Traveling when you’re single is an exicting time; you’re not only experiencing different cultures and lands, you’re also opening your dating options to include foreign locals with intriguing looks, and sexy accents. 

If you’ve ever fantasized about a holiday romance, we don’t blame you. Our one night stand in Tanzania ended in a long distance relationship, a wedding in Hawaii, and now 11 years later we’ve just had our first child.

But whether you’re after a one night stand, or a fling which will end in true love, you have to know where to meet them first.

We’ve put together our 7 favorite ways to meet locals for casual, flirty fun. It’s important however to always prioritize your safety when planning on casual hookups. 

Read reviews, whether of the local bars you’re hitting up, or of the apps you’re using like top10.com/dating/reviews/flirt – and if you decide to go further and turn your flirting into dating, check these safety tips for dating locals.

But first, here’s how to meet them!

7 Ways To Meet Locals for Casual, Flirty Fun

#1 Local Resorts & Bars

Meet both locals and other travelers at local resorts and bars. These are usually the right spots to strike a conversation with a stranger, and you might be surprised at how those small talks could go on to become a lively banter.

Pro tip: Head to a hostel bar. Even if you’re not staying there, hostel bars are usually open to the public, and many locals head here to meet and drink with travelers passing through the city.

At the very least, you can ask the staff for recommendations on the best bars, or check the hostel bulletin board for any upcomign events or tours you can join, like bar hops which take you around the city’s best bars.

#2 Local Dating Apps

Take advantage of local dating apps to interact with locals and others with similar ideas and outlooks. You may be surprised to see how easy it is to locate and connect with others.

Consider creating a profile in advance of your trip to give youself the best chance of finding the right match.

Pro tip: If you’re creating a profile in another language and have access to a native speaker, have them check your profile as this will always be more accurate than using apps like Google Translate!

#3 Local Events & Festivals

Attending local events or festivals is a great way to meet locals, who are going to be in a celebratory mood.

It’s a great way to immerse yourself in local customs and cultures too.

#4 Volunteering with Local Organizations

Another great option is volunteering with local organizations for charity or free work. There are hundreds of opportunities, such as working as a farmer or a local bakery or helping out at the front desk of a hotel.

This is a great way to meet locals as well as other travelers from around the world.

#5 Join a Local Course

Join a local course, whether it’s cooking, learning a new language, mountain climbing, or dance. Make sure it aligns with your interests of course, and this is a great way to meet people who are likeminded.

Pro tip: Enrol in a course which already has elements of romance, like salsa dancing, or coffee (if you ‘shamelessly choose to let just a bit of foam linger on your upper lip for the purpose of licking it off, we certainly won’t find any reason to judge you!’).

#6 Stay with a Local Host

Staying with a local host is a great way to immerse yourself in a new culture, and meet their circle of family and friends.

Keep your flirting respectful though, and be sure not to offend your host, for instance it may not be well recieved if you start hitting hard on a younger sibling!

#7 Use Public Transport

Using public transport over the course of your sightseeing is a great way to meet locals, as this is the main way people get around in their own cities.

You can chat on those longer trips and exchange stories, and who knows, you might be planning the next trip or outing with them.

It’s important here to respect signals and cues if people simply wish to be left alone – you don’t want to be that creepy foreigner on a train who just can’t take a hint! In that case there are other options, like local escorts, and plenty of sites to meet them too (click here).

Wherever you go and who-ever you meet, just make sure to prioritize your safety. Don’t be afraid to make new friendsl, but meet in a public place and let your family or friends know where you are going and with whom.