r/solotravel

Hey, just today I discovered that tropical beaches are not for me. The couple beside me even realized this. They probably giggled to each other about that lunatic over there who is clearly not having a good time.

I arrived in socks and sandles, cussed at the pebbles for poking my feet and for being too hot on my feet. Then proceeded to fan myself to try and cool down the entire time that I sat on my towel, with a second towel over my legs to protect them from a bad sunburn from a few days ago. The sunscreen melted off my face so I kept my rain umbrella over my head while fanning myself with the other hand. The umbrella blowing in the wind. I gave it my best for about an hour. Then, I was smart. I walked back to the bar, stopping every 3 steps to shake the burning hot sand and pebbles out of my now sockless sandles like some kind of angry cat with wet feet. 😂 It’s 100% ok. Not every climate is for you.

I enjoyed a few glasses of wine in the more civilized bar. With my clothes on and under a civilized shade. 😂

Because I’m alone, I didn’t ruin anyone’s day. I’m glad to know this for future travel.

What climates or types of travel are so not for you? Would they be better if you had some moral support? Or are they 100% not for you, no exceptions?

I leave Brazil on the 24th and this specific part is the one making me nervous.

I'm 19, I run my own small business remotely, around 2k usd/month. The trip is Dubai, then Cairo and Luxor, then Athens, Santorini, and finally Istanbul where I stop and stay 15+ days.

Istanbul is where I plan to actually slow down and go deep on work. The problem is everything before it. That first month is night buses, 4am flights, a festival, changing beds like 6 times. And my business can't go a week without me in it. So the "just slow travel" advice I keep reading here doesn't really help me yet.

For people who worked through something like that:

did you keep fixed hours or just work in whatever gap showed up?

mornings before going out, or nights after? what actually lasted more than a week?

and travel days, did you give up on them completely or force a few hours anyway?

I already sorted the technical side (internet, vpn, backup data, coworking places mapped). It's the discipline part I have no clue about. I keep picturing myself in Cairo with the pyramids right there and my laptop open, and I genuinely don't know how that goes.

thanks for me help love youu

any real experience helps, even the bad ones

Hello! I’m going to Jordan soon and I have 8 full days in the countrie. I’d like to know if this itinerary is good or if I’m missing important things (Aqaba, Wadi Mujib…) or if you would add or change something. Thank you in advance!

**Day 1** — Amman (Citadel, Roman Theatre, Rainbow Street…)

**Day 2** — Jerash, Ajloun Castle

**Day 3** — Mount Nebo, Madaba, Kerak Castle. Drive south and overnight at Wadi Musa.

**Day 4** — Petra: Siq, Treasury, Royal Tombs, Monastery. Overnight at Wadi Musa.

**Day 5** — Petra (other places), Little Petra. Overnight at Wadi Musa

**Day 6** — Drive south, Wadi Rum (4x4 safari, sunset, desert camp)

**Day 7** — Dead Sea. Overnight at resort.

**Day 8** — Dead Sea in the morning. Then Baptism Site and overnight near Amman airport.

Hi there,

I will be solo travelling in Norway this week and will be visiting Bergen end of August. I booked a stay at HI hostel Montana there and out of thousands positive reviews on google reviews, I found one review mentioning bed bugs. It’s from 3 years ago. Since then no more reviews mentioned it. I am terrified of bed bugs, however and always check the bed and everything, am I being too neurotic about this?

Hello,

I'll be vacationing alone at Titisee in the Black Forest this September. Are there any nice hiking trails, bike paths, or places I should visit? They should be within a 50-kilometer radius.

So far, I've picked out the following destinations:

- Feldberg

- Wutachschlucht

- Schluchsee

- Todtnauer Wasserfälle

I usually like staying in neighborhoods with local restaurants and normal everyday life rather than right in the tourist center, especially when I’m traveling solo.

The problem is that on a short 2 or 3 night solo trip, I sometimes feel like I end up wasting more time on transport than I save by staying somewhere more local.

For short solo city trips, have you found it better to stay very central and just leave the tourist area for food and evenings, or stay slightly outside from the beginning?

