How to make friends when solo travelling!

Solo travelling can be exciting and scary at the same time. The aspect of going to a new place and escaping your current environment will fill you with positive vibes but the aspect of meeting new people can be daunting especially if you don’t know where to start.  You know that if you don’t engage with other travellers you’ll miss out on countless fun activities and adventures. Luckily for you, after researching and using some of our natural expertise, we have comprised a list telling you how to make friends when solo travelling

#1 Stay in a Hostel

This one seems like a no brainer and definitely an important tip for making friends when solo travelling!

Hostels are designed to maximise your chances of meeting new people!

Getting a bed in a hostel dorm room will allow you to meet a number of other travellers, some of which might also be solo travelling.

You’ll easily be able to start a conversation as you will all be living in the same area as you. You’ll find that in a matter of a few hours all of you will feel like you’ve been friends forever!

We’ve got some of the best hostel dorms across Europe’s major cities such as London, Barcelona, Madrid, Edinburgh, Prague & Lisbon!

#2 Check out Hostel Bars!

Many hostels come with their own bars that serve great drinks and play great music!

#3 Attend Hostel & City Events

Hostels are also known for hosting a variety of events such as music nights, cooking classes and pub crawls!

You’ll meet so many people from the hostel at these events create the perfect social atmosphere.

External companies also host their own events which bring a variety of people across the city together.

We recommend taking part in both hostel events and external events to maximise your chance of meeting people across the city!

#4 Take advantage of long journeys

When you’re backpacking, you will 100% take a coach at one point during the trip.

This is the perfect place to get a conversation going and help pass the time. You’ll all be venturing to the same destination so there will be lots to talk about.

You can discuss what you’re planning on doing and exchange ideas. You may even decide on something you can all do together!

#5 Learn the ‘Lingo’

Even though you might just get away with using English when you’re travelling it is far better to learn some basic local sentences to make it that bit easier.

It will allow you to connect with people who don’t know much English.

#6 Get an app that lets you meet other travellers.

Technology really is an amazing thing. Nowadays, with a simple few quick messages, you can organise plans with your friends and when you’re travelling it’s exactly the same concept.

There are loads of apps out there that let you meet up with other travellers! We’ll show you our favourite 2!

A) Tourlina

Tourlina is a Women only travel app that lets women meet up with other female travellers.

If you’re looking for a reliable app you can rest assured as Tourlina’s team checks every single new user and only those that are verified can chat to other people.

How does it work?

First, you enter your trip and the dates you are travelling. You will then find and be able to match with different travel companions with mutual interests, destination and travel time. You select a travel companion simply by easily swiping left or right. From there you can chat and plan your trip together once you and your travel companions are matching

B) Backpackr.org

Backpackr is a great way to meet nearby travellers. There are many aspects to the app. You can browse through numerous travellers profiles find likeminded people to meet up. You can instantly message and organise activities together.

There is also a ‘nearby’ section which allows you to see everything going on in your area. You can find some great events that you didn’t know was happening. This leads us on to our next point.

#7 Be Flexible

No, we aren’t talking about the stretching type of flexible.

We are saying to not have everything planned to a strict regime. The best part about travelling solo is being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want.

When you meet other travellers you’ll want to make sure you’re flexible to ensure that any plans you guys make you can commit to!

There you have it. Our best tips on how to make friends when solo travelling! Have we missed any? Let us know via Instagram!