Together it’s not only more fun, but also cheaper and safer. We have chosen resources where it is easy to find like-minded people both for a trip to the sea and for a crazy hitchhiking trip.
Why look for a travel companion?
The idea of traveling with strangers may seem strange, but it has several advantages:
- It is more profitable to relax with a group than alone. Renting a double room and paying half for it is usually cheaper than renting two single rooms. If you are going on a trip by car, you can split the costs of renting a car, toll roads and gasoline.
- It's calmer with a travel companion. If you go for a walk and get lost, write to a fellow traveler so that he can help you find a hotel. If you suddenly get sick, there is someone to run to the pharmacy.
- There will be no problems with the language barrier. If you are bad at foreign languages, look for a travel companion who speaks at least English. During the trip, he will take on negotiations with local residents.
- It's more fun together. You can share emotions and impressions with a travel companion and look for new entertainment together. And yes, you won’t have to pester passers-by to have your photo taken with the Eiffel Tower on your palm.
How to create an ad
“I’m going to Greece, who’s with me?” - bad option. You will have to spend a lot of time explaining to everyone who is interested exactly where, when and for how many days you are going to go. To quickly find suitable travel companions, create a clear and understandable ad.
What should be in the ad
- Travel route. Tell us where you are from and where you are going. If you are going on a tour by car and do not yet know where you will end the trip, explain what places you want to visit.
- Approximate travel dates. You should not write in the advertisement that you are traveling strictly from August 5 to 14. Perhaps your travel companion wants to join you, but is willing to do so a few days later or earlier. Please indicate the approximate time: beginning, middle or end of the month.
- Budget. You dream of a luxury hotel and cool restaurants, but your travel companion wants to get by with little money and live in a hostel. As a result, each of you rests on your own, and the meaning of a trip together is lost. Set approximate budget limits and explain whether you are ready to go beyond them.
- Purpose of the trip. Maybe you are planning a good old car trip with overnight stays in roadside hotels, or even in a tent. Or do you want to spend your entire vacation lying on the beach, only going to souvenir shops? Everyone likes their own type of vacation - this is normal, but it is better to discuss everything before the trip so that there are no surprises.
- Habits that your travel companion should know about. For example, you can’t sleep when someone is snoring in the room, or you can’t stand tobacco smoke. It will be difficult for a convinced vegan to get along with a lover of juicy steaks, and an owl is unlikely to be comfortable with a lark. Don't be afraid that this will alienate potential travel companions: this way you will find the right person faster.
- Your photo. The avatar should be you, and not your favorite cat or a random portrait from a stock photo. People want to know who they are going to spend a few days with, and anonymous advertisements are intimidating.
Start looking for a travel companion early. During the holiday season, many people have their own plans, which are difficult to change at once. If you advertise a week before your trip, your chances of finding the perfect deal are slim.
Arrange with your future travel companion to meet before your trip. You will communicate live and get to know each other better. During the trip there will no longer be the disgusting awkwardness that arises at the first meeting.
Where to find a travel companion
Let's wave!
VKontakte
Search for a community about the country or city you are going to. For example, there are topics about searching for travel companions in groups dedicated to Turkey , Paris and rest on Goa.
Finally, you can write to specialized communities. In the group " Vacation and travel companions» there are separate topics for countries and regions: choose the one that suits you and tell us when you are going on a trip and who you are looking for.
Before leaving an ad, make sure that not only friends, but also all registered VKontakte users can write to you. Open your profile so future dates can get to know you better.
This is a popular resource about independent travel. The forum has a special section for finding travel companions. Topics are divided into areas: Europe, Asia, America, Russia and the CIS. Before creating your ad, look at who is already being searched for here. If you find a suitable option, answer directly in the topic.
The forum has a calendar for finding travel companions for specific dates. You can select the country and time of travel, and the calendar will show who else is going to travel there at the same time. If you haven't found any interesting offers, leave your ad.
