Travelling With Strangers on an International Trip: What It’s Really Like (and How to Make Friends Fast)

Direct Answer

Yes, most people on a group trip arrive knowing absolutely nobody, and that is completely normal. On a well-run trip you meet the group and the trip lead on day one, share a room with someone of the same gender, and spend so many hours together on trains, boats and dinner tables that the awkwardness fades faster than you expect. You don’t need to be an extrovert. You just need to show up.

• Most solo joiners start as strangers, so nobody is “the odd one out” on day one
• Groups of 12 to 15 are small enough that you actually get to know everyone
• Room-sharing is same-gender and twin-sharing, so you aren’t paired with a random stranger of any gender
• Friendships form during the in-between moments (the train, the deck, the long dinner), not just at planned activities
• It can feel awkward for a day or two, and there are simple ways to handle that

The Group Chat Question Nobody Says Out Loud

You’ve found a trip you want to do. The itinerary is perfect, the dates work, and then the little voice kicks in: what if I don’t click with anyone? What if everyone already knows each other? What if I’m stuck sharing a room with someone I can’t stand for ten days?

If you’re planning your first international trip from India, that voice gets louder, because you’re worried about the new country and the new people at the same time. Fair. So here’s a straight answer to the people question, based on how Trips N Tales trips are actually set up: groups of 12 to 15 strangers, aged 20 to 39, an icebreaker on day one, same-gender room sharing, and a trip lead who handles the logistics so you can focus on the humans.

So… Do Most People Really Arrive Knowing Nobody?

Yes. Most people who sign up for a group trip like this do it precisely because they don’t have a ready-made travel gang. The trip pages say as much: many solo travellers join, share rooms on a twin basis with someone of the same gender, and, in the company’s own words, “become a family.”

Which means the most common feeling on day one isn’t “everyone here is a stranger except me.” It’s “everyone here is a stranger, including them.” That’s a much friendlier starting line than it sounds.

What Day One of a Group Trip Actually Looks Like

Using the Egypt trip as an example of how a Trips N Tales itinerary opens, day one goes roughly like this:

1. You land and get transferred to the hotel. Meeting point, airport pickup, check-in.
2. You meet your trip lead and your group. This is the first time faces and names connect.
3. There’s a short icebreaker session. Egypt’s itinerary describes it as a quick one so everyone can get acquainted before the adventure properly starts.
4. You meet your room-share. Same gender, twin sharing.
5. Evening is free. You can head out for dinner with whoever’s up for it, or crash by the pool and recharge.

Notice what’s missing: forced fun, mandatory bonding games, an evening-long performance of being sociable. The first day is mostly about getting everyone in the same place with a little structure so the silence doesn’t sit awkwardly.

How Does Room Sharing Work?

You’re matched on a twin-sharing basis with someone of the same gender. If you’re travelling solo, that’s your room-share for the trip. If you’re travelling with a friend, you’d naturally share with them.

A few things worth knowing before it becomes a worry:

• It’s one person, not a dorm. Most “what if I get the worst roommate ever” fears are really about an imagined stranger, not an actual person who also signed up for a fun trip and is probably just as nervous as you.
• Basic roommate etiquette goes a long way: agree on bathroom timings, lights-out, and early alarms on day one rather than on day five.
• If something really isn’t working, tell your trip lead early rather than silently stewing. They’re the person whose job it is to solve this stuff. (Note for the Trips N Tales team: please confirm and describe your actual process for room-share concerns before publishing this line.)

How Friendships Actually Form on the Road

Here’s the part brochures can’t tell you: friendships rarely form during the “official” bonding moments. They form in the gaps.

Researchers who study friendship have tried to put numbers on it. A University of Kansas study by Jeffrey Hall, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, found that it takes roughly 50 hours of time together to move from acquaintance to casual friend, around 90 hours to become a friend, and more than 200 hours to become a close friend. Time spent working together counted for less than time spent hanging out, joking around and talking.

Now do some rough maths on a 10-day trip. Group travel puts you in the same train compartment, the same cruise deck and the same dinner table for most of your waking hours. That’s an estimate, not a promise (nobody becomes best friends with all twelve people), but it explains why a group of strangers on day one can feel like a proper friend group by day eight. On a trip like the Egypt itinerary, those long, unstructured stretches are built in:

• The overnight train. Giza to Aswan, packed with people who’ve known each other for a day and a half. This is where the first real conversations happen.
• The Nile cruise deck. Three days of drinks, river views, evening cultural shows and absolutely nowhere to be.
• The last-night dinner. By the end, you’re the people reminiscing about the overnight train.

