21 Ways To Make Friends When You Solo Travel

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So, you’ve decided to solo travel the world. You want to make friends but the stress of not making any is almost enough to completely end all of your solo travel dreams.

But let me ask you this…Do you have friends now? Have you made friends in the past? Even if it’s just one?

Then I’m here to tell you that you are absolutely able and capable of making friends while you solo travel the world like a boss. That’s right. I said it. You are a solo travel BOSS!

If you want to solo travel and need some reassurance that you’ll make friends, or simply want ideas on how to do it, I got you. Check out the list below with just 21 of the 1,000s of ways you’ll make friends and meet people while you travel.

1. Start by being your own friend
2. Stay at a hostel
3. Hostels not for you? Choose to stay with a local
4. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there
5. If you are, remind yourself of these following things…
6. Do what you love!
7. Take a class
8. Or sign up for an Airbnb Experience
9. Be curious and ask questions
10. Learn the language
11. Join a walking or day tour
12. Or opt for a group trip as part of your solo travels
13. Connect with other travelers in transit
14. Be flexible and opt to go with the flow sometimes/be spontaneous
15. Smile and be approachable
16. Bring small gifts to share with people you meet
17. Attend a Meetup event
18. Share a table with a stranger
19. Or invite someone to eat with you
20. Reach out to friends, or friends of friends…of friends
21. Take advantage of social media

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1. Start By Being Your Own Friend First

This is a real concern and I completely get you. But before you can make friends with other people, you have to be comfortable being your own friend first. It sounds silly, but if you can honestly be comfortable with yourself first, then making friends is not a stressful thing. Instead, it’s more of an added bonus.

Here are some ways you can start being your own friend:

• Be kind and speak to yourself the way you would speak to your closest friend
• Practice doing things on your own and enjoy the moment
• Treat yo’self every now and then

For me, I found that by doing things alone and getting comfortable with that before traveling was a huge help! The months before solo traveling, I would go to movies, museums, restaurants, and events completely alone. At first it was so awkward and nerve-wracking, but after awhile, I found comfort in being my own friend.

If you can start doing these now before you hit the road, you’ll be ready and open to making friends while you actually solo travel.

2. Stay At A Hostel

Hostels were practically MADE for solo travelers. If you don’t know, a hostel is a shared accommodation that usually caters to flexible and open minded travelers who are working within a budget.

This attracts TONS of people! Whether you want to or not, you will absolutely meet people when you stay at one.

When you stay at a hostel, you’ll meet other travelers and make friends loads of different ways:

• While chilling in the common areas
• When you take part in hostel-organized events
• On your way to the bathroom (I swear it happens)
• By making conversation with your roommates
• Introducing yourself to the hostel staff

And that’s just skimming the surface. Almost all the friends I made while traveling were through hostels.

Now, not all hostels are created equal. Some are party-crazy, some are quiet and modest, and some are somewhere in the middle. How do you know which one is the right cup of tea for you?

Easy! Check out and book your hostel using Hostelworld, a booking platform designed to bring you hostel options from around the world and right to your fingertips. Before confirming your stay, read through the comments and get a feel for what other people have to say. If you’re looking to make friends, try picking a place that has reviews with words like “social,” “friendly,” or “fun.”

3. Hostels Not For You? Try Staying With A Local

Hostels can be great fun and an easy way to meet people, but they’re not for everyone. If you’re looking for a less intimidating kind of experience, opt to stay with a local. More often than not, they’re looking to share their culture and make friends too!

Bonus: Since you’re staying with a local, you’ll have access to all the insider knowledge of wherever you’re visiting. We’re talking juicy information that doesn’t exist on the interwebs.

There are many ways you can find a local to stay with. My personal favorite? Booking an Airbnb where I know the host actually lives there. Usually you can find that information on the Airbnb host’s listing or bio page.

One of my best experiences staying at an Airbnb was when I spent a month living in Kolkata, India. I chose to stay in the house of a local artist. Little did I know I’d quickly become part of her family. They took me under their wing, brought me to fun art events, made sure I was safe, and fed me. To this day, I still get messages from her and her cute daughter wondering when I’ll be back to visit again.

Click here to get $40 towards your first Airbnb stay.

4. Don’t Be Afraid To Initiate

For some people, making friends is a completely natural thing. Walk into a room. Make your presence known. Bing bang boom…FRIENDS!

