Meet Sam.
Sam “conquers” destinations on his own. He likes the excitement of navigating public transportation. He acts as his own guide using Google to figure out where he is and what’s around him. He flies by the seat of his pants and if he has a problem, he’ll figure it out (usually). No safety net needed. Sam likes to come home with “war” stories full of adventures.
Now meet Suzie.
Suzie likes to make good use of her time. She enjoys learning about new places by informed local guides who speak Suzie’s language in case she has a question or issue. Suzie likes a well-planned itinerary – with minimal stress and drama. She appreciates having support if she ever has a problem. Suzie likes to come home with happy memories, photos and friendships.
So whose travel style is best?
It depends! Travel is all about what you want it to be. Where do you want to put your money, time, and energy? (And maybe stress…)
If you are planning a Europe trip – you need to think about if you – or your travel buddies – are more like Sam or Suzie. It’s better to have that discussion before you board the plane than arguing on a street corner in Paris because your “dream trip” isn’t turning out like you thought it was going to.
1) Remember you probably both have the same big picture goals… to have a memorable, relaxing European vacation.
2) You may have different travel style preferences and that’s ok!
3) Determine a compromised approach to what you want to accomplish and how you will effectively use your time. Depending on your comfort level, you might want to build some small windows into your schedule to venture out alone and experience things your partner(s) might not want to. (I mean…you know…if your partner is cool with it. We don’t want any drama either!).
Best of luck for a great vacation full of lasting memories!