A few months ago, I wrote a post on why you should travel alone. Traveling alone might be intimidating, but it also doesn’t mean that you’re going to be alone the whole time. The best part of traveling alone is all the cool people you meet. Figuring out how to meet people can be a challenge at times, so here are my tips:

1. Stay in hostels.

Staying in hostels is one of the easiest ways to meet people. Often, there will be others traveling alone and staying there as well. You’ll probably meet all sorts of interesting people from all over the world. If you’re nervous about staying in a hostel, read my posts on Why Staying in a Hostel is Better Than a Hotel and 6 Tips for Choosing a Hostel. Hostels will also sometimes organize group activities, which make meeting people even easier.

2. Go on a tour.

Going on some sort of organized group tour is always a great way to meet people. You don’t always have to pay a lot of money either. So many places, at least in Europe, offer tours for free where you tip at the end however much you think it’s worth (Please do tip though. Don’t be one of those people who doesn’t pay.). I’ve met people on tours like this as well as other types of tours, like a trip to the Cliffs of Moher, a tour of the Scottish Highlands, and a Sound of Music Tour.

3. Sit at the bar.

If you’re eating alone, sit at the bar. This will make it easier for you to meet others eating or drinking alone as well. And don’t be afraid to say “hi” or start the conversation by asking, “Have you ever been here before?” Making the first move can be a little scary, but you never know what might come out of it.

4. Attend an event.

Similar to going on tours, you might be able to meet some people by attending an event like a concert or festival. The event gives you something in common with all other attendees that you can talk about.

5. Get online.

You might be able to find a Meetup group or Facebook group community of people that you can meet in person. I’ve never done this personally while traveling, but it could certainly be another way to meet people, whether they’re locals, expats or other travelers.

There you have it! Those are my tips for meeting people while traveling, particularly while traveling solo. Best of luck with your trip, and don’t stress too much about meeting people – these tips can help, but it can happen very naturally.

Do you have any tips for meeting people while traveling solo? Please share in the comments below!