Shhh! Introverts share travel secrets
Tips on how to stay in comfort zone while exploring new places
Travel can be busy, noisy and crowded — a potentially daunting environment for anyone. But if you’re an introvert, it can drain your internal battery.
Studies and experts suggest this personality type processes social stimuli differently from extroverts, who don’t mind frequent interaction.
Introverts gain energy by reflecting and expend energy when interacting, clinical psychologist and professor Laurie Helgoe writes in her book “Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is Your Hidden Strength.”
Quiet time alone can help these travelers recharge, as long as they make room for it in their itineraries. Here’s how selfdescribed introverts get time to themselves when they travel.
Pack self-care tools
Helgoe packs reading materials, earplugs and an eye mask to ward off unwanted small talk. These items politely excuse you from conversations with wellmeaning travelers on a plane or at your destination.
A camera can also get you out of interaction, according to Helgoe. Wander off to snap that perfect photo, and you get a minute to yourself.
Skip airport crowds
Airport lounges, if not crowded, can spare you from noise and interactions. Some airport lounges offer cost-efficient day passes starting around $20. For an annual fee, a travel credit card that includes lounge access can also be your ticket in.
Of course, lounges themselves can sometimes suffer from crowding. But for Helgoe, they enhance her experience. “It’s a little quieter and the chairs are more comfortable,” she said.
Inform fellow travelers
If you’re traveling with others, communicating your needs before and during your trip is key to a pleasant experience for all.
“It’s up to you to help them understand that it’s not anything wrong with them that makes you want to go away and be by yourself,” said Nathan Hartle, introvert and blogger at Two Drifters.
His wife, extrovert Amy Hartle, knows his needs after a few years of traveling together. He tells her when he needs a moment to himself, and she understands.
“You’ll be your better self when you’ve done what you need for self-care,” she said.
Get your own room
When you’re traveling with other people, a private room at an Airbnb or hotel can offer more opportunities to be alone. It’s more expensive than sharing, but there are ways to save. For example, some hotelbranded credit cards offer an automatic free night or ways to earn them.
Helgoe saves by signing up for free loyalty programs. “Every hotel seems to have one, so I sign up for all of them,” she said.
Or you can simply schedule time to step away. For introverts like Dan Kleinow, who vlogs at the Youtube channel Envision Adventure, working at a hostel can get crowded.
“I need to always make sure I get time by myself every day,” he said. “Here in Puerto Rico,
I’ll go to the beach or something and just hang out, maybe go to a coffee shop and do some work on my laptop.”
Avoid peak travel times
The offseason varies depending on location, but booking travel during this time can mean discounts and access to less populated places.
“I did a trip to Europe last year, and I intentionally went during May,” Kleinow said. Aside from smaller crowds, he said. “Prices are lower. Flights, hostels, everything is cheaper that time of year.”
Explore on your own
Group tours are great for learning about a new destination, but they can leave introverts running on empty. The Hartles prefer visiting local destinations and exploring popular attractions on their own terms.
“We like to see the Eiffel Tower, but we didn’t feel compelled to go up in it,” Amy Hartle said.
Engage when you can
Experiences might be waiting inside and outside of your comfort zone. For introverts, it’s all about finding the right balance. For Helgoe, quiet time on an Amazon expedition birthed the idea for her book. For Nathan Hartle, straying from his comfort zone led him to work at a hostel in Morocco in 2011.
“That immersion experience, if it’s not something that’s going to freak you out too bad, can be helpful,” he said.
mlambarena@nerdwallet. com