Traveling with a buddy is great! By traveling with a companion, you have somebody to watch your back and share your stress. You’ll never be lonely, and long flights will go much faster with good conversation. It’s often cheaper to travel in a pair, especially when it comes to splitting hotel costs.
Unfortunately, you may not know somebody who’s up to be your travel buddy. Many people have work commitments or insufficient funds to go traveling. Don’t despair though, that doesn’t mean you have to travel alone!
Luckily, in 2019, we have the power of the internet. There are websites made specifically to pair you up with your perfect travel buddies- such as travel-buddies.com and tripgiraffe.com. There are chat forums and Facebook groups where you can make connections with fellow travelers. Meetup is a great app, it’s a platform for finding local communities of people you can connect with. There are Meetup for all sorts of hobbies, making it really easy to find like-minded people close by. Staying in hostels is a great way to meet potential travel partners- and you have the added benefit of getting to know them in real life rather than online.
Whether you are looking for a travel buddy online or thinking about asking a friend- here are a few things you should consider to find the best companion for you.
• Consider the budget.
You’ll want to travel with somebody who has a similar budget to you. You and your travel buddy will find it much easier to agree on travel, accommodation, and food if you’ve discussed a daily budget you both agree on. It’s a nightmare when one person tries to stick to ramen noodles and fast food, while the other wants to eat out in lavish restaurants and cafes.
• Consider what you each want out of the trip.
Different people have different interests and different ways of traveling. Some people like to hit the city- shopping and relaxing, while others like to get their hands dirty in the great outdoors. Some people are party animals who want to be out every night, some like to be in bed by 9 and up early the next day. There’s no use traveling with a companion who hates museums if you love them. It’s ok to split up and do your own thing for a while. But, the whole point of a travel buddy is to explore together- so it’s important to think about this before setting off with a partner.
• Personality
Above all else, you need to be able to get along with your travel partner. They need to be somebody you can spend days, weeks and even months with- without getting on each other’s nerves. Somebody you may get on with for a few hours a day at work may drive you mad by day 2. Ideally, your travel buddy should share your sense of humor. After all, they’ll be the person you’re waiting 3 hours for the bus with. You should care about your travel buddy’s safety, as they should care about yours. It’s a partnership, after all, and it won’t work out if you two don’t get along.
To take away.
We hope that this article has given you some useful things to consider when finding your ideal travel buddy. The right travel buddy can make or break your trip, and a solid partnership can last for years and years, over many adventures. If you really want to make sure you and your travel buddy are right for each other do a practice trip. This could be a short few day trips just to see if you are compatible when it comes to travel. Good luck, and stay safe.
