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Solo Travel for Introverts: Ideas, Destinations, and Tips

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The Best Guide to Solo Travel for Introverts

Solo travel can look very intimidating, especially for an introvert who probably won’t immerse themself in the local community. 

I’m an introvert and I certainly felt that way. But I also find it difficult to travel with friends as I like to stick to my schedule and need some amenities that they don’t need.

I’ve learned from many solo travels as an introvert and this guide is supposed to help you plan your travels and feel confident and happy while travelling alone as an introvert.

Travel Tips for Introverts

1. Plan Your Itinerary

I love researching a trip. It almost feels like I’m travelling twice then. And I know that all people like to do this, but I advise you to try.

Having an itinerary, and I’m not saying, plan it to the minute, alleviates stress at your destination. Check where your hotel is from your destination of transport – if you don’t have an airport or train station shuttle. You will know how far it will be and you won’t be surprised.

The same goes for your sightseeing. You should make a list of all the places you want to see and potentially cluster them by location. You don’t want to waste time by going backwards and forwards if you can avoid it. 

Knowing where you want to go on what date, also enables you to book your tickets online in advance. This means you don’t have to queue for ages, nor talk to a salesperson. Win-win. 

You can also book tours and spread them out, so you don’t have to deal with larger groups for two or more days in a row. 

2. Accommodation

My personal preference for accommodation is usually a hotel. Most of the time I look at Booking.com to find something affordable and that’s where I’ll be staying. Having an en-suite is a must-have for me. I don’t like the thought of running into someone on the way to the bathroom. 

However, I also see the appeal of Airbnb or VRBO. Oftentimes, you get the keys via a key box, so no interaction with a receptionist is necessary. If you book the whole apartment, then you often also have a kitchen included which means you can easily eat in. 

But, to be honest, Airbnb is not really for me. I don’t like to be in a stranger’s apartment, I much prefer a small-ish hotel room where it feels cosy and you have a receptionist nearby if something is the matter. It’s true, you don’t have a kitchen but I usually get takeaway during my holidays anyway or when I’m feeling adventurous then I might even eat out at a restaurant.

I would always avoid hostels or dorms. Maybe if you can have a private room, it’s an option but if not, then you’ll likely end up sharing a room with at least four if not 30 other people.

I tried it for one night on the Camino de Santiago and I slept so little and was so uncomfortable that I switched to hotel rooms the next day. The noise is one thing but not having any privacy anywhere was the worst. I knew I would struggle, but it was even worse than expected.

If you’re travelling for the first time solo as an introvert, I would also opt for the least difficult accommodation. Think about the pros and cons mentioned before and if you think one type might be too much of a stretch, then go for the easier one even if it is more expensive.

Travelling is already a difficult, albeit rewarding experience and you don’t want to diminish your experience by choosing an accommodation type that is too exhausting to deal with.

3. Trips and tours

You’ll probably be thinking that organised trips and tours are a gateway to introvert hell and I used to be worried as well. I don’t like to do small talk or random people approaching me and that’s what I expected on these tours. 

However, more often than not, people don’t approach you if you don’t give out the vibe that you want to talk to people. If you have your headphones on during the bus ride and read on your phone during a possible lunch, then people will usually leave you alone.

For this to work, I would recommend not going on multi-day tours where there is a better chance that people want to get to know each other. Day trips are absolutely fine though.

Everyone is preoccupied with sightseeing anyway and a lot of people sleep on the return journey if it’s a longer ride. 

I’ve done several day trips and free walking tours where I didn’t really speak to anyone, except for asking questions and it was never a problem.

4. Headphones, reading material and movies

As mentioned before, headphones and your phone, a Kindle, or a book are a strong signal that you don’t want to talk to people and most of the time, they accept that and don’t disturb you.

Noise-cancelling headphones are also great on planes or other public transport to have some quiet time – makes taking a nap a lot easier even if there is a screaming child on board.

I would also recommend taking earbuds or non-noise-cancelling headphones with you as well. I love listening to music while walking around in a new city but I also want to be aware of the city noises. You don’t want to be accidentally hit by a car because you can’t hear it.

So use both options and consider whether you need to hear anything and if you want quiet then put your noise-cancelling headphones on. Or if your noise-cancelling headphones allow outside noises, then use that setting.

Another recommendation is the reading material. You can use your phone or bring a physical book with you. I enjoy reading while having lunch in a restaurant. Makes me feel less alone and I enjoy my food more. 

It’s also good for decompressing after a long day out – if you like reading that is. Having headphones on and reading a book in my hotel room relaxes me completely.

Additionally, download episodes of your favourite TV show or movies onto your phone or tablet. After not talking to people all day, it’s sometimes nice to just hear voices from movies. This also works with podcasts. Just remember to download them in advance, so you’re not relying on a good internet connection.

5. Seek Out Parks Or Other Happy Places For You

Being in nature always recharges my batteries. Sitting in a park either with headphones on or off, or reading a book, makes me extremely happy and calms my nervous system. 

