Regretting Your Solo Trip? 10 Things to Do Before You Go Home
Everyone talks about the freedom of solo travel.
The confidence. The sunsets. The spontaneous adventures.
But what happens when you’re regretting your solo trip?
Maybe you’re lonely. Maybe you’re exhausted. Maybe you’re thinking, “Solo travel isn’t what I expected.” Before you book a flight home, take a breath. A bad solo trip doesn’t mean you’re bad at solo travel.
In this guide, you’ll learn what to do when you regret solo travel, how to reset your trip, and when it’s okay to change your plans or go home.
Your Solo Travel Roadmap
Section | ⏱️ Read Time |
🗺️ The reasons behind your feelings | 1 min |
🧠 How to tell if you hate this trip or traveling alone | 1 min |
🛡️ 10 Things to Do Before You Go Home | 5 min |
🎒 How to know if going home is the right choice | 1 min |
💰Turn a difficult experience into useful information | 1 min |
A Bad Solo Trip Doesn’t Mean You’re Bad at Solo Travel
A bad solo trip doesn’t mean you’re bad at solo travel.
Sometimes you need a different destination, a different travel style, a slower itinerary, more people around you or a good night’s sleep.
I’ve traveled solo to many countries, and I’ve learned that not every difficult moment means you made the wrong decision.
Sometimes you need to push through. Sometimes you need to change your plans. And sometimes, going home can be the right choice. The important thing is figuring out which situation you’re in.
What to Do When You Regret Solo Travel
Before you panic and change your flight, take a moment.
Not because going home is wrong. But because you want to understand why you’re unhappy.
Ask yourself:
What you’re feeling | What might be happening |
“I hate this trip.” | You’re exhausted or overwhelmed. |
“I hate being alone.” | You need more social interaction. |
“I hate this place.” | The destination is not for you. |
“I want to go home.” | You’re homesick or ready to leave. |
“I feel overwhelmed.” | Your itinerary is too ambitious. |
“I don’t feel safe.” | You don’t feel safe. Prioritize your safety. |
The answer matters because the solution isn’t always going home.
Sometimes the solution is a shower, eight hours of sleep and ordering pizza.
Sometimes it’s moving to a different hostel.
Sometimes it’s changing your destination.
And sometimes it’s booking a flight home.
You don’t need zero fear. You need a plan.
🔗Read Next: If you’re realizing that the hardest part isn’t this trip but the idea of traveling alone itself, you want to read my guide on how to travel alone when you’re scared.
Why Are You Regretting Your Solo Trip?
There isn’t one reason people regret traveling alone.
Sometimes you don’t regret solo travel.
You regret this trip. That’s an important difference.
You're More Lonely Than You Expected
You imagined meeting travelers every day. Instead, everyone seems to already have a group. Your hostel room is quiet. Dinner feels awkward.
You’re scrolling through Instagram watching your friends have fun at home.
And suddenly you’re wondering: “Why did I think traveling alone was a good idea?” Loneliness is one of the hardest parts of solo travel and experiencing it doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
You're Exhausted
Travel looks glamorous until you’ve dragged a backpack through three train stations after sleeping four hours.
Sometimes what feels like regret traveling alone is exhaustion.
You’re hungry.
You’re dehydrated.
Your phone is dying.
You’ve walked 25,000 steps.
And you’re ready to cancel your entire trip.
Before making a huge decision, take care of the basics.
🍝 Eat.
💧 Drink water.
🔋 Charge your phone.
🚿 Take a shower.
😴 Sleep.
Then see how you feel tomorrow.
You Don't Like the Destination
This happens. A place can be beautiful and still not be your place. You don’t have to love somewhere because everyone else does. Maybe the city is too busy. Maybe it’s too expensive. Maybe the weather is terrible. Maybe you simply don’t connect with it. You are allowed to dislike a destination.
🔗Read Next: My guide to safe destinations for first-time solo travelers helps you choose a place that feels more comfortable for your next trip.
