Whether Solo Travel Requires an Especially Busy Itinerary

Seems like the article is more telling about Monica's headspace and less about solo travel in general? I often travel solo and think a balance between the two extremes is best. I guess it also depends what's considered a "jam-packed itinerary". Could you link the article, it would be an interesting read?

I agree, Carlos. My solo travel has been at the same pace I travel with my husband. And I don’t mind dining alone. I just think this is a very individualistic thing, as is travel in general.

https://www.insider.com/solo-travel-tip-always-have-packed-itinerary-2023-10

I would put this in the category of "clickbait", and agree with the others who have
said that it is a very individual preference.

Why let someone else decide for you how your travel itineraries should be?

I personally let it decide itself.... sometimes there is a need to be pretty timely if
you want to "click all the boxes". Other times, sitting in the park enjoying a gelato
for as long as you want to doesn't seem particularly stressful.

I've never had moments of loneliness on my solo travels. I don't usually jam pack my days, so I can enjoy my days and my alone time and the freedom to do anything I want. There's no other time where I can think solely of myself. She's only in her 20's. She has not really experienced life yet, so she should go ahead and absorb as much hurrying as she can until she is ready to sit and absorb herself, which is scary for some people. LOL.

Well, I think her article assumes that everyone has the extrovert's fear of being alone and the young person's fear of missing something. I think what she actually describes is the value of having a well-researched idea of where you are going, with options identified if something changes, not a busy itinerary where its a continual flow from one sight to another.

The most memorable parts of my first few solo trips were the spontaneous moments and encounters. You have to know what works for you, and that comes from experience.

i couldn't disagree more with the article but it really depends on broader personality types and how we run our lives in general. travel is only a part of the equation. i for one love to travel alone and try my best to have a long slow itinerary. i want to have full control over my activities and schedule and hate being beholden to someone else's wishes. for example, when i visit a museum i neither want to make comments nor hear the comments from a companion. i sometimes spend long periods of time just standing at a site waiting for the 'perfect' photo op. i would hate to be in the company of a person who wants to move on. i usually go out very early, often at dawn to see a place in the morning light and free of people and their modern accouterments. this is not the way most people i know want to start their day when traveling! i come back in the afternoon for lunch and a nap before heading out in the evening for a couple of hours more. i suppose i am an old curmudgeon set in his ways with no desire for 'company'. goes without saying i don't have any inkling as to what 'empty time' and 'the negatives' of solo travel could be. my point is 'to each their own' and this article is but one perspective.

I agree with Carlos and Wray and Stan....and editing to add Aloemaker.

It sounds like the author is not comfortable being alone with herself. She is young but honestly I don't think I felt lonely when I was on my own in my 20's. I think she has some growing to do. I don't mind eating alone at all. I usually have my iPad Mini or phone but rarely resort to them in lieu of people-watching.

If I am in a new city, sometimes I will schedule something for first day in the AM as it will get me out of the hotel but I don't need to pack my day with activities.

I DO research and roughly plot out my days especially in Paris due to museum closure days. I don't have to stick with my plan!

I did not read the article. I wonder what she sees as the negatives to solo travel?

I love traveling solo and also love when my husband or adult daughter can travel with me.

It’s true that I move locations a lot when traveling solo! I have my next solo itinerary in front of me, and I am staying in 15 cities in 32 days - yes, on purpose! LOL! Many readers here would say that’s way too many, but it’s the travel style I enjoy. I love the ambiance of cities in the evenings and being able to take photos the next morning as the day is just beginning. I’d much rather move to the next location than to take a day trip to it. I’m very safety conscious, so I won’t take a train back in the evening. And since I’ve moved locations, I don’t need to think about “What time is it?”

As long as my total time of (packing & checking out) + (finding my new hotel & leaving off my suitcase) = less time than (walking back to the train station & waiting & riding the train) + (walking back to the main hotel), I’m ahead to switch locations. Yep, I’ve calculated it!

I so appreciated the advice that our dear Zoe gave me when I was going to be traveling solo. I was concerned about dining solo, and she said, “Italy wants to feed you!” That still makes me smile. I dress up a little, use the time while waiting for my food for a first review of my photos of that day and then look around and enjoy knowing I’m in Europe.

I don’t jam-pack my itinerary at all. Maybe the difference between Monica & me is that I’m in my 60’s and comfortable spending a day with myself, so there’s no “internal requirement” to jam-pack an itinerary to compensate. But, I do try to schedule something at least every four days where I will be with others who are speaking English. Cooking classes, bike tours, etc. are great activities & also fulfill that need.

There are some moments of loneliness. Some things that have helped me are to put away the phone and look for opportunities to connect with people. Waiting for a train or to enter a museum, who could I talk to for a few moments? What places does the hotel clerk recommend seeing or restaurants? Anytime I hear someone speaking English at breakfast near me, I may ask them what they did the previous day. My husband & I have a nice routine of talking & seeing each other on FaceTime for 10-15 minutes when I’m back in my hotel room. And some friends request I post a few photos each day on Facebook when traveling solo; I enjoy their comments, too.