When you plan your itinerary, try to add some free time where you can just sit somewhere in an open space and just let the city pass by.

Maybe parks are not as soothing for you as they are for me, maybe coffee shops, museums, libraries, or something completely different are your happy place. Just make sure to plan some time that is not for sightseeing to go to these places to recharge your batteries and enjoy that alone time. 

6. Journal Your Trip

Travelling causes a lot of emotions to come up and when you’re travelling alone then you might not have anyone to express your emotions to. This is where journaling helps. 

You can write down your thoughts and feel immediately lighter afterwards. It’s also nice to look at your notes after your travels to remind yourself of the (great) time you had.

I recommend using a dedicated travel journal if you don’t usually journal to give you prompts for writing. This might be easier than just looking at a blank piece of paper. 

7. Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New Once In A While

We all have our comfort zones. Some are smaller and some are bigger. By travelling solo, you might already be leaving your comfort zone and that is a great step.

And maybe you can leave it even a bit more. It might sound trivial to others, but I already leave my comfort zone when I go to a restaurant instead of taking a takeaway. 

Having to do small talk to the waiter and sitting there alone are already difficult for me but I still try to do it. Also, because sitting in a nice restaurant in a nice location is actually a wonderful thing. 

I enjoy people-watching while having a delicious meal. I can sit down and relax and the small talk is usually fairly limited when the waiter notices I’m not much of a talker.

So try getting out of your comfort zone and might be very rewarding – and it will be easier next time. Your comfort zone will increase and you’ll get stronger.

Great Destinations for Introverted Solo Travellers

map of europe on globe

I want to list a few traits of destinations that, in my opinion, make great places to visit.

Locations with beautiful landscapes and hikes – hiking is one of my preferred activities and I think it’s perfect for introverts. You can do it on your own and no one will look at you if you do. 

Locations that attract a lot of tourists – this might sound counter-intuitive but places where there are a lot of tourists mean that there won’t be much attention on you. The infrastructure is there and you usually don’t have to ask anyone for help as everything is on the internet already. And often, people there speak English, so if you do have to ask, the language barrier will be a lot more limited.

Locations where people are friendly but not too friendly – and to be fair, this is not that easy to find. But for me, this is a country like Japan. The people are very friendly there but they would hardly ever invite a stranger to eat with them. This makes it an easy place to get around without having to worry about strangers wanting to know much about you.

Here are a few destinations that I like as an introvert based on the above:

  • Japan
  • London
  • Rome
  • Iceland
  • Finland

If you want to have more inspiration, then check out 11 Best Countries for Introverts and The Best Places to Travel For Introverted Solo Travellers.

Packing List for Introverted Solo Travellers

I already mentioned a few items I would recommend when journeying out on your solo trip, but here are a few more, that I find indispensable.

Small backpack – enough to carry a few bottles of water with you plus a few snacks. This not only makes it easier to avoid crowded food places but also saves money as you can stock up in a supermarket for the day.

Comfy hiking shoes – don’t underestimate the number of steps you’ll take. I prefer to avoid taking public transport, so I walk a lot. I couldn’t do it without comfortable hiking shoes.

Smartphone – should be a given, but you never know. I usually download Google Maps offline, so I always have the information of where I need to go even if I don’t have reception. 

Depending on accommodation microfibre towels – hotels usually provide towels and even Airbnbs do to an extent, but for a dorm, you’ll definitely need your own towels. I recommend small microfibre towels, so they don’t take up much space or weigh a ton.

Reminder of items (previously mentioned):

Noise-cancelling headphones – For when you need to cancel out all these loud noises and just need some quiet.

E-reader (Kindle): Any e-reader will do, but I do really like the Kindle Paperwhite as it lights up on its own and you don’t need a lamp to use it. Makes it easier for me to fall asleep after a read.

Old school headphones: i.e., non-noise-cancelling headphones. For when you need to hear the surrounding noise but still want to show that you do not want to talk. And I know that noise-cancelling headphones offer this feature, but I just prefer these as they are also much lighter.

Travel journal: for when you need to express your emotions and no one is there or you just want to capture all the amazing things that you have seen and accomplished.

Pencil on White Smartcase Near Eyeglasses

The Best Guide for Tips and Tricks for Introverted Solo Travellers is Coming to an End

I hope this overview gave you some information on how to prep for your trip and enjoy it even more as an introverted solo traveller. 

Travelling should be fun, even if it is a challenge at times. But you can make it less challenging if you prepare your itinerary, choose the right accommodation, plan the right tours, and take the best things with you. 

Most importantly, do what feels good for you. You know your limits best. I know what I won’t enjoy and I won’t do it. But I still try to get out of my comfort zone occasionally and often I feel better afterwards.

Let me know if you like this post and what you would add. Thanks for reading and happy solo travels!

Check out this 7-day road trip itinerary for England for some solo travel for introverts inspiration – Your Perfect South England Road Trip Itinerary – 7 Days.

 

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