I am an introvert. I’ve been an introvert my entire life, it’s my personality type, and it’s part of who I am. Before I started solo traveling I didn’t really know how I would feel about traveling alone as an introvert. On the one hand, it could be great, because you can spend time with yourself. On the other hand, I thought it could be a terrible idea because I would feel alone. After solo traveling for almost 2 years now, I wanted to share some solo travel tips for introverts, so you know what to expect from a solo trip and how to navigate it as an introvert. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
I feel like people, especially extroverts, don’t fully understand us introverts. I had so many people labeling me as not friendly or a snob because I’m not always chatty and bubbly. Only for them to tell me I’m actually super nice and friendly once they got to know me.
Being an introvert does not mean you’re not friendly or that you don’t like people. It just means that we need to spend time alone to recharge, especially after spending a day around people. That’s it. We have a smaller social battery and we need to recharge it often by having alone time.
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Solo travel tips if you don’t want to interact with people
For me, solo travel is a mix of wanting to be alone and wanting to meet new people. That’s why I’ll offer my tips for both situations. Let’s start with some introvert travel tips if you don’t want to interact with people too much.
Choose a beginner friendly solo travel destination
For me, a beginner friendly travel destination means a safe, developed country where people speak English. I think a lot of countries in Europe could be great options for traveling alone for the first time. My first solo trip was to Paris.
If you choose a beginner friendly destination you don’t need too much social interaction when it comes to transportation or asking for directions. You can just use Google maps to navigate the city you’re in. Public transportation is usually very intuitive to navigate and you can pay with a credit card in most locations. This way you can explore the city at your own pace and not have to worry about small talk. Thus, your social anxiety will be kept at a minimum.
Do a lot of research ahead of your solo trip
Safety is so important for solo travelers, especially if you’re a woman. I would argue it’s the most important thing. Doing a lot of research before your trip will not only reduce your nerves and anxiety, but it will also prevent having to talk to a lot of locals when you get to your destination to figure things out.
Reading solo travel blogs is an excellent way to research a new destination. Solo travel bloggers (like yours truly) always share tips about traveling alone to help other women travelers prepare for their next solo adventure.
Another good idea is to read forums so you can learn about common scams, tourist traps, and how to spot and avoid pickpockets. It’s an easy way to learn about travel destinations from people with firsthand experience in these destinations.
One of the best tips I can give you is to use the street view on Google maps to see what the areas around your hotel and around tourist attractions look like. This way you’ll be more familiar with the city you’re visiting and when you start walking around everything will look familiar. The more familiar you are with a new destination the less anxiety you’ll have and the less you have to talk to strangers to ask for directions or help.
Invest in a tripod
One of the disadvantages of solo travel is the fact that you don’t have anybody to take your pictures. And we all know that fellow introverts don’t like to stop people on the street to ask them to take our picture.
The easiest way to bypass this is to buy a tripod. It’s the best way to take pictures with you in it without having to talk to anybody. One of the best things about having a tripod is that you can take as many pictures and videos as you want until you’re happy with them.
Whenever I ask someone to take my picture I rarely like the result, so I have to ask them to take a few more shots until I have a picture I like. I know that for the solo travel introvert this is hard to do.
My tendency is to not say anything and keep the picture I don’t like to not bother the other person. I’m sure other introverts can relate to this. But lately I started to step outside of my comfort zone and ask people to take more shots. That being said I use my tripod for 95% of pictures I take, so this is a rare situation haha.
Stay in a hotel or Airbnb, not a hostel
Ok, I’m going to be honest. I’m in my 30’s and I would never stay at a hostel at this point. I like my comfort and privacy too much.
But even if I was younger I wouldn’t pick a hostel over a hotel or Airbnb. The idea of having to share a room with multiple strangers and having to constantly talk to them makes me not want to travel to begin with. I need a private room so I can recharge after long days of exploring a new destination.
The good news is that there are plenty of hotels and Airbnbs for all budgets, so you can have your own space when you travel.
Solo travel tips if you want to meet people
As an introverted traveler, even though I love my own company, I sometimes want to meet people and make new friends. Group activities are such a great way for this. Here are some group activities ideas.
Join a free walking tour
Nothing beats a free walking tour. First of all, it’s free. Second, it’s such a great introduction to a new city. Third, you can meet fellow travelers. As an introvert I always crave a deeper connection over small talk, so I tend to be very selective with the people I keep in my inner circle.
Joining a walking tour is a great way to try to meet new people. If you don’t like anybody on the tour, no problem. The tour lasts only 1-2 hours and then you never have to see them again. If you find people with similar interests and a similar travel style, then even better. You stepped outside your comfort zone and made new friends. These friends can be your travel buddies for a few days so you can explore the destination together. Or, if you’re lucky, and you click with some of them, they can become lifelong friends.
Join an activity
Another great option to meet people while traveling is to join an activity. While I was visiting Dublin I booked a silver ring making workshop. I had such an awesome time! I made myself an awesome souvenir and I had interesting conversations with new people. This option is also low risk since the activity lasts only a few hours and if you don’t like the people you met you never have to talk to them again.
Join a day trip
Joining a day trip (or a half day trip if that’s all your social battery allows for) is such a great way to meet new people. This is how I met one of my best friends, Ioanna. We met on a day trip to Segovia and Toledo when we were both visiting Madrid solo and we hit it off in the first few minutes of chatting.
We had so much in common and it was so easy to chat with her (we are both introverts!) that we knew this was a friendship that was going to last. I saw her again when I visited Athens last year (she’s Greek) and we’ll travel again together to Kenya in a few months.
I love forming strong friendships like this, and I am so grateful I started solo traveling and I put myself out there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have met amazing people like Ioanna.
Join a group trip for like-minded people of similar age
Group trips are so great for meeting new people, making new friends, and exploring popular destinations with like-minded solo travelers. Yes, they can be great for introverts too, but finding a group tour and tour guide to match your travel style and who makes sure everyone on the trip is having a good time is crucial. I’m really grateful I found an amazing tour company that organizes small group trips for solo travelers in their 20’s and 30’s. This group trip company is introvert approved and I’m so excited to introduce you to them: Indy Escapes.
Intro to Indy Escapes
Indy Escapes was founded by Lucas almost 10 years ago. He is an Australian traveler who already visited 120 countries and plans to see every single country. He still runs these group trips himself because he enjoys sharing some of his favorite destinations (Maldives, Kenya, Bali, Uganda, Croatia, Turkey) with new people every year.
Lucas reached out to me on Instagram. I had no idea what to expect, but we chatted on the phone for over an hour and we quickly realized we share the same passion for traveling the world and helping people along the way. If you talk to him (or just watch his Instagram stories) you can tell how much he loves traveling and running these group trips. Also, Indy Escapes’ reviews speak volumes about the quality of the trips Lucas organizes.
That’s why I decided to join him on a Kenya safari trip in October. I cannot put into words how excited I am about it! This trip has been high on my bucket list for a long time, but I didn’t want to go solo for safety reasons. And now because of Lucas and Indy Escapes my dream will become reality in a few months. I plan on going on every single trip organized by Indy Escapes in the future.
Need inspiration for your next trip? Check out some of my other articles.
Florence 4 day itinerary: the best guide for solo travelers
Solo female travel to London: the ultimate guide
The best guide for solo travel to Amsterdam
Athens 4 day itinerary: ultimate guide for your first visit
Madrid in 5 days: the ultimate first visit itinerary
4 Day Dublin itinerary: everything you need to know