You're single, you're happy that way, and traveling somewhere wonderful, exciting and exotic-to-you. Perhaps (like me) you much prefer sharing that kind of experience with someone special, or maybe you'd really, really enjoy living out the dream of falling in love with a romantic stranger while exploring the corners of the earth. Whatever your reasoning, you want to meet someone special for a little somethin', and you're far from home. How do you do it? You use at least one of these sites, apps or ideas.
If you've traveled at all under the age of (approximately) 35, you've heard of CS, where people offer up and accept a place to sleep for a fixed period of time. It could be a couch, shared bed, or separate room -- and like anything, it's user beware. While I've both couchsurfed and offered up extra space, that's not what I'm suggesting to meet someone. Instead, sign up for free, and check out the Events, Discussions and Meet People sections of the site for group events in your chosen location. Then, attend with an open mind and see what happens. I've met countless friends, folks to travel with, as well as a special someone or two from CS, as have many of my CS friends.Â
One of my favorite things to do in a new-to-me larger city is to find out f there are any "free" walking tours, and sign up. The premise is simple: you only pay what you feel is appropriate for the experience. If you think it sucks, you pay nothing. Loved it? Help out the (most likely, a student or actor) that took you out and about to explore. While you're on it, strike up conversations with the other single attendees, and make at the very least a new friend. Every single walking tour I've participated in around the world (more than a 100) has found me laughing and sharing something fun with at least one person, and occasionally connecting beyond the platonic.Â
Hostels are hotbeds of single folks looking to connect, and even if you get a private room, you'll still find people in the common areas day and night, wanting to chat, explore, or socialize. If for some reason you can't stay in a hostel (or decided to couchsurf), I still recommend stopping in to at least one with a bar, or one that offers guided tours. Most will happily accept non-guests to these sorts of get-togethers or facilities, and you'll be surrounded by similiarly-minded travelers.
While you can visit the traditional dating sites to try and meet someone while you're on the road, it's really tricky. For instance, Match.com has sites in most countries, however you'd have to sign up at each individual one (and pay the respective fee) to meet anyone. Of all the sites I've reviewed over the years, only OkCupid allowed me to easily change my physical location while keeping the rest of my profile intact. In fact, I now change my location on the site every time I travel, and have met people in more than ten countries through it.Â
There are quite a few apps out there that purpot to connect travelers on the road, however few of them actually worked for me or had enough people registered. A handful were pretty icky, like the handful that strongly suggested women could travel for free just by signing up. Then there were few that focus on connecting folks before they hit the road. Only Backpackr had a working app that actually showed me the folks nearby (or near where I'd planned on going) and made it easy for me to connect with others. Even a visit to Montmorillon, France (a small town in the SW) had a handful of people nearby -- although I suspect many of them live permanently nearby and haven't logged in since they originally uploaded the app. Have I met anyone through it yet? No, although I have had a lot of chats and potentials.Â
My least favorite of the bunch with an app that just plain didn't work for me, TripTogether is... an option? Sign in with Facebook or your own account information, and then plug in wherever you plan on going. The site will then show you other folks going to the same place at the same time, and voila! You connect. Now, the idea and concept really is quite lovely -- other than I received many, many messages from much older men on continents I had zero intentions of visiting. A brief overview showed mostly men on the site, with some comments that the female users were fake, so as with any dating site, read the fine print and make sure you're staying safe.
Use Couchsurfing
If you've traveled at all under the age of (approximately) 35, you've heard of CS, where people offer up and accept a place to sleep for a fixed period of time. It could be a couch, shared bed, or separate room -- and like anything, it's user beware. While I've both couchsurfed and offered up extra space, that's not what I'm suggesting to meet someone. Instead, sign up for free, and check out the Events, Discussions and Meet People sections of the site for group events in your chosen location. Then, attend with an open mind and see what happens. I've met countless friends, folks to travel with, as well as a special someone or two from CS, as have many of my CS friends.Â
Take a "Free" Tour
One of my favorite things to do in a new-to-me larger city is to find out f there are any "free" walking tours, and sign up. The premise is simple: you only pay what you feel is appropriate for the experience. If you think it sucks, you pay nothing. Loved it? Help out the (most likely, a student or actor) that took you out and about to explore. While you're on it, strike up conversations with the other single attendees, and make at the very least a new friend. Every single walking tour I've participated in around the world (more than a 100) has found me laughing and sharing something fun with at least one person, and occasionally connecting beyond the platonic.Â
Stay in a Hostel
Hostels are hotbeds of single folks looking to connect, and even if you get a private room, you'll still find people in the common areas day and night, wanting to chat, explore, or socialize. If for some reason you can't stay in a hostel (or decided to couchsurf), I still recommend stopping in to at least one with a bar, or one that offers guided tours. Most will happily accept non-guests to these sorts of get-togethers or facilities, and you'll be surrounded by similiarly-minded travelers.
Traditional Dating Sites
While you can visit the traditional dating sites to try and meet someone while you're on the road, it's really tricky. For instance, Match.com has sites in most countries, however you'd have to sign up at each individual one (and pay the respective fee) to meet anyone. Of all the sites I've reviewed over the years, only OkCupid allowed me to easily change my physical location while keeping the rest of my profile intact. In fact, I now change my location on the site every time I travel, and have met people in more than ten countries through it.Â
Backpackr
There are quite a few apps out there that purpot to connect travelers on the road, however few of them actually worked for me or had enough people registered. A handful were pretty icky, like the handful that strongly suggested women could travel for free just by signing up. Then there were few that focus on connecting folks before they hit the road. Only Backpackr had a working app that actually showed me the folks nearby (or near where I'd planned on going) and made it easy for me to connect with others. Even a visit to Montmorillon, France (a small town in the SW) had a handful of people nearby -- although I suspect many of them live permanently nearby and haven't logged in since they originally uploaded the app. Have I met anyone through it yet? No, although I have had a lot of chats and potentials.Â
TripTogether
My least favorite of the bunch with an app that just plain didn't work for me, TripTogether is... an option? Sign in with Facebook or your own account information, and then plug in wherever you plan on going. The site will then show you other folks going to the same place at the same time, and voila! You connect. Now, the idea and concept really is quite lovely -- other than I received many, many messages from much older men on continents I had zero intentions of visiting. A brief overview showed mostly men on the site, with some comments that the female users were fake, so as with any dating site, read the fine print and make sure you're staying safe.