“What do you do when you travel?” my friend Micaela asked me a couple of weeks before leaving on her first extended solo trip.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when I was in Edinburgh over Easter, I took a walking tour one morning. And when I got back to my hostel afterwards, all I really wanted to do was take a nap. But then I felt bad about it – did I really come all the way to Edinburgh just to take a nap? Does that make any sense?”
It more than made sense – I’d argue it’s one of the things that most stands in the way of someone taking their first solo trip, wondering, “But what will I do there by myself?” If you travel alone, you’ve got no one else to bounce ideas off of, to debate having an early dinner versus a late one with, or to perhaps even tell you it’s okay to spend an afternoon getting some rest. Sometimes, you start to go a little crazy in your head.
What the rest of our conversation essentially entailed was – beyond the iconic sights, the many monuments and museums – how do you spend time in a place as a solo traveler? Here are some of the ideas I shared with Micaela (plus a few more!):
1. Rent a bike
This is both a cheap and fun way to see more of a city than you might be able to on your own two feet. Especially in Europe, a few Euros is normally all it takes to get yourself out and about, moving at your own momentum.
2. Have a really long breakfast
Linger over your coffee and pastries. Revel in not having anywhere to be or a clock to punch.
3. Invent your own self-guided art tour
Spend a morning searching for what makes a city unique, the little things you sometimes have to look down a side street for; whether it’s street art in Manchester, England, or the beautiful tiled façades of Porto, Portugal.
4. Sign up for adventure activities
Get your heart racing for a few hours. Find out what a particular country or region is known for. My year in New Zealand involved lots of weekend trips centered around a particular activity I could do there.
5. Explore the region
Pick a city and make it your goal to explore the entire region. During a week in Zadar, Croatia, I spent a few days island-hopping around the Zadar archipelago; on a weekend break to Alghero, Sardinia, my friend Claire and I caught buses to the other villages and cities in the northwestern corner of the island.
Sometimes a city can be a springboard to the region beyond.
6. Wander through markets
From England to Morocco to India, markets are everywhere – sample street food, soak up the vibrant scents and sounds, and watch locals haggle and go about their business.
7. Read your heart out
I’m not ashamed to admit to spending huge amounts of time with my nose in a book while traveling. Cozy up in a café or that cute little bar you discovered down the street and get caught up on all those bestsellers you’ve been wanting to read.
8. Take a hike
Similar to #1 and 4, get active. Maybe it’s to hike up a bell tower for a bird’s eye view of the city, or to explore that hill on the edge of town.
9. Volunteer
It doesn’t matter how long your trip is: you can spend a month, week or even a day volunteering. My friend Terri, who blogs at A Fresh Chapter, is a perfect example of this: On her recent six-month, round-the-world solo Adventure of Hope, she volunteered in eight countries on five continents.
Or look into an organization like WWOOF, where you work on an organic farm a few hours a day in exchange for room and accommodation. I “wwoofed” on a pearl farm in French Polynesia and have never felt more connected to people and a purpose while on the road.
10. Sketch
Sketching is one of my new favorite travel pastimes. You don’t have to be the next Monet or Gauguin – it’s just about taking the time to observe and capture the new scenes around you.
11. Don’t feel pressured
This is your trip, remember? So that means it’s up to you to decide how you want to fill your days.
Ultimately, what this comes down to for me is a discomfort with the word “do” when associated with travel. “So what did you do there?” people tend to ask when you return from a trip, which is a completely reasonable question, and yet I’m not exactly a fan of it.
I’d like to believe you don’t have to do anything when you’re in a new place.
I don’t mean that in an all-inclusive resort holiday kind of way, where you pass the week in a free-cocktail-induced blur, but to say that sometimes, maybe leave the checklists and GPS-enabled smartphones at home, and just be in a place.
For me, the allure of travel often comes down to simply breathing different air, seeing the world in a different light, and letting all that difference inspire you.
And if that inspiration leads to taking a nap, well, then so be it. Now I’m turning the question on you…
What do you do when you travel?
This is part two of a series exploring questions about travel – to read more, check out the introduction or last week’s post about loneliness on the road.
