when you dream about heading off on an adventure, you aren't picturing yourself sitting alone in a corner scrolling through your phone. youβre picturing deep, late-night chats overlooking a moonlit beach, laughing until your stomach hurts over a shared local treat, and finding people who truly understand your love for exploring the world. youβre looking for genuine, real connection not fleeting, surface-level encounters.
how to make friends while travelling solo (without the awkward small talk)
we get this question all the time and as 3 gals who are building a travel community, who have each travelled to different parts of the world we'll give you our honest opinion!! We had a long chat about this in the office and it's so true that when you plan your backpacking travels, you picture yourself sat on the beach chatting to other solo travellers, exploring new destinations with friends you've met in your hostel or your tour and your evenings are spent laughing, dancing and feeling free with other like minded people, but the reality is.. sometimes you're feeling nervous to start that first chat. You spend more time doomscrolling because the anxiety of being the first person to ask can feel overwhelming.
Here's how we'd recommend making friends whilst travelling as a solo traveller!!
moving beyond fleeting encounters to genuine connection
when you travel completely on your own, it is so so easy to fall into the classic "hostel small talk loop." we've heard it sooo many times before. 'where are you from? ' how long have you been travelling?' 'where are you heading next?' instead of asking where someone is from, try asking what the coolest hidden spot theyβve discovered in the city is so far, or have they seen any recommended places to eat, where is the dream destination?
join a facebook community
okay we couldn't recommend this more especially for women looking to travel solo who want to meet other women!! We have a private facebook group of over 400,000 women who post where they're travelling, asking if people would like to join them and grab recommendations!!
why an instant community feels like the best way to start your travels!
this is exactly why so many gals choose to start their adventures with our gals who travel trips, to make instant friends of the same age all travelling together with all the logistics sorted!!
everyone is there for the exact same reason: they work hard during the year, they want a fun break with girls, and they want to share beautiful, aesthetic, and meaningful moments with people who feel the same!!
frequently asked questions about making friends on the road
how do introverts make friends while travelling solo? focus on small, low-pressure environments where you don't have to perform. join a day walking tour, sign up for a local cooking class, or look for group travel groups that offer a perfect, balanced mix of wandering/exploring and organised activities so you never completely drain your social battery.
is it easy to meet people on group tours? yes, absolutely! because you are sharing the exact same daily adventures, transport, and delicious local meals, the awkward "getting to know you" phase completely disappears within the first 24 hours. you become a tight-knit group almost instantly.
how do do you stay in touch with travel friends after the trip? We have group whatsapp chat even before the trip starts!!! Most of our girls group share a photo album or photo circle on the trip to share photos and videos!! So many of our girls have gone on to travel together, rebook another trip, even become housemates or work together!!
if you're looking to meet like minded girls, connect IRL and travel together checkout all of our gals who travel trips here!!
