How to make friends while traveling
My friends has never understood why I love solo traveling. The first thing they say is that it must be incredibly lonely to travel alone. But that’s actually the complete opposite of how I feel when I’m solo traveling – In fact, I’m hardly ever alone! That’s the beauty of traveling solo, you meet way more people than you would if you were with a friend (usually, at least). But if you’re one of those people who’s wondering how to get friends while traveling solo, I’ll tell you how. Here it goes:
Stay in hostels
One of the best ways to get friends is to stay in a hostel. There’s always travelers there who are just as eager as you to make new friends. Some hostels also make sure that people socialize with each other by hosting different types of events such as pub crawls or BBQ nights. If you want to get to know people, stay in hostel dorms. It’s a real pain in the ass sometimes, but it’s also a great way to socialize. What’s also good about hostels is that you can find people from literally all over the world here and usually in all ages. People love staying in hostels, not because it’s the most comfortable and clean alternative (sometimes it’s the opposite of that), but because it’s social and fun.
Become a member on couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a wonderful platform because not only can you find locals who are willing to host you for free in their house, but you can also find friends there. Couchsurfing at people’s houses is also a way of meeting locals or expats who lives there. Besides getting hosted by people, there’s also weekly events in bigger cities where you can meet up with other travelers.
Make friends on transit
It might sound strange, but I’ve always made a friend while in transit. Whether it’s a long bus ride or crossing the border control together, I’ve always found another traveler to chat with.
Go on walking tours
Another great way to meet people is by doing the free walking tours that some cities offer. I’ve often gone on free walking tours and found a few solo travelers who are in the same situation as I am. Although we might not be staying in the same hostel, we’ve always exchanged numbers and then met up for dinner or so afterwards.
Find your community abroad
Perhaps you’re a travel blogger, Instagrammer, expat or you just want to meet people from the same country as you. These days, everyone uses social media for literally everything so do your research and find your community abroad that you can connect with.
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