While solo travel often leads to unforgettable experiences (how about sleeping in a temple on top of a cliff?), it can tend to become a bit lonely if you don’t meet people to share the adventure with. It doesn’t have to be, though. This article will give you invaluable insights to help you when making friends as a solo traveller on the road.
Pick the right accommodation
As a solo traveller, the type of accommodation you choose can make or break your entire trip. For example, staying in a hotel probably isn’t your best bet if you want to make friends. However, there are three terrific alternatives for you to choose from.
Hostels
If you haven’t heard of hostels by now, I’m pretty sure you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade. Nowadays, hostels are no longer the unkempt, shady places where people go to be murdered. You can get a bed in a shared dorm room for a fraction of the price of a hotel room.
Especially for solo travellers, hostels are a trendy, social, and – most importantly – cheaper alternative for hotels. They almost always have communal spaces where you can meet like-minded people and are therefore the perfect place for make friends as a solo traveller.
In case you’re not convinced yet, hostels often have a guest kitchen where you can cook your own food and save some money, are generally located around the city centre and the staff are mostly young travel enthusiasts with lots of information about local happenings.
One of the best ways to find hostels online is by browsing hostel websites, such as Hostelworld, Hostels.com and Hostelbooker.
CouchSurfing
Through Couchsurfing, you essentially get to stay with a local for free. Not only does this mean you get free accommodation, which is usually a considerable chunk of any travel budget, it also means that you get to stay with a person who can tell you all about the culture of the place you’re visiting.
Many people come to Couchsurfing for the free accommodation but stay for the people they end up meeting and because they want to give back to the travel community by hosting their own house or apartment for other surfers.
A widespread concern about surfing with somebody you’ve never met is safety. After all, you’re staying in somebody’s home, exposing yourself to many possible dangers.
However, most Couchsurfing hosts are people who were surfers themselves at some point. They’ll understand what a first-time surfer is going through and will undoubtedly try their best to make you feel comfortable in their home. The website also has several safety checks, such as official ID verification and reviews from fellow surfers.
As long as you use common sense when selecting your host and during your actual CS experience, you should be fine.
Airbnb
Airbnb is one of the most famous websites for short-term property rentals, and it’s very often used among travellers. The most obvious advantage of this website is that you’re usually getting a fully furnished home for a very fair price.
On the subject of price, Airbnb prices tend to be somewhere between a standard bed in a hostel dorm room and a room in a hotel. That being said, it might not be the best choice for solo travellers. However, if you can’t seem to find a good hostel, hotel or CouchSurfing host, you might want to consider looking on this website for accommodation.
You might think that renting an Airbnb as a solo traveller is not very likely to make you any friends, but I’d have to disagree. When I went to Malta, I had to look for an alternative for my CouchSurfing host who bailed on me at the last minute, and I ended up sleeping in Daniel’s home.
He and his girlfriend were renting out rooms and beds in communal areas to travellers from all around the world. Daniel ended up being one of the best parts of my trip because he was able to show me all around and give me cool insider tips.
Make friends over food and drinks
Food and drinks are one of your main costs as a (solo) traveller, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have some fun and make friends while eating. On the contrary, it might just be one of the best ways to make friends.
Become a regular
If you’re staying somewhere for longer than a couple of days, becoming a regular at a bar or restaurant might be an option for you to meet new people. The staff will start to recognise you and other local regulars may strike up a conversation with you.
Another risky tactic you could use is to approach another person who is eating alone and saying something along the lines of “Hey, I noticed you were eating alone. Mind if I join you?” This is risky because that person may actually want to eat by themselves and turn down your company.
But hey, it’s worth a shot, right?
Eat with locals
There are several apps and websites that aim to connect (solo) travellers with people that can offer an authentic representation of local cuisine. This experience is often called “social dining”. Doing this can be an amazing way to both get a taste (pun intended) of what the food in your destination is actually like and maybe make a local friend.
A few examples of these websites are WithLocals, EatWith (Android / iPhone) and MealSharing. Moreover, you might get lucky and find a local that will cook for you on Couchsurfing or Airbnb.
