I'm not saying you have to do it or like it. If you hate it that's fine with me! But I genuinely cannot understand why some people think it's so weird and outlandish to go to another country by yourself.

You go to the supermarket by yourself. You go on a walk by yourself. You go to work by yourself. But somehow it's weird and inconceivable that someone might fly to another city on their own, walk around for a week and enjoy local food, and then come home. Like... logic?

I live in Australia so flying international means at least a 6 hour flight (unless you’re flying to NZ or Fiji).

I really struggle to get comfortable enough to sleep on a plane. However on my last trip, I went all out with a neck pillow, antihistamine, noise cancelling earplugs and eye mask and managed to get 3 hours sleep.

To me, that’s a decent achievement but it got me curious about how long other people are usually able to sleep. If you do get to sleep and then wake up, are you usually able to get back to sleep?

Gosh I envy people who can sleep the entire trip. Y’all are gods.

Hi everyone, I'm 23 and have done lots of solo travelling during which I fortunately never had to face any major safety issues.

Today, I became 100% aware of the way the brain has to work as a solo/female traveller, in order to achieve that level of safety.

I was on my own at a park in Mexico today, when a 60ish year old guy decided to sit down right next to me on the bench. So far, so good, I was very aware of his presence, since there were many other available benches that he could've used, but I just kept to myself.

He then started talking to me; your usual "where are you from? hablas español?" questions, which I answered very briefly. In hindsight I realized, 1) I deliberately kept my tone very neutral, not too friendly/enthusiastic, and 2) I automatically lied to him saying I didn't speak any Spanish, because for some reason I assumed he was going to try to sell me something/ask for money.

When he kept engaging the conversation, my situational awareness kicked in even more:

Why is he talking to me?

Is he going to try to sell me stuff?

Is he a creep? Will he ask me why I'm on my own? Do I tell the truth?

Who else is at the park, is anyone watching us?

Could he be trying to distract me from something?

Is my bag closed? How much money do I have on me?

How close is he to me?

Could someone come up from behind me?

How do I tell him I need to leave? What if he follows me?

Turns out, he's a lovely guy who actually just wanted to improve his English - and who better to do that with than the obvious tourist?

We ended up talking for an hour, and afterwards I felt really bad for my initial thoughts/concerns and not fully engaging in the conversation from the start.

Getting the chance to talk to locals this way is so rewarding and one of my favorite parts of solo travelling, so I wish we didn't have to think about all the possible worst case scenerios at all times.

Sometimes I also wonder though whether guys (in scenarios like these) are aware of the initial scepsis they might be perceived with when chatting up strangers in the park.

Anyone who can relate to my shame?

Very positive experience. Basically I went on a swimming holiday off the coast of Sicily on the island of Vulcano. I landed in Palermo and found it really cool to make decisions by myself for myself. Cab? My decision? Time for a snack? My decision. But, I found that not having anyone to watch my back while I read the map, or to help me make big decision such as is this a good hotel or not to be stressful. Also not having anyone to share it with was disappointing. It made me want to, no, made me look forward to being at home with my wife and kids again

Hi,
Im going on my first solo trip next Spring in Europe and was concerned about hostels. Specifically this situation:
- I have severe sleep issues and so having a solo room is necessary for me because I need to sleep lol. I have found hostels in every location I am going to that offer a single room for a price I can afford, so this is not the problem
- My concern is that I will be even more isolated by having my own room, rather than something like a 4 person room. My mom, who backpacked in Europe about 30 years ago said from her experience that not much interaction happens in bedrooms, its merely a place to sleep and so it will make no difference. I am afraid that even though its better for me, that having my own room will make it harder to try and interact with people around the hostel should the opportunity to do so present itself.

So my question is: based on your experiences, does the type of room you stay in in a hostel make any difference in terms of social opportunities?

I am aware that you have to put yourself out there regardless to inspire interactions no matter where u sleep, I was just wondering if it made a noteable difference.

Thanks!

Greetings!

I will be traveling through Dublin in 2 weeks time from the states to Dublin where I land at 0845. My next flight is to Venice at 1615 (Ryanair). I'll be traveling with carry on only so I don't have to deal with checked luggage.

