Tips for holidaying with friends

[transylvanianfamilies]

You think you know someone and you get on so well you plan a holiday together and it’s a shit show. Has happened to us twice now. Only since kids.

Different rules around screen time; eating times; choice/veto of day trips/activities; budgets for restaurants; acceptable noise levels; boozing;cleaning…all sorts.

Does anyone have any horror stories to share or tip tips?

Honestly I generally have an idea of my friends boozing and cleaning habits before holiday. I’m a big drinker and a bit lax on cleaning but will totally up my game if I know another family find it important and they probably end up drinking more.

Anything child related, we’re always pretty flexible with holiday rules so never really encountered a massive friction over it. We eat whenever and are flexible with screen time on holiday. We did go on holiday once with a family who were very rigid about sleeping and eating times but we just tried to go with it so it want a huge problem. Budgets for restaurants has been an issue in the past when I was a student so if that was a consent I have definitely learned it’s probably best to align expectations and how to deal with differing requirements up front.

I always feel like holidays should be a bit flexible otherwise it’s not a holiday!

Not sure age of your children, mine are 4 and 6 and we only do all inclusive holidays with other families for all the reasons you’ve listed. I know they’re not hugely popular on MN but they work well with kids age and especially if in a group - no need to worry about budgeting for meals, can plan around own kids and meet in resort bit later if they want different things, multiple restaurants in resort so we share some meals and have some alone.

Also done a couple of self catering cottage holidays with friends, these worked because we planned meals in advance, shopped accordingly and stayed in the cottage for whole weekend (it was one with pool, games room etc and on a beach)

Friend from work suggested we holiday together I Spain. They rented a static we had a tent so not on top of each other on site... Agreed to cook a meal each then just separately during the day and prob out at night. I cooked for the 2 families.. Their turn she declares the site shop shut and cancels. No mention of rescheduling.. Big day out planned we knock at the caravan to find they and already gone.. We upped and left.. Apparently they had budgeted €50 per day between them.. 2 adults 4 dc... Never said on planning stages!

I would start small, do a night away somewhere first, before ever committing to a longer stay.

we’ve had a couple of issues - from a family wanting to literally spend every second with us, to really fussy eaters.

There was an article about this in the Guardian very recently.

Oh God, it’s so tricky isn’t it!

We have very like minded friends who we go away with.
Not big drinkers, love food though. 😃
Aligned with cleanliness, screen time, noise conscious.
Just thoroughly lovely, thoughtful, nice considerate people.. as are we I think.

Been going away together yearly for years.
Always in the U.K., house or static share.

I think that we are a quiet living Group, kids come 1st no matter what, which is why the alcohol is bottom of the list.
It appears that we each have had troublesome childhoods where alcohol featured largely in our misery.
We are lucky to have clicked I suppose.

I think doing an all inclusive or dinner apartments is a good idea rather than all in one house:villa. And/or discussing rules first with other parents, and also with your own kids- managing expectations that the other kids might be allowed things that you're not, how will we all make sure we don't let that ruin our mood. Etc.

*different not dinner