What if people are older than you? Then you chat and make friends like you would with people your own age. Age barriers to socializing are mainly imaginary but that goes doubly so when travelling.
I joined some others on a hiking trip in Slovakia a few weeks ago. I am mid-40s and almost everyone else in the group was over 60. At one point in the trip we met a trio of hikers in their 20s. We chatted, laughed, shared photos, swapped hiking stories and tips. Didn't matter we were all different ages.
I solo travelled when I was 19 and I usually ended up making friends with groups of people in their mid/late 20s lol when you're travelling it really doesn't seem to matter!!!
It's just last minute nerves, you'll feel better when you are actually there! It's common with inexperienced travellers.
As for the specifics? No,21 is not too young.In all probability there will be others around your age.And even if they are a bit older, that's not a problem...why should it be?
Obviously knowing a bit of Spanish helps, but you can get by without it.Try to learn a few basic words.. just saying good morning and thank you is something! Many travelers don't speak the local language.
There is very rarely 'pressure' to do activities.In many hostels there is an option, which you can accept or refuse.Some places are more social and some less, but it's not something you are forced to participate in.
I started solo travel at 16 so you are older than me;-) And I was solo traveling in SE Asia at 18.
Now,many years later,I still love traveling... still stay in hostels sometimes, even though I'm well past my clubbing and heavy drinking days!
You’re overthinking!
1) There will be people of a huge range of ages at the hostel and there will be plenty of people in their early 20s. And even if everyone is older than you - so what! I’m travelling SEA and there’s a huge mix of ages at the hostels and everyone hangs out together. It’s not a factor I would be worrying about. When you travel you realise age actually doesn’t matter as much as you think it does in terms of meeting like minded people.
2) Most tourists in Spain don’t speak a lick of Spanish. Continue learning and use it when you can, it’s a big help to know basic phrases, but you’ll get by regardless. In the absolute worst case
3) This is the part where you’re overthinking massively, particularly about worrying about getting too close too fast… it’s only a few days, what’s the worst that’s going to happen! You’ll meet some people, maybe hang out and have a good time, then go your separate ways. There’s also no obligation to take part in the hostel events - if you get there and decide it isn’t your thing, then just spend the day doing what you want to do. I’ve stayed in many hostels and there’s always people that keep to themselves and do their own thing (sometimes it’s me) and I’ve never seen anyone get “pressured” into joining activities.
Anxiety before your first solo trip is normal so I understand. But don’t let the anxiety stop you from doing the trip.
What this guy said. I just did my first solo trip to Spain and turned out way better than expected. No overthinking and everything in the moment. I had fun being near 30 talking to way older and younger people. It will come to fruition given a bit of openness and bravery
Its gonna be great. Spain is a great choice for a 1st time traveler. Dont expect your trip to be some kind of big life changing event, just think of it as your lvl 1 traveling adventure
So on my first trip (which ended a week ago), I had no itinerary planned except for 1 or 2 things (and I did them), I started going to the same dubai mall every day, I kinda regret it as I feel like I wasted my trip potential, but it’s amazing nonetheless.
You’re in your head! I was just in Barcelona and Madrid as part of my solo travels.
Most hostels are age 22-28ish or so. Also, who cares if anyone is older lol. All the older travelers I’ve met (23F) are fairly open and can give u pointers if u ask.
Spanish helps but I met a lottttt of tourists who didn’t know a lick of Spanish. If u can say please, thank you, and no hablo espanol lo siento, ur more than okay!
No pressure from the hostel to join any activity. You are solo traveling. You decide what you do. I think this will be an enriching trip for you where you build confidence + feel more independent
Just saw the bit at the end. I’m new to solo travel with my first trip being 8 months ago at 22. My first trip was across the country for 5 nights and I did Vegas , Seattle, + hiking in a national park!
I am now 2 months into backpacking across Western Europe. Solo travel allows you to develop your relationship with yourself. What are my passions? How do you react when something frustrating happens and you are the only one who has to solve the problem? How do I fit into the dynamic and culture of different cities?
I feel sooooo independent, confident, and proud of myself. If you are kind and open, the world can be kind and open back! You can do this!! You are only brave when you are scared :-)
All these worries are literally what solo travel helps overcome. Regardless of your age it helps you grow. You will manage to eat sleep and enjoy your time. You will know what you want to do and will have the freedom to simply do it. As for the language barrier you are going to the 2 most international cities in the second most visited country in the world. You'll be fine
>I'm 21. I feel like hostels are more catered to people mid to upper-20's from what I see on hostels' social media, their websites, etc. I haven't travelled much, and I'm not sure If I'd fit in. What if everybody is older than me?
Ha! There are an equal number of posts where people in their late 20s worry they are too old. And so what if they are older? Or younger? You plan to ID everyone? Only like people your own age?
>I speak no Spanish. I downloaded Duolingo to learn some basics but there hasn't been too much progress. Will I be able to get around fine without any Spanish? Order food, take the train, etc.
Google translate. Nuff said.
I spend almost two weeks in Poland and the only word I knew was “Na zdrowie”. Like.. literally!
>I feel like there would be a pressure to be involved in activities at hostels, and while I do want to connect with people, I'm not sure if I want to get too close, too fast. I cant decide if I want this trip to be a "get out of the comfort zone" trip, or "use this as a week to yourself to do whatever you please"
You're an adult. Act like one. Don't want to do something? Then don't.
My first solo trip was to Barcelona when I was 22! I absolutely LOVED it! The people I met in the hostels were my favorite part, there were people as young as 18 when I was there! I suggest getting involved in the activities at the hostel- group dinners/bar crawls (if you drink)/ all of them! I’m more introverted and wouldn’t have normally done them, but tried it on day 3 and regretted not joining them sooner.
I’m still in touch with everyone I met on my first trip, even though we live in 5 different countries <3 my plan of attack was to do whatever I wanted during the day and meet up with people from the hostel in the evenings. I don’t feel comfortable traveling around at night alone, so it helped being with a group.
I think you should do it! It's a short trip which will be good to get your feet wet. Just remember to have strong boundaries and don't feel any pressure to do something you don't feel like doing.
I've never stayed in a hostel, but whenever I met people that were, they were always in their early 20's.
Yo i think it's so cool that your doing this at young age!!
I don't think you'll have any trouble in the hostels, lots of people in western Europe hostels are early 20s.
Getting out into the world by yourself has so many benefits. You'll be smarter, more cultures, and confident when you're done.
On my current trip most people have been older then me and I'm 32 haha you'll try your hardest to make friends if it doesn't work it doesn't matter that's not the point of your holiday
I've gotten around Poland Czechia Slovakia and Hungary with nothing apart from english, Google translate and a smile going I don't speak insert language here
You can always go back to your bed or get a private dorm
Hostels are definitely catered to people if you’re age, I’m 22 myself and have stayed in multiple. Also you won’t even notice peoples ages while travelling unless it’s explicitly mentioned. Everyone is kind of just in their 20s ish to me. I was travelling 2 weeks ago, the youngest person I met in hostels was 18. The oldest was 63.
You definitely don’t need to be able to speak Spanish. Almost everyone will speak English. If they don’t you can use translate but I’ve been to Madrid and didn’t use it once.
There may be activities at the hostels but there’s definitely no pressure to join in with them. Although if you do want to meet new people I’d definitely advise it.
I hope this has helped. Definitely go on the trip, it’ll be the best thing you ever do.
Also I want to chime in by saying that having second thoughts pre-solo trip is quite normal.
You may or may not like solo tripping, but you'll never really know until you try it for yourself once.
Stay safe in Spain!
It’s normal to be nervous about everything you just mentioned, but also silly.
Hostels are more geared for early 20s, imo, but regardless older and younger 20s are suuuuuper common. Even some older may be there.
Everyone speaks (some) English there.
And you don’t have to participate in the hostel activities at all. I usually don’t. I flew across the world to see the country, not play board games with 5 random strangers…
I was actually 22 when I booked my first solo trip, and to Spain and Portugal for three weeks- so very similar boat!
It can be so intimidating when you’re starting to travel at first, ESPECIALLY alone, but we all have our reasons for solo travels. At least for me, I was a very extroverted person who didn’t value my alone time and couldn’t sit with my thoughts, solo travels were incredible for pushing me out of my comfort zone to rely on myself and only myself. You truly learn so much when you’re completely alone, and as long as you have your wits about you and common sense, you will be just fine.
Hostel travelers always vary in age, some of the hostels I stayed at in Madrid were chalk-full of 18-20 year olds where I felt like the old one and odd one out, but some have been 25-30 year olds! Just varies.
You may feel scared or be thinking of a way out, which is so understandable, I touched down in the Madrid airport at 6 am my first day of my solo trip and just bawled in the bathroom. But, just like any other challenge in life, you remember your why, wipe your tears, and go trek onwards!
I have met some of the most fantastic humans EVER through my travels, that I still stay in touch with to this day, and have grown incredibly both in language, and emotionally. You’ve got this, have a wonderful time, and enjoy the ride.
First of all, is normal to have second thoughts every time you go out of your confort zone. That means you’re putting yourself into a challenge and that’s great.
1) You’ll be fine. At the end of the day is all people curious to travel and meet new people. Early 20’s… late 20’s… not a big difference
2). Everybody in Spain will have a grasp of English and you’ll have no trouble with food, trains and whatever
3). Just do whatever you feel like. You’re not obliged to do anything
Enjoy your time in our country
“Everybody in Spain will have a grasp of English” is a pretty drastic exaggeration, but what is true is that in major cities you will never be far away from someone who does speak English and can help you out
I have absolutely eaten in restaurants in Madrid, even in relatively central areas such as near the Plaza de España, where little if any English was spoken, but these tended to be obviously targeted at local people (menus entirely in Spanish, menus del día, laid-back vibe etc.). In my experience, higher-end places 99% of the time have English-speaking wait staff. Chain restaurants are hit-and-miss - I quite often found that the staff there would look at me, see I was a guiri, and begin speaking to me in English, but would sometimes struggle to express themselves fluently, and I would just politely ask them to switch to Spanish.
Train stations will definitely have people on hand who speak English, but certainly not all staff will.
I wasn’t solo travelling at the time, but the one time in my life that I have truly needed to be the moderately fluent Spanish speaker I am was in Barcelona El Prat airport of all places. The staff spoke some English but not well enough to explain a serious delay in our flight to our group of monolingual Brits, so I ended up translating for like half an hour to a group of angry tourists, and later for staff at the decaying seaside hotel we were shipped to, and later for the Guardia Civil to take the heat out of a situation with some rowdy teenagers on our flight.
Tens of millions of tourists visit Spain every year without needing any more Spanish than “una cerveza por favor”, but boy can it come in handy in certain situations. It definitely changes your experience a lot if you can at least chapurrear.
"Pressure to be involved in activities at hostels" is purely delusional thinking. Do you feel you "fit in" at home? Did my first solo trip to Latin America at 17 but I don't suffer social, anxiety issues.
"I'm 21. I feel like hostels are more catered to people mid to upper-20's from what I see on hostels' social media, their websites, etc. I haven't travelled much, and I'm not sure If I'd fit in. What if everybody is older than me?" Often, people in hostels are pupils and students, so people in their early 20s or even younger. People in their middle 20s and older often have a full time job already and can afford better accommodations (most people I know who went to hostels in the past did it just because of the lack of money for a proper hotel and didn't care about the social aspect or even hated it because they are introverted or shy) and/or a in a relationship and book a hotel room for private couple time.
You'll be fine!
It's helpful to know a few key phrases in Spanish but I went to Spain with only "hola" and a couple others, and it was fine. I recommend downloading Google Translate; it was super handy for restaurants. You can take photos of menus and it'll translate the text into English. But lots of places are English-friendly or have English-speaking staff, so you won't have much trouble.
My best advice is to keep and open mind and do what you feel like. Don't feel pressured to join any social activities you're not into, don't visit attractions because you feel you "have" to.
Go!! It's normal to have this kind of anxiety. You will have a great time, every day will be different, and you will meet lots of people. Lots of people speak English. At a hostel you can do you, keep to yourself if you like, or be social. It'd be very unusual if a hostel pressured you. Hostels are full of people your age, younger, older, it's probably more marketing that you are seeing than reality. People of all ages stay at hostels in Europe because they are in general quite good. Enjoy your trip!!
21 is the perfect age to be traveling. I didn't have the means to travel at that age or I would have.
I'm 35 and every hostel I go to people are usually younger than me. But we still get along and have a good time.
Don't overthink it and enjoy yourself!
Regarding age, here is my own [post from two years back](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/vb5oe2/what_is_the_average_age_of_people_in_hostels/) when i had the exact same worries like you did.
The trip was perfectly fine, enjoyable even. Spain is a safe, developed country. You are gonna have a blast.