Buuut, for some of you, making friends isn’t quite that simple. Have you ever entered a room with the intention of making friends but instantly find yourself quietly in the corner hoping someone will talk to you? Struggling to find the right conversation starter?

Here’s a little secret…when you solo travel, any conversation starter is a good conversation starter. Whether you’re staying at a hostel, attending a local event, or asking a random person on the street a question, just taking the first step to initiate the conversation is a great beginning.

Need some ideas on a conversation starter? Check out these Level 1 conversation starters to get started. They’re simple, sweet, and guaranteed to open up any budding friendship.

5. If You Are Afraid, Just Remember…

The worst that can happen by putting yourself out there is…the other person doesn’t answer back or engage in the conversation. It’s not the end of the world and there will be 1,000,000,000,000 other people to meet.

On paper, it sounds mortifying, right? Picture this: you’ve sat down in the common space of your hostel. You make eye contact with someone on the nearby couch. You say hi, ask them what their name is…and they just don’t answer back.

Painful.

But let’s remember two things:

1. The scenario described above is SO rare. Seriously, who doesn’t answer back to a question like that.
2. If the other person does not want to engage in the conversation, it has nothing to do with you. There are tons of reasons why they don’t want to talk.

Fear is often the obstacle that holds us back from living full and bold lives. It’s ingrained in our minds that fear = logic, and that whatever fear tells us must be our truth.

Time to tell fear to GET LOST! Once you do that, you’ll begin to realize just how silly fear can be sometimes. 

6. Do What You Love!

Just like making friends back at home, you’ll find the people you vibe with most when you are doing the things that make you feel excited and alive.

Luckily, since you love travel, you’re already going to be surrounded by people who also love to travel. Check!

Now take it a step further and think about what it is that you really really love and want to do while you travel.

Is it learning to scuba dive? Going on a hike through the mountains? Attending a music festival?

This is seriously the special sauce. Get excited, be happy, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by other people who feel the same doing the things you love.

7. Take A Class

Taking a class is a great way to forge some new friendships while you solo travel.

When you take a class with a group of people, you’re going to have to engage with one another, work together, have discussions, and even create things together. Whether you want to or not, you’re going to make friends during this class and that friendship can very easily extend beyond the program.

The best part? You are literally killing two birds with one stone! You get to explore a destination through the class AND make friendships to last the rest of your journey…maybe even your life.

Here are some ideas of classes you can get involved with while solo traveling:

• Cooking lessons
• Meditation class
• Surfing bootcamp
• Yoga intensives
• Local craft making workshops
• Language immersions

But honestly, explore away! Sign up for classes you’re interested in. Ones you’ve never tried before. And maybe even some that you’re not sure you’ll like (but at the end might really enjoy).

8. Sign Up For An Airbnb Experience

Similar to classes, an Airbnb Experience gathers a group of people together in one place to do something they all love! Depending on where you solo travel, the experiences will reach far and wide.

From food tours to hiking expeditions to cultural adventures, Airbnb gives you more ways to make friends than you can count. Not only will you get the chance to meet other travelers, but most of these experiences are led by locals. So you’ll also be able to make friends with people who have the inside scoop. (I’ll take 2 scoops of that please)

Click here to get $15 towards your first Airbnb Experience.

9. Be Curious And Ask Questions

The best way to make friends while solo traveling is to just be present and ask questions. These questions can get you so far in your travels and help you meet people you never thought you could.

When meeting other travelers, really listen and engage with what they’re telling you. When you ask insightful follow up questions, it shows you’re present and interested in what they have to say. That’s a quality that makes friends faster than a 747 Boeing jet.

On the other hand, asking questions to people in general can have a similar effect. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve stopped to ask local people on the street about things I had been curious about.

Often when I’m traveling and immersed in a completely new place and culture, I can’t help but have a million questions. And who better to ask than the people actually living there. I’ve asked questions about politics, social issues, local events, history, food…you name it! And I’ve almost rarely had someone turn and walk the other way. For the most part, people want to share their world with you. All you have to do is ask.

10. Learn The Language

When traveling to a foreign destination, it’s always good to have a few phrases and words up your sleeves. But what if I told you learning some of the local language could help you with more than just finding the bathroom or the train station?