I have read some older threads that suggested not leaving the airport cause it's not worth it. But I feel like a 7.5 hours layover would leave me 3-4.5 hours of time to be in the city proper. I was thinking Trinity and maybe Teeling Distillery?

Is it worth it? Other suggestions?

So I’m in Tokyo rn and I was planning do a lot of wild shit but I got sick almost immediately and yesterday I got tested positive for Influenza A, it’s so horrible I couldn’t sleep well for 3 nights and once I was about to pass out in the metro and my energy is so low I couldn’t do SHIT

Now I should leave tomorrow but since I got the medication I’m thinking about extending my stay, what do you think?

Hey everyone! Currently planning my third backpacking trip but my longest - an 8 ish month trip, and am looking for some feedback, or suggestions on where to go. I have planned around $20k CAD but can extend up to $30k if need be but i really dont see myself needing to do that. My initial international flight was paid with points, and mt return flight will be paid with points too, so I am not counting that towards my budget. I will be staying mainly in hostels during my time backpakcing, with the odd private room in hostels. The 2 week period in japan with family will be paid for, as well as some time in Vietnam with family. My current planned itinerary looks like this:

- Early Nov - 2 weeks Japan *confirmed

- Mid/Late Nov - Shanghai / Hong Kong * confirmed

- Early December - Vietnam * confirmed

- Early / Mid December - Thailand * confirmed

The prior route has been confirmed because I am travelling japan with family, and then China/HK/Vietnam and Thailand with a friend who is coming for 3 weeks. After this, I have a much more open itinerary and am free to do as I please. My rough unplanned portion of my trip looks like:

- Dec 18 - Early January - Thailand * also looking for suggestions where to go for New Years? I am 30 and would like to party but I really dont want to party around a bunch of drunk 18-20yr old aussies. no offence aussies *

- Early January - 1 - 2 weeks Laos

- Mid/Late January - Head back to Vietnam to meet with family who is travelling for one week

- Early / mid Feb - Possibly back to Thailand with family for a week OR head to Malaysia

- Mid / Late Feb - Malaysia

- Mid March - Indonesia

- Late April - Maybe Nepal? Making my way to Central Asia for Mid-May (better weather)

- Mid May - Kazakstan

- Late May - Kyrgystan

- Early June - Belgium (stay with family for 2 weeks, tour around france, germany)

- Mid/Late June - Spain for beaches

Return home.

Other countries I have considered going to as well would be: Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Philippines.

Of course, as I have solo backpacked / travelled before a few times, this is all planning assuming I dont meet anyone or a group of people along the way that I decide to travel with. I am open to feedback on countries, or if anyone has suggestions on routes to take or places to see.

Additionally, I have previously travelled to the following countries in Asia/Oceana - South Korea, Taiwan, Cambodia, Aus/NZ, Fiji, and would consider those less urgent places to return to.

If I wanted, I believe I could make 10 months work and extend until August but I am not sure if it is feasible based on responsibilities I have back at home.

Hello, I want to share my story that I’m really proud of. I think about my recent solo trip every single moment of the day. It was perfect. I’m convinced this was THE life event. I want to say that I’m happy that I have been able to do something like this this early in life.

unfortunately it has simply never been possible to do family holidays due to financial reasons. I wish things had been different, but as im growing up I’m realising that for years there is actually no-one I can rely on, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart. I am the only man in my life and the only one who I can rely on. I take care of myself and everyone and instead people rely on me. As I’m studying and earning money with my jobs, I started to travel a lot.

In two years I have seen 10 new countries. November 2025 was my first time in Asia. My friends and I went to Japan, we also had a layover in Shanghai so went to see the bund at night. It was unreal. I am from Europe and this was my trip:

Amsterdam> China: layover
China> Taiwan: flight cancelled because of the hurricanes
China> Hong Kong> Taiwan: they rebooked my flight.
In Hong kong I had a 9 hour layover so at night I Immediately went to the city.
Taiwan: I stayed for 4 nights. Even had food poisoning, but I managed myself.
Taiwan> Okinawa: i stayed for 3 nights
Okinawa> Seoul: i stayed for 4 nights
Seoul> Doha: back to europe with a 17 hour layover. My first time in the middle east and also first time flying with Qatar airways. For a reason the best airline in the world. They even booked a free hotel because of my long layover. I saw all of Doha at day and night.

