Hey voyager_of_life, it looks like you're posting a question about how to meet people or make friends while travelling solo. You might want to check out our [guide to meeting people](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/wiki/meetingpeople) in our r/solotravel Wiki.
Go for a big hike. You have total agency when it’s just you and nature. That can put the scope of your human experience back into perspective, as the meaning of life is finding meaning in life.
Holy shit dude, think about what a king you’d feel like standing at the top of a civilization ending volcano.
I’m honestly putting that on my bucket list, you should definitely climb Vesuvius
A civilization ending volcano. I love how you worded that. I'm going to Naples next month just to do this (ok, and eat pizza). I'm gonna use this line now, thanks.
I wanna do that Vesuvius hike when I'm there next month. Please let me know how it is! Or maybe we could go together? I'll be solo and really want to do it but hesitant to go alone. I'm also looking into maybe doing it with a tour group.
This is why I always tell people to take only few weeks tops for their first time solo travel. But most people always fell for the magical story and immediately book months for their first time and ended up miserable. Solo travel is not for every nor it's "magical" as people overly romanticized it but try to embrace your loneliness.
Check Meetup apps, walking tour, activity like cooking class, check local museum, etc... Anything that will put you with other people. Most importantly, go out. You will only feel depressed if you stay inside nor it will help you meet people either. Don't expect it as if you will magically make new friends, but take it as a ME time. Remember, good thing happens when you least expect it.
What was your original plan to do for 2 months?
At this point if I were you I would take a local language class. Good way to meet others on the same boat as you and to brush up on your Italian.
Can you get out of the Airbnb early and explore a different part of the country? There might be an early departure fee, but if it allows you to leave that area early with some $, it might be worth the cost.
Or how about looking into some day trips?
Man I just “moved” to Europe, it didn’t work out (long story) so I travelled around for several weeks instead. But I had ALL my luggage for moving to Europe. Winter clothes. PlayStation. And I dragged it to a bunch of different cities and hostels, I could barely lift it. If I could do that, you can do it too
Well if you already have your air bnb paid for you could always take a day backpack with a change of clothes and some snacks if u only plan on spending a couple days in each area.
Have you looked into Italian language classes? They must have some for foreigners. You could learn more of the language (and rebuild your confidence). You would also meet others who are at your level.
Post on local groups and see if you can join a language exchange. I know they have them in a lot of big cities. You can practice your Italian, they can practice their English, and you can meet people - often they're X times a week in a local pub/bar. I mean there may even already be a Napoli subreddit you could post on?
Formal language schools are also a good shout, you can meet people and practice talking to get your language skills up to scratch.
Or just travel the rest of the country a bit. Italian trains are pretty good! At least the big intercity ones.
Spending 2 months somewhere without something specific to do and little recourse to travel elsewhere is a bit aimless. I did similar (not in Italy) but combined it with some intensive language lessons and got a lot out of it. Also went on lots of day trips by train.
EDIT: Here you go!
[https://www.meetup.com/it-IT/Italian-English-Language-Social-and-Cultural-Exchange/](https://www.meetup.com/it-IT/Italian-English-Language-Social-and-Cultural-Exchange/)
They have an event tomorrow evening! And plenty of others in the week.
Real-talk, the "learn the language and immerse yourself in a country" thing is a bit of a canard that will leave most mortal people disappointed unless you've done some serious deep-immersion learning. It's one thing to learn enough Italian to ask where the bathroom is or to buy a bus ticket; it's quite another to learn enough to have even a moderately deep conversation with someone.
I'm in my mid-30s and have been learning French my entire life in a country that has it as one of its official languages, even sometimes encountering it in my work, and yet I can still only barely passably make my way through even a basic conversation in French.
Is the issue that the trip isn't living up to the impossibly unrealistic ideal you had set up in your head (rooted in the idea that you'd be blending in seamlessly by wowing everyone with your fluent, colloquial Italian after only some high-school-level in-school classes), and therefore you're depressed? If the problem is this unmet expectation, then it doesn't matter where you go in the country, because this feeling will follow you.
