Travel! The experience that so many people dream of when they think of their vacation time. But during those lovely daydreams, who do you imagine by your side?

A significant other? A friend? A family member? Or are you having trouble thinking of any person at all?

If it’s the latter case, I’m here to assure you that you’re not alone. If you already have someone in mind, great! Either way, here are some of my tips to keep in mind when choosing the right travel partner.

1. Make sure that you already get along well in everyday life with this person before leaving. It may seem like a ridiculous thing (to mention), but it’s definitely necessary. Oftentimes differences in personality can be agitated much further than expected in new places.
   • During my three week trip through Asia, in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, the only person available to travel with me was my fellow intern. We would start our internship in Tokyo at the same time, and the others from our university going to Japan would start earlier. He was a nice guy, and he saved me from some stupid situations a few times, but the issue was that he was super, super quiet, and I am….. not. The last thing you need when picking a travel partner is one who you can’t communicate with, especially when trying to make important travel decisions. Fortunately, we met with Couchsurfers and other locals/travelers along the way, but this major difference between us made for some very awkward moments.
2. If possible, go on a shorter trip, or a long day outing with this person beforehand. This allows you to gauge how they would be in stressful situations where one or both of you will not know your surroundings, or may not speak the language. Even if nothing stressful occurs, you will have spent long enough with them to have a gut feeling on staying with them longer.
3. Make sure that if you travel with more than one person, you don’t travel with a new group of friends where friendships are already solidified to the point that they may not interact much with you. You may also get outvoted on certain things in cases like picking a restaurant, deciding which place to go to for the day, staying out or going home, and other experiences that can make or break a trip.
   • For example, I’ve been in many groups that have varying cultures from my own, and if you aren’t close to two or more people in the group, the conversation often changes into a different language, especially if they are all from cities close to each other. Are you comfortable with something like this? Or would you prefer to have your travel companions be your comfort zone?
4. If it’s a new relationship or friendship, you may want to hold off on traveling with them just yet. Oftentimes, it can be too much of a good thing to spend so much time with people you don’t know very well.
   • (Side note: it definitely depends on the situation, and on your judgement. My boyfriend and I were friends for over a year before dating, so if you feel like you know the person well enough, despite the short amount of time, go for it!)
5. Make a list considering the advantages and disadvantages of traveling with someone else, and traveling alone.
   • Do consider the location you are going to, your gender, race, religious beliefs,  sexual orientation, and anything else that may put you in a compromising position. Again, use your judgment here.
6. If everyone you would consider traveling with is busy, and you have done step #5, and still feel good about travelling alone, go for it! It’s a great way to discover yourself. I’ve personally only traveled alone domestically (inside the US), but I’m planning a solo trip within Japan as well, because I love the sense of freedom that it gives!

Some other things to keep in mind: just because you travel alone, or with a set group of people during your travels, doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with only interacting with yourself/those few people. There are so many applications, and experiences that connect travelers to locals all over the world. A couple of my favorites include Couchsurfing, where you can either stay or meet with locals or expats living in the area, and Meetup, where you can find interest groups for a lot of different hobbies, and make new friends! I’ve made friends through both of these outlets, with Couchsurfing giving me some local experiences I couldn’t have had anywhere else. A word to the wise: use your common sense when meeting people through the app. There are thousands of lovely people you can meet through the app, but one bad banana can spoil the bunch.

AirBnB also works if you want to meet locals in a more secure environment. If you’re the more adventurous (or low-budget) type of traveler, you can also meet people at hostels! I did it in both Bangkok and Ipoh, Malaysia, and felt perfectly safe doing it. We explored the city together, and had no obligations to each other, other than having fun!

What have you found works for you when picking a travel partner? Write your thoughts in the comments!