After all the posts about the worst travel buddy, it seems appropriate in the spirit of Thanksgiving to post about the best. Besides my old "for better or for worster", my favorite travel partner is responsible for my travel addiction.
I went to Prague with this delightful lady, a vegetarian for many years. It seems that few Czechs have ever pondered the concept of a meatless diet, and even if there were no meat chunks in the entree it was made with a meat based broth. My friend's solution was to simply quit asking what was in the food and enjoy.
In addition to being very flexible and low maintenance, she has a wonderful sense of humor. A great assest in travel partners.

Hi their mcgeezer. Your friend sounds like a jewel. If you travel, you have to be prepared to eat things you wouldn't touch at home. My last travel partner to London was misery for may reasons but another friend with whom I had a horrible first trip overseas, turned out to be a great travel partner when she made the arrangements. It's a good idea to give everyone at least a second chance.

Shanna, the dear friend who never wanted to eat or drink in Tuscany (worried about gaining weight) will not get a second chance.

My best travel partner is hubby, of course but after that would be my inlaws! Yes, INLAWS! Mother-in-law is very young spirited and I have just as much fun with her as my fiends! They are just fun people to be around, and I know good times are ahead whenever we travel together. On this Thanksgiving I am very grateful to be blessed with such a fun mom & dad -in law. ~gt;

I'm in the same situation as travelinwifey. My husband and I are perfect travel partners, and his parents come next. We always have a blast on trips with his young at heart parents. His mother, especially, is like a close girlfriend to me. We always look forward to traveling or spending time with them.

Speaking of young-at-heart and spirited, my favorite travel partner was my Mother, who died several years ago from cancer. Everybody loved my mother (incuding every lover, husband, and friend) and you only needed five minutes with her to know why.

My Mother was tall and attractive with great style. She possessed a personality that soared through any roof. She was the life of every party because men and women loved her smart, inviting wit. She was a class-act with 5-star presence.

She deserved to see more of the world and I would have loved more time to show her. I miss her terribly.

As a kid I loved family holidays - my sister and I would share a separate room from my parents and always had a great time. We enjoyed getting to know others in the tour group and wandering off together (where permitted).

As a teenager I loved travelling with my best school mate. We'd share rooms, giggle constantly, look out for each other, share enthusiasm for what we were seeing and experiencing and generally have a very good time.

As a married adult I most love travelling with my husband. We enjoy the same things and dislike the same things, when travelling. He's very considerate, especially when my hip pain means a limited volume of sightseeing each day. We balance each other perfectly in travel and it's one of the most wonderful things (to me) about our marriage.

I also enjoy trips where I meet other friends, either with or without husband.

Every year about 25-30 friends (mostly from university plus some new members of the social group) enjoy a week together in a self catering house big enough for all of us, somewhere in Europe. It's a great trip because we seem to understand that all of us have different interests, that we each need our own time plus people time, and we split easily and comfortably into varying groups on different days and explore the area. We don't try to do everything in one big group and everyone gets what they want out of the trip.

I also like to make small trips with a group of friends I originally met online, most recently we went to Brugge. We enjoy meals full of laughter and discussion and generally split into smaller groups, pairs or individuals to explore during the day.

I have occasionally travelled with people I haven't enjoyed travelling with, but I'm lucky that the majority of my travelling companions have been wonderful.

Oh, Marilyn, I guess I'd agree with you that in Tuscany someone who won't partake shouldn't get a second chance. But my friend had never been overseas (we went to Brussels and Paris) and was very inhibited. She had difficulty that wasn't there when we went to Italy a couple years later. One good thing about the experience was that it caused me to think about how I am when I travel and how that translates into behavior. Linda is more comfortable with groups (she's very funny and talkative) while I'm more solitary. I'm also, then, used to just heading off where-ever I wish; she likes to discuss it first. If someone feels inadequate, they may try to control the circumstances, like not eating. That's what the most recent one did - ONE meal a day and no pub-hopping!! They may not even be aware of what they are doing. I've noticed that people who don't travel frequently are often taken by surprise when things aren't the same as at home - like water still or with "gas" and no free water!! It's disorienting for some people and so they react by being less than adventurous. Still, not eating in Tuscany - that would be hard to explain!

I've been very, very lucky in that all my travel partners have been terrific! My first several European sojourns were with my sister, who was like a best friend. We clicked on everything and laughed ourselves silly.

She's gone now, but my hubby, who has always been a great travel companion, continues to be the very best. We move at the same pace, are interested in the same things, are flexible and extremely companionable. 32 years together has only made this better. Plus, it's sure nice to have someone to grab the luggage, hold your hand and lean on during a long flight!

In February I took a friend I grew up with but have not seen a lot of in the past 20 years on her first trip to London. We had a ball!!!

I think the key is remembering not to "sweat the small stuff" and keeping in mind that this is an adventure for everyone--not just you--and you need to be considerate and open to suggestions all the time.

My husband is the best travel partner of all. But last year we expanded our horizons and invited six friends to join us for one week of our month's trip to London.
I have never laughed so heartily or so consistantly before or since. The chance to share some of our discoveries in one of our favorite places in the world with appreciative friends who share our interests was a delight. We're going back in spring and hope at least a few will be able to make the journey with us again.

My family (husband and teenagers). After the regular hectic day to day living there is nothing better than enjoying a family vacation.

We went to Australia a couple of years ago and my oldest teen, who at home won't display any signs of affection in public, walked hand in hand with us, put her arms around us and reverted back to a little girl. I guess she figured on a different continent no one would see her! Experiencing a new country together, exploring and just spending time together is priceless.

My best travel companion I would have to say is my father. My parents divorced early on and we spent many vacations going on road trips, sight seeing, going to the mountains, Washington D.C., riding horses on ranches, on his motorcycle, etc. together over the last 31 years ever since I was born. As an adventurous father's day gift a few years ago I got him a ride in a classic biplane. I didn't know the plane held two passengers and he invited me to join him. It was another special experience with him I won't ever forget.

Thee used to be a whole long thread on exactly this topic. I think the title was "perfect travel companion" or something very close. I think it started more than two years ago, but would occasionally be topped every few months and get some new posts on it. From what I remember it was really a very pleasant thread, with some interesting thoughtful responses. Can anyone find it? (I can't explain why I even remember this. I can't help it.)

I remember it too, cmt, and it's the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread too...