You Expected Too Much From Yourself
Maybe you thought solo travel would make you confident, adventurous and independent. Instead, you’re tired and confused. And that’s okay. You’re human. Solo travel can help you grow, but you don’t have to become a different person by day three.
Regretting Your Solo Trip? 10 Things to Do Before You Go Home
If your solo trip isn’t going well, you don’t have to choose between suffering through it and flying home.
Try these first.
1. Stop Trying to Have the Perfect Solo Trip
The pressure to have an incredible trip can make you enjoy it less. Every bad meal becomes a failure. Every rainy day becomes a disaster. Every lonely evening becomes proof that solo travel doesn’t work. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Give yourself permission to have an average day.
- 🌧️ Have a bad day.
- 🍜 Eat something easy instead of chasing the “best” restaurant.
- 🛌 Sleep instead of sightseeing.
- 📱 Take a break from documenting everything.
2. Take a Day Off
Sometimes the best travel activity is nothing. Seriously.
Get food. Take a shower. Put on comfortable clothes.
Watch something stupid. Sleep. Your itinerary will survive.
🛏️ Give yourself permission to rest.
☕ Have a slow breakfast.
📖 Read or journal.
🌿 Take a walk.
📵 Stay off social media for a few hours.
You might be surprised how different the destination feels after 12 hours of rest.
3. Change Your Accommodation
Your accommodation affects your experience. If you’re feeling isolated, moving somewhere more social makes a big difference.
Try:
🏡 A social hostel or guesthouse.
🛋️ A place with communal areas.
👋 Accommodation-organized activities.
📍 Somewhere closer to the center.
And yes, sometimes spending a little more money is worth it.
Saving €15 (≈ $17) isn’t much of a win if you spend three days miserable because your accommodation is inconvenient and isolated.
If you need to compare accommodation options, Booking.com and Hostelworld. help you find somewhere that better suits what you need right now.
4. Book One Group Activity
If your solo trip feels too… solo, add some people. You don’t need to change your trip. Just book one activity.
🥾 A group hike
🍜 A food tour
🧑🍳 A cooking class
🚶 A walking tour
🏛️ A guided day trip
This is helpful if you’re struggling with the social side of solo travel because you don’t have to walk up to a stranger and figure out what to talk about. The activity gives you something to talk about automatically. GetYourGuide is useful for finding organized tours and activities when you’re already at your destination.
5. Call Someone From Home
Sometimes you don’t need to make new friends. You need to hear a familiar voice. Call your sister. Call your best friend. Call whoever knows how ridiculous you are when you’re stressed.
📞 Tell them honestly how you’re feeling.
🎙️ Send voice messages.
❤️ Let yourself miss home.
🌍 Tell them one good thing that happened too.
6. Change Your Itinerary
One of the best things about solo travel is flexibility. You don’t have to stick to a plan just because you wrote it down three months ago. If you’re miserable somewhere, you can change your route.
🚆 Change your next destination.
🏝️ Add a rest day.
🏨 Stay longer somewhere you enjoy.
🗺️ Remove an activity you no longer want to do.
✈️ Change your return route if necessary.
Maybe you planned five days somewhere and after two days you know: “Nope. I’m done here.” That’s okay. You don’t get bonus points for suffering through an itinerary.
7. Make Your Trip More Social
Maybe you don’t hate solo travel. Maybe you hate being alone all the time. There’s a difference. You can still travel solo while creating opportunities to meet people.
Try:
👋 Staying in a hostel for a few nights.
🥾 Joining a group hike.
🍻 Going to a hostel event.
🍳 Eating breakfast in a communal area.
🌎 Joining a walking tour.
💬 Starting a conversation with another traveler.
You don’t need to make a new best friend. One conversation can be enough to make a lonely day feel different.
🔗Read Next: If loneliness is the main reason you’re struggling, check out my guide on how to make friends while traveling alone for ways to meet people without forcing awkward conversations.
