Could sour economy sweeten idea of a “friends and family” vacation?

Years ago, William and I stayed with friends in their studio apartment on a trip to New York. It was our first time together in the city, and our friends kindly offered their home and their services as tour guides to us. Their offer not only made the trip more enjoyable; it made the journey possible in the first place.

At the time, we were young, living in Washington, DC with little time off for vacation. Our stay in the Big Apple was free, and the price was right. We were thrilled to see the city in all of its glory through the eyes of our friends, and left town a few days later feeling like we had truly experienced the real Manhattan.

On one other occasion – when we were even younger and with still fewer funds – we spent a week in Oxford, Miss., where our good friends housed us, showed us around the university town, William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak home and the nearby area, including Memphis.  It was a relaxing and fun holiday, made especially so because our buddies helped us see the area as locals, not tourists. 

We continued to take annual vacations as we “grew up” over the past dozen years; first just the two of us, and then with our daughters. Even as we moved from booking hotel rooms to condos to beach houses, we haven’t entertained the idea of a shared vacation since those early years after college. We may have visited friends while on vacations, but we were reluctant to subject others to a week or two with our crazy family.

This summer, however, we will venture out west with the kids to stay with friends from our DC days. We have wanted to take the children to Yellowstone National Park and other western sites for several years. Our friends have offered their Idaho home as a base camp of sorts for a northwestern tour that will take us from Seattle through Idaho, Yellowstone and down to Denver. I am anxious to catch up with everyone and grateful that they will be able to direct us to all of the best places to go.

As I worked to iron out the details on this trip, I began to think about the concept of traveling with friends – or staying with friends. At first, it seemed like a traveling throwback from my early twenties.  Then it seemed like a novel idea, especially now as traditional vacations could suffer in tough economic times.

Of course, it’s neither a particularly new nor youthful thing to do. When I really think about it, I realize that many of our Atlanta friends already share beach houses or cruise together with groups of friends or family every year.  But I do wonder if economic uncertainty, plus some people’s inclination to re-evaluate priorities during such times, will result in an uptick in travelers taking “friends and family” tours this year.

Do you think more travelers will split the cost of accommodations with friends to make their summer trip a reality? Would you choose a vacation location primarily for the company or free lodging? Would you throw open your Atlanta home to host similar vacations for your friends/family?

Have you ever vacationed with friends or extended family? Do you have any tips for making the most of a shared trip? What are the biggest pros? The biggest cons?  Do you find competing interests difficult to balance when more people are involved in planning? Do you really feel like you save enough money to make it worthwhile?  Does it still feel like a vacation if it’s not your favorite beach or resort?