“How much do you like AC/DC?” I asked my wife as I poked my head around the corner of the narrow staircase.

 

We were in Kyoto, Japan and looking for a fun bar with a view of the river to enjoy a drink as we savored the last night of our stay. On a whim, we popped into a random bar named “Jam House” situated on the top floor of a small building. 

I did the initial vibe check, and discovered it was one of the MANY bars in Japan that are dedicated to a specific music genre. They all have a killer stereo system, and feature wall to wall albums ready to be played.

Specifically, this was a classic and hard rock bar. It had cold beer, a great view over the river and was as far away from the hyper-exclusive omakase restaurants on the north side of the Shijõ Bridge as you could get.

Deciding this was everything we needed for our final night in Kyoto, we immediately ordered cold Asahis and listened to the end of the AC/DC live album.

Feeling emboldened by the crisp flavors of the Super Dry Lager, I managed to ask the bartender “Thin Lizzy desu ka?” to which I received a mildly shocked smile and an immediate confirmation. Soon enough we had “Jailbreak” on the booming hi-fi, new beers in hand and were being introduced to the bartender’s girlfriend as if we were regulars.

The boys were back in town, my friends.

Many beers and a couple of Tom Petty albums later, my wife and I decided it was time to head on. The bartender initially refused to let us pay, but eventually relented when we agreed to accept his gift of some Japan-exclusive Led Zeppelin live albums. 

And in spite of language barriers we were making new friends and memories that are still crystal clear, even if that night got a little fuzzy in the end.

Making friends is the American Superpower, here’s how to meet people while traveling

I’ll let you in on a secret, even though Americans can get a bad rap sometimes, we tend to be outgoing, friendly and have no problem meeting new people.

It’s like our superpower! Use it wisely while shaping it to local customs and you’ll find yourself having more fun while traveling and meeting interesting people eager to chat with you.

And since you’re reading this, I have to imagine you’re one of those smart American travelers that make a good impression on folks in far off lands. And you’re wondering how to meet people while traveling, so let’s get into it!

How to meet people while traveling: here’s 5 ways to make new friends

I’ve broken this down into 5 tips that I’ve found useful and true when I travel. I’ll accompany each one with a little anecdote of how it worked for me, and I hope you’ll find them useful too. I wondered how to meet people while traveling too, and now I find myself thinking back to all the great people I’ve run into over the years so I know these work!

1: Do what you love, you’ll meet others that love it too

It may not be a huge shock, but a lot of what I write here applies when you’re trying to build relationships at home too! So, it’s not a huge surprise but make sure you’re doing things YOU love while you travel. Because when you’re doing that, you’ll wind up around like-minded people more often than not and this opens up opportunities to get to know them.

If you’re wondering how to meet people while traveling in a more organic way, this is it—do what you love, and others will be drawn to that shared passion.

I try to get to a sporting event of some kind when I travel, and when we went to Brussels that took the form of a soccer match between the Belgium National team and Wales. As we took our seats, I saw the couple next to us trying to take a selfie with their son and offered to take the photo for them.

Come to find out, it was the little guy’s first ever match! From that moment on, the dad (Guillaume) and I were fast friends since I’d inadvertently helped them save a special memory from this evening.

We talked more and more between goals. We chatted about how Belgium’s current golden generation was on their way out but could maybe put together one more World Cup run (spoiler: they couldn’t after all). We also discussed how America and Belgium differ but share many things in common, like a love of soccer, beer, and frites.

The match was great, but this simple, laid-back moment chatting with our new Belgian friends meant so much more to me. I only wish I’d gotten his contact info. (Guillaume, if you ever read this, your friend Sam says hi!)

It’s this sort of interaction you find when you’re doing what you love, and take the chance to be helpful and friendly. American bravado can turn off many around the world, but understated and sincere kindness will get you everywhere, no matter where you are.

And it’s that much easier to be sincere and genuine, when you’re doing what you genuinely love.

