Buddy-up and Keep Travelling; Part 4

Welcome back to our travel buddy series, where we explore the art of travelling with a specifically chosen other – one who isn’t your partner, or even a close friend, but who loves travel as much as you! In this article we take a look at where to search for the perfect travel buddy.

Note: When initially connecting with potential travel buddies, take all the necessary precautions to keep your identity and personal information private. If and when you do decide to meet up online or in person, share your intentions with a trusted other, take them along with you, and always consult professional advice (the NZ Police site can be a good place to start) on how to interact with strangers online and in person.

Family and friends

No one is saying ‘don’t consider a family member or long-time friend as a potential travel buddy’, but do bear in mind the person you think you know well, and enjoy in one context, may not be quite the same person when they become a traveller. If they’re not, and things turn to custard, it can not only spoil a previously happy relationship, it can be very difficult to put into action your previously agreed exit strategy in an agreeable manner. Whether through travel anxieties leading to controlling behaviour, an unwillingness to share expenses, or any one of myriad other difficulties, it can be easier to discuss these with a travel buddy you don’t know intimately.

Solo trips

Although you may wish to travel independently, consider first joining a solo travellers’ tour. These are tours specifically designed for solo travellers who want the company of those with interests in similar destinations or activities. Especially when you join a smaller tour, you’ll quickly get to know your fellow travellers – their sense of humour, willingness to share and help out, and most importantly, their level of kindness. Over meals, and while on walks, conversation naturally turns to ‘where to next,’ which can be a great opportunity to discuss with someone with whom you ‘gel,’ about teaming up for an independent travel adventure which includes just the two of you.

Service groups, and volunteering positions

The people we mix with in service groups and volunteering situations are often not necessarily ‘friends,’ but we do get to know them well in the context in which we mingle. In fact, through problem solving and working alongside them in a situation where everyone is on a level playing field, we often gain a very honest appreciation of who they are. Someone you admire in this context, but with whom you are not necessarily close to, can make an ideal travel buddy. You already have a relationship with them, but it is not so intimate should things not work out in the end, you have lost a friendship. A volunteer ‘colleague’ can be both an acquaintance and a travel companion in the best possible way.

Clubbing

Clubs are where we meet those with interests similar to our own, and can provide a great place to start searching for a travel buddy. Real life stories include gardening club members who have joined forces to visit the gardens across the world they’ve always dreamed of seeing, and walking club members who have teamed up to walk sections of the Camino. If you know what interests you most, seek out a local club that reflects this. You never know –  if you do, you may soon be heading to an art class in Florence, a cooking school in London, or a tour of Florida golf courses with a buddy who is as keen to travel as you are!

Advertise

Although it can feel like a risk, advertising for a travel buddy in your local newspaper or on a social media platform (such as Grownups) may reap results. If you do decide to do this, be sure to follow professional safety advice regarding sharing personal information and meeting up in person or online (see our note of warning at the start of this article).

Find a travel buddy takes time, but when you do, it can make all the effort worthwhile.