Spend time in hostel bars
Whether you just want to play board games and get to know some fellow travellers or you want to indulge in beer and tequila for a memorable night (or, more accurately, a night that is unforgettable but hard to remember), hostel bars are the place to be.
That being said, it’s a good idea to comb through guidebooks and browse the internet to find out what kind of hostel you’ll be staying at. It’ll be way easier to find people to go out with at a party hostel than at a boutique hostel. That’s just another choice you’ll have to make.
Fun fact: in most party hostels, you’ll be able to spend time in the communal areas (e.g. the bar), even if you’re not sleeping there yourself.
Share food with others
Fun conversations over dinner or lunch have a way of forming new friendships between strangers. Whether it’s a bowl of pho in Vietnam or pizza in Italy, chances are that you’ll meet new people over food.
Besides, there are many ways to share food with others. You can share some snacks in a hostel bar with other travellers, you can eat with locals through the aforementioned apps and websites or you can approach someone eating alone at a restaurant. The possibilities are endless.
Keep an open mind
The most important thing to do when you’re trying to make friends as a solo traveller is to be open-minded and accepting. After all, if you’re not going to accept other personalities, lifestyles and cultures, what’s the point of travelling at all?
Give everyone a chance
On the road, especially as a solo traveller, it’s more important than ever to adopt a tolerant attitude. Not only because you should show respect for the culture you’re visiting, but also because you could miss out on a lot of special friendships from people all around the world.
So, next time somebody approaches you while you’re waiting for the bus or you’re standing in line to visit a museum, don’t just shrug your shoulders. Have a conversation and see where it leads. Who knows? You may just have made a new friend.
Be flexible with your plans
Nowadays, having a plan that tells you where to go is essential while travelling. You probably don’t want to be aimlessly wandering around a destination and go back home just to realise you haven’t actually seen anything.
While it’s nice to have a plan to fall back on, this plan shouldn’t be an absolute must, but rather a general guideline with wiggle room. This way, if somebody should invite you to a rooftop barbecue or ask you to go visit a temple together, you don’t have to turn them down.
It’s also good practice not to overplan your holiday. For example, you could leave one day a week without any plans as a buffer for any unexpected things that may have come up.
Come out of your comfort zone
As Neale Donald Walsch put it so eloquently, life begins at the end of your comfort zone. This quote implies that you need to have the courage to leave your comfort zone in order to really experience life.
You probably wouldn’t even be travelling by yourself if you had stayed in your comfort zone. You’re heading in the right direction. Now, it’s time to take that one step further, especially if you’re an introverted solo traveller.
It’s not easy to put yourself out there and be vulnerable in front of strangers. If it pays off, it’s that much more rewarding, though.
The comfort zone is overrated, anyway.
Meet people in transit
Drinking in hostel bars or having a chat with a stranger on a tour are far from the only ways of making friends abroad, although they might be the most conventional.
You can meet people in transit. During a long train ride between two destinations, on a plane, or even on a short-haul bus ride.
Related: How to survive a long-haul flight
Better yet, you could just end up having a conversation with a traveller who’s heading in the same direction as you, which means you’ve already made a friend before even arriving at your destination.
Participate in activities
Anywhere you go, plenty of activities will be organised for travellers like you and locals alike. These activities are the perfect place to meet new, like-minded people, and thus pose the ideal opportunity to shoot your shot.
Making friends as a solo traveller has never been easier.
Do trips, activities and excursions
If you’re planning on staying in a hostel during your solo trip, you’re in luck. Not only because it’s incredibly easy to meet new friends, but also because most hostels make an active effort to organise trips and activities for the less extroverted and enthusiastic among their guests. They often have years of experience, so they know what can get people to talk to each other. Joining these activities is a surefire way to make new friends, or at least get to talk to someone.
Another platform that aims to bring its people together is Airbnb. Through their “Experiences” programme, they try to unite locals and travellers so that both can enrich their lives through a unique experience that the destination has to offer. For example, you can play football with locals in Barcelona or attend a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto.
Additionally, you could just browse through Facebook Events in your destination while you’re visiting.
