How to Travel as an Introvert
I am an introvert traveler. ‘What is that?’ you ask? Simply put, it’s an introverted person who has a passion for travel.
>> Related reading: What is an Introverted Traveler? <<
Go read that and come back. You understand now?
Ok good. Now that we’ve established that 1) introverts don’t hate people, and 2) introverts can be friendly and not necessarily shy, let’s get into how to travel as an introvert!
Choose your travel partners wisely.
I love my cheerleader friends, but have you ever had a friend who is a constant cheerleader on and off the field? Like she’s just uber enthusiastic about everything, and she’s constantly talking, and she seems to have endless energy? I have friends like these - and I truly love them - but because I know myself and know that I’m an introvert, I HAVE to have time apart from them.
If you are planning a getaway with one of these gal pals, make sure that you talk about your need for alone time or decompressing time as a traveler. If necessary, schedule some time for it in your travel itinerary. Make sure that you friend understands that you aren’t being anti-social, you are just making sure that you maintain great energy for the whole trip so that you both can make the most of your experience together.
Traveling with three other chill, no drama friends while visiting the Highlands in Scotland.
A note on traveling with significant others…
As an introvert, I found prolonged dating challenging. Going on the first, second, or third date was fine, because I could mentally prepare for the few hours that I’d be with this new person, then I knew I could retreat and be back in my comfy condo by myself again. I got so used to this process that I would just end things after a few first dates because it was getting too real and too exhausting. I started thinking that I may have to just join a nunnery because I couldn’t get authentically close with anyone. It was simply too tiring. I asked myself, ‘Who in my life can I be around and feel completely myself, without feeling drained?” The only answer I could come up with was my family. That’s because I spent my entire life growing up around them.
When you first start dating anyone as an introvert, it will drain you. It doesn’t matter if he’s perfectly even keeled and not overwhelming at all. It still takes energy to be around another human being one-on-one that you haven’t grown up with.
But eventually, things started to get real with my now fiance. I had to start letting this human being in and letting him get close enough to me to feel like family. It takes time - if you are an introvert traveler like me, with a new significant other, I encourage you to ease into it. Don’t jump into a week or 2 week long trip together. Start small with a weekend getaway - 2 nights max.
Also, make sure your S.O. knows that you need alone time! Make sure that they understand that it’s not that you want to get away from them, you just need some time to recoup so that you can continue having fun together. It’s just the way we process our surrounding energies, not a reflection on how we feel about the other person.
I now can very happily say that my relationship with my fiance has reached “family” status - meaning that he feels like family and his presence no longer drains me. His energy now actually lifts me up and energizes me; we can travel the world together, days on end, without feeling drained by each other.
This turned into a dating advice post for a second...let’s get back to the travel advice!!
2. Mentally Prepare for your Travel Experiences.
The more prepared you can be before a trip, the better! When possible, plan your travel itinerary before you depart for your trip. This doesn’t mean that you should map out every minute of the day - don’t do that. Just pencil in a couple things you want to do each day of your trip - a morning experience and an afternoon experience, then let the day play out as it does.
If you have a better idea of what to expect for your trip, you can feel mentally prepared to deal with what that day may bring. For example, if you booked a group tour, you can mentally prepare for the fact that you will be around a lot of people, and you’ll likely need a quiet dinner that evening. Conversely, if you plan for a solo spa day full of rest and relaxation, maybe you want to hit the city with some friends for dinner that evening because you’ll be rested and rejuvenated.
Personally, when putting together my travel itinerary, I like to pick a morning activity and an afternoon activity. Then, I’ll do a little research on some restaurants in the area with good reviews and write a few of them down. Depending on how I’m feeling that day, I’ll pick one of the restaurants off my pre-made list for lunch/dinner.
Side note…
This approach also helps a lot with avoiding HANGRY mood swings. When I do a little research ahead of time, I feel prepared enough to know what I’ll see and do, but I don’t feel so scheduled to the point where it feels more like a boot camp and less of a vacation. Plus, when I get hungry, I’ll already have a few choices to rely on depending on what cuisine I’m craving at that time. I don’t know about you, but my meals are VERY important to me :) So making sure I have satisfying and delicious local cuisine when I’m traveling is vital.
3. Enjoy the solitude when traveling.
Revel in the opportunities to wander around a city or nature solo as an introvert. Reflect on your surroundings - notice the differences between there and your hometown, notice the similarities. Write them down or just journal in general about how your feeling.
