11 easy ways to meet people as a solo traveler
A few years ago, I would have never considered the idea of traveling solo. It was something that simply hadn’t crossed my mind yet! Then, when I did board the solo travel ‘train,’ I didn’t know if I’d find it lonely. I’m naturally a shy person at first, so figuring out how to meet people as a solo traveler wasn’t something I knew how to do.
Eventually, I got around to surfing social media when I discovered a huge movement among women today who are traveling solo. The solo travel trend had already been going strong for years, right under my nose.
Fast forward to today, and boy, a lot has changed. I’ve taken two six-week long solo trips through Europe (check out my posts on Lisbon and Porto) and was lucky enough to make a lot of meaningful friendships along the way.
How did that happen? Here’s the scoop:
1. Choose your accommodations wisely
Hostels: If you want to meet people as a solo traveler, the type of lodging you choose actually matters a lot. Most of my life, I’d stayed in hotels, completely unfamiliar with other forms of accommodation.
Then, I stayed in my first hostel, The Hat, in Madrid in 2019, which I absolutely loved. I shared a room with three other women and met all of them as we each came and went. Some kept to themselves while others filled the room with chatty exuberance.
It’s easy to connect with others at a hostel, especially if there’s a game room or a guitar lying around in front of a fireplace. While hostels usually tend to foster a social environment, sometimes they don’t. Check reviews before booking!
Airbnb: Consider booking a private room through Airbnb to meet people as a solo traveler. I stayed in quite a lot of these during my travels through northern Spain and Portugal.
More than likely, you’ll have a chance to meet your host and possibly other travelers staying in the Airbnb. Sometimes your host may be limited on time, but other times, you might wind up having an hour long conversation over a glass of port with them!
It can vary depending on the situation on the host, but staying in a private room in an Airbnb can be a great way to see the city through a local’s perspective.
2. Airbnb experiences
If you can’t tell already, I’m a big fan of Airbnb. More often than not, when I book a tour, I book an Airbnb experience.
I’ve found that the people who join in on the Airbnb experiences are usually really fun, open, and also tend to sway a little younger, closer to my age, which makes it easier to connect. I’ve made friends with really cool couples and also fellow solo female travelers by taking Airbnb experiences.
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to hit it off when you’re doing something fun together. I took a food tour while in Porto, ended up making friends with fellow tour-goers and then later that night, we all met up for drinks!
3. Take a free walking tour and meet people as a solo traveler
Another easy way to meet people as a solo traveler is on a free walking tour. I’m a big advocate for free walking tours. They’re available in almost every city you can imagine.
Of course, the tour guides do operate on tips, and it’s insanely rude not to give a tip. So, it’s not entirely free, but the concept is that your tour guide is extra amazing and hilarious because it’s all tips-based. Usually, I tip between €10-20.
On the Sandemans tour in Porto, I really hit it off with a few other solo female travelers who happened to be taking the tour with me that day.
We had a great conversation during the 10-minute break, and I got to ask one of the women all about her experience on the Camino de Santiago.
Coincidentally, one of the friends I made was also staying at my hostel. I bumped into her later that night in the common room!
4. Try NomadList
If you’re a digital nomad like me, it makes sense to sign up for NomadList. It’s an online platform that allows you to see how well-suited cities across the world are for digital nomads. Find ratings on internet speed, safety, nightlife, cost of living, how “female-friendly” a place is, and more.
Although there’s some free information available on NomadList, a subscription for $30/mo gives you access to the private Slack channel and more. There’s also a lot of community features built into the site, where you can search for other members visiting the same city at the same time as you.
I definitely recommend for digital nomads looking to connect on the road! Wish I’d joined sooner.
5. Coworking spaces
More about digital nomading: If you’re traveling and working at the same time, it makes sense to join a coworking space, or just drop in for a daily pass.
It’s especially useful if you’re living in one location long-term. Coworking spaces often offer community events, meet-ups, and communal lunches. It’s not hard to strike up a conversation in between coffee breaks.
