Should you travel solo, with friends, or with family? Here are some things to consider

Going on a barkada trip

Of course, not everyone is into the idea of traveling alone. For some people, having friends to share the experience with can make a trip more fun and memorable.

Being good friends, however, doesn't mean they'll also be good travel buddies. It's something I learned during my first out-of-town trip with a friend in 2023—there were some mishaps and misunderstandings here and there that made me hesitant about traveling with just anyone later on. But trips with other friends to Portugal, France, and the Netherlands proved that traveling with a group could be just as fun as long as everyone was game to plan, communicate, and compromise. It was not without the typical travel hiccups, of course, but we—and our friendship—survived.  

Portia Figueroa, who is in her late 20s, has traveled with different groups of friends several times both locally and abroad. While she had a blast on many of these trips, she found that some of the biggest sources of friction came from differences in budgets and travel styles. Traveling together, she noted, can reveal hidden qualities of people that went unnoticed before your trip.

Her favorite travels so far were with friends in Siargao and Vietnam, where contributions were equal and energies were matched. 

In travels where signal and supplies are scarce like in nature expeditions, she highlighted the importance of carrying cash and being prepared at all costs. Often, conflict arises during times of unpreparedness in already highly stressful situations.  

For Figueroa, the secret to a successful barkada trip isn't really how close everyone is, but how well they get along when traveling.

"I have friend groups that I prefer traveling with more than others, and it’s not measured by our closeness but by how well we mesh on vacation," she told L!fe. "Setting expectations on everything beforehand and being proactive in a group makes a huge difference. I don’t like getting stressed on trips, so I really value having a balance: equal opportunity for exploring and relaxing. It's best not to hassle anyone and be considerate of others by being independent, even in a group setting."

The family that travels together

In family trips, there's a different set of considerations. You're often dealing with different generations, personalities, and routines, all under one itinerary.

Personally, I'm a fan of the typical family resort getaway, complete with karaoke, inihaw, and stories shared over pulutan and drinks. I value having time to bond with my relatives outside our usual routines, even if our version of traveling sometimes involves just a few hours on the road.

For Mirjana Burog, who is also in her 20s, trips with the family—both immediate and extended—are a regular affair. From vacations in Boracay, Palawan, and Bohol to an international trip to Singapore, she has experienced what it's like to travel with different generations at once.

Per Burog, the trickiest part of family trips is sharing a living space and coordinating schedules among three families, which can sometimes feel like a real-life Modern Family episode. Back then, she didn't get to enjoy much privacy or "me time" during their adventures. In their Singapore visit, almost 20 family members had to share a single bathroom. If one of them took too long to get ready, the rest of them ended up waiting, throwing the day's itinerary off schedule.

Despite these inconveniences, Burog appreciates the comfort and familiarity that come with traveling with family. They've also found a compromise that works.

"It feels more comfortable and relaxed to travel with the family; there’s a sense of safety in having the adults with us, even if we are now adults ourselves. I don’t feel as pressured as I would be if I were with friends, especially with the itinerary," she told L!fe.

"I have more fun spending time with my family because we have our own setup—we don’t have to do everything together all the time. We usually get a free day where we separate into groups. Usually all the parents do their own thing, and I get to hang out with my cousins, and we make up our own plans," she continued. "It's almost like being with a barkada, but we’re all related. If we run an errand for an adult, we enjoy doing so as a group, and then getting rewarded for the effort later."

No one right way to travel

If there's one thing that these experiences show, it's that there's no one right way to travel.

In an essay for Business Insider, writer Nicole Benedettini talked about her 50/50 rule when traveling with friends and family: She spends half of the trip with her companions and the other half exploring on her own.

"I love that my 50/50 rule gives me a taste of the experience without causing me to feel lonely or unsafe—and I still get to bond with the ones I love most," she wrote.

Choosing between a solo, barkada, or family trip comes down to what you want out of it and whether you vibe with the people you're traveling with, from the things they want to what they don't want. Other arrangements, such as traveling with your significant other, come with their own dynamics, too.

For some, traveling is the bane of their existence, alone or with anyone else. If comfort is often sacrificed in these excursions—why leave home at all?

The common denominator in having a good time en route or at home, regardless of who you're with, surprisingly, is independence.