In conversation with Sade, on solo travel

Harriet: Can you walk through the route and itinerary of your four-and-a-half-week trip?

Sade: I started in Amsterdam and made my way up to Stockholm, taking trains to Hamburg and then a sleeper train to Sweden. From Stockholm, I took a sleeper ferry over to Helsinki, followed by another ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, where I stayed for a week for my best friend's wedding. From there, I travelled south through Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany down to Munich. To reach the south of Italy, I took a sleeper train from Warsaw to Munich, spent a full day travelling down to Milan, and then caught a sleeper train to Puglia. Finally, I travelled back up through Italy, stopping briefly in Paris before returning home.

Harriet: What was the main purpose of the trip, and what did you hope to get out of it?

Sade: Firstly, it was built around my best friend's wedding. Rather than just flying in and out, I wanted time to enjoy the journey and have some solo exploring time before the big day. I wanted to reconnect with nature: spend time by the sea in Italy and experience some of the natural wellness concepts in Scandinavia, like saunas, ice baths, and forests. I was also hoping the trip would be a chance for some reflection and discovery. After a tough year, I felt like I had lost my spark. I wanted to gain independence and reconnect with who I am in a new place.

Harriet: Which places surprised you the most?

Sade: Two places really stood out. Firstly, Helsinki: I had a misconception that people might be cold, but the locals were incredibly warm and welcoming. I fell in love with the architecture. There are some places in the world where I feel a very strong connection with the architecture, like the Pantheon in Rome, for example. In Helsinki, I remember for the first time seeing the beautiful white and green cathedral, and went back to it every morning, just to admire it and have some time taking it all in. The city itself was amazing, but the access to nature really surprised me too, especially how easy it was to island-hop across the Gulf of Finland islands. Second was Tallinn. I expected it to be grey, but I was blown away by the incredible food scene, the amount of local ceramic studios and pottery culture which gave the place such a strong personality.

Harriet: What was your favourite mode of transport during the journey?

Sade: The sleeper trains. I'm a bit of a control freak, but having such a long journey ahead without needing to get off or change trains, it almost feels like a mental pause where you hand over control to the journey. You get your breakfast delivered to your cabin, a personal wake-up call depending on when you need to get off, and the nice touches like toiletries, eye mask and snacks just made the whole thing feel like a holiday within the holiday.

Harriet: How did you manage the balance between meeting people and spending time alone as a solo traveller?

Sade: It requires intentionally setting aside time to disconnect when you need to recharge, while remaining open to spontaneous interactions the rest of the time. I love stumbling across a cafe and striking up conversation, and I find this comes easily as a solo traveller. For me, solo travel is less about rigid sightseeing and more about the connections that give you a new perspective on a place. But it doesn't mean I have a limitless social battery: listening to your intuition is essential so you know when to set boundaries and prioritise rest over socialising.

Harriet: Why do you think overland travel works so well for solo travellers?

Sade: It offers flexibility. It’s easy and relatively inexpensive to change train tickets if you want to leave a city early or stay longer. Travelling by train also makes you more approachable. I think train travel naturally encourages you to ask for help or chat with fellow passengers in a way you might not if you were travelling with a group, or on a plane. Maybe it's something about the carriages.

Harriet: What were some of the places you discovered that you might not find in the usual guidebook?

Sade: Lauttasaari was a beautiful, peaceful island near Helsinki with saunas and ice-swimming spots. It was mostly locals, and it made me feel instantly like I'd escaped the tourist traps. In Puglia, I also visited Castro Marina and Santa Cesarea Terme: two beautiful coastal towns with dramatic landscapes that feel far less touristy than the main hotspots. Then in Sweden, there was Birka. You'll possibly find it in a guidebook, but go at a quiet time and it's really a place like no other I've visited: an old Viking village on an island. I never imagined my holiday in full period dress and making bread from scratch with the local living-history team, but it was the wholesome experience I didn't know I needed.

Harriet: What did you learn about yourself from this experience?

Sade: Before the trip, I thought I'd lost my spark. But the trip reintroduced me to myself. Through new places and new people, I remembered the version of me that's curious, spontaneous, and fully engaged with life. I had forgotten how to appreciate the small, wonderful details in daily life. I remembered how to slow down, be present, and simply enjoy where I was.

Harriet: Looking ahead, where do you want to travel next?

Sade: I’m planning an overland trip through Montenegro and Greece, using a combination of trains and ferries to explore Athens and the Greek islands.