Where to Meet Other Travelers Abroad: 7 Fun Places that ALL Social Travelers Hang Out
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Whether you’re traveling solo or in a group, it’s super fun to meet other travelers abroad! It can turn your normal trip into an unforgetable experience and create lifelong connections with individuals you would have never meet otherwise!
I have a blog post on HOW to make new friends while traveling, but that post was mostly focused on actions you can take for yourself. You know, prepping yourself to put yourself out there and create a mindset that attracts others.
But once you’re all ready…there is the barrier of actually FINDING ways to meet other travelers abroad. Sure, you can go up to a random person on the train but…that doesn’t mean that person wants to talk to you.
The thing is, when you are traveling – news flash – not everyone else wants to meet other travelers. Some people don’t want *~*new friends*~*
Does that mean you should give up?
OF COURSE NOT! But this is where this post comes in. Today, we’ll be going over the WHO and WHERE aspects of socializing abroad, and how you can use that information to meet other travelers! So if you’re interested, keep reading!
Table of Contents
Know Your Audience
And, I cannot stress this enough, I do not mean this in a weird predatory way. Your potential new pals are essentially enigmas. You don’t know anything about them, except they might enjoy travel. But when you want to meet other travelers on the road, there are at least three categories that you can confidently group them into:
- Locals from the destination country
- People from your own country
- People from other countries
Again, their specific personalities and other demographics will vary, but you WILL meet one of these three people. Now, you MAY value one category over the other (for example, if you want more friends from other countries to broaden your travel knowledge, or locals to practice language skills), so keep in mind that these categories may not be equally present in different parts of your travel experience. Locals probably won’t be at tourist sites. Travelers from other countries probabllyyy won’t be at the local town hall meeting.
In any case, all of them have different things to offer you, but they will all make you grow as a person by learning from their experiences and broadening your horizon. YES, you can even learn things from people from your home country. Everyone’s perspectives and experiences are unique.
This is definitely a part of travel you should aim for if you want an enriching experience. Now that you know WHO when you want to meet other travelers, now lets focus on the WHERE.
Where to Meet other Travelers
I think this aspect is what trips people up the most. Because honestly you can go up to anyone in a grocery store (COVID aside) and try to strike up a conversation. That isn’t necessarily going to get you new friends. There is a time – and more importantly A PLACE – to meet other travelers and travel enthusiasts. So without further ado, here are the best places to make connections and meet other travelers while on the road!
1. On an organized tour
If you’ve never gone on a tour while traveling, they can be a great way to see a variety of things. You can take a tour to certain sites, you can take history and culture tours. You can even take outdoors and adventurous tours.
But tours also happen to be one of the BEST places to meet other travelers abroad.
That said, in the most part, you probably won’t meet locals on a tour, besides the tour guide and merchants on the tour, but you WILL meet a lot of other travelers. Plus, you have a built in conversation starter: the information or activity of the tour.
When I visited Puerto Vallarta, I took a street taco eating tour. As we walked all over town tasting the best tacos in Puerto Vallarta, I struck up conversation with the other two travelers on the tour. They were a couple from Alaska, who admitted their city didn’t have the best Mexican food. I could relate. We exchanged contacts and hopefullyyyy I’ll be going to see them in Alaska next year! Connection made!
2. In a class
Opposite of tours, taking a class will give you a higher probability of meeting locals, especially if that class is in the native language of the country you are visiting.
Some of my favorite classes to take are exercise classes, because working out while traveling can be difficult. “Pop in” classes are usually less expensive for first timers, or it might even be free altogether.
There are also classes that may be more geared toward tourists, like cooking classes, so just be aware of the context of the class. For example, a general cooking class might have a good mix, but a traditional cooking class, like the one I took at the Chuancais Museum in Chengdu, will probably be mostly tourists.
As a rule of thumb, a class (or tour for that matter) that focuses on explaining the local culture or customs is less likely to have locals attending. I mean, they already know their own culture and history. They don’t need a class to tell them. However, classes that are more every day and not focused on culture, like exercise classes, will have more locals.
In both types of classes though, the participants tend to be open to meeting people because that’s what group classes are for!
3. Staying in an Airbnb (or other homeshare)
Airbnb, or homeshare sites in general, can be a great way to save money on accommodations while traveling. They can also be a great way to meet other travelers depending on how you use it! If you book a private or shared room on Airbnb, there’s a good chance of meeting both the host (who is a local), or other travelers you might be sharing the room with!
