It is said that you should go travelling alone at least once in your lifetime. Seeing the world alone is an experience like no other and it really gives you the chance to get to know yourself and think about your future prospects.
Travelling with a group of people can be hard enough, as the process of finding a hotel and making your way through the airport can be a bit hectic. For that reason, the prospect of having to do all of that on your own may seem extremely intimidating.
Travelling alone may also not be too appealing if you are someone that is quite extroverted. Going on holiday may not feel worth it if you have nobody to talk to, but travelling alone doesn’t mean that you have to have a lonely holiday, as you can make friends with people while you are away.
Making friends on holiday may seem scary, but it will only further your experience of travelling alone. If you are not sure how you would go about making it, here are some tips on making friends while you are on holiday.
Go to Events
When you go to a hotel, in every reception there is a bulletin board that is dedicated to informing tourists about any upcoming events or clubs that are happening. It can be tempting to walk straight past this board, but if you are travelling alone, it is recommended that you take a minute to look.
The activities on the board may not be your usual style, but you are on holiday and so now is the perfect time to try something new. Usually, on these boards there is a sign-up sheet, so you will be able to see which activity is the most popular. The busier the event is, the more likely you will make friends, so don’t be afraid to add your name to the list.
Be careful when you are picking the activities that you will be doing, as some simply would not allow for you to communicate with other people. For example, if you are doing an underwater scuba expedition, you won’t get the chance to talk to anyone and so won’t be able to make friends.
An ideal activity that you should look for is something crafts related, as you often get plenty of chances to talk and even joke about the difficulty of the task ahead of you. You are under no obligation to stick to one activity, so why not sign up to a few and see what takes your fancy?
Head to the Hotel Bar
A great way that you can easily speak to someone is over a drink. Alcohol helps to calm your nerves and makes the process of speaking to someone new much easier. The bar is the perfect time to speak to someone, as you will both be waiting for your drinks.
Something that may surprise you is that if you tell someone that you are travelling alone, they will feel quite inclined to invite you to come to sit with them. That is just how we behave as humans and it can be used to our own advantage.
When people are on holiday, they are in high spirits and are looking to make friends with new people. If you find some other people that are not travelling in big groups, then they will be grateful for the company and will be likely to speak to you so that they can also make friends.
If you go to your hotel bar and spot people that are alone, don’t be afraid to start a conversation with them, as they will most likely be appreciative that you have had the nerves to do it. Speaking to someone new can be difficult and it can be hard to think of a topic of conversation. There is nothing wrong with reverting back to classic conversation starters and I recommend that you give the would you rather game a try. This is a great way to get to know someone and it isn’t as formal as a conversation. Getting alcohol involved will ease the conversation a bit and make it a lot funner, so give it a try.