Solo traveling is arguably one of the greatest experiences you can have and one of the best ways to explore the world around you. There is a sense of freedom that comes from choosing a place to visit where you’ve never been before, deciding what to see and do, and being in a place where nobody knows your name.

That feeling of being alone and unknown can be liberating and empowering, allowing you to be whoever you want to be and live carefree. However, this experience can simultaneously leave you feeling lonely.

I think it is safe to say that every solo traveler has felt this way at some point or another, despite the carefully curated Instagram feeds that would lead you to think otherwise. No matter how stunning the landscapes or perfect the moments may be, we have all felt that pang of loneliness. It often sneaks up unexpectedly while enjoying a meal on your own or seeing something spectacular that you wish you had someone to share the moment with.

While this is something we have all experienced and may encounter again on our travels, it does not have to define your trip or your experience. If you find yourself feeling lonely or worried that you could be lonely, do not fret! You have several ways you can respond to and handle these feelings. Here are tips for traveling alone

Your first option is to meet new people on your travels

One of the best ways to prevent or avoid loneliness is to connect with people on your trips. This can be an incredibly rewarding and enriching experience, as you can meet locals and people from all over the globe. While this might seem like quite the challenge to overcome when you are in an unfamiliar place, there are actually quite a lot of ways to connect with other people on your solo travels.

✅ Staying at a hostel is one great option to meet other solo travelers like you

Hostels offer affordable accommodation, and many offer exclusively female dorm rooms, making hostels even safer for female solo travelers. An added bonus of staying in one of these dorm rooms is that you often meet other women like yourself who are on solo trips and just as open to meeting new people and forging new friendships. It’s easy to strike up a conversation, make new friends, and find a new travel companion to explore the city with!

In addition, a lot of hostels also organize events for guests staying at the hostel, such as pub nights. Events like these are another wonderful way to meet people from all over the world who love traveling just as much as you!

✅ Attend local events

If you want to meet new people, but would rather take the chance to explore the city you’re in, attending local events or going to places frequented by locals may be a better option for you. Not only can you find some pretty neat hidden gems less frequented by tourists, but you also have the ability to connect with locals and learn more about the people and the culture of the place you are visiting.

More often than not, you can utilize platforms like Facebook for events in the location you’re visiting, as well as the town or city’s website, which usually features special events going on in the area. Of course, apps like the NomadHer app are wonderful resources to find events going on and find a female travel buddy.

Talking to the staff at your place of accommodation, whether that be a hotel, hostel, or Airbnb, is another excellent option to find out about exciting places to try out that are off the beaten path or about events going on in the area. Many of them are travelers themselves that chose to stay because they love the city, particularly at hostels. They can be a great resource to utilize, and you should not hesitate to ask them for tips!

✅  Book a tour

If you do not make friends at your accommodation or do not have as much time to explore the local haunts as you would like, you can also book a tour. Whenever I visit a new place, one of the first things I do after arriving is book a walking tour of the city. Many cities offer group tours for a small fee, but you can also book a free walking tour, where you pay what you feel at the end. (This is a great option for travelers on a budget by the way!) Regardless of what type of tour you book, you will often meet other solo travelers in your group. Over the course of your tour, you can learn all about the place you are visiting while connecting with the members of the group.  

This advice applies to any type of tour as well! Depending on what the town or city you are visiting has to offer, you may be able to partake in a variety of tours catering to a wide spectrum of interests. This can include street art tours, food tours, and ghost tours. The list goes on and on, and these more specific tours will allow you to meet people with similar interests while uncovering another side of the city, country, and culture.

To find a tour, you can check out websites like TripAdvisor. Alternatively, you can search for “(walking) tour in…” + the city name in any search engine. You will likely find several options for free and paid tours, and you can find something that fits your interests, budget, and time frame. If there are multiple tours available, it is always good to look at the reviews!

💡 Extra Tip: Are you unsure of how to strike up a conversation with someone new? Fortunately, staying in a hostel or going on a tour often includes an introduction to the people around you. If they don’t mention it in their introduction, you can ask where they are from, why they are visiting the city, about their home country, or about other trips they may have taken. Before you know it, you will find yourself slipping into normal conversation with a new friend!

Your second option is to ease your way into solo travel

Another option to help prevent loneliness during your solo trips is to try traveling on a smaller scale first. If you have never traveled alone before or are not used to doing activities on your own, it might not be a bad idea to try traveling on a small scale first before going on a longer trip.

Even doing things on your own in your hometown that you would not normally do can help prepare you for this experience. Going to an art exhibition, going on a hike, or taking yourself to dinner are all ways you can prepare yourself for solo travel and get an idea of what it is like to do these core parts of traveling on your own. These smaller experiences will allow you to get comfortable spending time on your own, which also is not a bad thing!

Once you are comfortable, you can also choose to take a day trip or weekend trip somewhere within your country or close to your hometown. By taking these small steps, you have time to acclimate yourself to traveling on your own without the addition of a language barrier, culture shock, or any other unexpected hurdles that could come with traveling farther away for a longer period of time.

Finally, if you find yourself feeling lonely during your solo travels, you have another alternative: learn about your loneliness.

You can choose to accept and embrace your feelings of loneliness. Loneliness is a human emotion that we all experience, and there is nothing wrong with feeling it. You can choose to embrace your emotions and use them as an opportunity for reflection and growth.

You are lonely because you took a risk to travel on your own. You decided it was more important to travel the globe, encounter other cultures, and experience everything this world has to offer, even if it meant being lonely from time to time. This is brave in and of itself. So allow this moment of loneliness to be a point of change and growth for you. Allow it to serve as a reminder of all you are capable of and just how strong you truly are. You will overcome this one fleeting moment of loneliness and come out the better for it.

There is no right or wrong answer to how you choose to respond to your feelings of loneliness. Know, however, that there are ways to deal with it, and do not let it hold you back from experiencing the great wide world out there!

Do you want to go on a solo trip this year? You can read more travel tips and find travel buddies through the NomadHer. Download the NomadHer app now!

👩 Katie Bathgate, the NomadHer article contributor, is currently living in Germany to pursue her master's degree. Living in Europe means traveling is pretty easy, and it has only fueled her wanderlust! When she's not studying, she's dreaming about her next trip, reading, baking, or learning new languages. She's excited to engage with the NomadHer community in a new way and looks forward to connecting with more female solo travelers.