Just knowing a few words and using them during your daily interactions while exploring your destination will immensely help you when making friends. A simple hello, thank you, or please can change the entire interaction a local person has with you. Now instead of being that tourist, you are the interesting traveler who made the effort and is aware.

Trust me, that’s a lot of brownie points right there and a huge opportunity to make real connections with people while you solo travel.

11. Join A Walking Tour

Seriously…ONE. OF. MY. FAVORITES!!

Any place you visit, please please please sign up for a free walking tour for the first day or so. It’s not only a great way to get the lay of the land and better understand where you are…

But free walking tours to solo travelers is like honey to bees. Irresistible.

Just think about it. A typical walking tour can have anywhere from 2-20 people in the group. The leader of the tour is usually dynamic, engaged, and asks for participation from the group. Even if you go on the tour and just stand by another solo traveler, you are bound to strike up conversation and become quick friends.

I can’t help but smile thinking about a walking tour I went on in Valencia, Spain. I didn’t know a single soul in Valencia but I wanted to see the city and understand its history. So, naturally, I signed up for a walking tour and by the end of the day I had 3 new friends. We all met up later for a delicious dinner of paella (thank goodness for friends…though I may have been able to eat the entire thing alone 😉 ) and watched fireworks for a local holiday.

12. Or, Opt For Group Travel

I know I know…group trip?! That’s not solo travel! It sounds like it kind of defeats the purpose of solo travel which in its basic form is something you think of doing “alone.”

That said, group travel can be a great way for travelers to make friends while still experiencing the process of solo travel. For example, I went on a trip to Israel with about 40 other people. Even though there were that many people, I didn’t know a single soul. We were all from different parts of the United States and most of us had never met each other beforehand.

This still counts as solo travel! Yes…you are traveling in a group of people, but the fact is you don’t know any of them, and that’s not very different from showing up at a hostel alone and making friends that way. Group travel is just a little more organized and polished.

13. Connect With Travelers In Transit

It’s a crazy phenomenon, but no matter where you solo travel, you will ALWAYS cross paths with at least one other solo traveler…and usually in transit from point A to point B. I’m not really sure why or how it happens. It’s like a spidey sense and you just know they’re on the same bus, train, plane, or boat as you.

Take this experience for example. On the very first day of my solo travel, before even leaving the plane, I had made a new friend. We happened to sit next to one another and struck up conversation literally minutes before we were supposed to land. We said our goodbyes and parted our separate ways. Fast forward less than 2 hours and guess what…they’re sitting outside a cafe calling my name from across the street!

All of that. Just on day one! And believe me when I tell you things like that happen ALL the time when you solo travel.

14. Go With The Flow

The solo travel process is all about learning to become comfortable with the uncomfortable, erasing your limiting beliefs, and pushing the limits of your comfort zone. A big part of this is letting go of control and instead opening your mind to the opportunities in front of you.

When you’re solo traveling the world, there are going to be numerous times where you meet someone new and they invite you to a special event, to a restaurant, or even to continue your travels together. The only thing I have to say is…DO IT!

As long as you don’t get the heebie-jeebies and you’re getting good vibes from them, say yes. You never know what can happen and what you’ll experience when you allow yourself to be open, spontaneous, and flexible. Of course…trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, you can say no. But lots of times, you’ll be surprised by all the cool things you end up doing.

Could probably write an entire post just on experiences like this. For now, here’s a few of the awesome (…and sometimes crazy) things I’ve done only because I went with the flow and joined my new solo travel friends:

• Cliff jumped off the coast of Israel
• Ziplined through the Nicaraguan jungle
• Flew last minute to Sri Lanka
• Motorbiked through the Vietnamese mountains
• Charmed our way into an exclusive club in Berlin
• Continued my journey through Thailand with a new friend
• Tuktuk-ed across the Yamuna River to catch a sunset opposite the Taj Mahal

15. Smile And Be Approachable

Making friends is always easier when you look like you’re having fun doing it. Coming from a person with chronic angry/serious face, it’s waaay harder to make friends when you constantly look constipated or like you’re going to beat someone up.

Not saying you have to all the time, but try smiling, unfurrow your eyebrows, and open up your body language (read: uncross your arms, stand tall and confidently, use your hands when talking, etc.). When you do these, you not only ease the tension for yourself, but you allow others to feel more comfortable in approaching you.

