According to a survey commissioned through OnePoll, 33% of Americans have had a “vacation romance,” 23% met their current spouse when traveling, and 77% have made lifelong friendships on the road. 25% met their best friend on a trip. Most interestingly, 30% have dated someone they met on a plane.
According to research from Match Group, almost two-thirds of men and 74% of women want to meet someone who shares their travel interests. According to a recent Tinder poll, 50% of singles say traveling is their favorite thing to do.
The best dating sites when you travel
One of the best dating apps for traveling in 2024 is Hinge. You can set the location, but the default setting is where you usually live, so you need to adjust it if you want to meet someone on a trip. Hinge has creative travel-related prompts that encourage users to share memories about the most interesting or fun destinations they have visited. Some recommended Hinge alternatives include Tinder, OKCupid, Plenty of Fish, eHarmony, and Match.com.
Tinder
Tinder users can change their location via the Passport feature. This way, they can browse the platform wherever they are. They can also chat with romantic prospects and make plans with them before arriving at their destination. The FAQ section has tips on how to stay safe when dating abroad and how to confirm a dating app user’s identity.
OKCupid
OKCupid lets users search by category and set their location to where they’re traveling. It requires in-depth, informative profiles with detailed questionnaires. The information from them is used to determine people’s compatibility scores.
Match.com
Match.com was one of the first dating platforms. It offers detailed profiles, a robust matching algorithm, and is a good choice if you’re looking for a serious relationship.
Coffee Meets Bagel
This app curates matches based on your preferences and limits the number of potential matches per day to encourage more thoughtful conversations.
Plenty of Fish
This site offers extensive profiles and multiple ways to discover matches. It’s known for having a large and diverse user base.
eHarmony
Known for its compatibility matching, eHarmony is focused on long-term relationships and uses a detailed questionnaire to match users.
Meeting a partner when you travel: Tips
If you’re traveling in a group, split off from the others for a little while. While always taking care to stay safe, there’s no harm in being on your own. Go for a walk, have a cup of coffee by yourself, and greet people. You’re relatively unapproachable in a group.
Check out the local calendar
Do this as soon as you arrive at your destination. Look for opportunities to attend a fair, go biking, go to a concert, visit a museum, or hang out at the beach. Every new place allows you to meet new people, and the event itself is a topic of conversation or, at worst, an icebreaker.
Look up from your phone
A lot of people love taking pictures when they travel, but focusing on that takes away from the moment and makes you look unapproachable. You could do your photography when the streets are less busy in the morning, then go back to your hotel to get ready for the rest of the day.
Pack with foresight
Pack date-night outfits in case you go someplace nice on your trip. It pays off to be prepared for bad weather, a special occasion, or a visit to a fancy bar. It will help you feel more confident in a new setting, and you’ll be more comfortable if you go on a date.
FAQ
How to stay safe on a date when traveling?
Always meet during the day somewhere public. Don’t commit to more than two hours for the first date. Check-in with friends or family to make sure they know you’re okay.
What should you avoid doing if you’re going on a date abroad?
Never tell the person if you’re flying alone. Your date is a stranger, and you don’t want to risk your safety by letting them know you’re on your own.
How do you confirm a prospective date’s identity?
Use the app’s video call feature to make sure they are the same person you’ve been chatting to. Seeing their face and hearing their voice will give you a real sense of their vibe, while text messages won’t necessarily.
