Is travel with friends on your radar? How many times have you pondered that idea but it never goes any further than that—a thought. The drive to explore can be overwhelming!
Ideas seldom become action. It isn’t that you don’t WANT to travel with friends to sunny Mexico, or explore with a group of guys in tropical Belize, or enjoy a couples trip to the enchanting Italian countryside.
But something always seems to get in the way. Schedule conflicts. Know-how. YOU know!
We hesitate to make plans, or are overwhelmed with all of the possibilities. Or sometimes more urgent priorities just get in the way.
Shortly after Carol and I got married, one of our friends dubbed her the “tour director.” Why? Because she was always putting groups together to do something fun.
The adventure I remember the most was our travel with friends (15 of them) to the Abacos in the Bahamas.
Even though the weather didn’t exactly cooperate, the trip was a success.
Travel with Friends is Mutually Satisfying
Make shared values and interests top priority.
The primary consideration for a successful journey is to surround yourself with like-minded people. Envision who you want to get ‘up close and personal’ with. Who are the 10-15 people you’d want to spend extensive time engaging in local cultures and scenery? Whether family, friends, or perhaps friends yet to be discovered, you should be comfortable with this group!
These are the people who share your values and interests. They are your “2-in-the-morning” travel friends who will drop everything and come over and help.
For our trip to the Bahamas, we invited four other families in the same season of life. We all had kids and had gone to college together.
More importantly, we invited people who enjoyed the same things we did—being with our kids, adventure and being on the go, and of course great food and having fun.
Set your trip up for success by inviting people you have a lot in common with.
Common interest–-Snorkeling. One of the things we all like to do and one of the highlights of Green Turtle Cay.
Choose a small interest group that connects in multiple ways.
Your circle of friends doesn’t need to include a ton of people–just a few friends you like to hang out with. Putting together a big group can sound overwhelming.
This is not something you should “overthink!” Don’t feel like you have to start with a big group. A small group of travel friends may be more comfortable and manageable.
Go with your gut, and look for a mix of people. Ask another friend, another couple, or a few co-workers. Then see where it goes from there.
One of the couples we invited to Green Turtle Cay asked if they could invite their friends. We’d met them a couple of times and thought, “Sure, why not.” And the core group grew to include people who would later become new friends.
Extend a personal invitation for travel with friends.
People like to be asked. They want to know that you’re not looking to fill up your group numbers but that you want them to be there.
You genuinely enjoy their company and believe they’ll enhance the trip. Nothing communicates that better than a personal invitation.
That invitation can be elaborate or something as simple as calling and saying, “I’m going on a trip to ____. I’d really like you to come along. Here are the details.”
Again, the most important consideration is that it’s a personal, heartfelt invitation.
For our Bahamas trip, we ditched the idea of a traditional invite. The summer before our planned winter vacation, Carol bundled up in winter clothes in front of our fireplace. I filmed her dramatic plea to “please join us in escaping next winter’s cold” and we sent the video invite to each family.
Travel with friends is a group decision.
The bigger your gathering, the more opinions and schedule conflicts enter the mix. So it’s helpful to discuss ahead of time what is important, and what is not. For all parties concerned..
For our Bahamas trip, destination and time of year were our non-negotiables. I’d spent five years in the Bahamas and we’d been there for our honeymoon. We wanted to go back. We also wanted to go in November over Thanksgiving break. What exactly we did when we got there wasn’t as important.
Decide ahead of time what’s most important and make those “musts” clear in your invite. “We’re planning a couples trip to Mexico sometime next summer. It would be great to have you come too.” (Kids won’t be going; dates are somewhat flexible.)
The pay-off for travel with friends.
There are a lot of benefits to traveling with a small group of family, friends, or co-workers. Some of the best are that you spend time with people you enjoy and come away with shared memories and experiences that last forever.
Find your inner circle, spend some fun time brainstorming, and begin the journey of fun and rewarding travel. It may be the start of a trend, and Niteo can make that happen for you.
Interested in a curated experience designed just for you?
Reach out to a tour specialist today!