The love of travel for many equates to the genuine freedom felt when exploring the globe. So imagine introducing yourself to an entirely new sense of freedom through solo travel. Toss aside the “maybe” and “I’ll let you know” responses from friends that can hold you back, and instead travel purely on your terms. I too am new to the idea of traveling solo, but I enjoy venturing outside of my comfort zone. I also dislike that I shy away from meeting new people when comfortably traveling with those I know. So, I encourage and challenge you and I to welcome the exciting opportunity of making new friends around the world!
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing several travel experts who shared the BEST ways to make friends while traveling solo. Read on to soak in amazing experiences and top tips & tricks from the ultimate jet setters.
Meet the Travel Experts
Jewels (@_traveljewels_)
“Since 2010, I’ve traveled to 30 countries where I’ve gone after new and authentic experiences. This was done through faith, good planning, and tight budgets, all while being a student or working full-time.” Jewels is a digital content creator, avid traveler, and inspiration to those wanting to create a fuller life by incorporating more travel into their norm.
Uzbekistan 
Bali, Indonesia 
Sahara Desert, Morocco
Brian (@whereintheworldisb)
Talented photographer and world traveler, Brian has explored and captured the most iconic sights in over 70 countries. Always expanding his unique list of destinations, he encourages us to explore the lesser known saying, “it’s such a great way to keep travel exciting for yourself and the ones you share your stories with.”
Switzerland 
Costa Rica 
Petra, Jordan
Romie (@roamingwithromie)
Romie, a creative explorer and educator, shares her amazing travel experiences while highlighting the important history and beautiful cultures of every country she visits. “I always plan to spend my time in a certain destination using a socio-historical lens. It’s how I position myself in the world and how I understand others.”
Colombia 
Denmark 
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Thinking back to your solo travels, please describe a meaningful experience in which you connected with a local
Romie (@roamingwithromie):
Right now, I’m recalling quite a few meaningful experiences that I’ve had with locals, so it’s difficult for me to pick just one. Instead, I’ll discuss one of my most recent experiences. I was visiting Stockholm, Sweden on a solo trip. I sent out some requests to Couchsurfing hosts. One woman I requested wasn’t able to host me, but she did offer to show me around the city one afternoon. I accepted, and proceeded to meet her the next day. We spent about five hours together walking around Gamla Stan and surrounding areas. She briefed me on the history of the area, and we ended our afternoon with “Fika”– which is when Scandinavians take a break from work to drink coffee, have a snack, and just enjoy each other’s company. I had a great time.
The experience was meaningful to me because besides the fact she is a local, she is also someone very different from myself. She is an older woman — she has a daughter just a few years younger than me. That’s huge to me because I normally spend time engaging with people my age. Additionally, she is Sweden born and raised, but she has an East Asian ethnic background. Her background, coupled with her age and nationality, makes her a person very different than who I usually keep in my circle. I was proud of myself for that. For years, I’ve been wanting to get in the habit of spending time with people different from myself, and I finally did it.
Brian (@whereintheworldisb):
In the Seychelles, I was able to connect so freely with so many locals on the island of La Digue. Every single person that I encountered gave me a warm vibe! For example, there was a huge outdoor birthday party going on that I was unaware of. Music was blasting, people were playing soccer, volleyball and other activities. All in all, there must have been around 100 people or more just outside celebrating the life of this one individual. As I walked over to see more of what was going on, I was able to talk to one of the family members of the birthday girl. I explained to them that I was visiting from Canada and would be there in the country for only a short while. The family member immediately asked me if I wanted to join in on the birthday festivities. Of course, I said yes and it turned out to be such a great decision! I ended up meeting someone from that party who then offered to shave my hair for free the following day. As a part of that offer, I was invited into his home to see how a local lives on that island.
The following day, I was invited to have dinner with a local family. It was actually my tour guide of a boating tour I participated in earlier that day who invited me! Their home was very close to the accommodation I was staying in. The dinner was remarkable! We shared stories about our lives and had great laughs throughout the night until it was time for me to leave. Moments like these I’ll never forget!
During your solo travels, have you found joining groups to be a good networking opportunity?
Jewels (@_traveljewels_):
When I was working in Cape Town, I decided to go on an excursion weekend solo and joined a group of random travelers. It was really special because it was such a mixed group. There was a couple from the US, and a group of girls from Denmark and Switzerland. During our weekend, we went bungee jumping off of the highest commercial bungee bridge. Literally, the entire weekend I said I was skipping that activity. But the European girls were so persistent and encouraging that I decided to do it. I’m grateful for their persistence because it was an incredibly exhilarating experience. And I’m so proud of myself for pushing passed a fear, living in the moment, and surviving to tell the story.
Romie (@roamingwithromie):
I have never joined a group trip as a solo traveler; however, I do think group travel is a good opportunity to network. Generally, group trips curate an environment of like-minded people who are vested in a similar interest: travel. Of course, the efficacy of the networking depends on the individual: how well they engage with others and how thorough they are with following-up. I also think group trips are a great way of making new friends!
**Romie will be partnering with creative traveling community @windcollective to host their group trip to New Orleans, Louisana for the 2020 Essence Fest. Click here for all the fun-filled details!
Brian (@whereintheworldisb):
Absolutely! I’ve never been in a group situation where there wasn’t a good opportunity to network. I’ve made some amazing connections during a trip I took to Barbados for Crop Over. I met so many other journalists, influencers, bloggers that I would have never met otherwise. I also connected with many like-minded people on a group trip in Croatia. I met other photographers, engineers, entrepreneurs, nurses, doctors etc. You never know who knows who and who knows what. I’ve also been happy to assist people who have needed some help in an area! That connection would have never been made if I wasn’t a part of the group trip. It’s great to be able to network in such a way that both you and others can benefit from an exchange of knowledge!
Which activities do you believe work best to meet new people? Are there any online groups or apps you recommend?
Jewels (@_traveljewels_):
Yes, the Couchsurfing and Meetup apps are great resources for identifying local events and also connecting with like-minded people. Also, the Nomadness Tribe on Facebook is a useful network of people that are always down to connect with others.
Brian (@whereintheworldisb):
In my experience, the very best way to meet new people while traveling solo is to stay in hostels. Many people have a misconception about hostels as they think they are lowly, run down and poorly kept. But you can easily find great hostels using hostelworld.com. The kind you choose will also determine how easy it is to meet new people. All of the hostels I’ve stayed at have all been focused on having a good social atmosphere. These hostels tend to organize group outings every night, have happy hours, play great music and are centrally located within the city. I also find that the demeanor of the guests are positive and curious. Most hostel guests also want to meet new travelers as well. Another added benefit with meeting people from your hostel is that it is easier to keep in touch and go out for outings!
Another fantastic way to meet new travelers is by doing a pub crawl. With pub crawls, you’re somewhat forced to travel as a group from bar to bar. Usually as the night goes along, people become even more chatty since they would have had a few drinks in the system. But it allows solo travelers to be in a fun space around people who are also looking to have a good time in a foreign city.
One can also book themselves various tours that have a large capacity for guests. This would boost your chances of meeting some amazing people while on your travels.
Share a tip or personal experience in the comments below!