No matter if you’re on a short city-break in Prague, a two-week backpacking trip in Argentina or a two-month road trip through the United States, there’s no better way of getting to know a place than talking to the locals. They know the ins and outs, the dos and don’ts, the where-to-gos – and the where-not-to-gos. They are, in a nutshell, the best tour guide you could wish for. However, data from our 2016 International Travel Survey showed that despite 60% of us wanting to talk to locals, only 25% make the move to do so. Besides approaching strangers directly, or asking for directions and hoping it’ll turn into more than just a quick reply, meeting locals can be tricky. We’ve collected our favorite pick of websites and apps that will help you meet locals while traveling.
Meet local people
Another great way of meeting the locals is to plan a personal guided tour of wherever you’re headed to. There are hundreds of options in hundreds of places, so pick your place, pick your guide, and jump in.
Vayable
Along the same lines as Withlocals, Vayable offers meals, local tours and entertainment to curious travelers. Focusing on 10 European cities, they offer all kinds of set tours, but also offer the chance to request a personalized tour if what you see doesn’t grab your fancy.
FlySister.com is a professional community created only to bring together thousands of cabin crew and travelers around the world. The happiness of visiting this fascinating world, spending time with happy and interesting people, having all you want and living your life to the fullest – we know how much you’re craving for all these. Consider it as your travel community where you can use your mobile phone or desktop and really meet local lovely travelers, to find a job, open your house to travelers, offer transportation and guiding services.
CouchSurfing
The largest and most well-known hospitality exchange out there, Couchsurfing is a tried and tested way to get a bed for the night, insider knowledge, and, if you’re lucky, new local friends. Sign up, find a host, and get social.