If you are trying to figure out how to start solo traveling, you are probably feeling excited and scared at the same time. That mix is completely normal, and it doesn’t mean you are doing it wrong.
I was terrified to start traveling, much less to do it by myself.
So instead of forcing bravery from nothing, I focused on how I could feel safer first.
This post is for anyone who has always wanted to try solo travel but isn’t sure how to start in a manageable way that won’t overwhelm you… especially since there are so many steps to take to get started that you might not think of before you start.
You don’t need to start solo traveling all at once
You don’t need to simply wake up one day and book a one-way flight to a foreign city. Instead, take small steps to get comfortable being alone and traveling before going too far from home.
A good way to stay can be by traveling around your home country for a few months first. That gave me space I needed to test independence while still in familiar territory with less “new” to get used to.
To make this an affordable option, you can use some of my methods. The one that helped me the most for short-term stays was TrustedHousesitters, where I usually stayed less than a month at a time. This platform gave me a place to live and helped me practice being alone with a low barrier to entry.
Those early trips were not glamorous… but they were quiet, grounding, and incredibly important. Plus, I got to hang out with tons of pets, which I loved!
If you want to test out Trusted Housesitters, you can use my link to get 15% off your first year.
Fear is a valid barrier to solo travel
If fear is the main thing holding you back, that is totally normal. That was what kept me from solo traveling for years.
The important thing to remember for this is that acknowledging the fear just means that you’re paying attention. If you never did anything you’re afraid of or was new, then your life would always be the same… is that what you want?
I knew my fear came from the unknowns.
Money, safety, health, and loneliness all felt totally unpredictable.
So rather than trying to push past that fear, instead, I worked to make as many variables known as possible.
Ultimately, that is what finally allowed me to move forward.
How to start solo traveling without burning out
If you want to start solo traveling long term, then keep in mind that planning a lot of fast travel is the quickest way to hate it.
I’d suggest staying in most places for at least a month so that you aren’t always fatigued by the movement and so that you have real time to connect with the place and the community.
That pace of moving no more than once a month not only helped me save money, but it kept me productive, and made it possible to build real routines. Plus, it gave me time to meet people and deepen that relationship instead of constantly starting over.
The sweet spot for me has been rotating between colivings and house/petsitting. Colivings give me instant community, while house sitting gives me quiet and stability.
Those two elements worked very well to keep me productive, but without feeling too lonely in the long term.
This balance keeps travel feeling like real life, rather than like a vacation I need to recover from.
Community matters more than constant movement
Solo travel does not mean being alone. Which is a main reason for people to decide it isn’t for them. I spend more time with likeminded people this way, which feels more fulfilling long term anyways.
Where you go (and who you’ll find there) matters just as much as how you travel.
Nomad-friendly towns made a huge difference for me at the end of the day. There are places like Bansko, Bulgaria and Da Nang, Vietnam that have built-in communities and coworking spaces.
