One of the best things about traveling the world solo is meeting new people. People of different backgrounds, ages, nationalities and more – the great thing is you all have one thing in common, travel! Read on for the HandyHostel essential guide to making new friends while traveling, because the more the merrier, right?
Find a social hostel
First and foremost, one of the best things you can do to kick off your adventure is pick a super social hostel. Set the tone of the trip right and find a promising place to sleep (or not) which has a happy hour, evening events, DJ’s, night tours – anything! You can find details of what each hostel offers anywhere online and checking their reviews is a must. If you know friends who have stayed in hostels in the area too, reach out to them and steal their recommendations!
Be open-minded
Remember that traveling is your chance to learn a whole bunch of new things about the world, and things you’ve never heard of before. Be sure to stay open-minded and be willing to try new activities, food, discover new communities and more – this is an immensely enriching opportunity to expand your social awareness and embrace new perspectives. Whether it’s eating spiders, recognising new priorities in different cultures or sleeping in a hammock like the locals do, make sure you’re always up for a new challenge!
Sign up to your hostel’s day trips
Hostels are the ultimate activity hubs, packed with exciting things to do, activities and events for you to get stuck into. Why not head off on a group pub crawl round the local bars so you can make more friends? These events are designed so everyone can mingle together!
Wake up for breakfast!
This is a great opportunity to meet people temporarily split from their friends (who are still upstairs nursing last night’s hangover). Ask them what they got up to the night before or what their plans are for the day ahead – even if it means you have to switch your schedule around, tell them you wanted to visit the same museum, national park or rooftop bar and it’s as easy as that.
Use an app that helps you meet others
Last but certainly not least – be sure to download the best hostel apps around to make your travel experience seamless. Meet new people, chat online, discover epic events and local activities all from one mobile app. Enjoy!