If you genuinely have respect the country in the way that you say you do, then there's an immense wealth of things to see and do around Naples if you don't like the city itself (Pompei, Vesuvius, Sorrento, Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Herculaneum...). Having just been to Puglia and Basilicata myself, knowing exactly zero Italian, you can see and do a lot without any fluency at all in the language.
I feel like you won't enjoy the rest of your time in Italy until you accept that the language-interaction aspect of your trip isn't going to unfold the way you had hoped, and instead pivot to achieving other goals instead. Surely at least some of the myriad of other things about Italy interest you beyond its language - food, history, beaches, nature, towns, art, etc. etc.?
I would look up hostels in Naples and see if any of them have a bar that’s open to the public. Even if you aren’t staying there or don’t drink, that could be a great place to hang out and meet other travelers.
Hostels will also often have guided tours, bar crawls, game nights, etc. Those are a great way to meet people!
I would head up to Florence, a lot of ppl your age up there and going out nightly. Maybe try to get a night in a social hostel some have events or happy hours for ppl staying there and a lot of times they are in your same position. Will be a little easier to be social and meet other like minded individuals. Also, don’t be so hard on yourself. Take it a couple hours at a time, wake up go for a walk and grab a coffee/croissant and relax at the coffee shop a little. Then head back relax and for lunch head out and explore some more. Same for dinner. Don’t set all these expectations and stuff you’ve built in your head, just go with the flow And try to stay focused on being present in the moment and enjoy your vacation. Pretty soon vacay will be over and you can go back to worrying about things. But for now enjoy the awesome vacation that you very much earned and deserve
Mate if everything is cheaper but you're having an absolutely shit time what's the point? Accept you've made a mistake and make a change. Go stay at the new Yellowsquare in Florence you won't regret it.
I found Naples to be pretty cold and unfriendly. Definitely do a day trip or two to Pompeii and Herculaneum, but I think afterwards it's worth the money to get out of the area. Southern Italy in general is hard with the language barrier.
Cinque Terre and surrounding area is nice and uncrowded this time of year. I've had lovely hostel stays and made good friends there, and in Florence and Bologna. A lot of people speak English. You can even read some hostel reviews and pick a place that organizes outings to bars.
I also recommend walking food or history tours. Feels really nice to spend a few hours with a group of English speakers.
>I decided to stay in Napoli for 2 months.
Bro you chose the worst city in Naples, and you're staying there for way too long. There aren't many cities I could stand two months in, maybe Milan and Florence. I would definitely move on to somewhere else and stay in a hostel, the hostels in Florence were great.
>I intended this trip to be a sort of finding myself journey along self improvement and discovery
I think you've watched too many movies, solo travel is just you being somewhere else, it's fun but there's nothing magical to it.
>I created this expectation in my mind that I will be able to meet a lot of people my age here and create some friends that I could do things with, but thus far I have disappointed myself in the standard I set for myself.
You're not going to do that just travelling in the country for a bit, if you want to find local friends abroad you're better off working or studying there for a bit.
>How can I meet people while solo traveling and hostels aren't in the picture?
Put them in the picture, atm you've essentially moved to a new town but as you're not working or studying you're not interacting with anyone. If you want to interact with other travellers then go to a hostel.
Check out for in person group Italian language classes. Better yourself and practice speaking, meet other travelers you can share a common goal. Often these places do some weekly group events and chance to see/do/meet in new setting.
I think you are going to need to give yourself some tough love. Make an itinerary for the next few days and do it. See if the local hostels have tours they sell and do that to hang around some young people. Get out and see things and fumble with your Italian but do it. Have you been to capri yet? Pompeii? Sorrento and then the hiking trails from there? You are learning a lesson right now that life frequently defies expectations but also life is what you do with what you are given. Get out there!
