3 ways to make friends on your travels.
Solo travel can be scary, that fear could even stop you from actually going on that trip. But what if I told you that when you’re solo traveling, you’re rarely actually solo? Currently, I’m lucky to have found my forever travel buddy in my partner, but in 2023 when I was traveling in Greece, I was looking for people to meet and travel with. So, how do you do that? Well, there are a few ways and with the help of my fellow travelers’ family, I’d love to share them with you this month!
Social media & apps; TripBFF
Everyone and everything is on social media these days; also a way to find your next travel buddies. Now I definitely advise you to be cautious, as out of all the methods we’ll be talking about today this one definitely poses the most risk! Nonetheless, I had a very pleasant experience doing this, and so as our lives become more and more digital, it is worth talking about this.
My trip to Greece was supposed to be a solo one. I booked a one-way ticket and planned to travel for as long as I could on my own. However, barely a week into my trip I met two guys through the Discord chat of TripBFF, a page I then knew through Instagram. One of them was asking if anyone wanted to travel with him to Northern Greece, and I said I did, but as I was on the islands, I suggested they come to me instead to island hop here. After a bit more back and forth, they agreed and booked their tickets to Greece only a few days later. It was official now, we’d be meeting on Naxos in 2 weeks. I finished the solo portion of my trip and headed to Naxos myself to check in in advance so that I would already know our accommodation a bit better, just in case the meeting went south. As a solo female traveler, you have to be extra cautious after all. I told my friends and family where and when I exactly I’d be meeting them, even though they were thousands of kilometers away. It gave me (and them) peace of mind.
I personally chose this way of making friends while traveling because I often hesitate to stay in hostels because of the camera gear I travel with, though in Greece, I didn’t get the chance to do that much anyway, as the islands aren’t home to that many hostels.
As we all know, making friends online can be easier sometimes than making friends in real life; it’s easier to approach people on the internet. Especially for introverts who experience difficulty approaching people, this online way of finding travel buddies can be great! I would advise spending some time chatting with each other before making any final decisions to make sure that your personalities & travel styles match somewhat, as this could very easily clash once you meet each other in person. Know that even after getting to know someone fairly well, it could still clash, but preventative measures everyone!
TripBFF also has an app now, which makes it much easier to meet people, though the app is unfortunately not yet out for Android at the time of writing this. However TripBFF is not the only app like this, even the well-known Hostelworld app has a section now where travel plans can be shared to find your travelbuddy. For my other female solo travelers there is also an app just for us! It’s called Travel Ladies and is available on both iOS and Android.
Download TripBFF
Download Hostelworld
Download Travel ladies
— written by Kailyn de Rooij
Meeting people at hostels
When I started my solo travels, I left thinking “it’d be nice if I make some friends, but it’s okay if I don’t”. I tried not to put too much pressure on it and just see where my travels would take me. My first solo trip was to Thailand, which seemed a safe and easy destination for a first timer. I decided to stay in hostels there, both because it’s the cheapest option and because it’s what everyone does, and thus the easiest way to meet people. In the end, hostels proved to be the perfect way to make friends!
It depends on the hostel; some are less social than others, but in the end, everyone more or less has the same goal: to explore the country and meet some nice people along the way. This makes it easy to chat to other travelers, everyone is excited to talk about what they’ve seen already, or to share upcoming plans. I think the two most common questions that get asked in a hostel are “what country are you from?” and “What route are you taking?”. This can kick-off hour long conversations and when you’re lucky a friendship you can enjoy for the rest of your travels (and maybe beyond).
Both in Thailand and Indonesia, I was lucky enough to meet some nice girls early on who had almost the same itinerary as me, so we decided to travel together. I met all these girls in the common areas of the hostels, all while having either breakfast or dinner. Joining in on each other’s conversations went pretty easily, no one looks at you weird when you randomly join in on a conversation that’s happening next to you. If you find it a bit harder to just talk to people, joining in on hostel activities/tours is another great way to meet people. It might make it less daunting to talk to people when you’re on a tour or activity, making memories together, think about a hike, bike tour, or pub crawl. And just don’t put too much pressure on it thinking you have to make friends for life: I’ve done a cooking class where I met nice people who I had a fun few hours with during the class but didn’t see anymore afterwards, and I’ve done an overnight tour where I met a guy who I dated for a few months. These are two extremes, but both were very nice experiences.
Finding the right hostel does play an important role. The two best apps to book hostels through are Booking and Hostelworld. Hostelworld has a lot of benefits; it shows the activities a hostel organises, and it puts you in a group chat with the other people staying at the same hostel. So if you’re still not sure if you’re comfortable just walking up to and starting a conversation with a stranger, it might be easier to do it through the chat. “Who wants to grab dinner/drinks tonight?” is a very common question asked in these group chats, making it a very accessible way to join people. My last tip about hostels would be, decide what kind of hostels you want to stay in. There are plenty of party hostels where booze flows freely and music is played all night long. If that’s your vibe, it could be the perfect way to make friends. If you’re not into partying, there are plenty of more laid-back hostels that are very social. And once every now and then, you’ll get unlucky and check into a hostel that feels deserted, and you’ll survive that too ;)
— written by Meyha de Rooij
Organised group travels
Traveling alone can be an exciting but daunting experience. For me, the idea of setting off on a solo adventure felt like too big of a step. However, I still wanted to experience the freedom of traveling alone while having the opportunity to meet new people. My solution? A group tour. This way, I would be surrounded by like-minded travelers but still have the chance to explore and connect with others along the way.
One of my initial concerns was that a group tour might limit my experience—that I might miss out on places I would have discovered if I had planned everything myself. However, after doing some research, I found TruTravels, a company that offers group trips all over the world. I knew I wanted to travel through Asia, meet young people, experience local culture, enjoy nightlife, and see beautiful nature. Their 50-day trip through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, for travelers aged 18 to 30, was exactly what I was looking for. The itinerary covered nearly all the places I had on my bucket list, so I felt confident that I wouldn’t be missing out on anything.
A common concern when joining a group trip is: What if I don’t get along with the people? Luckily, that wasn’t an issue at all. The people I met were amazing, and I made genuine friendships. Even after the trip, I still keep in touch with at least five of them online. One of the best connections I made was with a girl who later became my girlfriend—we even reunited in Scotland after the trip!
Aside from that, I have met up with some of my fellow travelers in the Netherlands and London. The experience wasn’t just about visiting new places; it was about creating lasting connections with people from different backgrounds.
Choosing a group trip was the perfect way for me to experience solo travel without feeling completely alone. I had the freedom to explore while being part of a community. Whether you're nervous about solo travel or simply looking for a way to meet people while on the road, a group trip is definitely worth considering!
— written by Daan Termoshuizen