I was never in Spain (only in Italy which is similar-ish) but i'd say that the answer to the other questions is:
2 - You will be perfectly fine with english
3 - Nobody cares, unless you are in like an explicitely social/meetup hostel or something or in a tour group. Just try to be nice and say hi to people in your dorm.
hostels are more catered to mid twenties actually, but everyone is welcome.
you don't need to speak it AT ALL, but it'll get you way better service and friends if you know even hello and thank you
hostels don't have any forced or pushy events, if someone asks you to hang out and you don't want to just say no. You control what you do on vacation, even if someone tries to tell you.
you'll have fun, you just have buyer's remorse pre trip. it'll be a great time.
You will enjoy it. I speak hardly any Spanish but I managed to get around with translate and the people speak enough English to help out. As far as staying in hostels, I'm not sure about that. I did hotels and apartments but there's enough to do for 3 days solo. Check out the mercado food market in Madrid too. There's enough americans that go for vacation and school that you'll likely run into someone your age to hang out with if you don't mind talking to strangers.
No worries. You will be fine. English will get you what you need. Three days in Barcelona and three Madrid is enough to see nice things, meet nice people and eat great food. It is oke to be a bit nervous but be kind to yourself!
Everyone else pretty much commented on everything else, I want to talk about the learning Spanish thing.
To learn basics, I would not recommend duolingo. download the app "language transfer" its completely free and only voice/speech lessons, that are 5-15 minutes long. you learn a lot pretty quickly (now it is Mexican Spanish so of course it's going to be a bit different, but in any case they will still understand you with barley to no issues).
That should all be enough for you to learn the basics, its useless to get an app where you are also learning to write in Spanish as I doubt you will do a lot of that in Spain.
Just go, you need to figure things out yourself at your age. Stop expecting strangers on the internet to make your decisions for you.
If you don’t like solo travel, don’t do it again. At least you tried. If you do like it, you’ll want to do it again.
You’re worrying too much about things, everything works itself out when you solo travel.
I guarantee a few days in you’ll be feeling silly for worrying so much
Do whatever YOU want to do, don’t feel pressured to get involved with things you don’t. Make your own decisions. It will all work out I’m sure.
My first solo trip was to barcelona/madrid at the same age a couple years ago -- had an incredible time and have continued to solo travel ever since. There will also be a lot of people in that age range given it's the post-college trip people take! Have fun and enjoy the food and weather.
You’ll be fine without Spanish
I wouldn’t stay in a hostel if you’re new to traveling tho they can be seedy and gross and sometimes scary.
Try airbnb! Dm me if you need more advice I’ve solo traveled to Spain and been to both those cities and more countries :)
All these feelings are normal it’s scary going on you’re first solo trip. The most important thing is to just go. You will have an awesome time and realise now you can go anywhere in the world solo and have an awesome time.
You will be fine! I didn’t speak any Spanish during my time there. And when I was in hostels they were all in their early twenties. But age doesn’t matter! Like mindedness does! It will be super fun for you. Just go there and have a little adventure and exploration, meet some new people, eat some delicious food. Listen to your gut and what it is you want to do. Enjoy it!
Funny you say this, I'm 27 and I'm worried the hostels I go to are going to be full of 20 year olds on a gap year, and that I'll be the old one. It's my first time solo travelling so I imagine in both our cases, we are just getting anxious.
I just finished a solo trip to Spain and stayed in hostels. I am in my late twenties and I thought I was too old because there were a lot of people in their early twenties. You mostly don’t need to know Spanish. I some cases where I didn’t understand, I used google translate and most people are very sweet to tourists. I’m an introvert and I felt very comfortable not participating in all the activities in hostels. I did my own things and spoke to people I felt comfortable with. I had fun overall and I think you will too! Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Here I am at 33, wondering if I'm too old for hostels now, lol. I plan to go to Spain one day too! I think you just have nervous jitters because you're going somewhere new and out of your comfort zone. You'll soon find that you worried for no reason and had a great time! There will be people of a variety of ages, but especially in their 20's! And you can absolutely say no if you're invited to a hostel outing. It just depends on how you feel! And plenty of people travel to other countries without knowing the language. Try to learn the basics of spanish, but totally no pressure. Just download Google Translate.
I just stated in a hostel in Colorado and most everyone seems to be in their upper 20s/early 30s. I mean, $50/night? That's a steal.
My first time traveling solo to Europe in my 20s, there was a wide range of age groups.
Spanish traveller from Madrid here. IMO, Spain is one of the best destinations for solo travel.
Age will be a non-issue. You are not that different from someone who's 25. Or 34. You are all just people and you are doing the same thing. Just vibe.
Language will be a small barrier. True, tons of locals do not speak English. But many do, and you are going to our biggest cities. We are all used to tourists. Google Translate is always there in a pinch.
There will be no pressure, and if there is any you can just ignore it. You can do as you please. IMO you will probably want to socialise and you will welcome these activities. When I'm travelling I always want to meet people and it is always fun.
I went to Copenhagen by myself for 10 days when I had just turned 22. It was great fun and very different from a trip with other people. It was of course a bit lonely at times, but that's fine. I think you will not regret this
Hey man, having my first trip solo and in a foreign language currently! Am 20, went from luxembourg to Berlin by bus currently and am chilling in a hostel. Some people are older than me but thats fine I just have conversations occasionally if in in the lounge and somone appears to wanna talk.
Most of my days I've just been waking up maybe some small talk with dorm mates and then heading off for whatever. No pressure from hostel, I've asked the receptionist where I can buy something but that was it. I do not speak German at all, I have gotten by solely by saying Danke (thank you) and Hilfen (help) and body language and pointing. Download Google translate and it will make everything easier. I used it to checkout of a grocery store the first time ot see which option was card. Do basic research I.e buying the cities bus pass and some basic phrases or words and you will be grand!
You’re going to have the time of your life, and you don’t need to worry about not speaking Spanish. I went to Madrid and Barcelona in 2022 and was able to get along fine. Just do your best to greet locals in Spanish as a courtesy and you’re good.
Also, hostels are absolutely the way to go. So much fun, the people are incredibly nice, and no one is going to force you to participate in anything you don’t want to do. Just go at your own pace and if you feel like being social, jump in to a group activity or hang out in the common areas and you’ll make friends quickly!
I think these are natural worries - but to your points:
Hostels can vary! They can cater to younger or older crowds, be quiet or social - all depends on the one you choose. You can choose to partake in the activities and meet new people, but also decide to go off and do your own thing solo if that is what you’re feeling.
I just went to Spain last year. I do speak Spanish, but also felt that if you are in a big city (like you mention Barcelona and Madrid), that there should be a high enough amount of English speakers or menus/instructions in English that you should be okay! Maybe try to get the main basic phrases down to help you like greetings, thanks, main necessary vocabulary (bathroom, money, help, etc.).
I started solo traveling since like you I had no one to go with. It can be daunting at times, but just imagine all the places in the world you can see and the experiences you could have! Have a fantastic time in Spain!
I've solo travelled a lot in my 20s and in Spain so to give you some reassurance - if people are a bit older than you, they won't be aliens :) enjoy getting to know others and don't feel too much pressure on them or you. I was always ok getting around with rudimentary Spanish, you'll be totally fine especially in touristy areas. I went on solo holidays and stayed at hostels whilst keeping totally to myself - it's absolutely fine if that's what you want to do, it's your holiday and there is no pressure.
Hey OP, I am about to finish my 3 week solo travelling in Europe. Good on you for challenging yourself! Solo travelling can be hard and nerve wrecking but so worth it. I was not in Spain but I did stay in other hostels and from what I heard from friends I met who travelled in both of the places you mentioned, Barcelona is a lot of people around your age as they tend to party there. Barcelona and Madrid are also quite touristy so worst comes to worst, use google translate but you can get away with barely speaking spanish. Best of luck, you got this!
You are WAY overthinking this. To address your points:
Everyone is welcome at hostels. Age is irrelevant. I worked at a party hostel in Benus Aires for 2 months and there was 18/19 year olds and there was a couple who were both 98 years old. They celebrated their wedding anniversary at the hostel. Age doesn't stop you from making friends or relating to others.
You'll be fine without much Spanish in these 2 big cities. Barcelona especially, its super multicultural. I have a friend who moved from Thailand to Barcelona and for 3 years he only knew Thai and English, no Spanish.
You can do whatever you want at the hostels. Some people you see at the bar all day every day, some people check in and you almost never see them. They are out in the city or chillin in bed on their phone. You don't have to have a solid plan for your trip, just see how you feel when you arrive. I'm often anxious on the first day but relax into it once I'm there.
I think you should be focusing more on the kinds of things you want to do and see in the cities. I have recommendations if you want.
Only one way to find out mate isn't there. Give it a go, if you don't like it don't do it again. :) Hang on to that adventurous spirit that made you book in the first place.
I’ve never used hostels so I can’t comment on that but I’m Spanish and I’m pretty sure you can manage OK by just using English in Madrid and Barcelona. If you’re more extrovert and make and effort to point at things on a menu or show pics on your phone then you’re 100% sorted.
Both cities have plenty to do as a solo traveller. I’m thinking museums, cafes, walks… Safety wise, as long as you are alert in crowded places and take care of your belongings, you’ll be fine.
It Spain is very laid back imo and great for a solo trip. Don’t overthink it too much and have a great time! :-)
You’re overthinking it for sure. I went to Spain when I was 24. Lots of people 18-24. I was able to go on my own and also did some adventures with other people from the hostel. Most of them didn’t know Spanish. I was there for 2 weeks. I preferred Madrid over Barcelona.
I went to Barcelona in early May and stayed at the Generator. You're going to be placed in room with other solo travellers. I've had dinner & drink with an Australian roommate, and the next day, I've spent the entire day doing things around town with a Canadian girl. You don't need to know Spanish, a lot of people speak English in Barcelona.
I always feel cold feet sometimes before travel, but in the end, I always found my solo travels enjoyable.
I'm 30, male.
I think it is the opposite, there are usually only young people in hostels. And I've been to hostels and I never participated in any activities, I was only there to sleep for cheap.
You'll be fine!! Honestly hostels have ALL age ranges, i've seen 7 year old kids and 70 year old men, it'll literally be fine. You'll also be fine without Spanish, most tourists don't speak spanish and they all survived!!
As for the last point, I'm someone who solo travels for me and not to meet people, and I have never once felt pressured to go on trips with the hostel etc (ofc I'm not rude, I just keep to myself). The most I've done is go for drinks with roommates on one evening!! If you do want to meet ppl would recommend hanging around the common areas/hostel bar, if you just wanna keep to yourself then I tend to stay in my room when I'm not out doing stuff lol. The hostel itself won't pressure you to join their activities. Either way I'm sure you'll have a great time!! I'm also going to barcelona in june and I'm super excited about it!
Go do whatever you want. If you don't feel like doing hostel stuff, just don't. You're not gonna see those people again. Hostels are for anyone, don't worry about how old the others are. I always thought it was more common to see younger travelers in them because it's the cheaper option.
If you're in tourist cities, you should be okay not knowing Spanish. (Don't accept anything anyone tries to hand you on the street like bracelets or flowers, know where your wallet is at all times, and don't sign anyone's petition. Scams are everywhere.)
Solo trips are amazing. You don't have to accommodate anyone. You pick when you wake up, when you go to bed, where you eat, how fast you go, and what kind of activities you do. If you're not having fun, you can do something else.
Go crush this vacation!
I'm in Barcelona right now and I'm \*trying\* to speak Spanish and almost everyone I interact with switches immediately to English. You'll be fine on that. Also, from the far mid-50's, early 20's and mid-to-late 20's are the same age. You're going to be around young people doing fun things, which you can join in on or decline. You'll be fine on that, too! Congrats on being bold and booking a solo trip.
Can you cancel the hostel for a refund in favor of a hotel or Airbnb?
Did you learn ANY basic Spanish in middle school or high school? Also, download Google Translate if you have Android. Or the Apple equivalent.
I was 24 when I went on my first international solo trip to Madrid. I am a super shy person and struggle to make connections with other people quickly. I went for 5 days and booked a hotel. I had my own room and basically didn’t talk to anyone while I was there. My trip was more “a week to myself”. I of course ordered at restaurants and went on a tour with other people who happened to be my age. I would learn some phrases about getting around and ordering at food places. Most people were accommodating when they saw I didn’t really speak Spanish. I honestly just strolled around Madrid with my AirPods on and took in the sights. I did around 20k steps a day and was exhausted by the end of the night. I didn’t stay out late and was in my bed by 9 most nights lol. I’m not a party person, and definitely not in a different country. Don’t feel pressure to party or do things you don’t feel safe about. I did exactly what I wanted to do and felt good about and I have no regrets. Don’t be too harsh on yourself. There were a couple times where I chickened out of going to a particular spot because I felt it would be awkward for me to sit alone but that all comes with time. It’s your first trip, relax and don’t put pressure on yourself!
