I’ve always been told that traveling with a friend for the first time will either make or break your friendship. While this may be a bit of an exaggeration (…or in some cases not), I have come up with some suggestions for anyone looking to take the plunge and travel with a friend!
(These suggestions are 100% based on personal experience).
TO DO
Recognize when you are actually annoyed or just hangry (usually I’m just hangry)
Buy snacks to stave off said state of ‘hangriness’
Discuss itineraries the night before and prioritize together – that way you know what to expect and won’t miss the most important things if something goes wrong
Take cute pictures of each other (it’s great to have someone to return the favour)
Figure out a good way to split/transfer costs and have a conversation about it beforehand (Venmo is awesome!)
Discuss budget constraints ahead of time – nothing causes more stress than money and operating on different budgets (consider setting a ballpark meal cost per day)
Build in downtime where you don’t have to be together the whole time (reading, relaxing, etc.)
Consider building in a ‘luxury’ night where you rent a private room instead of a group room hostel – sometimes bad attitudes come out of not having regular life luxuries
Don’t deny the benefits of a selfie stick
Be flexible! One of you will be late getting ready for one thing and another will be late for another – temper your annoyance knowing you’ll do it too
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Blaming the other person for anything (it’ll be your fault next time)
Feeling like you need to be together 24/7 (exploring on your own is fun and can be a good way to get personal space)!
Skipping meals to see more (see above on hangriness – even if it’s just a snack to keep you going, make the time)
Being on your phone too much (I can be guilty of this too but you’ll see so much and have so many more interesting conversations if you put your phone away)
Holding a grudge (will you really enjoy your trip if you’re still thinking about that one thing they did five days ago?)
And as a bonus…. TRAVEL FRIENDS ARE GREAT BECAUSE…
There will always be someone to watch your stuff when you need to pee
You won’t go crazy talking to yourself
Good company plain and simple
Plenty of “candid” photos to choose from (do it for the Instagram-aesthetic!)
An added sense of security (especially as a female-traveler)
You can try more things (“Hey, wanna split x and y for dinner and then try z for dessert?”)
If you see a cute boy you have someone to point him out to / discuss with
If you manage to make it through OK, you will be friends for life
FRIENDSHIP XOXO
“Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures…” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
“I have found that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain
A little less than two weeks ago, my friend Haley and I made a spur of the moment decision to spend two weeks traveling together. I’d mentioned that I wanted to visit Spain (a country where I speak the language, finally!) and wanted a travel buddy. Although traveling with someone you’ve only known for 2 months is pretty ambitious, we were excited to get going; besides, having a travel buddy means having a built-in photo taker! Pretty soon, we were booking tickets to France and Spain for the following week!
We began our journey with a 3-night stay in Nice – the heart of the French Riviera. Getting off the plane and walking into the heart of Nice, I was blown away. Everywhere I looked I was bombarded with pastel-coloured buildings, palm trees and posh people. The balmy 20 degree weather (it didn’t last) and the backdrop of beautiful beach coastline didn’t hurt either.
To be completely honest, France has never been at the forefront of my travel bucket-list but when Haley and I were making travel plans, I thought it might be fun and asked my cousin for suggestions…I’m so glad that I did!
“See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask for no guarantees, ask for no security.” – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Nice
Nice
Nice
After spending almost a week in the French Riviera and in Provence, I can easily understand why this part of the world was so beloved by some of the most influential talents in the world. The fact that people like the Fitzgeralds or Picasso summered here makes it even more appealing.
Not only is this part of France absolutely beautiful, the food is fantastic and the people are relaxed and friendly. At this time of year – the off season – nothing was crowded and we were able to meet the pace of the other (largely retiree-age) travelers. At one point we were asked “Are you 21 or 81?” but honestly it was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city and just relax by the water.
Although we were traveling in the off-season, I actually enjoyed it! Some stores and restaurants were closed but all the cities we visited still had a fair number of people and I can’t imagine having to deal with the crowds during the late summer (their high season). Despite having to deal with thunderstorms and torrential downpours on certain days, we also got to experience 20 degree weather in October which would be unprecedented in Denmark.
Nice
Avignon
Pont d’Avignon
I’m still alive and still walking around with a camera attached to my neck – here are some overall thoughts about Southern France as well as each city we visited:
Sweet:
– The colour! The pastels everywhere were so romantic.
– The French people! They get such a bad rap among other Europeans but Haley and I found it so refreshing how many French people engaged us in conversation despite their limited handle on English.
– A lot of museums were free or had discounts for students!
– One we got to the cities, it was very easy to travel everywhere by foot.
Salty:
– In many museums, public transit, signs, etc. everything was written in French.
– The French we encountered spoke English much less fluently than I thought they would. They try so hard anyway though that I loved them all the more for it.
– A local baker told us that the area was famous for having 300 days of sun each year but we got a fair share of the rainy days (thunderstorms and downpours!) during our stay
Nice
Overall impression: Nice
– The pastels!!!The intricate balconies!!! I basically walked around with my jaw open and my head staring up at the buildings around me
– Very slow-paced even though it was the biggest city we visited (besides Cannes)
– Love love loved the MOMAC museum – especially the current exhibitions!
Overall impression: Antibes
– Felt like walking into a fairy tale (the old town) or a Fitzgerald novel (because, duh)
– The locals were so fantastic!
