How to make meaningful connections while travelling solo.
The people I connected with most while travelling solo were usually met in quieter places, during slower moments, with no pressure for anything to happen. My case is that I think meaningful travel connections come less from being outgoing, and more from being open, present, and easy to approach.
Keep in mind this is all based on personal experience, and it can differ massively from person to person — but here are some ways I’ve found that make it easier to meet other travellers (without needing to be super confident about it).
1. There’s an art to finding the right hostel.
In my experience, the most meaningful connections rarely happen in large chain hostels or the places everyone on Hostelworld is booking.
Some of the most memorable hostels I’ve stayed in were:
- one run by two sisters that looked more like a home than a hostel
- one I found buried in a Reddit recommendation
- ones that seemed way too far out of the centre of town
There’s something about these places that feels slower, safer, and warmer. You naturally end up having small, wholesome moments with strangers in the kitchen — sharing tea late at night, or talking for hours without really noticing the time passing.
It’s also always worth checking that the hostel has a really beautiful social area. Not a stiff looking cafe (where people will usually just be working from their laptops), but one of those large areas with pillows on the ground - maybe overlooking a river, the mountains or a beach. Somewhere you could spend all day with a coffee and a chessboard. If you’re comfortable quietly spending time there (rather than being on your phone) you’re way more likely to run into people who are also doing the same thing.
2. Going a little sideways often leads you into a different rhythm.
In major cities on the classic backpacker route, you’re more likely to meet a big mix of people (and it can be unpredictable what experience you’ll have) and I’ve found you’re also more likely to meet the brave young travellers doing their first big overseas trip. This can be a great place to start — lots of people, lots of energy, and plenty of advice to lean on. There’s a certain ease to it.
But when you step slightly sideways — into quieter towns, or places just off the obvious path — I’ve found there’s usually a different rhythm. Longer-term travellers, people doing workaways, artists, volunteers, and people in the middle of rebuilding or reimagining parts of their lives.
It can feel a little more challenging at times (transport, accommodation, finding recommendations), depending on the country. There’s no such thing as better or worse, it’s just whatever you’re feeling.
Of course, you can meet amazing people in every corner of the world. I’ve just found that when you're in a random little town, and keep walking past the same people in the social area, it’s hard to avoid eventually getting into a conversation and grabbing that beer on the beach.
3. Be the person with the journal, card game or the conversation cards.
Carry a travel journal and ask other travellers to leave behind life advice, stories, or small notes for you. I learnt this from another traveller years ago.These kinds of rituals add a quiet warmth to travel and lead to conversations that stick with you.
Similarly, usually the person with the card deck, who knows a couple of games and how to shuffle, is the absolute MVP of a hostel night. If this is you, you’re hostel legend.
I also almost always carry conversation cards with me. The nights I’ve pulled them out at hostel dinners have led to some of the funniest, deepest, and most unexpectedly honest conversations I’ve had while travelling.
Over the years I’ve collected and tried a lot of different card decks, and eventually started making a small deck of my own because I was so picky with the questions I thought worked well.
So I put together a digital deck made for long train rides, hostel dinners, beach nights, kitchen conversations at 2am, and all the in-between moments that end up meaning the most. Some prompts are meant to pull out the funny travel stories, some are more philosophical, and some just make people tell stories they probably wouldn’t have shared otherwise.
It’s a PDF, so you can keep it on your phone and pull it out whenever a conversation needs a little spark. If you would like to purchase a copy and if you’ve read this far - as massive thank you, you can get a 25% discount by using the code “2AMCHATS”. Link is included at the end of the article.
I really hope it helps you meet good people, have better conversations, and leave your trip with a few stories you didn’t expect.
Download the digital set of 20 conversation prompts inspired by conversations with travellers in a little café in Kathmandu.
Made for slow nights by a campfire, hostel rooftops and moments of honesty shared between people on the road.
Themes: Have a Laugh, Share Gratitude, Draw Closer.
Instant digital download [PDF].