You can also use Airbnb to book “Airbnb Experiences,” which are basically tours hosted by Airbnb hosts. I took a bike riding tour with Airbnb Experiences in Cuba, and the host was amazing! If you don’t have the opportunity to travel, you can still use Airbnb Experiences at home, or take a virtual class!
4. While Couchsurfing
I didn’t include Couchsurfing in the above location because it is a wholeee different ball game than Airbnb. Couchsurfing was essentially MADE to help you meet other travelers. In fact, it is one of THE BEST (and easiest!( ways to meet locals while traveling. There are two ways to use this platform to your social advantage:
- You stay with a local host in their home (it’s free, so make sure to bring a thank you gift, and also maybe invite them to dinner or something to show you are thankful). Ask if your host is available to hang out with you during your trip.
- Just hang out with other Couchsurfers at your destination. There are official meetups everywhere in the world. But you can also tell the world that you want to hang out and might find someone new to meet at your destination.
Couchsurfing even has meetup events in destinations all across the world, so just keep an eye out on the app for a meetup in your destination!
5. At Local Hang Out Spots
These will be your typical social atmospheres. Bars, pubs, community centers, arcades, etc. You’ll find a mix of locals and other travelers at these places. Visiting on events such as big sports games or Trivia Nights will make the environment even more social! If you are an introvert or shy at introducing yourself, going to a local hang out may be a little more daunting for you since the conversation isn’t as facilitated as being on a tour with people or rooming at the same accommodation.
A tip for this is to just do it. If you’re watching a sports game at a pub, lean over to the table next to you (COVID willing) and comment on a play. You can usually pick up if the person is willing to carry on a conversation by their enthusiasm for answering you.
6. On Social Media
Oh yesss, one of the EASIEST places to meet other travelers. Social media is a godsend for finding new friends. Depending on your platform of choice, there are a few different methods for this.
- Facebook: Facebook has a HUGE amount of traveler community groups, where you can not only find tips and recommendations for a place, but also connect with people from that country and/or other people who will be traveling there during the same time. Find groups that work for you! Some of my favorite travel communities on facebook are: Travel Community, Sisters Traveling Solo, and Wandering Women Travel Bloggers (for travel bloggers)
- Instagram: This app is less about community, but it can give you some great advice on events and where to go! I would recommend searching hashtags of the destination you are visiting.
- Twitter: There is a huge community of travelers on twitter, and many of them are open to meet other travelers on their adventures! Strike up a conversation with them and become online friends first!
- Apps: There are TONS of apps that help travelers link up with other travelers. Some of the most widely used ones are: TravSolo (my favorite), Eatwith (food), Meetup, Tourlina (women only), and Bumble BFF!
Of course, meeting someone online is a lot different that in person, but you can generally get a sneak peak of someone’s personality. Or at least an idea!
7. Stay in a Hostel
This one is probably the most obvious. And the most iconic. Although they preferred lodging for backpackers, hostels have become more commonplace for solo travelers and travelers on a tighter budget as well. In more expensive areas like Iceland and Japan, even non-budget travelers find themselves exploring hostel options.
By their very nature, hostels are extremely conducive for creating an engaging and talkative environment. In fact, you’d have to actively try to NOT meet other travelers in a hostel, and try pretty hard at that. But if you aren’t a hostel person, sometimes hostels offer walking tours or parties in their lobby. Try reaching out to a hostel for these events and join in when you have time!
Where to Meet Other Travelers: Conclusion
Did I manage to hit all of the main places to meet other travelers while abroad? Do you know any other places to connect with people while traveling? Drop your suggestions in the comments below!
As someone with a natural avoidance to social interactions, putting myself out there is scary. But, honestly, I NEVER regret it. Even if the encounter didn’t end up with a new friendship. You really do have to just put yourself out there. If you don’t speak the same language, there are still ways to overcome language barriers when you travel too!
Again, read my blog post featuring the lovely Tosin (world traveler and A+ human being) if you want to know tips for HOW to meet new friends while traveling and preparing YOURSELF to be more social.
If you’ve tried to meet other travelers in any of the above mentioned places, I want to hear about your experiences! Do you still talk to the people you’ve met?
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