Fellow traveler
Quite a well-known forum for finding travel companions. Here you can find not only travel companions, but also a company for entertainment, if, for example, you want to go with someone to a festival or ride a bike.
Create new topic even unregistered users can, but to edit it or delete it, registration is still required. In the title of the topic, indicate the city you are leaving from and your destination.
Dating site for finding travel friends. Enter the dates and destination of your trip and select your goal: a gastronomic trip, a beach holiday or exploring local attractions. You can immediately close the financial question and mark the appropriate option: everyone pays for themselves or one of the participants sponsors the trip.
Once you have completed your profile, verify it. To do this, you need to upload a photo of you holding a piece of paper with the name of the service in your hands, take a photo of your passport or driver’s license and confirm your mobile number. To gain access to all the features of the site and communicate without restrictions, you need to buy a VIP subscription. The trial version is valid for seven days and costs 299 rubles.
One of the world's most famous travel communities. It is used by those looking for free accommodation, but here you can also find new friends for your trip.
Register, select where and when you are traveling, and in the search results, go to the “Travelers” section. For more accurate results, set up filters: indicate the gender of your travel companion and select the languages he should speak. Suitable candidates can write in a personal message and discuss the details of the trip.
To be more likely to be answered, tell us in detail about yourself in your profile and verify it. This is necessary to confirm your identity. Many users do not risk contacting those who have not passed verification.
Service for finding tours, tickets and travel companions. You can search for companions by country of destination, time of travel, city where they are going to leave, gender and age.
No registration is required to submit an ad. Fill out a short form and leave your email address where anyone interested can write.
Sometimes it is not possible to find a companion for a future trip from among your acquaintances. Some have no money, others have no time, others are simply tired. In such cases, there is nothing left to do but find a travel companion for a holiday abroad from among strangers.
Really, what's the point of this? Isn't it easier? The main reason is savings. Accommodation in a double room is usually much cheaper than a single room. In addition, you can share other expenses abroad with a travel companion, such as taxis, tips in restaurants, renting a car for two...
Among the other reasons why people look for a company, there are many different ones. Some people are simply bored being alone, some consider it unsafe to travel on their own, many need a “sponsor” for a vacation, and some, on the contrary, are ready to pay someone to travel for the provision of additional services. And it's not necessarily what you think. Services can be expressed as taking on all organizational issues, and in proficiency in the required language.
As you can see, the reasons are different for everyone, so before you start looking for a holiday companion, you should clarify for yourself why you need him. This will help avoid disappointment from a ruined vacation.
Finding a travel companion for your holiday through a travel agency
The easiest way is to contact the same travel agency where you buy your ticket. You are far from alone in your desire to find a travel companion for your holiday abroad, and it is likely that you will be matched with a neighbor “without leaving the cash register”. This is a safe and convenient option that will save you a lot of time searching on your own.
This method has one, but very significant, drawback. The travel agency selects what they think are suitable people without taking into account their characteristics. In other words, the selection is based only on gender: boys in some rooms, girls in others.
Because of this, a 20-year-old womanizer and lover of partying until the morning can easily end up in the same room with a “pensioner” whose bedtime is at 10:00 p.m. and wakes up at 6:00 a.m. And a lover of ruins and sights may get a “beach seal” as a neighbor, chattering incessantly about sunscreen. Therefore, it is better not to hope for chance, but to start searching on your own.
- Read also:
How to find a travel companion for a holiday on the Internet
This path is somewhat more difficult, but more reliable, because the key to a successful vacation is in your hands. To find a really good travel companion for your vacation, it is better to start your search early. If there is a well-attended, “live” city forum, it’s worth starting there. Traveling with a fellow countryman has the advantage that, even while abroad, you already have at least one common topic of conversation - your hometown.
Further searches can be continued on travel forums and social networks, where there are also many topics of this kind. Or you can immediately go to sites that specialize in finding travel companions for vacations and trips. Among the most promoted and popular are poputchik.ru, mahnem.ru, blablacar.ru, poputchiki.com.ua.
