Have you been thinking of taking a solo trip but are worried about feeling lonely or bored on your own? You’ll actually find that making friends while travelling is easier than it sounds. A lot of people are in the same situation as you and looking to connect with other people during solo trips.
Making friends while travelling is a great experience. It allows you to meet people with vastly different life experiences, to share travel memories, and, perhaps, to make lifelong friends. It can take some effort, but the rewards are worth it.
So how do you make friends while travelling you ask? Just follow these simple tips: Stay in hostels
Hostels are great places to make friends as most people in hostels are travellers looking to meet new people. Hostels often have communal spaces, which will allow you to meet other people, and even sometimes organize events, which are also a perfect excuse to meet someone new.
Join group tours or activities
You can easily find tours or activities for travellers in many destinations. Take a group cooking class in Italy, go on a pub crawl in England, or take a walking tour in Croatia, and you’ll be sure to meet other travellers. Meeting people while sharing an activity is ideal as it will allow you to easily strike a conversation and have something to talk about right away.
Use social media
Social media is a great tool to connect with other travellers in the destination(s) you are visiting. You could join travel groups on Facebook, or search specific hashtags on Instagram or TikTok. These will allow you to find the best things to do and see at your destination and to find people looking to make friends while travelling.
Be open and approachable
Just like anywhere, making friends is a question of meeting people and being friendly. And that’s not always easy. However, your trip will surely be more enjoyable and thrilling if you make friends, especially when solo travelling. So take the leap. Go up to people, say hello, introduce yourself. Be open to engaging new people in conversation. And have fun!
Making friends is never easy and it can seem particularly challenging while travelling, in an environment that you don’t know. However, many people are looking to make friends while travelling as it enriches travel experiences. So don’t be shy! Find places that can foster interactions, such as hostels and group activities, or reach out to people through social media. Who knows, you might form lifelong friendships.