What if my friend and I get sepperated???

[modestmike]

One concern my friend and I have about our trip is the possibility of us getting seperated. We are going to be cautious to try our best not to let it happen.

we are taking basic measures to prevent this, such as making sure we both know the name and address of our hotel/hostel, and staying religiously close to one another while boarding/unboarding trains.

if we get seperated while in the same city, the plan is to return to our hostel and regroup, worst-case-senario (in my mind) is that one of us boards a train and the other misses it. in this case, our plan is to try to contact one another through facebook.com and try to agree on a way to meet back up (i don't much care for this plan, but it's the best we can think-up)

Please let me know if anyone has experience/ tips on this subject matter, thanks ;D

[me]

if this is a big worry, you could pack small walkie-talkies and turn them on if you get separated. this wouldn't help much with the train situation. you'd be out of range by the time you'd gotten them out & on.

if the train will be making a short stop, just plan to be at the be on the platform when it gets there so you can both get on before the doors close.

[LHR02]

Okay...maybe I am being dense...but are you and your friend planning on going your own seperate ways all the time?

That said....if you know you are leaving town A on the whatever time train, makes sense to just plan to meet there 20 minutes or so before departure. How far apart are you going to be after all in the same town and same hostel? And, if you both aren't at the station at the appointed time, then set a backup location to meet after the fact at some other spot. Methinks you are worrying unnecesarily.....unless said friend is not reliable.

ging

[mango]

I was with friends who had some of those walkie-talkie things in amsterdam once, but their range wasn't that great and you really had to have it turned on and be listening out for it for it to be of any use. So we ended up having to use mobile phones all the time to tell the other person to turn their walkie-talkie on! ;D

Have you considered attaching one of those child harness/leash things to your friend to stop them wandering off?

[herrbert]

I think you are worrying a little bit too much. I have been travelling with groups, and we never 'lost' somebody.

But if you are worried about it, than just make a call with your mobile telephone, and decide where to meet up, it would be a complete waste of time, if you have to go back to the hostel, from the other side of town, and have to wait. So If you are in a city, pick a site that you can find easily, and meet up there. (e.g. in Madrid, the statue of the Bear on Sol)

[gamegrl1]

From what you post, it sounds like you should be fine. As long as you never panic, you'll be even better. Your "basic measures" should work and then you are better prepared than my sister and I were by having the Plan B to regroup at the hotel. We got separated in Lyon and I just meandered back to the hotel by way of a church, and she panicked...My bad.
Stick to your plan - really stick together at the train stations/airports, and if you decide to split up for a while on purpose then stick to your schedule for when you'll regroup. It's really hard to find someone in a big place, especially if you are not fluent in the language. I know! Thank goodness it all turned out fine, though.

[Toulouse]

I wouldn't worry too much. Before you board a train just be sure that the other person is directly behind you. If you think the other person might not make the train if they are too far behind, just don't board it and wait for the next one. I think the plan to meet back at the hostel should you get seperated is a good enough plan for a situation that most likely won't happen if you and your travel partner are good about checking to see if the other person is there.