– The yachts though…one was so large we thought it was a building at first
– Looking out over the ocean and seeing a mountain skyline breathed life back into me
Overall impression: Avignon
– This felt like the oldest city out of all the ones we visited
– The Papal Palace reminded me of my childhood vision of what a palace should be
– Everything was very concentrated around the palace but it was so interesting to learn about how Avignon evolved through the Great Schism, the Revolution and other historical events (awesome for history buffs like moi)
Itinerary:
Nice Old Town Promenade des Anglais – originally built for the wealthy English Place Masséna – main city square
– Marche Aux Fleurs Cours Saleya – flower & artist market St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral – Russian cathedral Avenue Jean Médecin – main shopping street
– MOMAC – Museum of Modern Art and Contemporary Art Basilique Notre Dame – cathedral Musée Matisse+ Roman Ruins
Antibes Vieille Ville – Old Town
Waterfront, Port – essentially luxury-yacht-central
Le Nomade – really cool sculpture on waterfront
–
Marche Provencal – local farmer’s market Picasso Museum – incredible collection donated by Picasso and his family Cannes – as in the film festival; day trip with dinner on the beach
Avignon
Old town
– Palais des Papes – palace for French popes during Great Schism Jardin du Rocher des Domes – palace gardens Pont Saint-Benezet (Pont d’Avignon) – famous bridge featured in French nursery rhyme Notre Dame des Doms d’Avignon – Avignon cathedral, adjacent to palace
– Avignon Les Halles – local market
Stockholm was one of the cities I’ve been most looking forward to visiting since arriving in Europe.
More than anything, I was looking forward to spending time with my friends Megan (on exchange in Stockholm) and Nicolle (meeting us from exchange in Vienna). While I’ve made some incredible friends in Copenhagen already, I’ve definitely missed my friends from home and getting to see them helped a little with the homesickness. Walking around, going on day trips, chatting about boys, going shopping, enjoying coffee in the cutest little cafes… part of me felt like I was right back in Vancouver.
What I didn’t expect was how much being in Stockholm satisfied other aspects of homesickness. While the city looks nothing like home – filled with picturesque, multicolored buildings that are centuries old – there were certain elements that reminded me of the Pacific Northwest:
– Trees everywhere you go and along the coastlines (apparently Sweden is 80% forest!)
– Great food (I had sushi for the first time since coming to Europe and it satisfied my deepest cravings)
– Beautiful coastline almost everywhere you look! (Stockholm is surrounded by an archipelago of islands and is itself a group of 14 islands).
– Super-fit people walking and running everywhere
– Parks all around the city
I often hear Copenhagen and Stockholm compared but I actually found them to be pretty different. Stockholm’s population was much more diverse in comparison and the city seemed to have much more of an Eastern European influence – in architecture, colour, food, etc. There were fewer bikes than in Copenhagen and the people in Stockholm seemed to really take a relaxed approach at life (supposedly maternity leave is almost 2 years!).
I had the most wonderful time in Stockholm and the city was especially charming because I spent my time with Nicolle and Megan. Megan was the most amazing host – showing us the cutest cafes and expertly navigating the winding streets. I can’t wait to return the favour when both Megan and Nicolle take their turns visiting me in Copenhagen.
Favourite Places:
– Wasa Museum: I was amused to learn that the 17th century warship housed in this museum sank within 20 minutes of its maiden voyage. It didn’t even make it out of the Stockholm Harbour. However, the entirety of the ship is housed within the museum and it’s an incredible sight to see – one of Sweden’s national treasures.
– Gamla Stan: The narrow streets of Stockholm’s Old Town were filled with quaint restaurants and charming shops. You definitely can’t experience Stockholm without visiting Gamla Stan.
– Archipelago / Vaxholm: This was definitely the most beautiful part of my trip. Taking the ferry through the many small islands that make up the archipelago was breathtaking; there’s nothing that lends a sense of serenity like open water.
– Skansen: Walking around Stockholm’s open air museum, surrounded by traditional homes, schools, farms, and businesses, I could easily imagine what life in Sweden may have been like several hundred years ago. I personally found it interesting that the style of architecture was in some ways similar to what I’d seen previously at Plymouth Plantation (this makes sense if you think about the fact that immigrants to the US colonies came from all over Western Europe).
– ABBA Museum: Some of you may roll your eyes at me here but this honestly was one of the highlights of my trip. This interactive museum caters to the ultimate ABBA fan through its offering of karaoke recordings, music videos, stage performances, etc. I spent the last 2 hours of my time in Stockholm singing and dancing my heart out to ABBA with Megan and it was spectacular.
Sweet:
– Diverse and delicious food
– Beautiful architecture – the colour was incomparable!
– Great shopping
– Water views no matter where you go!
Salty:
– Museum entry prices
– Prices of everything in general (more expensive even than Copenhagen!)
– The City Hall was closed during the entirety of my visit for the weekend and then for a special event (it looks amazing though for anyone who is able to visit when it’s open)
#EmmaTips
– Buy a transport pass (I bought one for 3 days and it allowed me on the metro system, the buses and more!)
– Bring your student card – quite a few of the sites I visited had student discounts
My Stockholm Itinerary ** = highly recommend
Day 1:
– Walk through Ostermalm & Hotorget (market and shopping areas) – Vasa Museum** (original 17th century warship) – Djur Gardens – Gamla Stan (Old Town)**
– Esa Sushi
Day 2:
– Ferry through Archipelago to Vaxholm** (sails through the beautiful islands surrounding Stockholm)
– Royal Palace Museums
– Stockholm Cathedral (beautiful if you have time – close to the changing of the guard)
– Shopping in Sofo (‘hipster’ shopping area – nice selection of stores)
– Dinner in Gamla Stan
Day 3:
– Kaffe Verkette (cute breakfast place courtesy of Megan – I highly recommend! )
– City Hall
– Nordiska Museum (an eye into Swedish cultural history over the years)
– Skansen** (open air folk museum – similar concept to Plymouth Plantation)
– ABBA Museum**
