Are you a good travel roommate?
I’ve had varying levels of travel happiness being a roommate with each of these people: my husband, my daughter, my son, my mother, my sister-in-law, several good friends and a few fellow travel advisors.
How can we make the best of different roommate situations and keep the trips enjoyable?
Pre-trip communication is very important.
Don’t be afraid to let your roommate know what you will need on the trip.
Sometimes, however, that is not possible. I have gone on business trips where I am paired with a roommate whom I didn’t know in advance. In that case, being willing to discuss issues while on the trip can make or break roommate happiness.
Some questions to ask and answer:
Each trip is different and so there may be different answers to these questions each time. Thinking about them in advance can ensure smooth roommate interactions.
I’ve also provided some simple solutions that can help keep the peace.
Q. What time will you want to wake up while on this trip?
Will you have to catch a bus or meet a group? Will you be able to make your own schedule?
Often the travel itinerary will dictate the wake up times needed: early flights or tours. But often we just want to keep to our home routines whenever possible.
When I travel with a certain friend I know she will be up and out for a walk at dawn and come back with coffee and (hopefully) croissants for us. My daughter will get up early if she’s doing rope drop at the Magic Kingdom, but otherwise, she’d rather sleep in.
One time I roomed with a fellow travel advisor and she did not appreciate my getting up at 6:00 am for an early walk, especially when she hadn’t planned to wake up until 8:00 am.
Solutions:
Check the next day’s schedule and make a plan for what time to wake up and get going.
If one person is the early riser, she could make an effort to lay out clothes the night before to keep the rustling down if the roommate wants to sleep in.
Reef View Hotel Hamilton Island Australia
Q. What is your nighttime routine?
Some people read or watch a movie before bed. Will the lights bother you?
One time I roomed with a friend who needed complete darkness and quiet in order to fall asleep. I literally had to put myself under the covers to hide the light from my phone while I read. This was somewhat annoying, and I’ll know next time to choose a different roommate.
Solutions:
Night mask and ear plugs. Use an extra blanket for a cover up.
Nighttime corollary: Do you snore? A gift of ear plugs might be really appreciated. Some people swear by those “breathe right” strips, as well.
Q. How much personal space will we each need for ourselves and our stuff? Are you messy or neat?
European hotel rooms are notoriously small. Same with cruise cabins.. One woman I roomed with had so much clothing it took her forever to find what she wanted to wear for the day. All that rummaging in her bags just made everything harder to find. She used all the hangers in the closet and took up the available bathroom counter space. I was very frustrated not to have any space for my own clothes. Her continuing disorganization was annoying. By the end of the trip I wished I had paid the extra money to have a single room!
Solutions:
Bring less stuff; use packing cubes to organize clothes. Spend a few minutes every night organizing your belongings and getting out clothes for the next day. Share the closet and the bathroom shelves!
Hotel Esprit St. Germain, Paris France
Q. How cold/hot should the hotel room be?
This can really hit a nerve. I remember my mom and I continually fighting over the thermostat on our trip to Vietnam: I kept turning it cooler and she wanted it warmer.
Solutions if you like it hotter:
Have a sweater or shawl that you can layer; bring a beanie or warm socks.
Solutions if you like it cooler:
Bring something lightweight in a breathable fabric to wear in the room. Bring a small battery operated fan.
Q. Shower in the morning or the evening?
Routines are comforting while traveling, but changing them up is also fun.
Solution:
If you both want to shower in the morning, trade off who goes first each day.
Q. How do you like to eat while traveling?
Not hungry until noon? Need the full breakfast at the crack of dawn? Want Michelin star restaurants? Food budget considerations?
One of my travel buddies never ate breakfast, didn’t like fancy restaurants and was happy eating soup or tuna fish sandwiches for lunch and dinner. The disparity in our food desires caused a certain amount of friction during the trip.
I needed to plan ahead to make sure I was able to eat when and what I needed.
Solutions:
Choose hotels with included breakfasts, if that is important to you. Visit a grocery store to have food in the room or on the go. Bring your “must have” travel snacks in your carry on.
Hotel 21C Bentonville, Arkansas
Even seasoned travelers run into roommate issues. When I consult with clients in designing their vacations, I am able to prevent some of them.