16. Bring Small Gifts

This one is inspired by all the friends I made while solo traveling who thought ahead (unlike me…totally doing this next time).

I met a handful of people who brought or gave little gifts to the new people they met along their journey. One friend gave us Indian tea and a postcard with a personalized message. Another friend brought coin purses all the way from Turkey to give as parting gifts. And the friends I made in Taiwan? Don’t even get me started. Everyone I met there was so generous and caring. I even met a woman who treated me like (and called me) her daughter, showering me with little tokens of love ranging from magnets to keychains to a handmade photo album cataloging our time together.

So make a mental note of this one. It leaves such a sweet impression on the people you meet when you can be generous and think of others. Try thinking of something you’d like to bring from home that would make good friendship gifts while you solo travel.

17. Attend A Meetup Event

If you haven’t heard of Meetup before, it’s a platform that connects people through events. Basically, it works when a person or a group of people organizes an event around a central theme. Then, they post it on the Meetup website and allow anyone else on the platform to join.

There’s a Meetup for almost anything you can think of, including travel! When you’re on the road, take a look at the Meetup events going on in your destination. You can easily join one (or 10 haha) that looks interesting to you. I joined one in Brussels that took place at a chill bar. While there, I met a group of people and we spent the night talking about the world, life, and our dreams. Sounds magical, huh?

Click here to download the Meetup App.

18. Share A Table With A Stranger

Oftentimes when you solo travel and go out to eat, you will find yourself in need of a place to sit. Some restaurants will give you a table. But others will seat you at a shared table where a couple of other parties of diners are eating.

Sounds awkward? Think again! If you have the option to sit at a shared table and you’re in need of a friend, this is definitely the place to find one. There’s something special about the shared table dining experience. When you sit at your own table, you’re pretty much on your own. Sometimes that’s needed. But it can also be a little isolating.

The shared table on the other hand is something completely different. You sit down, order your meal, get your food, and before you know it, you’re striking up a conversation with the people sitting around the table with you. Even though you don’t know them, you quickly start to feel like you’re seated at a family dinner. And sometimes, you even find crazy small world connections!

One time while eating out in Berlin, I was seated at a shared table already occupied by a couple of friends. They were so welcoming and wanted to talk immediately. The more we started to share about ourselves, we soon found out that we all worked in the same health tech industry creating innovative technologies, a budding field,  yet in completely different countries. Completely flabbergasted. All of us. It was amazing the food was even eaten that night.

19. Or, Invite Someone To Eat With You

Another great way to make friends while you solo travel is to invite someone to eat with you! That person you met at the hostel earlier who also doesn’t have anyone to eat dinner with? Yup you guessed it…Instant friend.

Not only is it a kind gesture, it’s an easy one. Let’s be honest…who doesn’t like food?! (please don’t answer that…obviously everyone likes food 😀 ) Unless the person has something else to do, there’s an extremely high likelihood that your dinner invitation will go over well and help you create some new solo travel friends.

20. Reach Out To Your Friends

…and friends of friends….and friends of friends of friends.

It’s incredible just how many people we actually know in life. When you’re solo traveling, the first thing to do is to reach out to anyone you may already know there. If you don’t, chances are you know someone who might know someone there. Spread the word with your circle of friends back home and before you know it, you’ll find a friend waiting for you!

There are definitely some added perks with this as well. Reaching out to friends or mutual connections can also help you feel more settled and safe. And did I mention sometimes you’ll get a free place to stay? A couch never looked so good before 😉

21. Take Advantage Of Social Media

As much as we may be addicted to social media, it is your friend when you solo travel. There are two ways to leverage social media in order to make friends and meet people.

The first way is to join female solo travel groups on Facebook before you leave for your trip. You’ll get amazing tips and tricks, advice from other solo travelers, information about their experiences, and sometimes even a person or two to meet up with at your destination.

The other way to take advantage of social media is on your trip and after you’ve met some new friends. Use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to keep in touch with people you meet on your travels. You’ll get to keep up with them on their travels and more often than not, you might even have a chance to meet up with them again. Thank goodness for the Internet.

So now that you’ve read all these, which ones are you excited to try? Let us know in the comments below!

BONUS: If you liked these tips, download a FREE guide with these tips and 99 more! Click here to get your pdf right MEOW!

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