There’s something wonderful about the connections we make while travelling solo. A casual conversation might introduce us to places we’d never have considered visiting. A shared adventure might turn into a lasting friendship. And I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that sometimes, it’s the people we meet, their stories and perspectives, that we remember most about our journeys!
For solo female travellers, the social side of a trip can be just as important as choosing an exciting destination, finding comfortable accommodation and filling an itinerary with great things to do.
And there are plenty of reasons why we think about how to meet people on the road. For some, the question comes up when they decide to take a step back from staying in hostels. If not in a hostel lobby or kitchen, where else can you strike up conversations and find company?
Others might want to go beyond meeting fellow travellers and make friends with locals, too.
And, of course, there’s the concern about loneliness. It’s a perfectly reasonable one, and it comes up regularly in travel groups and forums, often among women preparing for their very first solo trip.
For this article, I’ve brought together six stories of meeting people while travelling solo — five from fellow travellers and one of my own. Here’s how these encounters turned into shared adventures, unexpected discoveries and lasting friendships, often starting with something as simple as a spontaneous conversation.
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Table of Contents
From Facebook Travel Group to Real-Life Adventures in Albania
Contributed by Suzanne Hooker of Albania Voyagers
While staying in Saranda, Albania for a month, I met Alicia and Wes through a Facebook travel group we all belong to. I had rented a car for the weekend to explore off the beaten path places around Saranda and asked if they wanted to come along. We ended up having such an excellent time together, we met a couple more times after that.
Right from the moment I picked up Alicia and Wes we got along. They were both curious travellers, up for anything, and great with my dog who I’d brought along for the day. The first place we went to was the ruins of an ancient city on a mountain side. The narrow gravel road leading to the site was blocked by a rock slide, so we decided to walk the remaining 1 km. The ruins turned out to be incredible, and we were the only ones there!
I had left my rental SUV parked on the very narrow gravel road, and now I had to turn it around without driving off the edge of the mountain! Wes valiantly offered to manoeuvre the car for me, and I was so thankful to have him there!
After that we visited a local winery, discovered and explored a historic monastery together, and had lunch at an agritourism. It was an amazing day, but what made it so much fun was having Wes and Alicia to share it with.
That’s the beauty of meeting people through a niche travel Facebook group. You already have a lot in common with other members, so when you meet in person, it rarely feels cold or stilted. I’ve met some wonderful people that way, people I still meet up with when we’re both in the same part of the world.
Editor’s Note: Planning a trip to Albania? This wine-tasting and sightseeing tour combines a visit to the Blue Eye Spring, a tasting of local wines and sunset views from Lëkurësi Castle overlooking the Ionian Sea. Check it out or add it to your travel wishlist!
How a Chance Encounter in India Became a Lifelong Friendship
Contributed by Nofar of Traveling Outside the Box
Twenty years ago, I travelled solo in India. I stayed in different guesthouses and met lots of interesting people along the way, but one person I met on that trip ended up becoming not only my travel partner but also one of my best friends, even to this day.
We met in Kasol, at a guesthouse where I was staying. One evening, I was having dinner at the guesthouse restaurant when I noticed a girl sitting nearby, telling people how bored she was. Somehow, we started talking, and I immediately thought she was hilarious. It turned out she had a bit of a thing going on with a guy staying in the room next to mine.
The next morning, I bumped into her again while brushing my teeth in the shared bathrooms. We started chatting, and I told her I was planning to hike to a waterfall with another traveller. I asked if she wanted to join us, and she said yes.
We had such a great time together that I invited her to share my room at the guesthouse. What started as a few days together somehow turned into weeks. We just couldn’t seem to say goodbye.
Eventually, I headed to Rishikesh, a place she had already visited, while she stayed in Dharamshala. A few days later, I messaged her to see how she was doing and discovered she’d been in a motorbike accident while riding with an Indian guy. She was in a private hospital in Delhi, so I immediately travelled there to see her. I visited her every day for two weeks, and eventually, we flew home together.