8. Stop Comparing Your Trip to Other People's Trips
You open Instagram. Someone is swimming in crystal-clear water. Someone else is hiking Patagonia. Someone is having dinner with ten new friends. Someone has apparently been traveling for six months without having a single bad day.Meanwhile, you’re sitting on your hostel bed eating crackers.
First of all:
You don’t know what happened five minutes before that photo was taken. Travel isn’t Instagram. You are allowed to have boring days. You are allowed to be lonely. You are allowed to be tired. You are allowed to not have an amazing story every day. Your trip doesn’t need to look impressive online to be worth having.
9. Give Yourself Permission to Spend More Money
Sometimes paying less comes with a higher cost in other ways. You booked the €12 (≈ $14) hostel because it fit your budget. Now you’re exhausted because you haven’t slept properly for three nights. You could spend €50 (≈ $58) on a private room.
Do you feel guilty? Maybe.
Will you sleep better? Probably.
The same applies to transport. Maybe the €5 (≈ $6) bus takes six hours and the €35 (≈ $41) train takes two. If spending the extra money makes the trip significantly easier, it can be worth it.
Ask yourself: “Am I saving money, or am I paying for my misery?” You don’t need to travel on the absolute lowest budget every day.
10. Decide Whether You Want to Go Home
And finally… you are allowed to go home. Yes. I’m saying it. Going home early can be the right decision. You have nothing to prove to anyone. If you’re unhappy, overwhelmed or know that continuing the trip isn’t right for you, you can change your plans.
- ✈️ Check your flight options.
- 💳 Consider the financial consequences.
- 📞 Talk to someone you trust.
- 🛡️ Prioritize your safety and wellbeing.
There is no Solo Traveler Police Department coming to arrest you for changing your flight. 😉
When Should You Go Home From a Solo Trip?
There’s a difference between: “I’m having a lonely Tuesday.” and “I don’t feel safe here.” Discomfort can sometimes be part of travel. But your safety and wellbeing come first.
Consider going home or changing your plans if:
- You don’t feel safe.
- You’re experiencing a serious health issue.
- You’re constantly anxious or distressed.
- Your circumstances have changed.
- You’ve tried reasonable solutions and still want to leave.
You don’t have to force yourself to stay because you’ve already spent money on the trip. Money can be replaced. Your wellbeing matters more.
Solo Travel Isn't What I Expected. Now What?
Maybe this what you’re thinking: “Solo travel isn’t what I expected.”
You expected freedom. Instead, you feel lonely.
You expected adventure. Instead, you’re exhausted.
You expected confidence. Instead, you’re questioning every decision.
That doesn’t mean solo travel is the problem. It simply means that the way you planned this particular trip doesn’t suit you.
Try changing one thing before changing everything.
- Change your accommodation.
- Slow down.
- Add a group activity.
- Stay somewhere longer.
- Call someone from home.
- Give yourself one free day.
Then see how you feel.
Do You Hate Solo Travel or Just This Trip?
This is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself. Imagine the exact same trip, but with your best friend.
Would you still dislike it?
If you think… | It might mean… |
“I’d love this place with someone else.” | You’re struggling with being alone. |
“I’d still hate this place.” | The destination may be the problem. |
“I’d be happier with a slower itinerary.” | You’re traveling too fast. |
“I’d be fine with better accommodation.” | Your accommodation may be affecting your experience. |
“I don’t know.” | You may need more time to figure it out. |
And if the answer is: “I don’t know.” That’s okay too. You don’t have to figure everything out today.
What Your Bad Solo Trip Can Teach You
A difficult trip can be useful. Not because you have to “push through.” But because it tells you what you need.
