Traveling solo: How do you feel about it?
For some it’s a really exciting prospect. Having the opportunity to spend quality alone time and to explore new places with only yourself to answer to brings learning and personal growth. For others, traveling solo can be lonely, and full of challenges!…
Traveling solo is a really empowering experience, but sometimes you just want to have fun with other people. It’s great to have someone to commiserate over mishaps with. And going out on the (new!) town and hitting up local eateries and bars solo, can feel like a let-down.
You might be a little nervous about traveling on your own, or maybe your travel buddy couldn’t make it on this trip with you. You could be a seasoned solo traveler looking for tips on how to meet new people while traveling. Whatever your situation, we’ve got you covered!
Meeting new people when traveling alone can be a daunting task, but we’ve got a few tips together for you on how to make new friends when traveling.
1, Wander where others wander
Personally, I love exploring places that aren’t well known, discovering my own little places that others don’t know about. But I get that that’s not the best way to find people. Grab yourself a Lonely Planet, and head along to one of the bars or restaurants listed in the book. Everyone has the same book and so they have the same recommendations – you’ll be sure to run into heaps of people that you can chat to! Trust us, you’ll have a tonne of new mates in no time.
2, Ask the three questions
No, I don’t mean “ASL?” Ask people where they’re from, where they’ve been, and where they’re going. This will help to establish what you have in common, share tips on places to visit, and discover if there’s potential to meet up somewhere down the track. Another great thing you’ll get from this, is that you’ll be able to see whether or not you get along with these people before you decide to road-trip with them!
3, Stay in dorms!
This is super easy way to meet people & hardly requires any effort at all – just smile and say hi! It’s always appealing to stay in private rooms if you’re tired and a little homesick, but it is really worth staying in a dorm room to meet new people. It leaves you with a healthier wallet, too!
4, Be flexible with your plans!
Once you’ve made your new friends, make sure you keep flexible with your travel plans! Some people prefer to have their travel plans very scheduled, but when you’re going to be hanging out with other people this isn’t always possible. Allow for life to happen, and adapt your plans to the situation!
5, Find your community online!
There are some really cool travel apps available nowadays. One that I’ve recently discovered is HerePin. It’s one of my new favourite apps, and it’s free! You can pin yourself at different places and meet other people that are in your area. Post your photos, tell people what you’ve been up to and share tips on where to go. It’s great to have an app purely for traveling, where you can meet and chat to like-minded travelers. You can download it from the App Store and from Google Play. Check it out: Herepin
Do you have any more tips for us? We’d love to hear them!
