Apps made it easy to match and strangely hard to meet. This guide is about the second part: the places, habits and small skills that put you in a room with people you might like — and turn a nice conversation into a second meeting.
Start with how to meet people offline, or jump into your city below.
City guides
- United KingdomLondonA practical guide to meeting people offline in London — Run Dem Crew, Midnight Runners, Mundo Lingo, Draughts, Swing Patrol, Timeleft and 222 dinners, speed dating (£10–30), Thursday events, first-date spots and Ask for Angela.
- GermanyBerlinA practical guide to meeting people offline in Berlin — Berlin Social Runners, language exchanges, Spielwiese game nights, bouldering, Clärchens Ballhaus dance nights, speed dating (€10–30), Thursday events, first-date spots and safety.
- United StatesNew YorkA practical guide to meeting people offline in New York City — November Project, Corillo Run Club, Mundo Lingo, Hex & Co, Bouldering Project, Swing 46, New York Cares, speed dating ($30–50), first-date spots and safety.
- Czech RepublicPragueA practical guide to meeting people offline in Prague — Prague Social Runners, BlaBla Language Exchange, board-game cafés, bouldering, swing and salsa, English speed dating with Rande Motýl (690–890 CZK), first-date spots from Café Louvre to Letná, and safety.
- AustriaViennaA practical guide to meeting people offline in Vienna — social run clubs, Vienna Social language nights, Café Sperlhof and Paradice game nights, Blockfabrik bouldering, swing and salsa socials, speed dating (€20–30), Thursday's Vienna launch, first-date spots and safety.
- NetherlandsAmsterdamA practical guide to meeting people offline in Amsterdam — Sunday Run Club in Vondelpark, Single Runners, language cafés, Monk bouldering, salsa and tango nights, volunteering, speed dating (€15–45), Breeze, first-date spots and safety.
- SpainMadridA practical guide to meeting people offline in Madrid — Volta Run Club, Retiro Running, language exchanges, salsa dancing at Azúcar Salsa Disco, bouldering, speed dating (€20+), first-date spots and safety.
- MexicoMexico CityA practical guide to meeting people offline in Mexico City — Midnight Runners, language exchanges, salsa dancing at Club San Luis and Mama Rumba, bouldering, speed dating (300–400 MXN), first-date spots and safety.
- BrazilSão PauloA practical guide to meeting people offline in São Paulo — running clubs, language exchanges, bouldering, salsa dancing, speed dating, first-date spots and safety.
- FranceParisA practical guide to meeting people offline in Paris — running clubs, language exchanges, bouldering, salsa dancing, speed dating, first-date spots and safety.
- GermanyMunichA practical guide to meeting people offline in Munich — CATO Munich social runners, language exchanges, bouldering gyms, beer gardens, speed dating events (€15–35), first-date spots and safety.
- JapanTokyoA practical guide to meeting people offline in Tokyo — Tokyo Run Club, language exchanges, bouldering gyms, rooftop bars, speed dating events, first-date spots and safety.
The guides
The main guideHow to meet people offline — a practical guide for adultsHow to meet people in real life as an adult — why recurring activities work, the best places to meet people (run clubs, classes, language exchanges, volunteering), how to turn acquaintances into friends or dates, and what the research says about loneliness.
SkillsHow to start a conversation with someone you like in real lifeA practical, respectful guide to starting a conversation with a stranger offline — where it works, what to actually say, how to read interest, and how to exit gracefully.
First datesFirst date ideas that are actually goodFirst date ideas that make conversation easy — the rules of a good first date, ideas by type (drinks, walks, markets, activities, rainy day, cheap), what to avoid, and first-date spots in London, Berlin, New York, Prague, Vienna and Amsterdam.
SafetyFirst date safety — a practical checklist (with emergency numbers by country)A calm, practical first-date safety checklist — checking someone out, choosing a place, sharing your location, Ask for Angela and Luisa ist hier, spotting romance scams, and emergency numbers for the UK, US, Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Czech Republic.
Speed datingSpeed dating — how it works, what it costs, and the best organisers by cityEverything about speed dating — how an evening works, how matches are shared, what it costs in each city, the best organisers in London, Berlin, New York, Prague, Vienna and Amsterdam, and tips to get the most out of it.