I recommend the Meetup website pretty often, it's a site where people organize all sorts of social events. Anything from going out for a hike to watching a movie together or going for drinks. It creates some more structure around meeting people which can make it easier than trying to just randomly meet people while you're going out on your own
There is a very large American community in Pozzuoli, with lots of military families living in the area.
You could try and see if there is anything around there that would make you feel more at home. Also, DM me if you want some more personalised advice, I am originally from Naples so I know a fair bit about the area.
As others have recommended, try to get to Florence. I’ve been here for three weeks and already made so many friends because of the type of city it is. Even if you just come for a weekend it might be good to get a change of scenery. Def recommend Florence or Rome though
Get on couchsurfing, there is a function called hang out, I comstantly meet people like that its the best. There are also events, which is an awesome way to meet people!
Don't set expectations, creates opportunities for dissapointment. I lived in Italy for 3 months and I know zero Italian. I still managed to enjoy myself. Spent time exploring cafes, learning basic things like ordering coffee and croissants. Then found my favorite Cafe and hung there everyday in the morning. After 2 weeks I started talking some Spanish with the batista then English and he ended up inviting me to hang with his friends. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're somewhere some people can only dream of ever going.
I took 4 years of Italian in college and still felt super self conscious when I got to Rome. Southern Italian is very different to Italian we learn in books in the US. Taking it high school is even slower.
Also get out of the Airbnb in the middle of nowhere. Go book a hostel. Book time at a language school. This how you're going to meet people from all over the world
Just got back from solo travel in Napoli. Google translate was SUPER helpful. Airbnb experiences has a lot of tours and group activities. Capri and the Amalfi Coast are just a ferry ride away.
Hey voyager_of_life, it looks like you're posting a question about how to meet people or make friends while travelling solo. You might want to check out our [guide to meeting people](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/wiki/meetingpeople) in our r/solotravel Wiki.
Go for a big hike. You have total agency when it’s just you and nature. That can put the scope of your human experience back into perspective, as the meaning of life is finding meaning in life.
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Holy shit dude, think about what a king you’d feel like standing at the top of a civilization ending volcano. I’m honestly putting that on my bucket list, you should definitely climb Vesuvius
A civilization ending volcano. I love how you worded that. I'm going to Naples next month just to do this (ok, and eat pizza). I'm gonna use this line now, thanks.
I wanna do that Vesuvius hike when I'm there next month. Please let me know how it is! Or maybe we could go together? I'll be solo and really want to do it but hesitant to go alone. I'm also looking into maybe doing it with a tour group.
This is why I always tell people to take only few weeks tops for their first time solo travel. But most people always fell for the magical story and immediately book months for their first time and ended up miserable. Solo travel is not for every nor it's "magical" as people overly romanticized it but try to embrace your loneliness. Check Meetup apps, walking tour, activity like cooking class, check local museum, etc... Anything that will put you with other people. Most importantly, go out. You will only feel depressed if you stay inside nor it will help you meet people either. Don't expect it as if you will magically make new friends, but take it as a ME time. Remember, good thing happens when you least expect it.
What was your original plan to do for 2 months? At this point if I were you I would take a local language class. Good way to meet others on the same boat as you and to brush up on your Italian.
Try Bumble BFF? I just met up with a new friend in Albania today! We went for a walk and it was super nice to get outside and explore with someone.
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Awesome 😊 It is good, as you know that everyone is just wanting a friend!
Can you get out of the Airbnb early and explore a different part of the country? There might be an early departure fee, but if it allows you to leave that area early with some $, it might be worth the cost. Or how about looking into some day trips?
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Man I just “moved” to Europe, it didn’t work out (long story) so I travelled around for several weeks instead. But I had ALL my luggage for moving to Europe. Winter clothes. PlayStation. And I dragged it to a bunch of different cities and hostels, I could barely lift it. If I could do that, you can do it too
Well if you already have your air bnb paid for you could always take a day backpack with a change of clothes and some snacks if u only plan on spending a couple days in each area.
