The Secret to Making Friends While Traveling Solo
Solo travel can be so rewarding, but oftentimes there’s the fear that we might get lonely if we go on a trip by ourselves. The good news is, there will always be people to meet and friends to make.
Today I’ve asked eight different travel bloggers what their go-to moves are for making friends while traveling. I hope you will be able to learn some new tricks to making lasting friendships on your next adventure!
Always bring a game
Lara from The Best Travel Gifts
I absolutely love playing games! Board games, strategic games, card games, or drinking games. It doesn’t matter; I’m always up for it. During my travels, I learned that many other travelers share this passion, which is how I discovered the easiest secret to making friends while traveling solo: Always bring a game!
Suggesting to play a game is the easiest way to make friends if you are nervous about talking to strangers or about conversations running dry. Games give you something to talk about.
I always travel with dice and a deck of cards because they’re small, but you can play hundreds of different games with them. Uno, Phase 10, Werewolves of Millers Hollow, and Cards Against Humanity also work extremely well with travelers.
During one of my first solo trips, I was still nervous about talking to strangers. I ended up staying in a hostel in Croatia that wasn’t the most social hostel, so it was rather hard to meet people. When I finally saw two other travelers at the hostel, instead of trying to start an awkward conversation, I asked if they wanted to play a card game. That way, I could ease myself into the conversation, while also doing something I love and feel comfortable with.
The best thing about playing a game in a hostel is that it’s also an easy way for other travelers to join the conversation and game. Before I knew it, I was playing drinking games with the whole hostel! It was a small group, but we wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for the game.
Sit at the bar, rather than a table for one
Carol from Isthisevenaroad
Dining out alone doesn't have to be awkward. My pro tip is to sit at the front counter or bar area at restaurants, airports and even hotel bars. When you’re having dinner at a table for one, it’s difficult to make conversation with anyone besides the waitstaff. It can feel like you’re on your own island. You will find that other solo diners and conversation makers often choose the counter seating.
On my last solo trip to Florida, a friendship formed like this: After ordering a drink at the bar area of Amelia Island Brewing Co., I noticed a plate of caramelized Brussels sprouts being set in front of a woman next to me.. "Hey, are those any good?" I asked, pointing to the steaming greens. Pushing the plate in my direction, she said, "Oh my gosh they are fantastic. Try one."
As I munched on the surprisingly tasty sprout, the woman pointed out more of her favorite menu items before introducing herself. Quickly our conversation turned to her and her husband suggesting things to do in the area and even sharing useful local insights.
When I told them that I was on a quest to photograph driftwood beaches and ruins, they told me about a little-known driftwood beach nearby. The helpful husband even checked his military app for high tide and advised the best time to go, explaining that the rising water can trap unexpecting visitors on the beach.
They also recommended I attend The Amelia Island Shrimp Drop New Year's Eve celebration. Thanks to these new friends, I had one of my most unique New Year's Eve experiences ever.
Start conversations with your hostel roommates
Erin from Curiously Erin
It's absolutely true that the idea of traveling alone may seem daunting, and you may feel like you'll be lonely. But in reality, you'll be surrounded by people all of the time and actually make some great friends along the way.
One instance this rang true for me was during my most recent solo trip around Myanmar. This trip came after a breakup where I had been travelling with my partner for close to two years. It's funny how quickly you start to depend on another person while on the road, and I was quick to forget how easy it would be to make friends. For anyone going through a breakup themselves, I highly recommend travelling solo. It's the greatest opportunity to make new friends and prove to yourself how independent you are.
As a woman in my 30s, I wanted to meet people but was worried that hostels would be full of the young party crowd. Regardless, I booked dorm rooms for my trip as I thought this would be the best way to meet people.
And it was! The first night of my trip, I started a conversation with a German lady in my room. We were around the same age and hit it off. We explored the local area together, then went our separate ways with a plan to meet up again in another part of the country. We ended up travelling together for almost half of my trip and since then she has come out to visit me in Australia.
The best advice I have is to be friendly and start up conversations with everyone. Most solo travelers will be more than happy to have a chat. Don't feel dejected if you don't have a connection with every person. The more people you talk to, the more likely you'll connect and find a friend!
Use Instagram to make local friends
Cassie from Cassie the Hag
Making friends, as a solo traveler with ADHD and social anxiety, has been difficult for me at times. I’m also an introvert, so talking to new people immediately is often overwhelming. I’ve always thrived more with close, one-on-one friendships than in groups of people, making hostel meetups a little tricky.
Thankfully, before I started traveling, I made an Instagram account to document my travels. Although I didn’t expect anyone to follow along, I ended up with a community of like-minded travelers with whom I could talk. This was often through just chatting online. Being able to turn to reassuring conversations over the internet was perfect for me, but overtime I actually began to meet my Instagram friends in real life! I tended to just meet women or couples whom I’d spoken to over many months. I always met them first in public places, such as cafes, so it was low maintenance if we didn’t hit it off, and I only met people who shared photos and stories showing their faces.