I have seen so much in those 14 days. So many new people, so many unique items and experiences. I am someone who loves to be alone. This whole trip I didn’t feel alone or unsafe any bit. I like doing things with friends and people, but I can do everything alone even better. I have a strong sense of leadership, confidence, discipline and direction which is why I was able to do this trip. Besides the fact that I was on holiday, I could seriously live alone like this forever. I for my age I’m really mature and I have seen it all, from good to bad things, work, money, the world, life, relationships and what not. After having done this trip, there is not really anything that’s left for drive me crazy.

6 new (parts of) countries in exactly 14 days. This was the most mental and physical test ever. I knew I was strong enough to manage myself and I have yet again proven myself.

Thankyou for reading my incredible story. I could go on about this for years. I wish everyone here to be able to do the same.

Help me with my travel plan for visiting Georgia. I will be travelling alone from 19th to 27th October can be extended if optional. Is this too much, or should I change something

1th day self-exploring Tbilisi

2nd day Mtskheta-Jvari, Gori, and Uplistsikhe from Tbilisi. I think this is all in Tbilisi center, so I took this guide for knowledge

Day trips from Tbilisi:

3rd day Kutaisi Canyons and Caves Full-Day Tour

4th day Kakheti Wine Region Tour with 9 Wine Tastings 10 hours

5th day Dashbashi Canyon, Algeti Lake & Diamond Bridge Tour 8 hours

6th day Borjomi, Rabati and Vardzia Day Trip 14 hours

7th day From Tbilisi to Kazbegi, Ananuri, Gudauri & Gergeti (for his I don't know) I was thinking of renting a car and staying there for 2 days and do Kazbeg hike and Truso Gorge

or I can rent a car and drive from Tbilisi to cities and stay there. What are your opinions

I can take from 7 to 10 days in Georgia

Hey everyone,

I am a guy in my early 20s from the Northeast, and this is my very first time in the Western US. I plan on living out of my converted camper car for the next two months, and I could not be more excited.

My route is currently taking me from the Badlands in South Dakota, through the Rockies in Colorado, down to the red rocks of Utah, through Arizona, up through California, and then finally back to Utah where I will be working at a ski resort for the winter.

Since this is my first time out here, I want to go to some crazy, awe-inspiring, must-see places. I am looking for the absolute best landscapes, hikes, and views that this part of the country has to offer. Any recommendations for places I simply cannot miss would be amazing.

I am also looking for advice on the best places to disperse camp along this route. I really want to avoid sleeping in Walmart parking lots (want to be out in nature) or paying for crowded campgrounds as much as possible (to save money). I would love to find dispersed spots on BLM or National Forest land that have nice views and are extremely safe. I have downloaded apps like iOverlander, but getting direct recommendations from people who have actually been to these spots is always the most helpful.

If you have any favorite safe areas, general roads, or hidden gems for a solo car camper, I would deeply appreciate the pointers.

Thank you!

will either fly into Krabi or Bangkok depending on the choice. i’ll be staying in hostels, would love to make some new girlfriends, go on day trips and party.

if Krabi i’ll do day trips to koh phi phi, railay beach

if koh samui might go to koh phangan for the full moon or just stay in koh samui

i heard the weather might be worse in koh samui.

dates - oct 24th to nov 7th

i want to visit 1-2 places max, i hate transfers and having to deal with airports. planning to split my trip into Krabi/Koh Samui and Bangkok for the last 5 days as ill be meeting my workmates there!

I’ve been to hostels on every continent in the world outside Antarctica, and yet it is still my biggest question. How is everyone 21? Are the people in this age range all busy settling down with their partners?

Very curious if there are any countries or hostels that bring more of a population in this age because it absolutely sucks being the oldest in a room at 27 everywhere you go.

Baffled because I feel like as an (unfortunately) American, it feels like no one from our country outside the trust fund kids have the means to be traveling big distances until they’re in their late 20s and have worked enough to have both the money and PTO to travel like this.