Best post ever! I love the way you travel so much. xxx
Aw, well it was all inspired by you, my friend! I’ve truly loved our many conversations about travel this summer – when you were both on and off the road 🙂 And I’m especially looking forward to the day when we can hit the road together again! xoxo
Great advice here Candace, and I must say that I love taking naps when I travel! You were so right when you said that you don’t necessarily have to ‘do’ anything – for me travel is all about learning to simply be yourself, wherever you are. I like to get up early and enjoy watching a new city come to life, then take an afternoon nap before heading our again for a long dinner and drinking wine into the wee hours. The best way to travel is to do it YOUR way 🙂
Thanks for such a lovely comment, Hannah! I especially like your idea of watching a city come to life. When I was in Hyderabad, India, last year, I got to the Laad Bazaar extra early one day and loved watching all of the vendors roll up their metal shutters, set out their wares, and get ready for the day. There’s definitely something special about it. Thanks again for sharing your perspective – not long now until you hit the road 🙂
What a fabulous list, I’m definitely beginning to get more active on my travels. At this point, our trips are always a careful mix of exploring and relaxation. Working as hard as we do, nothing is worse than coming home from a holiday needing a holiday. We took two days during our trip to the Lake District to read, relax and gaze at the marina. Some of my friends are a bit horrified that we’ve postponed our Balkan roadtrip in favour of seven days on the beach in Spain. A combination of needing sunshine, natural beauty and a well-earned break did it!
Why thank you, Emm! I really appreciate your kind words. It’s been lots of fun learning about your travel style recently – and I definitely agree with striking the right balance while you’re on holiday. I’m sure your week on the beach in Spain will be just what you need, especially after this wet “summer” London has had…I’m off to the beach myself next week with my family – we’re spending a week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I’m looking forward to exactly what you say – a chance to just unplug and relax with loved ones. Can’t wait to hear about Spain – which beach are you headed to?
We went to Santa Susanna on the Costa de Barcelona-Maresme. It was so good that I’d like to return again next year!
Ooh, just looked it up and it seems lovely. So glad you had a good time!
Great advice! I would never go anywhere without a book and a camera. These two things will basically give me something to do any time of the day.
Also, when I arrived in Montevideo, I asked the cab driver to take me to the local market and I think I stayed there for about 5 hours! It was great to take pictures of all the vintage things they sold and spent hours discussing books from local writers.
Thanks, Katherina! And I love what you added – a book and camera are definitely two of my constant travel companions as well 🙂 Your market adventures in Montevideo sound so fun, especially the vintage vendors. I’d love to visit there myself one day!
Hi Candace,
Just had to say that this might just be the perfect ‘solo traveller’ list. I think the getting on your bike or just walking around a town is the perfect way to soak up its atmosphere. And markets…how I love my markets. Keep up the wonderful posts x
Thank you, Hayley! And thanks for taking the time to check out The Great Affair and leave a comment too 🙂 I always love hearing from new readers. I appreciate your kind words as well – is there anything you would add to my list here? I checked out your blog and love your “Market Mondays” theme – I’ll be sure to stop by again Monday for the next installment.
Thank you for the kind words, you have just made my day! The only other thing I would place on your list is people watching, which may be one of my favourite past-times when I am travelling; particularly in metro European cities.
You’re so welcome, Hayley! And yes – how could I forget people-watching? My extended reading sessions in cafes are often largely spent with one eye on my book and another fixed on the scene around me. Like Naomi mentioned in her comment, nothing beats observing a new place and the people who fill it 🙂
What a great list!! I think the most important thing in travel is just simply to observe – whether you choose to observe a new place by learning about its history at sights or museums, or whether you choose to observe just by walking through a new neighborhood or visiting a market. We travel to learn about new places, and there’s no better way to do so than however you best absorb what’s happening around you 🙂
Thank you, Naomi! And I couldn’t agree with you more – I especially love the way you open it up to all different travel styles. Ultimately, it’s just about figuring out what suits you best, and how we feel we are most comfortable connecting with a new place. What are some of your favorite things to do when you travel?
Excellent list! I’d also add:
– Sleep in (just like lingering over breakfast, it’s so nice to just enjoy and not have to punch in anyplace)
– Tag along with other solo travelers (say hi to people when you get to your hostel and ask where they’re headed and what they’ve seen so far…either you’ll get some good ideas, or you may get some great company out of the deal)
– Meet up with a Couchsurfing host (Couchsurfing isn’t just for people who need a place to stay. You can also contact a local and ask to meet up for drinks or dinner. They’ll give you the inside scoop on the city!)
Thank you, Gigi! Fantastic suggestions, too – thanks for sharing them 🙂 I especially like the Couchsurfing tip…I’m embarrassed to admit I just signed up on the CS site a few weeks ago. I had no idea you could simply meet people through it – I’ll definitely be looking into that on my next trip.
I like this. I am leaning more and more towards village and island travel vs. city travel. I think this is because i feel i will have more opportunity to relax on an island vs. being in a city where it’s go go go with so much to see.
It’s one of the reasons Alcala was so great… that and you, of course.
Aw, I couldn’t agree more! Both about our wonderful little escape, and about preferring village and island travel. I really wish I could pinpoint exactly what it is that makes me feel more connected there. I even felt this way on the Camino – feeling more content on the evenings where we stopped in a village than on our nights in bigger cities. Can’t wait to hear about your adventures on Guernsey!