Since then, we’ve stayed incredibly close and travelled together many more times. She’s been there for me through some of the best and hardest moments of my life. Even though I moved abroad five years ago, we’re still as close as ever, and she’s coming to visit me again next month.
My advice to women travelling solo? Say hi, be open to spontaneous plans, and don’t be afraid to invite someone along. Sometimes, a random conversation over dinner can turn into a friendship that lasts a lifetime.
Editor’s Note: Curious about Kasol, mentioned in this story? You can explore the area on a Kasol & Manikaran Full-Day Sightseeing Tour from Manali. Check it out or add it to your travel wishlist!
The Joy of Meeting Locals While Travelling Solo
Contributed by Jen Ciesielski of Dabbling in Jet Lag
I was walking back from Parc de la Bouzaise when Rue Maizières stopped me in my tracks; a cobbled street framed by beautiful stone-walled buildings, too pretty not to photograph. I’d just lowered my camera when an elderly woman caught my eye, waving me over with a big smile. She wanted to show me her courtyard. What I found inside was one of the most beautiful murals: a stunning piece commissioned for her grandmother by a local artist.
Her name was Louise, and she’d lived in Beaune most of her life. For the next half hour, she walked me through her courtyard and her memories, how much the town had shifted over her seven decades, and yet how some things stayed the same: her favorite bakery, her beloved bookstore. Her French was quick, mine was clumsy, and none of it mattered. By the time I stepped back onto the street, Beaune felt less like a stop on my itinerary and more like a place where I knew someone. I asked if I could take her photo before we parted, but she shook her head shyly, and I was happy to leave it at that.
That encounter still shapes how I travel. I had planned my day carefully, but the best thing I discovered in Beaune wasn’t on any list. It found me because I was alone, moving slowly, and open to whatever came next.
My tip: Let your camera be a conversation starter. Linger at the things that catch your eye, smile at the people who notice, and say yes when a local offers to show you something. Solo travel creates space for these small, unexpected invitations, and they’re often the moments you’ll carry home longest.
Editor’s Note: Visiting Beaune? This Burgundy Bike Tour with Wine Tasting takes you through the vineyards and picturesque villages of Burgundy, with stops for local wine tastings. Check it out or add it to your travel wishlist!
How a Shared Adventure Brought Strangers Together in Thailand
Contributed by Linda of Muy Linda Travels
Some of the best people you meet when travelling solo are the ones you never planned to meet.
I discovered this on a speedboat trip from beautiful Koh Lanta in Thailand. I’d booked a day exploring the smaller islands, swimming and snorkelling, and decided to sit outside at the front of the boat. It turned out to be a great decision.
There were about 6 or 7 of us sitting up the front, enjoying the sunshine and the wind in our hair. Among them were a TV producer, a CEO and a couple of doctors. Having spent many years working in radio and professional music, I found the TV producer and his partner, a CEO in the Arts, particularly entertaining. They were on their honeymoon.
Having never met a CEO before, I was fascinated by the way he worked the group. He asked questions, listened to people’s stories and seemed genuinely interested in everyone. He had a natural charm and presence that drew people in, effortlessly connecting with this eclectic bunch of strangers.
Then came the adventure I’ll never forget.
We stopped near a cliff and jumped into the water to swim through a dark cave to a hidden lagoon on the other side. Our guide carried a torch, but he disappeared from view, leaving us in near-total darkness.
I was really scared, but the CEO stayed close and helped me through the cave. It was an unexpected moment of kindness from someone I’d met only hours earlier.
The beauty of solo travel is that you don’t have to do everything alone. Sometimes, all it takes is choosing a seat where the conversation is happening and being open to the people around you.
You never know who you’ll meet when you travel alone.
Editor’s Note: Visiting Koh Lanta? This Snorkel Adventure Sea Tour to Koh Rok and Koh Haa takes you to two beautiful island destinations, with opportunities to snorkel in clear waters and discover colourful marine life. Check it out or add it to your travel wishlist!
