How To Make Friends While Traveling

Traveling is a great way to clear your mind, broaden your horizons and explore your dream destinations.Traveling can also provide opportunities to meet new people and build special relationships.

Sometimes making new friends is the best part of traveling.Whether you’re a local or a fellow traveler, interacting with more people can make the travel experience better.

Whether you’re traveling alone or with a companion, meeting new people along the way can be valuable.

But making friends isn’t easy for everyone.Read on for expert advice on how to make new friends on the go.

Stay warm

Probably the most obvious piece of advice when making friends is to “be nice”.This applies to everyday life as well as to traveling.

Be welcoming and greet everyone you meet.If the other person is also on vacation, then they are likely to be in the mood to chat.

Suggest that you say hello and see how the conversation goes.See if you have anything in common.

Maybe you go to the same events, or patronize the same restaurants and bars.Asking where they’re from or if they’ve had other similar travel experiences always moves the conversation forward and makes everyone more comfortable.Make sure you’re approachable yourself so that others will consider striking up a conversation.

Participation in group activities or tours

Group tours and activities are a great way to make new friends.An event or tour will show you that you have at least one thing in common with your new friend.This is a good starting point.

When you’re exploring a new city or country, consider booking a walking or driving tour with a local company.Look for recommended tours on review sites and online marketplaces like Tripadvisor, Yelp, Viator, or Airbnb Experiences.If it’s just an afternoon outing, you may want to invite the group for a post-tour drink or dinner.

If you’re at a resort, many times they’ll even have special meeting rooms or social events dedicated to people networking and making new friends.

Staying in hotels

If you want to make friends while traveling, your best bet is to book a hostel.You’ll be sharing a large room with a lot of strangers, so your sleep quality may be a bit compromised, but you can often find camaraderie amongst your peers.

Youth hostels tend to attract a younger age group, but there are also a number of older people staying there.

Socialize with people in the hotel

Staying in a hotel is not the only way to use your accommodation to meet other travelers.

Because you often see the same people day in and day out in these environments, it’s easier to start a conversation, see if they’re interesting, and if you enjoy their company, then start there.Have dinner together, meet by the pool, etc.

Even if you’re not staying at a resort, you may find opportunities to socialize with guests.In recent years, large hotel chains such as Sheraton have undergone rebranding to focus on public spaces that encourage socializing.

It’s really interesting to meet new people and hear about their life experiences while traveling, as they are usually from another country and have unique experiences or worldviews to draw on.

Join travel social media groups

While you are still in the planning stage, you can begin the process of making travel buddies.

There are many groups on social media apps such as Facebook where travelers can discuss plans and arrange to meet up in advance.This is a great way to start making friends before traveling.It’s also perfect for solo travelers who want to meet new people.

Apps like SoloTraveller and Flip the Trip allow you to find nearby travelers while on vacation.

Offer to buy a round of drinks

If you’re at a restaurant or local bar and someone is chatting, offer to treat yourself.Nothing says friendship like a treat.If you’re on vacation, this will likely lead to more drinks together.

Hotel bars and restaurants are great places to meet other travelers.If you and others hit it off, take turns buying and exchanging phone numbers so you can plan to meet up at another restaurant, bar or attraction during your trip.(Of course, be mindful of alcohol consumption and personal safety, especially if you’re traveling alone.)

Using the Friendship App

Suggested dating apps or online communities.Although these apps are still in the developmental stage, many people today are using digital platforms and apps to make friends.This “stigma” is disappearing, just as dating apps disappeared, and people are realizing that it’s hard to make friends as an adult, let alone while traveling.So why not use the tools we have to connect?