10 Ways to Make Friends in a New City as a Digital Nomad

The digital nomad life is a solitary one, and I love that about it. Most of the time I’m perfectly content to spend my days working, nights curled up with my dog, and weekends solo exploring. But every now and then I get the urge to hose off the slop, put on real clothes, and have a night out on the town, damn it! Here are some methods that have worked for me to meet people and make friends in a new city as a digital nomad (and keep my social muscles from completely atrophying).

1.) Meetup.com

The picture above was taken at a goat yoga class I found on Meetup. Look at its little dress!

One of the first things I do in a new city is go on Meetup and look for groups with my interests that I can. join. My favorite group is Shut Up and Write. I try to find a local chapter in every city I visit. The chapters are not all of the same quality, but it’s definitely a “safe” way to go out and meet people. How it works is that you write for an hour about anything you want, and at the end, you can socialize or simply leave. I’ll write blog posts, copy, fiction, poetry–whatever I’m feeling that day. It’s the perfect activity for an introvert like me!

No meetup groups with your interests? You can also make your own group. I have not tried this yet, personally, but I don’t see why not!

A word of caution regarding Meetup: As a solo female, I prefer to stick to groups with interests other than drinking. I’ve been to pub crawls and brewery gatherings, and it’s a mixed bag of folks who show up. You can meet some great people there, but in my experience, many people, mainly the men, who show up who are looking for hookups/dating, and if that’s not what you’re looking for, you may feel anywhere from mildly uncomfortable to super creeped out. Ick.

2.) Facebook groups

Another thing I do when I arrive in a new city is go on Facebook and search “(City name) meetups” and “(City name) new friends.” This will pull up a few groups based in whatever city I’m in. The quality of these groups varies.

Some cities have amazing Facebook groups to help you make new friends (looking at you, NYC). You know it’s a good group if there’s a disclaimer saying it’s not a dating group and that you could be banned you if you treat it as such.

A Facebook group is actually what led me to do my first boudoir photoshoot!

Sometimes, though, the Facebook groups seem to be a free-for-all. No one seems to plan events and stick to them. Every other post is someone complaining about their relationship. And other drama.

I recommend making a post introducing yourself, if you feel comfortable doing so. Say you’re a digital nomad/solo traveler and you’re looking to make some friends. Ask if anyone wants do to an activity with you–get coffee, try a fitness class, etc–whatever interests you. This method can be a great way to connect with new people on an individual basis.

3.) Bumble BFF

I’ve only successfully made one friend on Bumble BFF, but it’s quality over quantity and she’s definitely a keeper. I’ve met up with a couple of other ladies on there too, but then we never spoke again. It’s easy to forget to check the app, and you only have 24 hours for either of you to make a move once a match is made. I’ve got two expired matches sitting in my list right now. Oops.

4.) A tour

I love a good tour. Food tours, city tours, ghost tours, vampire tours–you name it. The photo above is from the Ahoy tour company. If you’re in NYC, I recommend their Chinatown and Little Italy food tour. It was on that tour that I ate the best dumpling I’ve ever had in my whole life. I could do an entire post on that tour (or the dumpling). Bonus: if you’re uncomfortable eating alone in restaurants, a food tour is a good alternative!

I tend to go on tours to experience something unique to the city I’m in and get a feel for that city.

Sometimes I’ll meet other cool travelers. Fun fact: traveling releases dopamine into your brain, so you’re high on dopamine and so is everyone else, so everbody’s usually in a good mood and up to chatting.

On the other hand, at times, tourists can be entitled and annoying. I’ve encountered many rude people on tours as well.

A great tour company to check out is Free Tours by Foot. They are located in many American and European cities, and you pay your guide what you wish.

5.) shows

Music, comedy, open mic nights, poetry readings, and so on. I’ve socialized with strangers, and I’ve blended in with the background. This option is a pretty safe bet because it’s up to you how visible you want to be, and everyone’s going to be watching the show.

I like to look for other people who are there alone and say hi. Sometimes you’ll hit it off, sometimes you won’t. Sometimes they’ll walk away from you… One of my favorite nights of travel started off because I said hello to another woman who was at a show solo, but that’s another post.

6.) bars

I’ve met some of the best people “in the wild.” Bars, Mardi Gras parades, coffee shops. This works particularly well if it’s a “friendly” city. It’s nerveracking, but it can be done. For bars, I never go alone on the weekend because of crowds. I’ll go on a random Tuesday and bring a book, and I will choose a brewery, winery, or dive bar. I’ve met and befriended locals, people traveling for work, and folks traveling for fun. Bonus: this can also work for meeting people to date!

7.) Eventbrite events

Eventbrite is a great resource to keep track of events happening nearby. I will look for events, go to them solo, and sometimes make a new friend. You could also combine this with method 2, Facebook groups and ask if anyone in the Facebook group would like to go with you.

8.) Fitness classes/the gym

Fitness classes are a great way to make friends in a new city. Sometimes the studios will organize happy hours and other social events. Plus, if you go to the same class consistently you’ll start to recognize people who do the same and eventually get to know them.

9.) dog parks

 This is a great idea because even if you don’t make any new human friends, you’ll at least find some new puppy friends! And who couldn’t use more dog friends? I have to use caution at dog parks–L.G. doesn’t do well in smaller dog parks, but is usually fine in larger ones. If you have a dog who just loves making new friends, you’re all set.

10.) Karaoke

How on earth did karaoke become the go-to activity for an introverted, neurodivergent person who can’t sing?

I don’t know, but it did.

I do karaoke with everyone–strangers, friends, love interests… I’ve gotten many people who said they were nervous about it it to give it a try. It’s so fun, and it seems like you can’t help talking to someone new–and if you don’t meet anyone new, find a new karaoke spot–plenty out there are super welcoming and would love for you to come sing. your little heart out with them.

Final Thoughts on Making Friends as a Digital Nomad

Well, that’s all I got for now. I’ll update this list periodically if I come up with new ways for meeting people on the road. My next goal is to make a new friend on a hiking trail. I’ll post about it if I do!

What about you–do you try to make new friends when you travel? Let me know in the comments below

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