Arrive Solo, Leave With Friends: The Magic of Group Travel in Africa
Contributed by Steff Kulis of JustTravelous
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t travelling solo. My husband and I spent forty days on a G Adventures overland truck from Nairobi to Cape Town in June 2026. But most of the people on our truck were travelling solo, and watching how easily they made friends— it gave me the courage to book my own first solo trip.
Here’s what I saw. Twenty-two seats, two guides, a tent you pitch yourself, and a cooking rota. On day one the guides split us into teams of three or four, and by day three the people who’d arrived alone and quiet at the welcome meeting were cooking, washing up and planning the next free day together. By Zanzibar, nobody was alone unless they wanted to be.
It worked because everyone on that truck had booked it wanting the same thing: to make friends and properly enjoy an adventure together. There’s no awkwardness in asking to join a table or a game drive, because asking is the whole point of being there. Shared chores give you something to talk about before you have anything in common. Long drive days turn into audiobook swaps and card games. Solo travellers are paired in tents by gender so nobody sleeps alone in the bush. Not one of the many solo women on our truck had an issue.
The goodbye at Victoria Falls, where most of the group flew home, felt like the end of a real friendship rather than a tour.
If you’ve never travelled solo and the idea of doing it entirely alone is what’s stopping you, book a group trip solo. You’ll arrive a stranger and leave with a group chat that doesn’t go quiet — and, if you’re anything like me, with your next solo trip already half-planned.
Editor’s Note: Visiting Victoria Falls? This Luxury Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River takes you along the river to enjoy beautiful sunset views and spot wildlife along the banks. Check it out or add it to your travel wishlist!
How Meeting a Local Changed the Way I Experienced Slovenia
Contributed by Inessa Rezanova of Through a Travel Lens
I first thought about travelling solo to Slovenia when I was driving through this beautiful, cosy country on my way to Venice. I was so impressed with what I saw during that quick drive along Slovenia’s highways!
“I just can’t believe how green and postcard-perfect it is!” I told my friend. Who, in turn, replied with piles of stunning photos — mountains, waterfalls, alpine lakes.
“These were taken by a very good friend of mine. He lives in Slovenia. If you decide to visit, you should give him a call. He’s Slovenia’s biggest fan, so you’ll get a proper introduction.”
And just like that, I reached out to someone named Jean via Facebook Messenger, introducing myself and saying I’d be visiting the country and that, if he was up for a shared adventure, that would be wonderful.
Our first meeting was at a small petrol station in Mojstrana. He’d dropped me a pin, saying he was taking a couple of relatives to see a waterfall. And that I was welcome to join. When I parked my car and got out to meet him, I saw a tall, friendly guy walking towards me with a smile.
“Jean,” he said. And almost immediately, “How confident do you feel driving on mountain gravel roads?”
“I’d say I’m pretty good,” I replied. “Where are we going?”
That very first day, Jean took us — myself and two of his relatives who, just like me, were visiting Slovenia for the first time — to one of the country’s most amazing locations: Slap Peričnik — a stunning two-tiered waterfall framed by centuries-old, towering pine trees. Throughout our entire hike, we chatted about our travels. And a lot about Slovenia. Jean was truly a fan.
It was thanks to his affection for the country that I got to see some of its most exciting corners and landmarks during that trip. And having taken up the baton from him, I never missed a chance to recommend Slovenia to anyone I knew who was looking to explore Europe.
It’s been more than 10 years now since I met a kind, friendly local at that small petrol station somewhere in the Mojstrana region. And we’ve been great friends ever since.
More Stories, Tips and Inspiration for Solo Travellers
This article is part of a wider series of solo travel stories, experiences and practical tips shared through The Wishlist Dispatch, my free weekly newsletter for travel-curious women.
I’m Inessa, a travel writer, solo traveller and self-confessed itinerary nerd. I’ve spent over a decade exploring new places, collecting stories along the way and sharing what I’ve discovered with fellow travel enthusiasts.
Join me each week to discover places worth visiting, find new experiences to add to your wishlist and hear more stories from women exploring the world on their own.
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