- Don't miss it:
Do not rush to immediately place your ad with contact information. To begin with, look through the existing ones, perhaps among them you will find a suitable companion, without the need to publish your phone number and email, which then often end up in spam mailing lists. If you haven’t found anyone suitable, then proceed to compiling an ad.
This very important step is somewhat reminiscent of searching for a match on dating sites. Describe yourself, your vacation preferences, past travel experiences, and interests as accurately as possible. Also express your wishes for your future travel companion. Indicate specific parameters of the upcoming trip: dates, duration, route and other details. The more data you provide, the less time you will have to spend weeding out unsuitable people.
How to find the perfect travel companion for your holiday abroad
You should not agree to the first offer you receive. Wait until you have a choice, and then start with the one that looks most promising to you. Invite the person to call on Skype or by phone to discuss the details of an upcoming holiday abroad.
The conversation should be frank, without concealment. Tell in detail how you see your upcoming vacation, what you are going to do, how to spend your free time, and ask your potential travel companion to do the same. Ask questions that arise during the process immediately, clarify all the details. It’s better to find out now some facts that are unacceptable to some of you and say goodbye at this stage, than to sulk at each other for the entire vacation.
It is worth discussing the financial side of the issue separately. If your vacation budgets are significantly different, this can cause a lot of misunderstandings and even conflicts. For example, one of you plans to dine in restaurants, and the other plans to cook on your own.
If you liked everything over the phone and there is such an opportunity, schedule a personal meeting, during which it is best to receive final decision. If it is positive, leave the coordinates of your companion to someone close to you and feel free to go on a trip.
We hope that after learning how to find a travel companion for a holiday abroad, you will right choice. Even if you made a mistake in something, don’t be upset, because the only thing that unites you is a hotel room. The rest of your time you can spend as you want.
How to find the one... with whom you want to go anywhere in the world, with whom you can be on the same wavelength, with whom you can spend hours exploring unfamiliar streets and happily immerse yourself in a new culture, with whom you can share some of the most joyful and productive days in life - days of travel... A travel companion is not just a person with whom you are traveling along the way, it is your like-minded person and potential friend. Of course, if you are not pursuing adventurous goals and are planning to check into a hotel and at most go on a couple of excursions, then you are unlikely to be puzzled by finding a travel companion. But if the plan is for an independent trip, then it’s worth approaching this matter, if not responsibly, then certainly with soul and intuition.In my entire modest travel history, I traveled with three completely different travel companions whom I barely knew. I noticed this peculiarity in myself - it is much more interesting for me to travel with strangers, who are like a “blank sheet” for me, because it is on a trip that you can understand a person and see him for who he really is. I'm curious. That's part of the excitement. I admit, I won’t find it with every person common language, I won’t feel comfortable with everyone, and if I can be with a person 24 hours a day and at the same time we don’t want to kill each other, then this is a real achievement, and this person is my person.
Some useful tips to everyone looking for it!
I haven’t found any good advice on the Internet on what to consider when choosing a travel companion, so I will rely only on my experience.
Where to look
The very first question and the most important. Ask your relatives, friends, post on social networks with the appropriate hashtags - thank you, cap :)
Now let's get serious.
If you are a couchsurfer, then search on couchsurfing, on the website I mean. In the city feed, in groups. You can try posting in CS groups on VKontakte. In addition, this wonderful social network is teeming with various thematic groups to find travel companions. Don't underestimate the benefits of social networks! Here you can find anything and anyone. If a post on your wall does not bring success, move on to communities. Here are the most adequate of them, in my opinion:
https://vk.com/neverstop. I have been following the movements of a St. Petersburg hitchhiker who travels around Russia for a long time; there is a topic in discussions called “Fellow Travelers.” Here you can find like-minded people who are ready to travel just as desperately as Natasha, the author of this page. I am not a supporter of eternal hitchhiking and consider this extreme. Still, I like to combine “wildness” with comfort. I love diversity in all its forms. I am one of those people who can hitchhike and live in a cheap hostel, but with the money saved, I can arrange a far-from-budget pleasure for myself, if my heart desires. In general, I am for balance and harmony.
