The best way to Use Fb Teams to Meet Different Vacationers

Bear in mind Couchsurfing? It was an internet site that allowed you to stick with locals (at no cost) and at all times had a plethora of occasions and meetups you might attend regardless of the place you have been on the planet. It was the most effective methods to fulfill locals and vacationers on the highway. It was one in every of my favourite websites.

Just about everybody on the group right here used it so much through the years. 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 yr!

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 cherished 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 web site 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 e-book on finances journey (popping out in March 2025!), I rejoined Couchsurfing to see how energetic it was, and even within the largest metropolitan facilities, there have been barely a number of dozen energetic profiles throughout the earlier month. For instance, London confirmed 229,457 whole hosts however solely 896 energetic hosts within the final six months — and solely 496 energetic throughout the final month. That’s an enormous, massive distinction!

It’s an actual disgrace as Couchsurfing actually modified the best way 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 actually the final place I might have thought, as a result of, effectively, 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, at any time when I signal into Fb, I hold seeing posts from all types of teams in my feed, with folks on the lookout for journey buddies: backpacking Europe, backpacking Australia, digital nomads in (insert vacation spot), discover a journey buddy…the checklist of teams goes on and on.

I used to be skeptical of them at first, as a result of after I took a deeper have a look at the posts, it at all times felt like they have been simply sleazy guys hitting on younger women and AI-generated lady accounts designed entice somebody. “Hello I’m Anna from US seeking to journey dm me” doesn’t strike me as one thing an precise particular person would say.

Whereas female-only teams have been a official strategy to meet folks for a very long time (Ladies Love Journey being probably the most well-known), the mixed-gender ones at all times felt a bit sketchy. However they stored popping up in my feed.

So I regarded into them extra rigorously to see in the event that they actually have been spammy. Whereas there have been many faux profiles and creepy dudes (sorry, guys, but it surely’s the web, and there are tons of these), typically I did come throughout actual individuals who appeared typically enthusiastic about assembly others, nevertheless few and much between they have been.

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

I used the group Discover a Journey Buddy whereas in Europe and posted a few of my tentative plans. I bought tons of of responses and direct messages, which was fairly overwhelming.

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

However I waded by means of all of the junk and finally discovered actual folks to fulfill up with. In the long run, I solely met a number of 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 gaggle of oldsters, and one other with an Italian lady and her pals in Amsterdam. Every time, they took me round to locations I wouldn’t have seen in any other case, and I bought to fulfill locals. It was a great way to make new pals and discover folks to speak to.

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

When you’re wanting to make use of them, listed here are some options to attenuate (however not eradicate) 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’re on the lookout for (age, type of journey associate, gender, and so on.)

My present favourite teams are:

From there, for security, I might extremely suggest wanting on the profiles of respondents to verify they’re actual and solely meet in public locations. Past that, have enjoyable! These teams may not be as simple to make use of as Couchsurfing was, however no less than there’s something as of late 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.