You’re about to set off on your first solo travel trip. I’m sure the nerves are building up (I know mine did)… and you’re wondering how the heck are you going to make friends while you’re in a country where you don’t know anyone, let alone the language!

To start off, almost EVERYONE is feeling this way or has felt this way at some point. On top of that, basically everyone is in the same boat. All alone, in a new part of the world, looking to meet likeminded people to enjoy their adventure with!

Hopefully after reading through this post you’ll see just how easy it is to make friends (potentially life long friends) while solo traveling!

Stay in hostels!

Hostels are EASILY one of the best (if not THE BEST) places to meet other solo travelers.

Why? Because just about everyone there is on a budget and ready to meet new people. Now, when looking for a hostel you need to make sure you’re searching for social hostels. There are plenty of hostels that you can stay at that are quiet and don’t really have much peer to peer interaction. But, when looking at reviews you should be able to see which hostels have a good social environment!

A lot of these social hostels do come with a fair amount of partying or loud music. Luckily the noise usually quiets down before people start heading to bed… but if you’re into a bit of partying, this is another great opportunity to meet other travelers!

There are also social hostels that are more lowkey than the party ones! On my solo travel to Thailand one of the hostels I stayed at was a very quiet one, but there was a lovely common area! And even though, at that point, I was going out of my way to be alone and take it slow, I STILL met new people that I had a lovely time hanging out with!

You don’t need to party to meet people!!

Don’t be afraid to embarrass yourself

Meeting people is a skill and it takes practice! I met plenty of shy or awkward solo travelers that were surrounded by lovely people (I’m not going to let you use that as an excuse 😉).

One of the biggest things to remember while solo traveling: you will never see these people again.

This sounds sad, and sometimes it is, but this is also your greatest tool when meeting new people while traveling! Knowing this should allow you to be authentically you, let your personality shine! If it doesn’t click with that person, who cares, you won’t see them again.

Don’t be afraid to embarrass yourself either! I’m not trying to say you should put yourself as the butt of a joke. But don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Try to introduce yourself to someone or ask someone where they’re from! If you fumble or say something wrong, it doesn’t matter, you won’t see this person again and you can try again with the next person!

Now even if you somehow embarrass yourself, there’s a good chance you both just laugh about it and move on! The more and more you put yourself out there the better you will become.

Be open and flexible

One of the best ways I found to meet new people was to have no plan. And this really worked!

When you’re chatting with people in your hostel or out and about, and you click, there’s a solid chance they will ask you to join them for an outing or a meal! And if you have no plans already, this is your chance to say YES!

These spontaneous plans can be absolutely wonderful and can lead to a nice experience with a new friend.

In my experience, the more adventures I went on with a person the closer we became! You have more opportunities to open up to each other and dive deeper than surface level conversations.

I don’t want to make you think this will always be sunshine and rainbows… but the great thing is, as I’ve already said, if you don’t like the situation or the person you can leave and you’ll probably never see them again!

Be authentically you

I think this is one of the best pieces of advice I was given on making friends in general… but it also works while traveling the world!

Being authentically you will attract like minded people, people who vibe with who you are. We spend so much of our lives trying to “fit in” to the mold of the people around us, when truly being yourself is what should be done!

There are so many people in the world that are just as goofy or quirky as you and while solo traveling you’ll meet them all (probably some who out goofy or out quirky you).

Even if being authentically you means you don’t have “as many friends” or meet as many people, the people you connect with will be much more valuable than if you weren’t truly yourself. This is because they will truly understand you and love you for who you are!

With that all said, I think it’s also important to hang around people that don’t fully agree with you and will respectfully challenge your beliefs. But at the end of the day, they like who you are and respect you as an individual.

While solo traveling you’re bound to meet some amazing people and you get to decide who they meet (might as well show them who you are)!

Push your comfort zone

Meeting new people might not be something you’re comfortable with… but you DID take a huge step into the unknown already by venturing out solo.

Going outside your comfort zone doesn’t have to be some grandiose thing. It can be talking to one new person a day or even eating a new food.

Taking steps outside of your comfort zone will put you in new situations where you can meet new people you would have never met before! And these new experiences and people will help shape your perspectives and help you grow as an individual!

And don’t wait for others to go do fun/cool things! You’ll meet plenty of people at these spots and who knows, you might join them on their adventure or meet up with them later!

Make friends of all ages

There’s a lot to learn from the people you meet while solo traveling, especially from people that have been doing it longer than you!

Don’t be afraid to make a friend who’s older or younger than you. Everyone has their unique experiences to share, especially if they’ve been traveling for a while.

While traveling, I’ve met people around my age that I plan to go and visit in the future! I’ve also met people way older than me that have told me their entire life story (one of the times it ended with the man offering a free place to stay in the future… just for being kind enough to listen).

Don’t get stuck just hanging around people in your demographic. Push yourself to meet new interesting people too!

---

There are plenty of other tips to meet new people and I could go on and on about it. But if you want more please let me know and I can make a part 2!

The biggest thing to remember is there are some VERY cool people in the world and as long as you’re open to meeting them, you will.

On top of that, don’t forget… you most likely will never see these people again! So don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!

Disclosure: Some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site active to provide up to date stories, tips, and tricks for you!