Travelling Australia in a van is one of the top ways to see the country. And, travelling in a van with friends is the best way to cut costs and share your adventure with someone. At times this can be a challenge for any soul.
It takes a lot of effort to share a small space with people and spend nearly 24/7 with them. But, travelling in a van with friends can be really fun and rewarding.
The biggest topic for all of these tips is to keep your relationship with yourself in check. Because if you’re not happy or taking care of yourself, how can you have a good trip? Check out these tips can help to make sure your trip is fun the entire way.
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Take time for yourself
Aside from this sounding the opposite idea of travelling with friends, it’s the best way to make sure you’ll have a positive attitude the entire trip. Travelling in a van with friends is very full on. Before it feels too overwhelming and you’re getting tired of your friends, spend some time alone.
It could be going for a walk at the a free campground, or doing some shopping. Either way spending some time alone—and reminding yourself how great your trip is—can prevent arguments and fights when they’re not necessary.
Do what you love
When travelling in a van with friends, you’ll make some compromises on what you eat and do for activities along the trip. Compromises are just as important as being happy yourself. After all, you decided to do the trip right? Make sure you do what makes you happy, as it could be your only chance for it.
Maybe there’s a hike you want to do, but your friends not. Have them drop you off in the morning and they can go to the beach or something. It’s better do something you want than regretting it for the rest of your trip and feeling resentful.
Stay in the loop
The goal of any trip should be good communication, especially so for travelling with friends. Wherever your trip takes you, make sure you and your friends are still enjoying the trip. Doing this early on usually has the best results.
Good communication means you and the friends you’re travelling with still have the same goals and values for the trip. Maybe the trip was first about partying and now after partying so much, it’s time for beaches instead. Staying in the loop with your friends can go a long way, when travelling in a van.
Stick to the budget
Financial problems have long been one of the top reasons relationships fail. Though different from travelling with friends, it’s still important to make sure your budget is working. Being low on funds could end up in arguments because most things to do with travelling costs money. Especially if it’s your first time travelling, it’s easy to get carried away or blow your money too quickly.
Every few days or week, look at your cash balance and compare that with the end of the trip. I’m not a firm believer in a set daily or trip budget. It’s just important to have enough money to sustain your trip.
Another big cause of spending money while travelling is food! Check out my tips for eating on a budget while travelling Australia.
Don’t panic over little things
A good tactic for managing everything, don’t sweat over the little things. If you friend is perpetually making the same small mistake or doing things that bother you, try to ignore it. There’s nothing like a control freak that panics over every small thing. Big trips in small spaces with many people can bring out your inner control freak.
If something is really becoming a problem, definitely talk about it with your friends and move on. But, it’s better to take a deep breath and ignore smaller issues than making them into big issues. After all you’re on this trip to have fun!
Looking for other tips on travelling in a van? My van life category is for your then. It features everything living and travelling Australia in a van.
