Meeting strangers while traveling
Whether you’re taking a short city break in Prague, a two-week backpacking trip in Argentina, or a two-month road trip in the United States, there’s no better way to get to know your place and have a good time than meeting strangers. Of course, by these foreigners we mean the natives of that city! They are the ones who know best the inside and outside of that place, the do’s and don’ts, the places to go and the places not to go. In short, they are the best tour guide you could wish for.
Meeting locals can take some dexterity, setting aside methods like approaching strangers directly or asking them for addresses in hopes of getting more than just a short answer. Here are some of our favorite websites and apps to help you meet strangers while traveling.
Chat with local people
The simplest way to meet new people while traveling is to chat with strangers, but this is often harder than it sounds. Not everyone feels comfortable getting close to strangers. This is where one of the benefits of the internet comes in: you no longer have to do it face-to-face.
Reddit is not only a great site for general information, it’s also a great resource for travel. Subreddits are pages with information on every subject that you can think of, and they also include travel to various countries, cities and regions. People who spend time here often open threads asking for advice and tips and asking who they can spend time with. If you wish, you can easily join them.
Ask a stranger
Ask a Stranger is a useful app that lets you talk to strangers and ask them about anything you want. You can find foreigners who give informative answers about places to go, things to see and places to eat in this application, which you can apply when planning or when you need it.
Buy newspaper
Local newspapers are overflowing with information. By getting your newspaper from bars, cafes or restaurants (or you can also find online versions from Google) you can get to know the place you’re going to at the level of locals. This way, you can find information about a second-hand sale, meeting or social event that will help you mingle with the locals. If you don’t know the local language, you can also have an interesting newspaper reading experience by typing the link into Google Translate!
Eating with locals
What better way to meet strangers than with pleasant conversations over a delicious meal? Unless you’re thinking of breaking into people’s homes at dinner time or suddenly pulling a chair next to their table at the restaurant, being invited to a top-notch dinner takes some courtesy. Fortunately, technology has our backs once again, allowing us to meet strangers while traveling without embarrassing ourselves.
EatWith
EatWith, which allows you to be a guest at tables in 150 cities from all over the world, is based on a simple concept: find your destination, choose your host (i.e. something that sounds delicious) and sign up! Prices vary, but most are much cheaper than a similar meal at a restaurant. Another important plus is that you will be sitting at the table with new people, both travelers like you and locals!
Withlocals
Withlocals, an app similar to EatWith but with only 20 countries on its list, connects locals and travelers around food and experiences. Thanks to various activities ranging from tours to workshops and dinner, travelers can get to know the city and its culture in its truest form.
Vayable
Similar to Withlocals, Vayable offers meals, local tours, and entertainment for the curious tourist. You can find all kinds of ready-made tours in the application, which focuses on 10 European cities, but if you think that they do not suit you, you can also request a special tour for you.
Meeting strangers
Another great way to meet the locals of an area is to plan a personal tour of your destination. For this, there are hundreds of different options in hundreds of different places in front of you. All you have to do is to start exploring after choosing your destination and guide.
Party with a Local
Available on both iOS and Android, Party with a Local lives up to its name, letting you join parties with locals. After logging in to the app, you can find a local with similar tastes and start the party. It’s that simple!
Showaround
Featuring hundreds of locals from all over the world, Showaround lets you find a personal guide to show you around wherever you go. In this system where tours are not predetermined, you specify what you like and dislike before you reach your destination, and thus a suitable tour is prepared for you. Could it get any better than this?!
CouchSurfing
The most comprehensive and best-known hospitality app, Couchsurfing is a tried-and-true way to find a bed to spend the night, useful information, and if you’re lucky, new local friends. Sign up, find your host and start socializing.
Tours by Locals
Tours by Locals, a well-known company, offers hundreds of tours around the world to individual tourists and groups. These tours, which can be customized to your desired level of physical activity, cover everything possible at your destination and allow you to have a unique local experience.
Meet Up
Meet Up is the world’s largest network of local groups and has something for everyone. By filtering by location, you find a group of people you think will match your mindset, and then meet up with them to spend time in line with your common interests.
