7 Ways I Deal With Loneliness When Solo Travelling

June 30, 2025
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Solo travel is one of the most incredible ways to experience the world, a much more immersive way of travelling. However, it isn’t always easy – loneliness can creep up on anyone, anytime. Here are my top tips on beating loneliness from years of solo travel experience.

When I first started solo travelling, meeting people felt super difficult. Even in hostels, everyone already seemed to be in their little groups and I was struggling. I remember being on week 3 of my Australian East Coast trip and calling my mum sobbing because I felt so lonely.

The more I solo travel, the more I have learned about loneliness and making friends. I know exactly where to look when I want to make friends and meet others but also have learned to appreciate my own company so much more.

Whether you are just starting out or currently struggling with loneliness, here is exactly how you can beat it:

Table of Contents

How to prevent loneliness when solo travelling

1. Stay in hostels or co-working hotels

I know hostels often come with some worries and preconceived notions for people, but there are so many amazing hostels out there that defeat all those stereotypes. The best kind of hostel is social, has nice dorms with lots of privacy (curtains) and is super clean. And honestly, more often than not this is true for the hostel, at least if you do your research beforehand. Check out my guide on finding the right hostels here.

Another more private alternative are capsule hotels which are becoming more and more popular across the world. If your problem is privacy, you could also get a private room in a hostel to have the best of both worlds.

Hostels and capsule hotels are great for meeting other people while travelling. If you are open and willing to engage, there is an almost 100% chance you will meet like-minded people. There are also often events and activities planned by the staff which are amazing for breaking the ice with other guests.

2. Join tours and activities

I’m a HUGE fan of free walking tours in every city I visit. They are usually locally run so you get incredible insights into a new destination while supporting the locals directly with the tip-based system. I also quickly realised that walking tours are a great way to meet other solo travellers.

I’d say on every 2nd walking tour, I finish the tour and head out with a fellow solo travel girlie to grab a bite to eat or a drink. I am still friends with a couple of people I met on walking tours, so would highly recommend this if you are feeling lonely.

There are many other tours and activities on offer in any destination, which are always great ways to meet people. Look for reviews from fellow solo travellers to increase your chance of getting to know some people on that tour (rather than just couples, which has also happened to me before).

3. Look in Facebook Travel Groups

Nowadays, I use Facebook mostly for its travel groups. They are one of the easiest and fool-proof ways to meet fellow solo travellers. I have done so countless times and will do so many more times I’m sure.

Groups to look out for are general travel ones like “The Travel Squad”, solo female travel ones like “Host a Sister”, location based ones like “Work and Travel Canada” and even hobby or activity based ones like “Girls that Board”.

You could either search something specific like a city that you’re visiting in the group, check the recent posts or post yourself if you are looking for someone to join you on e.g. a day trip. A good example is recently I responded to a post in Japan from a girl saying she was heading to Nara to feed the deer (check out that guide here) and if anyone wanted to come – I am still friends with her and we had the best time.

4. Use Bumble BFF

This one I would highly recommend to my solo, female travellers – download Bumble BFF and search for other girls nearby. The real travel girls know about this and if a city is big enough, you will have plenty of chances to meet other girls looking for travel partners on there.

And no, there is nothing to be ashamed about – after all, we are all in the same boat! My tip would be to be proactive about messaging, especially if you are only a short time in a place. I have met some of my closest friends on here.

5. Grab a drink at a bar

So you do need a certain level of self-confidence for this one, but going to a bar alone and getting a drink is a pretty good way to meet both travellers and locals. I knew a guy who swore by this method and managed to make buddies wherever he went simply by grabbing a beer. He said he got chatting to others while there and it’s easy.

As I said, I do think you need to hype yourself up for this one, but really you’ve also got nothing to lose. At worst, you got a nice drink at a local bar, at best, a new friend.

6. Become comfortable being by yourself

We have now talked multiple ways to not be alone when solo travelling, but sometimes it’s good to remember that there is nothing wrong with embracing the “solo” part. I used to feel pressure to meet new people in every hostel and tour, until I realised that I got burned out really quickly.

Learning to enjoy your own company without embarrassment can be a journey, but it is so worth it. Once you realise that you don’t rely on others for your happiness, a whole new world opens up.

And listen, this isn’t a linear journey. Some days I still get massive FOMO or feel like a loser because I am alone. Travelling doesn’t mean you have to be 100% happy all the time, it balances out!

7. Know when its time to go home

There will come a day when none of the above tips work. Where you feel so lonely it eats you up. I usually hit that point after about 7 months of being away from my family and friends.

It’s hard when travelling far away for long periods to know when to go home. You feel like you have something to prove. However, I believe that one of the most important skills while travelling solo is knowing when to return home.

It doesn’t mean it’s the end of your journey. Just a break, time to recouperate and fill up your social battery so you can fully enjoy the next trip again. Don’t travel just for the sake of travelling.

FAQ about Solo Travel

Travel insurance I would recommend for solo travellers:

True Traveller Insurance

I have used these guys for most of my trips and had a big claim with them once and it went flawlessly. I had my money back within 24 hours. They also cover quite a few activities and are great for backpacking trips that span several countries, so I can only recommend them.

What are the benefits of solo travel?

I have grown immensely as a person since I have started solo travelling – in my overall confidence, trust in my own abilities and also people skills. Making friends used to be hard, now I am very comfortable talking to new people and have met so many of my closest friends while travelling. The best part about the people you meet while travelling is that they have a similar mindset to you and also often a lot to share about their own culture and traditions, meaning your worldview opens up a lot.

Travelling solo also means I get to choose where I go when, I can change plans last-minute and if I don’t like something, I will simply leave. These are all things you can’t do as much when travelling with another person. In addition, you get a lot of time for self-reflection but also to take in this new destination. I have noticed that I experience a place much more intensely when I am solo travelling, compared to when I am with e.g. friends.

Overall, I think solo travel truly changes you as a person. Once you have navigated a new country by yourself, you feel like you can do anything. I would recommend any woman to solo travel at least once in her life! Learn to trust yourself and that you don’t need anyone else to do things for you. Obviously it is nice to have someone else to rely on, but solo travel teaches you that it is not necessary – and that will change your whole perspective on life and relationships.