Traveling with friends: pros and cons

It's best to go on a trip with someone. With family, friends, or random like-minded fellow travelers. With them, you can share impressions, take lots of photos, and dare to do crazy things that you definitely wouldn't do alone.

But there is always a risk that a joint trip will turn into a quarrel, and you will return from the trip as enemies. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of a joint vacation with friends.

The benefits of traveling together

Saving on accommodation. It is quite difficult for a single traveler to find a comfortable and inexpensive room for one person. Most hotel offers are designed for at least two people. If there are two of you or you are traveling in a large group, you can check into a hostel, which will cost you 3 times less than a hotel room. A great example is the "Logovo" hostel in Odessa, where a place costs from 120 UAH per day (you can see prices and living conditions at the link: https://logovo-hostel.com/ ). Discounts are possible for group check-ins.

There is always someone to help. If you have health problems on the road, don’t have enough money, something is stolen or you lose a valuable thing, there will be a friend nearby who will not leave you in trouble and will help. This is an important aspect, especially if you are traveling to another country or going on an extreme trip.

You can judge what is happening and share your impressions. A solo traveler can do this through their Instagram or personal blog, but it is much more pleasant when there is a companion nearby who experiences the same thing as you. Imagine going to an amusement park or a water park alone - it doesn't sound so good, right? But with friends in such places it will be maximum fun and not boring.

You will have many photos of you (and these are not selfies). There is one significant and banal disadvantage of a solo vacation - there will be no one to take your photo. Yes, you can ask random passersby to do this a couple of times or set the camera on a timer and move away, but it is much easier and more convenient if your companion does it. You will take photos of each other at every interesting building, monument or flowerbed. Hundreds of photos in different poses, and not just images of streets and tourist locations.

There is someone to look after your things on the beach. When you go swimming, you don’t need to worry about the safety of your things and think about where to leave them. Not all beaches have storage lockers, so it is better for a solo traveler not to take large sums of money, a phone or photographic equipment with you. Or take them, but do not take your eyes off the shore. If you have a friend, he can sit on the shore while you swim.

Cons

You will have to agree on all the details of the trip, argue and compromise. No trip can be organized without this. You need to agree on literally everything: how and what you will travel on, where you will live, what you will eat, how you will have fun, etc. At this stage, quarrels often arise.

You will have to adapt to someone else's daily routine and habits. Your companion may like nightlife, but you don't. Order red fish, which you are allergic to. Laugh loudly in a museum or talk constantly, when all you want is silence and sleep. You may see a side of your friend that you would never have seen before, because you always met only at a time convenient for both, and did not spend time together 24/7.

You won't feel completely independent. Only on a solo trip can you really develop new skills and experience completely new sensations. And if someone is nearby, you will always rely on them, even if it's invisible to yourself.