Let’s be honest: many friend groups can be neatly divided into two specific personalities when it comes to travel. The Type A friends and the Type B friends.
The Type A friend is the planner: they book the flights, accommodation, screenshot the important itinerary moments and reservations, and download the maps. They have an in-built calendar in their head of what’s next and what needs to be ticked off. They know the best places to eat, the times the hottest bars are open, and the walking distance between activities and venues.
Then there’s the Type B friend. They show up and they’re just happy to be there! This unorganized hot little mess is usually super grateful for the planning, but they also march to the beat of their own drum. They want vibes over schedules, they take strict flight times as a guideline, and half the time they don’t even know which destination is next… they’re just along for the ride. If they make it in time, that is.
When you love your friends, but traveling together risks killing the vibes
Both Type A and Type B personalities are essential when it comes to vacations. One makes the trip possible, and one makes the trip chaotic and fun.
But when you’ve only got a small window of time for a break and you want to go abroad, the Type A friend is usually the one who ends up suffering.
This is what happened to Abigail, when she went to Paris on Spring Break with her friends and found herself doubling up as trip planner, Google Maps, and HR.
“I love my friends, but planning a group trip with them should be illegal,” she says.
“We went to Paris with eight girls, and I thought I’d be able to turn my brain off. Instead I became the only person who could understand the train schedule.”
So how do you keep your friendships in tact while traveling?
From navigating dietary requirements, getting lost on public transport, and disagreements about the itinerary, traveling with friends is not for the weak. You spend a LOT of time together, and if you have different travel styles – from time management to interests to bed times – it can quickly go from fun to stressful.
After Abigail suffered through becoming head navigator and planner on her Spring Break trip, the solution became pretty obvious.
Get someone else to do the planning for you.
Picture this: You actually get to go overseas during your university break, minus the chaos
We tend to think group trips have to be scrappy and unorganized to be fun. Or that booking through a company is somehow ‘too much’ for a short getaway. But after watching one friend carry the entire trip on their back before they eventually snap and become a little demon, it’s not really that bad of an idea to outsource, right?
Transport is handled. Meals are sorted. Somewhere to sleep is guaranteed. The mental load disappears. And instead of negotiating plans with the same five people, you get dropped into a group where the awkward decisions are already made. Plus, you might make some new friends too!
“Contiki is the Type A friend you need,” Abigail said. And honestly, she’s not wrong.
Whether your next Spring Break getaway looks like Iceland’s glaciers, the romance of Italy’s famous cities, or Thailand’s nightlife-to-jungle pipeline, the appeal is simple: you show up, the hard parts are handled, and everyone gets to enjoy the trip equally.
And we’ve saved at least one friend a mental breakdown along the way.
Need some Spring Break inspo? We’ve got you covered. Find out more here.