Hello,

I’m traveling to Costa Rica solo on a tight budget next month. I have 4 days to decide where I want to be and 3 days in monteverde. Can’t decide what I want for the 4 days. I want somewhere cheap (hostel) with animals and cheap/free things to do or see. Will pay for an excursion or two but trying to ball on a budget. Was looking at quepos but I don’t want to get bored not having a lot of money to spend. I have less than 1k to stretch the whole week. Renting a car for my monteverde days when my partner flys in. Not the first 4 days. Puerto viejo? Manuel Antonio? Quepos? What’s the move?

Ik ben voor het eerst ooit op een solo-reis (F21). Ik ben een paar weken door Japan gereisd met familie, en ik had eerst het gevoel: oké, dat wil ik eerst zo doen. Maar toen besloot ik dat ik wat langer wilde reizen, dus ben ik alleen naar Taiwan gegaan. Ik ben nu anderhalve week op mezelf en ik vind het voor het grootste deel echt geweldig, maar ik begin me wel heel erg eenzaam te voelen.

Eerst ben ik nog een paar dagen in Tokio gebleven, waar ik wat mensen heb ontmoet en wat drankjes heb gedaan, maar nu ik in Taiwan ben kan ik geen andere buitenlanders vinden om iets mee te doen. Alle hostels waar ik verblijf zijn helemaal niet sociaal en bijna niemand spreekt Engels.

Meestal red ik het wel prima alleen, maar ik zou wel graag wat meer mensen ontmoeten. Ik weet alleen niet waar (zeker omdat ik geen alcohol drink/geen zin heb in feestjes). Ik heb wel met een paar locals gepraat, winkeleigenaren, … maar het blijft eigenlijk meestal best oppervlakkig. Soms krijg ik gewoon zo’n golf van eenzaamheid en dan wil ik naar huis. Heeft iemand tips?

Ook kan ik eigenlijk geen tours vinden die binnen mijn budget vallen, of waar andere buitenlanders bij zouden aansluiten. Ik ben tot nu toe in Kaohsiung en Taichung geweest, maar ik ga binnenkort naar Taipei.

I took my first solo trip to Scotland and Ireland about a month ago and my friend was asking what I learned from it to give him tips. Thought I'd also share here:

1. Stay at hostels, but find one that best suits you. If you wanna stay independent, choose the one where reviewers states it’s quiet. If you want the party hostels, go for it. You can also find ones that are a bit of both quiet with a social scene. It’s much easier than you think to make friends while traveling, because most other solo travelers are looking for friends too!
2. Find time to chat with locals, usually gonna be off the beaten path. I found my conversations with the locals to be some of the most memorable moments.
3. Maybe don't go out every night. The nights I went out, I would get up late the next morning. It’s good to do stuff early in the morning before the crowds, especially in popular European cities. Granted, this all depends on how much you drink and how you handle hangovers as that can differ from person to person, night to night.
4. Know your ability to enjoy your own presence. Can you eat a dinner alone in a sit down restaurant and actually enjoy it? Give it a try in your hometown before your trip so you don’t end up doing takeout and eating in a hotel room for your whole trip.
5. It might take a trip or two to really figure out what it is you like and don't like to do on your solo trips. After my first trip, I discovered that I'm not overly interested in going to some famous building, statue or sight just to snap a photo and say I went there. I didn't really get much out of Temple Bar, Trinity College, Greyfriars Bobby, as well as some others. I do love wandering neighborhoods, getting off the beaten path and just not having a plan for some select days, but I also do like to anchor trips or countries around 1 or 2 main points, as I did with Isle of Skye.
6. Most important in my opinion: don’t trust your own thoughts on the first day! I did my first day in Dublin, overwhelmed, jet lagged, sleep deprived and culture shocked. I realized I was actually in the other side of the world away from my parents and friends and thought “Am I built for this? Am I in over my own head? Do I need to book a ticket back home immediately?” Sure enough, by the second day I was having the time of my life.

I have visited just under 30 countries in the space of 3 years. I got a government job last year which because of the nature of it, I often make up a fake job. This also means I am banned from certain countries etc. I also turned 25 last week and have recently started a serious relationship with someone.

I used to love traveling to a new country, meeting new people in hostels, and going with the flow... Now because of the aforementioned 3 big changes, I am laying in my hostel bed wondering if I should get a flight home...

I still love traveling, just maybe not in the same format as I used too. I feel as if I am just getting older and losing my youth, and maybe should start to settle down a little more.

Little bit lost, just wondering if anyone else has had the same feeling as they get older etc?

