7 Best Apps for Solo Travellers to Meet People on the Road 🌍

Diana Morais 9 min read

Solo travel opens the door to unexpected friendships and unforgettable shared experiences. Whether you’re sipping caipirinhas with strangers-turned-friends in Rio or joining a rooftop dinner in Rome, meeting people on the road is one of the best parts of the journey. With the right apps, it’s easier than ever to connect with fellow travellers, swap stories, and explore the world together.

To help you make friends while on the move, here are the 7 best apps for solo travellers to meet people, from hostel hangouts to like-minded locals. We checked every app on this list in October 2026 to make sure it’s still live and still does what we say it does. Let’s get connecting.

Quick pick: which app to meet travellers should you use?

  • Staying in hostels? Start with the Hostelworld app to chat with people at your hostel and in your city.
  • Want to see who’s heading to the same place at the same time? Try Backpackr or GAFFL.
  • Want a travel-only social network with group chats? Go for Travello.
  • Want to meet locals or have a local show you around? Couchsurfing is your best bet.
  • Staying put for a few weeks? Bumble For Friends and Meetup work best for slow travel.

1 🧡 Hostelworld App – Best for Hostel Connections

Join chats and meet travellers

If you’re staying in hostels, the Hostelworld app is your ultimate social travel companion. It goes beyond just booking dorm beds, it helps you connect with other travellers before you even arrive.

With Hostelworld’s social feature, you can:

  • Join group chats with people staying at your hostel

  • See and message travellers visiting the same city

  • Share your travel plans and find people heading in the same direction

  • Join local events and activities right from the app

Whether you’re looking for dinner buddies, sightseeing partners, or just want to break the ice with someone before check-in, Hostelworld makes solo travel feel instantly social.

Download the Hostelworld app to start meeting people from the moment you book



2 🌎 Travello – Best for Travel-Focused Social Networking

Travello is a social network built specifically for travellers. In the app, you can meet and chat with travellers, join group chats with other explorers before you arrive, and post travel photos and stories. Travello also sells tours, activities and travel deals, so its website now leans towards bookings, while the social side lives in the free Travello app.

Great for: solo backpackers, digital nomads, and travellers looking for community vibes.

3 🎒 Backpackr – Best for Matching with Fellow Backpackers

Backpackr connects you with people based on where you’re going and what you’re interested in. Add a trip with your dates and destination and you can see who will be in the same area at the same time, get notified when new travellers arrive, start conversations, or plan trips together. It’s one of the simplest ways to find a backpacking buddy without the dating-app vibe.

The “Common Room” chat feature is especially handy for general travel talk or finding quick buddies on the road. It has a nearby tab for what’s happening around you and a worldwide tab, and the app’s Budget Board shares daily cost estimates for cities, based on what other travellers report spending.

4 🛋️ Couchsurfing – Best for Meeting Locals

Couchsurfing is well-known for its host-and-guest platform, where locals invite travellers to stay with them, but it’s also a handy way to meet people without needing a couch. The site and app show travellers nearby and local events, so you can find friends before you land. Whether you want to grab a coffee, explore the city, or attend a Couchsurfing event, this app is a great way to connect with locals and fellow travellers alike.

5 🐝 Bumble for Friends (BFF) – Best for One-on-One Friendships

From the makers of the Bumble dating app, Bumble BFF is a separate app designed for finding platonic friendships. It’s ideal if you’re staying in one place for a while or just want a more relaxed way to meet someone to explore with. You’ll create a profile and swipe to match with potential friends near you.

Bonus: since its 2025 revamp, the app also has a Groups tab, where you can join group chats, organise meet-ups and keep track of events, so it’s not just one-on-one any more.

6 📅 Meetup – Best for Joining Local Events

Want to try salsa dancing in Lisbon or go hiking in Medellín? Meetup helps you discover local events that match your interests, from language exchanges to fitness groups and creative workshops. Signing up is free, and there’s a dedicated travel and outdoor category. It’s especially useful if you’re travelling slowly or staying in one city for longer than a few days.

7 🤝 GAFFL (Get A Friend For Life) – Best for Sharing Trips

GAFFL is all about finding travel companions for shared trips and adventures. You can browse itineraries, join someone else’s plan, or post your own travel dates and destinations. It’s a great way to meet people headed in the same direction and potentially split costs too.

The app is free to download and lets you start trips, reply to messages and get a free verification badge. A paid GAFFL Unlimited subscription adds unlimited connections, and recent updates added filters by age, gender and language plus a “Nearby” view of recently active travellers (checked on the App Store, October 2026).