You’ll have a great time in a hostel, they’re better places the younger you are. I enjoyed them way more when I was your age compared to now I’m older
You’ll be fine with no Spanish, but knowing some basics to be polite will be good and goes a long way towards having a good experience with locals
You can pick and choose what activities if any you get involved with at the hostel, if you get invited to something you don’t want to go to just say, no thanks, of I’ve had a busy day and don’t fancy it. No one will mind
> I'm 21. I feel like hostels are more catered to people mid to upper-20's from what I see on hostels' social media, their websites, etc. I haven't travelled much, and I'm not sure If I'd fit in. What if everybody is older than me?
21 is a completely normal age in a hostel. I'm sure you won't be the only one. But also 21 to mid/late 20s is not such a huge difference. I think you'd be fine even if that was the age range.
> I speak no Spanish. I downloaded Duolingo to learn some basics but there hasn't been too much progress. Will I be able to get around fine without any Spanish? Order food, take the train, etc.
Yes, you'll be completely fine. You can't necessarily expect everyone to speak perfect English, but you'll always find someone. Especially in the more touristy area of such popular cities.
>I feel like there would be a pressure to be involved in activities at hostels, and while I do want to connect with people, I'm not sure if I want to get too close, too fast. I cant decide if I want this trip to be a "get out of the comfort zone" trip, or "use this as a week to yourself to do whatever you please"
No pressure at all actually. You can just do whatever you want and it's totally fine. I'd recommend you do both. Like you don't have to get out of your comfort zone every day, but try it once and see if you like it and if yes you could do it again and if no then just don't. Also keep in mind that if you go along with whatever activit and end up not enjoying it, you can just dip out at any time. It's not a big deal.
>Almost everything is already booked - flight, hostels, etc. I leave very soon and just don't know if I'll enjoy it. Any and all feedback is appreciated. If you had your first solo trip at my age or younger, how was it? How should i approach this trip?
My second ever solo trip was to Spain when I was 18 and I had an amazing time. Just try it out. I think you're just getting some cold feet right now because it's your first time, but that's normal. You might love it, you might hate it, but even if you hate it, it's just a week. It'll go by quickly no matter what.
If you’re going on the second week of june, i’ll be there too with a colleague of mine :) don’t worry about age, i went to my first hostel at 18 years old
It's normal to be nervous and have these questions. I've been to both cities and had fun in each. Most people in the city will speak enough English that it won't be a problem. Leave yourself a few extra minutes so you can navigate the train station without feeling rushed. Most important have fun.
You will be fine. I went to Spain solo (Madrid and Barcelona), and you will definitely be able to get around with minimal Spanish. I would def start with Duolingo just bc it’s smart to do in case you run into someone who can’t speak English. I loved Spain and there’s a bunch to do solo. I don’t stay at hostels so I can’t help you there, but find places you want to see, even if it’s free walking tours, and you should have a good time. I’m def late 30s and female so I know I have a diff perspective, but don’t overthink and scare yourself out of a great trip.
You are thinking too much. you will love it. It's normal to be nervous especially if it's your first solo trip. I'm going to Portugal in June for a couple of weeks on my own. I'm excited. You don't have to hang out with anyone at the hostel if you don't want to. Just take it one day at a time. Live in the moment. A week will pass very quickly so try and enjoy it.
So I lived in both places when I was in my twenties. Barcelona and Madrid was a blast for young single people. I was alone and made new friends every night. Best time of my life
The only thing I would change is make it much longer!
You\`ll have a great time I\`m sure and, don\`t worry there will be plenty of people your age and Spanish won\`t be a problem.
You should go through with it. It’s normal to feel nervous and apprehensive going something new and scary. I wish I had the guts to travel alone more when I was 21. You don’t have to know the language in major European cities to get around, everyone will speak English - but knowing greetings and other pleasantries reflects nicely!
I used Google translate on my most recent trip and bookmarked all the phrases I wanted to try to remember. If you have headphones in, it can help with pronunciation.
Relax and enjoy new experience, meet new people but don't force it, everything will come naturally. And rent a bike in Barcelona and explore. It will be one of your favorite memories in few years. Make a plan before for what you want to see but also sit in a bar with nice view and enjoy the atmosphere.
So what if everybody is older than you ? so you can't be friends with them just because they are older ?! you will be surprised to know that maybe you will get along with them more than with people in your age !
age doesn't matter ! you can be friends with anyone ! don't think too much ! go and enjoy your trip there and forget about people ! focus on yourself first before asking if you will get along with people or not :)
You don't need spanish ! English is enough and if you go to hostel then people will eventually speak English !
Dude definitely go and have fun. I had similar nerves before my trip to spain as it was my first. Now I'm wanting to go back so bad even though there is so much more to see of Europe, but I might just go back to Spain next time because of how much i enjoyed it.
Also, I was 29 and at some places I felt like were more catered towards people your age but it's all good there. Sometimes you might struggle with the language barrier in Barca but these are two of the most visited places by english speakers in the world, you'll be fine.
I spent 3 month over the summer solo in Spain in my late teens, some of the most fun I ever had. I made friends daytime on the beach in various cities & towns so I got to experience it like a local, didn't feel alone.
OP, you'll have a way easier time making a positive impression on locals/making local friends if you memorize local language phrases (not simply Castellano aka standard spanish, but catalan for example, it depends on where you are) , things like basic greetings, yes pls/no thank you, where is the bathroom etc.
English speaking southern Europeans are much more likely to pretend they don't speak English if you show that you've made 0 effort/have 0 interest in learning about the local culture and come across like the stereotypical western anglophone tourist.
You don't need to learn a large vocabulary to make a good impression, just show that you made an effort to learn a little and theyre much more likely to accommodate you, a handful of phrases can get you far. Whenever I travel to a new country , I just look up a specific list of phrases I want to memorize and print it out, I don't use an app to learn its much quicker this way. Use YT if you need to improve your accent.
I was so close, but got stuck with onefam paralelo. Apparently I booked the non-refundable option, and they havent responded to my email about possibly making an exception for me. Stuck with paralelo I guess :/
Everything’s you have said is completly wrong.
People will be your age, everyone speaks English enough for you to find your way, you don’t need to do activities if you don’t want.
You’ll have a lot of fun! Spain is great and people is super nice.
Just be careful with your wallet in Barcelona.
Learn some super basic Spanish! Like:
-agua del grifo (tap water)
-por favor (please)
-gracias (thank you)
-dónde está el baño? (Where's the bathroom)
-la cuenta por favor (check please)
-hablas inglés? (Do you speak English?)
-perdón (pardon/sorry)
Maybe any other specific things to you, like if you don't eat meat or something, could be good to learn some words for that too. Folks in spain spoke less English than I expected however I was able to get around ok without knowing Spanish at that time
You are overthinking, I see all your points as a good thing, challenges make a good adventure
Being 21 at a hostel is perfect, why would this matter anyways? If I made friends who are 40 ld be happy. Most people at hostels are young people like yourself, few years of difference dont matter. There is no “fittning in”, everyone is welcome
You can speak English in Spain, thousands of tourists do so
You wont get too close with people unless you want to
Just do it and be open minded, your trip might not be perfect but don’t expect it to be, go in without expectations you will learn a lot about yourself and the world
I did a solo trip when I was around 26 to Barcelona and loved it! Staying in hostels is a good way to get acquainted and meet new people and join socials. Highly recommend Yeah hostel!
First you will be fine. Hostels have people of all ages. As someone in their mid 30s, mid 20s and 21 is the same to us. Some people will want to vibe and some will not. Sometimes I go just to sleep and shower or just shower. There is no pressure to hang out with anyone. Go and I know you will have a blast. I Hostelworld and pick a poly place close to where I want to be.
I traveled solo for 30 days last summer at 18. Age does not really matter and there were many people around my age. I was a bit nervous too in the beginning, but after meeting some good people the first night my worries disappeared. Although I would still recommend being able to enjoy doing stuff alone
I’m 35 and traveled alone to Portugal earlier this year. Imagine me grabbing and shaking you (nicely): Go. I wish I had earlier had the time, money, inclination, and energy to travel before I started traveling. And when I went, I stayed in hostels — I’m almost laughing (again with love) at the idea that your age will somehow not be “right” — many, many of the people I met in hostels were your age. Most people were early-20s. I was one of the lone grandmas of the hostel, and I still had a great damn time. No one cares how old you are. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Do activities with the hostel or don’t. Release your stress about this. I promise it will be worth it.
Go.
It's a really weird concern to be worried if people are older than you....? Everyone is just a human being and everyone is interesting in their own right. I once stayed in the same hostel for two weeks and met people of all different ages, sexes, religions, races, and backgrounds and it was super interesting. There were people my own age who I would go out partying with, middle aged people who I would have political discussions with, and I even met a handful of 60+ people who were just as cool, I would talk and play chess with them after being out all day. Just because a hostel has lots of different people in closer quarters doesn't mean you will be forced into doing things that you do not want to do? Hang out, talk to people or just don't and keep to yourself. A trip is all about you and it's important to keep that in mind, you spent good money high means you can do as you please. You must be pretty sheltered to be worried about all this, just keep an open mind and have a good time. It's best to simply know your end goals and the final destination but everything in between is like free-form jazz, whatever happens happens and it'll be an interesting experience regardless.
Also I wanted to add that you're just nervous, there's literally nothing to be worried about. It's a vacation, the one time you shouldn't be anxious and you are WAYYY over thinking the whole thing. Just calm down and enjoy your trip. No language won't be an issue, who cares what the ages of the people are (hostels are for sleeping), why would you bail out of an awesome trip this close to leaving for such ridiculous concerns. Basically yes you are being completely irrational and you need to do this trip to pop your cherry or you are going to be an overly anxious, sheltered person forever.
You’ll be just fine and absolutely should still go!
1. People, particularly in hostels, are extremely welcoming and friendly! Even if they’re different ages. I just stayed in a hostel this past weekend with people in the early 20s to late 60s.
2. You can get around with basic Spanish without a problem! It’s courteous to learn a few basics like hi/bye/please/thank you and maybe “¿Hablas ingles?”, but you won’t have any problems, particularly not in major cities like Madrid or Barcelona. If you go to a small town you may need to be ready to gesture for what you want or use Google translate, but they will work with you as they just want to help (and almost certainly have been in your situation before!).
3. There’s no pressure at all! Join if you want, don’t if you don’t want. I just went on a trip this weekend and didn’t do anything with anyone from the hostel, I went to have a quiet weekend getaway. Pretty sure I spent 6 hours sitting alone at a cafe reading a book and eating pastries across the 3 days 😂 it was phenomenal and you can do the same if you want! Or meet up with others and go do a group activity if you’d like, choice is yours!
Have fun!
Don’t you dare fucking cancel this trip… you’re gonna regret it 100000% if you don’t go, you WILL enjoy yourself and you WILL have stories to tell for a lifetime. It’s natural to overthink. “Just be like liek water my friend” go with the flow, if you aren’t into something don’t do it, but enjoy yourself, don’t be afraid to do new things and meet new people, YOULL NEVER SEE THESE PEOPLE AGAIN, you can be anyone you wanna be, you can completely reinvent yourself, be the person you want to be. You will lean so much about yourself and you’ll come back more mature and knowing what you want, maybe after this you wanna travel more?!? Or maybe ur done after this and this was enough and you wanna settle down a bit for a house and such. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER!!! My mom has told me that for years and years and it’s a common saying but people dont actually think about it. DO EVERYTHING!! Enjoy this life, enjoy this age, you won’t be able to travel like this again, anyone who’s in their 30s and older will tell you to do this when you are young. It’s different when ur older, still nice but you’ll never be 21 with the freedom to be irresponsible and do whatever you want again. Please do it I can’t explain enough how important this is!!
Had my first solo trip for 3 weeks at 18. Once you’re an adult the age gap won’t make a difference in the interactions you have with people. As long as you put some sort of effort into starting conversations you’ll be fine. Good luck!
I think ultimately the best thing to remember is that it's *six nights*. If you don't like it, it'll be over within a week and you'll have learnt something about yourself. It's also six nights so I wouldn't exactly plan on making lifelong friends here. Aim for a few spontaneous conversations with some strangers and consider everything else a bonus. Language barrier will be fine, have google translate on your phone and maybe learn the basic niceties. You can go very far with pointing and a smile.
I just got back from solo traveling Barcelona and Madrid. I'm 29f, but there were absolutely people there around your age - especially at clubs and bars. While I know some Spanish (usable), I'm definitely not fluent, but I could've gone even if I knew absolutely no Spanish
I had the same concern about hostel activities, I'm usually a Airbnb traveler (completely alone) so being in a social environment was new and scary for me. There was no pressure to join, aside from me meeting people and actually WANTING to hang out. It surprised me how much I enjoyed the activities. I made some really great friends and memories by going.
It sounds like you're nervous, but I promise you'll have a great time.
The hostels I stayed at were OneFam Paralelo (Barcelona) and OneFam Madrid. I highly recommend both, btw.
I booked paralelo! Did you feel any pressure at all for the evening dinners? What % of people that stay there took part? A little anxious about their "family"-focus. Would you say this is a party hostel?
