A good or bad travelling companion can make or break your trip. There’s no universal recipe as to how to find a travel buddy that would be just perfect, but a few general rules can be nevertheless laid out. Keep reading to learn some of them!
The basic rules how to find a travel buddy that would be compatible with you
- Age range (usually) matters
- Money isn’t everything, but it’s important
- Personality match is great, but not a necessity
- Mutual respect is a must
- Don’t leave humour at home
Try to fish for buddies within the same age range, but don’t leave out other possibilities
The rule of thumb is to select someone within 5-10 year range from you. This way it’s more likely you’ll be more or less on the same level. Choosing someone much older or younger than you can often create friction – their energy could be much higher or lower than yours. When you’re knackered and all you need is some sleep, while your mate is stoked for a night out, it’s fine one or two times, but can get tiresome over longer periods. That’s just one example, there are plenty more – so keep it in mind when deciding. But it’s possible you’re going to have a blast with someone significantly younger or older nevertheless, so we certainly don’t aim to discourage you from choosing them!
Settle out money matters in advance
How much and how often do you wish to spend? Do you prefer hostels to hotels, would you rather eat out in restaurants or try cooking your own food? Public transport or car rent? How much of a spender is either of you? Decide on the size of the common spending pot together. In addition to that, each of you can keep his individual budget to splurge or save however he sees fit. But the size and the way in which the common money is spent must definitely be decided in advance.
Are you looking for a challenging companion or the one to stay in the comfort zone with?
Obviously not everyone wants to be pushed outside the limits of what’s comfortable all the time. On the other hand, being out there on an adventure should be challenging a bit and stepping out of one’s comfort zone from time to time is important. Decide what you want – a companion with a similar personality and interests, or someone who’s an opposite of you and who’ll sometimes push your boundaries? It’s really up to you – perhaps try to team up with someone who is a mixed bag in this regard. Extremes rarely work together well.
Respect and demand respect in return
You should be both on equal field while travelling. Don’t set out with someone who always has to have his / her way, or who’s emotionally leeching you, discards your opinions, never offers to help or abandons you when the going gets tough. Mutual respect is the key in life in general, but this should go doubly while on the road. If any of you is unable to grasp this, perhaps you should reconsider travelling in general.
The ability to laugh things over is crucial
Always look on the bright side of life – both you and your travelling buddy. Life on the road is often complicated and mishaps happen all the time. You get lost, you miss the last bus home and have to walk back to your accommodation in a thunderstorm. Travelling is rife with small disasters. Sometimes even with big ones. But you should never lose your head over this – and neither should your mate. A good joke can lift the weight off even the weightiest of travel situations. Keep a sense of humour and you will keep going for another day!
These are the five things you should be mindful of when looking for someone to join you on your trip. We hope you’ve found them helpful!
It’s certain we’ve left out some other qualities one should have to be a good companion on the road. Finishing the list is partly up to you – feel free to come up with more items to put there! Write them down in the comments – we’re thrilled to hear them!
