Travelling tips for introverts

Travelling for me is one of the most exciting things and something I would never say no to. It fuels my curiosity to experience the world, it gets me out of the day-to-day routine, it allows me to explore and learn of places, people and traditions. Over the years, I have leant however that certain ways of travelling just fit better to my introverted personality and if I follow those 'rules' I will surely enjoy my trips to the fullest.

Here are my top tips on getting the most out of your travels while respecting your introverted boundaries.

Good itinerary

As introverts, we have a certain preference for the pace of travelling. It may be that you get overwhelmed by the crowd after a couple of hours in a busy museum. You may enjoy reading every single information in the museum to satisfy your curiosity and usually take double the time to explore the place than the recommended time to be spent there. You may prefer certain types of places like the mountains just to enjoy the quiet nature.

All is OK. What is important is that you are well aware of your preferences and what makes you enjoy the most your travels. Try to plan things in the pace and in the distribution of activities that fits you (and your travel companion(s)) the most, so that it feels comfortable and recharging.

I personally love to explore and see as many things as possible. At the same time, I can get overwhelmed by the crowd and the busy schedules so I like to mix days where we would be active and visit places and days where we are more spontaneous or just chill and keep it slow. I also love to mix the places I visit throughout the trip. The most ideal holiday for me is a road trip, where I would stop by at a bigger city, enjoy a nice restaurant, shopping, museums, busy streets or bars. Then moving on to preferably a seaside or lake, where we have the time to chill, sunbathe, swim, kayak, or bike. If possible, I prefer to choose places that are less touristy. I love the mountains, and being in wild nature, so we would also visit a place where we can hike, and usually meet very few people, so we can really recharge in the nature. A balanced itinerary allows me to get the most out of my trips without exhausting myself on my holiday.

Embrace the unplanned

I love to be prepared. I love to know where we can park (and a backup spot in case the first one is full), how much time it takes to get there, how does public transport work, is there an electric kettle in the hotel room, what are the major sights, which are the good restaurants to visit, etc. This certainly helps with being prepared and getting the most out of the trip.

However, there's a catch. I find that being stuck on the agenda too much can easily get me to one of the pitfalls of introverts: becoming inflexible. If something doesn't go as planned, I can get irritated very easily and get myself into this negative spiral of thinking and feeling, whereby I quickly lose my enthusiasm and enjoyment for the travel (and to be honest it impacts fellow travelers as well who are listening to me nagging about the rain, delayed bus, or no place in the restaurant).

I realized how this inflexibility impacts my own and others mood, I have been trying to change my ways. Sure, I keep on preparing and having a plan of what I want to do. At the same time, I'm trying to be open and see opportunities for a spontaneous change that just better suit the moment, the que, the weather, our mood.

A big test for me was Disneyland Paris this summer. I knew we had to have an idea of what we wanted to do. At the same time, I prepared myself that there will be a huge crowd anyhow, and random stopping of attractions for a shorter or longer period of time (very disappointing!), so even though we had a plan, we shifted and adjusted things as we went on with our day to get the most out of the experience. And we did! Still a lot of queuing and a lot of unexpected turns, but we got to try almost everything we wanted and had a lot of fun.

Tentative scheduling is a good approach that gives you a sense of security but allows you to embrace what may come during the trip. And sometimes those unexpected places 'Let's just check it out real quick' can lead to the most memorable experiences. Many years back in London, we literally said let's just check this warship out for a few minutes (we had a museum card) and guess what? We spent hours wondering around in HMS Belfast from the bottom to the top and it was the most fun of all sights I've visited in London.

Group trips

Whether you are travelling with a group of friends or family, or with a group of random people booking the same trip via a travel agency, group trips can be though for an introvert. Not only may there be a fixed agenda, adapting to the travel companions can be hard at times.

When traveling with friends or family, don't be afraid to set aside time for yourself. Maybe you want to relax a little longer in your hotel room, or take some time after dinner to continue reading that exciting crime novel. Perhaps there's a museum you are super interested in to visit. It's okay to set your boundaries and not feel obliged to spend every single moment with the group. The nice thing about introverts is that they are independent, and not afraid to hit the road all alone. It's fine if you decide to take an alternative route for the afternoon, and do something you enjoy doing. Being upfront with the group can help to make them aware it is nothing against them, it is not that you don't enjoy the time spent together, but that you need your space and time to recharge and looking forward to continue on your joint journey the next day or after you came back from that museum.

When it comes to travel groups, it can feel intimidating to be amongst random people, and let's face it, likely people you don't particularly want to get to know any closer. On contrary, you may also get to talk to someone who has the same special hobby and you can connect on a deeper level. Be open to this possibility. Otherwise, it is fine to keep it to the necessary formalities, chit-chats here and there but no need to force yourself or drive yourself over to make a good impression. Let's face it, likely you will never see or speak to these people ever again. Does it matter what they think? If I don't feel a good instant connection, I don't bother trying to get friendly with these travel companions. Sure, I would say hi, ask about their day, dinner, how they liked the activity, where are they from, and share a bit of these generic things myself. But I don't feel obliged to keep the conversation going, even more so when I feel that it doesn't give me anything, in fact it drains me.

In every group trip, there is free time. Make good use of those to do things you enjoy. Sit down in the park, café, do some shopping, indulge in the local cuisine, let it be your special moment before returning to the group and continuing the joint adventure.

Enjoy the experience

It doesn't matter how, with whom, how far or how long you're travelling, keep an open mind to the experiences, to the set backs, to the unexpected pleasant surprises. Knowing your boundaries and respecting them can only add to the experience, and be sure, it will be understood by your travel companions. No trip is perfect, but it always leaves you with memories worthwhile to remember.

What are your best tips and tricks to travel as an introvert? Share in the comments.