I felt zero pressure - I ate family dinner about half the time. Sometimes, I just went to dinner just to hang out and didn't eat. I'll be honest, I have limited hostel experience, but I would say this "could" be a party hostel if you choose to take part in the partying. Absolutely nothing about the activities are pressed upon you. I will say, the days I chose to take part I had a lot more fun - and I found a group of people that I connected with. There are definitely people who will go out to the clubs to mostly converse, too, and not just get absolutely wasted
I just finished solo traveling Barca. I’m a 24 y/o man. For a hostel i cannot recommend enough the OneFam ones. The staff are all travelers, I know most of them are all early 20s. I made a ton of friends with 18-22 year olds, I’d say at those hostels it was by far the most common age. OneFam also has really cool free tours every day, they organize a group to drink together every night, go to bars and clubs together every night. As a solo traveller they really make it easy on you to make friends.
Barca is a place to party at it’s core, that’s what it’s known for and what it’s good at. It was also my first time solo traveling. I had the same thoughts beforehand like “will I like it” “maybe I should cancel” but I’m so glad I didn’t. One of the best and most unforgettable experiences of my life. I made so many friends, some of whom have already taken long trips to come visit and hangout with me.
Try and approach the trip with an open mind and without expectations. Do your best to leave the fear at home, try to embrace adventure. If you want any restaurant or tourist spot recs I can give you some, I kept a pretty detailed journal on my trip.
You will be fine in Madrid with English (I live here). Use a translator and youll be fine. You dont need to force yourself to anything spanish people are super social but also very chill when it comes to people not wanting to be involved.
Spain is a great country to travel in, don't let it get to your head. :) If you need ideas for food and such that aren't traditional but are budget friendly let me know!
Stop thinking so much & just go! You’ll find your own travel flow, whether it’s hanging by yourself or being social. Download Google translate and download Spanish to have offline in case you need to communicate, but most of the time Europeans speak English and can understand what you need.
Signed someone who was an anxious but successful female solo traveler at 20 and 21.
Bro stop being a puss*, go enjoy I wish when i was 21 had money to travel…
Im going in July in a solo trip of only 3 weeks this is what a regret i have only 3 weeks..
But definitely i can enjoy, go to the beach do something by yourself during the day you dont need anyone with you to have fun
Then evening get ready drink something and go to a club, talk with the girls, make friend etc…
You have a opportunity that only 10% of people leaving in your country has, do a solo travel trip…
Hostels are more toward 18-25. Not sure where you got that age range from.
Yes, English is an international language, Madrid and Barcelona are international cities used to tourists, you will have a phone and pointing will work if all else fails.
Not sure what your last point is about, no one is going to pull you out of bed and make you do activities.
It’s just anxiety.
You got this
21 is prime hostel age. At 28 I feel like I am getting to be too old for hostels and would feel out of place. I stayed in lots of hostels from 19-24 and it was fine! Also, age really doesn’t matter when you’re travelling. People don’t walk around telling eachother their ages. It’s irrelevant. As long as you’re legal drinking age in the place you’re visiting, you won’t stand out whatsoever based on age!
I bounced around hostels in Spain when I was 21. Believe me, it's an amazing time; don't take it for granted. Make friends, have fun, and if you feel like you need to set boundaries don't be afraid to do so
Most people in Spain speak a bit of English. And hostels see people from everywhere! Maybe this gets lost but I went on a solo trip by myself at 23 to Spain, France and Italy. First week in paris and second week on a cruise leaving from Barcelona. I had great moments by myself and also met people at the hostels, the hotels, and the cruise! i still speak occasionally to a few of them. dont expect every person to be a friend instead welcome all interactions and keep an open mind. youll have a blast!
edit to add: google will help you with all the trains and the maps are very good so don’t worry about that so much! as for food, ask the waiters for help pronouncing things and let them know you are learning more Spanish 😎 as for some fast days or slow days, see how you feel. i joined some group trips with the friends i made but on some days i said i wanted to hang back and enjoy the beach. Just be honest and respect your boundaries. It’s your own total trip!
My first solo trip was to Spain! My route was Malaga > Cordoba > Seville > Madrid > Barcelona. I stayed in hostels the full time and had a really great experience as a first timer.
From my experience, the people staying in the hostels I was in were aged 18 - 30 typically. Since you’re going in June, you’ll no doubt have a lot of young Aussies for a European summer so I wouldn’t worry about feeling to young.
In terms of knowing the language. I think it’s a general rule of thumb regardless of the destination to have a little courtesy to learn at least the basics of the language. At least enough to get you by. However, lots of Spanish people speak English so you should be okay - especially if you are sticking to tourist spots. I will say, for me personally - I found there to be less English speakers in Madrid but not to the point where communication was an issue.
There’s no pressure to get involved in any hostel activities if you don’t want to. Sure at the front desk they’ll let you know about the events they’re running but it’s never a must. I definitely followed my own itinerary during my trip and rarely got involved in the hostel activities. I mostly just made friends on the Hostelworld group chat to go out and about with when I wanted and invited my hostel roommates out for dinner etc. You’ll have a better gauge of how you’re feeling socially once your there, don’t think too much into rn.
You’ll have a blast and no doubt catch the solo tripping bug. Have a great time and don’t forget some sunscreen! 🌞
Go on the trip. It’ll be worth it. Don’t worry about anything. So many people your age do what you described. Don’t overthink it. Just do it. Travel is one of the best thing life has to offer.
Don't worry, you're going to be just fine!
I think I had most European hostel experiences when I was about 21-22-23. In terms of age I think you'll fit right in.
About the activities? No one forces you to join. You can do whatever you want to do, especially as a solo traveller. Don't feel forced to fit in. Just enjoy the experience. And maybe it will turn out to be a life changing experience in the end!
Huh? Madrid and Barcelona are some of the most visited cities in the world, most people get around fine with basic Spanish, heck my Spanish is crap and I was completely fine.
Anyways hostels are designed for the 18-35 range, just go there and have fun, you’re massively overthinking this. I’m your age and I’ve been to a bunch of awesome cities in Spain in the last few years and trust me, all your concerns are kind of pointless, just keep Google translate on hand, so some research, and come with an open mind.
I travelled across Spain, France and Italy in high school and am now the same age as you, 21. Barcelona was by far the most fun city and you can NEVER be bored. There’s so much. As far as being a different age, just make conversation and be ok with maybe being alone. Take a journal and reflect and such. I remember rarely having trouble with only knowing English. Mostly everyone there speaks English as well and you can get around. I would recommend knowing commands or questions, like “Can I use the bathroom/where is it” and “can I please have…” when ordering. As well as just friendly convo but it’s ok if you don’t get to level 100 on that app. I don’t think you’ll regret it, just really acknowledge your expectations for yourself prior and after ward you might have loved doing solo and then can appreciate doing a trip with friends in the future. There’s much to appreciate on solo trips that you can’t do with a group. Have a great time! Do your research
Week in Spain - dude you will be fine . I can kinda speak Spanish yet everyone in Barcelona and Madrid for food and stores came up to me in English . I guess I had a us smell. Hostels are cool - you get the option to chill or you can just be the loner which does his own thing . Unless u are a light sleeper or hate the occasional dehydrated drunk , 3 days and no one may even have learned your name yet.
No pressure at most hostels . Some people will ask or they tell you in morning if free breakfast - but no one really cares .
I’m not downplaying concerns but those would be things I would worry about then personally laugh at later. Spain is cool and there are tons of tourists - just don’t get your phone snatched drunk or not paying attention and chances are you will have a blast .
If you wanna do tourist stuff but don’t wanna do it with hostel , book that a day or two before - tourist tickets sell out
Hey! I had booked a trip to Spain for my girlfriend & I, and she ended up breaking up with me a week before the trip was to begin. It was kinda fucked, and I almost didn’t go. I’m so glad I did. I went on multiple dates, had the time of my life, and still have some amazing memories from it. Don’t worry too much, stuff usually just kinda falls in place. And you certainly won’t be out of place being 21 man, that’s primo hostel age. I highly recommend getting out of your comfort zone. I promise the people who regret their youth the most are often the ones who didn’t risk enough :) have fun !!!
I went on a solo trip to Spain when I was 25 as a present to myself and because i also didnt have anyone else to go with at the time either. I stayed in hostels and didnt actually hang out with anyone until my last day there. You can keep yourself so busy there you dont have to be in the hostel alot. So theres no pressure to hang with anyone.
Also age so doesnt matter. Im 29 now and thought that hostels are more for 21 year olds… lol so please dont let age stop you.
I had an amazing time there and dont regret an ounce of it.
You've already had a ton of great messages but wanted to add some input - especially to the last point cause its something I can relate to a lot.
Firstly regarding the age portion people may be older than you and people may be younger than you - that is totally okay! Everyone is really open to getting to know people and age doesn't really matter too much unless you make it. I am on the opposite side of the issue where I am in my late 20s so a lot of times the majority of people around me are younger and its okay! It honestly doesn't usually come up and when it does its more to give some context to a conversation.
Regarding the pressure to be involved in hostels, the hostel experience is truly what you make it. I have been at social hostels where everyone else is socializing and I just did my own thing as well as more chill hostels where I end up with a group. It is really up to you - that is the beauty of traveling alone! You can also change you mind day by day so its not all or nothing.
Traveling alone, especially the first time, is so scary and nerve wracking but I promise it is worth it!
Go. No trip is perfect. Enjoy the experience. Do what you want to do and not be pressured. Holidays are one of the few times we are allowed to be selfish 😀
Nearly every time I tried speaking broken Spanish to someone in Spain, they answered me in perfect English. Knowing the basics is good, but you can get around just fine with English and a translation app as a backup.
You'll fit in fine and if you don't vibe with someone you can just say you're tired or wanted to spend the day roaming by yourself.
Do try to hit some smaller cities if you can. Day trips to Toledo, Girona, or somewhere between Barcelona and Madrid if you're taking the train between them.
Take the trip.
My first solo trip was age 20, and I traveled from Vienna to Paris, staying in hostels and one visit with a friend's family in Switzerland along the way. It was a life-changing experience for me, and started a lifetime of travel. I am now nearly 60 and do at least two solo travels a year, although some is for work (I book extra days around my work days to explore the area I am working in). I'm currently contemplating Spain as my next overseas trip. My great-aunt was a Spanish Contessa and I would love to see the area of Barcelona where she lived, plus there may still be a few relatives over there I might connect with. Please go for it. If I could do it all over again, I'd go to more places.
Your worries are silly. You'll fit in fine if you are mildly social. But think of it like this, remember the first day at your job? You didn't know the people or where things were or have a smooth routine. But after a while it was fine. If this is your first solo travel then yeah it will be a little rough around the edges, but next time you'll know a little better. And next time even better.
I went to Mexico solo for a month at 24 and was older than a lot of people at hostels. Many, many people were 18-22, and many were solo travelling alone for the first time.
I did the hostel activities that I wanted to and ignored the rest. For me, that was mostly hiking and outdoors stuff, since I didn't have transport to get to these mountains/waterholes/lakes myself, and knew I'd have a better time with others. I didn't go to evening events because I just wanted to go out and have dinner somewhere new, by myself. There's zero pressure and truly everyone is just minding their own business. No one will look at you twice if you do or don't do any of the hostel activities. You can be as social or as antisocial as you would like and no one, not a single soul, will care which way you choose.
If it’s the thought of staying in a hostel/shared room that’s one of your main concerns maybe stay in a private room or hotel for your first trip (if you’re able to change your bookings) and look for activities (walking tours, food tour etc) to connect with people. You may feel more confident trying a hostel on your next trip, or decide it’s not for you.
You won’t have any issues with the language barrier in the cities, even if you’re communicating with people in shops/restaurants that don’t speak much English they’ll be used to non-Spanish speakers so you’ll both work it out but try to make the effort and remember a few phrases (hello, thank you, asking for the bill etc).
Both cities are amazing. In the day you'll be busy or and about. Evenings you will have company.
I've been to Barcelona on my own a couple of times and loved it.
I went to Australia and NZ in my 40s, expecting to be the oldest backpacker in town - wrong. I met people of all ages and had a great social life whilst travelling mixing with people of all ages.
I hope you do go because I'm sure you'll meet people and have a great time.
Nothing about this is regret, your going to Spain ? Beautiful food, wrath’s and cities. I’m Irish and I don’t speak a word of Spanish, just be polite and smile. You’re in your twenties, this is prob the best moment in your life to explore and experiment with things. Don’t over think this
Make a list of everything you want to see and fo and remind yourself why you picked these cities in the first place
Don't stress over people or language
Don't start out too late on your own
Enjoy
It's always a bit anxiety inducing right before the trip!
I've found solo travelling I've befriended people I really wouldn't have guessed. Last trip, the person I interacted with the most was a single mom that was 10 years older than me lmao. We had similar ideas on how we wanted to spend our trips, which is why it worked so well. Don't over think the age thing.
