Travelling solo may bring up anxiety within yourself from being alone in foreign place. However, it doesn’t mean travelling with companions will make yourself free from potential stress and hassle. Travel companions are varied from romantic partner, friends, families, spouse, etc. Travel with companions can also lead to some level of stress. You see, you think of yourself when you travel solo. You only need to expect things for your own good. Meanwhile, travelling with companions means there are more than one need and expectation. You and your companions must have different needs, preference and style no matter how similar you think you are with them.
Reducing travel stress caused by travel companions
Travelling with companions sound really fun because you can share happiness and joy with people you like in your life. There must lots of moments you can save in your memory for a very long time. However, it is not all rainbow and sunshine. It may be easier if you travel with one companion. However, the case will be much different when your travel companions are in group. This can cause some travel stress before and during the trip. Here are some tips to manage it:
- Plan everything ahead of time. Make sure to make the plan long before the D-day so that you can plan everything thoroughly without a rush. This way, every one of your group will be able to think rationally. You need to ask everyone in the group of what kind of vacation they really want. Even if your companions are teens or kids, do not skip them. Let them give their own opinions and ideas.
- If you are going to travel in group, making decision will be much harder. If this happens, you can just take votes. Or, you can firstly vote for a leader. So that he or she will be appointed to make final decision if it is too hard to take together. It is important to respect everyone. Do not patronize anyone even if you feel like you know the best.
- To avoid confrontation and unnecessary fights, be willing to compromise when necessary. Compromise will be more needed during the trip because no matter how well you planned, sometimes things don’t go accordingly. If it is hard to make win-win solution, you can just split up at times. This is another way of compromise.
- If the conflict happens and seems to be inevitable during your trip, try to think logically and don’t take everything into your hearts. During travel, it is easily to get worked up and end up being too stress to think straight. Instead of raising voice and throwing hurtful words to each other, try to find out the cause of the conflict.
- Try to make the most of the trip together because sometime travelling with companions is not about the destination but about the moments you can share together. Those are more memorable and unforgettable not because of the attraction but because of who you are with at that time.