How to Use Facebook Groups to Meet Other Travelers

Keep in mind Couchsurfing? It was an internet site that allowed you to stick with locals (at no cost) and all the time had a plethora of occasions and meetups you could possibly attend regardless of the place you have been on the planet. It was among the best methods to fulfill locals and vacationers on the highway. It was considered one of my favourite websites.

Just about everybody on the staff right here used it loads 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 due to Couchsurfing, however he was additionally a number, and he was even featured in a calendar they made one 12 months!

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 folks in cities like Lyon simply to hang around, did meet-ups in NYC, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and so many different locations.

However ever for the reason that website began charging round 2013, after which instituted a paywall through the pandemic, fewer and fewer folks have used it. Today, 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 complete hosts however solely 896 lively hosts within the final six months — and solely 496 lively throughout the final month. That’s an enormous, large distinction!

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

So, with Couchsurfing (and related web sites) fairly useless, the place does one go to fulfill folks now?

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

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

I used to be skeptical of them at first, as a result of once I took a deeper have a look at the posts, it all the time 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 reputable approach to meet folks for a very long time (Girls Love Travel being one of the well-known), the mixed-gender ones all the time felt a bit of sketchy. However they stored popping up in my feed.

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

Are these teams actually a great way to fulfill folks? There was just one approach to discover out.

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

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

However I waded by all of the junk and finally discovered actual folks to fulfill 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 parents, 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 obtained to fulfill locals. It was a great way to make new buddies and discover folks to speak to.

Despite the fact that it’s a must to wade by lots of rubbish, I believe these teams are nice, particularly if you’re touring alone. Whereas I don’t have the character to go on a multi-day journey with a stranger, I did love the flexibility to fulfill folks as I traveled.

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

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

My present favourite teams are:

From there, for security, I might extremely suggest trying on the profiles of respondents to verify they’re actual and solely meet in public locations. Past that, have enjoyable! These teams won’t be as simple to make use of as Couchsurfing was, however at the least there’s something lately that will help 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.