c/solo-travel-stories

Tbh, over-planning your solo trip just kills the adventure

Update: Solo hike in Iceland and a family call

I was hiking alone in Iceland last week. My aunt called out of the blue. She mentioned a big family gathering back home. It left me feeling lonely on the trail. I stopped by a glacier to sit and reflect. Now I'm thinking about visiting family soon. How do you balance solo travel with family connections?

My guidebook sent me on a wild goose chase to a closed trail in Portugal

I planned a day hike based entirely on an old guidebook I trusted. It described a stunning coastal path from a small town. When I got off the bus, the trailhead was impossible to find. Locals pointed in vague directions, and after an hour of wandering farm roads, I hit a fence with a 'closed for repairs' sign in Portuguese. My phone had no signal to check a map, and the next bus back wasn't for five hours. I ended up sitting on a rock by a field, eating my emergency granola bar, feeling pretty stupid. Always check online for recent trail conditions, even for routes that seem well known. That book is now a nice paperweight.