Popular with road trippers, adventure travellers, and long-term backpackers.

How to choose an app to meet people while travelling

  • Check it’s busy where you’re going. Social travel apps are only as good as the number of people using them in that city, so look for recent posts or chats before you rely on one.
  • Look for group chats and meetup features. Group chats, events and meet-ups (like the ones in the Hostelworld app, Travello, Bumble BFF and Meetup) take the pressure off one-on-one meetings.
  • Know what’s free. Several apps on this list, like Travello and Meetup, are free to join, while others, like GAFFL, keep extras behind a paid subscription. Check what’s free before you commit.
  • Pick friendship-first apps. If you only want travel buddies, stick to apps built for friendship and travel rather than dating apps.

How to meet people safely through travel apps

  • Use apps with verified profiles where you can. GAFFL offers a free verification badge, and Couchsurfing shows verified members and references from other users.
  • Meet for the first time in a busy public place, like a café, a walking tour or your hostel common room.
  • Tell a friend or your hostel reception where you’re going and who you’re meeting.
  • Keep chats in the app until you feel comfortable sharing your number or socials.
  • Trust your gut. If something feels off, you can always leave.

Conclusion: There’s an App for That

Cheerful millennial female wanderer with touristic backpack searching online article about American vacation connecting to roaming internet for browsing websites on cellphone, international messaging

Making friends as a solo traveller has never been easier. Whether you’re booking hostels, planning a group hike, or joining a cooking class in a new city, the best apps for solo travellers to meet people can transform your trip from solo to social in just a few taps.

Start with the Hostelworld app to meet people staying in your hostel or heading to the same destination. Then expand your circle with travel-focused communities like Travello, Backpackr, and Couchsurfing. Wherever you go, your next adventure buddy is probably just a message away.

🙋 FAQ: Best Apps for Solo Travellers to Meet People

Yes. Bumble BFF is designed for platonic friendships and works like Tinder but for meeting people to hang out with rather than date. It’s great for solo travellers looking to find sightseeing or coffee buddies.

Yes. Apps like GAFFL (Get A Friend For Life) are built for finding travel companions. You can join someone else’s trip itinerary or post your own to find people heading the same way and even split costs.

The Hostelworld app also makes it easy to plan meetups with fellow travellers. Once you book your stay, you can share your travel plans, see who’s staying at the same hostel or visiting the same city, and connect in group chats to plan day trips, meals, or events together, all before you arrive.

Couchsurfing is ideal for this. It connects you with local hosts and includes a “Hangouts” feature to see who’s nearby and available to meet up for drinks, food, or activities.

Meetup is great for joining local events like walking tours, yoga sessions, language exchanges, and more. It’s especially useful for travellers staying longer in one city.

Yes. The Hostelworld app allows you to join group chats with people staying in the same hostel before you arrive. You can plan meetups, share tips, or even coordinate check-ins together.

Yes. With the rise of social travel apps, hostel events, and digital communities, it's easier than ever to connect with fellow travelers. Common hostel spaces, group tours, and local meetups also make meeting people more natural, even if you're an introvert.

Most solo travelers are open to connecting, that’s part of the experience. Look for travelers who join group chats, comment on public trip plans, or respond to event invites. If you're using apps or staying in hostels, people often appreciate a friendly message or “want to explore together?” vibe.

  • Meet in public places first

  • Trust your instincts

  • Be clear about your travel plans and comfort levels

  • Let someone know where you’re going
    Most connections are positive, but it’s smart to stay safe and respectful when meeting new people on the road.

The best places include hostel common rooms, group walking tours, free city events, and local meetups. Coffee shops, cooking classes, and pub crawls are also great for casual conversations that can lead to travel friendships.

Look for group chats with people in your hostel or city, an events or meetups feature, traveller profiles, and safety tools like reporting and blocking. Check whether it's free or paid, too. The Hostelworld app combines hostel and city chats with events, while Travello and Meetup focus on activities.

Apps tied to verified bookings or profiles, such as the Hostelworld app's hostel chats, add a layer of trust. Whatever app you use, meet in busy public places, tell someone your plans, check profiles and reviews, and trust your instincts. Use in-app reporting if anything feels off.

They work best together. Hostels give you face-to-face chances in common rooms and at events, while apps let you connect before you arrive and find people outside your hostel. Many travellers use the Hostelworld app's hostel chat to plan meet-ups with people they then meet in person.

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