Talk to strangers about travel

Travel talk is the one subject where being matched with a random person worldwide is the entire point. You get a local view of a place you are considering, from someone with no reason to sell it to you — which is worth considerably more than a listicle.

• The place that surprised you most and why
• Trips that went wrong and became better stories for it
• What your own city is actually like to live in
• Overrated destinations nobody wants to admit to
• Travelling solo, and whether it is worth it

• “Best place you have ever been?”Use this
• “A trip that went hilariously wrong?”Use this
• “Next destination on your list?”Use this
• “What is your city actually like?”Use this
• “Most overrated place you have visited?”Use this
• “Somewhere you would move to tomorrow?”Use this

• Ask about a small moment from a trip rather than the destination: the meal, the wrong turn, the stranger who helped. Those stories are far more vivid than a list of countries.
• Ask where they would go if money and time did not matter, then ask why. The why is usually about what they want from life, not just geography.
• Ask what visitors get wrong about where they live. It is easy to answer, and you will learn something no guidebook mentions.

Country-counting can feel like bragging, especially to someone who has not had the chance to travel much. Be careful about sharing exact travel dates or where you are staying right now. And if a stranger offers to host you or pay for your travel early in a chat, treat it as a red flag.