How to meet people when you're travelling solo

The easiest way to meet people when travelling solo is to put yourself where conversation is already expected: social hostels, group tours, classes and shared dinners. Add one or two travel buddy apps for specific plans, open with a simple question, and keep basic safety habits so every meet-up stays relaxed and on your terms.

Travelling alone is wonderful for freedom. You eat when you like, change plans on a whim and never argue about museums. But most solo travellers hit a moment, often on the second or third evening, when they would love some company. The good news is that meeting people abroad is a skill, and it gets easier quickly.

Choose places where talking is normal

Some settings make it awkward to say hello. Others practically require it. Tilt your trip towards the second kind.

• Social hostels. Look for hostels with a common room, a bar, family-style dinners or a daily events board. Even if you book a private room, the shared spaces are open to you.
• Free or pay-what-you-like walking tours. Groups are small, everyone is new to the city, and there is a natural chance to grab a drink with the group afterwards.
• Classes. Cooking, pottery, surfing, a language lesson. You are side by side with the same people for a few hours, which is how most friendships start.
• Day trips. A shared minivan to a national park or a temple outside the city puts you next to someone for the whole day.
• Communal tables. Food halls, hawker centres, ramen counters and cafés with long benches all make small talk easy.

Use apps for specific plans, not endless chat

Apps work best when you know what you want and roughly when. Here are a few that are built for meeting people on the road.

Hostel apps

Hostelworld's app now leans heavily into the social side. Its listing describes city chats, hostel chats and one-to-one messages, plus the option to share your travel plans to see other travellers heading to the same places. It also offers a paid Social Pass that lets you use chats and meet-ups without a hostel booking. When Hostelworld introduced these features in 2022, chats opened two weeks before check-in and ran until three days after checkout, and users had to be 18 or over.

Couchsurfing Hangouts and Couchers.org

Couchsurfing's Hangouts feature lets you signal that you are free right now and what you fancy, such as grabbing food or chilling outside. Nearby members can ask to join, and the people already in the hangout approve each request before a group chat opens. Your pin is shown near your location rather than at it, and only members who have also joined a hangout can see it. You need an active membership, a complete profile and location turned on. If you would prefer a free, non-profit alternative, Couchers.org offers homestays and community events and describes itself as "free forever".

Shared dinners and interest groups

Timeleft matches you with five strangers for dinner using a short personality questionnaire, books the restaurant and handles the logistics. Your meal is paid separately at the table. Its main dinners run on Wednesdays, and it operates in hundreds of cities, so check the app for where you are going. Meetup is useful too: you can join and RSVP to groups and events for free, and many big cities have hiking, board game, language and expat groups that welcome visitors.

Check-ins on Now I'm Open

Now I'm Open is a new app launching from Singapore, built around short "Open to…" cards. Travellers can post a check-in such as "in Seoul until Fri" alongside a card like "Open to a palace visit Thursday morning". Location is only ever shown at area level, photos stay hidden until both people say yes, and a chat opens only on a mutual yes. It is free at launch, and because it is new, the number of people you will find depends on the city.

How to start the conversation

You do not need a clever opener. Travellers are usually happy to be asked about their trip. Try one of these:

• "How long have you been here? Anything you'd recommend?"
• "Where did you come from before this?"
• "Is that place any good? I've been trying to decide where to eat."
• "I'm heading to the night market later. Have you been?"

Then do the most important thing: ask a follow-up question about whatever they say. People feel heard, and the chat stops feeling like an interview. If you want more ideas, our guide to ice breaker questions has a section just for travellers.

When posting in an app, be specific. "Anyone around?" gets silence. "Open to sunset drinks near the river tonight, around 6pm" gives people something easy to say yes to.

Make it easy to say yes (and easy to leave)

Short, clear plans work better than open-ended ones. Suggest something with a natural end, like a coffee, a museum visit or a single drink. If you get on, you can always extend it. If you do not, nobody has to make an awkward exit.

It also helps to be the one who suggests a time and place. Many travellers would love company but hesitate to organise. Being the person who says "I'm going to the morning market at 9, want to come?" is often all it takes.

Solo travel safety habits

Meeting new people is one of the best parts of solo travel, and a few habits keep it that way.

• Meet in public first. Choose a busy café, a tour meeting point or a hostel common room for the first hello.
• Share your plans. Send a friend or family member where you are going and who with. Singapore citizens and permanent residents can also record their itinerary with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through eRegister, a free, voluntary service that lets MFA contact you in an emergency.
• Keep your own transport. Know how you are getting back, and keep enough battery and money to do it alone.
• Keep your exact location to yourself. Do not share your room number or accommodation address with people you have just met. Apps that show only an approximate area are a good choice.
• Watch your drink and your limits. You are in an unfamiliar place, so stay a little sharper than you would at home.
• Trust your gut. You never owe anyone your time. Leaving early is always allowed.

Enjoy the alone time too

Not every evening needs company. Many solo travellers find the best balance is social plans every day or two, with quieter time in between to wander, journal or just sleep. Meeting people is something you get to do, not something you have to do.

And if you do click with someone, swap contacts before you move on. Some of the warmest friendships begin with "We met in a hostel kitchen in Hanoi."