nowhere else.

The third friend has a list of countries longer than her job resume. She has been a solo traveler and loves it.

The fourth friend has traveled the United States going on road trips with her family every summer.

With the diverse mix of traveling experiences, is this adventure a warning of disaster?

No, it doesn’t have to be. The journey of getting there will make the trip memorable.

Scheduling a pre-trip travel meeting over happy hour ensures everyone knows they can freely voice their opinions.

Pre-Trip Questions to Ask

1. What does each person expect to get from this trip together?

2. Is this trip going to be a regimented schedule or a fly by the seat of your pants plan?

3. What are the places that are a MUST see for each person?

4. How will we divide up travel expenses, lodging, and food?

5. Do we want to leave the transportation up to someone else or take turns driving a rental car?

6. Are we ok with splitting up for the day to explore on our own and meet up again?

7. Is there flexibility to make changes to the plan?

8. If there is a disagreement, how is the group going to deal with it?

9. Do we even need to have a conversation about this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vsJm-Hm50k

Learning how to travel with friends by understanding everyone’s expectations can avoid unnecessary arguments.

The focus of creating new vacation memories will flourish, guaranteeing there will be many trips to come and stay friends. 

Once travel planning has occurred, next challenge is deciding what to pack.

Check out my post on minimalist packing, 21 Carry-On Bag Essentials for Air Travel to Any Destination.