The Indie Travel Podcast

I’ll admit it; I have my share of kitschy photos of me posing in front of famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the Colosseum. I’ve also gorged myself on gnocchi in Italy, goulash in Hungary, and, oddly, American Texas pizza in Sweden. And I’ve come home with Hungarian rap CDs to “Pope-eners” (Pope bottle openers) to give to friends and family. But despite my fascination with the sights, snacks, and souvenirs or other places, I really travel for something else: the people.

Blame it on the fact that I’ve usually traveled solo and wasn’t used to being alone. Or consider it the result of wanting to get off the beaten path. Or maybe I just needed help finding the right train. But in all fairness, you don’t need a reason to meet people on the road.

And many times, you don’t need to make any effort. While traveling to Turkey, my two travel partners and I arrived in Istanbul after 9 p.m. with no hotel reservations. A helpful local approached us and not only suggested a hotel, but he also walked us there with no obligation and then bought us dinner. He ended up acting as our tour guide during our stay and asked for nothing in return.  

When I stranded in a Polish train station, I waited anxiously for a 4 a.m. train to Germany, my mind addled by horror stories of the Russian mafia’s presence on these trains. I befriended two Polish teens who impressed me with their desires to travel. The brother impressed me further with his knowledge of German, Russian, and a little English, all of which he had picked up on the streets. He then used his language skills to convince me that no Russian mafia would be on the trains to drug me and take my belongings. This got me to relax until the train arrived. And I enjoyed the ride in my Mafia-free compartment (unless the Russian mafia is two elderly ladies who knit).

Of course, locals aren’t the only people worth meeting. Once I met an Australian girl on a train from Prague to Berlin. We chatted briefly, took a photo together, and swapped addresses. Since then, Katy has visited me several times in the States, and I have an open invitation to visit Australia. Another time I landed the last available bed in a 26-bed room in a Dublin hostel. I made friends with an American couple who invited me to stay with them in England. Ultimately, this led to me visiting them in California, where I now live. Jason and Kristen have since moved, but we still keep in touch. And the best part is that these chance meetings occurred over a decade ago, but I consider Jason, Kristen, and Katy to be close friends to this day.

Not every encounter will result in a lifelong friendship, but you can still enjoy someone’s company for the time you’re sharing a table at a restaurant or a compartment on a train. Often that’s enough time to learn something new about the area, or about the person’s culture, or even just to learn about the other person’s favorite music. While on a German train, I sat across from a girl staring out the window listening to her mp3 player. After vicariously listening to a few songs (her headphones were loud enough for me to hear), I asked her the name of a song I found particularly catchy. Not only did I get the name of the song, but also a list of highly recommended songs, an offer to use her headphones, and an invitation to visit her in Georgia. (The country, not the state.)

If you’re looking for ways to meet people on the road, there are several things you can do to improve your chances. Even if you’re the silent type, you can be meeting people during your travels.

Stay in hostels—Not only are hostels cheaper than hotels, but they allow you to interact with fellow travelers. Many hostels offer dorm rooms with the chance to bunk with several strangers. Even if you choose a private room, a common dining area and suggested activities will still throw you into a crowd.

Steer clear of empty train compartments—Often empty train compartments are highly coveted for those who prefer privacy, especially for overnight journeys. But for short day trips, try a compartment with fellow travelers or someone who looks sociable. If they have a chainsaw, it’s best to move on.

Be approachable—If you want to meet people, you’ve got to look like you’re open to doing so. Make yourself seen. Take the headphones out of your ears (unless you can share your music with others), make eye contact, and open your mouth, even if just to say hello to someone passing you. And leave the chainsaw at home.

Learn the language—No doubt people will want to practice their English on you, but knowing a few words in the native tongue lets you speak with all the non-English speakers, especially the older crowd. Even saying “thank you” or “I want a pony” in the vernacular can bring a smile to someone else’s face and make them feel included when others are speaking English.

Worth a thousand words of conversation—A good way to start a conversation with someone is to ask them to take your picture. (Often you can ask them to be in a picture as well). Or pack a small photo album. Even if you don’t have the nerve to show it to others, pulling it out so you can look at it will definitely make people curious and inquisitive.

Bring enough for the rest of the class—Sometimes the simplest conversation-starter begins with offering the other person a piece of candy or gum. I once offered chocolate to a girl on a train to Budapest, and she reciprocated with a few sips of her beer. In retrospect, it was perhaps not the safest thing to do, but she turned out to be fun to chat with and made the time fly. Which leads us to one more important point…

Have an open mind, but trust your instincts—Not everyone out there will be someone you want to talk to. There are plenty of pickpockets (and worse) out there, so watch out when taking food from strangers or when going off the beaten path with someone you hardly know. But people are generally decent, and like-minded travelers are generally a safe group to mingle with. If you ever feel uncomfortable, you’re generally free to move along.

But if you have a good experience, make sure you keep in touch if the situation allows, thank them if they had gone out of their way to accommodate you, send them pictures if you promised to, and don’t forget to share your stories about them with other travelers. And if you come across someone with an irrational fear of chainsaws, say hello. I might even offer you some gum.

Dave Prine studied in Germany and fell in love with the people and languages of Europe. He's currently planning a round-the-world trip but keeps getting stuck on which direction to go. In the meantime, you can check out his travel blog and his language blog if you have any recommendations.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 and is a Article, Other post. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Oh, The People You’ll Meet”

1. Bill Chapman Says:
   June 11th, 2008 at 12:46 pm

   I’d justy like to make one suggestion about languages and travel. I make use of Esperanto on my travels. Esperanto really is easy to learn and use. Take a look at http://www.esperanto.net

2. Barbara Says:
   June 11th, 2008 at 4:48 pm

   My suggestion is about good discount for hotel. When planning a trip to Prague check the offers at http://www.prague-hotels.org.uk. Sometimes they are really good. Last year when I stayed in Prague I got almost 45 % less from the real price. Though it was a low season, I enjoyed my trip and stay very much

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