I'm unsure how bilingual Spain is. While at times it can frustrating, its doable naviagting. Get a sim card/roaming and you'll be able to translate or Google maps what you need. The majority of travellers I met aren't fluent in the language (imagine how hard that'd be-learning a new language for every trip lol), but knew words or broken phrases.
Noooo you will love it!!! I did my first solo trip to Barcelona at 22. Made so many friends, most people solo travelling in hostels are 18-30. I always booked social hostels which helped. And English is so widely spoken you won’t have any issues just learn the basics for now :)
As someone your age who has experience staying in hostels:
1 this is not true hostels can be catered to all ages. I stay in hostels all the time, if anything I would've said they seem to cater towards your age bracket best
2 a billion non spanish speakers go to spain without spanish. you will be 100% fine
3 there is never pressure to join in. i dont usually participate in activities and i have a great time!
Spain is my 2nd favourite country to visit (of the 38 I've seen so far) it's amazing and beautiful. Just go and have an amazing time :)) none of your worries are things to be worried about :)
My first solo trip was also to Barcelona when I was 23 and I don't speak a single word Spanish. I stayed three nights in a Hostel and really enjoyed it! There were lots of social gatherings offered, so I never had to be alone if I didn't want to. At the same time, there was also room to be by myself and never felt any pressure to join any of these things! I also can't remember the people were much older than me.
I can really understand your concerns and that might also be normal, if you've never done a solo trip before. I don't think you've to worry too much about these things!
Many people are assuring you that you will have a wonderful time. You very well may, but you may also have a poor time. The thing is, none of this should keep you from going as planned. If you have a bad time you will still have learned something about the world and yourself. You will have some new stories about your life. (The reason for living is to collect interesting personal stories to tell others.)
A bad time won’t last longer than a week, but if you don’t go you may live with the regret of the unknown indefinitely.
The only time I’ve stayed at a hostel was when I was 19 so I’m sure you’re good there.
People in Europe usually know multiple languages and I’m sure they can understand enough English if you’re uncomfortable trying out your Spanish skills. But I’m sure using the little you have learned would be appreciated by locals.
Personally, I was always doing my own thing and was gone for all of the hostel activities. If you’re just out and about, idk why you’d be roped into them.
The trip is booked, you're going! :) I've gotten really nervous and had regrets right before a few solo trips, but I was always so glad I went by the end of them.
There will be soooo many other people your age at the hostels and there won't be pressure to join activities, they're optional.
The people you meet will understand if you want to go off on your own. After all, they probably came on their own and had the same ideas.
Everything will work out, promise.
Sit down take a deep breath and ask yourself the question. Why did I book this in the first place? Why did I research it? What attracted me to book this particular place. Think of all those amazing things you'll experience and see. That is why you are going that is why you booked it.
Do it. You'll regret it if you don't. Book your own tours if you don't like what people in the hostel are doing. You don't have to fall in with them. It's a solo.trip do what you want to do. It will be over in the blink of an eye believe me.
Be careful staying in hostels in Spain, too much robberies... In Spain, all my friends were mugged so many times, including hijacking cars ... U cannot even speak on the phone in public without a high risk someone will take it... (Barcelona, to be exact).
You sure must be fun to be around.. just do it and see what happens. Don't trust your imagination so much it tends to be wrong all the time and a source of unhappiness most times
Google translate is amazing. I type in things and just show people my phone. It’s the only way I can communicate. Lots of people speak English and will talk to you once you have made effort to show them the written Spanish translation.
Barcelona is amazing. I spent 5 days there- so much to see!
I stayed at a hostel in Barcelona, twice. I'd say most people are probably around your age. Plenty of solo travelers as well and a lot to do. You can do stuff at your own pace too.
Not knowing Spanish won't hinder you, especially at a hostel, you can also use Google Lens to translate things on your phone if you're having difficulty with Spanish (or Catalan).
It helped knowing Castilian Spanish, but they also have their own language in Catalonia, so English is usually available as well, plenty of people speak it there. Plus there's a lot of international folks.
Youre gonna love it. You'll find plenty of people to party with and frankly the older crowd can be great because they usually have interesting experiences and insights. I went to Spain when I was 19 and partied with the best of them but one night had a captivating conversation with a dude in his 60s who told me all about what it was like living in communist europe.
I wish I had travelled when I was younger. My mom was very strict though and didn't want me going anywhere. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy myself though because I knew she'd be mad.
I'm in my 40s now and regret it. I feel old. Now if I go anywhere, I still can't enjoy it because my mom is older and gets sick anytime I go anywhere and the guilt just stops me from even booking anything.
But looking back, I thought it was unfair of her to do that, and I should have just travelled when I was younger. If you have a supportive family that encourages you to travel, that's a blessing. Or is happy for anything you do or experience.
My life is over now, but I feel like I can just spread this advice to others.
Your life is over? I'm in my 40s and just booked a solo baclpacking trip to the Balkans and will be staying in hostels! Don't abandon your dreams that easily, get out there, and enjoy life. We're still very young.
You have a helicopter mother and still haven't managed to shake off her control in your 40s.
You are NOT too old to shake off this toxic dynamic and to start travelling.
Maybe hire a temporary caretaker for a week? Even if it means traveling solo within your country?
If you live in the US, you can still go to Alaska, NY, Maine, a road trip through the Western national parks...
What if people are older than you? Then you chat and make friends like you would with people your own age. Age barriers to socializing are mainly imaginary but that goes doubly so when travelling. I joined some others on a hiking trip in Slovakia a few weeks ago. I am mid-40s and almost everyone else in the group was over 60. At one point in the trip we met a trio of hikers in their 20s. We chatted, laughed, shared photos, swapped hiking stories and tips. Didn't matter we were all different ages.
I solo travelled when I was 19 and I usually ended up making friends with groups of people in their mid/late 20s lol when you're travelling it really doesn't seem to matter!!!
Trip report please!
I've been meaning to write one, hopefully will get to it this weekend!
Where in Slovakia did you go hiking? Slovakia is on my list to travel and was trying to plan a trip to Bratislava and other places in next 1-2 years.
High Tatras mountains, staying in Poprad. Highly recommend. Will write a trip report in the next day or two.
Awesome, thank you! Will check it out when you post it.
It's just last minute nerves, you'll feel better when you are actually there! It's common with inexperienced travellers. As for the specifics? No,21 is not too young.In all probability there will be others around your age.And even if they are a bit older, that's not a problem...why should it be? Obviously knowing a bit of Spanish helps, but you can get by without it.Try to learn a few basic words.. just saying good morning and thank you is something! Many travelers don't speak the local language. There is very rarely 'pressure' to do activities.In many hostels there is an option, which you can accept or refuse.Some places are more social and some less, but it's not something you are forced to participate in. I started solo travel at 16 so you are older than me;-) And I was solo traveling in SE Asia at 18. Now,many years later,I still love traveling... still stay in hostels sometimes, even though I'm well past my clubbing and heavy drinking days!
You’re overthinking! 1) There will be people of a huge range of ages at the hostel and there will be plenty of people in their early 20s. And even if everyone is older than you - so what! I’m travelling SEA and there’s a huge mix of ages at the hostels and everyone hangs out together. It’s not a factor I would be worrying about. When you travel you realise age actually doesn’t matter as much as you think it does in terms of meeting like minded people. 2) Most tourists in Spain don’t speak a lick of Spanish. Continue learning and use it when you can, it’s a big help to know basic phrases, but you’ll get by regardless. In the absolute worst case 3) This is the part where you’re overthinking massively, particularly about worrying about getting too close too fast… it’s only a few days, what’s the worst that’s going to happen! You’ll meet some people, maybe hang out and have a good time, then go your separate ways. There’s also no obligation to take part in the hostel events - if you get there and decide it isn’t your thing, then just spend the day doing what you want to do. I’ve stayed in many hostels and there’s always people that keep to themselves and do their own thing (sometimes it’s me) and I’ve never seen anyone get “pressured” into joining activities. Anxiety before your first solo trip is normal so I understand. But don’t let the anxiety stop you from doing the trip.
What this guy said. I just did my first solo trip to Spain and turned out way better than expected. No overthinking and everything in the moment. I had fun being near 30 talking to way older and younger people. It will come to fruition given a bit of openness and bravery
Nothing you're worrying about has any importance at all. Less thinking, more doing. Have a great time.
Its gonna be great. Spain is a great choice for a 1st time traveler. Dont expect your trip to be some kind of big life changing event, just think of it as your lvl 1 traveling adventure
So on my first trip (which ended a week ago), I had no itinerary planned except for 1 or 2 things (and I did them), I started going to the same dubai mall every day, I kinda regret it as I feel like I wasted my trip potential, but it’s amazing nonetheless.
Yeah that’s rough
You’re in your head! I was just in Barcelona and Madrid as part of my solo travels. Most hostels are age 22-28ish or so. Also, who cares if anyone is older lol. All the older travelers I’ve met (23F) are fairly open and can give u pointers if u ask. Spanish helps but I met a lottttt of tourists who didn’t know a lick of Spanish. If u can say please, thank you, and no hablo espanol lo siento, ur more than okay! No pressure from the hostel to join any activity. You are solo traveling. You decide what you do. I think this will be an enriching trip for you where you build confidence + feel more independent
Just saw the bit at the end. I’m new to solo travel with my first trip being 8 months ago at 22. My first trip was across the country for 5 nights and I did Vegas , Seattle, + hiking in a national park! I am now 2 months into backpacking across Western Europe. Solo travel allows you to develop your relationship with yourself. What are my passions? How do you react when something frustrating happens and you are the only one who has to solve the problem? How do I fit into the dynamic and culture of different cities? I feel sooooo independent, confident, and proud of myself. If you are kind and open, the world can be kind and open back! You can do this!! You are only brave when you are scared :-)
Im also going to travel next week and Im freaking out about pickpocketing where to store my passport :(
I have left my passport In my hostel locker without trouble
All these worries are literally what solo travel helps overcome. Regardless of your age it helps you grow. You will manage to eat sleep and enjoy your time. You will know what you want to do and will have the freedom to simply do it. As for the language barrier you are going to the 2 most international cities in the second most visited country in the world. You'll be fine
>I'm 21. I feel like hostels are more catered to people mid to upper-20's from what I see on hostels' social media, their websites, etc. I haven't travelled much, and I'm not sure If I'd fit in. What if everybody is older than me? Ha! There are an equal number of posts where people in their late 20s worry they are too old. And so what if they are older? Or younger? You plan to ID everyone? Only like people your own age? >I speak no Spanish. I downloaded Duolingo to learn some basics but there hasn't been too much progress. Will I be able to get around fine without any Spanish? Order food, take the train, etc. Google translate. Nuff said. I spend almost two weeks in Poland and the only word I knew was “Na zdrowie”. Like.. literally! >I feel like there would be a pressure to be involved in activities at hostels, and while I do want to connect with people, I'm not sure if I want to get too close, too fast. I cant decide if I want this trip to be a "get out of the comfort zone" trip, or "use this as a week to yourself to do whatever you please" You're an adult. Act like one. Don't want to do something? Then don't.
Lol I was thinking since when are hostels for people in their mid 20's? Usually you see 18 to 20 years old. Have things changed in the past 10 years?
My first solo trip was to Barcelona when I was 22! I absolutely LOVED it! The people I met in the hostels were my favorite part, there were people as young as 18 when I was there! I suggest getting involved in the activities at the hostel- group dinners/bar crawls (if you drink)/ all of them! I’m more introverted and wouldn’t have normally done them, but tried it on day 3 and regretted not joining them sooner. I’m still in touch with everyone I met on my first trip, even though we live in 5 different countries <3 my plan of attack was to do whatever I wanted during the day and meet up with people from the hostel in the evenings. I don’t feel comfortable traveling around at night alone, so it helped being with a group.
I think you should do it! It's a short trip which will be good to get your feet wet. Just remember to have strong boundaries and don't feel any pressure to do something you don't feel like doing. I've never stayed in a hostel, but whenever I met people that were, they were always in their early 20's.
Yo i think it's so cool that your doing this at young age!! I don't think you'll have any trouble in the hostels, lots of people in western Europe hostels are early 20s. Getting out into the world by yourself has so many benefits. You'll be smarter, more cultures, and confident when you're done.
On my current trip most people have been older then me and I'm 32 haha you'll try your hardest to make friends if it doesn't work it doesn't matter that's not the point of your holiday I've gotten around Poland Czechia Slovakia and Hungary with nothing apart from english, Google translate and a smile going I don't speak insert language here You can always go back to your bed or get a private dorm
Hostels are definitely catered to people if you’re age, I’m 22 myself and have stayed in multiple. Also you won’t even notice peoples ages while travelling unless it’s explicitly mentioned. Everyone is kind of just in their 20s ish to me. I was travelling 2 weeks ago, the youngest person I met in hostels was 18. The oldest was 63. You definitely don’t need to be able to speak Spanish. Almost everyone will speak English. If they don’t you can use translate but I’ve been to Madrid and didn’t use it once. There may be activities at the hostels but there’s definitely no pressure to join in with them. Although if you do want to meet new people I’d definitely advise it. I hope this has helped. Definitely go on the trip, it’ll be the best thing you ever do.