First time travelling to Colombia. My initial bucket list included the usual triangle of Cartagena, Bogotá and Medellín—plus maybe a pueblo or two. But as my plans are starting to take shape, I’m considering cutting both Cartagena and Bogotá.

I’m not especially pressed for time, and my budget is fine—it’s just that I feel I’d be better off focusing more and spending less time on transit, where time can easily disappear.

• Cartagena: I’ve read reports about travellers being harassed. I also understand that the area of interest isn’t that large. Most importantly, I’ve already seen plenty of charming single story colonial architecture on previous trips to both South America and North Africa, so Cartagena’s historic district may not add much for me personally.
• Bogotá: The area recommended for travellers doesn’t seem all that big, so I’m not sure it’s worth the flight. Also, a walking video from a YouTuber (who shall remain nameless) left me with the impression that the central areas of Bogotá can feel quite unwelcoming overall.

So my plans are forming around a more concentrated approach: a direct flight into Medellín, followed by an immediate flight out for about a week along the Pacific coast. Then I’d return and really immerse myself in Medellín before checking out Jardín and whatever else I can manage to reach as I make my way further down south into the coffee region. In total somewhere between two and three weeks, I think.

You’re very welcome to persuade me otherwise. :-)

Hello,
I am doing a 16 day Europe solo trip next month (September 2026) and I’ll be in Italy twice as connecting flights from Italy are cheaper. First block is Venice for two days. Then after a week I’ll be back on a flight to Milan. What I was Initially planning to do is go straight to lake como and stay there for 2.5/3 days then go to Milan for two days and by the end of the second day I’ll catch a flight back home.

I am unsure of my schedule as I was wondering if I should add Genoa or another coastal city to my itinerary as I would love to spend some time on the beach and explore the place so I need advice on that. I could take some days off of lake como and Milan to fit Genoa or another destination.

Also my birthday happens to be the second day I arrive in Italy the second time and I want to spend it somewhere nice (I would probably be in Lake Como if I don’t change the schedule) if you have any recommendations, and also any advice for female solo travelers in Italy, and any general advice plss.

TL;DR
Should I do 2.5 days in Lake Como and 2 in Milan or remove some days from them and go to Gerona or another destination?

Well I know some people don't have friends so they travel solo or just want time away but I want none of those. I would love to be with my friends and family but no one is interested or feels scared to go to the same destinations as me. When I was 18 after my A-levels some of my friends went to Tenerife but I choose to go with a lot of money I had saved to the Kokoda trek in Papua New Guinea. I have been to Bolivia, Suriname, Gabon and Sumatra. I asked people every time if they want to come but they all said no. I guess it seemed to far away and not much tourist infrastructure. But even to places in Turkey such as Artvin and Sakarya no one wanted to join me of my friends only my family that live there. I was wondering if anyone had this reason that their locations they choose for travel is what made them go solo?

I'm planning a 'stans trip for this September/October, is it possible to travel the region picking the next destination just a couple days before? I've heard that it could be difficult to find seats on Uzbekistan's trains, is it true?

Going to Turkiye for my first ever solo trip. I am more interested in food, culture, history and islam. Not really partying. Also looking to relax after a long year. My current schedule is 7 nights in istanbul, 3 nights in cappadocia, 3 nights in Antalya for relaxing, and then 1 last night in istanbul for my flight home. Would you recommend reducing istanbul by a day and adding a day to Antalya? I don't want to get bored alone on the beach too long, but also want to relax. Also would you substitute any of these locations for other cities/places?

I’m in the midst of planning my trip for summer of 2027 so peak season and was wondering about how much I should be thinking of saving for. Right now I have a planned budget of about 8500€ and was also paying down all my credit cards to use as an emergency fund so would have a buffer of about 1500€ mainly for my flight back home and other larger purchases.

I so far have calculated about 3500€ staying in hostels but of course I won’t know the exact price because I’ll probably only book the first few hostels at a time. I may also want to stay in a hotel for a night or two if I don’t like the quality of the hostel so I want that to be an option budget wise.

I plan on getting the Paris Museum Pass for 4 days, deciding between the 7 or 10 day Eurail pass, and the Swiss Travel Pass. That’s about 600€

Then flights and transportation in between come up to an estimated 1300€.