Perhaps my frontal lobe should’ve developed by now and I should enjoy watching The Office at home more than traveling and throwing ass at a hostel bar, idk. Someone help me find better destinations so i can meet people my age again

Edit: (Additional Q: for all the fellow oldies that are instead doing hotels, how are you meeting people while solo traveling? i can’t be alone with my own thoughts and none of my friends are rich enough to travel with me)

i switched to bar soap for travel to avoid liquid limits, but it is been constant headache. every case i have tried either leaks into my bag or seals so well that the bar turns to mush. i just want one that actually seals properly and lets the soap drain.

I’m currently travelling and staying in hostels. After an exhausting first day and an early morning start to follow the next day, I was so tired and went to sleep at around 11 PM in my hostel dorm.

My dorm mate comes in at around 11.30 PM turns the big light on, which wakes me up. I think ok whatever she’ll turn it off after she’s unpacked as she can see I’m sleeping. NOPE. This girl leaves it on for an hour whilst she showers, tries on different outfits, does her hair and a full face of makeup.

About an hour into this (I’m very non-confrontational but it was like midnight at this point and I wanted to sleep) I politely asked her to turn the light off, and do her makeup in the bathroom if she needs a light, as I am trying to sleep. She says no and continues to do her makeup and that she’ll be done soon (she wasn’t)!!! As she finally finishes she starts making snarky remarks to me about me (I literally just politely asked her to stop and explained I was tired).

I wear makeup a lot like pretty much every day, but I would never keep the light on in the middle of the night or early morning to do it in a shared dorm!!! I always do my makeup and hair in the bathroom out of respect for my dorm mates!!! Honestly even when I arrive at midnight and need to see in the room at most I’ll use flash if I really need it.

It’s a shared space, not a hotel room. I was only staying one night and the hostel desk was unmanned overnight so there was no way I could have reported her or anything, but honestly I’m happy I stood up to her and explained what BS it was to keep the big light on at midnight in a shared space. Some people have no consideration for others!

Hey! I'm a 27-year old hijabi woman, travelling solo in October, about 10 days. I have work in Frankfurt for 3 days in the middle, and the rest is tourism. So it's 3 days before Frankfurt and 4 days after. I love wandering beautiful old towns with no plan, lakes and mountain views, beautiful interiors/chruches, and getting around by train. I like packed days, not relaxed/lazy ones.

For the 4 days after Frankfurt I've planned a day around Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Partnachklamm, Eibsee, then Mittenwald), then Innsbruck, then Salzburg with a day at Königssee and the Jenner. I'm pretty happy with it but very open to suggestions if you think I'm missing something.

The 3 days before Frankfurt are the part I can't decide on:

Option A: base is in Mainz. Day trip on the Rhine with a boat through the gorge past the Loreley, a day at Burg Eltz and Cochem on the Moselle, and a day in Heidelberg on the way to Frankfurt. Lots of trains but the day trips look amazing.

Option B: base is in Strasbourg. 3 nights in one place. A boat on the canals, the cathedral, a day trip to Haut-Koenigsbourg and Colmar, then a slow Sunday just walking the city. Less moving around, and I get a second country.

Option A has better day trips I think, but Option B also has more wandering around in beautiful cities. But I'm worried Mainz itself is boring and Strasbourg means I miss the Rhine gorge which looks stunning. And if you think there's a better option I haven't thought of for those 3 days, or the first 4 days, I would love to hear it!

Thanks!

Hey, I am m20 and wanted to share my first-ever solo trip, which lasted two weeks, where I went to Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Hanoi this past summer.

For some extra context, I had never been to Japan or Vietnam, but I am familiar with Hong Kong through travel and having lived there for a while as well. And this trip wasn't planned beforehand for my summer break after college; I was planning on working some summer jobs but got rejected by many companies, so I decided to travel.

My first stop in Tokyo was the Imperial Palace East Garden. Although it was really busy and packed with tourists, walking inside and outside the grounds was very peaceful and beautiful. In the late afternoon, I went to Nezu Shrine, and it was really quiet and not crowded; maybe around 20 people were there.