Fortunately, I only had good experiences. I have even travelled with friends I’ve made on Instagram to countries such as Indonesia and Sri Lanka!
This worked particularly well when I was living somewhere long-term, such as when I was working abroad in Sydney because I made friends with creative locals who were more than happy to show me their favorite spots in the city!
Join local Facebook Groups for Travelers and Expats
Inessa from Through a Travel Lens
Destination and expat groups on Facebook are an invaluable resource for solo travelers. One of my first adventures was to Bali. After settling in Ubud, I immediately joined the biggest local FB group for information on renting rooms and bikes, finding the best trips from Ubud, and safety advice, not to mention simply socializing.
Invitations to share trips are frequently posted in such groups. While there are many pros to being a solo traveler, getting to some off-the-beaten-path destinations is sometimes challenging, partly because it costs us more.
From Bali, one such destination is Nusa Penida. A relatively new destination, it still has poor roads that require excellent bike riding skills (not among my skills at that time). Renting a car with a guide is the best way, but it is not cheap.
So, when a post from someone in the group went live with a proposition to explore Nusa Penida, I joined the conversation, and we started figuring out the itinerary. We started as a team of eight enthusiasts, and as we approached the trip departure date, it shrunk to three of us, which required some last-minute adjustments regarding our bookings.
Some of the safety measures that I find helpful when planning such trips is to always make sure I know at least something about the people I am about to travel with (each of the three of us, as it later turned out, also ran a background check for the rest of the travel buddies). I also shared information about the itinerary and companions with someone from my closest circle of friends.
Other than safety precautions, such spontaneous adventures are often a matter of luck as we may end up with people we have very little in common with. The trip to Nusa Penida turned out to be a blast. We had two great days on the road – chatting and laughing, sharing stories, and taking pictures. We remain friends till this day, several years after the journey.
Join group tours
Sam from My Flying Leap
Going on walking tours is a great way to meet new people when you’re traveling solo (or even when you travel with other people). They give you a way to explore a city, learn the history, see the top sights, and learn insider tips from locals. I love free walking tours as the guides are very motivated to offer a good time for their tip!
Since you’ll spend a couple of hours together, take the opportunity to get to know some of the people in the group. You’ll meet some interesting people who are usually tourists, which means they may want to see similar other things as you do after the tour.
You’ll often find solo travelers on walking tours, so it’s a great way to find someone else traveling on their own to connect with. When I was in Lisbon, I met a great woman from Australia on a walking tour of Alfama. We got lunch after and made plans to see a Fado show—something I really wanted to do, but they are late at night and I was nervous to go alone. Problem solved!
When I was in Medellin, I met a fun guy who also wanted to explore the city. We spent the rest of the day walking around and had a great time. In Porto, I met two incredible women on a free walking tour. I have kept in touch with both and hope to visit with them the next time I’m in Europe.
Walking tours are a great way to have a shared connection with people while you’re traveling solo. And, who knows? You may even make a new friend!
Use Compliments as icebreakers
Arabela from The Spicy Travel Girl
One of my go-to secrets for striking up conversations while traveling alone is complimenting people on their clothing. Not only is it an icebreaker, but it also provides a unique opportunity to learn about different cultures.
The most recent time I applied this magic was a couple of weeks ago when I visited the Lok Virsa Heritage Museum during a solo day out in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Exhausted from a long day of exploring, I sat down next to the museum’s entrance when suddenly, a group of performers dressed in colorful suits walked past me. Intrigued by their beautiful attire, I asked if I could take a photo, to which they happily agreed.
It turned out that the performers belonged to the Sindhi and Balochi ethnic groups and their dresses were typical from their regions. We excitedly began to talk and learn about each other’s cultures and clicked more photos together. In the end, these friendly guys invited me to their cultural performances and insisted on inviting me for dinner. It was an incredible experience and the best possible ending to a day filled with cultural exploration.
Utilize Facebook Groups
Becki from Meet Me In Departures
If you’re worried about travelling solo and how to meet like-minded people, one of the easiest places to look is on Facebook. Before you set off to your destination, search and locate an expat group for the city. They have threads filled with insider knowledge covering everything from how to get about the city, where the best restaurants are, local gigs and events, as well as various meet-up activities.
A Facebook group is also a great way to meet and interact with locals, as they are often looking for ‘intercambios’ which are informal language exchange. Locals are always looking for ways to practice their language skills, and you’ll often get to hang out with them at a bar or café, and just talk.
You’ll also find lots of organized group activities such as cycling, walking tours, daytrips and the like. My most recent experience of using a Facebook expat group was during an internship in Seville. I was staying for a couple of months and was desperate to meet people as well as see the city. There were several expat groups on Facebook that I was able to join. I met some great people through the group, a mix of locals, long term residents, as well as tourists. It was so easy to be able to get involved with like-minded people.
Do you have other tips for making friends while traveling alone?
Let us know in the comments below!