The pros and cons of backpacking with friends
Solo travel and traveling with friends both have their pro’s and con’s – but what are they, and which one is better? We uncover the pro's and cons' of traveling with friends...
PRO : Shared memories
When you travel with friends every crazy moment of adventure on the road is shared, thus creating unforgettable memories and in-jokes that you will talk about over and over again when you get back home – driving all your other friends crazy in the process.
CON: Compromise
To travel with friends will always mean sacrificing a little bit of your freedom. Although hopefully you should share similar interests, there will always be something - choosing between hostels, or museums, or even deciding where to go next – that you’ll want to do differently. Sometimes you will be able to do things separately, but other times you will have to compromise.
PRO: Someone to look after you
When you’re sick, or you’ve just lost your bag, or had your wallet stolen – it’s at these moments that solo travel can really suck. When you’re with a friend, you never have to face those moments alone. Plus, when it’s a choice of being nursed back to health by a caring friend, or spending a week on your own stuck in a hostel bed, we know which we would choose.
CON: Someone to look after you
Travelling with friends is safe and comfortable – so it will never push you to the emotional places that solo travel can take you. When you travel alone and things go wrong, the realisation you are truly on your own hits you – and it’s traumatic. But once you stop panicking, and start taking action, you discover the amazing feeling of independence and that ‘I can do anything’ attitude that solo travel can give you.
PRO: Someone to watch your beach towel
Picture this: you’re on your own, on a beach and you want to swim. You can’t take all your stuff with you for obvious reasons, but if you leave it then it might get stolen. This is the dilemma of the single traveller, weather you need someone to save your place in a queue or watch your things while you nip to the loo. Group travellers never have this problem, so in that way group travel can offer you a bit more freedom and flexibility.
CON: Talking to strangers
One of the most amazing things about travel is all the people you meet along the way. In a group, you will make lots of new friends – but you also may be seen as harder to talk to, or you may make less of an effort to get to know people yourself, resulting in opportunities lost. As a solo traveller, you are almost forced into talking to absolute strangers – often with amazing consequences. As a solo traveller you are also much more likely to travel periods with strangers – ultimately forming much greater bonds with the people you meet.
