This is probably slightly off topic but I wanted to post it anyway. I few times there have in the Amsterdam forum been post about if it is better to travel alone or with friends. This topic is more about how find new friends while traveling alone. The meet-up section on this site could be great for people going to Amsterdam but when the destination is some other big city then what do you people do to meet new people?
What are your best advice about how to meet other people when traveling alone?
I've met a lot of both local people and other foreigners during my trips, but still I often find it hard to meet new people. The only answer that I have to my own question is that I have noticed that it is easier to meet new people in more "international bars" than it is to meet new people at bars where the locals hang around. For example Irish bars in for example The Netherlands, Germany and Austria are normally stuffed with foreigners (mostly English speaking) that it is a bit easier to get into a conversation with compared with the locals.
I've tried to find some web sites (for other places than Amsterdam) where one can make meet-ups with other people in different cities while traveling alone, but I could not really find any good site. Does anybody know a good site for that purpose?
All advice about where to go and tips about how to meet new people while traveling alone would be much appreciated.

I'm also interested in travelling alone in the future so I shall be watching this topic with interest.

I'm not generally a shy person but i'm often not very comfortable walking up to people in bars to strike up a conversation. It's possibly easier away from home but it's certainly not something I would do here.

Not off-topic at all! In fact, I think that meeting other people, and the locals among them, is one of the highest priorities when you're going to Amsterdam, including when it's strictly a monger's trip to De Wallen.

I can suggest some things, but I think you should first know that I'm actually pretty BAD at meeting other peopple. I have had to learn to make it overt; and I'm still totally weak at landing hot-babes (except when they're working in a window).

Suggestions:

-- try ex-pat and traveler-oriented activities, such as "group" boat cruises, Kon-Tiki trips, tours of museums for specific types of people

-- try the University areas, if you're of the right age. UvA's downtown campus is a quick walk from the RLD.

-- if you're staying longer, join any groups you can. Sing in a choir, play regular sports with pick-up teams at parks, engage in cycling "tours" that are really just excuses to group up, or take a night class.

-- DON'T just sit in a bar and drink. You may end up chatting with people, but they will think of you (and you will think of them) as someone they "just met in a bar" and therefore will have a more skeptical attitude toward interacting longer-term, all other things being equal.

Be aware, that the Dutch are generally guarded about getting to know, in any manner more than just cursory, any of the many tourists who come through Amsterdam daily. They'll be very warm and polite for day-to-day interactions, but there will be a rather stolid brick wall between you and their private life, generally. They've had too many people arrive and disappear, for them to think of you as anything other than transient and therefore of very little value to them. And their culture in general is resistant to "strangers" although very accepting of having strangers live, and be different, next door. They're compartmentalized -- Amsterdam can have a RLD with semi-nude prostitutes behind windows, right next door to a middle school; and Amsterdam can have several quiet conservative Dutch families who expect their sons to marry their neighbors' daughters and go into the family businesses, and who eat meat and potatoes and stews and bitterballen most of the time, and who seldom drink and never smoke pot, just down the block from a coffeeshop where a world-reefer competition is going on. Crossing the border from "outsider" to "insider" is a bit more difficult in Amsterdam than in some other cultures -- Mexico City, Rome, or Miami might make it easier for a tourist to become a "real" friend of locals.

book_guy, you had a nice reply and thanks for that, but normally I just stay for a day or two, so your suggestions might work better for other people who are staying at the same place for a longer time. For me it is mostly just going to the bar and trying to meet people there, but maybe there are other good places to meet people than the bar, even for short trips.
Some people just seem to make so easily friends wherever they go. During my last trip I went to a bar where I met a group of 3 people. The oldest one in the group had a huge character and he was speaking to anybody and everybody in the bar. He was amazingly a 95 year old man from US who was now travelling through Europe by train. Even the 95 years milage did not seem to stop him whle I just turned my head for about 20 seconds to talk to his yonger friends and when I turned back he had moved to a table next to us, where he was entertaining a group of 3 very beautiful girls in their early 20s. I almost dropped my jaw...
The next evening I went to another bar. During the first 20 minutes I was just sitting there alone until a beautiful girl came in. She had an amazing personality and treated everybody in the whole bar like they would have been her best friend. I had some nice talk and a dance with her but she was all the time so busy making more new friends, but the best thing was the way she introduced me and other people to each other. In the end I met people from 6 different countries and had a very nice evening. Without that girl I might well have been sitting there alone for a few beers and then just left.
What I am trying to learn is how to become that person who actively is making new friends and not just being the one who passively sits there, waiting for something to happen. Obviously it is a lot about growing my own personality but also finding the right places to meet people and the right way to approach other people is very important.

