How traveling solo can help you find a travel buddy
What’s the best way to find a travel buddy? Go solo on a guided tour! In addition to visiting your dream destination and enjoying a private room, one of the biggest perks of Solo Tours is sharing your memorable journey with fellow travelers. It’s an easy, natural way to meet others whose travel interests and personalities align with yours. And, perhaps, connect with a travel buddy for your next adventure.
Take for example, Vicki and Jessica. They hit it off while both traveling solo on one of our Iceland tours. Or Jill, Tami, Katie, and Wendy, who met while traveling solo on one of our Costa Rica tours. All six of these women recently joined our Grand Tour of Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai & Phuket tour to make even more memories together.
“The best part of having a friend to go on tour with is having someone to share the experiences with,” said traveler Jessica. Read on to discover why these travelers say traveling solo is the best way to find a travel buddy.
1. How did you find a travel buddy to accompany you on future tours?
While our solo travelers didn’t necessarily go on tour in search of traveling companions, they found that making connections with fellow travelers came easy. Vicki and Jessica met as solo travelers on one of our Iceland tours. Tami met Wendy through work and asked her to go on a trip. They connected with Katie and Jill on a tour of Costa Rica.
“Just before my father passed away, he said to me he wished he would have traveled more,” said Vicki. “I will not be saying that! I started solo traveling in 2019, then I met Jessica in 2022 on an EF tour in Iceland, and now we have several other tours that we are booked on.” Their stories are not unique. Solo traveler Alison said, “I just got back from a Solo Tour, and it was perfect because everyone there was solo. It made making new connections and amazing friendships easy as everyone was alone. No ties to anyone else made it the same experience for all of us.”
Looking for the best trips to find travel buddies? Check out all our Solo Tours →
2. What made you decide to go to Thailand together?
Once you’ve found a compatible traveling buddy, the big decision is what part of the world to explore next. Jessica and Vicki wasted no time finding out if they were both interested in the same destination. “While Vicki and I were in Iceland, we had discussed traveling together in the future,” said Jessica. “We were both interested in going to Thailand. We talked about the possibility of going to Thailand together, but we did not make any official plans. A month or two after our Iceland tour, I messaged Vicki and asked if she wanted to book the trip. She did, so we booked the trip together.”
With four people involved, reaching a consensus was more involved for Jill, Tami, Katie, and Wendy. “We just talk it out and throw out trip ideas, and whichever one speaks to us the most, we go with it!” said Tami. “Our goal right now is to focus on far flung places that will be physically demanding travel-wise. For example: sitting on a plane for 10+ hours.”
Wondering where to find travel buddies? Go on our Thailand for Solo Travelers: Bangkok, Phuket & the Islands tour →
3. What’s your advice on how to find a travel buddy that’s compatible?
“What makes a great travel buddy is someone you can spend long periods of time with,” said Jessica. “You both have to get along pretty well. You both have to have similar interests. Different people have different travel styles or want to do certain things while traveling. You and your travel buddy should have enough of these things in common that you both can get what you want out of your trip together.”
For Tami, the bottom line is flexibility, a positive attitude at all times, good communication, respect, humor, and, most of all, an adventurous spirit! “You need to be flexible to adapt to changing situations no matter what the situation is, good or bad,” said Tami. “You need to have a positive attitude, no negative vibes or complaining. Good communication is key when traveling with others! Solo travelers have a goal and an agenda. Share it with others. You may find common ground with someone. Also, by openly communicating your why and your purpose with someone or with a group makes it easier to connect with others. For my travel buddies, everyone is much happier when we openly communicate with each other.”
See what other solo travelers have to say about how to find a travel buddy in our Solo Travel Facebook group →
4. What’s the best part of having a travel friend to go on tour with?
“Photos!” said Jill. “We share all our photos. Each person catches something different. Sharing the experience, on the whole, is the best part!” (We might add that having a travel companion to take your photo in front of the Eiffel Tower or the Cliffs of Moher is much easier than relying on selfies. For Tami, the best part of having travel buddies is “sharing and laughing with someone who is enjoying the moment just as much as you are.
Also it can be great to have a support system to lean on if things go south so that you can work together to get out of the mess you’re in. “We have gotten lost many times and walked our butts off, but we managed to find our way back to the hotel!” Jessica said, “The best part of having a friend to go on tour with is having someone to share the experiences with.”
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5. What was your favorite moment with your traveling companions on tour?
“Vicki and I do quite a bit of shopping,” said Jessica. “I loved going through all of the markets in Thailand.” For Tami and Jill, it was harder to choose from so many memorable moments. “Which tour?” said Tami. “I have many favorite moments: meeting Katie and Jill in Costa Rica and hitting it off. In Thailand, every moment was exciting and fun to share with friends old and new.” For Jill, her favorite moment was “all of them.”
For many solo travelers, favorite moments on tour involve fellow travelers. “What made this trip memorable were the people that I met,” said traveler Stephanie about her Food & Wine Tour of Southern Italy & Sicily. “Having a smaller group allowed us to get to know each other. I was traveling solo, but I never felt alone because there was always someone to eat, drink, or shop with.”
6. Do you and your traveling companions have plans to go on another tour together?
“Yes, we do,” said Jessica. “Currently, we are booked on two other trips together. Vicki and I are doing the New Year’s Eve in Australia & New Zealand tour with the Fiji extension and a Scandinavia tour.” Equally as enthusiastic about the joys of exploring the world with a travel buddy, Tami said, “Always! We love to travel. We do trips on our own and with each other. Our goal is to plan at least one trip a year with each other. With that said, we have a list. Our next trips are to Japan in 2023 and Cuba in 2024. Turkey is also on the list within the next two years. Hopefully, we will see you on tour and become friends!”
Find a buddy to travel with on our tours designed especially for solo travelers →
7. What advice would you give other solo travelers on how to find a traveling buddy on a Solo Tour?
“Talk to everyone, not just the same age group as yourself,” said Vicki. “Jessica and I are 28 years apart, but still have a lot of the same interests. So be open to meeting new people. You have to be willing to take a chance. Solo traveling can be scary, but the rewards are so worth it.” When it comes to how to find travel buddies, it often comes down to personality type. Jessica recommended, “Talk to everyone because you might end up making new friends you can travel with in the future. At the very least, you’ll make new memories on tour.”
Tami said it was important to get to know everyone on your tour, but to try doing so in smaller groups. “It will happen naturally and in smaller situations,” said Tami. “Know that you can easily get to know someone on your own terms. It’s funny how much you can get to know a person in a group setting on a tour. Just remember to communicate and have fun!
Ready to book your next solo trip? Find your next travel buddy on one of our Solo Tours!
