“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill
It’s true, solo travel can get lonely. As much as we all have dreams of meeting amazing people in our hostel dorms, sometimes that dream just doesn’t pan out. Sometimes you have none of the same interests as your bunk-mates, you find it hard to approach strangers, or you simply don’t speak the same language and can’t get a name let alone a life story. Sometimes, you need a little help.
Enter travel meetup apps.
Let me be frank before I dig in here – the world is saturated with online-based meetup opportunities. There are the common Tinder-esque companies, there are options within Couchsurfing, or hey, you may even be a fan of good ol’ Meetup. The options to meet people on the road are endless.
However, there is something special about an app geared specifically towards travel. The people on these apps will generally be in the same mindset as you and there is no pressure to go home with them after…
HerePin
HerePin was started by a Kiwi traveller named Mark who, after setting out on a 500-day solo backpacking trip, noticed two gaps in the tourism market. The first, how lonely travelling solo can be at times. The second, how it can be difficult to find out happenings in your area. In our world of smartphones, cheap SIM cards, and easily accessible WiFi, there is no reason we should feel lonely without someone to talk to.
Backpackr
Enter a city and date and Backpackr will show you all the people travelling to that destination at the same time as you. Backpackr will stack their interests up against yours and hand select people that seem to jive well with you.
Additionally, Backpackr gives you access to exclusive travel offers consisting of pub crawls, discounted food, local tours, and hostel deals.
Tripr
With Tripr, not only can you chat with other travellers, but the app gives you the option to chat with locals before you arrive. They can give you the scoop on the best off-the-beaten-track spots, as well as do’s and dont’s of their city.
Another feature of Tripr is that it allows you to easily keep track of all your upcoming trips and events. From there, you can see if there are any other travellers who will be where you are at the same time. Yes, please.