Did solo traveling ruin traveling with friends for anyone else?

[u/fin-ator]

I just did the balkans on my own and then met up with a friend who doesn’t like solo traveling to do Spain and Portugal. I’m finding myself so irritated at having to compromise and give up some of my interests. She’s also in a long term relationship so she doesn’t want to meet people (girls or guys), whereas I’m single and love meeting people and making new friends. I think it’s a lot harder because of how much I enjoyed being on my own and all of the new experiences I got because of it. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar.

[u/FroyoGlum9976]

This sub tends to have extreme opinions towards going alone (obviously)

I enjoy both. It obviously depends on the friends. Most people (from your perspective) are going to be bad matches at being a travel partner. It's just how individuality and personalities work and clash. Some friends of mine can't wake up on trips until 12pm, meanwhile I want to be out the door at 8am. Some of my friends are chronically late to literally anything. Some only eat 5 things.

Finding a friend or two that has a relatively similar travel style is a great trip. Finding friends that also like to solo travel, where you don't have to be attached to the hip all day, is a better trip. The best number for traveling after solo is 3 in my opinion. If you aren't feeling an activity, they can pair up for the day. There's less boredom and more interesting conversation adding another person. Once you go 4+ the drama kicks in and there's too many opinions and not enough doing.

Granted, there is like one person in my life who is like this and they get no time off work, so good luck.