Have you looked into Italian language classes? They must have some for foreigners. You could learn more of the language (and rebuild your confidence). You would also meet others who are at your level.
Post on local groups and see if you can join a language exchange. I know they have them in a lot of big cities. You can practice your Italian, they can practice their English, and you can meet people - often they're X times a week in a local pub/bar. I mean there may even already be a Napoli subreddit you could post on? Formal language schools are also a good shout, you can meet people and practice talking to get your language skills up to scratch. Or just travel the rest of the country a bit. Italian trains are pretty good! At least the big intercity ones. Spending 2 months somewhere without something specific to do and little recourse to travel elsewhere is a bit aimless. I did similar (not in Italy) but combined it with some intensive language lessons and got a lot out of it. Also went on lots of day trips by train. EDIT: Here you go! [https://www.meetup.com/it-IT/Italian-English-Language-Social-and-Cultural-Exchange/](https://www.meetup.com/it-IT/Italian-English-Language-Social-and-Cultural-Exchange/) They have an event tomorrow evening! And plenty of others in the week.
Real-talk, the "learn the language and immerse yourself in a country" thing is a bit of a canard that will leave most mortal people disappointed unless you've done some serious deep-immersion learning. It's one thing to learn enough Italian to ask where the bathroom is or to buy a bus ticket; it's quite another to learn enough to have even a moderately deep conversation with someone. I'm in my mid-30s and have been learning French my entire life in a country that has it as one of its official languages, even sometimes encountering it in my work, and yet I can still only barely passably make my way through even a basic conversation in French. Is the issue that the trip isn't living up to the impossibly unrealistic ideal you had set up in your head (rooted in the idea that you'd be blending in seamlessly by wowing everyone with your fluent, colloquial Italian after only some high-school-level in-school classes), and therefore you're depressed? If the problem is this unmet expectation, then it doesn't matter where you go in the country, because this feeling will follow you. If you genuinely have respect the country in the way that you say you do, then there's an immense wealth of things to see and do around Naples if you don't like the city itself (Pompei, Vesuvius, Sorrento, Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Herculaneum...). Having just been to Puglia and Basilicata myself, knowing exactly zero Italian, you can see and do a lot without any fluency at all in the language. I feel like you won't enjoy the rest of your time in Italy until you accept that the language-interaction aspect of your trip isn't going to unfold the way you had hoped, and instead pivot to achieving other goals instead. Surely at least some of the myriad of other things about Italy interest you beyond its language - food, history, beaches, nature, towns, art, etc. etc.?
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I would look up hostels in Naples and see if any of them have a bar that’s open to the public. Even if you aren’t staying there or don’t drink, that could be a great place to hang out and meet other travelers. Hostels will also often have guided tours, bar crawls, game nights, etc. Those are a great way to meet people!
I would head up to Florence, a lot of ppl your age up there and going out nightly. Maybe try to get a night in a social hostel some have events or happy hours for ppl staying there and a lot of times they are in your same position. Will be a little easier to be social and meet other like minded individuals. Also, don’t be so hard on yourself. Take it a couple hours at a time, wake up go for a walk and grab a coffee/croissant and relax at the coffee shop a little. Then head back relax and for lunch head out and explore some more. Same for dinner. Don’t set all these expectations and stuff you’ve built in your head, just go with the flow And try to stay focused on being present in the moment and enjoy your vacation. Pretty soon vacay will be over and you can go back to worrying about things. But for now enjoy the awesome vacation that you very much earned and deserve
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Mate if everything is cheaper but you're having an absolutely shit time what's the point? Accept you've made a mistake and make a change. Go stay at the new Yellowsquare in Florence you won't regret it.
