How to Meet People While Traveling (Even If You're Shy)
Solo travel doesn't have to mean lonely travel. Here's how to find your people on the road.
One of the biggest fears about solo travel isn't safety or logistics — it's loneliness. The good news is that travelers are unusually easy to meet. Everyone is temporarily outside their routine, more open than usual, and often actively looking for company. You just need to put yourself in the right rooms.
Stay where conversation happens
A hostel with a good common area, a guesthouse that serves breakfast at shared tables, or a small hotel that runs evening events. You don't need to sleep in a dorm to meet people — you just need to be where they gather.
Walking tours are social gold
Free walking tours attract solo travelers by design. Show up, walk for two hours, and grab a drink afterward with whoever seems interesting. It's the lowest-pressure social setup in travel.
Use apps that connect travelers
Maapzy lets you share your trip as a tour and connect with other travelers heading the same way. Posting your route means people can find you — and you can find them — before you even arrive in the same city.
Say yes to one thing per day
An invitation to dinner, a group heading to a viewpoint, a stranger suggesting a bar. Commit to saying yes once a day, and you'll end most trips with new friends and better stories.
Start your next trip on a map.
Pin a few cities and see what a realistic route looks like — in five minutes, for free.
Open the plannerKeep reading
- Why You Should Travel the World (At Least Once)Travel rewires how you think, who you trust, and what you want from life. Here's why everyone should pack a bag at least once.
- How Travel Quietly Changes Your PerspectiveYou don't need a life-altering trek to come home different. Here's how even short trips reshape the way you see your own life.