First and foremost you have to go and read my post on solo traveling. I won’t expand much on it here because there is a full blog post on that. But solo traveling is my first tip as you are forced to meet people, of course. Check it out!

Second, when planning your next destination find events that are happening there. What are your interests? This is the easiest way to connect with like-minded people abroad. If it’s an event about your industry of choice, everyone there shares a common ground. It won’t be as awkward to walk up to someone. Trust me here.

My favorite reason to travel is to attend events. I meet so many locals this way and often times genuinely form relationships

Third, when you are going out to eat, sit at the bar. Dining at a table secludes you and excludes you from small talk. This tip comes from Charlie. Thanks to him we almost ALWAYS sit at the bar and that way we connect with those sitting next to us. So many interesting conversations have occurred this way and we even get recommendations for where to go next. It’s lots of fun!

Fourth, join walking tours. You won’t necessarily meet locals this way unless it’s the tour guide but you meet people from all over the world. If they joined the tour it’s because they want to learn and explore more that particular place. Strike up conversations with them. Where have they visited? What was their favorite meal so far? Where are they from? Natural topics come up so quickly. Who knows after the tour ends you will probably be hopping to the next spot together. Life always surprises us!

Fifth, are you part of any Facebook groups? Ask if anyone is traveling to that particular place during that time? I’ve done this and have met up with people. 

These are some quick tips that come to mind based on my experiences. Now I want to hear from you. How do you form relationships abroad?