2: Ask questions in stores, show genuine interest in what they’re selling and how they’re selling it

No, souvenirs aren’t the only thing you should worry about when you’re traveling. But come on, it’s always fun to pop on a special shirt you grabbed on a trip and have the memories of that trip come rushing back. Doubly so if you met someone great when you bought it.

When you’re wondering how to meet people while traveling, use simple daily interactions like shopping as a path to new relationships.

This approach works especially well when you’re seeking how to meet people while traveling and want to engage with locals in a genuine, low-pressure environment.

Since you’ll likely do a bit of shopping, make sure to do your research on where to go to find authentic and local goods. Not only will you be shirking the icky, mega brands that you can find anywhere, but you’ll give yourself a chance to meet people that are passionate about what they’re selling, and they’ll be passionate when teaching you about it.

For instance, the last time I visited Paris I was on the hunt for stores that specialize in clothing and accessories that are Made in France. I love the style, and I love clothes that last so it was a no-brainer.

I soon found that L’Habit Français and L’Appartement Français are two such stores, and their owners are more than happy to tell you as much as you’d like to know.

When I walked into L’Habit and was warmly greeted by Catherine, I knew I was in the right place. Surrounded by beautiful clothes, I couldn’t help but ask all about her favorite pieces. And as she grabbed a gorgeous scarf and told me of the woman near Versaille who produces them, I was instantly sold.

Something similar happened at L’Appartement where we met Emily. As I asked about the wide variety of Made in France jeans on her shelves, she told me all about the fit and features that make each one unique and the story behind the people that produce them. And before we left, she proudly remarked that they would be opening a dedicated shoe store soon enough, and that we should come to the debut if we could!

Interactions like this aren’t too hard to come by, and in Paris simply starting with “Bonjour” and showing genuine interest in the craft and quality of what a storekeeper is selling will open up many opportunities to get to know someone new.

Try this in France at small wine shops, shoe stores, boutiques and book stores. Anywhere that passionate people are plying their trade, you stand a good chance of meeting a new friend if you show genuine, vested interest in learning more about that passion.

3: Thirsty? Pop into a quiet bar, grab a drink and some local knowledge

When I travel, taking it easy with a beer in hand is a daily occurrence. And especially in Europe, the vibe allows for said drink to be consumed at nearly any hour of the day.

So with this in mind, when you’re wondering how to meet people while traveling, try heading to a small, out of the way bar when it’s not busy. Make sure you sit at the bar itself, be polite and easy with your order and go from there.

Another great trick for how to meet people while traveling is simply showing up where locals go when they’re winding down. Whether it’s a bruin café in Amsterdam or a sleepy afternoon bistro in Barcelona, timing is everything.

This is how we wound up in “Café De Nieuwe Lelie” in Amsterdam. After a morning of visiting the Anne Frank Museum, grabbing some poffertjes and exploring the Jordaan, my wife and I decided it was time to grab a beer.

We peeked into the quiet, old bar. It had the brown, cozy wooden ambiance that gives them the  “bruin cafe” moniker. The Dutch will call this mood “Gezellig”, and it was perfect for this easygoing afternoon stop on our explorations.

Grabbing seats at the bar, we were greeted warmly by one of the employees as he tidied up. Having just opened, we were the first ones in and we told him to take his time. 

Soon we were sampling some excellent local beers that he recommended and soaking in the ambience. As we sat, the friendly bartender asked us about where we were from and we learned all about the employee appreciation karaoke party that the staff had been part of the night before. 

As a few more employees rolled in, a bit bleary eyed from being well-appreciated and singing all night, we started to get more comfortable. We chatted more and more about where our new friends would like to visit in the States, and how it seems like every karaoke bar around the world will have someone destroying a Billy Joel song in it.

Most importantly, we learned that the bar cats in many of Amsterdam’s Bruin cafes have regulations. When the resident kitty hopped up on the stool next to us to give us a look, we were told that once the cat gets too big to fit on said stool, it’s time for a diet.

