Tips For Beating Solo Traveler Anxiety & Fear Of Traveling Alone

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Leaving the comfort of friends and family back home, of all things familiar, in order to go travel alone is no easy feat.

For the majority of people, solo travel is an incredibly challenging decision. That being said, the rewards for going off on an adventure alone outweigh any solo travel fears you might have before leaving.

If you’re scared of travelling alone, you’re not the only one. Solo travel anxiety is extremely common, but it shouldn’t put you off your solo adventures.

If you’re planning your first solo trip and you’re not sure you can step out of your comfort zone and take that step out of the door, here are our top solo travel tips for beating those fears.

Tips For Overcoming Solo Travel Anxiety

1. Bring a book when eating alone

It can be surprisingly stressful to find yourself alone with no one for company or anyone to talk to and make decisions with.

When I first travelled solo, I used to get so anxious when I would have to check in at a hostel or go and find food by myself. At least for me, there was nothing weirder than going and eating dinner alone in a restaurant.

The great thing was that after a while, you get used to it. I think for the first year I used to always get takeaway food and bring it back to wherever I was staying to eat as I was so self-conscious. I got over this anxiety in two ways.

First, I forced myself to go eat out alone when I was traveling. If there was a good restaurant I wanted to try, I would go, whether or not I had someone with me. Otherwise I worked harder to make friends wherever I was staying, be more outgoing and talk to people.

Oftentimes I would end up out to dinner with people I just met, sharing great food and conversations with new people in an amazing place.

Second, I bought a book with me. When eating alone, the biggest anxiety, at least in my experience, is people looking at you. Take a book to get absorbed in and tune out of those onlookers. Guess what? They’re not looking at you anyway.

2. Always have a backup

I used to get nervous about the fact that I didn’t have anyone with me in case something went wrong or if I needed help with something.

This could be anything from trying to figure out where to go on a map, interpreting a phrase in a foreign language, to getting sick on the road.

While there isn’t a simple solution to this, I found that over time I learned to be more and more self-sufficient and independent because I always had a backup plan.

When planning your travel destination, always have another place in mind incase you turn up and there’s no one to make friends with, or the situation doesn’t put you at ease.

3. Be aware of potentials dangers

While being afraid of being mugged or attacked was never at the top of my list of anxieties on the road, over the years, I am told over and over again by friends, family, and even strangers that I should be more afraid than I actually am.

I got over this by minimizing how often I could be in potentially dangerous situations alone.

For example, there are certain places I wouldn’t walk alone in at night or making sure I’ve organized transport from the airport when I arrive in a new place beforehand.

I’m also very careful about what I reveal to strangers, often I don’t tell people straight away that I am alone and I definitely don’t say where I am staying.

I also always leave my plans with someone and make sure to check in often while traveling. Little things like this can go a long way in protecting yourself when you’re traveling alone.

Be aware of your surroundings at all times and keep an eye on your belongings and luggage. The truth is you’re probably in no more danger being in a foreign country than at home, as long as you stay alert and stick to the tourist paths.

4. Talk to strangers and make friends

Depending on your personality type, if you are anything like me, talking to strangers and making friends isn’t always the easiest thing to do in the world.

Luckily, as a solo traveler, you have a lot of control over this; i.e. you don’t always have to talk to people you don’t want to.

You can be outgoing when you want to, and you can be alone when you want to. It’s great.

That being said, there are a few times when you will be forced to talk to people when you probably don’t really feel like it.

Checking in at your hotel, getting a taxi at the airport, asking for directions, buying tickets to something, or asking someone to take your picture – to name a few. It happens.

The easiest way to beat them? Be super friendly and outgoing. Force yourself to smile and be approachable.

Or if that doesn’t work, join in on a tour. Whether it’s a day tour, an activity or even a long tour, that’s one way to beat that anxiety.

5. Stay in hostels

If loneliness is your concern, then stay in hostels where you’re more likely to meet other people.

Hostels are a great place for finding other solo travelers and making new travel buddies.

Use sites like Hostelworld where you can see how many people are staying in the hostel and what nationality they are, so you have an idea of how social it is.

Sometimes hostels can be a bit TOO sociable, so guesthouses are another great way to stay somewhere social but without being too overwhelming.

They are usually run by local families who love to talk to travelers, allowing you to integrate with the local community as well.

6. Pick sociable destinations

When picking out new destinations to visit, aim to visit ones that are known to be where lots of solo travelers go.

Places like Mexico and Bali are well known for their backpacker communities and even the biggest introvert will find fellow travelers to hang out with their.

Places in the UK and Europe however, are not known to be social. Some hostels have a social atmosphere but from experience they haven’t had the social vibes you find in Central America or Asia.

6. Pick destinations with the same local language

If your worried about language barriers, pick a country where the locals speak the same language as you.

If you speak Spanish, head to South or Central America, or if you speak English, head to Australia, the USA, Canada or Ireland.

For your first trip, it’s best not to put yourself too far out of your comfort zone, and being able to communicate with the local community without issues will smooth over any concerns you might have as you can effectively communicate.

7. Get travel insurance

One of the best travel resources you can invest in is travel insurance. It’s one of those things that when you have it, you don’t need it, but if you don’t have it, you need it.

Travel insurance not only protects you with issues with your airline such as lost baggae and travel delays, but also helps when it comes to muggings, medical issues, and other things related to your travel safety.

You should also make a note of your embassy address in any destination you visit as a precaution.

8. Join social media communities

The best places to get encouragement and empowerment from other solo female travelers is online.

Join Facebook groups like the Solo Female Traveler group where you can share any concerns you might have and get advice from other solo travelers who might have experienced the same things.

You can also connect with other travelers and maybe even meet someone to travel with.

Instagram is a great place for finding travel inspiration on places to visit, and forums like Reddit can often throw out good advice – though be warned, most threads are old. Facebook groups are better as the people are more active.

9. Practice mindfulness

If you’re someone who tends to overthink and gets into their head about things, then take a deep breath and try to focus on the present.

Be aware of your emotions and how you’re feeling, but try to sit with it and understand why you feel that way.

Look up ways to meditate, do some yoga, or google tricks for mindfulness to help you get over the dread you feel.

Final Thoughts

In my seven years of solo travel as a surprisingly nervous person and my conversations with other travelers, I have learned there are some common anxieties we all face on the road alone.

A lot of people can’t cope with being alone, and the only way to get over it, is in fact, to be alone.

I focused on the outcome, the positives that I knew would come if I learned to be more independent.

Luckily, this doesn’t take very long, and I promise even if you are only traveling solo for a weekend, by the end you’ll come out a different person.

I hope these tips for how to beat solo travel anxiety has helped you and given you some reassurance.

Good luck!

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