Hello all

Makelove if you ever fancy a few pints with me, just let me know. Feel free to private me and maybe we can hook up one of the times we're both abroad, or your in England. The offer applies to most users on this site.

I have a love for craft beer...

Wherever I usually go ( Domestic or International ), it will involve a visit or two to sample what that destination has to offer..

I post questions on a beer forum ( after extensive homework )...

Others chime in with their suggestions, and a common bond is formed..and a meetup ( or perhaps a weed hookup ) is established...

Some people love fine small plate cuisine, museums, bicycle riding, photography ( i've given away 4 of mine )


I can't bang and smoke all day anymore.. ( Well..bang )...


Best Regards

Smuler

When traveling alone I find that the best way to meet people is to stay in a backpackers / youth hostel (you don't have to be a 'youth' to stay at a youth hostel). Usually there are lots of people, like yourself that are traveling on their own, so it's pretty easy to strike up a conversation about 'where you are from' and 'where your have been' and 'where you are going next'.
If you don't fancy 'slumming it' at a backpackers, many of them have bars where it might be easier to meet single travelers.

There's some useful hints on this thread, but ultimately when traveling alone you have to be prepared that might have to spend several days without meaningfully engaging with another soul.

bb69

Traveling alone can really be difficult . I have been to Amsterdam on several occasions alone and I found myself sitting at various bars sipping my beer bored to death. It comes down to meeting the right people at the right time. Most people are with someone else . You may strike up a conversation for an hour or so at a pub but it usually ends there.
The key is to make one friend. If you do that then you might find yourself hanging out with his or her friends one night and then your on your way.... Easier said then done.

Good topic!
I'm a solo traveller, and I'm shortly to spend my first day in Brussels, where I will be taking in the tourist attractions as well as the red lights.
I suppose it all depends on what you want from people when you meet them. For me, meeting someone in a bar and having a chat IS enough. It's company, you learn things about other people, and it can be a great time. What's not to like about that? Personally I'm never around long enough to make enduring friendships with the people I meet, so a little company is all I seek out.

Interesting topic

I agree with Trembles a little company can be more than enough at times. I like to do what suits me when I'm away hence the reason for going in the first place.

Ive always had good conversation in bars especially ones frequented by locals. I find it easier to get a conversation going when I'm away than I do at home. There's always people out there willing to have a chat over a beer or a coffee

You could always try Larry King's "How to talk to Anyone, Anytime and Anywhere" for some pointers.

Smuler has turned me onto places to hang out on two continents so far ... and at all them I had no problem meeting "transient" friends.

...it all starts with saying one word. "Hello"


Don't be pushy about it. Smile at people, be polite and friendly. More often than not someone else will say Hello to you first.

....

Long term in The Netherlands Book_Guy got it right.

I think the topic of meeting people, both local and fellow travelers, is as important as kammergirls and weed. Without some Dutch friends and fellow traveler camaraderie, the trip can be a bit flat. I have usually travelled alone. When traveling with other Americans, they have been pro-weed but anti-prostitution. I can easily do without that, lol. So that raises the stakes on meeting people. There are some trade-offs that one should consider. Here are some ways to meet people and make friends:

#1 Stay long enough to go back to the same Kammergirl, coffee shop, restaurant, bar where you had a good time before. Try a little conversation. Sometimes people will return the friendliness sometimes not.

#2 Be flexible enough that if you get invited to do something you can do it. You can’t see Europe in a week or two, so don’t try. See people instead. In a way, everyone works like the Kammergirls. If you come back a second time and remember their names, things will go better for you. The more you visit, the more people will remember you and treat you well.

#3 Carry a pen, travel log, and a good map. I like to smoke a lot of bud so my memory can be bad. For that reason, I write down names and tell people I am keeping a travel journal which is true. This is counter to the sort of travel where you spend try to see Europe in a week or two and end up spending half your time on trains. These days there is no reason not to get a disposable cell phone so you can meet up again with people you get along with.

#4 Combining your trip with your hobby or academic interest is a great way to meet other people. More than a few will others will be looking to catch a buzz and/or get laid in the RDL. The VVV will tell you about entertainment, but if you want to hook up with a local club of any kind (and there are many), you need to research and make contacts in advance.

