Road Trip: Who should I go with?

Should I do it alone?

Yes, you will have a lot of me-time. You will decide your journey, your time, your decision, your mood, your style. However, it is not as fun as being able to share the incredible view with a bunch of friends! Driving alone is lonely... unless your main aim is "Self- discovery".

Should I do it with friends?

Yes of course! Do it with your best friends!
But beware, If you are unsure about his/her compliance, punctuality, traveling style and mood, you are risking a friendship.

Should I do it with family?

Travelling with family is the best option available!

Should I do it with strangers?

Sure, but follow the golden rules below:
1. Be aware, but not skeptical
2. You need to at least know this person: their background, job, personality.
3. Do not travel with this person if you find him/her being disrespectful to you on purpose (know the difference between culture shock and disrespect.)
4. Make the initial plan short. If you think that he/she is fun to travel with after some days, then make further plans.

Personal Experiences

I've done all 3: traveled solo, with friends and with strangers who later became my friends.

Travelling solo 

Dubai solo trip 2014

USA solo trip 2015

Ireland solo trip 2015

UK solo trip 2015

This is the best feeling ever. You have all the time to self-reflect and think about the important things in life. I believe that: If you can be happy even when you are alone, you've found "True Happiness".

Traveling with friends

kuching 2012

I love the feeling of being able to share a moment. "Sharing" is something I love to do, that explains why I update my instagram and facebook more often when I'm travelling alone, but not so much when I travel with friends.

However, if I found out that anyone of my future travel buddies is not going to click with my style of travelling, I'll leave the group without regrets even if the plan is already solid. It is more important to save a friendship.

Travel with Family

Yes please! Willing to revisit anywhere. Excited to see it in a different light! 

Traveling with strangers

I've done it several times:

1. Friends I know from hostel dorms/tours

hostel friends

example of instant click.

Normally I'll travel with that person, only after some talk. (Knowing their personality is crucial.) Or on some occasion, I'll just go with them if we have those instant click!

2. Friends I know online

I can tell you again and again:they are the best travel buddies.

• The only websites I trust are travelbuddies.com, couchsurfing.com and thelmandlouise.com. 
• I'll add respectful, well mannered (you can tell from their request and reply, really!) members on facebook and start talking to them. Chat about anything, you just want to see if you click with that person.
• If you think they are perfect, schedule a Skype/Facetime session. Even if your internet service sucks. (to make sure they are real people, and confirm your expectations. )
• Since you are already skyping with them, plan the rest of the details together. 

I occasionally reply to Instagram invites, but usually I'd prefer the above methods.

Did my travels with strangers ever go wrong? 

Yes it did, not once but twice. But it was my fault for I did not check all points above carefully. 

Read more: How to plan a Road Trip

Thank You for Reading! 

This post is based on my honest opinion or personal experience. 

 If you have a different opinion, feel free to share your thoughts with me by commenting below!