Solo traveling is the opportunity to see exactly what you would like, stay in any museum as long as you like, sketch the scene at a piazza in the evening, eat that extra gelato if it calls to you (LOL!), take a siesta sometimes or change your whole day on a whim if you want.

Update: isn31c, thanks for linking the article. I’ll go read it now.

After 20 years of solo travel I'm still learning what works for me. Each trip has factors that influence my stamina - long flights, physical activities, transportation between locations, language barrier, etc. Sometimes being busy is great, sometimes it isn't, and often I don't know it's too much or too little until it is. Adjust, learn, move on. The article author stated her preferred travel method, you do you.

If Monica Humphries in is her late 20's and I'm in my early 70"s, of course there are different travel styles and energy levels. I have a lot less energy now than I did then or even at 43 when I went horseback riding in Ireland for a week.

Basically my post-retirement solo trips include an daily "A" list sight (must see), a "B" list (would be nice) and sometimes a "C" list (I don't care if I go). I'm not going to rush from one thing to another. I make an itinerary then lay it out in my phone's calendar so I have time to get to where I'm going and to eat along the way. Yes, dining alone is daunting; food tours are a great way to solve that. I was lonelier on my last RS tour as the only solo participant than I was on my independent travel time. Part of that was the intensity of the tour vs being able to go when and where I wanted.

What are your questions about solo travel? And why is this a concern?

”Prior to each trip, I create a list of all the museums I have any interest in visiting. I list out all the restaurants I want to dine in, as well as takeout options and fast-food restaurants. I'll map out roadside attractions, local events, tourist traps, and other activities I can fill my days with. The goal is to create a list so long it's impossible to complete. That way, I'm never bored or sulking in a bad attitude.”

Whether traveling solo or with others, it’s always good to have some Plan B ideas that you’ve researched ahead of time. I had a food tour cancelled the day before it was planned and a photography class that was cancelled the week before the instructor changed plans & dates. The cancelled food tour left me with a mostly empty day because museums were closed that day.

I’ve preferred and enjoyed solo travel for decades.

It all began with an after college trek to Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, Geneva, Zurich, Munich, Vienna, Paris and London. Did meet up with some college friends but for the majority of the time, it was just me.

Maybe growing up an only child helped. Who knows but besides the above countries I’ve also enjoyed solo travel in Cuba and Mexico.

To be blunt could care less what some 20 something has to “ advise “ about traveling by herself.

I've been traveling solo all over for 30 years and have never felt the need to pack my day to avoid being lonely. I'm comfortable in my own skin and comfortable with my own company, although it sounds like the author is not. I agree with those who talked about maintaining a balance between "slow" travel and seeing what you want to see.

I've always liked TexasTravelmom's philosophy, too, of taking a "vacation day" from your vacation and just hanging out and not doing anything. And FWIW, there are lots of people traveling with others who post jam-packed itineraries here. What does that say about them? I really don't think the writer thought this through.

I've been traveling solo all over for 30 years and have never felt the need to pack my day to avoid being lonely.

Absolutely!

C'mon, how much travel wisdom has a 20 year old really accumulated in their 'vast' travels? I think maybe young people just starting their travels are more likely to get lonely on a solo trip than those of us who have been traveling solo for decades.

I have always traveled solo and feel that it is very natural for me. I'm content being a introvert, think nothing of dining solo and thrive on the me being alone time.

As I read the article I was left wondering, how well does the writer know herself and in turn how comfortable is she with herself? It seems that the writer has doesn't know the answer to that question.

Having a packed schedule helps me forget I'm alone

Why does the writer want to forget she's alone? That makes it seem that she is not quite comfortable being by herself, or on her own.

I thrive while traveling by myself. But that doesn't mean I don't have hard days

I don't believe it. Why does she have bad days? Why is she packing her schedule to forget that she is alone? Why the concern for solo dining? Why the need for distractions?

I just completed my 15th blissfully solo trip and as a loner who is very comfortable with my own company I feel no need to cram too much into an itinerary, nor do I dwell on the negatives; I suppose being with someone could be useful as far as saving seats, or getting into some restaurants, watching luggage on a train, etc. Possibly as someone in her late 20s it's actually feasible to have a jam-packed itinerary; for me in my late 50s it doesn't work so well! I get too tired and grouchy and find that rushing through things just to say I've been there/seen them is pointless.

One of the reasons I love traveling solo is because I can do whatever I want whenever I want. That goes for me and everyone else who travels solo. Have it your way, as Burger King would say.

For me, solo traveling is not about jamming my day with every activity. I don’t over plan, and I love seeing where the day takes me. In fact, many of my favorite solo travel moments were the unplanned ones. What the author of that article calls “empty time” is what I call soaking in the vibes of a place, e.g., sitting at a cafe or in a park and watching the world go by.

There are times when I do get lonely, and when that happens, I know that my chosen and real family are a WhatsApp away. Or for 3D human interaction, there’s walking tours and Meetups and such.

