How to use Facebook groups to meet other travelers
Remember Couchsurfing? This website allowed you to stay in local homes (for free), and had many events and meetups that you could attend, no matter where you are. It was a great way to meet travelers and locals on the road. Everyone on the team used it heavily over the years. Couchsurfing was a great way for my Director of Content to travel with strangers on multi-day trips. He was also a host and was featured in their calendar one year.
I stayed in Copenhagen, London and Oxford, Munich and Broome, Paris and Athens and many other places. It was amazing. I’ve met people from all over the world, including Lyon, NYC, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Since the site began charging in 2013, and then implemented a paywall for the pandemic period, it has become less and less popular. It’s now a shell compared to its former self. While researching for the next edition of my budget travel book (due out in March 2025), I found myself on Couchsurfing. I joined Couchsurfing in order to check how active the site was. Even the biggest metropolitan areas had only a handful of active profiles during the last month. London, for example, showed 229 457 hosts, but only 896 were active in the past six months – and only 496 within the previous month. That’s a big, big difference!
It’s a real shame as Couchsurfing really changed the way people traveled. It was just as popular as Lonely Planet! So, now that Couchsurfing and similar websites are pretty much dead, how can one meet new people? Answer: Facebook. I never would have thought of it, since it’s Facebook and younger travelers aren’t as active on it as they are on TikTok and Instagram. Facebook is also known for being the place where your aunt posts racist memes and your cousin goes on a rant about it. When I log into Facebook I see posts from groups looking for travel partners: backpacking Europe or Australia, digital nomads (insert location), find a traveling buddy…the list goes on.
At first I was sceptical, but when I looked closer, the posts always seemed like they were sleazy men pursuing young girls, or AI-generated accounts that were designed to trap someone. It doesn’t seem like something a real person would say. “Hello I’m Anna, from the US and looking to travel. Dm me.” is not what I expect. While female-only groups (Girls Love Travel is one of the best-known) have been a legit way to meet new people for years, mixed-gender groups always seemed a bit sketchy. They kept appearing in my feed.
I looked at them more closely to see if it was spam. There were a lot of fake profiles, creepy guys (sorry, dudes, but the internet is full of them), but I also came across some real people, who were interested in meeting other people, even though they were few and far between. Are these groups a good place to meet new people? It was the only way to know. I used Find a travel buddy while in Europe to post some tentative plans. I got hundreds of responses and direct messages, which was pretty overwhelming.
A lot of it was spam: people telling me to come visit them in India (I’m posting about Europe), people sending me hellos, a few marriage proposals, and some really inappropriate comments. If I receive these kinds of responses, imagine how women feel. I’ve seen them edit their posts in order to tell people to stop harassing them. It’s quite sad. But I eventually sifted through the clutter and found some real people. In the end I only met with a few, either because my plans changed or theirs. The interactions I had with them were great. I had a great night in Freiburg with a group and in Amsterdam with an Italian girl with her friends. They took me to places that I would not have visited otherwise and allowed me to meet the locals. This was a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Even though you must wade through tons of trash, I still think that these groups are great. Especially if you’re traveling alone. If you’re interested in using them, here are some suggestions to minimize (but not eliminate) the garbage replies:
Be specific about where and when you will be traveling.
If you’re looking to use them, here are some suggestions to minimize (but not eliminate) the garbage replies:
Be specific about where you are going and when (otherwise, people will spam ya with “come visit X!”).
Ask people who respond to be specific about themselves.
Be clear about what you are looking for (age, kind of travel partner, gender, etc. My current favorite groups include:
From then, I highly recommend checking out the profiles of the respondents to ensure they are real. Have fun, and don’t forget to be safe! Although these groups are not as simple to use as Couchsurfing, they do offer a way to meet other travelers and locals. Book Your Trip: Tips and Tricks for Logistical Planning
Book your Flight
Find cheap flights by using Skyscanner. This is my favorite search engine, because it searches all websites and airlines in the world.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. Booking.com is the best option if you don’t want to stay in a hostel. It consistently offers the lowest rates for hotels and guesthouses.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. This is comprehensive coverage in the event of an accident. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Want to Travel for Free?
- Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Want to travel for free?
- Travel cards let you earn points which can be redeemed for flights and accommodations for no extra cost. Visit my guide on choosing the best card to see my favorite deals and to learn how to get started. Ready to book your trip? Here are all the companies I use to travel. You can’t go far wrong with them. They are top-of-the-line and the best you can get.
