The feeling nobody talks about before the trip
You've booked your train to Varanasi, or maybe a bus to Spiti. You've packed light, told everyone you're fine going alone, and genuinely meant it. Then somewhere between a quiet dinner at a dhaba and watching a family laugh loudly at the next table, a dull ache settles in. That's loneliness — and therapists say the first thing to do is stop trying to shake it off.
"Just like you're choosing to travel to experience new things, give yourself permission to feel different things throughout your journey," says Samantha Bender, a licensed therapist. The solo trip, it turns out, is often as much an inward journey as an outward one.
Understanding *why* the feeling arrives helps too. Therapist Colleen Marshall points to research from positive psychology: when we share something we're savouring with others, our happiness actually deepens. Travelling alone means those moments of wonder — a sunrise over a ghaat, a perfect plate of thali — don't get shared in real time. That gap is what stings.
Practical things that genuinely help
Experts and seasoned solo travellers offer a range of approaches, and the key is matching the remedy to your energy level on that particular day.
On days when you have the bandwidth, sign up for a structured group activity — a cooking class, a heritage walk, a guided tour. These create easy, low-pressure openings for conversation. On days when you're running on fumes from a long overnight journey, do something low-effort: sit at a chai stall or a busy market square and simply watch the world. People-watching is a legitimate way to feel connected without demanding anything from yourself.
Writing is another tool worth keeping in your bag. Bender suggests sending a postcard to someone back home — or even to yourself. "When we write, it helps us feel present in our reality," she says. A travel journal where you collect ticket stubs, pressed flowers, or scribbled notes works along the same lines. It turns solitary moments into something tangible.
Before you leave, it also helps to think ahead: schedule a video call with a friend or family member to happen during a meal on the road. Marshall recommends planning these touchpoints in advance rather than waiting until loneliness pushes you to reach out at an awkward hour.
Why this matters for a solo travel audience in India
India is a genuinely extraordinary place to travel alone — but it comes with its own social texture. Strangers ask where you're from within thirty seconds. Fellow passengers on trains share food unprompted. Guesthouses in smaller towns often become informal common rooms by evening. That organic sociability is real, but it doesn't mean loneliness can't find you anyway, especially in big tourist hubs where everyone else seems to be moving in groups.
The advice to seek out less-visited destinations is particularly relevant here. Solo traveller and musician Alissa Musto notes that quieter, outdoors-focused spots tend to attract individual travellers rather than large groups — meaning the chances of a genuine connection are actually higher. Think of places like Chopta in Uttarakhand, Mawlynnong in Meghalaya, or the backwaters beyond the main Alleppey stretch. These draw people who are open, curious, and usually very willing to share a meal or a hike.
For those who work remotely, coworking spaces are now available in cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Goa, and even Rishikesh — a practical way to fold social contact into a working day without forcing it. And volunteering with a local organisation, even for a single afternoon, can drop you into a ready-made community with shared purpose, which is one of the fastest routes out of isolation.
The loneliness of solo travel isn't a sign that something has gone wrong. It's part of the experience — and with a little preparation, it can become one of the more interesting things you explore on the trip.