Traveling solo is both exciting and overwhelming, we know! Stepping out of the plane to a brand new country, discovering different cultures, and seeing beautiful places all by yourself are so rewarding. On the other hand, we might feel a tiny urge to find someone to share our crazy experiences with. That is very normal and even highly recommended! Therefore, solo traveling is one of the best ways to meet new people and make friends. Then, how to make friends while traveling?
Say goodbye to the loneliness of solo traveling after you read this blog! We will show you the 10 ways to find a travel buddy that are surprisingly easy. Practiced by fellow travelers, we guarantee that these tips work!
How to Make Friends While Traveling – Summary
- Keep the Positive Vibes Up
- Start a Small Talk
- Stay in Hostels
- Book a Class
- Show Up at Local Events
- Scroll Through Apps
- Join Social Media Groups
- Stop by Coworking Spaces
- Go on Walking Tours
- Plan Ahead and Join Small Group Tours
Keep the Positive Vibes Up
Staying alarmed and careful during traveling, especially alone, is super important. However, if you want to make friends while traveling, keeping those positive vibes up is also important. People love being around someone who emits warm and positive energy. It also shows that you are a nice and welcoming person, as well as a potentially good friend.
Thus, we recommend being open. You can spend less time on your phone, put your earphones off, and put a smile on your face. That way, you are displaying yourself as someone who is ready to start a conversation and make new friends. Other than that, you attract what you are. So, by being positive, you are likely attracting good people who shares the same vibes!
Start a Small Talk
Next, let’s go back to the classics. Starting small talk is a great way to initiate a friendship with someone. When you are traveling, there is no need to worry to feel awkward. There are lots of solo travelers that ask the same, “How to make friends while traveling?” question like you!
On the other hand, starting small talk may feel like gambling. You don’t know what your potential friends love, would like to say, or going on in their heads. So, you can start with something as casual as talking about the destination in general, the airline you are using, the place you want to visit, or other travel-related stuff.
Stay in Hostels
How to make friends while traveling? This tip may sound overrated, but it is true and easy to do! Staying in hostels allows you to meet fellow travelers from all over the world. Moreover, you can share a whole room together with them. It may feel like a sleepover, but with strangers. Thus, staying in hostels will help you to start a conversation and – further – friendships with like-minded travelers.
Besides connecting with your roommates, you can find make more friends by going out and joining the events. You can casually mingle with other travelers during breakfast or on a hot afternoon by the pool. Other than that, you can join social and volunteer activities held by the hostel to meet more people.
Book a Class
Learning a new skill or staying fit during vacation is always a good idea. Whether you want to complete your daily yoga goal or prepare a perfect pasta, classes are your go-to. Joining classes bring more benefits than just learning new skills, including making new friends.
Booking a class of your preference allows you to meet people that share the same interests as you. Moreover, it gives you a cheat sheet on how to start a conversation with them. Yes, you can talk about the class, your interests, and other things revolving around it. Furthermore, if you are traveling for a long time, you can develop further friendships with the people in your class.
Show Up at Local Events
Are you stumbling upon an event flyer while eating out at a restaurant? Or do you find an ad about a local karaoke night in your destination? Then, go for it! Attending local events is one of the best ways to make friends during traveling. Everyone is having fun and guaranteed – there is always someone who looks for a friend!
Thus, among events that you stumble upon, there are some that we highly recommend. You can attend digital nomad gatherings, seminars, beach clean-ups, and travelers’ night-out. In those events, you can find valuable insights, like-minded connections, and a lot of fun.
Scroll Through Apps
Using an application to find friends while traveling is effortless and effective. With a touch of a finger, you can meet someone online and talk to them. Moreover, you can schedule a meeting to see them in person. Thus, many solo travelers are using applications to find friends in advance before they land at their destination.
Nowadays, there are so many apps you can use to find friends while traveling. The famous dating app, Bumble, has a BFF mode. If you are a solo female traveler, we recommend you to use Bumble BFF as you can meet fellow female travelers in the app. Other than that, here are some travel buddy apps that you can use while traveling:
- Hey!Vina: Dating app-like application for women to find fellow female friends
- Meetup: An application or platform to find friends or communities with the same interests in the same place. You can find communities such as a solo travelers community in Amsterdam or a digital nomad group in Bali.
- Couchsurfing: Meet locals who offer a free place to stay for travelers and backpackers. Also, find traveler groups and events.
Join Social Media Groups
If you want to find a travel buddy while traveling solo, you should join groups on social media. One of the most active communities in social media belongs to Facebook. There are a lot of travel groups on Facebook. You can browse groups based on your interests or location. For example, if you are traveling to Spain, you can search for travel groups or digital nomad groups in Spain on Facebook.
Are you looking for an awesome Facebook group to join? We recommend you to join JoinMyTrip Travel Buddy group. In this group, you can connect with other wanderlusts and find exciting trips hosted by passionate travelers all around the world. Then, if you are a solo female traveler, we recommend you to join Solo Female Travelers and Global Travel Women group to meet other fabulous female travelers!
Stop by Coworking Spaces
How to make friends while traveling as a digital nomad? Then, the answer is quite simple. You must try working from coworking spaces! Coworking spaces provide a comfortable place to work with a superb internet connection, calming atmosphere, and spots to focus. Moreover, digital nomads and remote workers usually work in coworking spaces. Therefore, it is a great place to meet them.
Coworking spaces allow you to build both professional connections and good friendships. You can meet fellow remote workers who are focusing on different fields. Thus, you can join a nice conversation and gain new insights from them. Sounds like a good idea, right?
Go on Walking Tours
Walking tours are a fun and effective way to explore a city. You can stroll through the famous spots, see gorgeous landmarks, stop by off-the-radar places, and have lunch in a delightful restaurant by joining the tours. Thus, there are free walking tours that will allow you to save more money.
Moreover, walking tours are great to make new friends. You can meet other travelers or locals who are taking the tour with you. Have a nice conversation with them while exploring the city or taking a coffee break.
Travel in Small Group Tours
If you want to travel solo but not alone, group tours are the solution. Joining group tours allow you to get the best out of a destination, while also meeting fellow travelers. You will share a lot of moments and fun times together with your group. However, sometimes being in a large group can be tiring. So, you can choose small group tours that are more intimate and have more flexible itineraries.
You can find tons of small group tours online. Thus, if you are looking for the best one, JoinMyTrip should be on your list. JoinMyTrip specializes in small group trips with authentic itineraries and exciting experiences. Thus, the group trips only have 3-8 people, making them special and intimate. So, are you interested in joining small group tours?