Meeting Friends from Different Cities – Find Fair Reunion Locations
College friends scattered across the country? Childhood friends in different states? Find reunion locations that are actually fair for everyone.
Long-distance friendships survive when everyone makes equal effort. Reunion locations that favor some friends over others slowly erode those bonds.
Why Long-Distance Friend Reunions Are So Hard to Plan
Common challenges:
- The friend with the "coolest" city always hosts, making others travel 5+ hours every time
- Someone always can't afford the flight to wherever you picked
- Coordinating across time zones and schedules feels impossible
- Group chats devolve into "I can't make it there" messages
- Reunions stop happening because planning feels too hard
Your college friend group is spread across SF, Chicago, Boston, and Austin. Every reunion is in SF (coolest city, where most people want to visit). But Austin/Chicago friends spend $400+ on flights and travel days. After 3 reunions, they stop coming. The group fractures.
You're planning a reunion for 6 childhood friends now living in 6 different states. Someone suggests their hometown. Others protest—it's a $600 flight and 8 hours of travel. You compromise on a "central" city. Three people can afford it; three can't. Reunion attendance: 50%.
Why the geographic midpoint fails:
A geographic midpoint for friends across the country might land in the middle of nowhere—no airport, limited hotels, nothing to do. Fair location ≠ fun reunion destination.
Why manual planning doesn't work:
Manually planning cross-country reunions means: polling availability, checking flight costs, debating cities, and inevitable dropouts. Most friend groups give up and just meet whoever can make it to [popular city].
When reunions consistently favor the same friends (those in big cities, those with money, those with flexible schedules), others feel left behind. The group shrinks. Friendships fade.
How Where2Meet Finds Fair Long-Distance Reunion Locations
Where2Meet calculates travel times (flights + drives) from each friend's city and suggests reunion destinations where travel burden is balanced. Keep the whole group together without favoring anyone.
How Where2Meet helps:
- Find cities where everyone's flight + travel time is roughly equal
- Discover new reunion destinations nobody would have thought of
- See actual travel options (direct flights, drive times) before committing
- Filter by activities: beach cities, mountain towns, cultural hubs
- Vote as a group so nobody feels excluded from the decision
❌ Before Where2Meet:
Group chat: "Let's reunite!" [50 messages] "SF again?" "Too expensive for me..." "How about Chicago?" "I can't get time off for that flight..." [Reunion doesn't happen]
✅ After Where2Meet:
Share Where2Meet link. 6 friends add locations. The map shows Nashville as a fair midpoint (2-3 hour flights for everyone, direct flights from all cities, affordable Airbnbs). Group votes yes. Reunion happens. Attendance: 100%.
Create a reunion event, share the link with all friends, and have everyone add their city. Where2Meet shows cities where total travel time (flights + ground transport) is balanced. Filter by vibe (beach, city, mountains) and vote together.
For long-distance reunions, most people fly. Set transportation mode to "flying" and Where2Meet will prioritize cities with good airport access and affordable flight options.
How to Plan a Long-Distance Reunion in 4 Steps
Create Reunion Event
Set up "College Reunion 2025" with flexible date range (helps with flight booking). Share link with the group.
💡 Tip: Lead with: "Let's find somewhere fair for everyone!"—sets collaborative tone.
Everyone Adds Their City
Friends add their home cities/airports. Choose "flying" as transportation mode.
💡 Tip: Have someone collect responses if not everyone is active in the group chat.
Review Fair Reunion Cities
Where2Meet shows cities where total travel time is minimized. Filter by vibe, budget, and activities.
💡 Tip: Look for cities with affordable Airbnbs and fun group activities (food tours, hiking, nightlife).
Vote, Book, & Coordinate
Group votes on top 2-3 options. Once decided, book lodging and coordinate flight booking deadlines.
Pro Tips for Friend Reunion Planning
Pro Tips:
Rotate Locations to Stay Fair Over Time
Use Where2Meet to find a different fair city each reunion. This year's location might favor east coast; next year, west coast.
Consider Budget Diversity
If some friends have more money than others, pick cities with a range of accommodation options (hostels + hotels).
Build in Arrival/Departure Flexibility
Some friends will want to arrive early or stay late. Pick cities with enough to do so extra days feel worth it.
Common Mistakes:
❌ Always picking the "coolest" city
Why: Cool cities (NYC, SF, LA) are expensive and far for most people—favor friends who live there
✓ Fix: Use Where2Meet to find fair cities, even if they're less "cool"—the reunion matters, not the destination
❌ Ignoring flight costs when picking locations
Why: A city might be fair travel-time-wise but unaffordable flight-wise for some friends
✓ Fix: After finding fair cities on Where2Meet, check flight costs separately before finalizing
Frequently Asked Questions
What if friends are spread across multiple countries?
Where2Meet can help find international reunion spots. For US/Europe friends, consider cities like London or Reykjavik. For US/Asia, consider Hawaii or West Coast cities.
How do we handle friends who can't afford to travel?
Pick an affordable fair location, and consider group-funding travel for friends who need help. Some friend groups create a reunion fund everyone contributes to.
Can we plan recurring reunions with the same fair system?
Yes. Save the event and rotate cities each year based on fairness. Where2Meet remembers locations so planning future reunions is faster.
What if some friends want to bring partners or kids?
Add their locations too if they're traveling separately. Filter for family-friendly cities with parks, attractions, and spacious Airbnbs.
Keep Long-Distance Friendships Alive
Stop letting geography fracture your friend group. Find reunion locations that work for everyone.
Plan Your Friends Reunion