If others believe that solo travelling is boring, then they are probably assuming that you are really travelling alone all the time. Of course, that’s not the case. In fact, quite the opposite. I am a passionate solo traveler, as it gives me the chance to meet lots of interesting people. When we’re travelling with friends, our partner or family, that is usually much more difficult because we don’t have the desire to do anything with others or even talk to them.
After almost a year abroad, I am still not a professional myself and often find myself in situations where I find it hard to socialise with strangers. Nevertheless, I have developed a few strategies that have made it much easier for me to meet new people and make friends, which might also help you.
Study Mates
In my report Study Abroad, I already mentioned a bit about my social life during my time in Chile. In our case, my university went to great lengths to ensure that everyone had an easy start to their semester abroad. In addition, events were organised on a regular basis that gave us the opportunity to spend time with the other exchange students.
Nevertheless, I always want to be honest with you. In the beginning, it wasn’t that easy for me to make friends. Firstly, I can sometimes be a bit introverted and rather quiet. Not always. Some of the people I met while travelling would probably say the exact opposite. But especially when you’re thrown into a huge group of people, I tend to be a bit overwhelmed by the situation. And secondly, it was also a bit difficult with my Spanish at the beginning. Most exchange students were from Spanish-speaking countries themselves. And when the majority of people are simply chatting in their mother tongue, it’s easy to feel a bit intimidated.
I wasn’t the student who went to all the events right from the start either. We had a WhatsApp group with all the exchange students and a few Chileans, where we would often organise meet-ups at bars or clubs. At the beginning of the semester, when I didn’t really know anyone that well yet, I was a bit nervous about going on my own. But after my third week at university, I was invited to a party on the roof terrace of three of my colleagues. And I quickly realised that everyone was actually extremely open and lovely and that it wasn’t difficult to get into conversation. I slowly started to feel more and more confident with my Spanish, which was of course a great help.
Unfortunately, it is not typical in South America for everyone to have a good command of English. For example, most of the exchange students at my university in Chile were from Mexico, two Peruvians and two Colombians. I wouldn’t have gotten so far if I hadn’t spoken Spanish. However, they were all trying hard to speak slowly and gave me time when I was searching for an answer. Even if you don’t speak a foreign language perfectly, you really shouldn’t worry. The others will really appreciate all your efforts.
During your year abroad, you will learn to step out of your comfort zone from time to time. It’s not always easy, but it definitely pays off. Always think to yourself: What’s the worst thing that can happen?
If you live at the same place abroad for a longer period of time and don’t happen to have a good friend with you, it’s always nice to find at least one person you can relate to. I found this person in a German fellow student, who I also wrote about in my article on visiting Atacama Desert. Of course, it would be a pity if, during your experience abroad, you were mainly in contact with people from your own or neighbouring countries. On the other hand, it has the advantage that it is simply easier to communicate amongst each other. Not only because you speak the same language, but also because you share certain traditions and behaviours. She wasn’t the only person I did things with after all. But I could confide in her. For example, she was my go-to person when I had my heart broken. And there was always a lot of gossip at dinner nights together.
In general, it’s always good to remember that everyone is in the same situation. We often think that we are the only ones struggling with homesickness, for example. Because nobody really wants to show it on the outside. But if you talk to someone about it, you’ll quickly realise that others feel exactly the same way. In fact, most people really appreciate it when you show your feelings openly because then they don’t feel so alone with it themselves. That’s why I always try to remain open and honest on social media. Spending a year abroad doesn’t just have its good sides.
After a few initial difficulties, it slowly became easier and easier for me to socialise. There was always the weekly meeting at Club Internacional on Wednesdays, at weekends or sometimes during the week I would go to clubs with the others to dance and drink pisco, sometimes meet up for a coffee here, a movie night there.
At the end of the semester I had quite a lot of social stress because I wanted to see everyone again before I departed. Almost the same as before I left Austria. The only difference was that you might never see some of these people again. Also, without wanting to sound braggy, I received the „Estudiante UVM 2023“ award at the final dinner with the club. For the international student who represented the values of tolerance and diversity, responsibility, integrity, respect, commitment and passion for excellence exceptionally well. And a fellow student even wanted to record an episode for her own pod cast in Spanish with me.
I just want to show you that all your efforts will pay off. And as long as you keep your mind open and welcome all the new opportunities that come your way, you’ll have no problem meeting lots of really cool people.
Unfortunately, I myself am sometimes a victim of addictive behaviour when it comes to social media and I definitely spend too much time on Instagram. My friends always proudly tell me when they’ve deleted the app from their phone again. However, I wouldn’t have wanted to do without the platform during my year abroad.
Firstly, I prefer staying in touch with new acquaintances via Instagram instead of giving them my mobile phone number. After all, I’ve changed my number four times within six months. I also always enjoy watching these people’s stories to see where they are currently travelling. And sometimes funny coincidences happen. For example, I met an Irish woman in Peru. A few weeks later, she posted a picture with a guy from Germany that I had met in Bolivia. I didn’t have his number or his Instagram beforehand. Then I followed him, and we’ve been in contact from time to time ever since.
Secondly, Instagram is also a great tool for me to keep my friends, family and other acquaintances up to date. Especially when I’m really off on my own, I always find it nice to share my experiences with someone. And creating reels has also become some sort of a hobby for me. What’s more, all my fellow students from Austria are currently abroad and it’s cool to find out how they’re doing.
