Let’s be honest, no one goes travelling solo without the intention of meeting people along the way, or slotting into a travel squad while you’re out there – and even the most intrepid of travellers would admit that making new friends on your own is daunting.
So step aside Tinder, these 8 platonic friendship apps double duty as the perfect apps for travel and are here to ensure you don’t end up a billy no mates on your next solo adventure…
8. Hey! Vina
Born out of an all-women’s creative collective, Hey! Vina seeks to unify women and help new friendships blossom. Unlike Tinder or Bumbe, Hey! Vina has no romantic counterpart — it’s exclusively platonic, available to women only. A profile quiz and description gets you started, and you’re well underway to finding the Dionne to your Cher as you embark on your solo travels.
7. Bumble BFF
Following the success of Bumble as a ‘female-lead’ dating platform, the company introduced the ‘BFF’ feature to help people find platonic friends, or ‘beehive’ – the Bumble way of saying squad. It’s difficult not to be drawn to the company’s feminist ethos, and with over 3 million users worldwide, Bumble BFF is a great resource for solo female travellers.
RELATED: 10 OF THE BEST PLACES TO TRAVEL ALONE AS A WOMAN
6. Skout
Skout knows that meeting people can be tough, so they’ve created an answer. Whether you’re at a local concert, cafe, bar or tour – this app will be your guide. With the app active in 180 countries and available in 14 different languages, Skout was created with the intention of being used by those bitten with the travel bug.
Their user interface aims to evoke the magic of serendipitous encounters, while providing a safe and fast way for travellers to make instant new connections and find travel buddies to partner up on adventures with. What more could a traveller ask for?
5. Cliq
Everyone who goes to a new city wants an exploring companion – and that’s where Cliq comes in. Giving you up to 15 suggestions daily of people in the area who share your listed interests, the app then goes one step further by suggesting a local activity, bar or cafe for the both of you – or your group – to get acquainted.
Perfect if you fancy a brunch date, or need someone to peruse art galleries with. As the ‘group chat’ that you’re both added to disappears by the following morning, it’s ideal for an ‘in the moment’ meet up.
4. Meetup
Meetup.com started off as a website where people could locate and attend group activities organised by locals. Now, in app form, it’s perfect for travellers looking for an immersive experience!
If you’re in a new city and you want to get involved in some local activities, or meet a like-minded community – meetup should be your go-to. Travelling to new places doesn’t have to mean a hiatus from the activities you love doing, and making friends whilst doing it is just an added bonus.
3. Patook
Patook is the newest app on the scene, allowing you to make friends with people in your immediate vicinity. Despite having a similar swiping system to Tinder, Patook is strictly platonic – and we mean really strictly. The app actually bans flirtatious messages as soon as it detects them, indicating that it’s a no romance zone, whilst also protecting users from those all too common unsolicited nudes.
Because we all know the disappointment of making friends with someone on our holidays, only to realise they want something more…
2. GayBFF
This app was born out of a lack of platforms that provide a friend-making medium for LGBTQ+ people. If you’re a traveller who wants to quickly find connections in the LGBTQ+ community in a new place and with no romantic expectations, GayBFF is a must-have app to pre-download. Similar to other apps, you swipe left or right and “match” with other users in the area to become friends. It’s also a great way to discover new activities, events and communities in the LGBTQ+ scene abroad.
RELATED: WHY SPAIN IS ONE OF THE BEST COUNTRIES TO TRAVEL TO IF YOUR LGBTQ+
1. Tripr
Armed with their tagline “Plan who you’ll cross paths with” Tripr sets the bar for platonic apps for travellers. This is the app to have if you want to meet other travellers while travelling, as opposed to just locals. The app connects travellers from across the world who are heading to the same place, at the same time, who have similar interests and likes. Sounds good to us!
By inputting your upcoming trip, no matter how long or short or what the nature of the trip is, Tripr will aid you in finding like-minded travellers on the same journey. If you’re looking for a backpacking soulmate, give this one a download.