https://vk.com/interestplanet_ru. There is probably not a single person who is not a member of this group. There is also a discussion thread dedicated to our “sore” issue. Stop by. People from all over the world, all kinds, heading to the most different corners planets and travelers in different ways. From finding travel companions for a hotel voucher to finding a partner for a trip around the world.
https://vk.com/vpoputchiki. The responses to my ad from such groups were mostly inadequate. I write that I want to go to Italy to specific places, and they call me to the Maldives, offering to cover all expenses. Well, people are of a different type, what can you do. Someone seems to answer adequately, but you start asking all sorts of questions, and then the inadequacy comes to light. But what if you get lucky? Give it a try.
https://vk.com/club4081072. From the same category, but to be on the safe side you can take note.
https://vk.com/ru_couchsurfing. You can use discussions and a wall. In addition, sometimes there are interesting offers. If it doesn’t matter to you, then you can join someone who is in the same search.
https://vk.com/club180182 , https://vk.com/club1393701. Two more communities of couchsurfers on VK.
https://vk.com/lowcost. Those who hang out here are those who, as the name of the group implies, do not want to spend a lot and prefer to save at least on air tickets. Quite a worthy group. I judge from my bell tower by and large, but I haven’t received any inadequate responses from here.
https://vk.com/ru_autostop. A godsend for hitchhikers!
There are also specialized sites for finding travel companions (Mahnem.ru, Poputchik.ru, Poputchitsa.ru, etc.), but I strongly do not recommend using them. If you try, you will understand that they are of no use.
I remembered another very useful resource - the Vinsky forum http://forum.awd.ru. If you have a profile there, then you can drop a couple of lines in a special topic that you are looking for a travel companion. In general, I advise you to look there directly to prepare for your trip: route development, visa details, prices, photo reports, answers to a variety of questions about each country. It is better to look for a travel companion elsewhere.
So, you posted your post and are waiting for someone to respond. Will respond. Don't hesitate. Then you’ll be exhausted from sorting through tons of messages. There will be some funny ones, get ready to laugh and be surprised.
What to write in a message about searching for a travel companion
A few words about how to compose a message to avoid immediately receiving incomprehensible, abstract answers and save time discussing the details of the trip with a person who is not initially suitable for you.
Let's look at an example.
If you look into groups, you will come across a bunch of similar messages like this: “I’m looking for a travel companion to Italy, departure from Moscow.” And what? What did you understand from it? To Italy, where exactly do you want to go? Who are you anyway? Who are you looking for? What type of travel do you prefer? Personally, I don’t understand when people write things like that.
Be specific and “talkative.” Here's what I once wrote:
« I am looking for a travel companion of about my age from Barnaul or Novosibirsk for a trip to Italy in the summer (the possibility of a personal meeting is required to discuss everything). The travel time is limited only by the validity of the visa, probably 20-30 days, and the amount of money.
There are no specifics yet, but what I would like: a trip at the end of June-beginning of July for about 3-4 weeks, so as not to rush anywhere. Cities: Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples + the islands of Sardinia/Sicily and Capri/Ischia, perhaps also Cinque Terre, besides, after or before Italy I would like to visit Barcelona for a while. The plans include hitchhiking and couchsurfing, but you can stay in a hotel or hostel for a few days. Costs are mainly for travel, food, excursions. Oh, yes, the flight will most likely be from Moscow or Omsk, since these are the most budget options.
For lovers of “all inclusive”, clubs and five-star hotels, please do not disturb, you and I will not find a common language, and our purposes for the trip are completely different. Moderately adventurous ideas are welcome. I am ready to consider your wishes for the route, everything can be adjusted and discussed, as long as the rest is for the soul. All questions and suggestions in PM."
