How To Make Friends While Traveling
Whether you’re by yourself, with friends, or with a partner - meeting new, like-minded, potentially life-long friends is one of the many perks of traveling. It’s one of my favorite things about it actually. It’s especially nice to meet people when you’re traveling solo. I think it’s easier that way too, honestly. It can, however, seem like a daunting task. Scary even. It doesn’t have to be though. Throughout my years of traveling I have made many life-long friends and connections across the globe, and you can too. Here’s how.
Meetup
One of the easiest ways to connect with like-minded people that have similar interests as you is through Meetup. You can, as the name simply implies, meet up with new people that have similar interests and passions. There are so many different things you can do. To learn more about Meetup and how it works, check out their site here.
Facebook Groups
There are Facebook groups for literally everything these days. One of my favorite groups is Girls Love Travel. There are also many destination specific groups out there also. I always say to use social media with caution because of course there are creepers out there. So, if you choose to meet up with someone or a group of people that you meet through a Facebook group (or through any other social media platform) - keep your location sharing on with your friends and family. Always let someone back home know who you are going to be with, where, and when.
Start A Conversation
Sounds so simple, right? Well it is! One time I was traveling to see Mt. Fuji in Japan, and this guy (seemingly the only other American on the train) just sparked up a conversation. I think he asked me where I was from. We only met for a few minutes, but we’ve been Insta friends for years now! You just never know who you will meet. You also never know when those connections could come in handy. A couple of other easy ways to start a conversation with someone - ask for directions, recommendations, or compliment them in some way.
Go Out For Food
Going out to eat is a great way to meet new people. If you go out to eat and sit alone - you are more likely to attract other solo travelers looking for people to connect with. If you sit at the bar it may help even more. Again, just remember to stay vigilant! While at the airport in Atlanta a few years ago, I sat at the bar to have a glass of wine. I connected with another solo female traveler by starting a conversation - “Ooo that burger looks good.” Too easy.
Book An Experience or Class
These next three ways to meet new people while traveling are my favorites by far. Starting with this one - book an experience, tour, or class. Nowadays there are so many different experiences that you can book through online travel sites. I love booking experiences through Airbnb. Trip Advisor and Viator are also big go-tos for me.
There are all different kinds of experiences that you can book. Try to pick something with good reviews! I’m a big review reader. Some examples of experiences or classes that you can book are:
City walking tour
City food tour
Cooking class
Photography tour
Dancing class
The list could go on and on. This is a nice option because you can meet people that have similar interests as you. Most times the groups for these types of excursions are smaller and more intimate also which allows you to really get to know people in a short amount of time.
We did this while in Medellin. We connected with the people on our city walking tour in Medellin, and then ended up meeting up in Cartagena a few days later.
Book a Free Walking Tour
Similar to the above, you could book a free walking tour to meet new people. There are free walking tours (tips are always great to give to your guide though) in almost any destination that you can think of. Just do a quick google search for “free walking tour” followed by the name of your destination, and I can almost guarantee that something will pop up. These tours are usually quicker and often not as intimate as the paid tours, but they’re great if you are budget traveling or short on time.
Book An Organized Group Tour
Finally, my ultimate favorite way of meeting new people while traveling - booking an organized group tour. If you’re familiar with my content you’ll know that I’ve been on four separate organized group tours with the travel company Trafalgar. This is not sponsored. I’m just a huge fan.
I have made life-long friends from these trips. These organized tours great for booking as a solo traveler looking for some travel companions. The people on the trip with you will be with you, experiencing and learning new things, every day. Not all day everyday, but every day. These trips allow you to instantly meet new people that are often like-minded lovers of travel.
Another bonus - you don’t have to wait around for someone back home to be ready to travel with you. There will always be a group of people ready to go. With all that being said - the absolute best thing about these organized group trips is that because you do meet so many new people and make new connections, you’re more than likely going to end up having friends to forever travel with in the future.
Fun Fact: I met my friend Frances in 2016 when I booked a trip to Italy with Trafalgar. We were both traveling as solo females and got roomed together. We’ve been to Greece, Indonesia, Sweden, and Iceland together since then.
These are some of the best ways that I know to meet new people while traveling. However you choose to meet them, it always feels magical to find people that share the same love and passion that you have for adventures abroad.
Sending love and light,
Ellie
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