Apps and websites to help you meet locals
There are many ways to experience a new place. Guidebooks and websites can be a huge help in deciding what you’d like to do and see when you’re visiting somewhere new, but nothing really beats meeting local people and finding out what they like best about their area says journalist Catherine Cooper. Here she introduces some useful apps and websites to help put you in touch with others when you are travelling…
Icelandair recently launched a brilliant scheme whereby the airline pairs you up with one of their employees according to your interests to show you around for the day – completely free of charge (bar payments for any activities.) Which is great if you’re going to Iceland, but what if you’re going anywhere else? Fortunately, there are now many apps and websites which will help you meet like-minded people all over the world.
Here are a few:
Eat with a Local – This site pairs you with people happy to meet for a meal in cities all over the world – either in their home or in a restaurant. I tried this out a few years ago for a piece I was writing for easyJet magazine and met two very different, interesting people I’d never have otherwise met, who also introduced me to their favourite places to eat away from the tourist trail.
BonAppetour also introduces you to other people to dine with but focuses on “home restaurants” and foodie workshops.
Party with a Local is, as it sounds, focussed on linking you up with people close by you to trawl the bars and clubs.
BlaBlaCar is a brilliant app which connects drivers who have empty seats with travellers who want to fill them. So not only do you get to meet someone new, you should get a lift to where to want to go too (or you can offer one and cut down on your fuel costs.)
Meetup allows you to select groups according to your interests and see what events they have going on (or even organise and invite people to your own.
Vayable lets you find people who run various tours according to their own interests – examples include night-time photography tours in Paris, a “food crawl” tour of Rome and a tour of street art and graffiti in Barcelona.
http://www.homestay.com/TourBar is aimed at solo travellers and can connect you with a local “guide” wherever you are according to your interests. It also allows you to search for travel partners and even find yourself a date. Some users are verified by the site using photo ID for security.
www.homestay.com is a little like AirBnB in that you can book a stay in someone’s home – except the site specifies that the host must be living in their home at the time of the guest’s stay and be a available to spend some time with them. Some hosts offer extras such as yoga, cooking or language classes. Hosts include a Buddhist monk in Thailand, a film maker in Madrid and a fourth-generation tea planter in Sri Lanka.
Meet2Talk – If you want to practice the language of the country you’re visiting, this site can put you in touch with people who would like to chat – in return for you speaking to them in your own native language, of course.
MileHi allows you to find other people at airports and on flights who might be travelling to the same destination as you. The closer a match they are to your journey, the higher they’ll appear in your list.
It’s easy to be a little more lax about personal security on holiday, so if you do decide to meet up with local people you don’t know, take sensible precautions. These include meeting in a public place where possible and letting someone know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Happy travelling – don’t forget your phone!
Catherine Cooper is a freelance journalist living in France. You can read her blog at https://catherinecooper.wordpress.com/