Please note that the ad is written simply, without literary flourishes, since that is of no use here, but at the same time it shows me a little and reveals what I want from the trip and who I want to find.
The main points that were important to me at that time: the age of the travel companion, city of residence, number of days on the trip, small budget, certain deadlines, certain cities, the way of travel (I openly say that “vegetable” and “club” holidays do not interest me), readiness for adventure, unexpected turns, detailed discussion of the route and its further adjustment.
So many interesting people responded to this simple ad... I didn’t even have time to respond to all the responses. Moreover, even if we didn’t go with someone, we still communicate and even met in person. Although I will say this: specifically, the fellow travelers with whom I actually traveled were found through a couchsurfing site. But perhaps something else will suit your case.
11 questions worth discussing
The ad “works”, you get a lot of responses. But how do you understand that this is the person you are ready to become travel companions with?
First, carefully read the response to your message - what the person writes and how he does it. Even spelling errors are an indicator. Secondly, look at his profile, on his wall, in his photographs. A person’s virtual page often reveals at least a little of what he really is like. For example, no matter how wonderful the response to my message may be, if my potential travel companion constantly takes pictures of herself in the mirror with a duckface, regularly takes selfies and elevator looks, and constantly posts all sorts of vanilla quotes and indecent pictures, such a person immediately repels me. At least I don't see him traveling together.
So, in principle, you like and are interested in the person, you imagine you conquering the world together, let’s move on to a detailed condemnation. Below is a list of questions to which you should know the answers in advance. It’s up to you to decide which ones to ask online, by phone or in person.
1. Route. Ideally, you plan the route together in person from start to finish. Thus, already in the planning process, you can notice some features of human behavior and, in principle, understand whether it will be easy for you to act when sudden change circumstances. Special attention Pay attention to the issue of “flexibility”, find out whether your companion is ready to deviate from the intended route or completely change it radically. For example, suddenly you like one city so much that you want to stay there and not continue your journey, or you meet people there with whom you do not want to part, or in general you meet your love. Thus, it is important to discuss the timing of the trip: it’s one thing if you’re going for 2-3 weeks, another thing if you’re going to travel for six months with a backpack on your back in search of inspiration, better life or work abroad.
2. Interests. I’ll be surprised if I say that it’s also very important point. At least there's music, places to visit, bad habits, lifestyle, attitude towards the world and its perception in general.
3. Budget. It can be completely different, but spending on things that concern both of you should preferably be the same. This applies to finding housing, travel, and partly food. It’s bad if one wants to dine exclusively in restaurants, and the other wants to buy food in the cheapest supermarket and eat on a bench. There will be no understanding between such people. Determine the upper and lower limits of the budget and the degree of deviation from the planned one.
4. Possibility of overnight stay. What I talked about above. Couchsurfing, hostels, hotels, tents, benches in parks... In addition, p When comforting a travel companion, discuss in advance the issues of overnight accommodation in difficult situations, they may arise, especially if you are hitchhiking. After all, if one is willing to pay any amount just to have a roof over his head, and the other is willing to sleep under any bush, no good will come of it. A compromise - asking to spend the night in some house - also needs to be discussed. For one this will not be a problem, for another it is, to put it mildly, unpleasant, inconvenient, indecent... the series of negative adverbs can be continued ad infinitum. In general, in a stressful situation, when there is a divergence of opinions between two stubborn individuals, a conflict will inevitably arise. Try to warn him, or at least roughly know what to be prepared for.
5. Language. Oddly enough, this plays a role. Your travel companion's level of English and intention to learn others foreign languages may affect you too. Decide what is acceptable to you. For example, are you ready to go on a trip with a person who cannot connect two words in a foreign language or, on the contrary, he spits out like a true native speaker, and compared to him you seem, excuse me, like a slowdown. Or maybe you want to practice German, and your companion will be looking for Spanish speakers to practice Spanish. I advise you to find out this in advance.
