Traveling alone can be a remarkable, exciting and liberating experience. There are some fantastic travel adventures to set your own pace and discover new cities without sacrificing your enjoyment. However, when traveling alone, it’s not uncommon to feel alone from time to time and want to share the experience with other people. When you’re lost or not feeling well, it can be overwhelming, even scary, when you’re alone in a new country. So, in this post, I’m going to share the easiest way to make friends while traveling alone.
How to Make Friends When Traveling Solo
1. Stay in a hotel
The first piece of advice for making friends when traveling alone is to stay in a hotel. Dorms are best, as this will give you the most opportunities to meet potential friends. But even if you live in a private dormitory room, you still have plenty of opportunities to meet new people in the hostel bar, kitchen and lounge areas.
Hotels are full of solo travelers who are in the same boat as you, and almost everyone will be more than happy to help you if you’re in a pickle. Hanging out at a hotel bar is a surefire way to meet other travelers who might want some company!
In fact, there are hostels all over the world, which means that if you choose to stay in a hostel, you can make friends anywhere. The easiest way to find a hostel in any given area is to use Hostelword.
2. Use the Connect Traveler app
There are so many amazing apps available right now, you never have to be alone unless you want to! There are even apps designed specifically to connect female solo travelers – such as Tourlina. These apps can easily connect you with other solo travelers and can be a great source of comfort when you get a little homesick or just want some company.
3. Sign up for a free city walking tour
Free city walking tours (although you’ll usually have to tip your guide at the end of the tour) are a great way to learn about new places, as well as meet other friendly travelers.
Not only is it a budget-friendly activity, but you’ll end up meeting a lot of people from different backgrounds, and making new travel buddies along the way!
4. Go on a guided holiday
Okay, so this might not be exactly a solo trip. However, it does involve traveling with a group of complete strangers! Guided holidays are great for those who might be a little nervous about planning the whole trip on their own.
Many companies offer fully organized vacations from start to finish, all you need to do is show up! This is an excellent choice if you want to make friends while traveling because you will be on the road with the same people day in and day out.
Companies like G Adventures and Intrepid Travel always organize tours for small groups. You can sign up for any of their tours and you’re guaranteed to meet other travelers.
5. Take the game with you
Packing a travel game or two in your luggage, as TUI suggests, is a great way to keep everyone entertained. That way, no matter where you travel, you’re sure to make friends!
A simple deck of cards can be a great conversation starter, and many people will enjoy sitting down with you for a little poker or blackjack. Before you know it, you’ll be planning your next travel adventure with them!
6. Out of the Shell
Traveling alone can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re an introvert. But if you want to make friends, you need to try to be more outgoing.
If you’re just sitting in a corner and playing with your phone all night at a hotel, people probably won’t bother you because you look busy.
So if you want to make friends while traveling alone, it’s important to strike up a conversation with other travelers. You don’t even have to be the most outspoken person to make this happen, you just have to break out of your shell, go to the common areas, be hospitable and you’ll be surprised how many people want to start a conversation with you.
7. Follow the crowd by attending nearby events
First, making friends is easier when there are more people to make friends with. Find out what events are happening in your city and attend some.
In major cities, there are often free theatres, festivals, music and film events in public spaces and parks. You’re bound to find plenty of other budget-conscious solo travelers out there, so make the most of it, be open and chat.
8. If you want to make friends with locals, learn the local language
English can get you far when traveling, but learning some basic words of the local language will help you bond well with the locals, even on a deeper level.
Locals always appreciate foreigners who make the effort to learn a language, which often makes them more friendly and helpful to you – and this can turn into lasting friendships.
9. Participate in various dormitory activities
There’s no better way to make friends while traveling alone than by participating in dorm activities. Most hotels these days have a host of activities for their guests to keep them entertained in the area.
Whether it’s a game night that pits you against fellow travelers for a small prize (maybe a beer or something), you’re bound to meet some really cool people who might end up becoming your friends.
10. Enroll in different courses in the area
Signing up for a class in the area will help you hang out with the same people over a period of time, making it easier to make friends. These classes can range from dance lessons, cooking lessons, foreign language lessons to surfing lessons.
The list of classes you can join is endless, and since you meet people who like the same things you do, it’s easier to strike up a conversation with them. So when traveling alone, sign up for classes in activities you’re passionate about, and you’ll eventually make friends along the way.
11. Take part in day trips and activities
Day trips are great, as long as you make sure you don’t pick a super crowded one that will blow you away! You will meet many other tourists who are also not familiar with the area. While there will be plenty of couples, there will also be solo travelers on most day trips, so why not ask if you can sit together on the bus!
Most importantly, being on an adventure will always put you in contact with other people who want the same things. Whether it’s bungee jumping or snorkeling, you’ll end up making some new friends.
Pro tip: Before taking any trip, make sure you have travel insurance.
12. Use Couchsurfing to meet new people
While Couchsurfing is known for helping travelers find free accommodation, specifically, sleeping on the owner’s couch—it’s more than that.
The app has a “hang out” feature that lets you find people in that exact location who just want to hang out with someone, or even go on a sightseeing adventure.
So if you’re worried about how to make friends while traveling alone, I hope this article has shown you that traveling solo is possible and doesn’t have to be because you’ll meet cool people along the way who can end up being your good friend.
