8 Ways To Meet New People When Travelling and Working Remotely
Photo by Elle Hughes from Pexels
I see this post all the time on online digital nomad groups: ‘How do I meet people?’. You might think it’s fairly easy. And if you’re staying in hostels or coliving spaces, then it can be, but what if you’re flying solo without a huge network?
If you’re working on the road too, you’re not always going to have tons of time to sightsee or socialise, either.
So rather than spending hours trying to figure out where you can go and what you can do, I’ve compiled a list of all the ways you can fill your social diary, so you can kick back, settle into your new place and focus on getting work done.
1. Networking groups 🫂
If you’re doing business, why not kill two birds with one stone? You can meet new entrepreneurs. If you were in Berlin, for example, you could search ‘Berlin Networking’ and start marking your calendar with interesting events.
One good tip is to join a local Toastmasters International. It’s a public speaking organisation, and they have bi-monthly meet ups where you can hear hilarious and heart warming stories, push yourself out of your comfort zone, and get to meet new people.
If you’re staying in one place a little longer, you could also check out Internations — the online community where you can connect with new friends in over 420 cities worldwide.
2. Check out Meetup 🍸
Meetup is a great way to meet people, because there’s so many different types of meetups. Usually you can find something that will pique your interest.
From board game meetups, to cryptocurrency discussions and language exchanges, there is ample opportunity to meet someone in your new place of residence. Get that social diary booked up!
3. Local Events 🥾
Most local events are on Eventbrite. You will be able to find them by simply filtering.
In just 30 seconds, I discovered that there’s a hiking group in Malta that meets every Sunday, and organises guided hikes for groups for just 12.50 EUR every week. Nice.
As an aside, I find hiking a really good way to meet people. In the UK, I’ve tested out The Yes Tribe meetups and Freshwalks.
Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/three-men-standing-while-laughing-1049317/
4. Facebook Groups ⛰️
By far the best way is to simply search the name of the place you’re staying, and then ‘Digital Nomads’.
For example ‘Digital Nomads Croatia’. This will be full of country -specific events and meetups.
If a place is particularly thriving with remote workers, don’t just search the country name — it’s always worth looking at the place you’re staying, too. For example, in Portugal you have Digital Nomads Lisbon, Digital Nomads Porto, Digital Nomads Lagos, Digital Nomads Ericeira…
If you’re female, you could also join the fantastic Digital Nomad Girls network, or for both genders, check out the general Digital Nomads and Remote Workers groups.
5. Bumble BFF 👭
Bumble BFF is a highly personalised way of meeting new people. You can join for free, and pay a premium if you want to message people quicker.
You can personalise your profile for male or female friends, and the app asks interesting questions such as ‘Who would be your ideal dinner guest?’ and ‘What tv show or film do you quote from the most?’
It’s good because you’re more likely to meet someone that matches your interests. You swipe left or right, and when you’re matched, you have 24 hours to start chatting to each other for free.
6. Browse local advertisements 👀
You could also simply go on a walk, and check out the flyers and posters around town. Places like bookshops often have flyers scattered around, and independent cafe shops can also showcase upcoming events — a local yoga retreat, or a music event.
Take a walk with the sole aim in mind of collecting flyers. Or, just frequent public places — such as the local library, tourist office and art gallery.
I was in an art gallery at the weekend, where I picked up the below flyer — looks pretty interesting!
7. Search function on socials 🔍
Communities online will invariably share events that are coming up — fetes, local festivals, places of interest, open days, art exhibitions — the choice is endless.
I’d recommend doing a search of the place you’re staying and looking at the pages. You might want to type ‘What’s on in Bansko’ for example, and see what pages or groups come up on Facebook. You can do the same with hashtags on Instagram and Twitter too.
Usually, you’ll find interesting things that pique your curiosity, and you’ll end up following a nice coworking spot or a new bar you want to try.
I’ve found Facebook to be the best in terms of events. You can filter it by date, too. So you could search ‘Bansko’ and filter it by ‘this month.’
By joining ‘Brighton Girl Dance Group’, I’ve just booked my first free class to dance like Beyonce next week to ‘Break My Soul.’ Win.
8. Nomad List 👨💻
Of course, I couldn’t write this article without mentioning Nomadlist — created by one of the world’s most knowledgeable nomads (and a personal inspiration of mine, Pieter Levels).
Nomadlist gives you access to tons of digital nomads around the world, including detailed information on the top remote working spots around the world. There are lots of meetups in some of the most frequented hotspots for remote workers.
If you’re bored of where you are or need some travel inspiration, why not have a browse of the site to decide your next destination? They do charge an access fee, which is around $200.
Create your own! 🗓️
Of course, if you’re super stuck — you can’t find things you like to do or people to do it with, you could just make your own and advertise it on all of the places listed above.
I created a couple of ‘beach day’ meetups in Gran Canaria as there’s really nothing better than sunbathing, listening to music and having snacks with some awesome people!
But you can create whatever takes your fancy — dinner at the restaurant you want to try, a comedy night, a shopping trip.
If you’re interested in learning more about creating an alternative lifestyle, check out Freedom Seekers