6 Apps to Meet Travelers: Make Friends Around the World | FluentU Travel Blog
Is there anything more freeing or empowering than traveling alone to a new place?
While solo travel is a wonderful way to spend quality time alone, it’s also great for meeting new people.
Thanks to modern technology, we can use apps to meet amazing people while traveling alone.
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- eatwith
- tinder
- backpacking
- couchsurfing
- meetup
- facebook groups
- other ways to meet travelers abroad
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- know the local language
- keep an open mind
- search tours about what you love
- staying in hostels (or joining parties)
download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable pdf that you can take anywhere. click here for a copy. (download)
eat with
website | ios | android
eatwith provides an incredible opportunity to meet people who share the most delicious passion there is: food!
This community focuses on dining experiences with local people and is available in more than 100 countries.
The process is simple: go to the app, select the city you are visiting and see what dining experiences are available.
from italian cooking classes in rome, sunday brunch in napa valley or a traditional hungarian dinner in budapest, you can find multiple events to join,either solo with the host or with a group of mates travel. select the event, find the date and reserve your seat. that’s it!
If you love food and all things food, you’ll love eatwith. By using the app, you can enjoy the local hospitality and have the authentic time of your life.
tinder
website | ios | android
wait, what?
I know Tinder might seem like a sketchy option for making friends, but stick with me.
tinder is a great tool to meet people in countries all over the world.
The secret is that it all depends on your profile. update your description with a disclaimer stating that you’re not on the app to find hookups, just for people to show you around town or to hang out one afternoon.
There are a lot of people on Tinder who are just looking for friends. You can even set your profile to both women and men to see all of your options. The most important part: Just make sure you both have the same goals.
backpack
website | ios | android
Even if you don’t consider yourself a backpacker, backpackers is one of the best social networks for travelers.
Meet like-minded travelers around the world before you even start your trip. just align your plans with others, and you’ll arrive in a new city with a network of friends!
The app is like a big chat group
You can find people or activities by using hashtags, browsing channels, or simply posting a generic question in the common room. To make it easy to find potential friends, the app knows where you are through geolocation and can show you events happening near you.
You can also schedule trips and meetings with travelers whose travel goals match yours.
backpackr is available in more than 160 countries. the app has partnered with many tour operators, hostels, and restaurants who offer you special discounts for using the app. sounds like a perfect match, right?
couchsurfing
website | ios | android
use couchsurfing to find places whose couch you can sleep on. free!
The couchsurfing community connects you with people who have free space in their home and are willing to offer it to like-minded people.
But even if you prefer to stay in a hotel or hostel, couchsurfing can be a great tool for meeting new people.
First, you can create a profile and select that you would like to have a beer or coffee with people, not necessarily stay at their homes.
Second, there is a feature that allows you to post what you plan to do that day. people can join your group to participate in your plans. locals and travelers can come together to have fun!
couchsurfing is by far one of the most popular communities of like-minded people who are passionate about traveling, meeting new people and making friends.
meeting
website | ios | android
if meeting people with similar interests is your idea of a good time, meetup is the app for you.
This app connects people who share passions and hobbies.
From training for a marathon to practicing a language to having deep conversations about philosophy, meetup is one of the most amazing tools for people looking for friends in a new area. especially in big cities like berlin, london and tokyo! you could join a different meeting each day of the week.
women who code? yes.
Alone travelers in Amsterdam? sure.
fellow travel photographers? absolutely. it’s all there!
Be sure to read the description of each meeting group before joining. some of them require you to bring an article, pay a fee, or just read something beforehand. have fun!
facebook groups
website | ios | android
At first, the facebook app may seem more suited to keeping in touch with loved ones back home than making friends in new cities.
but facebook groups are amazing tools to meet people from all over the world.
Before you get on a plane, find a Facebook group geared toward travelers with your needs and interests.
for example, if you’re a solo female traveler, you can join girls love travel® and meet other women traveling to the same place.
Do you want to be even more specific? try facebook groups like south america travel with kids or chat food tours on tw (taiwan).
Facebook groups are amazing assets to meet people in different cities. these groups are full of posts and invitations to local events, where you can meet many other explorers.
other ways to meet travelers abroad
downloading apps is definitely the most convenient (and possibly the most effective) method of meeting other travelers.
but there are other steps you can take to meet people. Combine apps with these strategies and you’ll have a new crowd in no time.
know the local language
It may seem like common sense, but if you want to meet local people, it helps to know their language. Sure, wherever you go you can find people who know some English. but if you really want to interact with the locals on the go, learn the local language.
It is possible that you learn the language through total immersion, that is, simply by being surrounded by the language.
give yourself a boost with a language learning program like fluentu. This immersion program will prepare you for real spoken languages as it teaches through authentic videos such as movie clips, music videos, vlogs, and more.
Watch videos to learn vocabulary you might encounter on your travels, like local food and customs. you can save the vocabulary directly from the videos and study it through personalized quizzes that also allow you to practice pronunciation with oral questions.
fluentu is available in 10 languages and has an app for ios and android, so it can accompany you on your travels.
keep an open mind
Keep an open mind when meeting people abroad. don’t judge them based on your preconceived ideas about their culture, race, or gender. the point of traveling is to open your mind, right?
The best thing about meeting people abroad is that you probably wouldn’t have met anyone quite like them at home. differences in age, style, musical preferences, and many other little details are easily forgotten when you’re both they share a passion for traveling and living adventures together.
There are interesting people in hostels, cafes, shops and malls. make sure you have an open mind so you can spot them.
find tours about what you love
Participating in guided tours is a great way to learn about the culture and meet other travelers. And since those travelers on the same tour as you probably have similar interests!, that makes tours a convenient way to meet people.
take a tour of the food market in taiwan. or a walking tour of historic sydney. or a bike tour of new york city.
mutual interests are the glue of new friendships.
stay in hostels (or join parties)
There is something magical about the common area of a good hostel.
everyone is open to making new friends. you all always have something in common, even if it’s just that you’re travelers to this new city.
One of the best ways to meet other travelers is to stay in a hostel.
Even if you don’t like staying in a shared room, you can look for private rooms in a hostel. in the end, you can have the best of both worlds: the privacy of a single room and the social aspect of the common area.
Meeting people from all over the world with similar interests has never been easier.
Not only will you end your journey with new friends. you’ll also have new experiences and lots of stories to share.
I’d call it a win!
download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable pdf that you can take anywhere. click here for a copy. (download)
debbie corrano is a digital strategist and writer. she works remotely while traveling the world full time with her two dogs. Over the past few years, Debbie has lived in more than 10 countries, learned a few languages, and worked with dozens of agencies and brands.
