I'll take it as a given we're all experienced travelers. There may be some one out there who has never left Wapping and fantasises about the mysterious East but I doubt it.

So have you ever lost a friend enroute to Zamboanga City on the Dumaguete ferry? I don't mean she/he fell over the side either. Being a charming and considerate companion it's never happened to ME of course.

Would you consider traveling with a stranger as this article suggests? Sort of intriguing isn't it?

Online pals the ticket for travel

TRACEY Larson learnt all about long-distance travel when she was 21 and in Times Square, New York. The fight began with yelling, her best friend returned fire, she went one way and the friend another.

Travel is notoriously hard on friendships so it's perhaps strange that Ms Larson, now a seasoned traveller, would choose to head off with someone whose temperament has not been tested.

But like a growing number of professionals, she decided to find a travel buddy online.

"None of my friends were able to get time off work to travel and it's hard to travel by yourself as a female," she said.

"So I just started looking around on the internet and started finding all these travel groups." One of those online communities was at travelfriend.com.au, an Australian website set up by web designer Henry Campbell in Melbourne.

He said that since its inception in June 2007, the number of registered users had grown to 1500, with about 100 people visiting daily.

He said the explosion of social networking sites and people's lack of time explained the site's success.

Monash University travel consultant Simon Crunden said it showed travellers no longer used the web only to book airline tickets.

Ms Larson had a successful trip to New Zealand with an online acquaintance.

"It's strange because the things you look for in someone to travel with are not always the same things you look for in a best friend," she said. "It's important to find someone who's not too over the top."

Link

Ppls true colors come on when travelling

Thats why i like travelling on my own. But, still is nice if you have a partner or friend who is on the same wavelength.

I like to take it easy when travelling, but also get to see some things. Im just not a 'tick it off the list' kind of person, where your trip consists of seeing as much as possible according to an itinerary. Hate fuss, even more so when simple things like what and where to eat turn into a big deal and a drama. Chill!

My main peeve, as someone who generally travels alone these days, are the extra costs and rip offs for the single traveller. Virtually all airline and hotel deals are for couples. If you don't want to buy two airline tickets, or share a room, then there are no specials for you! Travel agents are useless to me as they only cater for families, I arrange all my own bookings online now.

Travelling alone is not that onerous and even preferred at many times, and you can always find someone to chat to over a beer or meal (or share a bed) when required.

Long a complaint of mine Old Croc. Air tickets aren't so bad now because it's surprising how many travel agents rethink their prices when you stand up to walk away.

An experience at Flight Center stays with me, an agent rang me one night to find out why I hadn't booked after getting a quote, and I said "I got a better deal across the street".

And she said "Why didn't you come back, we'd have beaten that".

I want your best deal first up lady.

Back on topic, traveling alone has a lot going for it. I've traveled with friends without to many problems but usually fought well with wives.

I must admit I find linking up with a relative stranger does sound intriguing. We "know" people on forums but would we really be able to relate to them in the flesh?

Bought a round-the-world ticket and set off with my best friend.

Got half way round, left him in Canada and never spoke to him again.

Even travel with the family is no holiday. I'm with OC, I look forward these days, to my own company.

Never wait on anyone to travel with. Always set the plan and go. If you could make it, you make it. Of course it's safer to have a travel-buddy but hey! shit happens even when you travel with a bouch of people.

Travelling is about finding freedoms, finding elements of yourself, and doing so in the least restrictive manner possible.

If I want to go somewhere with somebody... I'd call that a vacation/short trip/whatever.

It isn't travelling.