TourBar App Reviews [Does This Travel Dating Site Actually Work?]
Wondering if this dating app for travelers and digital nomads is worth a try? This TourBar review has all the details you’re looking for, from cost and features to what users have to say about their experience.
TourBar App Review Table Of Contents:
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Let’s dive into everything you need to know about TourBar!
A Quick Guide To TourBar
Launched in 2014, TourBar has made a name for itself in the online world, serving as both a hub for international social networking and a platform for dating.
Created by Vasily Petroff, he wanted to build something not just limited to dating, but that would facilitate connections among single travelers.
In a nutshell, TourBar is like a virtual membership club for singles seeking travel companions or a local guide to show them around a new city - and hopefully make a meaningful connection in the process.
"This is the mission of TourBar company. Its brand reflects the ease and pleasant atmosphere of a travel experience similar to an atmosphere in a bar."
Petroff says that most female TourBar users are under 36 and primarily from developing countries, and the majority of male users are over 35 looking to meet them. There tends to be more men than women on the app.
The site operates in countries all over the world, and has a mobile app for both iOS and Android.
Our TourBar App Review Verdict: TourBar is a legit dating site for travelers if you’re looking to possibly spark a romance while globetrotting.
But it is a very niche dating app, so it doesn’t attract the huge user base you’ll find on mainstream dating apps and sites like Bumble, Tinder, and Hinge.
So if you’re using TourBar as a dating site, go into it with the expectation that it might require a degree of patience.
You not only need to match with someone whose travel preferences and destination choices align with yours, you’re also trying to find someone who’s a compatible partner prospect. And that might take awhile - or not happen at all - when you’re fishing in a small pond.
We recommend using it alongside more popular dating apps that let you change your location, so you can have local dates lined up before you even take off. (Or, let us do that for you!)
Hinge lets you change your location for free, and Tinder Passport and Bumble Travel Mode are available for premium users.
How TourBar Works
TourBar is available for download on iOS or Google Play. You can also sign up through their website.
The first step is mandatory and involves photo verification, followed by the optional upload of an identification document, and finally, verification through a code texted to your mobile number.
At times, the TourBar team might use also social media accounts to verify identities.
Completing Your TourBar Profile
Alongside providing basic information and uploading your primary photo, you have the option to add additional pictures to express your adventurous personality.
You can customize your search parameters by tapping the filter icon in the top right corner of the search page, or by selecting the pencil icon next to your main photo on your profile page.
With a variety of filters, you can filter your search results based on location, age, and gender preference. The 'quick filters' option further refines your search based on users' activity levels on the app, language compatibility, and profile verification status.
In addition, the 'social filter' section allows you to further filter your results by education level, lifestyle habits, and more.
Use the “I’m looking for” section to help you find users who share the same objective — be it a fellow adventure-seeker, future soulmate, or a potential employer.
Lastly, the 'Description' section allows you to add physical attributes to your match preferences, such as height and sexual orientation.
TourBar Privacy Settings
Be sure to adjust your privacy settings so you're in control of who sees what. Based on several user reviews like this one, it’s worth mentioning that your profile may appear in search engine results unless you take the necessary steps to set your profile as private:
To keep your profile off the internet at large, follow the platform's guidelines and set your visibility settings to "Only registered users" or "Only confirmed users". Then your profile theoretically won’t be findable by search engines.
But one caveat - you can’t check "Only verified users" unless you purchase a premium membership.
More on premium features and cost coming up!
Connecting With A Guide
Planning a trip and looking for a local guide where you’re going? TourBar gives you a few options.
On the platform, you can explicitly specify the services you’d need from your potential guides - be it shopping, sightseeing, airport pickup, or even language translation. You can find these in the “Guides Services’ section.
Site founder Vasily Petroff emphasizes the significance of these services, stating,
"Local people know much more about sights, secret wild beaches, authentic cafés, and old markets, so they can act as a guide on your journey. Thus, you will see much more than what is written in the tourist booklet."
Additionally, the founder mentions that many travelers “choose a guide on the basis of personal attraction."
Adding A Trip & Finding Travelers
To make the most out of your Tourbar experience, you’ll want to add any upcoming trips.
