Travel
The joys (and occasional chaos) of holidaying with friends over the years
A recent trip to Antarctica reminded Alexis George of just how wonderful travelling with friends has been over the years. She shares her best tips for making it fun for everyone.
By Alexis George
I’ve been holidaying with the same group of 10 friends for around 35 years now. We like to go on trips that I call “adventure lite” – a bit daring, all the thrills, but with excellent food and wine. Like, you won’t find me camping on the side of a cliff eating out of a tin can, but I’m more than happy to walk for hours to see the view from that same cliff.
The group I travel with mostly came together from women I worked with in the early days. Yes, I was lucky to meet such an amazing team of like-minded people at work. We’ve picked up a couple of strays along the way, but that initial group of workmates is still going strong.
It was shared interests that brought us together – we all like to travel, we all love an adventure and we all love a laugh. So right from the start it was pretty much the perfect combination for a long-time travel group.
Usually we head away each year without our partners or kids. It’s a chance to really focus on ourselves away from work and other commitments, something we otherwise don’t get the opportunity to do – any working mother out there will get what I’m saying here. As well as many local trips, we’ve travelled overseas to places like Sicily and Japan together.
Planning a group adventure
Have you seen the Geraldine Hickey bit about how “everybody needs a Nicole”? Well, our Nicole is Carolyn and she’s the best kind of Nicole because she’s actually a travel agent. She was a high-level exec in financial services, but perhaps organising our trips inspired her because she got her travel agent license. Talk about a fantastic ‘encore career.
Recently Carolyn organised an epic polar expedition for us aboard Aurora Expedition’s purpose-built Sylvia Earle, heading from Argentina to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and on to Antarctica. It had always been a dream of mine to travel there and when I mentioned it to Carolyn she had us booked almost before I’d finished talking – you really do need a Nicole, right?
Our dream trip to Antarctica
This time we invited our partners along, so my husband Martin got to join in the fun. There were 8 of us in the group – 3 couples and 2 singles – which I think is a good number when you’re travelling together. Any more gets tricky to organise, but you want enough people in your group to give everyone plenty of choice as to what they want to do.
For example, 5 of us took on the sea kayaking challenge in Antarctica, while the others were happy to relax on the ship, or head out on other excursions on offer. Now, heading out a couple of times a day to sea kayak in Antarctica probably makes me sound far more athletic than I actually am.
Martin and I prepared for the trip by learning how to roll a tandem kayak, but that was during summer in Middle Harbour in Sydney, which, let me tell you, was significantly different to doing it in Antarctica under 3 layers of clothing and a dry suit after a massive iceberg exploded less than 100 meters from the kayak.
But, hey, I got there in the end and the experience was one of the highlights of the trip for me. In fact, it was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done – the sheer overwhelming beauty of scenery that’s like nowhere else on earth. The penguins, the whales, the magic of listening to the ice shift then settle into a stillness I know I’ll probably never be surrounded by again.
Why I love holidaying with friends
What I’ve found though, is that over the years, our trips have become so much more than chasing this kind of adventure or even escaping daily life for a while. These days they are just as much a celebration of our enduring friendship and the joy of soaking up something new together.
1. Strengthening friendships
Travel has always been such a great way to stay connected as we don’t see each other nearly enough due to busy lives and family commitments.
Our friendship has evolved over the years and nothing has cemented that more than travelling together. Whether we’re navigating a foreign city, sharing a bottle of wine under the stars, or simply reminiscing about past trips, our bonds are deep due to the unique experiences we have shared.
2. Built-in fun and entertainment
With cherished friends who know each other well, there’s never a dull moment. From in-jokes that span decades to challenging each other to get out of our comfort zone, the entertainment factor is built-in. Some of our most frustrating moments – cancelled trains or getting lost – turned into some of our funniest travel stories and favourite memories because of the company we keep.
3. Diverse interests = more experiences
Travelling with friends means you’re more likely to try things you wouldn’t on your own. I’m not sure Antarctica would have been on Carolyn’s bucket list, but she was all-in once I mentioned it. Even when travelling day-to-day a friend will encourage you to try a new food, talk to the locals or drag you off to a market you fall in love with – a mix of personalities leads to a richer travel experience.
Read this too: Was visiting Antarctica cool for both husband and wife?
4. The comfort of familiarity
That said, sometimes it’s not something new that you need, but rather something familiar. As we get older, there’s comfort in travelling with people who just get us. There’s no pressure to impress, no awkwardness in shared silences and a deep understanding of each other’s preferences. My friends know I like my coffee strong, my wine red, and that I absolutely refuse to sit in the middle seat on a long-haul flight.
5. Shared costs = more bang for your buck
One of the great perks of group travel is splitting costs. Accommodation, car hire, even meals can be more affordable when shared. Fancy that luxury beachfront villa or a once-in-a-lifetime cruise? With friends chipping in, suddenly those travel dreams become a lot more affordable.
6. Safety in numbers
Let’s face it – travelling as a woman in your 50s and 60s is different from when we were 20. Having friends around means an extra set of eyes on your luggage, someone to help navigate and an instant support system should anything go awry.
Navigating through the challenges
Which reminds me that it’s not all roses; it can often be challenging travelling with a group as well. Over the years we’ve managed to overcome any niggles and I think the key is to get on the same page right from the start.
The first thing to do is to have an honest chat about budgets and expectations before you book – not everyone travels the same way. I think the reason that our group has clicked so well is that we all have similar accommodation and dining out preferences.
Next, work out how you’re going to share the decision making – it can’t all be left up to your Nicole/Carolyn. Where to stay, where to eat, what to see, what to skip… decision-making can be exhausting, especially in a group. So take turns being the ‘planner of the day’ or agree on a flexible itinerary before the trip.
Also remember, you don’t always have to stick together. Some friends want to see everything, while others prefer a relaxed pace with lots of stops. On our Antarctica trip, with only some of us choosing to sea kayak, we mostly did our own thing during the day and met up for dinner at night.
This also helps overcome the “too much time together” factor – travelling is stressful and even the best of friends can get on each other’s nerves after a week of non-stop togetherness. I can’t even spend that long with my husband without climbing the walls! So I like to also build in plenty of alone time when travelling in a group; a solo morning walk, an afternoon nap, or just heading out to do my own thing for the day is important to me.
The verdict: it’s worth every moment
Travelling with friends is a mix of magic and mayhem, but at the heart of it, it’s one of my favourite things to do. Sure, there are moments when you might need a little space, but the joy of shared laughter, deep conversations and decades-old friendships always makes it a trip to remember.
As we get older together, these trips become less about ticking off bucket list items and more about spending quality time with life-long friends. It’s about reminiscing on old adventures, creating new memories and appreciating the richness that dear friends bring to our lives.
Now, it’s time to get planning our next destination – Carolyn?
Feature image: Courtesy of Alexis George
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