'Always': The number one non negotiable for travelling with friends
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It went "woo woo" and then made a puffing noise like a steam train.
Except I was in a hotel room in New Zealand and as far as I knew there wasn't a station nearby, never mind a Victorian-era one operating in the early hours of the morning.
Then I realised it was my friend's phone.
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Travelling with friends can be fun but stressful. Getty
Despite saying she'd turned off her alerts when we went to bed, some messages apparently still pinged.
So she informed me apologetically the next morning.
However, it continued to happen the whole holiday, with her and her phone settings seemingly misaligned.
Luckily, her 5am alarm going off "by mistake" did mean we were up to see our cruise ship slip silently into Sydney Harbour, which was actually glorious.
But next time I'll be sitting down any friends and making them read the manual on how to keep their phone on silent. All of the time.
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Nobody wants the sofa bed in a holiday home. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The rules we stick to when travelling with friends
I'll also never again travel in a group of three women.
Two will always pair off and (intentionally or unintentionally) leave the other person out (I speak from experience).
Other travellers have come up with non negotiables when it comes to travelling with pals too.
"Never, ever submit your single friend to a camping bed or fold out lounge or any other crappy bedding option when you're getting an Airbnb," Kahla says of larger group holidays.
"If couples get proper beds, so does everyone."
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Travelling with friends comes with many pros but also some cons. Getty
Maddison, meanwhile is very considerate.
"If one person has a dietary requirement, everyone needs to keep it in mind when suggesting places to eat," she shares with 9Travel.
"I don't care if there are six people on the trip and only one is vegetarian, we are only eating at places with veg options."
Having expectations and setting boundaries is also essential.
Not only for the holiday and what you plan to do but also when you plan to relax.
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Setting a time to read a book alone can be a good plan. Getty
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"I am a firm believer in scheduled downtime. Always have at least one hour a day where you can just sit in silence, scroll your phone, whatever," Jemima says.
"This is especially important if you're sharing hotel rooms. don't feel pressure to do everything together all the time and cram your itinerary with stuff."
Serena says similar.
"I think you need some sort of alone time in the day - whether it's time to read your book, go for a run or have a nap," she tells.
"I love travelling with friends but you can only talk non-stop for so many hours of the day
"I also think have similar expectations of what the trip will be, what the other person likes."
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