Top 7 Ways On How To Beat Loneliness As A Solo Traveler

How To Meet Other Like Minded Travelers When Traveling Alone

One of the biggest benefits that I've found when it comes to solo traveling is the ultimate freedom that you gain from it, the freedom to do and go wherever your hearts desire, you can do and go where ever and whenever; there is no compromise, there is no asking anyone in your group of friends what they would whether do, you just do you. As a solo traveler, you have the freedom to tailor your adventures to what best fits your wants and needs. I must admit, after a bit over 2 years of traveling I’ve become quite addicted to my own solitude but that's not to say I've clipped my wings as a social butterfly.
As much as a love and honor spending time with me, myself and I, I still absolutely love meeting new people from all walks of life. One of the greatest things about traveling are the people you meet, the amazing conversations you share with others and what you can learn from those who can relate to you and believe it or not you're more likely to be open to meeting other travelers as a solo traveler then you would be when traveling with others, because when people travel with their old friends they tend not to feel the need to reach out and make new friends but you may be asking yourself how do you meet people, make friends and connections has a solo traveler; well here are my top 7 ways to meet other like-minded travelers along the way of your traveling journey.

                                                    Stay In Hostels

Hostels are a great way to meet not only other travelers but other solo travelers; especially if you're staying in areas that have a reputation for their partying atmosphere, because partying alone can kind of damper on one's mood. Check the reviews and see what other solo travels are saying, to see if the environment is what you're looking for, like if partying is not what your into at the moment or at all and maybe you're looking for more of a zen-like bohemian hippie vibe, read the reviews to see if other travelers comment that the vibe you're looking for is the vibe you will get if you stay at that hostel just so you're around other like-minded travelers. Hostelworld is a great site to find the hostel that’s right for you, they have a huge selection of hostels from all over the world to choose from, great payment options and budget friendly.

Be proactive: So you’ve booked your bed at a decent hostel but don’t just stop there, you have to be proactive, say hi, introduce yourself, in a not so creepy, desperate way but most other solo travelers are really open to meeting other travelers as well, so it shouldn't be that hard to make a connection. Solo travelers or people traveling in general, are usually more open to meeting others and starting conversations then they would be normally in their everyday lives back at home, so really just being open and friendly is all you need and before you know it you can find a traveling BFF for life or just for the next few days or so.

Don't be afraid to also approach groups, sometimes groups of friends traveling together can seem a bit closed off but don't be scared to still walk up and say hello, they still may be open to including you into their traveling tribe, I've seen this happen often throughout my travels and I've to have tagged along with groups of friends, again traveling alone is nice but sometimes the more the merrier.

Extra tip: Even though I love luxury just as much as the next person but staying at those overly expensive trendy hostels that cost just as much as booking a private room in some boutique guest houses, is usually counterproductive when it comes to trying to fill up your traveling social calendar. People who tend to stay at those type of lux hostels tend to be less open to being social or starting conversations, mostly because people book overly priced hostels because it’s not as crowded and they booked it because they are seeking solitude; also because a lot of people tend to book those rooms with the friends that their already traveling with and want to stay at something a bit more exclusive and speaking of exclusiveness, that’s the other reason why staying at a more expensive hostels or hotels wouldn't win you over any new friends, because people who spend more money, more freely tend to live their lives in a more exclusive manner..meaning AKA NO NEW FRIENDS.

Try staying at a hostel with a more relaxed atmosphere, a hostel with more of a backpacker feel to it. Travelers who are looking to make friends tend to stay at those type of hostels and I’ve also found the less lux a hostel is or the more people are willing to rough it a bit tend to be more open, friendly and more like minded to other fellow travelers; they tend to be less complainy and more willing to just go with the flow and enjoy life around them. I’m not saying stay at a dump, far from it, just saying if you're looking for traveling companions staying at a more laid back hostel or even guest house will be more suitable for you. Again Hostelworld caters to more of those backpacking type of traveling especially those who are traveling on a budget.

