06 Jan 2015 by Olga Brighton
At some point we’ve all found ourselves facing the odd situation of having monumental travel plans, substantial budget and limitless energy, but absolutely no one to travel with. Friends may be busy at work, family members are not always available and partner is not in the picture for many of us. Or maybe all of your loved ones weren’t bitten by the travel bug. Whatever the case is, you shouldn’t get discouraged by lack of your friends’ enthusiasm or life choice that doesn’t seem to correspond with yours. Don’t give up on your travel future, as there are many ways to find companions to share your amazing experience with.
You’re not the only having no one to travel with but refusing to stay at home. It’s amazing how easily and quickly people connect on the group tours. They share at least one interest (travel) and then share experiences on their trip. You will most likely become friends with everyone on such tour by the end of the first day you spend together. Even if not all of the tour members will gel with you, a few people will particularly enjoy your company. And when you find them, there won’t be a single moment when you’ll feel like you’re travelling on your own.
Your closest friends may be busy at the moment, but the friends of theirs may be available and open to whatever ideas you have in mind. You may ask that fun and adventurous friend of a friend you never had the time to know better. Or you can simply announce your trip plans on your social media accounts. You may find that someone you know is also looking for a travel buddy. And because you know them to some extent, it will be easier for you to decide whether you’d like to travel with them. You may even come home from such trip not with a friend of a friend, but a new friend of yours.
Some of the major travel websites have subforums dedicated to finding travel buddies. There are even whole websites (like TravBuddy) created to help people exchange their travel experiences and find someone to travel with. Destination-specific forums on popular travel websites, including CouchSurfing.com also help people find travel buddies eager to set off on a journey to various destinations. Keep in mind that great travel companions don’t have to share your interests, they need to share your travel goal.
There is always a chance that will not work out the way you planned, but you will feel obligated to stick with you travel buddies anyway. When you travel solo, you travel independently. Of course, it may seem scary, much like jumping into the unknown, but it is always one of the best ways to find travel companions who can share you passion and your ideas. You can meet people at the hostel and get to know them better before suggesting or getting invited to travel together. Also, you can team up and split up according to your travel plans. This options lets you make you more friends on a journey than you ever could with any other way travelling. Solo travel may sound scary, but once you have had a taste of it, you might never want to go back.
No matter which way you choose to find the likeminded to set off on a journey with you, don’t forget about the safety measures. Take out travel insurance policy that would fit your travel plans best, to make sure you will stay financially protected throughout your journey.
We accept