6 Great Ways to Meet People While You Travel!

There are some truly amazing sights to be seen in the world, but from my own experience the very best times that I’ve had travelling have been with people that I’ve met. Everything is better when you have a chance to share it with friends, from Darwin to Hoi An, from Dublin to Tallinn and Lithuania the people we have met have made our trips!  Shared experiences, over casual drinks, Irish dancing, sightseeing or just relaxing and sharing our stories have been our most memorable moments. Here are 6 tips on how to meet people while you travel:

1. Choose Your Hostel Wisely

Your hostel will make or break your time in a city, so you want to stay somewhere that is comfortable with a good location.  Atmosphere and friendliness of said hostel is very important if you do want to meet people, so make sure to read the reviews and stay in the right style of hostel for you. Don’t stay anywhere with children if you are looking to party, and if you are looking to relax, the hostel with epic pub crawls every night is probably one to steer clear of.

2. Stay in Dorm Rooms

Dorm rooms force people to be in close proximity and there is no better way to start a conversation than walking into the room and meeting the people that are going to be sleeping metres away from you and introducing yourself.  It’s important not to overdo it the overfriendliness though – I’ve experienced people talking to me when I’ve just woken up and generally, that’s not well received, ever.

3. Be Proactive and Talk to People!

Meeting other people who travel is great, and arguably the easiest way to meet anyone is while you are abroad.  Recognise someone who is speaking the same language?  Notice a familiar accent?  You can have a great conversation with them if you have something in common.

The other thing I love about travelers is there is always something in common – you are travelling so the most basic questions like “Where are you from?”, “Where have you been?”, “Where are you going next?” are great icebreakers.

Little phrases like – “what are you up to tonight/today?” are also a great way to start meeting new people.

4. Be Inclusive!

Most travelers are friendly people, who want to make new friends and meet others as well.  Invite someone to join in your game of cards, or to sit with you and share some lunch, or a drink.  Kindness begets kindness and you never know – that person that you include in the dance, or the song could be someone you travel to 5 cities with!

5. Go on the Pub-Crawl!

Or the walking tour!  Or the trivia night!  The social events at hostels are run for a reason to help other travelers meet each other.  Ask the reception staff, or look on the notice boards and get involved – you never know where the night will go.

AND

6. Have Fun!

Hostels are about sharing experiences and trying new things. When someone invites you to do a cool activity say YES!  You never know where the night will go, day will go, or the experiences that you will have.

Some of my best travel moments have all been deciding to do something on a whim, and the people I have met I have visited across the world. Sweden, New York, Los Angeles, London, Sydney have all welcomed me with open arms because I first met those locals while travelling. You will have a much better time travelling if you are with people, so go for it!