The person you share your adventures with can either make or break a trip, leaving you with fantastic memories or a friendship in tatters. This makes finding the perfect travel companion important and it may not be one of the first people that come to mind. Follow these tips and you’ll avoid spending your well-earned time away with the wrong person.
Shared expectations
No matter how well you get on in everyday life, spending a lot of time travelling with another person can lead to all sorts of issues. One of the most vital things to look for in a holiday companion is somebody who wants to get the same thing out of a trip. There is no point going on a beach break with a culture vulture who can’t sit still or an adrenaline-filled sports break with a beach bum. Match the holiday to the interests and you’ll be off to a good start.
Independence
Choosing to travel with someone does not mean you are signing up to spend 24/7 with them and not having some time apart can be disastrous. Choose a companion who has a certain amount of confidence and will be happy to go off and do their own thing occasionally, as well as spending time with you. If your friend has never been to the type of country you are travelling to before, there is a chance they could feel insecure and needy, so address this beforehand if you are the more experienced party.
Similar values
It is amazing how travelling can bring a side out of people that you have never seen before – good and bad. If you share similar values to begin with, this shouldn’t be too much of a shock once you are away. This goes for attitudes to new places and cultures, the pace at which they like to do things and their priorities. Some people require an hour to do their hair each morning, which is only a problem if they are travelling with another person who gets ready in 15 minutes and is itching to leave the hotel.
The same budget
One of the most divisive issues when travelling as it is in life is money and if one companion has significantly more than the other, this can lead to issues. Having totally different budgets will mean being able to do things in opposing ways and can be very inharmonious. More money does not necessarily mean better, but if someone can’t afford to do activities or stay in certain places, this can lead to resentment not just for them, but also the person with a bigger budget. Awkward!
Communication
People who keep everything in can be the worst travel companions, as it is easy for the other friend to believe everything is fine until they suddenly explode. Easy communication between the two of you is important, especially if a quick decision needs to be made on the road. There is not always the time for the niceties of holding back when travelling, so it is good if you can both be comfortable about saying what you really feel to each other.
Don’t jump in at the deep end
Finding a good travel companion can be a slow process and it is best not to book a three-month long multi-centre holiday with them for your first adventure together. Try a weekend away with other people first and see how you get on, then perhaps a week just the two of you. If there are any alarm bells during these trips, consider how the situation might play out over a longer time and in a destination much further away from home.
Nadine is one of the directors of eShores. She left school at 16 and went straight in to a travel agency. Over the 30+ years she has worked in various sectors of the industry and has also worked as an overseas representative in both summer and ski resorts. She has also travelled to many countries from Europe to the Far East and USA.
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Mark
I have just booked three destination Greek holiday through E shores( Rachael) and can’t fault their approach and helpfulness . I amended my plans half way through but by the end we had successfully booked the three hotels I requested and organised ferry transfers . My input was minimal and all the work was carried out by Rachael Very satisfied with everything from start to finish Mark
Posted 2 days ago
Rashid
Excellent service from Emily, she handled my enquiry from start to finish. Once i had made payment, she still kept in touch which shows great customer service.
Posted 2 days ago
Judith
I have used this form a couple of times and they are excellent. Helpful staff and cost effective prices. Recommended
Posted 4 days ago
Jeanette
Fantastic service once again from Dave Felton and the team at e-shores. All flights, transfers and hotels booked. Looking forward to Bali and Lombok Excellent knowledge, advice and customer care from the team, I would definitely recommend booking any holiday with e-shores✈️😎🌴
Posted 6 days ago
Sandra
Fantastic service, another trip organised through eShores. Nothing was too much trouble.
Posted 6 days ago
Lance
as always Eshores come up trumps, fantastic customer service with fantastic prices. Matthew our travel guru always sorts our trips,nothing is too much trouble .I have used E-Shores for 6 of our long haul trips ,manages to sort all connections,hotels and car hire to a sensible budget and always communicates . 5 star plus,give them a try you will not be dissapointed.
Posted 6 days ago
NicholasDavid
Just booked our 3rd holiday with e-shores, yet again a full professional service and insight to the destinations we wanted to visit- no pressurised selling, and if we kept wanting our itinerary changed - Nick Chadwick didn’t mind at all. Easy to deal nothing to much trouble, also arrange everything to the last detail, no way would we contemplate a holiday to Chile, Argentina and Dominion Republic without eShores - thank u
Posted 1 week ago
Wendy
We have recently been on an amazing 3 week holiday to Kuala Lumpur, Borneo and Singapore arranged by Hannah at eshores. Everything went smoothly and we had the perfect holiday. We loved our multi centre trip so much we have booked with Hannah to go to South America. Again the service and support is great and so easy to make tweaks to our itinerary. Looking forward to what I'm sure will be another great holiday. I would definitely recommend eshores.
Posted 1 week ago
Deborah
We just booked our first trip with Nick from eshores and will be heading to Vietnam next April. Nick was very patient and professional. He listened to what we wanted and made changes to package where requested. Nick was very knowledgeable and made the process very easy.
Posted 1 week ago
SusanMary
During the booking process, Dave has been brilliant, always very quick to respond and answered all of my very many questions. Our travel is not till next year but, if our tour goes as well as our experience to date, it will be fantastic.
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