I can be outgoing when I want to be, but I don’t always want to be – I was afraid I’d end up having a major pity party while everyone else was laughing and having a great time.
But – spoiler alert – that DID NOT HAPPEN! For the most part. There were definitely a few nights where I felt like a big ol’ lame-o (it’s a vicious cycle: I feel like being alone so I don’t try to meet anyone, but then I hear people laughing together and I feel bad for myself. SIGH).
But most of the time, it was easy to meet people and I’m now super hyped on solo travel! It truly is easier than you think to make friends while traveling alone.
Like if you’re tired and feel like doing nothing all day, you totally can. And you don’t have to feel bad for holding someone else back. And if you feel like doing all the things, you don’t have to worry about whether or not your travel partner wants to do all the things as well.
I also think that, ironically, you end up meeting more people when you travel solo, just because you’re more open to it than if you were with someone else. At least for me, anyway.
I think I ended up spending about 70% of my time with other people, and 30% by myself! I definitely figured that out with an extremely detailed mathematical equation, and not by guessing at all. Just FYI.
MY FAVORITE WAYS TO MEET OTHER TRAVELERS
STAY IN A HOSTEL
It’s so easy to start up conversations with other bunkmates, or random people in the common room! Just follow the typical script:
- where are you from?
- where have you traveled?
- how long will you be here?
- what are you going to do while you’re here?
- where are you headed next?
- what’s your favorite place or thing you’ve done while traveling?
I guarantee that just one of these questions will get the conversation going, because the only thing wanderlusters love doing more than traveling is talking about the traveling they’ve done.
Just look at how many damn travel blogs there are (including this one…).
And how many times you’ve rolled your eyes when your friend who just got back from SE Asia was like, “well when I was in Thailand…”.
Also, many hostels have socializing nights or offer tours – ask the front desk! Check on Hostelworld and make sure you read the reviews, because some hostels may be more geared towards socializing than others. I’ve been in hostels where I made tons of friends and some where people didn’t hang out in the common areas as much. It all depends – read the reviews!
If you are nervous about staying in a room with both genders, you can always book a room with just one. Most hostels offer the option to stay in a mixed dorm (both males and females), a females only dorm, and a males only dorm. I sometimes opted for the females only dorm, and sometimes the mixed. I never once felt unsafe in either.
If you really want your own space, you can also book a private room. If you do this, you may have to go out of your way to meet people (most of the people I met in hostels were in my same room) and spend more time in the common area or make an effort to attend the hostel’s events. However, you can definitely still make friends as long as you put yourself out there.
COUCHSURFING OR AIRBNB
My friend Stephanie stayed with someone who hosts Couchsurfers (but we happened to already know him, as he was a friend of a friend), and had an awesome experience!
That said, you definitely need to be careful. Make sure the person has quite a few reviews – NEVER stay with someone without any reviews on their profile, especially if you’re solo. Also, trust your gut – if a situation feels weird, get out immediately.
If you don’t want to stay with someone, Couchsurfing also offers a service where you can simply meet up with a local during the day who can show you around!
As far as AirBnb, I’ve met awesome hosts every time I’ve used it, and they often give great local tips. But again – READ THE REVIEWS.
My friend Stephanie and I had an amazing time staying in a private room in an AirBnb in Basel, Switzerland. Our hosts basically rewrote our entire itinerary with their insider knowledge, shared beer and chocolate with us, invited us to go dancing, and set up a fondue dinner for us with their neighbor and two friends!
You can also try doing AirBnb experiences, and make friends that way, too.
WORKAWAY OR WWOOFING
I’ve done one Workaway and had a GREAT experience. I didn’t meet any other travelers, but I did get along really well with the hosts!
If you want to try out a work exchange program for yourself, here’s an article I wrote about how to write the best Workaway profile and message with tips from a Workaway host!
FREE WALKING TOURS
I would suggest doing the walking tour on your first day in a new place, as you can meet people and then have a friend to explore the city with!
Try to get to the tour meeting spot early and people will be chatting, and you may meet another solo traveler or cool group right away! During the tour, I would zero in on someone that I had a feeling was solo (because they weren’t walking with or talking to someone else) and go up to them (AKA I’m a stalker, but let’s overlook that…).
Sometimes it took me like half the tour to get the guts to do it, but it always worked out in my favor! The other person always seemed quite happy to have a new friend, too. I ended up exploring with them afterward, and sometimes even spent a few days traveling with them.
ORGANIZED TOURS
When I was in Santorini, my friend Andrew and I went on a €20 boat tour with another solo female traveler that I met in my hostel room. It was really fun, and she seemed happy to have someone to go with, too.
PUB CRAWLS
It was pretty easy to make friends, and I even ended up exploring Galway with two girls I’d met at the pub crawl (hi Kay & Tanya)! I’ve kept in touch with them, and even met Tanya when I was house sitting near London for a picnic at Hyde Park.
Just be sure to be safe about it – tell someone you know where you’re going, and check in with them when you get home. Trust your gut, and if you feel unsafe, you can always ask the tour leader how to get home safely. I’m sure they’d assist you in calling a cab or help you get home.
SIT NEXT TO SOMEONE ON A BUS/PLANE/TRAIN, ETC.
I met a really cool girl on a train once and we ended up talking the whole 6 hour ride. She told me all about how she graduated high school and said efff social norms (at least in the states, going straight to college is the norm – I know in other countries it’s more normal to take a year off and work/travel etc.), and instead of going straight to college she backpacked around Australia by herself, even though her parents were less than thrilled.
And she didn’t really have a plan – just did odd jobs and WWOOFED along the way. WHAT. This was my first foray into the world of solo female travel and after talking to here I was like WHOA. I NEED TO DO THAT.
I’ve also met several cool people I sat next to on the plane, which was fun.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA
You can also find Solo Female Travel groups on Facebook, and I LOVE looking for events in the Girls Gone International Facebook Groups. Just search “Girls Gone International” along with the city you’re in. I went to several dinners hosted by women in the “Girls Gone International – Hamburg” group when I was in, well, Hamburg!
Instagram is also a great way to make friends you can meet up with overseas. Again, just trust your gut when meeting people online.
LOOK LOST
Maybe don’t do this if you’re walking around at night, or in a sketchy-feeling area, though. Again, use your best judgement!
**Don’t be afraid to talk to people. I know it’s scary, but you’ll literally NEVER HAVE TO SEE THEM AGAIN!!
If you say something super awkward you can always exit the situation pretty easily and then NEVER SEE THAT PERSON AGAIN.
I guarantee that most likely they’ll laugh, though, and you’ll make a new friend! A lot of the travelers I’d met were extremely friendly and inclusive and WANTED to make friends. So go out there, and say hi!
All that said, don’t feel like you HAVE to meet other people if you’re traveling solo. There were definitely days I just did NOT feel like trying to make friends, so I just went around by myself.
That’s the beauty of solo travel – there’s no one there to judge you for wanting to be alone. You just do you boo.
Leave a Reply