My philosophy around traveling alone has always been along the lines of “If I meet people great. If I don’t, I’ll just hang out with my bad self.”
I enjoy being alone and getting to experience a new city without having to worry about following any whims that aren’t my own. But I’ve realized recently that meeting people in the city you’re visiting, especially if you’re interested in digital nomad life or slow travel, completely alters your perspective of the place (for the better). Tacos just taste better with a side of good conversation. Especially at 3 am after a salsa social.
Sometimes traveling alone is exactly what you need. No one urges you to go to that rug bazaar that you’d rather skip. There’s no getting stuck in a souvenir shop waiting for your friend to decide which mug is more “Aunt Shirley” while your heart longs to be in an art museum. On some trips, I actually prefer to be completely by myself, enjoy my own company and have a social detox. On other occasions, I want to have a nice balance of “me time” and “let’s meet for drinks later” time.
Regardless of your status on the social butterfly scale, it’s always nice to have some travel tools for making friends and connections while you’re on the go. Here are some tried and true tips and tricks about how to meet people while traveling alone.
Join a coworking space
If you’re a nomad and need a place to work while you’re traveling, you can kill two birds with one stone by joining a coworking space in the city you’re visiting. Skip out on working from your accommodation and cafes all the time and pay a fee for a desk in a funky coworking space. Often you can do a trial day or pay for a pass depending on the length of your stay.
Companies like WeWork and ImpactHub have a lot of offices in cities around the world, but you can also do a quick google search to see what your travel destination has to offer. If you’re visiting a smaller town, you might not have this option but becoming a regular at a cafe can sometimes lead to meeting other regulars of course.
Take a dance class!
Exclamation point! I’ve done hip hop in Milan, salsa in Mexico and can’t wait to tango my way through Argentina. This is by far my new favorite way to meet people because I honestly love dancing so much that it makes me burst with energy. While I was in Mexico City, I signed up for bachata and salsa classes and ended up making friends with locals who I expect will be my buddies for life. It was so much fun learning to dance and even more fun getting to go out to social clubs with them! If you’re not afraid to shake it or want to learn a new skill, this is a great way to hobnob with city natives.
Go to a workout class
If you’re into fitness and don’t mind sweating with strangers, sign up for a workout class and go regularly. Whether it’s yoga, spinning, or zumba, the odds are you’ll end up seeing the same faces and meeting locals while staying in shape on your journeys.
Join Facebook Groups
In pretty much any city, you can look up “Digital Nomads in [City]” or “Foreigners in [City]” and find an online community. Often, other travelers will post about meeting up or going to events together. There are also some female only groups if that’s more your jam. This is a great way to meet other travelers, but not necessarily a way to get in with the locals.
Go to Internations Events
If networking and socializing are your shtick, Internations events are a great option for you. You can either pay the fee at the events or become an Internations member for a fee and unlock a reduced entry fare for all events. Often, international folks, expats, or travelers go to these events to chat and get to know each other. There’s a bit of a networking feel to it, but it’s nothing fancy – just drinks or food in a local spot and conversation.
Frequent cafes with a digital nomad scene
If you’re not interested in a coworking space, you can simply become a regular in a cafe or two with digital nomad vibes. This can be a little trickier because people may not want to be disturbed while working and you never know how long they’ll be in town – 5 minutes? 5 months? – but I have met some people this way. When faces become familiar, it’s always easier to have a chat, make a connection, and find out the name behind said familiar face.
Take a language class
My second favorite way to meet people while traveling is by studying the local language in a group class. Again, this is because I seriously love learning languages and typically the other students are keen on meeting folks as well. You won’t meet locals of course, that would be weird, but this is a great way to get to know other travelers with a passion for learning new things (aka the greatest kind). Some of the people I met in language classes have become my friends for life: I treasure my best friends from Sweden, Germany, and Estonia. It’s also just so cool to make friends who live all over the world, no? Who doesn’t want more reasons to plan even more trips?
Go to a hostel bar (or stay in one!)
Staying in a hostel is one of the easiest ways to meet other travelers right off the bat. If you’re not phased by staying in a room of strangers and are cool with sharing a space, this is the option for you. Especially in Europe, it’s easy to find hostels with a very social vibe. Check out the reviews on hostelworld.com or google “best social hostel” or “best party hostel” (if you’re a party person) for the city you’re visiting and you’ll easily find options for a very social stay. I love hostels but I usually want my own space, so stopping in for a drink at the hostel bar or signing up for a hostel bar crawl is another good way to meet travelers without having to stay in a dorm.
Get the Meet Up App
The Meet Up app is a great option for making connections while participating in your favorite activities. You can fill out your interests and filter by activities you enjoy and will naturally meet individuals with shared interests in your current location. So much fun!
