Going out solo in town: how to meet people when you arrive

Going out alone, having dinner on your own or arriving in a city where you don’t know anyone: these situations are becoming common, and they change how we look for people to meet. The latest news on dating apps, solo travel and loneliness all point in the same direction. Here is what they say, and how Premeets lets you go out solo without starting from scratch.

Dating apps want to get people together in real life

At the end of September, Tinder announced group hangouts built around an activity. According to AOL.com, the app already offered double dates last year, and these group hangouts go further. A few figures from the article:

• a group needs at least three members before it shows up to other groups;
• around 90% of users who tried double dates are under 30;
• in the first tests in Australia, 40% of invites were accepted.

For now, the feature is available in the US and a few other markets. The signal is still clear: people are looking for a lower-pressure way to meet new people, either with friends or around a shared activity.

Going solo no longer means being alone

Solo travel is also moving beyond the traditional two-person holiday. In a story published by Business Insider, a woman almost 38 years old describes her first trip on her own, for a work conference in Dover, Delaware. She then added two days in Wilmington to visit the region’s historic mansions and gardens.

She says she enjoyed her evenings at the hotel, but also made friends along the way, without ever really feeling alone. The story shows what makes the difference: you set off alone, but you don’t arrive into a void.

Loneliness is bigger than the apps

Loneliness isn’t a topic reserved for screens. The Washington Post reports on how Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis wants to turn a chapel into a taphouse. Pastor David Lose hopes the space will help build connections in a city marked by loneliness and trauma.

These initiatives share one thing: they open a place where you can meet people without having to organise everything in advance.

Travelling solo without being isolated

Solo travellers often look for a balance between freedom and company. According to a Roamies LinkedIn post, which cites a Hilton study on 2026 travel trends, 26% of travellers plan to go alone.

“A solo trip doesn’t have to mean a solo itinerary.” (Roamies)

In other words, a solo trip doesn’t have to mean a solo itinerary. You keep your own plans, and you meet other travellers for the moments you’d rather share.

What Premeets changes in practice

Premeets starts from the opposite idea to many apps: context first, profile second. You tell it where you’re going and when, whether that’s a bar tonight, a festival this weekend, a hotel, a campsite or your next destination. Premeets then shows you people who have planned to be in the same place at the same time, with the venue, the neighbourhood and the distance.

In practice, that means:

• mutual filters (age, gender, dates, activities), so you only see people who suit you;
• a messaging inbox organised by plan (friends, outings, stays), so you can get organised before you arrive;
• reporting and blocking tools, and data that isn’t reused elsewhere.

Where Tinder starts from a group that forms inside the app, Premeets starts from the place and the moment. Both approaches meet the same need, but in different ways. Premeets is just as useful for making friends as for finding a night out, growing a group, or working out who else is staying at the same hotel or campsite as you.

Arriving somewhere already knowing people

Going out solo doesn’t have to be an ordeal. What changes everything is knowing who will be there before you walk through the door. Group hangouts, solo trips and the wish for connection all show that many people want exactly this.

Premeets is a free app for users aged 18 and over. Its ambition fits in one sentence: arriving somewhere already knowing people.

Mathis Mauprivez, founder of Premeets