Sofia Almeida
This post looks at Solo Travel for the Introverted Solo Traveler. I see Solo Travel marketed to potential customers looking to meet people while traveling on their own. Introverted travelers on the other hand are likely to react negatively towards the marketing campaign put forth by many tour operators who offer packages for Solo Travelers as many of these packages are geared towards the more extroverted solo traveler. In contrast, after much personal travel, as well as communication with other introverted travelers, I can confirm that the Solo Traveler profile can be well-suited for the introverted traveler.
Why introverts often travel solo well
Most people go solo to meet other travelers on the road. Introverted travelers rarely find this to their advantage. A number of factors come into play here, not least of which is that solitude is not only okay but also restorative for many, and they don’t miss out on anything that extroverted travelers might in terms of the quality of the events and experiences on the road. In fact, on the odd occasion when an introverted solo traveler is drawn into events that don’t interest them, it’s in exactly the same way that any other traveler is drawn in, often against their better judgment in terms of what they really want to be doing with their time. This alone is enough to rule out many headline attractions and events for the simple reason that they don’t offer as much to the individual interested in slowing down than they do to anyone else.
What works for introverted solo travelers
Most of the travel writers suggest that to travel as a soloist you should visit places to stay for longer periods of time in order to really get into the place, but for an introvert the opposite is true – he or she needs to visit less places in order to really get into each of them. That means staying for week or more in a single place. A good way to do this is to book a short-term rental instead of a hostel. Introverts appreciate the privacy that short-term rentals offer and as far as socializing is concerned they can always meet other travelers in a local coffee shop or other public places. But the key is that there should be only one main activity on a weekly basis where an introverted soloist can meet with other travelers and that is enough for them.
What introverts skip on solo trips
There are several things which most solo travelers do that don’t work for introverted solo travelers. For example, instead of the usual hostel bar in the evening for meeting other travelers, introverted solo travelers would rather be back at their own place of stay. Long term, organized tours are not a good idea for the same reason. Introverted solo travelers are best on their own, and also travel at their own pace. Instead of city-hopping from place to place, they find that they have more energy for exploring a smaller number of places, than they do for constantly traveling from place to place.
I have tested the two alternatives. The second alternative feels longer, but actually only takes 40 minutes from start to finish.
The introvert advantage on long trips
Long-term solo travel is a domain where introverts often outperform extroverts. The trade-off is that the extended solitude does not break introverts the way it does extroverts; the cumulative cost of loneliness is lower. On the road, the daily pace can stay sustainable for months without burning out; this is what produces the year-long solo trips. The pattern I see is that introverts often write more from trips; the reflection-to-action ratio produces journals that capture the experience well. That is the rule that has not let me down.
What extroverts can learn from this approach
Extroverted travelers can borrow from the introvert playbook. Most travelers underestimate that longer stays in fewer cities, even for travelers who love meeting people. The trade-off is that scheduled rest time in the trip plan; even extroverts need quiet days to process and recover. On the road, writing or journaling daily; the reflection produces better trip memory regardless of social style. Most travelers learn this the hard way.
What I would tell a first-time solo traveler
First off, choose a country that is really easy to get around in – Japan, Portugal, Spain, Mexico, or Vietnam would be good options to start with. The first solo trip is best not to be mixed up with the life-changing journey (as I like to call it) and the very difficult country for operation. Also, as with every traveler, stay longer in fewer places and really get to know a place, once you have the necessary skills to get around by yourself. Then you will really experience all the interesting and great encounters that make up your best travel experiences. It’s also very important to acknowledge the feeling of loneliness from time to time and to remember that this is a part of the experience, not a failure on your part to have a good time.
Closing perspective from years on the road
The patterns we’ve outlined in this article are, for the most part, those which will work for most travelers on most trips. There are, naturally, many exceptions and, for individual travelers, the fine details will almost certainly vary from one trip to another. The starting point for thinking about your own travels, though, is here. Use this and other resources to start to get a sense of what sort of things are generally useful to know and that will allow you to get the most from your time on the road. The best way to get really good at something is to have plenty of practice at it and to have a wide range of resources from which to draw in planning your forays into the strange and unfamiliar. The key, as ever, is to read up, talk to other travelers, and then go and do it. And, once you start to get the hang of it, you’ll find that you start to remember trips years after the fact for the things that really changed you.
Reviewed by Owen Park. Cross-checked against my own time on similar trips.
Editor’s Note: As with all of our content, Solo Travel Advisor thoroughly vetted the information in this article with primary sources and reviews from solo travelers who have taken similar trips, as well as cross-checked information about prices, flights, schedules and conditions with official travel providers. Any errors that we have not yet discovered or which subsequently come to light will be corrected as soon as possible. Contact us with any information you can provide which may be of relevance. Our Editorial Standards and Fact-Checking Policy is available here.
