Aside from our family, our top choice for travel companions come from our barkada. It’s something you see whenever a promo pops up online. Friends tag each other in the comments section and start planning their trips.

But even if you’ve been friends since you were in diapers, spending long stretches of time together in a room, a plane, a bus, or a boat is sure to test even the toughest of bonds. Imagine if you’re traveling with friends you’re not as close with -- tempers might flare much sooner.

So your friendships remain intact, check out our reasons on why friends fight while traveling and how to stop said arguments from happening.

You and your friends may have great chemistry when you’re chatting in a coffee shop or watching a movie. However, that camaraderie doesn’t always translate on the road. If your friends start to irritate you in a coffee shop, you can always walk away. That’s not an option available when in a foreign country or at another destination.

Spontaneous trips may sound fun but it doesn’t always end well. You and your friends may have travel habits that don’t go well together. One of you may like to sleep in while the other likes to get up and go as soon as the sun rises. If all of this is discussed ahead of time, all of you can adjust and avoid ruffling any feathers when out on the road.

Money is always a touchy subject, and disagreements about it can definitely ruin a friendship. There are so many ways money can become an issue when traveling with friends: someone may want to walk to a destination to save a couple of hundred pesos, while the other wants to be comfortable and is willing to pay a taxi. Imagine bigger purchases and the arguments that could possibly stem from them.

Talk with your friends and find an amount you can all agree on. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, though. You may not be earning the same amount as your friends, so everyone has to be upfront about how much they can afford. This way, no one feels like they’re being forced to spend beyond their means. Talk about which expenses you’ll split. Make sure everything is clean cut before you even book the flight or hotel room. Additionally, you can avail of Traveloka’s promos, so they can get discounts on flights and hotel rooms.

Traveling is an activity that requires a lot of planning, and leaving all of the work and decisions to one person could lead to a lot of resentment and/or unhappy travel companions. The one making all the decisions could resent having all the responsibility and pressure on their shoulders, while the companions who have to follow the set itinerary may not like that they were not consulted about what they wanted to do.

One of your friends may be great at picking activities. Another may know all the best places to eat at. Yet another may know where all the bargains are. Find out what their strengths are and let them take the lead in their “field” of expertise. That way, there’s no breeding ground for resentment, and everyone feels like they have a say.

Talked it over with your friends and now ready to travel? Book your flights and hotel room using Traveloka!