That leaves about 3200€ or 50/day for two months. That sounds to me like it’s not enough but needed to know how much more I should be thinking of saving.

My itinerary is below on locations and how long I’m staying in each: leaving early June to mid August

London (5 nights)
- free museums, a lot of walking, sightseeing, walking tours, will probably spend the most on food here. Windsor castle day trip.

Paris (6 nights)
- museum pass for louvre, versailles, and other museums.

Amsterdam (4 nights)
- meeting up with a friend so itinerary is undecided.

Switzerland (6 nights)
- hiking trails, will mostly eat from grocery stores there.

Milan (2 nights)
- sightseeing, shopping center

Venice (3 nights)
- nothing planned here

Dolomites (2 nights)
- hiking trails, eating at rifugios and bringing food with me.

Florence (2 nights)
- nothing planned

Rome (5 nights)
- sight seeing

Amalfi (2 nights)
- birthday at the beach, not included in the budget. I plan to spend 800+ euros here alone.

Naples (2 nights)
- just want to have pizza here to be honest

(from here on out the night in each city are subjective because I’m meeting up with a friend from Spain)

Barcelona (3 nights)

Madrid (~8 nights)

Lisbon

Porto

Most likely flying out from Madrid.

Hi everyone! I've drawn up my itinerary and am in the final stages - below is the current itinerary with my questions at the end. Any advice is appreciated. 

Arriving Sat 12 Sep, departing Sat 26 Sep. Doing the Mestia–Ushguli trek 20–23 Sep with a group. Looking for advice on whether this routing makes sense and where I should be spending more/less time.

---

**Sat 12 – Mon 14 | Tbilisi (3 nights)**
Arriving midday Saturday. Plan is to use this as a base for a Kakheti day trip on the Monday (it's harvest season so seems like good timing). Is 3 nights in Tbilisi about right, or would time be better spent elsewhere?

**Tue 15 – Wed 16 | Kazbegi (2 nights)**
Heading up the Georgian Military Highway, overnight in Kazbegi, day hike on Wednesday before heading west to Kutaisi. Is 2 nights enough here or is this worth extending?

**Thu 17 – Fri 18 | Kutaisi (2 nights)**
Staging point before Svaneti — meeting hiking companions here on Saturday morning. I have a free day on Friday with not much planned. Is Kutaisi worth 2 nights or is there somewhere better to spend this time?

**Sat 19 | Transit → Mestia**
Meeting companions early morning, then heading straight through Zugdidi to Mestia. Arriving afternoon.

**Sun 20 – Wed 23 | Mestia–Ushguli Trek (4 days)**
Mestia → Zhabeshi → Adishi → Iprali → Ushguli. Returning to Mestia by jeep taxi on the evening of the 23rd.

**Thu 24 | Mestia → Tbilisi**
Full day transit back.

**Fri 25 – Sat 26 | Tbilisi (2 nights)**
Plan is Mtskheta day trip on Friday. Flying home Saturday.

---

**Main questions:**

1. Is the Kazbegi → Kutaisi routing sensible, or is there somewhere I'm missing between the two?
2. Is Kutaisi worth 2 nights as a staging point, or should I be somewhere else on that Friday?
3. Am I spending too long / not long enough anywhere?
4. Anything obvious I've left out for a September trip?

Thanks in advance!

After travelling to India a few times, I have always been intrigued to travel Bangladesh. I still have some flight vouchers that I would need to use anyways and thought about flying to Dhaka within the next few days. My must sees would be Dhaka, the night ferry to Barisal, the ship wrecking beaches of Chittagong (from afar as I know), and either Sylhet or Rajshahi. From what I see the weather in Chittagong and Sylhet will be pretty much heavy monsoon.

To all those who have been or maybe those who live there, is this generally a feasible idea or is the season too much of an obstacle? Are the ferries even enjoyable during this kind of weather? For context: I am a white male European in his late 20s.

I got back from a trip to Colombia a day before the earthquake hit. I was on the Caribbean coast and not near the area affected, but I feel distasteful posting photos of my travel with a current humanitarian crisis unfolding there.

Would it be wrong of me to post a few travel pics to my social? I thought I could possibly include a link for people to donate to the earthquake response in my post, but I also don’t want to seem performative since I wasn’t in the area hit. I had such an amazing trip and would love to showcase that, but I also want to be culturally aware. Please let me know what you would do!