Last but not least, Instagram is also great for meeting new people or people you may not have had that much contact with before. For example, I once posted a photo of a café in Viña in my story. A Mexican fellow student then asked me if we could go there for a coffee together because she also loved the place. Or another Mexican colleague responded to one of my stories and so we got talking and later we had a date and baked empanadas together.
But one of my favourite stories will always be this one: When I travelled through Peru, a friend of my sister texted me on Instagram. She herself was an exchange student in Peru a few years ago. After seeing some of my stories, she asked me to which places I am going to. As Lima was also on my programme, she asked if she should put me in contact with one of her former fellow students from Peru, who is living in Lima. Of course, I was immediately enthusiastic. And he actually got in touch with me within the next few days and we arranged a meeting. In Lima, I then got free city tours from a local and some great company.
But Instagram isn’t the only great app for meeting new people.
Tinder
Yes, dear parents, your daughter has an online dating profile. But Tinder is not only suitable for finding the man or woman of your dreams, but also for simply connecting with new people. Perhaps it is even better suited for the latter.
Back in Austria, I created a profile on the aforementioned dating app at some point. However, I never met anyone because I just didn’t have enough balls in my pants. But now that I was single and alone in Chile, I gave it another shot. I actually got the idea from a book in which a woman wrote about her solo trip around the world.
I was a little skeptical at first. The first consequence of reactivating my profile was that suddenly around thirty middle-aged men were following me on Instagram within a very short time. Good for my follower count. But, as you can imagine, it wasn’t just young, handsome men.
Even after receiving some messages on Instagram from men living in the area, I didn’t really feel any more optimistic that there was someone with potential. Eventually, however, I started a great conversation with a young guy who seemed really nice. And so the first date was arranged.
Of course, I was super nervous and regretted not cancelling the date on my way there. But in the end, we had a really good time. We met on the beach and ended up sitting by the sea for almost three hours, just talking the whole time, without any weird silences in between.
And if you’ve already read my post about the Day Trip Destinations Around Viña del Mar, then you might remember the super date. Same guy, only the second date. There were three more after that. We’re not in touch anymore. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t do anything differently. I had a really great time with him back then.
So far, that’s been my only Tinder experience. Sometimes I check the app again and swipe left and right a few times. But maybe I’m just afraid that it won’t go as perfectly as the first time 😊
Travel Friendships
Last but not least, as a solo traveller you of course get to know most people during your travels. Even without the support of apps or student organisations. The two biggest points of contact for me were hostels and tours.
Hostels are of course the perfect place to avoid being alone. Especially if you are travelling on a low budget, you won’t be able to avoid staying in dorms anyway. Privacy may not be emphasised here, but it’s super easy to make new contacts. The less privacy, the easier. As soon as you have curtains or something similar in front of your bed to separate you from the rest of the world, in my opinion it becomes more difficult to socialise with others.
The website Hostelworld can also help you choose the right hostel. Here you will usually find good descriptions of whether the accommodation is very open and social or not.
Hostels can vary a lot from each other. For example, I’ve always made sure that I don’t stay in traditional party hostels because that doesn’t necessarily match my interests. But at some point, you get a feel for which accommodation is right for you. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with booking a single room if you don’t feel like socialising from time to time. Surprise, that happens too 😉
One of my favourite ways to meet new people, however, is on tours. Low-budget travellers often tend to explore the area independently. However, if you are travelling alone and have special destinations or activities planned, you often have no choice but to book a guided tour. You might have to spend a little more money. But in my report on the Atacama Desert, I already mentioned that it can of course be a huge advantage to have an experienced guide with you. Especially if you want more detailed background knowledge.
In addition to Atacama, some of my tour highlights were clearly Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountains, Death Road mountain biking in Bolivia, the Colca Canyon hike in Peru, a tour into the Amazon and, last but not least, the hike to the Acatenango volcano in Guatemala. What all these tours have in common: I met super cool people. Going on such a unique adventure together is a bonding experience, even if you’ve only just met each other. Of course, these were not all of the highlights. But there will be more on this in the upcoming posts.
Free walking tours, which are offered in most larger cities, are of course also a great opportunity. Here, too, you can get into conversation with others who may have just arrived themselves.
Of course, it’s always super easy to start a conversation amongst travelers. The classic ice-breaker question is, of course, where you’re from. And then you often talk for hours about how long you’ve been travelling, where you’ve been, where you’re still going, what you’ve liked best so far, what you want to do next, … It’s also much easier to hold conversations in an environment where everyone has the same interest: Travelling.
And if you haven’t had any luck in the hostel or on your tour, you can also just give it a try on the road. In Guatemala, a French woman approached me on the street and then we had a drink together in a café. I’ve also sometimes started conversations at the airport, on the bus, on the beach, in a restaurant. The possibilities are endless. But of course I don’t want to tell you everything in advance. The detailed stories can soon be found in my posts.
Today I just wanted to give you a little overview and make you a little more optimistic that you too will manage to make friends abroad. And these are tips from someone who panicked before her first solo trip because I’ve never really been the type to make small talk and approach people. But here I am. What lesson have I learnt from this: as long as we stay in our comfort zone, we will never grow beyond ourselves. And with that, I say goodbye for today,
Bussi Baba!
Bussi Baba 
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