The right way to Use Fb Teams to Meet Different Vacationers

Keep 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 irrespective of the place you have been on this planet. It was the most effective methods to fulfill locals and vacationers on the highway. It was one in all my favourite websites.

Just about everybody on the group right here used it so much over time. 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 beloved it. I met individuals in cities like Lyon simply to hang around, did meet-ups in NYC, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and so many different locations.

However ever because the website began charging round 2013, after which instituted a paywall in the course of the pandemic, fewer and fewer individuals have used it. Lately, it’s a shell of its former self.

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

It’s an actual disgrace as Couchsurfing actually modified the way in which individuals traveled. It was as ubiquitous as Lonely Planet!

So, with Couchsurfing (and comparable web sites) fairly useless, the place does one go to fulfill individuals now?

Reply: Fb — which is truthfully the final place I’d have thought, as a result of, properly, 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 fame because the place your aunt posts memes or your loopy cousin rants about racist stuff.

However, each time I signal into Fb, I hold seeing posts from all kinds of teams in my feed, with individuals on the lookout for journey buddies: backpacking Europe, backpacking Australia, digital nomads in (insert vacation spot), discover a journey buddy…the listing of teams goes on and on.

I used to be skeptical of them at first, as a result of once 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 lure somebody. “Hello I’m Anna from US trying to journey dm me” doesn’t strike me as one thing an precise individual would say.

Whereas female-only teams have been a professional approach to meet individuals for a very long time (Ladies Love Journey being one of the crucial well-known), the mixed-gender ones at all times felt a little bit sketchy. However they stored popping up in my feed.

So I appeared into them extra fastidiously to see in the event that they actually have been spammy. Whereas there have been many faux profiles and creepy dudes (sorry, guys, nevertheless it’s the web, and there are tons of these), generally I did come throughout actual individuals who appeared usually concerned with assembly others, nonetheless few and much between they have been.

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

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

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

However I waded by means of all of the junk and finally discovered actual individuals to fulfill up with. Ultimately, 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 evening out in Freiburg, Germany, with a bunch of oldsters, and one other with an Italian lady and her buddies 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 buddies and discover individuals to speak to.

Despite the fact that it’s important to wade by means of loads of rubbish, I feel these teams are nice, particularly in case you are touring alone. Whereas I don’t have the persona to go on a multi-day journey with a stranger, I did love the power to fulfill individuals as I traveled.

In case you’re trying to make use of them, listed below are some options to reduce (however not get rid of) the rubbish replies:

1. Be particular about the place you’re going and when (in any other case, individuals 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, sort of journey companion, gender, and so on.)

My present favourite teams are:

From there, for security, I’d extremely suggest trying on the profiles of respondents to ensure they’re actual and solely meet in public locations. Past that, have enjoyable! These teams may not be as straightforward to make use of as Couchsurfing was, however at the very least there’s something today 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.