Round The World Tickets
Traveling Solo or In a Group: Pros and Cons (Part 1)
One of the many questions you need to ask yourself before you start planning a trip around the world is a pretty simple, yet important one: who, if anyone, is coming with you? It is an age-old conundrum, the traveling companion issue. Some people are blessed with a companion who shares the same interests and passions, has the same idea of what makes a good traveling experience, has a similar budget, is patient, and knows when to stop talking. Friendships have been lost forever in the course of traveling; seemingly rock-solid relationships irreparably damaged, torn apart by the rigors of the road. So when you hit the road, will you bring a companion, or go it alone?
Not everyone has to make this choice of course. There are die-hard travelers who would never consider traveling with a partner. I have done most of my traveling with people, but I have also gone it alone. I’d like to offer my thoughts on the issue here.
First of all, traveling with someone is cheaper. Much cheaper. You can split things like cabs, hotels, and food. If you are stocking up on supplies for your trip, you can split things up and you won’t have to carry as much. You only need one guidebook, one first-aid kit, and one laundry kit. In many places, you pay the same price for a single room as you would a double, so it is literally half off.
Money issues aside, there are other perks to traveling with someone. If you know them well, you’ll have someone to share the highs and lows of travel with. You’ll always have someone to look after your stuff when you run to the bathroom or have to stand in line. You won’t get stuck next to some smelly random person on travel days, and can try more kinds of food by sharing. Traveling with a cool person can be awesome.
So what are the downsides? Well, spending virtually all of your time with someone can be tough, even for the best of friends. Once you start traveling, you might find that you have differences of opinion that really make things difficult. If you are easy going, and your partner likes to plan things out meticulously, you will eventually run into trouble. If you want to stay and hang out at a place you like, but your companion wants to stick to the itinerary you agreed on when you were still at home, there’s bound to be friction.
If you are more outgoing than your companion, or even more shy, then social situations could get tough. Or if you have different ideas about your daily budget, like they want to drink 10 beers a day and you don’t always want to, then something will have to give eventually.
Basically, you should choose your travel partners very wisely. You can’t always ditch someone if things don’t work out, so you might be stuck with the person you leave home with. People who are patient, open minded and easy going tend to make good travel partners. Anyone who tends to like routines, schedules, and doesn’t like to fly by the seat of their pants might not make such a good travel buddy. Of course everyone is different, but decide what kind of trip you want to have, and then choose a person who you think could handle it.
If you are on an extended trip with someone and it doesn’t work out, take a break from each other. Sometimes that’s all you need to fix what’s wrong. If you want to go separate ways for a few days or a week, do it. Agree to meet up in a different city, then go at your own pace for a while. It might save your friendship and your trip.
Next I’ll talk about solo traveling and how it differs from traveling with a person or group.
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