How to Use Facebook Groups to Meet Other Travelers

Bear in mind Couchsurfing? It was an internet site that allowed you to stick with locals (totally free) and at all times had a plethora of occasions and meetups you can attend regardless of the place you have been on the earth. It was top-of-the-line methods to satisfy locals and vacationers on the highway. It was certainly one of my favourite websites.

Just about everybody on the staff right here used it lots over time. My Director of Content material, for instance, was not solely an avid traveler who went on a number of multi-day journeys with strangers because of Couchsurfing, however he was additionally a bunch, and he was even featured in a calendar they made one yr!

I used it to remain in locations like Copenhagen, London, Oxford, Munich, Broome, Paris, Osaka, Athens, and so forth and so forth. I imply, I liked it. I met individuals in cities like Lyon simply to hang around, did meet-ups in NYC, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and so many different locations.

However ever because the website began charging round 2013, after which instituted a paywall through the pandemic, fewer and fewer individuals have used it. Lately, it’s a shell of its former self.

Whereas researching the most recent version of my book on budget travel (popping out in March 2025!), I rejoined Couchsurfing to see how lively it was, and even within the largest metropolitan facilities, there have been barely just a few dozen lively profiles throughout the earlier month. For instance, London confirmed 229,457 whole hosts however solely 896 lively hosts within the final six months — and solely 496 lively throughout the final month. That’s an enormous, huge distinction!

It’s an actual disgrace as Couchsurfing actually modified the way in which individuals traveled. It was as ubiquitous as Lonely Planet!

So, with Couchsurfing (and related web sites) fairly lifeless, the place does one go to satisfy individuals now?

Reply: Fb — which is actually the final place I’d have thought, as a result of, nicely, it’s Fb, and most youthful vacationers don’t use it as a lot as TikTok or Instagram. In any case, Fb additionally has a well-deserved status because the place your aunt posts memes or your loopy cousin rants about racist stuff.

However, every time I signal into Fb, I preserve seeing posts from all kinds of teams in my feed, with individuals on the lookout for journey buddies: backpacking Europe, backpacking Australia, digital nomads in (insert vacation spot), discover a journey buddy…the checklist of teams goes on and on.

I used to be skeptical of them at first, as a result of after I took a deeper have a look at the posts, it at all times felt like they have been simply sleazy guys hitting on younger ladies and AI-generated lady accounts designed lure somebody. “Hello I’m Anna from US seeking to journey dm me” doesn’t strike me as one thing an precise individual would say.

Whereas female-only teams have been a legit strategy to meet individuals for a very long time (Girls Love Travel being one of the crucial well-known), the mixed-gender ones at all times felt somewhat sketchy. However they stored popping up in my feed.

So I regarded into them extra fastidiously to see in the event that they actually have been spammy. Whereas there have been many pretend profiles and creepy dudes (sorry, guys, nevertheless it’s the web, and there are tons of these), typically I did come throughout actual individuals who appeared typically concerned about assembly others, nevertheless few and much between they have been.

Are these teams actually a great way to satisfy individuals? There was just one strategy to discover out.

I used the group Find a Travel Buddy whereas in Europe and posted a few of my tentative plans. I acquired tons of of responses and direct messages, which was fairly overwhelming.

A whole lot of it was spam: individuals telling me to come back go to them in India (I’m posting about Europe), individuals sending me hellos, just a few marriage proposals, and a few actually inappropriate feedback. (Facet notice: if I get these sorts of responses, I can solely think about what it’s like for girls, who I typically see edit their posts to ask individuals to cease approaching to them. Fairly unhappy.)

However I waded by means of all of the junk and ultimately discovered actual individuals to satisfy up with. Ultimately, I solely met just a few of them, as both my plans shifted or theirs did. However the interactions I had have been actually nice.

I had an superior night time out in Freiburg, Germany, with a bunch of oldsters, and one other with an Italian lady and her buddies in Amsterdam. Every time, they took me round to locations I wouldn’t have seen in any other case, and I acquired to satisfy locals. It was a great way to make new buddies and discover individuals to speak to.

Although you need to wade by means of loads of rubbish, I feel these teams are nice, particularly in case you are touring alone. Whereas I don’t have the character to go on a multi-day journey with a stranger, I did love the power to satisfy individuals as I traveled.

Should you’re trying to make use of them, listed here are some recommendations to attenuate (however not eradicate) the rubbish replies:

1. Be particular about the place you’re going and when (in any other case, individuals will spam ya with “come go to X!”).
2. Ask individuals who reply to be particular about themselves.
3. Be clear about what you’re on the lookout for (age, form of journey companion, gender, and so on.)

My present favourite teams are:

From there, for security, I’d extremely suggest trying on the profiles of respondents to ensure they’re actual and solely meet in public locations. Past that, have enjoyable! These teams may not be as simple to make use of as Couchsurfing was, however not less than there’s something lately that can assist you meet locals and different vacationers. I’m now a believer in and fan of those teams and will certainly be utilizing them extra on future journeys.