How to Meet New People While Traveling Alone

Stay in a hotel., Stay at a hostel., Do a homestay., Use local transit., Take a class., Take a walking or bus tour., Go on a pub crawl., Volunteer.

8 Steps 4 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Stay in a hotel.

    This choice can provide you with the perfect balance of time spent with people and time by yourself.

    You’ll almost certainly be able to count on some alone time at the end of your days.

    However, hotel bars and lobbies are great places to mingle., Hostels are generally known worldwide as gathering places for travelers.

    They’re great low-budget options that usually offer quality breakfasts and clean rooms.

    You’re guaranteed to be surrounded by new people for most of your stay at a hostel.Most hostels offer options for one-person or dorm-style rooms.

    The dorm rooms can provide wonderful opportunities to meet travel buddies.

    Group breakfasts are also good times to mingle.

    Sit down next to a stranger and ask them how they like the eggs. , Home stays allow you to get instantly connected with a local network of people and their knowledge about the city you’re visiting.

    Your hosts may also treat you to their cooking, giving you access to authentic local fare.

    There are many social media websites and apps that can connect you with willing local hosts, including Couchsurfing.com and AirBnB. , Mass transportation can be a less expensive travel option in many countries.

    It can also give you some time to connect with strangers as you both wait to reach your destination.

    Try commenting on your surroundings and asking questions about the sights outside your window. , Most cities have classes for all kinds of subjects.

    These classes can give you the chance to interact both with your fellow students and your teacher.

    Depending on the subject you choose, your class might be a nice blend of travelers and locals.Some of these classes may be one-time events, such as a cooking class to make a particular dish.

    Others may require longer-term commitment, and they may only be options for travelers staying for several weeks or months in one city.

    Try a language class if you want to improve your ability to navigate around the city.

    This might mean that you’ll meet more fellow travelers or folks living abroad rather than locals.

    Choose a dance class to get more one-on-one interaction with a new person.

    Dance classes will involve partnering with one or more of your classmates, giving you the perfect opening to get to know a new person., Most of these tours take a minimum of 8-10 people along with them.

    All tour-goers will almost definitely be tourists, so you can use your tour to make a travel buddy.

    The tours will also give you an overview of the history and geography of the city, allowing you to navigate more confidently., You’re guaranteed to get connected with the younger local crowd when you hang out in a city’s pubs.

    If you sign up for a pub crawl, you’ll be able to interact with your fellow crawlers and the different patrons at each spot you visit.

    You can also take note of your favorite pub and return the next night., Look for opportunities to contribute to the community’s needs.

    Volunteering allows you to help out those in need while also connecting with a group of caring and compassionate people.Seek out volunteering ideas in your city’s local press, or use one of several well-established websites to browse worldwide volunteering needs.

    Try Idealist.org, GoOverseas.com, or GrassrootsVolunteering.org.Explore both short-term and long-term volunteering opportunities.

    For quick trips, you may be able to offer your assistance to a fundraising event for a day or two.

    If you’re in a city for longer, try giving some of your time to an organization each week.
  2. Step 2: Stay at a hostel.

  3. Step 3: Do a homestay.

  4. Step 4: Use local transit.

  5. Step 5: Take a class.

  6. Step 6: Take a walking or bus tour.

  7. Step 7: Go on a pub crawl.

  8. Step 8: Volunteer.

Detailed Guide

This choice can provide you with the perfect balance of time spent with people and time by yourself.

You’ll almost certainly be able to count on some alone time at the end of your days.

However, hotel bars and lobbies are great places to mingle., Hostels are generally known worldwide as gathering places for travelers.

They’re great low-budget options that usually offer quality breakfasts and clean rooms.

You’re guaranteed to be surrounded by new people for most of your stay at a hostel.Most hostels offer options for one-person or dorm-style rooms.

The dorm rooms can provide wonderful opportunities to meet travel buddies.

Group breakfasts are also good times to mingle.

Sit down next to a stranger and ask them how they like the eggs. , Home stays allow you to get instantly connected with a local network of people and their knowledge about the city you’re visiting.

Your hosts may also treat you to their cooking, giving you access to authentic local fare.

There are many social media websites and apps that can connect you with willing local hosts, including Couchsurfing.com and AirBnB. , Mass transportation can be a less expensive travel option in many countries.

It can also give you some time to connect with strangers as you both wait to reach your destination.

Try commenting on your surroundings and asking questions about the sights outside your window. , Most cities have classes for all kinds of subjects.

These classes can give you the chance to interact both with your fellow students and your teacher.

Depending on the subject you choose, your class might be a nice blend of travelers and locals.Some of these classes may be one-time events, such as a cooking class to make a particular dish.

Others may require longer-term commitment, and they may only be options for travelers staying for several weeks or months in one city.

Try a language class if you want to improve your ability to navigate around the city.

This might mean that you’ll meet more fellow travelers or folks living abroad rather than locals.

Choose a dance class to get more one-on-one interaction with a new person.

Dance classes will involve partnering with one or more of your classmates, giving you the perfect opening to get to know a new person., Most of these tours take a minimum of 8-10 people along with them.

All tour-goers will almost definitely be tourists, so you can use your tour to make a travel buddy.

The tours will also give you an overview of the history and geography of the city, allowing you to navigate more confidently., You’re guaranteed to get connected with the younger local crowd when you hang out in a city’s pubs.

If you sign up for a pub crawl, you’ll be able to interact with your fellow crawlers and the different patrons at each spot you visit.

You can also take note of your favorite pub and return the next night., Look for opportunities to contribute to the community’s needs.

Volunteering allows you to help out those in need while also connecting with a group of caring and compassionate people.Seek out volunteering ideas in your city’s local press, or use one of several well-established websites to browse worldwide volunteering needs.

Try Idealist.org, GoOverseas.com, or GrassrootsVolunteering.org.Explore both short-term and long-term volunteering opportunities.

For quick trips, you may be able to offer your assistance to a fundraising event for a day or two.

If you’re in a city for longer, try giving some of your time to an organization each week.

About the Author

J

Jeffrey Nguyen

Brings years of experience writing about cooking and related subjects.

59 articles
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