How to never travel solo – 4 ways to find the perfect travel companion

Is fear of being alone the thing that is holding you back from making your travel dreams a reality? Here’s how to find a travel buddy to share your adventures.

So, solo travel is not for you but your dream adventure is being held back by the lack of a travel partner. Well here are four different ways to find a travel partner and make your travel dreams a reality.

Friends and family –

I know it sounds obvious, I’m sure you’ve asked your best mate or your older sister without success but have you tried further afield? If you take to Facebook with some basic details, you may be amazed at who pops up. “Planning a dream vacation to Mexico for a week and a half this August, anyone keen to join?” Is a great way to connect with old workmates or friends of friends and if someone takes you up on the offer you will already know and be comfortable with them.

Event travel –

Say Bali for a yoga retreat, Brazil for a samba dance workshop run by the local dance school, or NYC for a writer’s convention. The advantages of this type of travel are that 1) your travel, excursions and workshops are often organised in one easy package and 2) that you have access to an existing community who shares your interest. If you go through a local organisation you may already know other participants. If not there will be online forums where you can meet and get to know others before you go, so you don’t have to worry about not knowing anyone on arrival.

Online travel buddies –

You can find travel companions through sites such as Travbuddy.com or on the TripAdvisor forums, though meeting a stranger off the internet can be intimidating. The trick to internet travel companions is to get involved in the community, check out Facebook or Couchsurfing groups on your chosen location and interact with the other travellers. Remember you don’t have to choose a stranger and leave with them next week. Get to know them through the group, write back and forwards even have a Skype date or meet them for coffee, before committing to travel with someone you should feel completely comfortable. Pro tip, hit up some of the local travel blogger groups, there are always bloggers with proven travel records, keen to head to almost any location you can think of.

Group tours –

If you sign up for a small group tour, your travel companions won’t stay strangers for long! Especially if you go for something like a Contiki where socialising is emphasised. Alternatively, you could choose a tour centred on a certain interest, cooking, architecture etc. So you know you will have something in common with your travelling companions. This is a great way to explore something you have always dreamed of without committing to a single travel buddy for an extended period of time.

If you have been putting off travelling with the excuse that you have no one to go with, now is the time to take that first tiny step to make your dream a reality. Go on, start right NOW! Put up that Facebook shout out, Google tours to your dream destination, take one little action right NOW to make it happen. The first step is always the hardest. Now you have four different ways to find a travel companion so you don’t have to go it alone, you will be surprised at how much easier making your dream travel a reality gets from here.