Best apps to meet people & make friends while travelling (2026)
Updated: · Hellohood
In short
The best app to meet people while travelling depends on your style: Hellohood or NomadTable for small group plans nearby, Meetup for organised events, Hostelworld if you stay in hostels, Timeleft for matched dinners, Couchsurfing for locals and Tandem for language exchange. Meeting in small groups in public places is the easiest and safest way to start.
Travelling alone is great until you want someone to grab dinner with, share a hike or just talk to in your own language. The good news: there are more apps to meet people and make friends while travelling than ever. The less good news: they work very differently, some are paid, and many are quiet in smaller cities.
We build Hellohood, so we put it first — but we also tested and checked every other app on this list against its official website and app store page (September 2026). Each one gets a real “best for”, an honest downside and its pricing model, so you can pick what fits your trip.
1. Hellohood
Best for: Joining small group plans nearby, today
A free map of small real-life plans around you: coffee, runs, football, hikes, board games, language exchange and day trips. Join in one tap and the group chat opens, or start your own plan from one sentence and AI fills in the details. Add a trip to see who is in a city on your dates, and use the city chat to ask anything.
- Completely free: no paywall, no ads
- Group plans and city chats instead of swiping
- 18+, profile photo required, no cold DMs; women-only plans, and women can turn off messages from men
Watch out: It is new (it started in Munich in 2026), so many cities are still quiet — outside Munich you may need to start the first plan yourself. · Price: Free
2. NomadTable
Best for: Solo travellers looking for other travellers
An app built for solo travellers. Open the map to see activities other travellers are doing nearby — a dinner, a hike, a museum visit — and join or create one. You can also add your next destination and get matched into a group chat with people visiting at the same time.
- Made specifically for travellers
- Live activity map plus group chats for upcoming trips
Watch out: It is centred on travellers, so it is less suited to meeting locals, and profile verification is optional. · Price: Free, optional paid upgrade (Plus)
3. Meetup
Best for: Interest groups and regular events
Organisers run groups around hobbies, sports, languages, tech and more, and you RSVP to their events. In big cities there is usually something on every evening, from hiking clubs to language nights.
- Huge range of topics in many cities
- Events are organised for you — you just show up
Watch out: Direct messages and some extras are part of the paid Meetup+ subscription, and many events are planned weeks ahead, which is less handy on a short trip. · Price: Free to join; optional Meetup+ subscription
4. BFF (by Bumble)
Best for: One-to-one friendships on longer stays
Bumble’s friendship-only app: swipe to match with people nearby, then chat. The relaunched BFF app (US since late 2025) adds Groups around shared interests with chats and a shared calendar; in other regions the older Bumble For Friends app may still be what you get.
- Platonic only — not a dating app
- Matching and messaging are free
Watch out: Swipe, match, chat, then meet takes time — it works better if you are staying for weeks rather than a weekend. · Price: Free
5. Hostelworld
Best for: Backpackers staying in hostels
Besides booking beds, the app has hostel and city chats (from 7 days before check-in and during your stay) and Linkups: activities organised by hostels or travellers, such as pub crawls, walking tours or surf lessons.
- Easy way to meet people at your hostel and around the city
- Linkups make joining activities simple
Watch out: The social features come with a hostel booking; without one you need the paid Social Pass, and the crowd is mostly hostel travellers. · Price: Included with a booking; Social Pass from €4.99/week
6. Couchsurfing
Best for: Meeting locals and staying with hosts
The classic hospitality community: stay with local hosts, or use Hangouts to see who is nearby and up for a coffee or a walk. References from other members help you judge who you are meeting.
- Strong focus on locals and cultural exchange
- References build trust over time
Watch out: Everyone needs a paid membership to use it, and how active it is varies a lot from city to city. · Price: Paid membership (monthly or yearly)
7. Timeleft
Best for: Being matched with a group, zero planning
Timeleft matches you with a small group of strangers for a dinner, drinks or a run, based on a short personality quiz, and chooses the venue. You just show up.
- No planning: group and venue are picked for you
- Runs in 200+ cities worldwide
Watch out: You pay to book on top of your own food and drinks, and events happen on set dates, which may not match a short trip. · Price: Paid booking + your own food and drinks
8. Tandem
Best for: Language exchange with locals
A language exchange app: find people who speak the language you are learning and want to practise yours, and chat by text, voice or video. A friendly way to get to know locals before you even arrive.
