3 Easy Ways to Make Friends Solo Traveling
Find Your People!
EST. READING TIME: 5 MIN
How do you travel by yourself without getting bored?
Embarking on my first solo trip to Copenhagen, I faced a common fear: the daunting prospect of loneliness that comes with traveling alone. Although I’ve known many female friends who took a similar leap into the unknown, I was hesitant to put my travel experience and safety strictly into my own hands.
For the first time ever, I was going to be alone with my thoughts for a whole week in a foreign country, with no companions to share my experiences with. With all of this uncertainty weighing on my mind, I followed the advice of dear friends braver than I and took the plunge to embark on an unfamiliar journey.
In the end, my adventure turned into an empowering experience of self-discovery and unexpected friendships. I was proud to return with extremely personal memories driven strictly by my own choices. Yet solo travel doesn't mean solitude; it's an opportunity to engage with locals and strangers-turned-friends from around the globe. If you’re craving this same freedom with a side of companionship, use these three ways I navigated solo travel and came out with memorable connections to plan your own solo trip.
#1. Stay in Hostels:
Especially Those Catered to Solo-Travelers
Hostels aren't just budget-friendly; they're social hubs for solo travelers. Differing from hotels with large, private rooms catered to groups and families, hostels attract those traveling alone since sharing a room naturally fosters the opportunity to meet other travelers. Even if you prefer having your own personal space, hostels also offer private rooms with the added benefit of lively common spaces and curated guest activities.
I opted for Next House Copenhagen, a hostel buzzing with solo travelers. Their three daily events—specifically for travelers like me—were a game-changer. The morning coffee series offered local insights from Danish employees, and the evening events like happy hours and communal dinners reserved exclusively for solo adventurers were perfect for meeting new people embarking on a similar journey. During the dinner I attended, I met a student from London, a Portuguese hotel manager, and a group of Lithuanian young men as we all shared barbecue ribs around the table.
These events create natural opportunities to meet like-minded travelers without the pressure of long-term commitment. Whereas on a trip with friends you’d need to account for everyone’s personal preferences, the relaxed relationships formed in these unassuming environments lack emotional baggage, allowing for spontaneous plans and easy goodbyes. Since you all chose to visit this particular location, the odds are high that others are already planning to do the same activities as you – so you might as well go together!
Pro Tip:
When searching for lodging ahead of your solo trip, keep an eye out for hostels with an events calendar—and even better if they have a specific solo-traveler page!
The companionship provided by these friendships is the perfect way to avoid being completely alone while also saving personal time for yourself. If you’re looking to make some friends while solo traveling, staying in a hostel opens up the opportunity while still keeping the spirit of your individual venture alive.
#2. Dine Solo:
and Sit at the Counter
This solo traveling tip is something I never would have realized had I not experienced it myself organically – but retrospectively the concept is pretty obvious. When I eat out in my day-to-day life, I’m talking with whoever I’m dining with, actively eating, or looking at my phone—and you’re probably the same way. These three actions take up 95% of the experience, while I may chat with the server for a moment when placing my order or if I need anything extra.
Yet while eating alone in Copenhagen, I realized the time normally occupied by talking with others or staring at my phone was now completely free. Unlike my usual dining experience, I took in the environment, savored my food, and opened up the opportunity for local employees and fellow diners to engage with me. This simple choice led to fascinating conversations and a world of unexpected social interactions.
Eating alone at the bar counter in Fleisch, I spent the evening talking with Danish employees, deepening my understanding of their local culture and lifestyle. A similar enriching conversation with the head chef at Damindra offered not just great food but also heartwarming interactions as I learned about his life and the inspiration behind his restaurant. These interactions were intimate and insightful, giving me a deeper understanding of Copenhagen beyond the usual tourist experience—and I learned I was pronouncing Nyhavn wrong.
Reflecting on all my solo dining experiences in Copenhagen, I found that most conversations began when I was seated at the counter. This arrangement meant I was looking directly into the bar areas where employees needed to return throughout their shift, so it was almost natural for us to strike up a conversation which continued each time they came back.
If I had dined as I typically do with friends, then I never would have talked to these incredibly friendly locals, learning about their livelihoods authentic to the destination rather than reading what the city is “supposed to be like” from tourists online. They all had a wealth of knowledge to share, most of which could only be acquired from connections formed with actual residents living there. These were some of the most energizing, enchanting experiences I found in Copenhagen, so I absolutely recommend accepting a counter seat as a solo diner.
#3. Sign Up For Group Activities:
(P.S. a Little Wine Always Helps)
When planning your itinerary, be sure to add in a few group activities that encourage collaboration. What do I mean by collaboration?
On one hand, there’s educational group experiences which primarily entail reading and listening, like walking through a museum or touring the countryside on a sightseeing bus. While these excursions have their time and place, they aren’t the best for making connections since you’ll spend the majority of the time absorbing information from a tour guide. I’ve never forged a notable relationship from a bus tour or anything of that nature, and while I look back at them fondly, the chance friendships I’ve made on trips are what form the one-of-a-kind travel experiences that cement themselves in my memory.
So what activities should you consider to make friends? In my experience, cooking classes and wine tastings are the best way to go. These activities inherently require conversation and cooperation between the group, naturally fostering connections and creating lasting friendships in the process.
In Mallorca, I took a cooking class where each pair prepared a different dish, with the remainder of the class praising the novice chefs at work until we all shared the meal together. It’s no secret that cooking together is an age-old way to bond with others, with families around the world citing cooking as the activity that always brings them together.
Wine tasting, on the other hand, doesn’t perfectly fit into the “collaborative” category – but as the drinks start flowing conversation is guaranteed to follow suit until you have two new best friends sitting to your left and right! I have bonded with others on 100% of the group wine excursions I’ve been on, where in each instance we also decided to do another activity after the tour ended to extend our time together.
My favorite travel memory ever is the follow-up to a wine tour in Tuscany, as my best friend and I formed a WhatsApp group with a couple from Seattle, a couple from London, and 3 super-yacht stewardesses so we could coordinate meeting up later at a Latin dance spot. And every. single. person. showed up to dance the night away together.
Looking back, it’s almost humorous to me that the uncertainties I was initially scared of are the aspects that made my solo trip so special. Because I wasn’t traveling with friends, I was left with my own thoughts and open to interacting with local Danes, who I probably wouldn’t have spoken to otherwise.
Solo travel doesn't have to be lonely. With these strategies, you can transform solo journeys into opportunities to make lasting connections and enrich your personal growth.
✺ ABOUT ME ✺
Hi, I’m Ashley. I’m determined to see the world. All of it. Are you coming with?
I recently graduated, and I’m convinced I can travel and keep my job.
While I respect the digital nomads, van life, and the hardcore backpackers—that’s just not me.
It’ll take a lifetime, but I’m convinced I can make it to all 195 countries before my time is up.
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