When I travel, I feel grateful. I get filled with these overwhelming feelings of joy, gratitude, and love. I think that as introverts, because we are more introspective, we can feel these emotions more intensely and more often as travelers. Take the time to sit back and reflect on those feelings.
One thing I especially enjoy doing is just listening to others speaking in a foreign language. As an American, I feel like I’ve been spoiled in the language department. Because English is the national language, there’s not as big of a motivation to learn any other languages. When I travel to Asia and Europe, I’m always blown away by people’s ability to fluently speak a second language. And often, I find that these people can speak 3, 4, or more languages!
I like to sit and listen and attempt to figure out what they might be saying to one another. I observe their mannerisms and maybe occasionally catch an English word thrown into the mix. Ultimately I still have no idea what they are saying but communication and language are such a fascinating thing. (Side note, I vowed to myself back in high school, that if I ever have a child, they will go to an international school and be immersed in learning a second language - it’s something I wish I had learned growing up!)
4. Be self-aware when traveling.
When traveling, I sometimes get a “when in Rome” mentality, and want to do everything the locals do. To a certain extent, that is exactly what you should do! But remember who you are and what feels best for you. This can especially be true for travel days; don’t overdo it on a travel day - conserve that energy.
I’ll give you a personal example. In my 20’s, I was in Barcelona with a couple friends. We befriended some locals that invited us to a discotheque later that evening. After a delicious dinner of tapas, we met up with the locals and started dancing the night away.
But for me, as an introvert, a busy social situation can leave me feeling somewhat unfocused and overwhelmed. So at a certain point in the night, I knew that it was my time to head home, even though my travel companions decided to stay out longer. I got a taxi back to my hotel, and was happy to have such a fun night with new local friends.
Don’t feel like you need to go with the group and stay out till 4 a.m. if that’s not what you want to do - especially if doing so will cause you to be unfocused and overwhelmed. That bad combination can hinder your thought process and your self-awareness which can jeopardize your safety. Know yourself - if you know that you need to head home for some solo time, DO IT! Do what is best for you.
5. Avoid large group tours.
Have you ever seen those massive tour groups that get off by the bus-load and are led around by a person holding a bright colored flag in the air? Those types of tours are not designed for introverts. Large group bus tours usually have quite a lot of activities planned in them for the day; which would be fine for an introvert if they were traveling solo, or in a private tour, or small group tour.
But being around that many people and being herded around for the day like sheep or cattle, can be very draining on an introvert. Not only are you stopping at popular tourist locations that likely have many people flocking around it, but you are also in your own group of many tourists. There’s no down time or alone time for introverts to recharge.
Now if large tour group travel is the only way you are able to travel, I still believe the travel will be worth it. As an introvert though, you’ll just need to do some extra mental preparation to be around large groups of people.
My first travel experience abroad was through my university to Oxford, England, with my school’s study abroad program. I knew that I desperately wanted to cross the ocean to see Europe, and at the time, that was the only way I knew how to get to Europe. Like most study abroad programs, it was set up around group travel experiences - group tours, group transport, group meals. I don’t regret that experience for a second as an introvert, even though it was at times draining. For me, travel is always worth it, even at the expense of my energy.
A few ways that I recharged during my group travel experiences:
I used some of my break times to take a solo stroll in the city.
I opted for a solo room instead of the 2- or 3-person room options.
I strayed a little from the group on museum tours so that I could still feel like I was getting a sense of the art in the room without crowding around a single piece and struggling to get a good glimpse.
I take advantage of rest times, like in the car or bus ride home.
Making the most of my down time on the train!
In my opinion, if you have the time/money, I fully recommend private or small group tours. Personally, I find them to be much more of a fulfilling experience, and I’m able to maintain my energy levels throughout the long day. For more consideration on this topic, read my blog post The Pros and Cons of Booking a Private Tour Guide Experience or take the quick quiz below!
What other tips do you have for how to travel as an introvert? Anything I miss? Any life hacks to share?
Travel well and often,
author bio
Known as The Jet Set Blonde, Brittany Ryan inspires others to add more adventure to their childfree travel experiences. Brittany has visited 23 countries (and counting!) Connect with her to get access to detailed childfree travel itineraries, travel guides for weekend getaways, and updates on adult-only hotels, resorts, cruises, and other travel amenities.
