Boosting the Travel Companions section on Voyage Forum

Hi there, This year, the conflict isn’t encouraging travel to Asian countries since we all know what’s happening beneath the air corridors leading there... The cost of kerosene is driving up flight ticket prices everywhere, adding another hurdle... Same goes for road trips by car across our European countries.... So, far fewer people are setting off, and plans are falling through... Even great ones... Sure, forming small groups with flexible itineraries to cut costs significantly is ideal, but with everyone’s wishes not always aligning... it’s tough... That’s why people aren’t responding or are backing out—there’s a lot of uncertainty right now for these reasons... Though I could be wrong. Safe travels to all..

Thanks for your reply. We can't speak for all of Asia, but for South Korea, flight ticket prices for this autumn are the same as in previous years.

Hi,

Do people usually switch to private messaging and then phone calls instead? That means whether the plans work out or not doesn’t always show up in the discussion.

Have a great day,

Nicole

That’s definitely possible. Without needing the details, we’d be interested to know if the plans actually come together.

Hi there,

Personally, I still check the Travel Buddies section regularly, but I can’t seem to find the right fit for a few reasons:

- Very few travelers around my age group. It’s mostly older retirees, followed by young students.

- Destinations are too mainstream—let’s just say *very* touristy.

- Posts are often way too vague. It’s clear the person doesn’t have a solid plan, or sometimes they’re even torn between completely unrelated destinations. If it’s unclear, there’s usually a catch.

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your feedback.

Hello, I’m in the "boomer" age category, so I shouldn’t have any issues with age restrictions. But, like Zarzeluelita, I find the lack of originality in destinations a bit disappointing. Also, many travel proposals are already fully planned and don’t seem very open to co-creating a trip around the destination. On the flip side, some posts have such vague travel plans that it makes me wonder if Voyage Forum is being mistaken for a dating site.

I also think private messages can skew response statistics. It’s a shame because, for those who are hesitant, it’d be helpful to know if certain proposals actually led to a trip.

I’d be more likely to respond to a post if the poster’s profile were more detailed. Maybe that’s what you mean by a "verified profile"? To answer your follow-up questions, I’m not interested in group trips or ready-made packages.

Thanks for this super helpful reply!

Hello there, pioneers of this traveler connection service—globetrotters, adventurers—a huge thank you for all the effort you’ve put in to keep this adventure going.

As mentioned earlier, the profiles of newly registered users have evolved. There are cruise lovers, people looking for love—I have nothing against them—but this might explain why the old-school adventurers we used to meet on this platform seem less interested.

Yes, adventure travel continues despite the chaos, flight delays or cancellations, and the irresponsible folks who think they own the world.

Meet-ups are usually finalized through private messages or phone calls.

Wishing you a long life and good health so you can keep enjoying the world’s paths. Gilles

- Posts are often very brief. The person clearly doesn’t have a well-defined plan, sometimes even wavering between unrelated destinations. It’s vague, and when it’s vague, there’s a catch.

That’s exactly it. On top of that, some don’t provide any info about their age, personality, or physical condition. Personally, in the past, I posted 3 or 4 very clear and detailed ads to find travel partners. I always found someone—I even had to limit the "applicants"—and it always went well.

Hello!! I met a great travel buddy on this forum—it was so much fun! Unfortunately, our travel dates don’t line up anymore, which is a shame. I relate to some of the thoughts here: as a "boomer" traveler, I struggle to find the right person for my travel plans. It could be the cost, the timing, the age difference, or the duration—honestly, I’m not sure, but I’m staying optimistic. Thanks for creating this forum!

Hello to the administrators, I don’t understand—I posted an ad on May 20, 2026, for a travel companion for Brazil in November 2026, and I can’t find it anymore?!!!! Please help me because I’ve had responses via the email I provided, and I’d like to add some details.... Best regards, Username: Soleilp31

Hi there, It looks like your post didn’t go through or was deleted. The most recent one looking for travel companions to Brazil is from March 29, 2026.

Hello Zarzuelita. Why would there have to be a catch when things are unclear? Some people leave the door open, while others already have a very clear idea of their future trip. For example, I don’t yet know which next destination I’ll be looking into, and yet there’s no catch—just a thought process that hasn’t come to fruition yet 🙂. With fuel prices, geopolitical tensions, and wars here and there, we’re left in... the unknown! Wishing you many wonderful future trips.

