How to make friends while travelling solo

Pick small groups over big crowds

Large hostel parties and pub crawls put you in a room with fifty people and give you time to talk to none of them. A group of three to six is where real conversations happen — everyone gets heard, and nobody gets lost at the edge of the table.

Look for plans with a clear activity and a small number of spots: a coffee and a record-shop browse, a morning swim, a market walk. The activity gives you something to talk about from minute one.

Meet in public, at a set time

A public place and a fixed start time make it easy to say yes. You know where you are going, there are other people around, and leaving after an hour is completely normal.

If a plan feels vague — no place, no time, no host introduction — skip it. Clear plans attract people who actually show up.

Say why you are there

“I just got here and I don’t know anyone yet” is the most effective opening line in travel. People like being useful, and locals especially love recommending their favourite places.

Being upfront that you are looking for company — not a date, not a sale — also filters for the right people.

Host something yourself

You do not need to be local to host. “Anyone up for sunset at the viewpoint at 19:00?” is a perfectly good plan. Hosting means you choose the place, the pace and the size of the group.

On Sidecar you can post a plan in four short steps — where, what, when and how many spots — and approve each request yourself.

Keep it platonic and keep it safe

Stay in public places for first meetups, tell someone where you are going, and trust your gut if something feels off. Good communities make it easy to leave, report and block — use those tools without guilt.