Is Solo Travel Lonely? Sometimes—Here's How to Deal with it

Is solo travel lonely?

The answer—yes, sometimes.

That’s the honest truth. It’s not always about dancing like no one’s watching or feeling like Lara Croft crossing from continent to continent, even if you’ve traveled alone to 26 countries as I have.

Sometimes, you feel a little detached from the world and wish you had someone to turn to and say, “Look at that cool thing!”

However, in my experience over the past decade, this happens infrequently.

Whether you’re just starting out traveling solo or have felt lonely yourself and are wondering how to shake off that feeling, I’ll walk you through five practical techniques I’ve used to examine and then move past feeling lonesome.

Examine the Feeling

I know, a lot of us don’t want to dig into our feelings.

And I’m not here to therapize you, but I do just want you to at least look at the feeling.

Where is it coming from?

I’ve found that really helps me untangle my emotions, as I’m someone who bottles up a bit and then finds myself spilling over.

For example, I may feel lonely, which is acceptable, but if I find myself getting too worked up about it, there’s some bottling up happening.

Once I sit with my thoughts, I often find that I’m also upset about that friend who bailed on me at the last minute, worried about that job interview, concerned for an ill loved one, etc.

Examining won’t fix any of this, but it at least lets me go, “Oh, okay, I’ve got a lot on my plate, so my feelings are valid.”

I can then usually put them down for at least a bit.

For me, the upset about someone bailing on me is typically my #1 trigger.

I had a friend say she’d go to Mexico with me to see a temple that helped inspire my novel, Deferring Death.

Because of this connection, the trip was really important to me. But she asked me to change the dates twice and then bailed completely. I was really bummed.

I went anyway and had a great time, thrilled I didn’t let her get me down.

But it lingered in the back of my mind, and it would have felt different to share this experience with someone.

What to Do When Feeling Lonely While Solo Travelling

Whether it’s just the loneliness or other feelings complicating your emotions, here are some actionable techniques to try out on your next adventure!

1. Book a Group Trip

As I tend to solo travel a lot, if I find myself lonely, I book a group trip.

This doesn’t need to be some massively long or expensive trip; it can be an hour-long guided tour of a museum.

However, I find that longer day trips allow more time to bond with others compared to short tours, since there’s often downtime on a bus or other mode of transport.

I experienced this myself on my Paddywagon trip from Dublin to the Cliffs of Moher in 2013, during my first solo trip abroad.

Because it was a full-day adventure, I wound up talking to the other 20-somethings around me, one of whom I stayed in contact with for a few years after and even met up with again in the States.

O’Brien’s Tower perched on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, with dramatic ocean views and green grassy cliffs under a blue sky.

I highly recommend checking out Viator or GetYourGuide for easy-to-book tours.

Both have a large variety of options, so I suggest typing in your city/town and then modifying the filters (e.g., food & drink, night tours, museums, etc.)

You can also pre-book these when planning your solo trip.

2. Go for a Walk

I know this is a simple technique on this “is solo travel lonely” guide, but it’s one that’s even helped me with my anxiety and depression.

I’ve found that even a little physical movement, going beyond the four walls of my home, hotel, or hostel, awakens my mind and helps me move past ill feelings.

Bring along headphones and listen to your favorite music, podcast, or audiobook for some added help.

3. Talk to Someone

Whether it’s a fellow hostel-goer, someone at the bar, or a person also alone on your guided tour, just say something; it’s one of my top solo travel tips.

Even something small like “Have you been here before?” or “Been here long?”

Is enough to strike up a conversation that’s not too complicated.

Keep it light and breezy. If the person shuts off, it’s not on you; they may be having a rough day themselves.

Just know you tried, and that’s what’s important.

If you need something simpler, text, Zoom, or call someone back home.

Just a short chat can help relieve that loneliness, as often what you’re seeking is connection.

Fellow solo travelers are often the best for this as they’re often in the same boat.

4. Do Something You Love

Whether that’s going to a sushi joint because you love a rainbow roll or it’s heading to a museum you’ve been dying to visit, do something that excites you.

You can even sign up for a class.

Want to try flamenco while in Seville? Do it!

Want to learn Italian cooking while in Florence? Do it! (I highly recommend this)

A woman participates in a Pasta & Gnocchi cooking class in Florence, creating fresh dough on a wooden surface. Surrounded by ingredients and kitchen tools, she learns traditional Italian techniques in a hands-on culinary experience. — Me learning to make pasta in Florence

European cities are excellent for solo travel because of their wide range of options.

I find that doing something I love, or in the case of cooking, something that’s a bit of a challenge, really gets me pumped up and excited.

The ability to drop everything and do this is one of the major pros of solo traveling!

5. Sign Up for a Community-Based App

As someone who used to own an app that was all about community, I’ve tried my fair share of apps designed around community.

Some of my favorites for meeting people while solo:

Meetup.com: You can find a lot of different ways to meet others on here, and all the groups are organized around a theme, so just look for one that excites you (e.g., movies, language exchange, running, etc.) I’ve done the language exchange, but to be honest, I realized I was so shy speaking and needed to work on my confidence!
TimeLeft: Sign up for dinner with five strangers. Don’t worry, you’ll know them shortly. Everyone is there solo, so you’re on an even playing field. If I’m tired of eating alone, I do this a lot. I’ve kept in contact with some of the people I met in Liverpool and the States.
BumbleBFF: This is how I met my travel buddy in 2022 while we were both solo traveling in Barcelona. I don’t love the group meetups, as I’ve found them flaky (at least in the States), but I love the one-on-one matching.
TripBFF: I haven’t used this abroad yet, but I’ve used it to meet other digital nomads and travelers at home, and find their groups fairly active. Only problem is, because it’s all travelers, you gotta strike while the iron’s hot, since most of them don’t plan too far ahead.
Hostelworld: If you book a hostel on Hostelworld, you’ll have access to their app, which lets you chat with other travelers in groups. You can easily find someone to connect with there, especially if you’re in a popular city like London. There are also often events for hostel-goers on there. I found the notifications a bit much, but I loved that I had so many opportunities!

As a note, I found all of these safe, even while traveling alone as a woman.

Click here for a complete list of my favorite solo travel apps!

A smartphone screen displaying Hostelworld app notifications from fellow hostel goers in London. The interface highlights the app’s real-time communication features for hostel travelers. — Hostelworld

FAQs

Is it normal to feel lonely when solo travelling?

Yes, it’s normal to feel lonely when traveling alone. However, there are simple ways to deal with it, such as booking a group trip or joining a meetup group. But don’t ever feel bad about feeling lonely; it’s a human emotion and a valid one.

Does solo travel make you feel more free or more lonely?

Solo travel makes me feel freer as it tests what I can accomplish on my own. I know how much I can do without any support, which is a huge confidence booster. It also lets me do whatever I want, so I don’t have to plan around others.

Does it get lonely or feel scary to travel solo or does a person get used to traveling alone?

It can feel scary at first, as you are doing something new, but I find that you get used to traveling solo. Occasionally, one does feel lonely, but it’s something you learn to cope with.

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Is Solo Travel Lonely? Sometimes—Here Are 5 Tips for Coping With It