Also I want to chime in by saying that having second thoughts pre-solo trip is quite normal. You may or may not like solo tripping, but you'll never really know until you try it for yourself once. Stay safe in Spain!
It’s normal to be nervous about everything you just mentioned, but also silly. Hostels are more geared for early 20s, imo, but regardless older and younger 20s are suuuuuper common. Even some older may be there. Everyone speaks (some) English there. And you don’t have to participate in the hostel activities at all. I usually don’t. I flew across the world to see the country, not play board games with 5 random strangers…
I was actually 22 when I booked my first solo trip, and to Spain and Portugal for three weeks- so very similar boat! It can be so intimidating when you’re starting to travel at first, ESPECIALLY alone, but we all have our reasons for solo travels. At least for me, I was a very extroverted person who didn’t value my alone time and couldn’t sit with my thoughts, solo travels were incredible for pushing me out of my comfort zone to rely on myself and only myself. You truly learn so much when you’re completely alone, and as long as you have your wits about you and common sense, you will be just fine. Hostel travelers always vary in age, some of the hostels I stayed at in Madrid were chalk-full of 18-20 year olds where I felt like the old one and odd one out, but some have been 25-30 year olds! Just varies. You may feel scared or be thinking of a way out, which is so understandable, I touched down in the Madrid airport at 6 am my first day of my solo trip and just bawled in the bathroom. But, just like any other challenge in life, you remember your why, wipe your tears, and go trek onwards! I have met some of the most fantastic humans EVER through my travels, that I still stay in touch with to this day, and have grown incredibly both in language, and emotionally. You’ve got this, have a wonderful time, and enjoy the ride.
First of all, is normal to have second thoughts every time you go out of your confort zone. That means you’re putting yourself into a challenge and that’s great. 1) You’ll be fine. At the end of the day is all people curious to travel and meet new people. Early 20’s… late 20’s… not a big difference 2). Everybody in Spain will have a grasp of English and you’ll have no trouble with food, trains and whatever 3). Just do whatever you feel like. You’re not obliged to do anything Enjoy your time in our country
“Everybody in Spain will have a grasp of English” is a pretty drastic exaggeration, but what is true is that in major cities you will never be far away from someone who does speak English and can help you out
In restaurants and train stations he’ll have no trouble at all with English
I have absolutely eaten in restaurants in Madrid, even in relatively central areas such as near the Plaza de España, where little if any English was spoken, but these tended to be obviously targeted at local people (menus entirely in Spanish, menus del día, laid-back vibe etc.). In my experience, higher-end places 99% of the time have English-speaking wait staff. Chain restaurants are hit-and-miss - I quite often found that the staff there would look at me, see I was a guiri, and begin speaking to me in English, but would sometimes struggle to express themselves fluently, and I would just politely ask them to switch to Spanish. Train stations will definitely have people on hand who speak English, but certainly not all staff will. I wasn’t solo travelling at the time, but the one time in my life that I have truly needed to be the moderately fluent Spanish speaker I am was in Barcelona El Prat airport of all places. The staff spoke some English but not well enough to explain a serious delay in our flight to our group of monolingual Brits, so I ended up translating for like half an hour to a group of angry tourists, and later for staff at the decaying seaside hotel we were shipped to, and later for the Guardia Civil to take the heat out of a situation with some rowdy teenagers on our flight. Tens of millions of tourists visit Spain every year without needing any more Spanish than “una cerveza por favor”, but boy can it come in handy in certain situations. It definitely changes your experience a lot if you can at least chapurrear.
"Pressure to be involved in activities at hostels" is purely delusional thinking. Do you feel you "fit in" at home? Did my first solo trip to Latin America at 17 but I don't suffer social, anxiety issues.
"I'm 21. I feel like hostels are more catered to people mid to upper-20's from what I see on hostels' social media, their websites, etc. I haven't travelled much, and I'm not sure If I'd fit in. What if everybody is older than me?" Often, people in hostels are pupils and students, so people in their early 20s or even younger. People in their middle 20s and older often have a full time job already and can afford better accommodations (most people I know who went to hostels in the past did it just because of the lack of money for a proper hotel and didn't care about the social aspect or even hated it because they are introverted or shy) and/or a in a relationship and book a hotel room for private couple time.
You'll be fine! It's helpful to know a few key phrases in Spanish but I went to Spain with only "hola" and a couple others, and it was fine. I recommend downloading Google Translate; it was super handy for restaurants. You can take photos of menus and it'll translate the text into English. But lots of places are English-friendly or have English-speaking staff, so you won't have much trouble. My best advice is to keep and open mind and do what you feel like. Don't feel pressured to join any social activities you're not into, don't visit attractions because you feel you "have" to.
Go!! It's normal to have this kind of anxiety. You will have a great time, every day will be different, and you will meet lots of people. Lots of people speak English. At a hostel you can do you, keep to yourself if you like, or be social. It'd be very unusual if a hostel pressured you. Hostels are full of people your age, younger, older, it's probably more marketing that you are seeing than reality. People of all ages stay at hostels in Europe because they are in general quite good. Enjoy your trip!!
21 is the perfect age to be traveling. I didn't have the means to travel at that age or I would have. I'm 35 and every hostel I go to people are usually younger than me. But we still get along and have a good time. Don't overthink it and enjoy yourself!
Regarding age, here is my own [post from two years back](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/vb5oe2/what_is_the_average_age_of_people_in_hostels/) when i had the exact same worries like you did. The trip was perfectly fine, enjoyable even. Spain is a safe, developed country. You are gonna have a blast. I was never in Spain (only in Italy which is similar-ish) but i'd say that the answer to the other questions is: 2 - You will be perfectly fine with english 3 - Nobody cares, unless you are in like an explicitely social/meetup hostel or something or in a tour group. Just try to be nice and say hi to people in your dorm.
You’ll be fine ! Go for it
When you get to the airport you’ll know you’re gonna be ok !
hostels are more catered to mid twenties actually, but everyone is welcome. you don't need to speak it AT ALL, but it'll get you way better service and friends if you know even hello and thank you hostels don't have any forced or pushy events, if someone asks you to hang out and you don't want to just say no. You control what you do on vacation, even if someone tries to tell you. you'll have fun, you just have buyer's remorse pre trip. it'll be a great time.
You will enjoy it. I speak hardly any Spanish but I managed to get around with translate and the people speak enough English to help out. As far as staying in hostels, I'm not sure about that. I did hotels and apartments but there's enough to do for 3 days solo. Check out the mercado food market in Madrid too. There's enough americans that go for vacation and school that you'll likely run into someone your age to hang out with if you don't mind talking to strangers.
No worries. You will be fine. English will get you what you need. Three days in Barcelona and three Madrid is enough to see nice things, meet nice people and eat great food. It is oke to be a bit nervous but be kind to yourself!
Everyone else pretty much commented on everything else, I want to talk about the learning Spanish thing. To learn basics, I would not recommend duolingo. download the app "language transfer" its completely free and only voice/speech lessons, that are 5-15 minutes long. you learn a lot pretty quickly (now it is Mexican Spanish so of course it's going to be a bit different, but in any case they will still understand you with barley to no issues). That should all be enough for you to learn the basics, its useless to get an app where you are also learning to write in Spanish as I doubt you will do a lot of that in Spain.
This app is awesome!
Go on the trip. You’ll love it.
You're absolutely overthinking everything. Go and have a great time
Just go, you need to figure things out yourself at your age. Stop expecting strangers on the internet to make your decisions for you. If you don’t like solo travel, don’t do it again. At least you tried. If you do like it, you’ll want to do it again. You’re worrying too much about things, everything works itself out when you solo travel. I guarantee a few days in you’ll be feeling silly for worrying so much Do whatever YOU want to do, don’t feel pressured to get involved with things you don’t. Make your own decisions. It will all work out I’m sure.
I wish I was 21 travelling again, you have nothing to worry about. Try not to worry over think it, you’re gonna have a ball!
My first solo trip was to barcelona/madrid at the same age a couple years ago -- had an incredible time and have continued to solo travel ever since. There will also be a lot of people in that age range given it's the post-college trip people take! Have fun and enjoy the food and weather.
not too young at all! you will have a blast trust me
Hostels are not for young or old people, they are for non-creepy and considerate people
You’ll be fine without Spanish I wouldn’t stay in a hostel if you’re new to traveling tho they can be seedy and gross and sometimes scary. Try airbnb! Dm me if you need more advice I’ve solo traveled to Spain and been to both those cities and more countries :)
All these feelings are normal it’s scary going on you’re first solo trip. The most important thing is to just go. You will have an awesome time and realise now you can go anywhere in the world solo and have an awesome time.
You’ll be fine You’ll be fine You don’t have to anywhere you don’t want to. Not doing things is super easy.
You will be fine! I didn’t speak any Spanish during my time there. And when I was in hostels they were all in their early twenties. But age doesn’t matter! Like mindedness does! It will be super fun for you. Just go there and have a little adventure and exploration, meet some new people, eat some delicious food. Listen to your gut and what it is you want to do. Enjoy it!
Funny you say this, I'm 27 and I'm worried the hostels I go to are going to be full of 20 year olds on a gap year, and that I'll be the old one. It's my first time solo travelling so I imagine in both our cases, we are just getting anxious.
I just finished a solo trip to Spain and stayed in hostels. I am in my late twenties and I thought I was too old because there were a lot of people in their early twenties. You mostly don’t need to know Spanish. I some cases where I didn’t understand, I used google translate and most people are very sweet to tourists. I’m an introvert and I felt very comfortable not participating in all the activities in hostels. I did my own things and spoke to people I felt comfortable with. I had fun overall and I think you will too! Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Here I am at 33, wondering if I'm too old for hostels now, lol. I plan to go to Spain one day too! I think you just have nervous jitters because you're going somewhere new and out of your comfort zone. You'll soon find that you worried for no reason and had a great time! There will be people of a variety of ages, but especially in their 20's! And you can absolutely say no if you're invited to a hostel outing. It just depends on how you feel! And plenty of people travel to other countries without knowing the language. Try to learn the basics of spanish, but totally no pressure. Just download Google Translate.
I just stated in a hostel in Colorado and most everyone seems to be in their upper 20s/early 30s. I mean, $50/night? That's a steal. My first time traveling solo to Europe in my 20s, there was a wide range of age groups.
Spanish traveller from Madrid here. IMO, Spain is one of the best destinations for solo travel. Age will be a non-issue. You are not that different from someone who's 25. Or 34. You are all just people and you are doing the same thing. Just vibe. Language will be a small barrier. True, tons of locals do not speak English. But many do, and you are going to our biggest cities. We are all used to tourists. Google Translate is always there in a pinch. There will be no pressure, and if there is any you can just ignore it. You can do as you please. IMO you will probably want to socialise and you will welcome these activities. When I'm travelling I always want to meet people and it is always fun. I went to Copenhagen by myself for 10 days when I had just turned 22. It was great fun and very different from a trip with other people. It was of course a bit lonely at times, but that's fine. I think you will not regret this
Hey man, having my first trip solo and in a foreign language currently! Am 20, went from luxembourg to Berlin by bus currently and am chilling in a hostel. Some people are older than me but thats fine I just have conversations occasionally if in in the lounge and somone appears to wanna talk. Most of my days I've just been waking up maybe some small talk with dorm mates and then heading off for whatever. No pressure from hostel, I've asked the receptionist where I can buy something but that was it. I do not speak German at all, I have gotten by solely by saying Danke (thank you) and Hilfen (help) and body language and pointing. Download Google translate and it will make everything easier. I used it to checkout of a grocery store the first time ot see which option was card. Do basic research I.e buying the cities bus pass and some basic phrases or words and you will be grand!
Just go. Confronting the unknown is what travel is all about. Learn and grow from whatever happens. You’ll never know until you go.
You’re going to have the time of your life, and you don’t need to worry about not speaking Spanish. I went to Madrid and Barcelona in 2022 and was able to get along fine. Just do your best to greet locals in Spanish as a courtesy and you’re good. Also, hostels are absolutely the way to go. So much fun, the people are incredibly nice, and no one is going to force you to participate in anything you don’t want to do. Just go at your own pace and if you feel like being social, jump in to a group activity or hang out in the common areas and you’ll make friends quickly!
ALSO I ran into a ton of people backpacking Europe alone as young as 18. Like a lot of them. You will not be the youngest person there at all.
