Finding a Good Travel Buddy

3 min read

More and more people choose to travel with someone rather than alone. Solo traveling also has its upsides, but the general opinion is that it pales in comparison to having a travel buddy. The notion holds some advantages and disadvantages, so we will let you decide what you should do. Let us first elaborate on the matter.

Why?

There are several reasons why you would want to travel with someone else. It makes it much easier to tend to your belongings, ask for directions, buy appropriate tickets, and so on. There is safety in numbers, as thieves and scammers are less likely to target you when you are with someone. Furthermore, when you are lost and have no idea what to do, you have someone by your side to help you come up with a plan.

The Issues

However, you should be very careful when choosing a travel buddy. First of all, there is no guarantee that you are going to be compatible with each other. It may be something simple, like one of you snoring, or something major, like money management or lack thereof, being irresponsible, or simply wanting to see different things from you. Even a random misunderstanding could be a challenge for the arrangement.

Another thing to watch out for is catfishing. It’s when people online pretend to be someone they are not in the hopes of creating contact. If the person doesn’t look like the one you chatted with, pack your bags and step away. The wiser course of action than finding a buddy online would be to try with an acquaintance first. If that doesn’t work out or if you have your own reasons for not wanting to involve people you know, the world is your oyster.

The Steps you Need to Take

Make sure you and your future travel buddy are on the same page regarding the purpose of your journey and in general. Sometimes, you just click with someone. Other times, there’s nothing. Check out websites like Couchsurfing, Travbuddy, and a few similar social media platforms for travelers to see if you find someone. Alternatively, you can find a friend or a Greeter to introduce you to some people.

The next step would be to meet them in a public place and have a talk face-to-face. Discuss the sites, the places to stay, and the financial aspect of our journey. If you hit it off, great. If not, say your goodbyes and be on your merry way.

Going Solo

If all else fails, you are more than welcome to go for it alone. It will be challenging, of course, but sometimes that’s the only way to have an adventure. Make sure you don’t broadcast everything on social media until you get back. It is scary how much information about us people online can unearth. Speaking of which, it may also be a good idea not to tell everyone that you are traveling solo. The fewer people know, the better. That, of course, excludes the immediate family or the closest friend.