How Do You Make Friends While Traveling Solo ?
 

Hey everyone,

I’m planning a solo trip soon, and while I’m super excited about the adventure, I’ve been wondering: how do you usually meet new people when you’re traveling alone?

I’d really like to hear how others approach this. Do you:

🍻 Chat with people at bars?
🕺 Meet folks in nightclubs?
💬 Use Facebook groups or Meetup?
🎸 Attend concerts or events?
🧗‍♂️ Join tours, classes, or activity-based meetups?

Or others ...

I’m quite open and friendly once the conversation gets going, but I’d love to go into this trip with some useful advice and ideas for connecting with people in a natural and genuine way.

If you’ve had real experiences or advice to share, I’d really appreciate hearing them — I’m looking for genuine and helpful input !

Thanks a lot !

I do what I enjoy. I make no special effort to meet anyone.

Ditto that. Meeting people is sort of organic -- depends entirely on where you are and what you are doing. I never ever set out with a plan to 'meet people' (unless I'm taking a class or something like that where it just naturally happens). Conversations in pubs just happen - or don't depending on the situation.

Just a teensy bit of advice -- meant kindly . . . You might be better served to put together an itinerary and start a thread asking questions about where you are going and what sorts of things you want to see and do. Because if the trip is this summer it is getting pretty late. Some places have events and jubilees that have been booked up for months.

I haven't travelled solo but my kids have. The people they ended up becoming friends with were young people they met in hostels.

making friends is hard work (hence the word making) so if you really want to make friends both sides have to work to reach out to do it.

If you just want a buddy for a trip or part of a trip then you need a place to talk about your plans, " yes I'm going to Rome tomorrow". So night club is no good, you need a train, a quiet bar, a beach, a short tour, hanging at TI, or hostel (hotels don't really do it). Then you need to be prepared to modify your plans, " I was only going for half a day but, this is fun let's do the whole day".

Good luck, when I travel solo I like to travel solo, you can do what you want, when you want. If you wanted a friend on the trip why not take one with you?

I used to meet people in hostels and on tours. These seem to me to be inherently safer than going to bars or nightclubs as a singleton but that's just me, I never went to bars / clubs by myself in my own country when I was younger either.

Some of those people I met in hostels became firm friends, easy to do because you have time and opportunity to talk together.

Lavandula

You can't go wrong just starting by asking...where are you from? That provides cues to ask other questions, perhaps you have visited where they call home or know someone there and that opens things up. I often just say, what's your story? People love to talk about themselves and if you listen and act interested it won't be long before you are gabbing away and becoming friends. We don't know your age or where you are from, but you seem outgoing and friendly and approachable. Above all don't seek companionship or "friends" in bars, around alcohol, or clubs without someone with you and being very, very aware and vigilant. There are many charming and attractive and wonderful people (aka "rip-offs") trolling for young, naive, new travelers and there can be danger. Just be automatically suspicious and assume everyone is full of BS until and unless they prove otherwise....don't walk around in fear or paranoia but if you are solo, just be darned careful. Being aware and vigilant and a bit suspicious will give you confidence to have fun and enjoy your trip without being victimized and ruining it all. Sounds fun.

I have met lots of people waiting on line at museums, exhibits, galleries, sometimes for events, restaurants that don't take reservations.... especially if you get to someplace early then you know the other people doing the same are as dedicated (crazy?) as you are.

I dont really like itineraries
 

Thanks for the advice, but that’s not really how I roll. I prefer the spontaneous backpack approach — making decisions based on the feel of the moment. I dont want to come with checklists and an established plan.

why not ?
 

That might very well be an actual solution

Thanks !
 

Thanks for your advice !

this makes sense
 

Great advice. Thank you !

No itinerary . . . whoo boy. Good luck.

Things don't have to be set in stone and one can change plans on the fly, because of the weather, or strikes, or falling in love with a city and wanting to stay longer, or whatever. But hostels/B&Bs, flights, concerts etc. often book up, - sometimes months in advance. I have a hunch neither thread is about an actual trip . . .

I want the adventure
 

Agree to disagree. That’s the whole point of backpacking. I want the raw adventure, not an overplanned journey on the tourist circuit.

As others have said, I would avoid night clubs. It depends on where you're going. In Ireland, I met friendly locals in almost every pub. Sit at the bar rather than a booth and someone will likely strike up a conversation. The publican can be a great source of information on local sights and there's often live, traditional music in the evening. I've also had great conversations with folks while traveling on trains. Hotels tend to be more isolating but staying at a B&B or agritourismo offers more opportunity to connect.

Well, since OP has mind made up and knows everything, perhaps she learn hard lesson of FAFO. After all, it would make for good "content."

Thanks !
 

Thanks for your input !

Even if you don't have a set itinerary, you will have to decide where you're flying into and out of, hopefully two different places to avoid spending time and money backtracking to the original spot. This will have an effect on where you go. If you wait until the last minute to book your flights, you will likely pay more.
​​​​​​In many cases, you will also pay more for train rides if you don't buy them ahead of time.

Not to mention, some countries or even cities may require you to have accomodations upon entry or even demand to see confirmation. While I was asked this only once, it was asked in 2019.

But hey, what do I know? Just been traveling to Europe for 30+ years.

Edit: while this happened in the USA to tourists who did have proper documents for travel, not having their accommodations secured had them turned away at the US border.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/teenage-g...122305110.html
With ongoing tensions from countries overseas and guessing OP might be American, it would be prudent to have all ducks in a row yourself.

It would behoove OP to at least research what she should do. If she actually goes on a trip, that is.