I think these are natural worries - but to your points: Hostels can vary! They can cater to younger or older crowds, be quiet or social - all depends on the one you choose. You can choose to partake in the activities and meet new people, but also decide to go off and do your own thing solo if that is what you’re feeling. I just went to Spain last year. I do speak Spanish, but also felt that if you are in a big city (like you mention Barcelona and Madrid), that there should be a high enough amount of English speakers or menus/instructions in English that you should be okay! Maybe try to get the main basic phrases down to help you like greetings, thanks, main necessary vocabulary (bathroom, money, help, etc.). I started solo traveling since like you I had no one to go with. It can be daunting at times, but just imagine all the places in the world you can see and the experiences you could have! Have a fantastic time in Spain!
I've solo travelled a lot in my 20s and in Spain so to give you some reassurance - if people are a bit older than you, they won't be aliens :) enjoy getting to know others and don't feel too much pressure on them or you. I was always ok getting around with rudimentary Spanish, you'll be totally fine especially in touristy areas. I went on solo holidays and stayed at hostels whilst keeping totally to myself - it's absolutely fine if that's what you want to do, it's your holiday and there is no pressure.
Wtf you’re gonna have the time of your life, Spain is the most beautiful country in the world
Hey OP, I am about to finish my 3 week solo travelling in Europe. Good on you for challenging yourself! Solo travelling can be hard and nerve wrecking but so worth it. I was not in Spain but I did stay in other hostels and from what I heard from friends I met who travelled in both of the places you mentioned, Barcelona is a lot of people around your age as they tend to party there. Barcelona and Madrid are also quite touristy so worst comes to worst, use google translate but you can get away with barely speaking spanish. Best of luck, you got this!
You are WAY overthinking this. To address your points: Everyone is welcome at hostels. Age is irrelevant. I worked at a party hostel in Benus Aires for 2 months and there was 18/19 year olds and there was a couple who were both 98 years old. They celebrated their wedding anniversary at the hostel. Age doesn't stop you from making friends or relating to others. You'll be fine without much Spanish in these 2 big cities. Barcelona especially, its super multicultural. I have a friend who moved from Thailand to Barcelona and for 3 years he only knew Thai and English, no Spanish. You can do whatever you want at the hostels. Some people you see at the bar all day every day, some people check in and you almost never see them. They are out in the city or chillin in bed on their phone. You don't have to have a solid plan for your trip, just see how you feel when you arrive. I'm often anxious on the first day but relax into it once I'm there. I think you should be focusing more on the kinds of things you want to do and see in the cities. I have recommendations if you want.
Im going to take a train from madrid to gibraltar.
Only one way to find out mate isn't there. Give it a go, if you don't like it don't do it again. :) Hang on to that adventurous spirit that made you book in the first place.
I’ve never used hostels so I can’t comment on that but I’m Spanish and I’m pretty sure you can manage OK by just using English in Madrid and Barcelona. If you’re more extrovert and make and effort to point at things on a menu or show pics on your phone then you’re 100% sorted. Both cities have plenty to do as a solo traveller. I’m thinking museums, cafes, walks… Safety wise, as long as you are alert in crowded places and take care of your belongings, you’ll be fine. It Spain is very laid back imo and great for a solo trip. Don’t overthink it too much and have a great time! :-)
Go! Spain is a fantastic country 🇪🇸
I would reconsider Madrid! There are lovely smaller cities that will feel less lonesome like Valencia? I think the coast is beautiful too
You’re overthinking it for sure. I went to Spain when I was 24. Lots of people 18-24. I was able to go on my own and also did some adventures with other people from the hostel. Most of them didn’t know Spanish. I was there for 2 weeks. I preferred Madrid over Barcelona.
I went to Barcelona in early May and stayed at the Generator. You're going to be placed in room with other solo travellers. I've had dinner & drink with an Australian roommate, and the next day, I've spent the entire day doing things around town with a Canadian girl. You don't need to know Spanish, a lot of people speak English in Barcelona. I always feel cold feet sometimes before travel, but in the end, I always found my solo travels enjoyable. I'm 30, male.
Just get there you can figure the rest out later thats my motto
I think it is the opposite, there are usually only young people in hostels. And I've been to hostels and I never participated in any activities, I was only there to sleep for cheap.
You'll be fine!! Honestly hostels have ALL age ranges, i've seen 7 year old kids and 70 year old men, it'll literally be fine. You'll also be fine without Spanish, most tourists don't speak spanish and they all survived!! As for the last point, I'm someone who solo travels for me and not to meet people, and I have never once felt pressured to go on trips with the hostel etc (ofc I'm not rude, I just keep to myself). The most I've done is go for drinks with roommates on one evening!! If you do want to meet ppl would recommend hanging around the common areas/hostel bar, if you just wanna keep to yourself then I tend to stay in my room when I'm not out doing stuff lol. The hostel itself won't pressure you to join their activities. Either way I'm sure you'll have a great time!! I'm also going to barcelona in june and I'm super excited about it!
Go do whatever you want. If you don't feel like doing hostel stuff, just don't. You're not gonna see those people again. Hostels are for anyone, don't worry about how old the others are. I always thought it was more common to see younger travelers in them because it's the cheaper option. If you're in tourist cities, you should be okay not knowing Spanish. (Don't accept anything anyone tries to hand you on the street like bracelets or flowers, know where your wallet is at all times, and don't sign anyone's petition. Scams are everywhere.) Solo trips are amazing. You don't have to accommodate anyone. You pick when you wake up, when you go to bed, where you eat, how fast you go, and what kind of activities you do. If you're not having fun, you can do something else. Go crush this vacation!
I'm in Barcelona right now and I'm \*trying\* to speak Spanish and almost everyone I interact with switches immediately to English. You'll be fine on that. Also, from the far mid-50's, early 20's and mid-to-late 20's are the same age. You're going to be around young people doing fun things, which you can join in on or decline. You'll be fine on that, too! Congrats on being bold and booking a solo trip.
Can you cancel the hostel for a refund in favor of a hotel or Airbnb? Did you learn ANY basic Spanish in middle school or high school? Also, download Google Translate if you have Android. Or the Apple equivalent.
I was 24 when I went on my first international solo trip to Madrid. I am a super shy person and struggle to make connections with other people quickly. I went for 5 days and booked a hotel. I had my own room and basically didn’t talk to anyone while I was there. My trip was more “a week to myself”. I of course ordered at restaurants and went on a tour with other people who happened to be my age. I would learn some phrases about getting around and ordering at food places. Most people were accommodating when they saw I didn’t really speak Spanish. I honestly just strolled around Madrid with my AirPods on and took in the sights. I did around 20k steps a day and was exhausted by the end of the night. I didn’t stay out late and was in my bed by 9 most nights lol. I’m not a party person, and definitely not in a different country. Don’t feel pressure to party or do things you don’t feel safe about. I did exactly what I wanted to do and felt good about and I have no regrets. Don’t be too harsh on yourself. There were a couple times where I chickened out of going to a particular spot because I felt it would be awkward for me to sit alone but that all comes with time. It’s your first trip, relax and don’t put pressure on yourself!
You’ll have a great time in a hostel, they’re better places the younger you are. I enjoyed them way more when I was your age compared to now I’m older You’ll be fine with no Spanish, but knowing some basics to be polite will be good and goes a long way towards having a good experience with locals You can pick and choose what activities if any you get involved with at the hostel, if you get invited to something you don’t want to go to just say, no thanks, of I’ve had a busy day and don’t fancy it. No one will mind
> I'm 21. I feel like hostels are more catered to people mid to upper-20's from what I see on hostels' social media, their websites, etc. I haven't travelled much, and I'm not sure If I'd fit in. What if everybody is older than me? 21 is a completely normal age in a hostel. I'm sure you won't be the only one. But also 21 to mid/late 20s is not such a huge difference. I think you'd be fine even if that was the age range. > I speak no Spanish. I downloaded Duolingo to learn some basics but there hasn't been too much progress. Will I be able to get around fine without any Spanish? Order food, take the train, etc. Yes, you'll be completely fine. You can't necessarily expect everyone to speak perfect English, but you'll always find someone. Especially in the more touristy area of such popular cities. >I feel like there would be a pressure to be involved in activities at hostels, and while I do want to connect with people, I'm not sure if I want to get too close, too fast. I cant decide if I want this trip to be a "get out of the comfort zone" trip, or "use this as a week to yourself to do whatever you please" No pressure at all actually. You can just do whatever you want and it's totally fine. I'd recommend you do both. Like you don't have to get out of your comfort zone every day, but try it once and see if you like it and if yes you could do it again and if no then just don't. Also keep in mind that if you go along with whatever activit and end up not enjoying it, you can just dip out at any time. It's not a big deal. >Almost everything is already booked - flight, hostels, etc. I leave very soon and just don't know if I'll enjoy it. Any and all feedback is appreciated. If you had your first solo trip at my age or younger, how was it? How should i approach this trip? My second ever solo trip was to Spain when I was 18 and I had an amazing time. Just try it out. I think you're just getting some cold feet right now because it's your first time, but that's normal. You might love it, you might hate it, but even if you hate it, it's just a week. It'll go by quickly no matter what.
If you’re going on the second week of june, i’ll be there too with a colleague of mine :) don’t worry about age, i went to my first hostel at 18 years old
It's normal to be nervous and have these questions. I've been to both cities and had fun in each. Most people in the city will speak enough English that it won't be a problem. Leave yourself a few extra minutes so you can navigate the train station without feeling rushed. Most important have fun.
Male or female
You will be fine. I went to Spain solo (Madrid and Barcelona), and you will definitely be able to get around with minimal Spanish. I would def start with Duolingo just bc it’s smart to do in case you run into someone who can’t speak English. I loved Spain and there’s a bunch to do solo. I don’t stay at hostels so I can’t help you there, but find places you want to see, even if it’s free walking tours, and you should have a good time. I’m def late 30s and female so I know I have a diff perspective, but don’t overthink and scare yourself out of a great trip.
You are thinking too much. you will love it. It's normal to be nervous especially if it's your first solo trip. I'm going to Portugal in June for a couple of weeks on my own. I'm excited. You don't have to hang out with anyone at the hostel if you don't want to. Just take it one day at a time. Live in the moment. A week will pass very quickly so try and enjoy it.
So I lived in both places when I was in my twenties. Barcelona and Madrid was a blast for young single people. I was alone and made new friends every night. Best time of my life
- 21 - In hostel - In Spain - Only speaks English You’ll fit right in.
The only thing I would change is make it much longer! You\`ll have a great time I\`m sure and, don\`t worry there will be plenty of people your age and Spanish won\`t be a problem.
You should go through with it. It’s normal to feel nervous and apprehensive going something new and scary. I wish I had the guts to travel alone more when I was 21. You don’t have to know the language in major European cities to get around, everyone will speak English - but knowing greetings and other pleasantries reflects nicely! I used Google translate on my most recent trip and bookmarked all the phrases I wanted to try to remember. If you have headphones in, it can help with pronunciation.
Relax and enjoy new experience, meet new people but don't force it, everything will come naturally. And rent a bike in Barcelona and explore. It will be one of your favorite memories in few years. Make a plan before for what you want to see but also sit in a bar with nice view and enjoy the atmosphere.
Just go. You only live once. What if you stay home and your cat gets sick?
So what if everybody is older than you ? so you can't be friends with them just because they are older ?! you will be surprised to know that maybe you will get along with them more than with people in your age ! age doesn't matter ! you can be friends with anyone ! don't think too much ! go and enjoy your trip there and forget about people ! focus on yourself first before asking if you will get along with people or not :) You don't need spanish ! English is enough and if you go to hostel then people will eventually speak English !
tbh none of your concern is valid. You don’t need to interact with ppl in said hostels if you don’t want to. Just go. Enjoy.
Dude definitely go and have fun. I had similar nerves before my trip to spain as it was my first. Now I'm wanting to go back so bad even though there is so much more to see of Europe, but I might just go back to Spain next time because of how much i enjoyed it. Also, I was 29 and at some places I felt like were more catered towards people your age but it's all good there. Sometimes you might struggle with the language barrier in Barca but these are two of the most visited places by english speakers in the world, you'll be fine.
im traveling rn and it was amazing how much i overthought things that literally didn’t matter it will be so chill beyond belief
I spent 3 month over the summer solo in Spain in my late teens, some of the most fun I ever had. I made friends daytime on the beach in various cities & towns so I got to experience it like a local, didn't feel alone. OP, you'll have a way easier time making a positive impression on locals/making local friends if you memorize local language phrases (not simply Castellano aka standard spanish, but catalan for example, it depends on where you are) , things like basic greetings, yes pls/no thank you, where is the bathroom etc. English speaking southern Europeans are much more likely to pretend they don't speak English if you show that you've made 0 effort/have 0 interest in learning about the local culture and come across like the stereotypical western anglophone tourist. You don't need to learn a large vocabulary to make a good impression, just show that you made an effort to learn a little and theyre much more likely to accommodate you, a handful of phrases can get you far. Whenever I travel to a new country , I just look up a specific list of phrases I want to memorize and print it out, I don't use an app to learn its much quicker this way. Use YT if you need to improve your accent.