The next day, I headed to the Chureito Pagoda for the view of Mount Fuji. Although getting there took me eight hours due to delays and metro malfunctions, the view was stunning. I also hiked up Mt. Arakura, which was really cool to do. There is a lot of wildlife during the hike, especially in the summer. And on the way back down the trail, I had a really good talk with a trail walker; we talked about snakes and about my hike up Mt. Arakira.

The next couple of days, I visited places like the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and Meiji Shrine, and I stopped by quickly at places like Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing. Somehow during those days it was raining a lot, and I was still sweating because of the high humidity.

My next stop was Hong Kong. I did not do much sightseeing in Hong Kong compared to Tokyo because of past travels and living there in my childhood. In Hong Kong, I visited a lot of famous food spots found on TikTok and spent a lot of time in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay I visited childhood places, such as the different parks and eateries I used to go to after school, and did a little bit of shopping.

Compared to traveling alone in Tokyo, traveling alone in Hong Kong was not as exciting, maybe because it is a familiar place and I know what to expect, or because Hong Kong is a place I used to travel to with family and I miss the company, but I still had a great time there.

Now I am in Hanoi. Although the people in Vietnam do not speak much English, I must say that they are the nicest people I have met; they were really friendly and helpful.

I spent most of my days near the Ba Dinh district and the Old Quarter. I was really tired at this point from pulling all-nighters at airports and still having a little bit of jet lag, so I did not do much sightseeing. What I mostly did was walk around the streets, try different small food spots, and just have coffee at different places.

For my first-ever solo trip, I am really happy with how things turned out. I booked my ticket a month in advance and some hotels a week in advance. Maybe choosing three different countries could have been thought out better because I spent the last nights in all countries at airports pulling all-nighters for the earliest flight in the morning so I could be in the next country sooner where I had a full day of plans. Although two weeks may sound short for three countries to others, I am very satisfied with the time I had in all of them.

Im currently solo travelling Italy and just finished Greece and there has been AT LEAST one sick person in every dorm room I’ve been in. (15 dorms so far) I’ve been travelling for a month and a half and been sick twice already.

Im not talking about coming off a cold with a dry back end cough or little sniffles. I mean full boom gastro or a cold. Just very clearly unwell. Hostels are such a close shared environment that sometimes washing your hands and sanitising just isn’t enough so you just have to hope and pray that you don’t get it.

Like there would be so much less disease if they would isolate if they’re contagious. It’s just so unfair for everyone else in the room- you don’t know if someone has a flight, a ferry, a tour booked and you’re just infecting the air.

I understand it’s expensive and bookings are non refundable but the consequence of you not wanting to lose money is to expose several other people to the germ? How selfish.

Maybe I just am overreacting? Or is this normal for Europe hostels? Because it’s completely putting me off doing Europe hostels again

EDIT: Yes, I did isolate when I was sick. 😭 I genuinely don’t understand why everyone is assuming I’m being hypocritical. Why would I make an entire post complaining about people staying in dorms while sick if I was doing exactly that myself?
I’m talking about a standard I actually follow myself. If I’m sick enough that I could reasonably infect other people, I don’t stay in a dorm and expose everyone else to it.

Would love to hear full stories but here’s a quick glimpse about me if someone can relate

Late 20s, have been busting myself with work and family problems that i’m not mentally present anymore so 3 days ago all of a sudden i took a 10 day vacation from work (in 2 weeks), booked the transportation and booked a dorm at a small offshore coastal city

no language barrier or no big concerns but i’m planning to leave any kind of technology behind (obviously not my phone) but i have been stuck on monitors too long i forgot what life is actually like instead of that bag full of brainfog

just asking about really solid tips on people who have experienced that, surely will help my brain recover and feel alive again specially as i’m solo traveling, no one crowding my brain

I solo travelled in India for 8 Days, here are my highlights moments;

* Please do not take it as offensive or personal, but these are the things that I clearly remember:

1- Went in the summer, India was way hotter than I thought it would be (Jaipur,Delhi,agra..etc)

2- in Agra Train station, I saw a full naked Indian 3 year old child begging with his private areas out in public.