- A built-in reason to talk — you help each other
- Text, voice and video chats are free
Watch out: It is mostly online; the nearby and travel filters for finding people in a specific city are part of paid Tandem Pro. · Price: Free; optional Tandem Pro
9. GAFFL
Best for: Finding a travel buddy for part of a trip
Post your trip or browse trips by destination and dates, connect with other travellers or locals, and plan to explore together — and split costs.
- Matches people by where and when they travel
- Verification via phone, social media and ID
Watch out: Better for planning ahead than for a spontaneous meetup today, and unlimited connections need the paid Unlimited plan. · Price: Free; optional GAFFL Unlimited
10. Facebook groups
Best for: Local expat and traveller communities
Most cities have Facebook groups for expats, digital nomads, solo female travellers or Couchsurfing members, where people post meetups, questions and plans. Search for the city name plus “expats”, “travellers” or “meetup”.
- Free and available almost everywhere
- Great for local tips and recurring meetups
Watch out: Quality varies: many groups are noisy or inactive, and there is little checking of who is posting. · Price: Free
Side by side
| App | Best for | Meet in groups? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hellohood | Small group plans nearby, today | Yes | Free |
| NomadTable | Solo travellers meeting travellers | Yes | Free + optional Plus |
| Meetup | Interest groups and events | Yes | Free + optional Meetup+ |
| BFF (Bumble) | 1:1 friendships on longer stays | Mostly 1:1; Groups in the new app | Free |
| Hostelworld | Hostel backpackers | Yes (Linkups) | With booking or Social Pass |
| Couchsurfing | Locals and hosts | Sometimes (Hangouts) | Paid membership |
| Timeleft | Matched dinners, drinks, runs | Yes (small matched groups) | Paid per booking |
| Tandem | Language exchange | No, mostly 1:1 online | Free + optional Pro |
| GAFFL | Travel buddies | Mostly 1:1 or small | Free + optional Unlimited |
| Facebook groups | Expat and traveller communities | Yes (posted meetups) | Free |
Tips for meeting people from apps
- Meet the first time in a public place and ideally in a group — a coffee, a run or a walking tour is easier than a one-on-one evening.
- Keep the chat in the app until you have met, and don’t share your accommodation, passport details or exact address.
- Check profiles before you go: photos, verification and references. If something feels off, trust your gut and leave.
- Tell a friend where you are going and share your live location for the first meetup.
- Suggest something concrete — “coffee at 10 at the market?” gets far more yeses than “anyone want to hang out?” — and use more than one app in quieter cities.
FAQ
What is the best app to meet people while travelling?
There is no single best app. For small group plans nearby, try Hellohood or NomadTable; for organised events, Meetup; for hostel crowds, Hostelworld; for being matched at a dinner, Timeleft; for locals, Couchsurfing; for language exchange, Tandem. Many travellers combine two or three depending on how busy the city is.
Are there free apps to make friends while travelling?
Yes. Hellohood is fully free with no ads, BFF by Bumble is free, and Facebook groups cost nothing. Meetup, NomadTable, Tandem and GAFFL are free to start with optional paid upgrades. Couchsurfing needs a paid membership, Timeleft charges per booking, and Hostelworld’s social features come with a booking or a paid Social Pass.
How do I make friends when travelling alone?
Join something with a clear activity: a group run, a board game night, a walking tour or a language exchange. Group plans take the pressure off small talk. Open an app on your first day, say yes early, and if nothing is on, post your own plan — someone nearby is usually looking for the same thing.
Is it safe to meet people from apps while travelling?
It is generally safe if you take simple precautions: meet in public places, prefer groups for a first meetup, keep chats in the app, tell a friend where you are and leave if anything feels off. Use apps with photo requirements, verification or references, and report and block anyone who makes you uncomfortable.
Which apps are good for women travelling solo?
Look for apps with women-focused safety tools. Hellohood has women-only plans and lets women turn off messages from men, and there are no cold DMs. BFF is friendship-only, and Facebook groups for solo female travellers are popular in many cities. Group formats such as Timeleft or Linkups also feel more comfortable than one-on-one meetings.
Is Hellohood active in my city?
Hellohood works worldwide, but it is new — it started in Munich in 2026 — so many cities are still quiet. Open the map to see what is on. If nothing is nearby yet, start a plan in a few seconds or add your trip so people travelling on the same dates can find you.