How To Make Travel Buddies: 10 Easy Ways

This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission, if you make a purchase. Read Disclosure.

The most common question a solo traveler gets asked is; do you get lonely? Contrary to what most people believe, traveling alone doesn’t mean you have to be alone.

There are many ways you can make travel buddies, if you know how.

Traveling without a good travel companion or partner can be completely daunting, so I’ve listed some of my top tips on how to make travel buddies when on the road.

So if you want to add some numbers to your solo travel adventures, here is how you can meet others and connect with likeminded people.

How To Make Travel Buddies

If you’re worried about being alone, here are some tips for making travel friends on the road.

1. Stay in social accommodation

When people say stay in a social accommodation, they’re usually meaning a hostel.

If you’re a backpacker on a budget and looking for cheap accommodation, hostels are the ultimate choice. The shared dorm rooms in hostels are the ideal place to introduce you to new people, and even the common areas and bars are often full of like-minded travelers.

You can tell which hostel is socialable by reading the reviews and seeing what other guests have said. You can also check the hostel out on Hostelworld, which has this cool feature that tells you how many guests are staying there at the same time as you, and where those guests are from.

Often when I’m traveling and looking to meet people, I’ll book into a high-quality hostel in a private room and spend time in the common room or communal areas to meet people or participate in hostel group activities.

But a hostel is not the only type of social accommodation.

However, hostels can sometimes be too social, so you might want to stay in a small B&B or in a private room in an Airbnb, and mingle with the locals instead.

Airbnb and other similar accommodation rental sites are a great way to meet locals and get to see a different side of a destination. I’ve made friends with many Airbnb hosts over the years and it feels like I’m visiting a friend in the city or country where I’m visiting.

If you’re past sharing a room with other people, then you might want to look for a coliving accommodation, which is the best of both worlds – you get your own space, and the chance to make friends.

This is a type of living where everyone gets a private room, often with a private bathroom, but share a common area and a kitchen.

They have become popular in recent years thanks to the booming popularity of digital nomads. They are usually options for major cities.

2. Hop on a guided tour

Depending on your trip, your travel style, and where you are going, you might consider hopping on a small group tour.

Usually, there are a range of tours that meet every type of interest. You can choose to take day tours or multi-day tours, photography tours, and budget tours, even pub crawls – there are many types to choose from.

Usually, when I’m in a place like Europe, I prefer to start my adventure with free walking tours. This is a great way to get to know a city and meet other travelers who are also interested in sightseeing and meeting new people.

At the end of every tour, I usually leave with a couple of new friends and sometimes we would meet up later on for dinner, travel together, or just grab coffee.

After all, everyone is in the same boat as you when you travel. Chances are that on these tours, the people you meet have similar travel plans, so you might find someone to travel with you long term.

If I’m traveling to a country where I’m either not comfortable traveling alone (rare now but still it happens) or I’m looking for a different kind or unique travel experience, I’ll book a multi-day tour.

Some destinations I feel are so challenging to organise on your own, such as this 3 week horseback riding trip through Mongolia. I’m not even sure how I would even begin planning that on my own.

I also joined in on some small group tours around New Zealand, which fitted perfectly for what I wanted and almost everyone else on the tour were solo travelers. The trip leader also became someone I would call a friend afterwards.

[Editor Caz: I also love group tours as a way of making new friends. I did that on a 7 day tour of Jordan and a women’s adventure retreat in Banff National Park]

3. Participate in group activities

Aside from hopping on tours when you’re traveling around, another great way to stay social and meet people on the road is to join group activities that are organized by your accommodation.

I love having hands-on travel experiences, like eating, when I’m on the road, so I tend to gravitate towards activities like cooking classes, food and market tours, and lots and lots of adventure activities, like bike tours, boat outings, yoga classes, and scenic flights.

Most of these activities book more than one person on them so you are guaranteed to meet people. There is nothing quite like making a new friend as you kayak through rapids or bake a local dish in a new city.

4. Spark up conversations with people when you can

Say you’re waiting for a bus, or catching an internal flight, or simply in a line in a coffee shop – say hello to people and start up a conversation. You never know where this might lead you to.

