10 Top Tips for Solo Traveling Introverts
As an introvert who potentially loves your own space and routine, do you sometimes dismiss solo travel? Do you think it might be too much of a disruption or sensory overload? The truth is, it can be, if your dream getaway isn’t properly planned.
But, with some foresight, advanced planning, and proper accommodations, anything is possible. You could easily design a trip filled with quiet pockets of peace, slow and easy afternoons, and comfy Airbnbs that make you feel like you’re right at home, even if you’re thousands of miles away.
We have an introvert or two here on staff who have managed to see the world time and again. So, we thought it was time to share our top tips to help you get out there, too, and make a mountain of new memories.
Make Sure You Have Your Own Space
When it comes to your accommodations, make sure you have your own space to retreat to. We say this because you have oodles of options when it comes to solo travel. You can stay in an Airbnb, but make sure you, at minimum, have an en-suite bathroom and a place to store a few snacks and drinks in case you want to go to your own room to recharge one night. Here are a few tips to help you book the best Airbnb.
Having the entire place to yourself might be even more ideal but, in the event that renting just the room better aligns with your budget, you’ll want it to be as private as possible. Also, if you’d like to stay in a hostel for the sense of community in the common areas, see if you can secure your own room instead of a shared room. You might have to share the bathroom/shower with others, but having your own room will be a comfort here, as well.
Have an Itinerary
Another way to find solace is in a well-designed plan. You don’t need some sort of strict, color-coded Excel spreadsheet. You just need a loose idea of what you’d like to see throughout your time in your new destination. Make a list of the top sights you’d like to see and line them up in a general pattern that makes sense in terms of proximity to your accommodation and each other.
The reason you don’t want to be too strict is because, along the way, you’ll meet locals who might offer wonderful suggestions that you’d like to hunt down, instead. It’s so important to remain flexible because, sometimes, the adventures we didn’t plan end up being the best ones of all. If you’re still looking for ideas, here are 10 places to embrace your independence this April.
Listen to Your Instincts
If ever there’s a time to be highly in-tune to your spidey senses, it’s throughout solo travel. If you feel like you shouldn’t be going to that place, or down that road, listen to your instincts the moment you sense that and don’t go any further. If you feel like that person in the restaurant or pub is paying too much attention to you – and you don’t like it – distance yourself from them right away and move on. If you arrive at your accommodation and it’s nothing like what was promised, find a way to pivot and stay somewhere else the moment you feel unsettled.
We have to leave a little wiggle room for unexpected expenses when traveling and nothing matters more than your personal safety. So, as situations arise, if you have to make any last-minute changes “on your feet,” just do it. Everything will work itself out in the end and, again, the only thing that matters is your well-being. And, while we’re here, here are 20 safety tips for female solo travelers.
Explore During the Day
Another tip for solo travelers (not just introverts) in general, is to pack all your fun into the day, trying to wrap things up in the early evening. Of course, you’ll end up having to do your museum tours, group tours, and major explorations throughout the course of the day, just by the nature of travel. But, when it comes to nighttime activities, you might want to limit those.
Plan to have early dinners and sunset strolls on your way back to your accommodation. If you like a nice nightcap, try to wrap that up early or have it back on the balcony of your hotel or Airbnb. Or, if you’re in a really fun hostel, you might have a beer there in the common space – if it’s allowed – before retreating to your room for the night. The point is that, with solo travel, the later we stay out, the greater our chances of bumping into the thing we try to avoid the most – a little bit of trouble.