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The Etiquette of Traveling with Friends

13 Mar 2023 By: Diane Gottsman

For those planning an upcoming spring or summer travel adventure – whether it be taking a trip with a group of friends or driving a few miles down the road for a weekend with your roommates – making lasting memories is the ultimate goal. If you prefer traveling with friends, you are in good company. A recent poll found close to 80 percent of respondents believe travel is more fun when shared with a friend or partner. Truthfully, sharing space, time and money comes with some anxiety if not handled properly. Here are a few etiquette tips to help you pull off traveling with friends.

etiquette of traveling with friends | Friends having a great time in cafe . Girls smiling and drinking juice and enjoying together.

The Etiquette of Traveling with Friends

Ask Questions Before You Hit the Road

Knowing personal preferences such as your travel mates’ choice for an aisle or window seat, double beds or separate rooms, fine dining or local street fare, museums or live music, and the list goes on. You don’t have to agree on everything—there is room for compromise once you know what to expect.

Money Matters

Everyone has different budgets, and a clear picture of what your travel companion hopes to experience and how the bills will be divided is an absolute must before you take flight. Your finances may dictate spending more time on the beach while your friend or friends may want to take multiple excursions, buy hard-to-get theater tickets and power shop their days away.

Discuss how meals, hotels and transportation will be split, as well as what everyone hopes to accomplish once they get to their destination. It’s fine to offer to pick up the tab on a particular meal, but don’t expect reciprocity if you treat your travel mates at a fancy restaurant you have been longing to try.

Schedule Separate Excursions and Solo Tours

Geoffrey Morrison for Forbes.com writes, “Just because you’re traveling together, doesn’t mean you need to do everything together.” It should not feel awkward to take a few hours or an entire day to wander or enjoy time alone or with other friends you may know in a particular city. If you have friends or family you would like to visit by yourself, let your travel partners know early so they can make other plans.

Agree to Always Have a Designated Driver or Navigator

Vacation mode often means signature cocktails at a local bar or visits to several hot spots in one night. Make sure there is one person who can make solid decisions and get you back to the hotel without confusion.

Friends taking a selfie at a viewpoint in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Carry Cash and a Reliable Credit Card

Now is not the time to use a credit card you haven’t reached for in a while. Let the credit card company know you will be traveling so they don’t flag purchases as potential fraud. Don’t forget to carry small bills for gratuity.

Avoid the Need to Borrow from Your Friend

We have all gotten to the airport or hotel and realized we forgot our charger, toothpaste, contact solution, raincoat or warm sweater at home. Asking a friend to borrow their technology, or clothing is frustrating and sets the trip off on the wrong foot. I was recently traveling with a friend who didn’t pack any warm-weather tops and t-shirts. Instead of asking to borrow mine, she went out and bought a few inexpensive tops to hold her over on the short trip. I offered to let her borrow a few of mine and she politely refused. I would have been happy to do it, but I also appreciated that she found a solution quickly and with grace.

Settle Up Before You Say Goodbye

Don’t allow outstanding bills to linger. Pay up immediately – hotel, rental car and any miscellaneous expenses. It’s not uncommon to forget what you owe someone once the trip is behind you, and settling up immediately ends the trip on a positive note.

For more information about working with Diane, America’s “Go to” social and professional (manners) skills authority, please visit The Protocol School of Texas. 

You may also like Taking a Tech Break: How to Unplug on Vacation. See what Diane is up to by following her on Instagram and Facebook. Find etiquette inspiration on her Pinterest account and keep up with her latest tweets. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, refer to her posts on Inc. and HuffPost.

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.