Friend cancels 100-day trip and everyone says the same thing | Travel News | Travel

There’s so much to remember when planning a holiday, from making sure your passport is valid to packing everything you’ll need. So when a crucial component falls apart at the eleventh hour, it can seriously derail your plans.

One Reddit user shared their experience of planning a 100-day tour of Europe and Canada with a friend. The pair, both aged 18, had spent “about two years” meticulously organising the trip, only for their companion to abruptly pull out just weeks before departure. “The entire time [the friend] has been very enthusiastic to travel, having no problems paying for flights, train pass, world cup tickets, etc,” they explained.

“I have been doing the vast majority of the planning and research, but I figured since I have some experience travelling before with parents, and he has no experience, I guess it makes sense for me to make sure we don’t forget about anything.

“We are both pretty tight with the money, but since I booked the hotels with free cancellation a while ago we are very close to having enough. But less then two weeks away he suddenly doesn’t want to come any more because he feels it would be better for his future to not spend the money he has now on the trip, fears about being stuck overseas from World War Three suddenly happening, and feeling three months is too long to be away from his girlfriend, who he got with less than a year ago.

“Since it was a trip I’ve been saving up for the past three years and was/am very excited for, I’m finding it very hard not to completely cut him off, but since the first flight is on the 25th it would cost more for me to go alone than even me paying for the both of us, which I can’t afford.

“So, how on Earth do I convince him to still come, as I need him to come and can’t go solo, and would be devastated if I end up not being able to go.”

The user also outlined their full planned itinerary, which included flying from Australia to Istanbul, then onto Bucharest, followed by a two-month rail journey across Europe, ending in Dublin. From there, they planned to visit Barcelona, Lisbon, Montreal, and traverse Canada, before catching a return flight from Vancouver, reports the Mirror.

The consensus on Reddit was unanimous. “Go alone,” one user advised. “You will never regret it.”

Another chimed in: “That little bit of money he thinks he’s saving will come and go a million times over his life. Some people aren’t cut out for travel, I’d say regardless what happens with him, you go.”

In response to this, another user commented: “Problem is I think that you pay way more for single than for double. If you’re already on a tight budget that’s not possible I think.”

Another user shared their own similar experience. “I had something like this happen to me when I was 20,” they said.

“I just went anyways. For three months, on a shoestring budget that would be absurd today. Next to marrying my wife and having our kids, it was the absolute best experience of my life.

“Find a way to get out of those bookings – even if you have to get the money from your friend – and find cheap alternatives to the hotels you paid for. Even if it means changing your destinations a bit to cheaper ones now that it is closer to being ‘last minute’.

“The one thing I have learned over 25 years of on and off travel: You will never regret spending the money because you can ALWAYS earn it back. But you will ABSOLUTELY regret not going because you will NEVER get the time back.”

Meanwhile, another user commented: “Dude, he gave you a tremendous gift. Don’t be all-in on other people who are not all-in too.

“Go. Do hostels. Do whatever it is that you want. Your friend will regret this forever.”