Tips of Common Courtesy when Making Trip Visit a Friend
If you are making a trip to visit a friend in your neighborhood or someone who lives miles away from you, good etiquette is the same. The adequate way to conduct yourself while visiting your friend will be the best way in which you can make sure that you are welcome at his or her house anytime in the near or far future.
Your friends are not sitting down waiting for you to decide to visit, they have lives and their lives have activities that they have to tend to and act upon. Mind that they will not be able to keep you company 24 hours a day all the time that you are visiting; make plans to spend some time away from them either by yourself or sight seeing the city.
If you can and they have the time, do invite them or make the proposal to do this or visit this new place. But do not overreact if you sense or they tell you point blank that they have things to do; you know that their life does not revolve around you, regardless of your relationship with them.
If they have children and you are staying in their home, it might be a considerate action to offer yourself to act as a babysitter while they go to a night out.
While visiting and being accommodated in the guest room is a nice way to save some money that you can use in your touring of the city or inviting your friends a nice dinner, staying for an extended visit might not sit well with the family of your friend. Consider that they are not free to “argue” or behave in the same way they do when they are alone, it is awfully stressful to keep a happy face “for the sake of the visits”; if you plan to stay for a long time, plan on a hotel or a boarding room a B&B facility could work too.
If you decide to stay in their home or they will not “allow” you to go to a hotel, respect their rules, do not be the over-spoiling visit that allows their children or pets to misbehave. Act responsibly and abide by their rules.
Whether it is a “thank you” gift or a token of your appreciation, arriving at your friend’s house with a nice and useful gift (not what you found in the duty free store) will be welcome and appreciated by him/her and their family.
Take the time and the effort to bring it properly wrapped, of course, traveling with a wrapped gift is not a good idea especially if you are using an airplane. Fortunately, there are wrapping elements almost everywhere and it takes just 5 minutes to do it right. You will not regret it.
Once again, do not think of what it is that you think they need; it is a gift and you are not solving any sudden problems or needs; be gracious enough to consider about something pretty (even though you might believe that they have terrible taste), do not shop for you.