6. The opportunity to separate during the trip and travel separately. If your partner harshly insists, “No matter what happens, we will be together from beginning to end,” think about it. It’s better if you’re both ready to calmly part ways if something happens, without offense, reproaches or phrases like “You ditched me!”
7. Love affairs. We are all people who are either already in love or not averse to falling in love. Discuss this in advance. Again, an example - when I was looking for a travel companion to Italy, I had a young man in Russia, accordingly, I was not in the mood for any romantic acquaintances, and I did not want my companion to seduce Italians and have affairs with them there. The goals of the trip were completely different. Although many girls go to Italy just to pick up someone there.
8. Travel options. Planes, buses, local transport, taxi rides, hitchhiking, hitchhiking.
9. Action plan in case you miss a beat or get lost. For example, agree to meet in an hour at some famous landmark in case of disconnection. Also have a telephone number (local) with you so that you can somehow contact passers-by using the phone. In most cases, relying on city Wi-Fi is pointless.
10. Activity/relaxation. Tell each other exactly how you plan to spend your time. Personally, I like to alternate, because constant running around and endless travel tires me. But I don’t want to lie on the beach the whole holiday either.
11. Shopping. Discuss how much time you are willing to spend shopping and whether you plan to do it at all. If you are planning, then approximately where and when.
And know that you will definitely have a fight while traveling together; you will definitely have problems controversial issues that could spark conflict. Treat this normally, because we are not immune from quarrels even with close people, let alone new acquaintances. Nothing is perfect.
On this “positive” note, I conclude the most practical memoir in the history of my blog. In the next post I will show you my wonderful travel companions, with whom I conquered foreign expanses, and even tell you a little about them.
On specialized online services
A huge number of services provide such search capabilities. It should be noted that they are quite popular among men and women. The most common reason why single tourists look for a travel companion is the desire to save money. For a single room, singles are forced to overpay up to 30%, and not everyone can afford this luxury.
Another benefit is the opportunity to relax not in splendid isolation. Most of our compatriots feel uncomfortable without company abroad and are embarrassed to go alone to restaurants or to the beach, not to mention excursions. Girls often look for a so-called sponsor who will pay for the trip. When choosing, try to determine as accurately as possible how comfortable you will be with this person, whether your wishes agree on any rules: for example, do not smoke and do not bring anyone into the room. Agree in advance and save yourself from unpleasant surprises.
Through a travel agency
Many travel agencies also have a similar service or service on their official website. Knowing where, when and which of the clients is going, efficient managers will be able to select a company for you or, with your prior consent, transfer contacts to someone who also does not really want to go alone.
When vacationing as two or three, you can save not only on a room, but also on a taxi, and in some cases, on food in cafes and restaurants, especially if the bill in the host country includes “table setting” or service as a separate item. This way you can find not only a travel companion who will share a room with you, but also a company with whom you will have fun at the hotel and travel around the country.
Via social network
Often, friends and friends of friends, in addition to photographs, statuses and videos, publish information that they want to rent out an apartment, ask for help in finding a specialist - an interior designer or a good wedding host. You can also place an advertisement that you are looking for a vacation company. There is a high probability that someone is also looking.
Friends, colleagues, acquaintances
If you don’t want to “notify” a wide circle, you can ask selectively those you trust. This option can also be effective.
On a dating site
An option for those who are looking for a companion not only for vacation, but also for the long term. Going on vacation with a stranger is fraught, but if you follow the rules of caution, it is significant. People open up best when they are together for 24 hours over several days or even weeks. On a joint trip, you can see how neat, active, temperamental, emotionally stable, sociable, and interesting a person is. In general, almost everything. If it was successful, you didn’t get bored of each other, you never had a serious fight, and then you can safely move in together and make much more serious plans together.
