Facebook groups are the biggest travel community on earth and the worst organised. Both are true, and both matter.
The five kinds worth joining#
| Kind | What it's good for | What it's bad at |
|---|---|---|
| Big solo-travel communities | Encouragement, packing lists, "is it safe" | Specifics; the same ten questions daily |
| Women-only groups | Honest safety answers, meetups, vetted buddies | Nothing; join one |
| Destination groups (one per country) | Current prices, closures, a visa rule changed last week | Noise, resellers, sponsored "tours" |
| Digital nomad and expat groups | Housing, SIMs, co-working, who's around | Tourist questions get shouted at |
| Travel-buddy boards | Finding someone for a route | No dates, no vetting, scams |
How to use one#
- Search the group before posting. Your question was asked last week with forty answers.
- Ask one specific thing with dates and a budget. "Bangkok 3–9 Nov, solo, $50 a day, where should I sleep?" gets answers. "Any tips for Thailand?" gets none worth reading.
- Reply to people who answer. The group remembers.
- Ignore private messages from strangers, especially anyone who contacted you first with an offer.
The scams that live in groups#
Fake tour operators with stolen photos, "visa agents", romance accounts, apartment "landlords" who want a deposit before you land. If it started in a DM, it isn't real. Travel scams and how to avoid them.
What no group can do#
Posts have no dates and no map, so you never know who is actually in the city when you are. Nobody in the group lives there, or if they do, you can't tell. And meeting someone means a DM and a leap of faith.
That gap is what Roavi Community fills: post your trip with dates and see travellers on the same dates, ask a question that a local answers, message a Local Friend who lives there before you meet. Reading is free. The fuller comparison: travel communities and apps that still work.
By kind#
Solo travel Facebook groups, travel buddy Facebook groups, digital nomad Facebook groups, travel groups for singles. By place: Punta Cana Facebook groups, Medellín expat groups, Bangkok expat groups.
Post your trip with dates and hear from people who live there.
Open Roavi CommunityFrequently Asked Questions
What are the best Facebook groups for travellers?
The big solo-travel communities, women-only travel groups, one destination group per country you're visiting, a digital nomad or expat group if you're staying a while, and a travel-buddy board if you want company. Names change and groups split; search the kind, then pick the active one with rules and admins.How do I get answers in a big Facebook travel group?
Search the group first (your question was asked last week), then post one specific question with your dates and budget, not 'any tips for Thailand?'. Reply to the people who answer. Ignore private messages from strangers offering help.Are Facebook travel groups safe?
Reading, yes. Meeting, with the usual rules: public place, your own money and room, and nothing arranged by private message from someone who contacted you first. Fake tour operators, 'visa agents' and romance scams all recruit in travel groups.What can't a Facebook travel group do?
Tell you who's actually in the city on your dates (posts have no dates and no map), connect you to a local who lives there, or give you a safe way to meet someone. Roavi Community adds exactly those: trip posts with dates, locals who answer, Local Friends you message first.Is there an alternative to Facebook travel groups?
Reddit for research, hostel noticeboards for tonight, and Roavi Community for the gap between them: post your trip with dates, see travellers on the same dates, ask a question a local answers, message a Local Friend. Reading is free; posting needs an account.