Fighting on vacation is an unfortunate reality of travel.

Too many hours in the car, the stress of a new place, and the exhaustion of jet lag are all things that can make even the best of friends start actively hating each other.

One of the top Google searches for coming home from a trip is actually “vacation ruined relationship.” I kid you not. It’s that big of a problem.

Hate Traveling with Friends? Here’s How to Avoid Fighting on Vacation

I’ve been in situations over the years where I needed to take a step back. My sister and I went on a Grand Tour of Europe together and I swear to God I wanted her dead because of how loudly she breathes while sleeping.

Some of my best friends from college during our “senior week” trip to Cape Cod, right before graduation in May 2015. Brittney, Cassidy, and Rachael. Taken by Lauren!

Another time I had a terrible migraine on this bus ride with a random baby that wouldn’t stop crying, so I kept fantasizing about just stopping the bus and leaving it with a nice couple at a gas station.

Both terrible, terrible, intrusive thoughts.

So how do you work past these instead of always arguing on vacation?

You have to address the triggers and make a conscious choice to be zen.

Quick tip to avoid fighting on vacation: you can’t control others’ behavior, but you can control your own. 

See also:

• Dealing with your Period on Vacation 
• How to Deal with Homesickness while Studying Abroad

Common triggers:

Traveling fights is one example of interpersonal conflict that CAN be avoided. You just have to look out for the triggers ahead of time. Why do people fight on vacation? Because they set themselves up for failure.

Here is what to look out for so you don’t let your vacation ruin your relationship.

Exhaustion

My friends Elizabeth, Char, Meagan, Mary, and me on an orientation trip for our study abroad program to a Mozzarella farm in Campania, Italy in January 2014.

People are cranky when they are tired. This is a given. Advice like “Make sure to get a good night’s sleep!” is trite. Sometimes that’s impossible.

What is possible, however, is not setting yourself up to fail. Do hostels make you restless because of squeaky beds, thin mattresses, and inconsiderate roommates who turn the lights on at three am? Don’t stay there! Ask your traveling partners if you can book a private room, at least every couple of nights.

Can you never get to sleep on long-haul flights? Then don’t try to hit the ground running on your first day and pretend like you’re well-rested. Take it slow. Pace yourself.

Does your partner snore or just breathe freakishly heavy when they sleep (like my sister)? Always bring some earplugs, just in case, or have a soothing sounds playlist queued up on your phone.

You can’t always guarantee you’ll sleep well, but you can still create a relaxing environment for yourself.

Quick tip to avoid fighting on vacation: avoid “one night stands” and stay in each location for at least two nights to ensure better sleep. 

See also:

• Tired of Traveling? 6 Ways To Get Over Travel Burnout

Hunger

Nik, Emily, Jessica, Mike, Rebecca, Maggie, and myself in Florence, Italy. April 2014.

Let’s be real: I get hangry even when I’m not traveling. It’s realllly hard to handle even minor inconveniences when you’re starving, so don’t let yourself get to this point!

Sometimes you have to skip lunch so you can see everything you wanted in a city or the local cuisine doesn’t sit well with you. “I hate traveling with friends!” you scream to yourself.

Still, this is no reason to be a brat! Always, always, always, have an apple and snack bar in your purse. If you’re going on a shorter trip (like less than a month) bring five or ten RXBars (or the like) with you to nibble on until you can sit down for or cook a meal.

Quick tip to avoid fights while traveling as a couple: a collapsible water bottle like this one is a great way to avoid being a butthead due to dehydration.  

Different Interests

My literal other half, Siobhan, and I at Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island May 2017. Luckily we both love historic houses.

If your boyfriend wants to stop for a coffee one more time, you might have to end the relationship. Your best friend has no interest in shopping in Paris? She’s the worst!

Traveling teaches us that we don’t have as much in common with our loved ones as we might think we do. Your mom might be a foodie and want extravagant sit-down meals three times a day, while you would rather just eat a sandwich while running between monuments and museums.

It can be really frustrating to feel like you are “wasting time” on a trip you’ve been really excited about. To avoid fighting on vacation because of this, you can try a “quid pro quo” approach in which each person in the group gets to pick one activity each day OR you can occasionally split up. This brings us to…

Quick tip to avoid fighting with friends on vacation: occasionally suck it up and do what the other people in your group want to do, even if it means missing out on something you wanted. 

See also:

• Why I Eat McDonald’s in Italy (and Pretty Much Everywhere Else)
• Flying Etiquette: 7 Ways To Avoid Being “That Girl” on Flights

Too Much Time Together

Me, my sister Kerry, and my mom Debbie at Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas. We spend a looooot of time together 🙂 March 2017.

This seems to be a bigger obstacle for couples or friends traveling pairs to overcome. After a few days of just one person, you might be desperate to interact with a human being who isn’t them or just really want some alone time.

So take the day off!

Your best friend can spend the evening at the theater while you people-watch in a coffee shop. You can check out that sale while your boyfriend sleeps in. These mini-solo adventures are the perfect way to recharge so that the time spent together is enjoyable and not tense.

Quick tip to avoid fighting on vacation: communicate beforehand to find out what the rest of your group absolutely doesn’t want to do, so there’s time to schedule concurrent activities.  

See also:

• Scared to Travel Alone? Here’s 7 Ways to Practice for your First Solo Trip

Stress

My sister Kerry and her husband Chris taking the time to destress in the Dead Sea. November 2017.

When you miss your bus, mess up your hotel reservations, or get lost, it’s so, so easy to start blaming the rest of your group or start lashing out because you are scared or stressed.

Stressful things will happen when you travel. Things will definitely go wrong. That’s still no excuse for fighting on vacation. This is where mindfulness comes in.

You have to actively decide not to be angry. Not to respond to your boyfriend’s, or sister’s, or best friend’s goading. Let them be angry! Let them lash out! Choose to be calm.

If you are having a hard time staying calm in a tense or scary travel situation, I find it helpful just not to respond at all. Sometimes I even separate myself from the group. I don’t mean that in a “huff off and pout” sort of way, I mean it in a, “Hey, I’m going to go sit on that bench for a minute so I can think of a game plan” sort of way.

Arguing on vacation can also be avoided through preventative communication.

Quick tip to avoid fighting on vacation: assign group members tasks according to their strengths before the trip, like navigating, driving, translating, negotiating, etc. This way, in a time of crisis, there’s no fighting over who needs to take the lead. 

See also:

• How to Ride Amtrak with Ease
• Is Flixbus Reliable? An Honest Review

Fighting on Vacation: Turn “I hate traveling with friends” around

My chum Bethany and I in Prague, October 2017.

Mindfulness and communication are key to a great trip. If you find yourself getting a little heated, quickly work to address the trigger. Am I hungry? Tired? Bored? Then you can work to fix it.

Remember: talk to your group about interests, budgets, and accommodations BEFORE YOU LEAVE. 

You can avoid like 75% of potential fights if all group members are upfront about their expectations; however, if things aren’t going well, if your traveling companions are excessively irritable or unwilling to compromise, just remember: take a deep breath, get through this trip, and then choose not to travel with them again.

Happy traveling!

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Emily Kammerlohr

Emily’s all over the place. She’s an expert on working holidays, studying abroad, and turning your #GapYear into a #GapLife. Learn how here.