Extra Extra Tip: Read the reviews, trust me you will save yourself some bed bug bites and glitchy internets service but make sure you read enough of them, because I've worked at a hostel and I know for a fact how easy it is for hostel or hotel owners to add their own positive reviews, so read enough to really try to get an understanding of how the hostel or hotel you wish to stay at operates; if there are tons of negative reviews and only 10% are positive ones, most likely the negative reviews are the truth and the positive reviews are just a fluke or have been added by someone who works for the hostel or has been paid to write the review, which is another side job I had once.

Be Proactive

So, of course, I just mentioned this in my first point with making friends at hostels but being proactive is a step you should take in general when it comes to building a social life during your overseas travels. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, being shy and introvertive is not going to work, but like I said before travelers are usually already looking and willing to start a convo or to make new friends. Most other solo travelers are looking for new travel buddies just as much as you are, so it doesn’t take much, just a smile and a relaxed vibe should do the trick. If you are naturally shy this is a great way to break out of your shell.

There have been so many times where I just walked up to someone eating alone and asked them if I could join them for lunch or dinner, I mean it’s important to know how to read the environment or people’s body language, it's easy to tell who wants to just be left alone and who would be willing to make a new friend; a lot of times you will not only end up having an amazing conversation over your favorite curry or pad Thai, but you will probably make a new friend, either temporarily or for a lifetime. The point is, is to just be proactive, making the first move and getting out of your comfort zone can come in handy when it comes to looking to fix some of that solo traveling loneliness blues. Don't be afraid to just make eye contact and say hi.

Tinder and Other Dating Apps

Ok, Ok, I know you may be looking at this asking, isn't Tinker that hookup app, the app that’s notorious for that unwanted or wanted 3 am booty call and pics of adult body parts and yeah that's all very true, but Tinder serves a different purpose when it comes to traveling, and solo traveling. Tinder becomes a great way to meet other travelers, solo or not. Yes, there are still tons of people on there still looking for love or lust but I have found when it comes to traveling a lot of people on Tinder are just looking to meet new people; they're just trying to get a feel of what kind of other like-minded people are in their vicinity or neighborhood. Just make sure you make it very clear either on your profile or through text or in person, ( even though I advise you to do this before you meet in person ), make it clear what you are looking for. It’s nothing wrong with wanting a make out buddy but if you’re just looking for friendship, just make that clear and you will still find that you can meet other travelers who are also just looking for some great conversation.

There are other great travel social apps but a lot of them are relatively new or aren’t mainstream enough, so I find that they usually don’t have a large pool of people so maybe it will be harder to find people that you vide with or people whom you are close to in mileage but sometimes it really doesn’t matter how many friends you have, it’s the quality of friends, so I do still encourage you to check them out as well. List below.

Volunteering

Volunteering is an amazing way to meet other travelers but not just other travelers but like minding travelers, so it will be easier for you to relate to those around you. Let's say you're really into to nature or permaculture, so of course, other people who decided to also sign up for this kind of volunteering is also into a more natural way of living or if you volunteer at an orphanage or animal shelter, then for sure other people who are volunteering there are also animal lovers. If you're more into a fast paced lifestyle or just looking to party, then volunteering at a party hostel, being around other travelers who are also looking to have a good time. Most people who do volunteer work are also traveling solo and just like those who tend to stay at the more relaxed hostels, people who tend to volunteer are usually more laid back, friendly and down to earth, they tend to be easier to talk to and down to make new friends.

There are plenty of volunteer websites you can sign up for and look into, the two most popular and the most reputable being Woofing it and Work Away but there are definitely others you should look into as well.

Extra Tip: Make sure you do your research on whatever organization you're thinking of volunteering for. Read reviews on and off the sites, look at different travel forums, ask around and check their Facebook pages or other travel groups on Facebook. Most volunteer jobs don’t pay in cash but only in room and broad and 1-3 meals a day and sometimes you may get other perks or benefits but sometimes what an organization says you’ll get for your services is not exactly the case. Let's say they say you'll get a free bed but when you get there it’s just a straw mat on a concrete floor, or if they say they'll provide food whether that’s breakfast, lunch or dinner or all three but when you get there and find out dinner is just a loaf of bread and cucumber sticks and if you didn’t plan for that, you may not have it in your budget to provide for yourself the food you'll need to live off of for the duration of your volunteering stay there. It could also be the case that the organization over works their volunteers, basically slave labor or they may just be inappropriate, so just do your research to ensure that you have the best experience possible and that whatever your volunteering for is a place that is reputable, to make sure your efforts is actually going to the right place.

