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Keeping in touch with friends made on holiday

(65 Posts)
Lovetotravel Sat 05-Jul-25 17:40:35

As per my user name, we love to travel and some of that includes meeting people from different countries who we spend time with. I’ve often shared phone number/social media details. People say they will keep in touch and a few do but the majority don’t bother. Do any of you keep in touch with friends you’ve made while away?

Franski Sat 05-Jul-25 17:46:59

I know what you mean... it's the polite and friendly thing to do I think..swap contacts. But it rarely leads to ongoing communication....many reasons. A holiday is a bubble of time disconnected with ordinary life. Somehow the friendship was part of the bubble- bringing it into reality just bursts it.

NotSpaghetti Sat 05-Jul-25 17:47:05

Not really.
Although I would if, (like my parents) holidaying was always to the exact same place.
I do stoll keep in touch with my parents old holiday friends! grin

Elowen33 Sat 05-Jul-25 18:38:05

I dont like it when people I meet on holiday ask for my number, I would like to say no but it would be rude so give it and the hope they do not get in touch.

Having a few pleasant conversations or spending an evening with them does not mean I want them to be future friends.

Jane43 Sat 05-Jul-25 18:41:47

Not really, my friends are either from childhood or work, sadly I have lost three in recent years.

GrannyIvy Sat 05-Jul-25 18:56:46

We have a time share same 2 weeks every year and do see the same faces around. We happily chat pass the time of day and maybe have a drink prior to dinner but no more than that and never keep in contact throughout the rest of the year. Other holidays we go with friends and/or family so don’t mix with others. I am a very sociable person but holiday time is time for DH and I to relax and chat together.

BlueBelle Sat 05-Jul-25 19:20:07

No never made more than a passing friendship with people on holiday

Grammaretto Sat 05-Jul-25 19:33:40

I'm always open to making new friends but sadly I haven't met anyone on holiday who wants to keep in touch seriously.

DS goes on holiday to the same place each year, with families who they know from the DC's primary school. I think now the DC are almost grown up, the beach in Northern Scotland isn't quite as popular. DGS has just been to Italy with his friends to celebrate leaving school but no parents.

MayBee70 Sat 05-Jul-25 19:35:29

Kept in touch with Christmas cards etc with a few people over the years but the friendships usually eventually petered out. But we did make friends with a couple on a coach trip we were on a few years ago. We continued to meet up several times a year until one of them died a year or so ago. Even though we’d only been friends for @10 years ( and some of that was taken up with the pandemic years when we couldn’t meet up anyway) the pain of the loss is as great as it has been losing lifelong friends.

Aldom Sat 05-Jul-25 19:42:50

I know a family who have gone to the same place every year...not their only holiday. Years ago they became friends with people who live in the area. The four adults have much in common and the friendship has lasted for about ten years so far. The 'children' never particularly got on, but they're young adults now and at university etc. The holiday friendship has been very successful and supportive as they have shared life's 'ups and downs'.

dogsmother Sat 05-Jul-25 19:48:04

Recently had a wonderful holiday and met and shared many an evening with another couple, full of laughter and cocktails! We shared WhatsApp purely for photos of said time. Neither of us pursuing anything more.
I agree it was that bubble away from normality with availability to contact if required but very unlikely to occur.

Kate1949 Sat 05-Jul-25 20:00:11

We don't like to 'make friends' on holiday. We prefer to do our own thing.

Imarocker Sat 05-Jul-25 20:23:17

DD and I met a couple on holiday two years ago. We have been meeting up with them In London occasionally and we are all going back to the same hotel in September. 30 years ago on a study tour in USA I met a couple and they are among my closest friends. We frequently visit each other. There are a few other people round the world who I met on trips and we keep in touch.

GrannyGravy13 Sat 05-Jul-25 20:25:01

We met one of our dearest friends on a skiing holiday 39 years ago, they are a godparent to one of our children. We met their parents and siblings, they met my parents and our siblings. Friendship still going from strength to strength.

We met another friend on holiday 28 years ago, still friends.

Greyduster Sat 05-Jul-25 20:44:41

Being in the services, you meet and make lasting friendships with a lot of people. They represent such a significant period in your life. You may not have seen them often, but we did see them and kept in touch even if it meant travelling. We have watched that friendship group dwindle as old age and illness took its toll, and now, out of all the people we knew from our service days, only three remain. Two of us are now widowed, and one is seriously ill. We all live significant distances from each other and I am now the only one still fit to drive. But we still cling onto that connection and will until there is one, or none, of us left.

NotSpaghetti Sat 05-Jul-25 20:45:52

I suppose my parent's friends were locals so they weren't on holiday.

This year I will be visiting the same area with my own adult family and will definitely visit the two people that were dear to them and are luckily still alive. One of them was quite a bit younger than my mum and she taught her to drive over a long summer when i was about 14. I remember this quite clearly as they lurched over the fields and then along the lanes.

This contact with my parents friends sort-of keeps my parents alive in a funny way.
I know tears will be shed.
I love these people for the joy and laughter they shared with my mum and dad.

escaped Sat 05-Jul-25 21:06:19

We met a delightful family on a campsite abroad in 1992, we just clicked straightaway and decided to carry on with the same holiday for 12 years. We've now been to their children's weddings and vice versa. A great friendship.

Redrobin51 Sat 05-Jul-25 21:23:29

We made friends with a lovely couple from South Wales whilst camping about 3 years ago., ae live in the Midlands. We speak on the phone every couple of weeks and WhatsApp. We exchange presents and try to camp together for a few days each year.

ViceVersa Sat 05-Jul-25 21:26:04

Kate1949

We don't like to 'make friends' on holiday. We prefer to do our own thing.

Yes, we are exactly the same!

ginny Sat 05-Jul-25 23:12:44

When we travel we like to chat to others but rarely keep in touch afterwards.
One couple though, we met in 2020 in Thailand ( just before Covid) and we still see reach other three or four times a year for link weekends or a visit if we are near each others homes. In between we keep in touch with WhatsApp. Sometimes you just ‘click’ with people.

henetha Sat 05-Jul-25 23:13:58

I'm still in touch with a chap I met on holiday in Scotland in 2018.

Jakli Sun 06-Jul-25 03:04:15

I totally get what you mean — I used to have the same issue with sweaty leggings and underwear that just wasn’t doing the job. I’ve found a few brands that made a huge difference

NotSpaghetti Sun 06-Jul-25 08:11:31

Jakli ❓️
grin

Skydancer Sun 06-Jul-25 08:20:38

I met a man on holiday. We met up several times after that and after a fairly short period of time we got married. We have been together for 26 years.

Gingster Sun 06-Jul-25 08:26:12

We spent four months on a world cruise and sat on a table every evening with another couple who we got very friendly with.
We visited their home and they visited ours and we exchange Christmas cards, but distance between our houses and age makes it difficult to meet up again.