So, while we can all agree that it can be scary to start a journey all by yourself, let me start by saying: you will most likely never feel like you’re alone (unless you want to be of course)! From my personal experience I can say, that during my first big Solotravel of 4,5 months when I was 18 & 19, the only days I was truely by myself were the days I flew from one country to another.
But on any other day there are so many possibilities to get to know new friends, that you’ll never really get the possibility of feeling lonely. That being said, there are definitely some tips and tricks on how to get to know new people and how to start a first interaction.
Hostels
Depending on where you travel, hostels are definitely one of the best places to get to know new people. Especially the hostel lobby, hostel kitchen & hostel bar are great places to get to know some fellow travel buddies. The simple reason for that: most of the people in these bunk beds next to you are fellow travellers and they are just as desperate to have a good time as you are. If a possibility arises to start a conversation, just take it. No one will bite your head off!
Sadly, there are some cities where from my experience socializing in a hostel won’t work too well (e.g. London, Dublin). Mostly this is because the hostels are too big and it is too easy to get lost in anonymity. Also, a lot of the people staying there are long time guests who are new in town and are for example looking for a new job or a new apartment.
If you’re for example travelling in Thailand, New Zealand & Scotland on the other hand, you will get plenty of possibilities to bump into fellow travellers!
Anyway, don’t let yourself be discouraged by not meeting people in your hostel, keep on reading. The next tip might help!
Pubcrawls
A great way that I have started to use more frequently is to simply sign up in any kind of pubcrawl – organized by the hostel you’re staying at or just by any local organization. If you’re in a bigger city there is definitely going to be one around most of the nights. Sign up and enjoy the free shots on the way.
The benefit of pubcrawls that I have discovered for myself is really that it consists out of a bunch of people who want to go out, have a great time and meet some great new company at the same time. And because of that usually on the way to the second bar, everybody just starts chatting and normally you’ll have a great time with these new people. Don’t forget to exchange your contacts!
Other Options
If this is nothing for you, ask at your hostel reception if the hostel organizes any kind of evenings. If they do, great! If they don’t then you might find some new people at a free walking tour or at a monument (they are usually packed with travellers from all around the world).
In general it can really help to read the comment section of the hostels carefully. If they say something like “really nice staff”, “social hostel” or “nice common area” you are most likely to feel welcomed and find possibilities to talk to fellow travellers. Apart from that it is never a bad thing to just look out for people who look like tourists and just start a conversation with them. They might become your new buddies for the next adventure.
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