Travel automatically seems like the perfect activity for extroverts as you need to explore, often with people around at all times, and visiting crowded areas. As an introvert, it’s easy to find yourself worrying about not enjoying that process, which could then make you feel travel might not be for you. As a fellow introvert that loves solo travel, I’m sharing 6 tips that I’ve found helpful travelling solo as an introvert. You deserve to see and enjoy the world as much as anyone else!
Tips For Travelling Solo as an Introvert
In my opinion, solo travel is actually PERFECT for an introvert. You’re on your own but you can choose to connect with people on your own terms, you have time to reflect, and seeing the world at your own pace. What’s not to love!
1. Prepare In Advance
Prepare in advance for your solo trip. Take some time out to research the area and plan your time to help you feel confident and not like you have to figure everything out for yourself. It’s also important to curate your finances and make sure you have enough for the trip with a little extra to spare.
Some people will have a spare savings account they can access internationally, and some emergency cash hidden in a secret compartment so they can access that if needed. Some might use services like Buddy Loans or point loyalty systems to help afford a better experience or save money while over there. The more you can prepare (without needing every single second of your experience planned out, of course), the more fun you can have.
2. Schedule Downtime
Scheduling downtime can be a healthy part of the solo travel experience for any introvert, for quite clear reasons. Not only can it help you get the proper rest you need, but it can also help you take some time out between experiences.
For instance, you might find that after a day of walking around a city, you book in some time at a local massage parlour. Or, maybe you’ll decide to attend a somewhat peaceful event, like a nice theatre show, after going for a night on the down the previous time. Think about ‘balancing your day’ in a healthy manner – for instance,
3. Plan Your Days
Planning your days in advance, segment by segment, can help you avoid feeling out of sorts when travelling solo as an introvert. Each morning, or each evening, plan the day ahead of you. Opt for a morning waking period, a morning ‘segment,’ a place for lunch, an afternoon ‘segment,’ dinner, and then an evening or night ‘segment.’
There you are, three segments a day you can choose to schedule your calming and active activities. Planning your days like this can help you add events to these time slots with the willingness to focus on them carefully, rather than feeling that by choosing one thing you miss out on everything else.
4. Travel out of Peak Season
Going for off-peak times can be the best idea for anyone hoping to enjoy an experience without so many people around. Often, the travel industry can provide you with discounts and great deals to help you enjoy their services at a time where most people may be ignoring that kind of value.
For instance, travel deals tend to become quite cheap during the colder months, for obvious reasons. That doesn’t mean you can’t make use of the indoor pool facilities, the spa area, and some of the local cultural events just because the beach is cool and the sun isn’t out. Off-peak times, to the degree you can care for them, will no doubt help you establish a calmer and more careful version of you while on vacation, without the constant pressure of planning around everyone else. It can be tremendously freeing, especially when term times start and children start returning to school.
5. Try Cultural Holidays
There are many quite amazing cultural vacations you can keep on top of if you’re willing to. This is great, because while many people enjoy going to enjoy a small area, such as a small town in Europe you choose at random because of a couple landmarks, this is far and away from a place that everyone will want to visit, instead preferring resorts and other sunny locales.
But you can have an amazing time in these places with fewer people to worry about. Cultural vacations also have the benefit of nourishing you, as learning about the world around us in terms of very small human stories and areas and history can be nurturing and highly interesting. It makes a nice change from your usual approach.
6. Find Peace In Nature
Nature focussed trips, like taking space in camping sites, can be a lovely way to get out there and away from people, without having families on top of you or down the hall of a hotel. Peaceful getaways like this, perhaps even solo or just with a partner, can be a great means of refreshing yourself, getting out of the hustle and bustle of an urban environment, and giving you space to think.
With this advice, you’re sure to prosper as an introvert in a beautiful place of travel. The more you can make accommodations for your natural inclinations, the better off you’ll feel.
