5 Tips to make Friends when you travel Solo
During your travels, you get to see beautiful sights; get to experience the culture and cuisine of that place. It feels great if you are traveling with your loved ones, but solo travel is an altogether different thing. People traveling alone do enjoy their experiences, but for how long can anyone go without talking to people?
Surely this is the best time to make acquaintances and new friendships, get assistance and enrich your travel experiences more. Some people though, find it difficult to strike new conversations, hang out with strangers, especially if they are introverts. Maybe they just need some tips, or they need to be in the right place at the right time. Either way, it is possible.
Getting started from Social media
The best way to make new friends is to start the process even before you reach the place. You can join Facebook groups of solo travelers or of your destination. You can start conversing with people of your destination on Twitter. Whenever you reach the place, just let them know of your presence and suggest meeting up. This will also be handy if you get stuck in a problematic situation. More often than not you will get a positive response and meet someone to hang out with.
Using already made contacts
Many people have friends, relatives, or any other acquaintances that live in different countries or cities around the world with their families or so. Check out if you already know someone staying in the place where you are traveling solo. You will get a lot of help from them, not just in making new contacts, but also in other things like accommodation, getting to know the place, best restaurants, etc.
You can ask someone to join you for an activity
Show confidence and a smile on your face, always when out and alone. People should feel that you are an approachable person. Ideally, you should go up to someone and start talking, invite them for any activity or join in theirs. But if you can’t do that, then the confident smile will bring them to you, and in that case, say “yes” to them. That’s how friendships begin.
Be in common areas meant for public
It is obvious, if you are in places where hardly anyone else is present, you won’t get opportunities to talk to people. Firstly, make yourself available to others. Sit in coffee shops; be in restaurants, bars, or libraries, malls, etc. People who are in public places often tend to relax and start conversations with others. You may get comfortable being around strangers and spot like-minded travelers. You may get inspired to approach someone if you see two people striking a conversation. Best case, others will approach you!
Stay in places having shared spaces
Do the research, check the reviews and select the place you like. Hotels that have shared spaces are usually affordable. You will easily get to know other solo travelers at such places. It is okay if you are uncomfortable living in a shared space. You can still make friends on the road. Hotels are known to host fun events that make it easier for their guests to mix up and mingle.
Just like how you feel amazing after seeing new and beautiful places; the same way, meeting people of different cultures and localities enriches your soul, gives you different perspectives, contentment, and happiness in life. Making new friends is always recommended, you never know what all good things could be in store for you, because of new associations.
