How to meet people when traveling solo (without forcing it)
Solo travel is the best way to see a place on your own terms. You eat when you want, change plans on a whim and never argue about which museum. But at some point most solo travelers hit the same evening: a great city, a nice dinner, and nobody to share it with.
Meeting people on the road is a skill, and like most skills it's mostly about putting yourself in the right places. Here's what works.
Before you go
Ask your friends who they know there
This is the most underused trick in solo travel. Before you book, post "Going to Medellín next month, who do you know there?" to your group chats or your story. Someone's cousin lives there. Someone's old flatmate is on a trip there the same week. A friend of a friend will show you a side of the city no guidebook has, and you'll both have someone in common to talk about.
Pick the right base
Where you sleep decides who you meet.
- Hostels with a common room or bar are the easiest place to meet other travelers, even if you book a private room.
- Coliving spaces are built for longer stays, with shared kitchens, coworking and weekly events. Good if you're staying a few weeks or more.
- Guesthouses and small family-run places often have a shared breakfast table, which is a natural place to start a conversation.
- Big hotels and entire-apartment rentals are the hardest for meeting people. Great for privacy, so balance them with a social plan.
Choose places where solo travelers gather
Some cities simply have more people on their own. Lisbon, Chiang Mai, Medellín, Mexico City, Canggu and Buenos Aires all have large communities of solo travelers and remote workers, so there's always something on. The cost pages compare what a month costs in each.
When you're there
Join a free walking tour on day one
They run in almost every city, last two to three hours and are full of people traveling alone. Ask the person next to you where they're getting lunch afterwards. Half the time they'll say "no idea, want to come?"
Do group activities with a shared task
Cooking classes, surf lessons, day hikes, dive trips and pub crawls all put you alongside the same people for hours. A shared task makes conversation easy because you never have to invent a topic.
Work from a coworking space or cafe
If you're working while you travel, a coworking space is the quickest way into a city's remote-worker community. Most offer day passes and many run lunches or drinks. Monthly desk prices for 45 cities are on the cost pages.
Go to language exchanges
Language exchange nights are common in bars across Europe and Latin America. You meet locals who want to practise English and other travelers who want to practise the local language. Everyone is there to talk, which takes the pressure off.
Sit at the bar, not a table
It sounds small, but eating at the bar or a shared table makes you approachable. Bartenders are also the best source of local tips.
Staying safe while being open
Meeting people is part of the fun, but trust your instincts.
- Meet new people in public places first.
- Tell someone where you're going, and share your location with a friend at home.
- Be careful with drinks, and with anyone who seems too keen to get you somewhere private.
- Introductions through people you know are the safest way to meet someone new, because there's a mutual friend who knows you both.
Questions
How do solo travelers meet people?
Mostly through where they stay and what they do: hostels and coliving spaces, walking tours, group activities, coworking spaces and language exchanges. The easiest way of all is through friends of friends who already live in or are visiting the same place.
Is it hard to make friends when traveling alone?
It's easier than at home, because other travelers are open to meeting people too. Staying somewhere social and joining one group activity in your first two days makes a big difference.
What are the best cities for meeting people as a solo traveler?
Cities with large traveler and remote worker communities, such as Lisbon, Chiang Mai, Medellín, Mexico City, Canggu and Buenos Aires, make it easy because there are regular events and lots of people in the same situation.
How can I meet people traveling solo as an introvert?
Choose structured activities like a cooking class or a guided hike, where conversation happens naturally around a task, and ask friends to introduce you to someone they know in the city before you go.