We’ve all been there, right?
You’re in the final stages of planning your trip with your friend; and you’ve finally settled on the when, where, and what of your trip. You get super hyped and begin making preparations, when suddenly your friend can’t go because his grandmother’s cat died, or a travel alert pops up letting you know the destination isn’t safe.
So now you’re trying to accommodate your friend or plead your case, but thanks to more scheduling issues, the trip never happens. I call it the “Travel Tango.”
Luckily for me, I’ve never had to experience any of these things. It’s simple: I invite once then I go. I have places to go and people to meet, and I don’t have time to wait for someone. Don’t get me wrong, I love a solid group trip with the homies. A turn up with your friends in a foreign country is always a good time but all of my trips have always started solo. Nonetheless, a lot of people go through the travel tango when trying to plan a trip with friends.
There are enough benefits to traveling alone to write an entire book! Solo travel is my life and I love it because it allows me to come out of my shell; it forces me to fully immerse myself into the place and local culture. It gives me freedom to do whatever I want, when I want.
Despite calling it solo, when I’m traveling solo, I’m rarely truly alone. I’ve never had any trouble finding someone to join me when I grab a bite, go on an excursion, or just want to chop it up. Meeting new people is the highlight of travel for me. My motto is “strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet”.
With this, I’m sure you can see why I feel bad for people that tell me of their solo travel horror stories. My experience has consisted of unforgettable memories and laughs. I understand that we are all unique individuals. But I believe that with the right approach, solo travel can be a rewarding experience for everyone.
There are many connections to be made while solo traveling. BUt there are also many safety practices to keep in mind like avoiding dodgy people and places. Should you avoid strangers at all costs? Of course not! But, unfortunately, bad intentions exist all over the world. so always keep these simple safety tips in mind as you read the list:
Go with your gut.
Don’t go to secluded places alone with someone you’ve only just met.
When using apps like Couchsurfing, always read and consider the host’s reviews first.
Never be relaxed about protecting your valuables safe from theft.
So here are 10 Tips for making friends while solo traveling.
10 tips for making friends while traveling alone
- Be approachable
This isn’t as obvious as it seems. If your body language is telling everyone to leave you alone, they will do exactly that.
Here are some things to be aware of if you want to make new friends:
- Minimize the use of electronics. If you’re stuck on some screen or your AirPods are in, most people will automatically stay away.
- Don’t show ‘closed off’ body language. Folded arms, crossed legs, body turned away from people; these all signal to others that you want to be left alone. Look engaged. Things like slouching tend to indicate to others that you are disengaged. Plus, eye contact is usually the first way of inviting communication.
- Remember to smile. Research shows that people tend to view neutral facial expressions as slightly negative, so get that happy face out big smiles lol.
2. Be Spontaneous
This is a generally good tip for life, but even more so for travelling. Whether you’re looking for new friends or traveling with your own friends, planning every minute of the trip can be a bit stressful. Not to mention, you’ll miss out on opportunities.
For instance, imagine having every moment planned, but meeting someone that you click with at your hostel or someplace else. If they invite you out at a later time, the fact you have every moment planned out will likely make you less inclined to join them. You almost automatically lose out on the chance to make a friend.Join online travel groupsFor instance, imagine having every moment planned, but meeting someone that you click with at your hostel or someplace else. If they invite you out at a later time, the fact you have every moment planned out will likely make you less inclined to join them. You almost automatically lose out on the chance to make a friend.
Instead of overplanning, I go on trips with just a general idea of what I’d like to do while I’m there and never prepay or plan for activities. It makes it easier for me to enjoy the company of the people I meet.
3. Join online travel groups
I’ve found several great solo travel groups on Facebook. The groups are a great resource for people sharing advice and arranging meet ups with others. You should join communities that appeal to your interests. Some groups that I love are
- Nomadness (primarily for digital nomads);
- Girls Love Travel (For women traveling solo); and
- GoWonder’s Solo Female Travel Group (For women traveling solo).
4. Appreciate the language
If you want to immerse yourself in the culture, there’s no better start than communicating. Having a basic understanding of the language can be extremely helpful. It’s crazy because I’ve been to 63 countries and I can’t speak any of the langues. But, don’t be like me.
I’m in the process of learning Spanish (to be frank I wish I would have done this years ago). But Google translate gets old, Not to mention, people truly appreciate the effort in speaking their language whether you can or not. Even when I think someone speaks English I try to speak their native language first. And the person is almost always more inclined to help.
5. Use travel apps
You had to expect that technology would come into the list somewhere. The app space has really emerged as a resource for solo travelers. Here are some great apps to use while solo traveling.
