Trying to figure out how to meet people when travelling the world solo? Here are some helpful tips for meeting people while travelling, which include both online and offline suggestions.

Before I embarked on my solo trip across the UK and Europe last year, my mum was worried that I would struggle to meet people and spend too much time travelling alone, like my solo trip around the States a few years ago. But in fact, the opposite happened. I met and spent time with so many different people, my introverted self was craving alone time after a couple of weeks! So if you’re nervous about travelling alone as you think you’ll be lonely, fear not. Here are some helpful ways to meet travellers around the world when you’re travelling alone.

How to meet people when travelling alone

1. Meet travellers by staying in hostel dorm rooms

My number one tip on how to meet other solo travellers is to stay in hostels dorms. As someone who stays exclusively in private rooms or female dorms, I’ve found that in female dorms the majority of women are fellow solo female travellers. In San Diego, Grace and I hilariously bonded over the amount of effort it took for us to get into our top bunks, which were very close to each other. We then happened to travel up the coast together and had fun in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.

In Edinburgh, my roommate and I went out for dinner. In Brussels, my roommates and I spent the day exploring the city together and visited Bruges on a day trip. Then in Amsterdam, I spent a morning walking into the city for brunch with my roommates. Just start with a simple hello and go from there. If you’re both in the room and thinking about dinner, why not ask if they want to grab food with you? This also worked from me in Honolulu, as I dined out a couple of times with my roommates.

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Meet people in your hostel dorm and then watch the sunset over Waikiki Beach together 😏.

2. Hang out in hostel common areas

Speaking of hostels, common areas are also a great place to meet people as a solo traveller. I’ve had more success in my dorm rooms, but when I’ve been sitting in common areas, I’ve seen a lot of people chatting and going off to explore together. Hostel common areas are also great places to meet people to travel with as well if that’s what you’re looking for.

Here are my top hostelling tips for fellow solo female travellers

3. Meet people by reaching out to Facebook friends

Don’t underestimate the power of Facebook. I’m not a frequent user, but I like to think of it as an address book of sorts. In Glasgow, I had to sign in to the hostel’s WiFi through Facebook. This led to a comment from a girl in Edinburgh, who my family hosted way back in high school when her school was on a hockey trip. We ended up catching up for afternoon tea in Edinburgh.

Exploring Edinburgh

When I first moved to Vancouver, I stayed in a dorm at Samesun for too long. But this is where I met Angela from London. We became Facebook friends and met up when I was in London for dinner on Brick Lane, which was close to my hostel. On another occasion, during my time randomly working at the German Christmas Market in Vancouver, I became Facebook friends with my Czech and German coworkers. I then met up with my Czech friends in Prague.

Speaking of Europe, here are my top tips for travelling around Europe alone

4. Use all forms of social media to meet people

Although I didn’t meet up with anyone from Instagram on my most recent trip, I have met people through the app since being back in Melbourne. So I thought I’d include this suggestion. Because I’m travel obsessed, I follow a lot of travel bloggers. I also follow travel-related Instagram accounts and hashtags. Why not reach out to someone you follow if you’re in their city? The worst thing they can do is say no.

5. Choose a group tour

Another way you’re guaranteed to meet people while travelling solo is on a group tour. I’ve done Contiki tours in both Europe and Asia, and I am still friends with people today I met on these trips (you know, thanks to Facebook). We even did a girls trip to Hobart a few years ago.

Even if a big group tour doesn’t interest you, there’s always free walking tours or organised day trips. Although I’ve never met people in these settings, Ashley from Ashley Wanders says group tours work for her when travelling solo. Ashley always does a walking tour or food tour as soon as she arrives in a new city. She’s met a lot of people this way. Another person who has good things to say about group tours is Allie, who loves doing SANDEMANs tours and bar crawls in new cities to meet people.

Visiting Hobart with friends I met on a group tour.

6. Meet people by surfing some couches

Although I didn’t couchsurf in Europe, I did use the alternative accommodation option a few times during my United States trip. In Boston, my couchsurfing host was very welcoming and her spare room basically became a dorm, as there were a few of us crashing at the one time. We went out for dinner, to trivia with her friends and to a couchsurfing event. It was so fun and an easy way to meet other solo travellers.

I also couchsurfed in Charleston and Montgomery in Alabama. This is where I spent my evening watching my host play kickball and then drinking at a local bar. My couchsurfing experiences are still some of the most memorable moments of my time in the States.

Beautiful Boston

7. Meet travellers by staying in Airbnbs

Although I haven’t used Airbnb a lot as a solo traveller, staying in a private room in someone’s house or apartment is a guaranteed way to meet people.

Montreal is just one place where I’ve stayed in an Airbnb

Remember, I’m a total introvert. So if I can meet people and make friends on my travels, I have faith that you can too 😉.

If you’d like some solo travel inspiration before you go, may I suggest checking out my bumper post on my favourite solo travel destinations?

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