How has your experience been travelling with male colleagues?

12 Comments

1. Leigh JonesNovember 4,2022 at 2:01PM UTC

   Other than I check a bag and they don’t, no difference.

   My toiletries are too many to make it through TSA.

2. Kathryn MontbriandNovember 4,2022 at 2:56PM UTC

   I have travelled quite a bit with male colleagues and by myself. In all cases, I prefer to make my own travel arrangements so I can select the flight, seat, etc that works best for me (I get anxious if other people choose those things).

   I haven't noticed too much by way of different needs between men and women. Other than I tend to be more conscious of safety compared to my male colleagues (and sometimes will school them on this topic). One of my favorite examples to share is the fear that happens when I get in an elevator with a man I don't know and they ask me which floor to push before selecting their own. Or the updates to my husband or a friend when I get in an Uber late at night.

   If you're traveling with someone, I would say just solve for your needs first and if the things you want to do overlap (i.e. having dinner at the hotel, meeting up for a workout) then do it. But don't overly orchestrate things to solve for your colleagues if that will make your own travel harder.

3. SamanthaNovember 4,2022 at 3:08PM UTC

   I've had pretty good experiences. I overall don't think it's a male/female thing but more specific on the person you are with.

   I've traveled with My male coworkers who are workaholics and they're just constantly go go go. Like we drove from Texas to Mexico, and stopped like once... I could have stopped a couple times. But I've also traveled with other male coworkers and they've been a lot more laid back

4. HILDA GNovember 4,2022 at 5:25PM UTC

   Travelling with either male or female colleagues and it's comfort so to speak may vary and will depend on the level of acquaintance the travel buddies already have. :)

5. Robin SherkNovember 4,2022 at 6:12PM UTC

   Not really - the only exception is if you don't wear comfortable shoes at the airport (so it's harder to keep up walking), or if you're breastfeeding (so you need to take more 'random' breaks). Otherwise, it's the same.

6. TeenieNovember 4,2022 at 6:17PM UTC

   As a working travelling professional am guessing every one irrespective of gender, is their own person.

   But why the question?

7. Kristina MartinNovember 5,2022 at 5:28PM UTC

   I have traveled with male colleagues for years I have never noticed a difference based on sex. I have noticed differences based on individuals. Respect personal boundaries. If you are with them for a whole day respect that people may need to have alone time. We usually share a car so we may have dinner together. Then I like to retire to my room. The only problem I had was about lunch. He wanted skip lunch and I don’t skip meals. This was his personal preference not cause he was male. At least that is how I looked at it.

8. Edie RodetskyNovember 7,2022 at 2:37PM UTC

   I have travelled with male colleagues for the better part of 25 years. The ONLY time I have had the tiniest of issues was when a male colleague made a little fuss at hotel check in that he HAD to be on a different floor than me because he couldn't be seen as being that close to a woman who wasn't his wife. It was really bizarre, because he didn't speak Spanish and I was trying to explain it to the check in agent.

9. Focused167166November 7,2022 at 3:33PM UTC

   I have experienced that the men I travel with have the unwelcome need to share with me their thoughts on women. From how women “are,” in attractiveness and behavior. And they incessantly and unsolicitedly share with me their past sexual experiences with women.

10. Ashley BasilioNovember 7,2022 at 5:39PM UTC

    If you don’t want to hear this then shut it down. Obviously they are telling you because they think they can get away with it.

11. Joanna PoeNovember 7,2022 at 4:27PM UTC

    I used to travel for weeks on end with many different colleagues, generally one at a time. I didn't really notice a difference that was gender-specific; mostly, it was down to personal preferences. I did note some differences that I believe were mainly due to age group/experience level, but only really general stuff.

    We were responsible for booking our own flights and got separate rentals, etc. Sometimes we wouldn't even end up at the same hotel if we were headed somewhere with choices. I guess if I'd been forced to go on the same flight, share a car, and always stay at the same hotel, I might have been more likely to run into differences in behavior or opinions, but that just wasn't the case.

12. Farah BajwaNovember 7,2022 at 5:49PM UTC

    I never minded traveling with male coworkers so long as I could get my own rental car. Aside from it helping limit "alone time" if ended up just being us two, I have really heavy periods and they are sometimes accompanied with pain. I need to have that privacy in case I need to leave a spare change of pants in the car or a place to take 5 until the pain killers kick in. It also allowed me the freedom to get to the drug store or leave for the hotel as i needed. Usually when a manager pushed back for "cost" of renting two cars, I have to get bold and tell them my reasons. Of course they'd get all uncomfortable and then work with me. Honestly it sucks that women still have to pre-plan strategy for things like this.