The article’s author mentioned feeling hyperaware that she was alone when she was in a restaurant. For sure, I used to feel that way. One thing I’ve learned since I starting traveling solo is that nobody’s really paying attention to me ;), which is perfectly fine. No doubt the other people in that restaurant weren’t paying attention to her, either. For me, that realizing made me much more comfortable traveling on my own.

The article is just sad. She obviously doesn’t want to travel alone and feels like she has to do this to compensate

And having watched people having what appears to be a miserable time on vacation fighting with each other in a restaurant often makes me incredibly glad I’m solo

Because I thought the writer's reasoning was interesting, I started this thread. I saw that someone suggested the article was click- bait. I did not post the link--I was too lazy to do so. However, I thought the writer's thesis was what was important (though I appreciate the providing of the link above).

Much has been said about the writer's age. I actually have found the reverse true. In my 20s, travel was a complete adventure, and there were never moments of loneliness. Decades later, I find solo travel to have some moments of loneliness, especially in the evening. For that reason, I thought I would raise the question. The responses have overwhelmingly rejected the notion that solo travelers should favor jam-packed itineraries to offset any "negatives" with solo travel. Thanks to all who responded.

As I read the article, I wondered if the author had a real job and how she had the money for so much travel at such an young age. Many of her comments sounded like a person who never lived or worked in any situation where they had to do things on their own.

I clicked on her name and was surprised to learn that she does have a job, one where being alone is actually part of the job description. "Monica is a travel reporter at Insider. She covers tiny homes, alternative living, and general travel. ... Monica graduated from the University of Florida in 2018 with a degree in journalism." Hmmmm?

As (another) only child I learned how to function on my own at a very early age. The prime lesson relevant to this discussion was that if you need or want to do something and there's no one to help or do it with you, just do it by yourself.

For me that's included many things that make some people uncomfortable or even scared, especially women: camping, going roundtrip on a bus, driving long distances, staying in motels, eating out, going to movies and many more. Some include situations where the question was "you mean you're going to (fill in the blank) and you don’t know anyone there?" My blanks were things like college and new jobs in a different state and in a different country.

Traveling solo is easy for me. I don't need to have every waking hour filled with other people, activities or planned meals or much of anything. Like others, I prioritize what I want to see and do and leave the rest to unfold naturally. On RS tours, I have been known to skip things or whole days either because I'd already done them before or had no interest in them.

Frankly, in that article the author sounds like a bit of a whiner and her negatives are actually positives for me.

The way each and every one of us travels is as unique to us as our fingerprint. There is no one right way or wrong way. Whatever we prefer is what is right for us.

Where we want to go, what we want to do, how we want to get there and what we want to take is purely subjective.

Some may insist on taking no more than 2-3 changes of clothing for their entire trip while others take 2-3 change of clothing per day.

It doesn''t matter what a journalist thinks, or a guidebook author, of participants in a travel forum. All that matters is you're happy with what you are doing. You are traveling in a way that makes YOU happy.

BTW, according to US News and World Report, the University of Florida ranks 28th in national universities and its School of Journalism and Communications is in the top ten.

I should know....it's my alma mater.

Who is Monica Humphries, and why should I care about her travel preferences?

Here is what I found online:
Who is Monica Humphries?
Monica Humphries - Insider
Monica is a travel reporter at Insider. She covers tiny homes, alternative living, and general travel. Previously, she was covering solutions at the startup NationSwell

Still no clue, but maybe the glass of wine with dinner was more potent than I realize.

Quiet time for reflection is not 'loneliness' unless that is what you choose to do with that time.

I was fortunate to go 3 times to Europe in my 20s, 1971 at 21, in '73, and 1977. ie, 23 total weeks on these 3 trips, all in the summer.

Except for the first week on the second trip, ie, SFO to Paris Orly on TWA, all three of these trips were solo, stayed almost exclusively in hostels with the rare Pension thrown in. You are indeed alone, you land alone, eat alone (when not in the hostel) in restaurants, walk alone, go to museums alone, take the public transport or try to figure the system out alone, you get lost alone,, you track down the sites /sights alone, take the train alone, etc, etc, etc. Then, so what? The solo trips were the great adventure.

There were times I wished I had planned out the trip more effectively, eg, seeing and exploring Frankfurt in 1971 as well as Kiel, both of which I didn't get around doing until 1977. Traveling solo has no effect or bearing on the way I plan out the trip's itinerary other than one has a certain degree of flexibility regarding travel style and priorities.

I don't relate to Monica at all, most definitely back then as well as now. It's only her view point. Then as well as now, I saw / see European girls and women travel solo, This last trip confirmed that again.

Her attitude strikes me as typical. I agree with those opinions saying that she needs to grow up some more.

I love solo travel. For me the positives vastly outweigh the negatives. One of the positives is being able to be spontaneous and go wherever you want on a whim ("what's that over there?" or "maybe I'll just sit on this train for a couple more stops and see what's on the other side") . A jam-packed itinerary would be a millstone around my neck