Originally Posted by
wanna go now
I'm with the OP here. We're all pretty experienced travelers, so now we check these things out. But when you first travel with a friend, it's hard to know if they are the "everything on schedule" kind of person or the "just let it happen" sort. Even if you talk about it.
My story is about a friend that will not be on time. I had no idea how bad it was until we went to see the polar bears in Manitoba together. She was totally self centered, even alienated the other guests on the tour. She never even noticed how little time we spent together or how little I talked to her. We still keep in touch, but I won't travel with her again.
I tend to agree. OP should have verified plans with the friend, but I certainly get the gist of the fact that the friend was operating on a much more casual basis.
Regardless of who is to blame, it's a decent story and I think that's the point of this thread.
Originally Posted by
Giggleswick
I have my share of travel companion horror stories, but also my share of positive experiences. IME, one thing that makes a difference between the two is the willingness to not be joined at the hip. My best travel companions and I don't necessarily have identical interests, budgets, or timetables, but to some extent those things can be accommodated. We'll often say things like "I'm going off to see X while you do Y, and we'll meet up for dinner," or "If you want to sleep late, go ahead; in the meantime I'll be eating breakfast and going out." I have friends with a much higher food budget than mine who have gone off to a fancy dinner while I've been in my room with a sandwich, which was fine with all of us. Also, when travelling with friends we try to maintain a no-whining rule, and that helps.
Great advice. This is how I travel with friends and family.