While living for a month in Budapest, I really enjoyed being a part of KAPTÁR coworking. I attended one of their community events they hosted and quickly made a few friends!
6. Social media: FB Groups, Instagram, Twitter
If you haven’t already discovered Facebook Groups, this will blow your mind! There are tons of groups for digital nomads, expats, and travelers on Facebook, where you can comment, post and message other members.
It’s super easy to join and find a group in almost any location you’re visiting. A few of my favorites are Women of Budapest, Women Who Travel, and Female Digital Nomads. Also for the guys out there, there’s Digital Nomads Around the World.
Instagram is also one of my favorite places to connect with the travel community. Send someone a DM and you might be able to meet up in real life!
7. Dating apps
Yup! Dating apps make it super easy to meet people as a solo traveler. Tinder, although it has a less-than-perfect reputation in the US, is the app of choice in almost any country.
It’s easier to meet local people on Tinder, whereas on Hinge or Bumble, you’ll probably meet other travelers just passing through. Start swiping and you might have a date to go out on within a few short hours!
It’s super fun exploring the city together, or being led around by a local.
It goes without saying, but just be safe, trust your instincts, and use your best judgment.
8. Go on a bar crawl
Yes! Pub crawls are one of my favorite ways to meet people. When I was in Budapest, I actually went out on the same bar crawl twice.
What better way to hit it off with new people than while tossing back a few? It’s a super fun way to get to know one another and let the conversation flow.
Plus, you get to explore the city’s nightlife while you’re at it. Whether it’s just casual bars or full-out clubbing, who knows where the night will lead??
When I was in Lisbon, I joined a pub crawl through Airbnb experiences and made a friend, Maria, who was visiting from Germany. We grabbed dinner together the next night!
9. Join a community like Behere
I’ve written about how much I like Behere in one of my posts about living as a digital nomad in Lisbon.
Behere is one of the few communities I’ve found that makes it easy to rent an apartment and live abroad as a digital nomad. It’s oriented more towards travelers who plan to stay in one location for one month or longer.
They also set you up with a local city host, who will show you around and introduce you to other Behere members. I really hit it off with my host in Lisbon, Paulina. She welcomed me into her friend group and we went out together during my whole month there, which really made the experience extra memorable!
If you want to try Behere, use my promo code JENONTHERUN100 for $100 off your first booking.
10. Sign up for Couchsurfing
I just tried Couchsurfing for the first time only recently, but it’s been around for over a decade now. Couchsurfing is exactly what it sounds like — you can find and stay with people on their couches for free!
It’s the most amazing concept. For awhile, I thought I’d never Couchsurf. I was hesitant for all the obvious reasons: safety, privacy, etc.
I finally got around to trying it out and had a great experience. I made sure to stay with someone who had over 50 good references.
It’s easy to strike up a conversation with your host or other travelers staying. I’ve even had friends whose hosts have shown them around the whole city. Incredible!
Plus, Couchsurfing is a great way to experience the city through a local’s eyes. You’ll get a real feel for what it’s like actually living there.
Couchsurfing also has just a “hang out” option, so you can join the app and meet other travelers that way even if you do decide to stay at a hotel, hostel, or Airbnb.
11. Grow a pair and initiate conversation with someone in person
I’m not saying it’s easy, but it can be done. Striking up a conversation is possible in real life, who knew?!
Whether it’s at a cafe, the market or grocery store, or on an airplane, it’s totally possible to meet people as a solo traveler just by saying hi to someone who seems interesting!
Randomly, I made a new friend at the Central Market Hall in Budapest because I decided to sit next to him (he was alone, so I thought maybe he might be a traveler). We got to chatting and it turns out he was visiting from California, too!
So there you go, a few ideas on how to meet people as a solo traveler. It’s much easier once you try it out on the road. Don’t sweat it!
As soon as you get out there, you’ll quickly realize it’s way easier to make friends on the road than you might imagine.
To me, one of the most amazing parts of travel has become the ability to encounter people from all walks of life. Open yourself up to the possibility of meeting new people, and you’ll be surprised at how much fun you’ll have!
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