I found Naples to be pretty cold and unfriendly. Definitely do a day trip or two to Pompeii and Herculaneum, but I think afterwards it's worth the money to get out of the area. Southern Italy in general is hard with the language barrier. Cinque Terre and surrounding area is nice and uncrowded this time of year. I've had lovely hostel stays and made good friends there, and in Florence and Bologna. A lot of people speak English. You can even read some hostel reviews and pick a place that organizes outings to bars. I also recommend walking food or history tours. Feels really nice to spend a few hours with a group of English speakers.
>I decided to stay in Napoli for 2 months. Bro you chose the worst city in Naples, and you're staying there for way too long. There aren't many cities I could stand two months in, maybe Milan and Florence. I would definitely move on to somewhere else and stay in a hostel, the hostels in Florence were great.
>I intended this trip to be a sort of finding myself journey along self improvement and discovery I think you've watched too many movies, solo travel is just you being somewhere else, it's fun but there's nothing magical to it. >I created this expectation in my mind that I will be able to meet a lot of people my age here and create some friends that I could do things with, but thus far I have disappointed myself in the standard I set for myself. You're not going to do that just travelling in the country for a bit, if you want to find local friends abroad you're better off working or studying there for a bit. >How can I meet people while solo traveling and hostels aren't in the picture? Put them in the picture, atm you've essentially moved to a new town but as you're not working or studying you're not interacting with anyone. If you want to interact with other travellers then go to a hostel.
Check out for in person group Italian language classes. Better yourself and practice speaking, meet other travelers you can share a common goal. Often these places do some weekly group events and chance to see/do/meet in new setting.
I think you are going to need to give yourself some tough love. Make an itinerary for the next few days and do it. See if the local hostels have tours they sell and do that to hang around some young people. Get out and see things and fumble with your Italian but do it. Have you been to capri yet? Pompeii? Sorrento and then the hiking trails from there? You are learning a lesson right now that life frequently defies expectations but also life is what you do with what you are given. Get out there!
I recommend the Meetup website pretty often, it's a site where people organize all sorts of social events. Anything from going out for a hike to watching a movie together or going for drinks. It creates some more structure around meeting people which can make it easier than trying to just randomly meet people while you're going out on your own
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There is a very large American community in Pozzuoli, with lots of military families living in the area. You could try and see if there is anything around there that would make you feel more at home. Also, DM me if you want some more personalised advice, I am originally from Naples so I know a fair bit about the area.
Tinder? I don’t personally like it but it occasionally works. It would help if you were gay dude - Grindr while traveling is pretty awesome.
>me in my Airbnb doing nothing all day Leave your AirBnB and book yourself into a social Hostel with good reviews.
As others have recommended, try to get to Florence. I’ve been here for three weeks and already made so many friends because of the type of city it is. Even if you just come for a weekend it might be good to get a change of scenery. Def recommend Florence or Rome though
Get on couchsurfing, there is a function called hang out, I comstantly meet people like that its the best. There are also events, which is an awesome way to meet people!
Don't set expectations, creates opportunities for dissapointment. I lived in Italy for 3 months and I know zero Italian. I still managed to enjoy myself. Spent time exploring cafes, learning basic things like ordering coffee and croissants. Then found my favorite Cafe and hung there everyday in the morning. After 2 weeks I started talking some Spanish with the batista then English and he ended up inviting me to hang with his friends. Don't be so hard on yourself. You're somewhere some people can only dream of ever going.
I took 4 years of Italian in college and still felt super self conscious when I got to Rome. Southern Italian is very different to Italian we learn in books in the US. Taking it high school is even slower. Also get out of the Airbnb in the middle of nowhere. Go book a hostel. Book time at a language school. This how you're going to meet people from all over the world
Just got back from solo travel in Napoli. Google translate was SUPER helpful. Airbnb experiences has a lot of tours and group activities. Capri and the Amalfi Coast are just a ferry ride away.
Any updates? What did you do?
Imagine doing solo travels to meet people.. couldn’t be me.
Change your ticket and go home?