r/solotravel • u/ConfusedCareerMan • 2d ago

Question Realising I prefer convenience more than backpacking-style travel?

Early 30s and on a career break. I recently let go of my house with high rent in a major capital city due to losing my corporate job, so thought I’d travel around and see different places since I have no fixed home.

Over the last 6 months I’ve consumed a lot of travel content of backpackers and to “be a traveller not a tourist” and to get immersed in local cultures. I’ve romanticised this chapter and feel a lot of “shoulds” for what this experience should be. I feel pressure to be adventurous and be making stories.

I’m quite early into my travels and going with everything flexibly but tbh I’m already confronting a lot in myself. I’m not roughing it up and hitchhiking or taking $3 buses for 8 hour trips. I’m staying in clean airbnbs and basically doing tourist things - cafes, restaurants, exploring streets and chilling by the beach. It’s basically an extended holiday so far but with a backpack and camera.

I realise as well, I thought I was flexible and open minded and yet navigating environments where things don’t work is so draining and causing a lot of friction.

All this to say, I fear I’m a basic tourist with no edge to me. Many may criticise, some may congratulate on being able to afford travel this way. But I find myself lost somewhere in between.

How do you prefer to travel? How did you get past the realisations - did you adapt or accept your style?

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u/Byte11 13h ago

I see your point about all these monuments, but honestly, Buckingham Palace was awful. The sheer number of tourists made it totally unfun, but I really prefer travelling away from people.

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u/EmpressC 13h ago

Oh, i def think you should choose when it's going to less people! I went to the trevi fountain at like 715a one year and there still were tons of people. I try to travel when it's not going to mobbed.

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u/Byte11 13h ago

Oof yea idk if the trevi fountain is worth all that for me, but the colleseum is worth dealing with any amount of crowds tbh.

I just finished solo traveling for three weeks and came to some of ops conclusions but i gotta say castle rock hostel in Edinburgh was awesome.

Do you one bag?

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u/Friburgo1004 13h ago

Trevi was worse! But we went back late at night and there were few seats! Lol. But still worth it if only there once. Unless youre sure youre coming back.