What went wrong | What you learned |
You were lonely | You enjoy more social travel |
You were exhausted | You need more rest days |
You hated your hostel | You prefer more comfortable accommodation |
Transportation stressed you out | You prefer easier routes |
You felt overwhelmed | You need more structure |
You disliked the destination | You know what type of places you prefer |
You hated being alone for too long | Shorter solo trips might suit you better |
That’s valuable information. Your next trip doesn’t have to look like your last one.
What I Wish I'd Known Before My First Solo Trip
🌧️ I’ve learned that a bad travel day doesn’t mean it’s a bad trip.
💭 And a bad trip doesn’t mean I’m a bad traveler.
🗺️ Sometimes you chose the wrong destination.
📅 Sometimes you planned too much.
🫂 Sometimes you needed more social interaction.
🧘 Sometimes you needed less.
✨ And sometimes you just needed to stop pretending everything was amazing because you were afraid of admitting you weren’t having fun.
You’re allowed to say: “This isn’t working for me.” That’s not failure. That’s information.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Regretting Solo Travel
Here are the most common questions about regretting solo traveling.
Is it normal to regret traveling alone?
Yes. Solo travel can feel lonely, exhausting or overwhelming, especially when reality doesn’t match your expectations. It doesn’t mean you made the wrong decision.
What should I do if I hate my solo trip?
Ask yourself: What do I hate? The destination? The hostel? The pace? Once you identify the problem, change that one thing before changing everything.
Why am I regretting my solo trip?
Common reasons: loneliness, exhaustion, unrealistic expectations, an ambitious itinerary, uncomfortable accommodation, or not enjoying the destination.
Is it normal to feel lonely on a solo trip?
Yes. Traveling alone means spending more time without familiar faces. If you’re lonely, stay somewhere social, join a group activity, or call someone from home. And if loneliness is the reason, check out my guide on how to make friends while traveling alone.
How can I meet people when traveling alone?
Join activities where meeting people happens naturally… group hikes, walking tours, food tours, cooking classes, or social hostels. One good conversation can change your day.
Should I change my accommodation?
Yes, if you’re lonely, not sleeping well, or staying somewhere inconvenient. Move to a social hostel, a guesthouse, or spend a little more for comfort. Compare hostels on Hostelworld or find hotels and private rooms on Booking.com
Should I go home from my solo trip?
Yes, if you don’t feel safe, have a health issue, feel overwhelmed, or have tried solutions and still want to leave. Your wellbeing matters more than your budget.
What if I don't like solo travel?
You don’t have to. Maybe you prefer group travel, shorter trips, or traveling with friends. Find what makes you happy.
How can I find cheap flights if I want to go home early?
Use Skyscanner to compare flight options, dates, and airlines. You can search flexible dates to find the cheapest return ticket.
Where can I book tours and activities during my solo trip?
GetYourGuide and Viator are great for finding last-minute group hikes, food tours, walking tours, and day trips.
Final Thoughts – Last Stop Before Takeoff!
You didn’t fail Maybe your solo trip is amazing.
Maybe it’s terrible. Maybe it’s somewhere in the weird middle where you love Tuesday and hate Wednesday.
That’s travel. You don’t need to force yourself to love every moment just because you chose to travel alone.
The real benefit of solo travel is learning that you can make decisions for yourself.
Sometimes that decision is: “I’m staying.”
Sometimes it’s: “I’m changing my plans.”
And sometimes it’s: “I’m going home.”
All three are allowed. The important thing is that the decision is yours.
Adventure on, I’ll see you on the road!
Need Help Planning Your Solo Trip?
If you’re feeling stuck, lonely, or unsure of your next move, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I offer 1:1 Solo Travel Mentoring where I help you:
Create a step-by-step plan to fix it
Decide if you should stay, change plans, or go home without the guilt
You bring the questions. I bring the experience.
Book your Solo Travel Session Now!
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Feven is a solo female travel mentor who has visited 67 countries, 7 continents and helps women travel with confidence. She creates resources to help women overcome fear and plan their first solo trip. Follow her adventures on Instagram.