Before we left, we had our new friends write down a few other bars and restaurants worth visiting in Amsterdam. Through their knowledge, we wound up at the aforementioned karaoke bar singing with locals and enjoyed an evening at an incredible jazz club later on.

If you only go to bars and restaurants when you’re supposed to, you’ll likely have a nice time but the staff will be busy keeping up with the crowd. When you head to these joints in the off hours, you might get the chance to catch them in a slower moment and get to know them a bit.

As always, be polite, curious and genuine. You just might find that the bar you popped into on a whim led you to a new acquaintance, and some local knowledge.

 

4: Don’t be afraid to learn a bit more than “hello” in the local language

It really helps smooth out your journey in every way, but knowing a bit more than hello in whatever language you’re immersing yourself in will help you meet people immensely. And it doesn’t have to be intensive!

In France, non-Francophones are notorious for being able to hit the “bonjour”, maybe ask for “deux croissants, s’il vous plait” but then the drop off is STEEP. 

If you can master a few more phrases or typical conversation points, you’ll be on your way to smoother interactions and the occasional compliment on your adopted accent.

We pulled this off when greeting a friendly dog and his owner in Paris….sorta. On one of those magical, warm summer strolls through the 6th arrondissement, we came across a happy dog that walked right up to us. 

Of course, this being a Parisian pup, we greeted him with “bonjour”. 

And as we gave him some love, we asked the owner “comment tu t’appele?” While MEANING to ask the dog’s name, we accidentally booted our conjugation and asked the owner HER name!

Luckily, she realized what we meant to ask and with a quick laugh and a polite correction to our French, she let us know “Il s’appele Isador”. 

Even though we weren’t perfect, just trying our best and being polite while going a bit further than “bonjour” earned us a great interaction with a friendly person and her dog. And it’s this sort of interaction you can aim for no matter where you visit, but maybe do a bit more practice with those conjugations.

Learning even a little bit of the language shows respect—and if you’re still asking how to meet people while traveling, this small effort will get you further than you’d expect.

5: Need a hack for how to meet people while traveling? Go to the Airbnb bar crawls or free tours and tag onto the end. 

Ok so this is a bit of a wildcard but I swear it works.

So Airbnb, Trip Advisor and the like will try to sell experiences to you if you’re booking an apartment or searching for info ahead of your trip. Things like “culinary backstreets” and “bar hopping in Shinjuku”. 

From the off, these are definitely good ways to meet people and usually have a fun, authentic experience with a local guide. Even if they are behind a paywall.

That said, if you can find the general area, say, the bar crawl is going, there’s no stopping you from tagging onto the end as the formal experience comes to a close.

We did this in Tokyo’s Golden Gai bar area on accident, but the night was so fun I have to include it.

Since this collection of streets is home to dozens of tiny bars, we were simply popping into a few that looked fun on our own bar crawl. 

In one particular bar, we struck up a conversation with a couple of Australian tourists and some fellow Americans. They were all very nice, and we wound up buying a few rounds with their group.

Eventually the topic came up that none of them had known each other until that night, because they all signed up for the same experience at random! 

So here we were, meeting new people while they had been doing the same thing already!

A few more beers and we wound up hanging out with them for the next bar, and then the next bar, and finally karaoke at around 2 AM. I still talk to them on occasion, and it remains my favorite memory from Tokyo!

So I’m not advocating crashing a party or anything, but these sorts of experiences are definitely a good way to meet fellow travelers from all over the world. If you can sign up and pay the entry fee, great. But if you want to save some cash, randomly happening on one of these tours is a quick way to meet some cool people. Especially if it’s an experience you would be interested in anyway!

 

Wrap up: how to meet people while traveling.

These are 5 pretty solid ways I’ve personally experienced when learning how to meet people while traveling. Use them wisely and spread the love.

Are they perfect? Perhaps not. But neither is traveling most of the time.

But it must be repeated that if you’re being friendly and polite, and doing what you love, you’ll have no problem meeting people while traveling. You might even find yourself making friends who you’ll stay in touch with long after your trip comes to a close!