One of my favorite things about travel is all of the new people which you meet, I have friends from all over the world which I have made when traveling. I have always found that other travelers seem a lot more open to new experiences and to meeting new people and once you have escaped the bubble which you live in at home, you become one of those more open people too.
When you first leave home, it can be quite overwhelming in terms of how to go out and actually meet those new people so here are a few ways in which you can do so.
Staying in Hostels
Hostels, more often than not, offer a far cheaper mode of accommodation than hotels, but this is not the only benefit. Usually you will find that the other people who stay in hostels are exactly like you, traveling the world and looking to meet people. If you are going to be staying in a hostel then it is important that you put yourself out there and introduce yourself to people you see.
Go On Tours
Taking small tours to tourist spots or popular attractions can often mean that you will meet someone who is just like you and traveling alone, looking for some fun. Once again, it is important that you introduce yourself to people with confidence and don’t hide away from the chance to meet others. I have made many friends during tours and ended up traveling with some of them once the tour was done.
Meetup
There is a great website called meetup.com which does exactly what it says on the tin. The website allows any user to create their own meet up and then members can decide whether they tag along or not. Usually these meet ups are created around a particular theme such as language exchanges, book clubs or any other such passion or interest. If you are looking to meet new people then you have two options here. You can either set up your own meet up group and invite others to come along, or you can join one of the meet ups of others and get introduced to some interesting people.
Just Talk
I have found that one of the best ways to meet new people is to just talk to them, sit in a cafe or a bar and try to strike up a conversation. These social places are often filled with people who are in a group but there are also going to be times when you spot someone else on their own and you’ll have a chance to get chatting to them. The key is confidence and in all honesty, if you are rebuffed when you try to start a conversation then perhaps that person is not the type of person you’d like to have spoken to anyway.
The key to meeting new people is to simply try to be sociable and put yourself in situations where you can meet someone new, it really isn’t as hard as you may think.