Another tip is to plan your travels around your volunteering a don’t just do it to extend your travels, even though volunteering is a great way to travel on a budget but it's not wise to solely depend on volunteering to basically finance your ability to stay overseas; always have some savings and a plane B.

Facebook Groups

Facebook groups is another awesome way to meet other fellow travelers. There is a travel Facebook group pretty much for every country and a lot of them can are specific, like Facebook groups that cater to traveling vegans or travelers who are really into yoga or digital nomads or travelers who are traveling with kids. Facebook groups also usually have meet ups and hangouts, so yeah, a great way to meet others who are interested in the same things you are.

Meetup.com

Meetup.com is a website where adults can make friends, basically; I not only use this site as a solo traveler but I also used it when I lived back in Los Angeles because LA is a place where it's kind of hard to make new friends and meet new people, so another great way to meet like-minded folks. Meetup.com in pretty much international, so you can use it anywhere and just like Facebook groups it's categorized in many different genres, like dance, fitness, foodie, photography, traveling and more and again just like Facebook groups they usually have weekly, monthly and annual meet ups, so yeah check out the site Meetup.com, one of my favorite ways to meet people via the internet.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a community of like-minded and open-minded people who have graciously opened their homes and coaches for other travelers who may or may not have the funds to stay at the average guesthouse in the surrounding areas that they're traveling to. Couchsurfing is also pretty much international, so no matter where you're traveling to you should be able to find a couch to crash on but Couchsurfing is much more than that, it’s a community where you can meet other travelers. The Couchsurfing host themselves usually act as an ambassador of sorts for the country their residing in and your traveling too, being that, for the most part, the Couchsurfing host usually lives in the country or area you're visiting, they will know the best spots in the neighborhood, the best bars and pubs, the best hole in a wall mom and pop shops and restaurants and the best open mics and cafes, so you'll get a backstage peek on what the country really has to offer and along the way you may also make a new friend.

Extra Tip. Couchsurfing also can act as an online meet up destination as well, Couchsurfing is not only a place to find a couch or room and place to sleep but also where you can go and join groups, again groups that have something in common with you or your interest, you can usually find a few groups that are in your area and they usually have meet ups a few times a month.

There's also other interest category based groups that you can follow like if you're really into music or love concerts you can join a concert/music lover group and get updates about concerts that are going on all over the world. Another one I’ve seen is solo travelers looking for others solo travelers to travel with. I know there are certain countries or parts of countries that I myself as a solo female would be hesitant to go to alone, so let’s say certain parts of South America, I could then go on Couchsurfing and put up a post saying that I’m looking for other travelers who are looking to travel to South America as well; they could either join me or I could tag along on their trip and so forth and so on. Couchsurfing has become a really good community for people looking to travel and connect with others around the world.

Extra Tip. Just be safe, there is an option on Couchsurfing for people to become verified, meaning Couchsufers.com has verified the identity of the host that is offering a place to sleep for other travelers, so it may be wise to only look for rooms with a host that have been verified. You can also tailor your search, so you can only look for female host, or host that offer a private room and just not a couch or shared room, that way you have some personal space and privacy but still just trust your intuition, always have a plan B, the option or funds to stay at a local hotel or guest house, just in case you arrive at your Couchsurfing destination and feel uncomfortable, don’t ever stay with a host if the vibes don't feel right.

Well that's it guys, those are my top 7 ways on how to make friends while traveling; I hope it helped and if you know anyone who can benefit from this article please share and if your ready to get your own traveling adventure started, please check out the links and if you like your read and want more please subscribe to my youtube channel or mailling list and I hope to see you again soon.
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