[TRAVELLER STORY 1: Abhijeet mane, 1 year ago, Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5, What a fabulous and amazing trip.One of the best travel experience I ever had..Shreya you are amazing and what a sweet care taker you are ..:thank you so much for understanding and helping us throughout the trip..]

[TRAVELLER STORY 2: Akshay Mendole, 1 year ago, Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5, my experience with trip n tales was very seamless, smooth and comfortable. The hotel stays were quite good. Internal flight timings were quite comfortable. Except at one place, the internal commute vehicles arranged by them were comfortable. It was very nice to meet our tour leader Sreya who was as amazing as a tour leader can be. I felt very comfortable with her. She was very flexible in accommodating our personal plans and at the same time carried the entire group together..]

Tips for Introverts and First-Timers

You don’t have to become a different person to make friends on a group trip. A few low-pressure moves that work:

• Say yes to the first dinner. Even if you leave early. Sitting at the table counts.
• Ask one specific question. “What made you pick this trip?” is easier to answer than “so, tell me about yourself.”
• Find your “one person” first. You don’t need to click with twelve people. Find one, and the group opens up from there.
• Use the in-between time. Train rides and long bus transfers are low-stakes conversation. You can talk or not talk, and either is fine.
• Take breaks without guilt. Wanting 30 minutes alone in your room doesn’t mean you’re being unfriendly. Most people on these trips are quietly doing the same.
• Let the trip lead to help. Part of their job is noticing who’s standing at the edge of a conversation and gently pulling them in.

When It’s Awkward (and What to Do)

Let’s be honest: it won’t be magical every single minute. A few situations come up on almost any group trip, and none of them mean the trip has failed.

• The first 24 hours feel stiff. That’s normal. Everyone is performing “friendly” at once. It usually softens after the first shared meal or the first long travel leg.
• You and one person just don’t click. You don’t have to. Eat at different tables, pair up for activities with someone else. A group of 12 to 15 gives you options.
• A subgroup forms and you feel left out. Say something small and direct (“mind if I join?”). Most people say yes. If it keeps happening, mention it to the trip lead.
• Your pace is different from the group’s. If you’d rather skip a night out or sleep in, say so early and without drama. Most groups have a mix of early birds and night owls.
• There’s a real problem. Something that makes you uncomfortable, or a conflict that isn’t resolving, is exactly what the trip lead is there for. Speak up quickly rather than waiting.

Group Trip vs Travel-Buddy App vs Open Community Meet-Up

If you’ve been searching for a “travel with strangers” website, you’ve probably seen apps, communities and open meet-ups alongside group trips. They’re different tools for different situations. Generally speaking:

None of these is “the right one.” If your main worry is logistics and not knowing anyone, a group trip tends to remove the most friction. If you want full control, an app may suit you better.

Your First 48 Hours Checklist

Before you go:

• Confirm your visa and passport validity. For Egypt, Trips N Tales can help with the e-visa application.
• Read the itinerary so you know which days are early starts.
• Pack for sharing a room: earplugs, a sleep mask, and a small power strip help.
• Decide in advance that you’ll say yes to the first group dinner.

On day one:

• Arrive at the icebreaker with a simple intro in mind: name, city, why you chose this trip.
• Ask your room-share their sleep schedule and bathroom habits.
• Save the trip lead’s number.

By day two:

• Sit somewhere new on the train, bus or cruise deck.
• Pair up with someone for at least one activity.

Ready to Meet Your People?

If you’ve read this far and the idea of a new group, a new country and a few unforgettable inside jokes doesn’t sound terrifying, you might be the right kind of traveller for this. To see how a trip like this flows from day one to the last-night dinner, the Egypt group trip guide walks through the full route, and The Egyptian Escape is the trip itself. Prefer beaches? Thai Escapes and Vietnam with Phu Quoc are both group trips for the same 20 to 39 crowd. Want to see what past travellers say? The testimonials page has recent Google reviews.

If this sounds like your kind of people, the Trip Calendar shows every trip running this year, so you can pick a destination and dates in one go.

Frequently Asked Questions