I met a new travel friend by asking them to come participate in the festivities of Songkran in Thailand by saying “hello” to them in Starbucks.

This isn’t a technique for everyone, if you’re shy then you might find it a bit awkward. Also, not everyone wants to be spoken to so you need to read the room.

But, if you sense that someone else is a solo traveler, they might be pleased you made the effort to speak to them. A lot of solo travelers are shy about making friends, so someone has to bite the bullet and be the one to approach the other – don’t be afraid to be that kind of person, what’s the worst that can happen?

I’ve met other solo travelers this way, and if we’ve hung out a few times and have similar interests, or want to go to the same place, sometimes it’s easy to just travel along together for a while.

5. Have a “say yes” policy when you’re feeling a bit lonely and be friendly

Maybe it’s just me, but meeting people has never come easy to me. I am an introvert through and through, and it almost goes against my nature to intentionally be outgoing.

In the beginning, I had to force myself to talk to people. The easiest way is just to be really friendly. Depending on the country, I’ve found the majority of people love friendly solo travelers. It’s less intimidating than when you’re in groups and it just works.

On top of that when I’m traveling I try to have a “say yes” policy when people invite me to things.

Of course, I judge the situation and definitely say no if I feel unsafe or weird, but often times just putting yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone can be very rewarding.

These are the moments I tend to treasure the most on the road.

6. Use travel apps to make friends

Travello is a free app that allows you to connect with other travelers in your area and find a potential travel buddy.

You can also find people to go on travel adventures with before you’ve left home, if you’re really nervous.

Another app that is similar is UNBLND, which allows you to connect with people based on your interests. If you’re looking for a solo female travel buddy, then GAFFL is one of the best apps for finding another female travel companion.

You can also find travel and volunteers opportunities with Workaway or Worldpackers, which allows you to meet other people while volunteering. This is a great way to allow you to travel for longer as you can save money on accommodation, as well as find a travel partner.

The International Greeter Association or The Global Greeter Network is a non-profit organization that connects locals and travelers. It’s a great way to mingle with the locals and find new friends in the city.

7. Use Facebook groups

Facebook is a great resource for travellers. There are usually special interest groups for every city or country, where travellers can come together and ask for advice and of course, meet the perfect travel buddy.

It’s one of the best platforms out there because it’s free and everyone uses it. The only downside is that you have to wait for admins to approve your comments (most of the time), which means you may have to wait for an answer.

You should also use your common sense when meeting people you meet online. Can you verify this person is a real person? Make sure to meet them in a public place.

Twitter and Instagram are also social media platforms where you can meet other people online, but make sure to check their profile and chat with them before you meet them.

8. Try couchsurfing

Couchsurfing might be a bit old school now, but it’s still popular in some countries such as in Europe. It allows you to stay on the couch of a local, usually for free, as a way of getting to know a local in the city.

The idea is that when that person is traveling to your country, you offer the same courtesy.

Staying with a local is a great way to get recommendations for what to do in a city, and to get a more authentic cultural experience.

9. Hit up the internet forums

Like Facebook, forum websites like Reddit are a great way to connect with people. You can find subreddits for people looking for a travel friend in a particular country or city.

Like Facebook, you need to wait for someone to respond, and you also run the risk of meeting a stranger online who might not be who they say they are.

Follow my advice above when meeting people online. Verify their profiles, arrange to meet in a public place, and follow your gut.

10. Join Meetup events

Meetup.com is a social network platform where you can attend events in a city, and meet like-minded people. It’s a great way to make meaningful connections as everyone who attends these events is looking for people to be social with.

You can choose from a range of different events, from attending gigs, movie nights, language exchanges, or even just bond over a cocktail in a lounge.

These niche events are a great way to find people who might have more compatibility with you than a generic tour.

You might also discover new hobbies and passions, as well as potential travel partners.

Final Thoughts on Finding The Best Travel Buddies

So there you have it, those are my top tips for finding a fellow traveler to go on your next adventure with.

As you can see, there are many ways you can meet people when out on the road, sometimes at the click of a button!

Wherever you plan to go, whatever your gender, or however you choose to travel, I hope these tips help you find your new best travel friend! As I said, you don’t have to be alone when you travel alone!