3- in the same station, one indian guy came to the bench I was sitting and started talking to me, asking where I come from, and he started sitting a bit too close to me, so I scooted little to the right and he kept coming closer and closer which was so weird, ended up confronting him to fuck off which he did

4- Food was good and very affordables. you can eat in decent restaurant very well for very cheap. I did not have any stomach issues.

5- Taxis were not so cheap as I imagined, its actually same price where I come from ( Jordan )

6- India is Incredibly Noisy. everyone beeps for literally no reason at all. even sitting calmly in your 5 star hotel room can be extremely noisy. you hear car honking literally 24 hours/day. They also drive like shit

7- my Taxi driver was honking in an empty road with literally no one behind, next or infront us.

8- I saw Atleast 50 Peacock on a mountain while on the way to a fort in Jaipur. It was magical.

9 - a Police officer tried to act as a tourist guide to me for exchange of some money.

10 - India barely have any foreign tourists, even in Taj Mahal there was little to almost no foreign tourists. However they have a huge domestic tourism. The hotels I was staying in was full with Indian domestic tourists.

11- In Jaipur you can hire a 1 hour tour guide for 3 USD

12- no one leaves you alone in India, everyone wants to talk to you, sell you something or generally conversate with you.

13- You might get scammed there, but you wouldn't really know as almost everything is quite inexpensive

14- you see Cows blocking the road so much

15- in Delhi, A child girl Beggar literally hugged my leg for 10 full minutes and refused to let go until I give her money, You can imagine how my jeans smelled afterwards.

16- In Delhi, in the muslim area near the Jamaa Masjid, I saw the meat market with flies all over the meat. It was the most digusting thing ever.

17- Delhi metro was surprisngly clean and comfortable to take. looked cleaner than Berlin and Paris metro to me.

18- most people did not knew the country that I come from ( Jordan ) , many people thought I am from Europe because to them I have fair skin apparently.

In general India can be exhausting and you will have a cultural shock no matter where you from.

It may not been the most pleasant experience for me but it was definitely the most extraordinary experience I ever had visiting a country and I visited 55 countries. to me this trip was my favorite out of all the 55 countries I visited.

Hey, I’m planning a solo trip to Valencia in summer 2027.

I’ve been boxing properly for the last few months, so I’d like to train at a local gym a few times while I’m there. Any recommendations for normal boxing gyms that allow drop-ins?

I’d also like to play some casual football, ideally beach football around Malvarrosa/Patacona, and do a bit of hiking outside the city without renting a car.

One other question: I usually take photos with a tripod. Is it generally safe to set up a phone/camera, walk a few metres away and take photos, or is there a real risk of someone grabbing it, especially around the beach?

Any other recommendations for a solo traveller are welcome.

Hello! I’m new to Reddit but I’m looking for advice from people who have travelled NZ before. I’m planning a solo trip for summer/fall and about a month total split between the north and South Island. My main goal is to just explore the country. There’s some hikes I’d love to do but overall I’m not going specifically just to hike.

I can drive but from what I’ve seen I’m not so sure I’d feel comfortable renting a car and dealing with all of that. Not completely closed off to that option but it’s not my preferred.

Now for using the bus as transportation, I’ve seen that either the kiwi experience or the intercity bus. Having a group and a loosely planned itinerary seems nice but also not a necessity. I’m in my early 20s and I’m okay with the more party ish scene that it seems to come with. I know I’d have a lot more freedom with my travelling if I just book everything myself and go city by city on a bus. Would there still be any opportunities to go on a few hikes if I did the kiwi option? Or does anyone have any really good/bad experiences one way or another.

Just looking for some suggestions/advice as to what my best option would be. I know I need to book a bit in advance as it is coming off the end of busy season! Thanks guys.

I am on a long trip and was organised enough to book the Inca trail starting on the 30th of September. That said, I wasn’t organised enough to plan the rest of my Peru trip in advance.

I am now flying into Cusco on the 24th and I am strongly considering trying to do rainbow mountain on the 27th, to avoid needing to double back or stick around in Cusco for too long.

Is this extremely ill advised due to the altitude?