Stranger for a roommate on a trip. What has your experience been?

[raccoon]

I've been lucky in this department. Roomed with a woman from VA on a trip to England years ago. She and 5 friends from her city went on this trip. The one who was to room with her had an accident, which created the open slot on the trip. We got along very well.

I roomed with 2 women on a trip to Churchill, MB, CA. The only problem here was I was in a top bunk. But I did get used to it. We weren't in the room much at all, but we got along OK.

[shanti]

1. just saw this but wanted to respond

as it might help someone else...

my first trip to jamaica was with a stranger. it was late august, i'd just found out my son would be with my ex for a weeklong visit, which was a rarity. i had a little (emphasis on "little"!) extra money and my dream was to visit jamaica. so....i looked up a local travel agent whose emphasis was jamaica, and booked my ticket (this was in so cal). i told her i needed to really save money, so she booked me to share a hotel room in negril with a young girl from south africa who was visiting her au pair friend in l.a. we met at the agent's condo (who cooked us a delish jamaican meal, i might add:)), and approved the deal! unfortunately, i forgot to check the weather and didn't know that i was arriving in the middle of hurricane seasoning (rain every day for an hour or two).

long story short, she got food poisoning the second day after arrival and since i shared a room with her, it was hell! i was ok, but spent the entire week running around by myself. as an unexperienced traveler, that was very difficult. there were some bright spots, but it was not fun! i didn't know her well enough to really discuss anything with her either. our lifestyles were very too. she was a pampered rich girl who called daddy for money every day, and i was a struggling single mother. not much in common!

i ran out of money on the last day, and that airplane dinner never tasted so good! i learned a lot on that trip.