How to Meet Other Travellers as a Solo Female Traveler

There are many benefits to travelling solo which make it worth doing at least once in everybody’s life. It can help teach you to plan, to adapt and overcome challenges, and to communicate with people. All of these things can instil a sense of confidence which can last a lifetime.

Of course, few people remain solo for their entire travel experience. You will undoubtedly meet people along the way that you want to share experiences with and learn from. However, as a female travelling solo, meeting new people can be a cause for anxiety as well as excitement. Not everybody is friendly or honest, and it is an unfortunate reality that the dangers posed by such individuals are greater when you’re a girl.

Luckily, you can largely avoid bumping into the bad ones by taking control of how you meet new people. This quick guide will introduce some of the most popular and safe ways to meet like-minded travellers that you can have a great time with on your journey.

1. Take a tour: There is a perception that organised tours are not authentic, but they are actually a great way to travel. While they do obviously put some limits on your schedule, they basically all schedule free time for you too and there is no requirement to travel with a tour for your entire trip. Moreover, they take away many of the tedious administrative parts of the travel experience.

When it comes to meeting people, you already know the people in your tour group will have some common interests and there will be an expectation that everybody will get to know each other. For those who feel more comfortable in an all-female crowd, there are even ladies only tours you can take.

1.  Stay in a hostel: Whether you’re statue-spotting in a European capital or escaping to a mountain resort in Thailand, one thing you can be sure of is that there will be a hostel nearby. Not only are these usually super cheap to stay in, but the shared rooms are great places to meet other travellers. Strike up a conversation by asking where somebody is from and you could end up with a travel buddy and even a friend for life.

While the cheapest hostel beds tend to be in mixed dormitories, many hostels offer female-only rooms too. Some also offer private rooms, but you can still meet people in the common areas.

1. Social media: Almost every popular tourist destination and city is the subject of a Facebook group where people who are coming to visit can introduce themselves. There are also female solo travel groups such as ‘Girls Gone International’ whose members host meetups in many cities.

Speaking of meetups, the mobile application ‘Meetup’ is also a very popular way to make friends in new cities. This offers a variety of groups themed around common interests who meet up in-person and online, and you can see who will be attending before you go. 

Meeting people is a crucial part of the travelling experience. There are lots of ways to do it, but these are some of the best for staying safe as a solo traveller and finding people you probably have some things in common with. 

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.