Backpacking Alone for the First Time: Hostels, Routes, Money

By the HelloMates team. Updated November 2, 2026. 7 min read.

Backpacking alone for the first time is easier than it looks if you start on a well traveled route, book hostels with good solo reviews, and keep your budget and travel days simple. You will rarely be truly alone: hostels, buses and day trips on popular routes are full of people doing the same thing.

This post is about life on the road: choosing a first route, picking and living in hostels, managing money over weeks, surviving long travel days, and staying safe and sane when nobody else is in charge. For the planning that comes before you leave, see our first solo trip tips.

Is backpacking alone safe?

For most people on established routes, backpacking alone is manageable with sensible habits, but "safe" depends on where you go, what you do and how you move around. Three things matter most.

Read the official advice for each country. The UK government's foreign travel advice covers safety and security, local laws, health risks and entry requirements country by country. Check it before you cross each border, not only before you leave home.
Get insurance that matches your trip. Backpacking often means activities. The UK government notes that sports such as bungee jumping, jet skiing, winter sports and skydiving are not usually included in standard travel insurance policies, so check what your policy covers before you sign up for anything.
Be careful with solo hikes. The US National Park Service says it is safer to hike with a companion, and that if you go solo you should take extra measures to be prepared. On a backpacking trip, that means telling your hostel or a friend which trail you are on and when you expect to be back.

Is backpacking alone dangerous for women?

Many women backpack solo, and the same habits apply, with extra attention to transport at night and accommodation choices. Our solo female travel safety tips go through it in detail. In HelloMates, the women's lane has women-only plans and invitations, in a space of their own, which can be an easy way to find company for a night out or a day trip.

Choosing your first backpacking route

Your first route should be forgiving. That means frequent transport, lots of accommodation and other backpackers around if you want them.

What makes a good first route

A loop or a line with clear hops. Two to five hours between stops is ideal. Long overnight legs every other day wear you out fast.
Flexible transport. Places with frequent buses or trains let you change plans without losing money.
A mix of city and quiet stops. Alternate busy places with slower ones, such as a beach town or a mountain village, so you can recharge.
No fixed dates in the middle. Book the first nights and your flight home, and leave the middle open.

Europe by rail

If you are backpacking in Europe, rail passes are one option. Interrail sells a Global Pass for several countries and a One Country Pass for exploring one country in depth, and the passes available to you depend on your country of residence, so set your country on the Interrail site to see your options. Compare a pass against point to point tickets for your actual route before you buy.

How long should you go for?

Two to four weeks is a good first backpacking trip. It is long enough to settle into a road rhythm and short enough that your budget and energy hold up. If you love it, the next trip can be longer.

How to pick a hostel when you are on your own

Hostels are the backbone of backpacking alone. Choosing well makes the difference between a great week and a sleepless one.

Read reviews from solo travelers. Look for comments about the common room, staff and whether it was easy to meet people, not only cleanliness.
Decide party or quiet. Some hostels are built around bars and late nights. If you want sleep, look for words like "chill", "social but quiet" or a stated quiet time.
Check dorm size. Smaller dorms of four to six beds are calmer than big ones. If you prefer a women-only dorm, check whether the hostel offers one.
Look for lockers and curtains. A locker that fits your backpack and a curtain on your bunk make shared rooms much better.
Look for organized activities. Family dinners, walking groups and pub quizzes are the easiest way to meet people on night one.
Pick location over price. Saving a little on a hostel far from the center can cost more in taxis and time.

Making friends in hostels

The common room does most of the work, but a few habits help.

Hang out in shared spaces at the right times. Breakfast and early evening are when people make plans for the day or night.
Ask about plans, not about life stories. "Where are you heading next?" and "Is anyone going to the night market later?" are easy openers.
Join one thing on arrival day. A hostel dinner or a short walk puts names to faces before everyone splits into groups.
Use the hostel's group chat. HelloMates gives your hostel its own chat, so you can see what people are planning even when the common room is empty. There is also a city chat, and a Welcome new members group chat for people who have just arrived.

If you want a regular companion for a few days, our post on how to find a travel buddy covers how to do it without getting stuck with the wrong person.

Money on the road

Money stress ruins more backpacking trips than anything else. Keep the system simple.

Set a daily budget, then track it

Work out a daily number that covers your bed, food, local transport and one activity. Add up spending every evening for the first week. You will quickly see whether the number is realistic and where it is leaking.

Carry money in more than one place

Keep one card in your wallet and a backup card in a different bag or your locker.
Carry a small amount of local cash for buses, street food and places that do not take cards.
Tell your bank you are traveling, and know how to freeze a card from your banking app.

Ways to stretch a budget

Cook some meals. Most hostels have a kitchen. Breakfast and one cooked meal a day add up.
Share costs. Split taxis from the airport or to a trailhead with people from your hostel. On HelloMates, rooms let you set up things like an airport taxi split with a time, a place and a cap.
Travel slower. Fewer moves mean fewer transport tickets and fewer expensive arrival taxis.
Choose free days. Parks, beaches, markets and free walking routes are often the best part of a city anyway.

Travel days without the stress

Moving between places is where solo backpackers feel most alone. Plan transport days carefully.

Arrive before dark when you can. Finding a hostel in daylight is easier and you have more options if something goes wrong.
Screenshot everything. Your ticket, your hostel's address in the local script and the directions from the station work without a signal.
Keep valuables on you. On buses and trains, keep your passport, cards and phone in a small bag you hold, not in the luggage hold or the overhead rack.
Sort data before you land. Download offline maps, and decide in advance how you will get online. In Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, you can set up a travel eSIM inside HelloMates before you arrive (see our Vietnam eSIM guide and our Bali SIM card guide).
Save local emergency numbers. Each country is different. Our emergency numbers by country page lists them, and some places run dedicated lines: Thailand's Tourist Police hotline is 1155. Heading to Southeast Asia? See Thailand, Indonesia and Bali and Vietnam.

Backpacking alone when it gets hard

Long trips have dips. Expect them.

Road fatigue. After a couple of weeks of moving, everything blurs. Book three or four nights somewhere easy and do nothing much.
Loneliness after goodbyes. You will meet people and then split up. It helps to have the next social option ready, such as a hostel event or a plan in the next city.
Something goes wrong. Lost cards, missed buses and illness happen. Your insurance details, a backup card and someone at home who knows your route turn a crisis into an inconvenience.

Before a late night or a solo hike, set a check-in with someone. HelloMates' free Arm it lets you pick a check-in hour, write a message and choose contacts. If you check in, nothing is sent. If you miss it, they get your message with the local emergency number. It does not contact emergency services for you, so it adds to your plan rather than replacing it.

FAQ

Is it weird to go backpacking alone?

Not at all. Hostels, group day trips and backpacker buses are set up for exactly this kind of travel, and people traveling alone tend to be open to meeting others.

What should I pack for my first solo backpacking trip?

Less than you think. A carry-on sized backpack, clothes for about a week, a padlock for hostel lockers, a quick dry towel, a power bank and copies of your documents cover most trips. You can buy almost anything else on the road.

How do I meet people if I am shy?

Start with structured things: hostel dinners, group day trips, classes and small group plans. Our solo travel tips for introverts have more low-pressure ideas.