•SoloTraveller — SoloTraveller is a social platform aimed at connecting you to other solo travelers and backpackers near you. You can find and get updates from friends, people to rideshare with, and even build your traveler community.
•Couchsurfing — You can find locals that have offered up their homes to travelers on Couchsurfing. It’s one of my favorite apps because it’s free and literally gives you a local experience. I thought couchsurfer costs now?
•Showaround — Showaround connects travelers with locals that are willing to show you around their home cities. You can search for a good host match based on your interests. Although some people charge, the app makes it easy to connect with like-minded people.
•Flip the Trip — similar to SoloTraveller, this app gives you the ability to search for people near you, but with Flip the Trip you can pre-search for a travel buddy for future trips.
•PartyWith — PartyWith focuses solely on nightlife. It connects travelers and locals that are looking to party. From going out for drinks or finding nearby house parties, it’s all on the app.
•Tourlina — Tourlina is a solo travel app for women that want to safely and easily connect with other women. Tourlina also has built in security features like a verification process which offers some peace of mind about who you’re meeting up with. Think Tinder, but only for women looking for travel buddies. Users can swipe through other women and connect based on interests, language, age, etc.
•TripGiraffe — TripGiraffe makes it easy to connect with travelers by allowing you to create a trip and invite other travelers to join you. Or you can browse thousands of existing trips and join trips you like.
6.Volunteer or do a work exchange
Volunteer and work exchange opportunities through organizations like Worldpackers. These experiences can be a perfect way to make new friends while traveling solo. Worldpackers are hands down one of my favorite groups of travelers. The organization gives you time to get to know a place while doing a common good or service while traveling. You’ll be spending a whole lot of time with your fellow work exchangers and hosts if you volunteer with Worldpackers.Since you’ll be living and working together, even the most introverted travelers will find it easy to connect with new people.
7. Stay in hostels
Staying in a hostel is your absolute best resource for making new friends while traveling alone. And I can’t say it enough: if you’re traveling solo or in a small group and don’t want to be isolated, a hostel is your best bet to meet people.
Here are some ways to meet people through hostels. First, you should hang out in the common area. A good portion of the people in hostels are also traveling solo and want to meet new friends, but if you stay in your room all day then you’ll only meet your temporary roommates. Next, try to hang out next to the bar, in the middle of the social area to meet people and engage. Joining hostel activities like bar crawls, cooking activities, or group tours are also amazing. I promise you’ll make a long term here.
8. Show up for breakfast.
Breakfast is usually free in hostels (tip: try to find a hostel that offers free breakfast). Breakfast is where you meet the new travelers and reconnect with the old travelers from last night. Don’t be like me and miss breakfast because you’re hungover from the night before; get up, have a cup of tea or some coffee.
Even if your hostel doesn’t have breakfast or only offers coffee and fruit, hang out in the kitchen or dining area in the morning. Ask the other guests about their plans for the day and get tips on must-see places in the city. It’s that easy. People are usually excited about their plans and more than happy to discuss them.
If you see them later that day make sure to follow up and ask how their day went (it’s an easy conversation starter). These small connections often turn into invitations to hang out or deeper conversation.
9.Strike up conversations during transit
I’ve met some of the most interesting people while taking local transportation! I once shared a cab ride with a local in Morocco. He was a Black Berber and after speaking about our respective countries we started to discuss our families and I came to find out he was on his way to his cousin’s wedding that day. He was traveling from the city to his village with food and provisions for the wedding. We were on the way to the same town. He offered me a spot at his place, which I initially declined, but after arriving late with nowhere to sleep I decided to take him up on the offer. It turned out to be one of the best travel decisions I ever made. I was able to attend a traditional Berber wedding in the desert, meet the entire family, and stay a few days. We still communicate to this day and I sent him some university supplies a few years ago.
People from all walks of life use local transportation for a myriad of reasons and you never know who you might end up sitting next to.
10. Use co-working spaces
If you’re a digital nomad then co-working spaces can be the perfect place to meet friends while being productive. Even if you aren’t in the same field, you’ll automatically have a lot in common with most people you meet there. Building your professional network and making new friends while traveling is a win-win.
Bonus: Visit local hangouts
If you want to make friends with locals while traveling, ask around about their favorite local hangouts. In bigger cities you may have to leave your immediate neighborhood to find them, but that only adds to your experience.
Once you’re there, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone! In case you missed a common theme of the list: chatting with people where you’re visiting is an excellent way to meet people and get insider tips!
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