Solo travel stitched lasting friendships across Europe

solo travel – In 2024, multiple solo trips across Europe led to new friendships in London, Berlin, Paris, and Lisbon—relationships the traveler says can be as valuable as local ties, even when plans are sporadic and long-distance.

In 2024, she stepped onto European streets alone—but by the end of that first night in London, the trip didn’t feel lonely at all. Sleep-deprived and running on pure excitement, she met Nora at a restaurant. That night turned into weeks of hanging out in London’s pubs, parks, and restaurants.

The momentum followed her across the continent. The following month, she met Zoe, a Parisian solo traveler, on a Holocaust tour in Berlin. In the days after, they spent time together dancing in world-famous techno clubs.

Then came December, when she rang in the New Year with women solo travelers and locals in Lisbon. One of those locals became her friend, Martha—someone who was living in Paris but spending the holiday season at home.

When she later solidified plans to head to Spain, she didn’t just look at logistics. She also pushed for something more personal: the chance to extend her trip to Paris and London and reunite with the friends she’d made. After confirming they would be around, she booked her flights and accommodation for both cities.

In Paris, she was technically traveling alone—but from the start, she barely had time to herself. As soon as she got off the train, she was on the phone with Zoe to coordinate plans. She said it would be fitting to see a burlesque show together. After the show, they went dancing at Le Raidd, a popular gay club in Le Marais.

Zoe hadn’t spoken regularly with her since their time together in Berlin, but the catch-up didn’t feel delayed. They “caught up on everything,” from career moves and their families to their shared love of romance novels. “I rarely go out in Paris. ” Zoe told her—an admission that surprised her. because based on their earlier adventures she assumed Zoe was always hopping from one adventure to the next.

The next evening she met Martha in person. They went to Sacré-Coeur, where, because it was still chilly, there were barely any crowds. They wandered through cobblestoned streets and spent hours talking at Café Des Deux Moulins, a café made famous by the film “Amelié.”

Despite being raised in completely different cultures, she says their mindsets about business, travel, and love were surprisingly similar. She learned that, contrary to some French stereotypes, many Parisians struggle with work-life balance. She also says her friends enjoyed hearing about her adventures and day-to-day life in California.

Martha, she reports, found it refreshing to visit tourist attractions. Seeing how excited she was by red-adorned cafés, flower-lined archways, and artist stalls in Montmartre energized Martha as she watched the city through “rose-colored glasses.”

Martha also recommended a local French restaurant—La Cantine de la Cigale—where she later tried authentic duck confit on her own that night. In a city like Paris, she said she appreciated getting local recommendations because it helped her avoid tourist traps.

After spending a week in Paris, she took the quick two-hour Eurostar train to London to meet Nora. With less than 24 hours in the city. they revisited old haunts in Hackney. including her old Airbnb and the Sainsbury’s grocery store she used to frequent. They even returned to the restaurant where they originally met.

What stands out in her account is how the friendships didn’t follow a strict rule of time together. In London. Berlin. and Lisbon. she met people through specific moments—restaurants. tours. nightlife. and the start of a New Year—not through long stays that would normally be expected to “build” relationships. When she returned to Paris and London, those connections picked up again quickly, even when the gap between visits stretched.

Long-distance, she notes, can be harder than keeping close ties with people who are nearby. But she says the distance also changed her: she developed more empathy, learned new cultures, and tried different activities. Her friends. she says. gave her a taste of Parisian and London life in places she wouldn’t have found on her own.

She argues that without the risk of exploring Europe alone and putting herself out there with new people, those connections never would have happened. Now, she believes her long-distance friendships are just as important as her relationships back home.

She says Nora, Zoe, and Martha understand they can visit her anytime they’re in San Francisco, and she’s confident that because of their shared memories, they can “pick up right where we left off,” even if they only keep in touch sporadically.

Solo travel, she says, also made her more open, kind, and vulnerable. She describes feeling more resilient and caring less about what others think. Most of all. she credits the international friendships with making her world feel more connected—and she thanks her friends. and future connections to come. for helping her call multiple cities home.

solo travel Europe London Paris Berlin Lisbon friendships long-distance relationships Eurostar travel