10 Secrets Every Travel Enthusiast Need To Know About Social Travel

As a travel enthusiast, you must have heard about social travel or read about it somewhere. And to know more about traveling social you are at the right article. Social travel is more than just visiting a place & spending time out of the monotonous routine. With social travel, one can connect with like-minded travelers around the world with whom you can trip together to discover new places of common interest and make unforgettable memories. It is a perfect mantra for people who usually travel solo & may need a travel partner along with them to share the adventure & calmness of traveling and also guide a newbie solo traveler to get them around at a new place OR vice versa.

There are several social travel sites these days i.e Xoxo Tours, TourBar or Miss Travel that allow you to get in touch with travelers around the globe so that you can plan a trip with them. If you are curious or confused to travel social, here are 10 secrets you need to know:

1.Meet and make new friends who share the same travel interest/s -

Most of the solo travelers are or become extroverts in life as they get/have to interact with locals on their trips which makes a friendly personality. That’s how solo travelers like to meet & make new friends. Solo travelers usually have an extended friends circle due to various trips which they have taken & still they don’t mind a few more connections who could be their travel friend/s on their trip.

Yes, to trip together they would need a compatible traveler or a like-minded travel enthusiast as them. Both travelers need to match on travel interests before they decide to travel together. If that travel compatibility can be achieved, they can definitely form a long term travel partnership.

Social travel sites here provides the right platform to connect with travelers worldwide and plan a trip. A traveler can choose to travel with a group or find a travel buddy or meet up with a local who has all the info one needs to know about a city where the traveler is visiting. Social travel is for people with an extroverted, adaptable, and friendly personality. But it doesn’t mean an introvert can’t plan to go on a social trip. An introvert can try to come out of the comfort zone to find & meet a trip partner.

Social trips are rewarding, to say the least. Social travelers will find that making new friends, more often than not, influence their life in a positive way. For instance, they can pick up a new skill/info from their travel friend, learn a new language and/or get insights about different traits of people around the world, and learn to respect the same.

2.Make a customized trip that is more fulfilling -

Just chat with a local using any social travel site to socialise on your solo trip. Traveling solo will allow you to carry out a customized trip as per your wish & needs. Usually when you travel with friends or family, the travel plans are based on everyone’s opinion. Everything starting from the budget to hotels and sightseeing places need to be discussed with your family/friends.

But when you travel solo no one will be there to influence your trip’s schedule or plan. You can decide the whole itinerary on your own including the places you will visit, where you will stay i.e. a luxury/cheap hotel or a hostel, restaurants or food joints to try out the local food & dishes to relish your taste buds and the activities that you will do on the trip.

Moreover you get to socialise with locals more often on a solo trip, which can help you to learn more about the local people, including their language, culture & way of living. This is definitely not so possible when you travel with family or friends. You can find a travel friend on a travel buddy site who is basically a local of the place you are planning to visit.

3.Quench your wanderlust -

There is no better way to quench your wanderlust than touring all the places in your bucket list. Solo travel is definitely the best form of travel as it gives you independence which you need. Not only this, but It also allows you to travel to the places where it is simply not very safe to travel. Because here you can team up with a local who seems to be your compatible travel companion or a travel group to take the trip to even the remotest location on earth or climb the most difficult trail.

Travelers also at times give up the idea of visiting their dream place as they don’t speak or understand the language spoken by the natives. It is hard to navigate when language poses a barrier. But social travel sites have a solution for you. You can connect with locals from the place you desire to visit and ask them to be your guide or travel friend throughout the journey. You might even end up learning a new language from him/her.

4.Travel like a local at any place -

Yes, social travel gives you the opportunity to travel like a local at any place on the earth. When you connect with a local, you don’t need a tour guide. You get all the info you need from your local friend and use the same info to travel & live like a local i.e. use the local transport instead of mass-tourist-transit, try out delicious local cuisines your local friend recommends, lodge at a hostel or such accommodations in the area where you can stay & interact with locals, and explore all the interesting places there like a local.

Whenever you take a solo trip to a new city or place, part of the trip’s experience is learning through observation and participation. If you stay in a luxury tourist hotel, eat the recommended food, and visit the popular tourist attractions, it might solves your purpose of traveling but you won’t be able to experience the insights about the city. Also traveling like a local can be challenging, but it will definitely leave you with so many wonderful memories.

5.Travel off the beaten path -

Social travel allows travelers to travel with a local travel companion with whom they can explore the hidden gems in a city that most of the tourists never experience. Choosing to travel with a local can really provide them the best experience on their trip.