Related: The best solo travel destinations in Europe
Take a class
First of all, it’s very likely that you’d only take a class if you’re interested in the subject of the class. As a consequence, it’s also very likely that the other people in the class are interested in its subject.
Quick situation sketch: you’re in a room with a bunch of people, trying to learn something – let’s say you’re learning how to make pasta. In this scenario, it’s impossible for you not to have anything to talk about, because you can always fall back on pasta – the thing you’re learning about – should the conversation not go as planned.
Another plus that you can’t neglect is that you’re learning a new skill. Now, give me one good reason why you shouldn’t take a class.
Share your interests
Admittedly, I’m going out on a limb here.
Imagine you’re on a city trip to Dublin, walking around the city centre when suddenly you see this guy across the street wearing a t-shirt of one of your favourite bands. What do you do?
As a solo traveller, the only right answer is to approach the guy and ask him about it. Best case scenario: you start talking about the band because you’re both massive fans and you become friends. Worst case scenario: the guy looks at you like you’re an alien because he borrowed the t-shirt from someone else and you feel awkward for 30 seconds. Oh well, it was still worth a try, right?
Finding something to share a conversation over doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be something as small as a pin on your luggage, an iPhone case or a sticker on your laptop.
Join a group tour
The point I’ve been trying to make in this whole post is that solo travel doesn’t have to be lonely. If there’s one thing that proves that, it’s that you can still go on a group tour.
Obvious advantages include meeting other people and not having to plan everything yourself.
Two fantastic companies that organise group tours (both for solo travellers and for people who are already travelling in a group) are Busabout and TourRadar. Busabout uses a hop-on-hop-off system where you get to choose your own itinerary, giving you the flexibility of solo travel and the convenience of a group tour. TourRadar creates very professional group tours in small groups so that solo travellers and introverts would feel included as well.
Connect with travellers online
We live in the twenty-first century. There’s nothing taboo about meeting people online, whether it be a date on Tinder or another traveller who you can take a tour or have some fun with.
Use an app
Using an app is a godsend for introverted solo travellers.
Here are some of my favourite solo travel apps to use in 2020.
Backpackr (Android / iPhone) lets you input your date and location and shows you all travellers who are there at that time. An algorithm will decide if your interests match enough and let you message each other to meet up or to travel together. The app will also send you push notifications every time someone new is on their way to your destination.
If you’re looking to date while on the road, you may want to check out TourBar (Android / iPhone). The app is something between Tinder and the aforementioned app. You select someone based on their profile and strike up a conversation if it’s a match.
Tourlina (Android / iPhone) works on the same concept as Backpackr, but it’s the first of its kind to only feature women. New profiles are checked thoroughly and only verified accounts can talk to one another.
Social media
Aside from dedicated apps that help you meet a travel companion, there are several other ways to use the internet and social media to your advantage as a solo traveller.
Facebook is one of the big ones. For starters, you can write a post to tell your friends where you’re going. They might know someone there. (You can obviously also do this on other social media, such as Twitter and Instagram).
Secondly, you could check out dedicated Facebook groups of your destination. Nowadays, there’s pretty much a group on Facebook for everything, so chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Moving on from Facebook, you can also find interesting events on Couchsurfing. You can select where and when you’re going and you’ll instantly get a list of activities happening in your area. Who knows? You might end up going to a house party, hiking a mountain or sailing in the middle of the ocean.
Enjoy your own company
The most important lesson to be learnt from solo travel is that your own company is more than enough. Being abroad by yourself really has a way of making you appreciate your own personality and everything you stand for.
Nowadays, too many solo travel tips (including this blog post) focus on meeting new people as a solo traveller. That’s why I think it’s important to add that you don’t have to go out and meet people just because the internet is telling you to.
The whole point of travelling alone is to figure out what you want and who you want to be. That includes deciding whether or not you want to make new friends.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading and learnt something. If you used these tips and met some new people, I’d love to hear about it on Twitter!
If you have any tips to make friends as a solo traveller, feel free to leave a comment down below.
Thanks for reading!
-S