This can potentially help you connect with other members who might be headed to the same destination or already reside there.
Tap on the plane icon at the bottom of your homepage to see a list of "Travelers". This list typically aligns with your current search parameters, but you can always adjust your filters to hone your search further.
To add a new trip simply click on the add button, provide details of your destination, travel dates, and reasons for visiting.
For instance, if you're heading off to Budapest for the Sziget Festival – one of the largest music festivals in Europe – all you have to do is toggle the buttons next "Concert/Festival"
There's also a space provided for "Trip Description." This is where you can highlight specific sights you’d like to see, restaurants you plan to visit, or any other plans you have in mind.
So now that you know how TourBar works, let’s talk about how much it costs to use it.
The TourBar Price Tag
Downloading the TourBar app and creating a profile is free. But to unlock the site’s full potential, you need to purchase a premium membership.
A premium subscription to TourBar lets you:
- Communicate with everyone
- Contact travel partners and local guides
- View user photos without adding yours
- Add comments to photos
- Use all the search filters
A single month subscription costs around $29.99, while a 3-month package comes in at $59.99.
A 6-month membership option is available for $89.99, which brings the monthly price down to around $14.99.
TourBar offers a free 7-day trial, just be sure to cancel it before the trial period expires if you don’t want to be automatically signed up.
Occasionally, TourBar offers a special promotion, providing users a chance to snag the membership at discounted rates.
Like most dating sites, once you’ve purchased a premium subscription it will automatically renew until you cancel it. At the latest, you’ll need to do that at least 25 hours before it’s set to renew.
Now, let’s take a look at what TourBar users have to say about their experience with this dating site for travelers and digital nomads.
TourBar App Reviews From Real Users
TourBar has a 4.5 rating on the App Store with over 8,000 reviewers.
Reviews were mostly positive, with users like this one reporting they met someone they started dating through the app:
Other reviewers like this one found the app helpful for making new connections during their adventures around the world:
And multiple TourBar users shared a positive experience finding city guides:
But on the 1-star end of the review spectrum, many of those who didn’t have a good experience with TourBar mentioned their frustrations about being locked out of their account:
On Google Play, TourBar also has a solid score: a 4.2 star rating based on over 30K reviews.
This user shared that they met a guide in Canada without having to upgrade to a premium membership:
And many TourBar users reported a good overall experience, like these two:
This user mentioned they liked the app's security measures:
But just like on the App Store, there were also a handful of negative reviews. Some of the 1-star reviewers stated there seemed to be lots of fake profiles and scammers:
This person, like several others, communicated a problem with TourBar’s integration with Facebook:
There are also some complaints filed on the Complaints Board website, with over half of the reviewers citing problems with blocked access to their accounts.
On SiteJabber, TourBar has a significantly lower overall rating: 2.19 stars based on 40+ reviews.
Negative reviews ran the gamut from “Awful Site” and “Stay Away” to “Easy to hack” and “The biggest scam in the history of dating sites!”
One review reported signing up several years prior but rarely using the app, only to come back more recently and finding what they called “fake” information listed on their profile:
Another TourBar review was of the opinion many of the profiles he encountered were fake, or girls just looking for money:
Another TourBar user said she successfully made some like-minded friends, but cautioned others about what she also perceived as fake profiles and low-quality matches:
This user was happy he had taken a chance and use TourBar:
And this user shared that while there were fake profiles and scammer, he met someone legit and had an overall good experience:
The Easiest Way To Find Your Ideal Partner - Anywhere In The World!
Dating sites have certainly made it convenient to connect with singles around the globe. But that’s not to say it’s easy!
You need to put work into your profile if you want to attract the best matches, and you need to be on top of your message exchanges if you want things to move off the app.
In other words, TourBar is just like all the other dating apps, with a dash of travel thrown in for flavor. If you want results, get ready to invest some time and effort.
Or, let the dating experts at VIDA Select do it all for you! Since 2009, VIDA has helped singles all over the world find someone special.
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Intrigued? Find out how easy it can be to date while traveling when you have VIDA on your team! Go here to learn more.
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