Solo travel has certainly become a trendy catch phrase and it’s easy to understand why - exhilarating freedom with a chance to explore and meet new people. Talk to travelers who have done it solo and they will tell you it was one of the best experiences of their lives. It’s a great path to self-discovery and reflection. One of the best things about solo travel is that you don’t have to contend with anyone else’s irritating travel habits. But if traveling alone is not for you, another option is to travel with buddies, even if that buddy is just your spouse. 
While raising a family, they are your travel buddies. You know each other’s habits, likes and dislikes. When we traveled, I planned our trips with input from my family, and everyone followed the agenda. Easy-peasy. But as empty-nesters, your travel begins to look a lot different. You will probably travel more frequently, take multi-generational trips with your kids and their families, vacations with other couples, girlfriend getaways, or retreats with the guys. No matter who you’re traveling with, it’s important to be a good travel buddy (at least if you want to be asked to travel again). 
There is no better way to get to know somebody than to travel with them. You will sleep in the same hotels, eat at the same restaurants, and spend the ENTIRE DAY with them sight-seeing, shopping or sunning at the beach. You will make EVERY. SINGLE. DECISION. TOGETHER. You will see people at their best and at their worst. I have been lucky enough to have traveled with some great travel buddies and will travel with them in the future. Although nobody is the perfect traveler, keeping any annoying travel habits in check might ensure a future invitation to travel. Do any of these describe you? 1. You make sure everyone's day revolves around your morning run and trip to Starbucks.
We get it. At home you jog 5 miles every morning then go to Starbucks. That's probably not going to happen on the trip.
2. You are prohibitively stingy or propose huge expenses your travel buddies can’t cover.
One of the best tips I can give for people traveling together is to map out your activities and all expenses ahead of time so that all of the travelers are on the same page and know what the expenses will be. We even go as far as choosing restaurants ahead of time that everyone is comfortable with.
3. You refuse to interact with your travel buddies.
Are you traveling with other people to make memories together or just to fray expenses? Don’t spend the entire trip talking, texting, and playing games on your phone or talking to every stranger you meet but never your travel buddies.
4. You are a Princess/Prince.
Be adventurous and try things other people like to do that you wouldn’t normally do. Traveling with buddies means that sometimes you might have to eat somewhere you wouldn’t normally pick, walk a little more, or do any one of a million things that take you out of your comfort zone.
5. You’re a faffer.
That means you spend a lot of time doing unimportant things. You do this while everyone is getting ready for the day and they end up waiting on you. When you travel with others, always be punctual.
6. You take no part in the Groupthink.
You can’t say, “I don’t care,” then criticize the decision. Not gonna work.
7. You pack a humongous suitcase full of unnecessary stuff.
Now your travel buddies have to sit crammed into a rental car with all of their luggage sitting on their laps while yours rests peacefully in the trunk.
8. You’ve been there-done that.
You have previously traveled to the destination so you describe to your buddies everything they are about to experience or divert away from awesome places or experiences because you’ve “already done that.” Maybe choose a destination no one has been to.
9. You wander off every chance you get.
Stop. Doing. That. No one wants to waste time looking for you.
10. You are a full-on grumpy nightmare.
It’s always too hot, too far, too difficult, too anything. Just calm down, enjoy the trip, and be grateful.