I completely agree with you, Kookiecd. I prefer when things are flexible, because it leaves room to really build a trip together—whether it’s just the two of us or more. When everything’s been decided by the first person to chime in, it feels set in stone, and I get the sense there’ll be a lot of negotiating (or even frustration) if we try to change the initial plans. We’re allowed to hesitate over the destination *and* what we’ll do once we’re there, and that’s a good thing.

To echo what others have said, it’s true that retirees do seem to have an advantage when it comes to finding travel partners. But personally, I found mine while I was still working (twice, in fact), and it went really well both times.

Then there was that period of inactivity on VF (thanks to COVID, but not *just* COVID...) that hurt this site—and especially the "Travel Companions" section. Or at least, that’s how I see it.

The only real "hold-up" for me is making sure I’m meeting the right person. I don’t want to waste 5 or 6 weeks of travel with someone I don’t click with. So I need a lot of back-and-forth beforehand to, well, *test the waters*, so to speak.

Finally, I’m not sold on trips with 6 or 8 people who don’t know each other from the start. It’s already a challenge to find *one* person you mesh with—let alone 6 or 8...

Wishing VF all the best! !

Hello everyone, "Then there was the period of inactivity on VF (due to COVID but not only...) which hurt this site, as well as the 'travel partner search' section. At least, that’s what I think." I share and confirm what Didier (chouhibou) said—this period really made the site "sick"... I’ve been part of this site for a long time, and back then, I was still working and traveled a lot with people I met here. It always went well; of course, there are people you want to travel with again and others you don’t, but it always worked out because for each of us, a trip is a budget, a journey to the other side of the world, and no one wanted to ruin it. So compromises were made along the way. I’ve always traveled in groups of 4 max—beyond that, it gets too complicated on all levels (whether it’s the car, restaurants, accommodation, etc.). The important thing on the site is to fill out your profile properly—many did this back then. Clearly state your age, your travel style, your pace, your aspirations, and your interests. What I saw before and don’t see today are meet-ups organized by members. I participated in and organized several of them—we’d meet in different regions and even in Canada. It created a dynamic and allowed us to exchange ideas and meet future travel partners. These meet-ups, sometimes over a weekend, let us see how others functioned and get an idea of whether we could travel together. I have great memories of them. I’ve kept many friends and acquaintances from that time, and I still travel with them. Last December, we were in Panama, and we rely less on the site now. However, once a trip is decided, discussions and organization happen privately, so it might seem like nothing is happening, but I think that’s not true. I believe many things happen behind the scenes. I think it’s up to the members to take ownership of the site, make meet-up suggestions, and organize them—that would make it more dynamic. This site is a bit like a "Spanish inn"—you get out of it what you put in... That’s my little contribution to the discussion! 😉 🙂

To find your listing, you go to your profile and see your request under "classifieds." It’s from May 25th and is still visible.

Hi,

For me, the main hurdle is the number of profiles that are barely or not at all filled out. And my age group is underrepresented (around 50). Then there’s the nature of the trip planned, which often isn’t clear enough: trip, bivouac, etc.

Thanks. Karl, 54, from Lyon

Hi, I’ll try to share my thoughts: 1- First, make sure this post stays at the top of the "Travel Companions" forum. 2- There should be filters: how? where? But these filters shouldn’t be mandatory. I mean, I might just want to find someone for a bike trip, for example, but anywhere. 3- In the cycling forum, there are a few posts looking for travel companions... 4- Not all profiles include the person’s age. That’s an important criterion when looking for someone. 5- Take inspiration from others: https://partenaire-de-velo.com, the Routard website, etc. 6- Depending on the time of year, there are a lot of posts, and like on Google, people don’t go past the 2nd or 3rd page. Some plan way ahead—11 months, 2 years—so their post might end up on the 5th, 6th, or 7th page by spring when someone’s looking for summer plans. 7- Today, there are 15 pages. Some posts are outdated in terms of dates. There should be a field: "keep this post active until _______." Hence the filters! :)

Hello,

Thanks so much for this super interesting reply. It gives some great ideas for development.