Solo travel safety tips when meeting travel buddies
Travelling solo and meeting people you found online is normal now — the trick is keeping the same simple rules in every city, so you never have to improvise when you are tired and jet-lagged.
Vet the profile before the person
Look for a filled-in profile, past trips, stories and photos that match the story you are being told. Ask a question only a real traveller to that region can answer. Trust your gut if the answers feel copy-pasted.
Keep the first meeting short and public
Coffee, a market or a busy square, in daylight, for one hour. Arrive and leave on your own transport. You lose nothing if it goes well and you keep every option if it does not.
Stay independent for the first days
Book your own room, keep your own tickets and hold your own money. Sharing costs is fine once you have travelled a couple of days together — not before.
- Share your live location with someone at home
- Keep a copy of your passport in the cloud
- Have enough offline cash for a taxi back
- Agree in advance how you split costs
It is always okay to leave
A travel buddy is a nice-to-have, not an obligation. If the pace, the budget or the vibe does not work, say so kindly and continue your own route. Most travellers understand immediately.
Find your travel buddy today
Create a free profile, post your trip and see who is heading the same way.
Join the community for freeFrequently asked questions
- Is meeting a travel buddy from an app safe?
- It is as safe as any first meeting with a stranger if you vet the profile, chat first, meet in public daylight, keep your own accommodation and tell someone at home your plans.
- What should I check before travelling with someone?
- Budget, daily pace, sleeping and waking times, how much alone time you each want, and how you will split costs.