Of course, there is nothing wrong in visiting the hotspots that every tourist visit but there are plenty of benefits of traveling to the off the beaten places. Many places offer great things to see that goes unseen by many tourists, only a traveler have the patience & desire to experience it. You can expect to save on cost too whenever you visit such off-beat places as they are not into the mainstream tourist attractions.

Usually, accommodations are also unreasonably expensive in prime tourist areas. By choosing off-the-road locations with the help of a local, you will be able to enjoy staying at a far cheaper price. You can also choose to travel at your own pace by avoiding main tourist destinations which are often busy and crowded. You will find traveling off the beaten path can also be quite leisurely and calming. Moreover, you will have plenty of unique and interesting photos to share with your friends on social media.

6.Save on expenses -

Traveling solo can be more expensive than traveling with family or friends. You won’t have anyone to split the hotel room rent or cab fares with when you are solo. Most hotels charges high for single rooms and the difference between a single room rent and double room rent is mostly 20-30%. That’s how solo travel is costly way of traveling.

The solution here can be social travel as you can travel with a partner here to share & save on expenses while tripping a place together. If you choose to travel with a local, he/she can help you to get info about the free activities which you can do in a city, cheapest yet comfortable lodgings to stay, flea markets in the city to save on shopping expenses, and may also join your trip which will allow you to split some bills with him/her.

7.Become more prepared to tackle challenges -

Whether you travel solo or with a trip companion, it shapes you into a better personality. Yes; traveling sharpens your mind, broadens your perspective, teaches you to live in the moment, helps you to value experience life, and helps you learn to roll with things.

After you get back from your trip, you will be able to tackle your daily challenges in life in a better way. The new skills you pick up from the people you met on the road or the unforeseen challenges which you had to tackle during your trip will brace you up to meet challenges head-on. No wonder, experienced travelers many a times are problem-solvers too.

8.Make a safe trip -

Of course, everyone wants to experience the calm as well as adventure while traveling but not at the risk of their safety. There can be some places where traveling with a partner can be safer than traveling solo. For example, while traveling alone you may enter an area where thefts are common or you can scam by taxi drivers or shopkeeper who may overcharge you. But if you are with a local friend, then he/she can provide you information about all such unsafe areas and also help you to not get scammed or overcharged by the local shopkeepers. You may also enjoy more on your trip to get a company of a compatible travel friend.

In case, you are traveling into the hills & you get stuck on the road, having a local will help you to deal with such an unforeseen circumstance and may arrange stay nearby till the roads get cleared. A travel companion will make your travel at ease. You just need to find & meet one at any social travel app to accompany you on your trip. Even better, if you connect with a local who knows the ins and outs of the city and can help you to skip the tourists’ traps.

9.Take a break from your daily schedule -

Many people travel to take a break from monotonous daily schedules. And for these solo travelers, it is a great time to enjoy the freedom, make new connections, build confidence, get out of the comfort zone, pick up new skills, and enrich life. People who work in the creative field often find that traveling enables them to get original and creative thoughts. New ideas may pop up while traveling and observing things & people during the journey.

Interacting with or observing people and experiencing things for the first time are the surest ways to be creative. Moreover, when you will get back to work after your vacation, you may be able to focus on work better and be more productive. When you get away from your humdrum life and travel abroad, you may also discover some undiscovered interests or passions that were inside you. Yes, you do discover yourself too while traveling when you experience activities & things which you have never seen or done.

Solo travel might give you the courage to take up difficult yet important decisions which you weren’t able to do so in the past. In case if your work demands you to travel a lot, then with the help of social travel apps, you can also connect with locals in the area. Plan a short tour of the city whenever you get a break from work. It will leave your mind refreshed and sharp.

10.Write about your experience -

As you return from your trip, you will have a lot to share with people regarding your experience which you had on the trip. Since social traveling allows you to get insights about a culture of a place or experience a place like a local, the stories you share will be more interesting.

Perhaps, you can share your travel stories on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or blog about the same on your own website. It will certainly help fellow travelers to pick up tips on how to travel solo at certain places or pick up inspiration to follow the right route. You can also become a travel blogger and earn by sharing your stories. Many travelers monetize their blogs and use the income to go on more trips around the world. You could be one of them.

Social travel is the norm in recent times and judging by the benefits it brings; it is going to stay for years to come. If you have been carrying out traditional traveling till date, you are missing out on a lot. Consider meeting new people across the globe and experience a destination in a much more authentic and local way. Mix with locals and get off the beaten track. It doesn’t mean signing up for tourist groups is a waste of money but when you do that, you may have less freedom. When you stay away from the obvious, you may discover hidden gems in the city. Hopefully, the 10 above-mentioned secrets will encourage and inspire you to come out of your cocoon and enjoy the thrill & freedom of being a social traveler.

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