#5 Understand language barriers and what they mean socially. For all but truly bilingual Americans, other native English speakers are your likely mates. Just because most Europeans speak some English doesn’t mean they are all good at it. Some will enjoy practicing their English or tell you about their trip to the U.S. Be an active listener and ask questions. If you are monolingual that’s on you. Learn how to be comfortable alone when necessary. Carry a book and write postcards. Take off the stinking ear buds if you want anyone to talk to you.

#6 The hordes of Brits and Irish often tend to be a drunken and sometimes a dodgy lot, but often they don’t mind adding a stray Yank to their numbers. I have learned to buy my round early because these guys can drink me under the table. The Dutch are often more socially bilingual than most other Europeans. Buying a round or pitcher is still universally appreciated.

#7 A popular coffee shop with a decent pool table can be a great venue to make friends if you can shoot pool half way decently. Be prepared for crazy rules (like you must bank the 8 ball to win) and never bet money.

#8 Americans should take note of how the Dutch and Europeans smoke weed and hash. It’s rolled with tobacco. If you want to be sociable, you will “do as the Roman’s do” and roll the big cone spiff about 50/50 cannabis to tobacco with the cardboard filter. A Dutch guy once told me, “it takes time to roll a good joint”. Instead of buying a pipe or bong, buy a grinder or children’s scissors. Dutch weed is moist and needs tobacco to burn. It’s so sticky that pulling it apart leaves you smelling like you took a weed bath until you shower. It is worth practicing before going.

#9 Coffee shops are always barebones with their facilities. You are lucky if you get soap and warm water in the restrooms. The electric driers don’t get the smoke and resin off of your hands. Once I ended up with a lousy upper respiratory infection from slumming too much, and it ruined the whole trip. Get enough sleep. Don’t be afraid to go into a nice hotel lobby to wash up if you are far from your own hotel.

#10 One sure fire way to talk to locals is to make a quest. Ask about the best local bakery (and take care of your munchies). Unless you want to get obliterated, that is not what the space cake is for. Or ask around and find a good used record store or seek out the bookstore with the best bicycle maps. Don’t just eat at the place across the street with no one in it. Ask your Kammergirl about her favorite restaurant.

#11 Finally, knowing one’s way around the area you are staying in really helps. You can sometimes make friends with fellow travels by having a good local orientation. In order to combine the familiar with new exploration, I find a home base hotel in the city I’m visiting and then travel to my new city and then return. I like Hotel France in Amsterdam and the Park Hotel in den Hague.

Very sound advice guymilch64. My next trip is probably going to be solo so I shall be using some of your tips.

I agree that having good local knowledge and bringing a travel journal is a good idea. It can also be used as a coversation starter. People can be intrigued you know a lot about their city and want to know what you're writing.

There are a number of things I'm willing to do for the sake of good international relations, but mixing weed and tobacco isn't one of them!

Neuro - that brought a good laugh! I quit smoking tobacco a long time ago and the idea of mixing my weed is repulsive.

Hello everyone as this is my first post on the board^^

A good advice could be to undertake the "free walking tour" that starts everyday from national monument at mid day ( the guys walking with the big red board saying "free walking tour" you can't possibly miss them )

The tour, when i did it, took 4 hours and then we went to a local bar with our guide for some drinks. the tour in itself is quite entertaining and informative with alas a few mistakes ( colombus was not spanish... )
I met people from nearly all around the world: two brasilians chicks one retired couple from Chicago one dude from Johanesburg and so on...
I've done the tourist tour and the RLD and both were fun and both times i ended with a bunch of other tourists hanging out for drinks for the duration of our stay!

here is their website http://www.newamsterdamtours.com/ i hope it will help!

Temboya great first post haha!!

Im gona try the RLD tour. I remember last time I was over and saw a coach load of Japanese (we are talking aged 50-100) taking a tour of the RLD and found it quite entertaining. Watching the old fella's get winked and knocked at with there stoney faced wives in tow. They hardly looked phased, but hey its Amsterdam!!

Is it worth a blast? I'm introducing my friend to Amsterdam in October and I think he would appreciate a full tour rather than a tour of my previous exploits ;).

From my point of view yes definitly.
The people you met there are generaly young and open minded and are by themselves worth the tour, but this last is truly worth it.

Haha, very true.