Travelling alone can be a very rewarding experience and many travellers prefer the flexibility it allows. Most people are social creatures though, and many prefer not to travel alone.
If you prefer to spend time in the company of others or are worried about becoming lonely during your trip, then finding the perfect travel buddy will make your holiday much more enjoyable.
The obvious first place to look is with your family and good friends. However, people can often be too busy, committed to saving money, or don’t want to go to where you are going. For these and many other reasons, you may need to be able to find a travel buddy elsewhere.
Luckily, there are many places you can find wonderful, friendly, trustworthy people to enjoy your adventures with.
Tours and guided holidays are a very popular way to travel. You needn’t worry about planning or organising anything and you will spend the entire time travelling around with a group of people who want to see the same sights as you. This style of travel may not be for everyone though, as it doesn’t give you the freedom of creating your own itinerary or allow for much flexibility. If you would prefer not to go on a tour, then you will need to find your travel companion yourself.
COTA Holidays, who organise senior-friendly trips for people of similar ages, can even arrange a meet-and-greet for travellers to get to know each other before they set off on their tours.
Everyone who has ever travelled will know that it is vital to go with people who share common interests and you get along very well with.
Your trip will become a lot less enjoyable if you want to spend your days exploring the cultural sites but your travel buddy is more interested in just relaxing on the beach. It is also important to find someone who can still make you laugh or at least stay positive during long flights, waits, or if something goes wrong.
With these things in mind, the best place to first look for a new travel buddy is among people who are in your social circles or a member of a club you’ve joined. You already know that you will have shared interests or friends in common. Strike up a conversation or put a notice on any shared noticeboard or newsletter. There’s a good chance that you will spark the interest of a like-minded person.
Try to keep in mind that there’s no guarantee that any of these people will want to travel at the same time or to the same places as you.
To increase your chances of finding someone who wants to travel to the same places and have similar experiences as you, there are a variety of online forums and groups dedicated to matching up travel buddies.
Websites like www.travel-buddies.com, www.travbuddy.com, and www.thelmandlouise.com (for women looking for other women to travel with) allow you to search through a list of people looking for a travelling companion. Look for someone who is going to the same destination and start messaging them online to get a better idea of the sort of person they are. You can also put your own message up for others to find.
This can be quite an adventurous way to find travel buddies, but for people who enjoy making brand new friends it is one of the best ways of finding people who are interested in travelling where you want to go, when you want to go.
If you do decide to try it, it is best to exercise a bit of cautious common sense. Don’t put your address or other personal details up online and ensure that the first time you meet this person it is in public, during the day and you have your mobile phone with you. It is most likely that they are an eager traveller wanting an enjoyable experience, but it is better to be careful.
Many travellers have more success in finding a travel buddy while they’re already on their holiday.
Hotels and resorts with common areas are excellent places for meeting people who are interested in going to see the same sights as you. Striking up a conversation during the buffet breakfast could find you a travel buddy for at least day or two. Day trips and organised tours are also excellent ways of meeting other travellers during your holiday. Walking tours, group activities and cruises are all excellent places to meet like-minded people.
Finding someone to travel with can feel like a daunting experience if your normal travel buddies aren’t able to go.
By engaging with people both at home and while travelling, it’s possible to create new friendships during your time travelling. Check out our post for 6 reasons why you should travel with friends to understand why travelling with others brings many benefits that you would not get on a solo adventure.
Insurance and Membership Services Limited ABN 59 057 159 743, AR No 246235 trading as COTA Insurance, is an authorised representative of nib Travel Services Pty Limited ABN 81 115 932 173, AFS Licence No. 308461 and only provides general advice which means you should consider if it is suitable for your needs. Before deciding to purchase the product, please read the Product Disclosure Statement available at https://cota.we.com.au/. This insurance is underwritten by XL Insurance company SE, Australia branch (ABN 36 083 570 441).
