Travel matching, a new trend in travel arrangements, connects travelers with people who will open their homes to others with similar interests, tastes and lifestyles. Travelers are matched, often through a detailed questionnaire, with people who enjoy the same activities and have similar attitudes in the things that are important to them.

David Lerner, owner/developer of an off-grid community in Arizona, hosts a free, online travel matching service called Alternative Escapes. He realizes that the kinds of experiences he and his wife had through travel matching could never be achieved by travel agents. He hopes to replace expensive and impersonal hotel stays "by people seeking new friendships all over the world, opening their homes to others who share their interests, tastes and lifestyles." Lerner said. He describes his free matching service as "our contribution to the creation of a joyful global community based on trust and open communication."

Other travel matching can be as simple as finding someone to drive cross-country with. Another online service, RideBoard.Com, helps people find driving companions, much like a roommate matching service. They note that, at any time of the day, hundreds of people travel the same routes alone. "Our goal is to help all of these people--or at least as many of them as we can!--find each other before they travel, interact online and off-, and then travel together," says Jordan Arnold, the service's creator. "It's what the Internet was created for."

Or for more complex travel arrangements, like touring Europe, you might consider one of the broader-focused service like TravelChums.com. There are many other services, some free, some with fees, and many with special interest requirements. A simple web seach on "Travel Matching Service" will find a large list of them for you.

No matter which you use, even if it's just calling up your old friends and arranging something with someone you already know, travel matching has serious advantages. Expenses are often lower, travelers can often find a local's point of view (and knowlege of the best places to go and see), and... well... it's just more fun to experience a place with someone who likes what you like.

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