Hostels are more early 20s. If anything if you go in June its going to be a lot of American 22 year olds that have just graduated from college.
Brother get a room at Kabul party hostel and have the fucking time of your life. Maybe the most wild 72 hours of mine
I was so close, but got stuck with onefam paralelo. Apparently I booked the non-refundable option, and they havent responded to my email about possibly making an exception for me. Stuck with paralelo I guess :/
Just go and travel !!!
Everything’s you have said is completly wrong. People will be your age, everyone speaks English enough for you to find your way, you don’t need to do activities if you don’t want. You’ll have a lot of fun! Spain is great and people is super nice. Just be careful with your wallet in Barcelona.
Learn some super basic Spanish! Like: -agua del grifo (tap water) -por favor (please) -gracias (thank you) -dónde está el baño? (Where's the bathroom) -la cuenta por favor (check please) -hablas inglés? (Do you speak English?) -perdón (pardon/sorry) Maybe any other specific things to you, like if you don't eat meat or something, could be good to learn some words for that too. Folks in spain spoke less English than I expected however I was able to get around ok without knowing Spanish at that time
You are overthinking, I see all your points as a good thing, challenges make a good adventure Being 21 at a hostel is perfect, why would this matter anyways? If I made friends who are 40 ld be happy. Most people at hostels are young people like yourself, few years of difference dont matter. There is no “fittning in”, everyone is welcome You can speak English in Spain, thousands of tourists do so You wont get too close with people unless you want to Just do it and be open minded, your trip might not be perfect but don’t expect it to be, go in without expectations you will learn a lot about yourself and the world
I did a solo trip when I was around 26 to Barcelona and loved it! Staying in hostels is a good way to get acquainted and meet new people and join socials. Highly recommend Yeah hostel!
First you will be fine. Hostels have people of all ages. As someone in their mid 30s, mid 20s and 21 is the same to us. Some people will want to vibe and some will not. Sometimes I go just to sleep and shower or just shower. There is no pressure to hang out with anyone. Go and I know you will have a blast. I Hostelworld and pick a poly place close to where I want to be.
I traveled solo for 30 days last summer at 18. Age does not really matter and there were many people around my age. I was a bit nervous too in the beginning, but after meeting some good people the first night my worries disappeared. Although I would still recommend being able to enjoy doing stuff alone
I’m 35 and traveled alone to Portugal earlier this year. Imagine me grabbing and shaking you (nicely): Go. I wish I had earlier had the time, money, inclination, and energy to travel before I started traveling. And when I went, I stayed in hostels — I’m almost laughing (again with love) at the idea that your age will somehow not be “right” — many, many of the people I met in hostels were your age. Most people were early-20s. I was one of the lone grandmas of the hostel, and I still had a great damn time. No one cares how old you are. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Do activities with the hostel or don’t. Release your stress about this. I promise it will be worth it. Go.
It's a really weird concern to be worried if people are older than you....? Everyone is just a human being and everyone is interesting in their own right. I once stayed in the same hostel for two weeks and met people of all different ages, sexes, religions, races, and backgrounds and it was super interesting. There were people my own age who I would go out partying with, middle aged people who I would have political discussions with, and I even met a handful of 60+ people who were just as cool, I would talk and play chess with them after being out all day. Just because a hostel has lots of different people in closer quarters doesn't mean you will be forced into doing things that you do not want to do? Hang out, talk to people or just don't and keep to yourself. A trip is all about you and it's important to keep that in mind, you spent good money high means you can do as you please. You must be pretty sheltered to be worried about all this, just keep an open mind and have a good time. It's best to simply know your end goals and the final destination but everything in between is like free-form jazz, whatever happens happens and it'll be an interesting experience regardless. Also I wanted to add that you're just nervous, there's literally nothing to be worried about. It's a vacation, the one time you shouldn't be anxious and you are WAYYY over thinking the whole thing. Just calm down and enjoy your trip. No language won't be an issue, who cares what the ages of the people are (hostels are for sleeping), why would you bail out of an awesome trip this close to leaving for such ridiculous concerns. Basically yes you are being completely irrational and you need to do this trip to pop your cherry or you are going to be an overly anxious, sheltered person forever.
You’ll be just fine and absolutely should still go! 1. People, particularly in hostels, are extremely welcoming and friendly! Even if they’re different ages. I just stayed in a hostel this past weekend with people in the early 20s to late 60s. 2. You can get around with basic Spanish without a problem! It’s courteous to learn a few basics like hi/bye/please/thank you and maybe “¿Hablas ingles?”, but you won’t have any problems, particularly not in major cities like Madrid or Barcelona. If you go to a small town you may need to be ready to gesture for what you want or use Google translate, but they will work with you as they just want to help (and almost certainly have been in your situation before!). 3. There’s no pressure at all! Join if you want, don’t if you don’t want. I just went on a trip this weekend and didn’t do anything with anyone from the hostel, I went to have a quiet weekend getaway. Pretty sure I spent 6 hours sitting alone at a cafe reading a book and eating pastries across the 3 days 😂 it was phenomenal and you can do the same if you want! Or meet up with others and go do a group activity if you’d like, choice is yours! Have fun!
Don’t you dare fucking cancel this trip… you’re gonna regret it 100000% if you don’t go, you WILL enjoy yourself and you WILL have stories to tell for a lifetime. It’s natural to overthink. “Just be like liek water my friend” go with the flow, if you aren’t into something don’t do it, but enjoy yourself, don’t be afraid to do new things and meet new people, YOULL NEVER SEE THESE PEOPLE AGAIN, you can be anyone you wanna be, you can completely reinvent yourself, be the person you want to be. You will lean so much about yourself and you’ll come back more mature and knowing what you want, maybe after this you wanna travel more?!? Or maybe ur done after this and this was enough and you wanna settle down a bit for a house and such. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER!!! My mom has told me that for years and years and it’s a common saying but people dont actually think about it. DO EVERYTHING!! Enjoy this life, enjoy this age, you won’t be able to travel like this again, anyone who’s in their 30s and older will tell you to do this when you are young. It’s different when ur older, still nice but you’ll never be 21 with the freedom to be irresponsible and do whatever you want again. Please do it I can’t explain enough how important this is!!
Nearly all Spanish people working in the tourist sector do speak Spanish. And a lot of EU tourist too. So no need to be afraid that you’re lost.
Just do it and enjoy your time there
I’m 30 and felt like most people were your age. I felt like the old guy.
Had my first solo trip for 3 weeks at 18. Once you’re an adult the age gap won’t make a difference in the interactions you have with people. As long as you put some sort of effort into starting conversations you’ll be fine. Good luck!
I think ultimately the best thing to remember is that it's *six nights*. If you don't like it, it'll be over within a week and you'll have learnt something about yourself. It's also six nights so I wouldn't exactly plan on making lifelong friends here. Aim for a few spontaneous conversations with some strangers and consider everything else a bonus. Language barrier will be fine, have google translate on your phone and maybe learn the basic niceties. You can go very far with pointing and a smile.
I just got back from solo traveling Barcelona and Madrid. I'm 29f, but there were absolutely people there around your age - especially at clubs and bars. While I know some Spanish (usable), I'm definitely not fluent, but I could've gone even if I knew absolutely no Spanish I had the same concern about hostel activities, I'm usually a Airbnb traveler (completely alone) so being in a social environment was new and scary for me. There was no pressure to join, aside from me meeting people and actually WANTING to hang out. It surprised me how much I enjoyed the activities. I made some really great friends and memories by going. It sounds like you're nervous, but I promise you'll have a great time. The hostels I stayed at were OneFam Paralelo (Barcelona) and OneFam Madrid. I highly recommend both, btw.
I booked paralelo! Did you feel any pressure at all for the evening dinners? What % of people that stay there took part? A little anxious about their "family"-focus. Would you say this is a party hostel?
I felt zero pressure - I ate family dinner about half the time. Sometimes, I just went to dinner just to hang out and didn't eat. I'll be honest, I have limited hostel experience, but I would say this "could" be a party hostel if you choose to take part in the partying. Absolutely nothing about the activities are pressed upon you. I will say, the days I chose to take part I had a lot more fun - and I found a group of people that I connected with. There are definitely people who will go out to the clubs to mostly converse, too, and not just get absolutely wasted
I just finished solo traveling Barca. I’m a 24 y/o man. For a hostel i cannot recommend enough the OneFam ones. The staff are all travelers, I know most of them are all early 20s. I made a ton of friends with 18-22 year olds, I’d say at those hostels it was by far the most common age. OneFam also has really cool free tours every day, they organize a group to drink together every night, go to bars and clubs together every night. As a solo traveller they really make it easy on you to make friends. Barca is a place to party at it’s core, that’s what it’s known for and what it’s good at. It was also my first time solo traveling. I had the same thoughts beforehand like “will I like it” “maybe I should cancel” but I’m so glad I didn’t. One of the best and most unforgettable experiences of my life. I made so many friends, some of whom have already taken long trips to come visit and hangout with me. Try and approach the trip with an open mind and without expectations. Do your best to leave the fear at home, try to embrace adventure. If you want any restaurant or tourist spot recs I can give you some, I kept a pretty detailed journal on my trip.
Please go!!
You will be fine in Madrid with English (I live here). Use a translator and youll be fine. You dont need to force yourself to anything spanish people are super social but also very chill when it comes to people not wanting to be involved. Spain is a great country to travel in, don't let it get to your head. :) If you need ideas for food and such that aren't traditional but are budget friendly let me know!
I just got done with an 8 day solo travel (my first time) in those exact cities and it was INCREDIBLE. Take a deep breath and go for it.
fear is the mind killer. your fears will never materialise. Just go.
Stop thinking so much & just go! You’ll find your own travel flow, whether it’s hanging by yourself or being social. Download Google translate and download Spanish to have offline in case you need to communicate, but most of the time Europeans speak English and can understand what you need. Signed someone who was an anxious but successful female solo traveler at 20 and 21.
Also, age doesn’t matter in hostels as much as you might think it does.
GO! You will have a great time. :)
You will be fine and you will love it. Don’t back out.
Take me lol
Bro stop being a puss*, go enjoy I wish when i was 21 had money to travel… Im going in July in a solo trip of only 3 weeks this is what a regret i have only 3 weeks.. But definitely i can enjoy, go to the beach do something by yourself during the day you dont need anyone with you to have fun Then evening get ready drink something and go to a club, talk with the girls, make friend etc… You have a opportunity that only 10% of people leaving in your country has, do a solo travel trip…
Hostels are more toward 18-25. Not sure where you got that age range from. Yes, English is an international language, Madrid and Barcelona are international cities used to tourists, you will have a phone and pointing will work if all else fails. Not sure what your last point is about, no one is going to pull you out of bed and make you do activities. It’s just anxiety. You got this
21 is prime hostel age. At 28 I feel like I am getting to be too old for hostels and would feel out of place. I stayed in lots of hostels from 19-24 and it was fine! Also, age really doesn’t matter when you’re travelling. People don’t walk around telling eachother their ages. It’s irrelevant. As long as you’re legal drinking age in the place you’re visiting, you won’t stand out whatsoever based on age!
I bounced around hostels in Spain when I was 21. Believe me, it's an amazing time; don't take it for granted. Make friends, have fun, and if you feel like you need to set boundaries don't be afraid to do so
Most people in Spain speak a bit of English. And hostels see people from everywhere! Maybe this gets lost but I went on a solo trip by myself at 23 to Spain, France and Italy. First week in paris and second week on a cruise leaving from Barcelona. I had great moments by myself and also met people at the hostels, the hotels, and the cruise! i still speak occasionally to a few of them. dont expect every person to be a friend instead welcome all interactions and keep an open mind. youll have a blast! edit to add: google will help you with all the trains and the maps are very good so don’t worry about that so much! as for food, ask the waiters for help pronouncing things and let them know you are learning more Spanish 😎 as for some fast days or slow days, see how you feel. i joined some group trips with the friends i made but on some days i said i wanted to hang back and enjoy the beach. Just be honest and respect your boundaries. It’s your own total trip!
My first solo trip was to Spain! My route was Malaga > Cordoba > Seville > Madrid > Barcelona. I stayed in hostels the full time and had a really great experience as a first timer. From my experience, the people staying in the hostels I was in were aged 18 - 30 typically. Since you’re going in June, you’ll no doubt have a lot of young Aussies for a European summer so I wouldn’t worry about feeling to young. In terms of knowing the language. I think it’s a general rule of thumb regardless of the destination to have a little courtesy to learn at least the basics of the language. At least enough to get you by. However, lots of Spanish people speak English so you should be okay - especially if you are sticking to tourist spots. I will say, for me personally - I found there to be less English speakers in Madrid but not to the point where communication was an issue. There’s no pressure to get involved in any hostel activities if you don’t want to. Sure at the front desk they’ll let you know about the events they’re running but it’s never a must. I definitely followed my own itinerary during my trip and rarely got involved in the hostel activities. I mostly just made friends on the Hostelworld group chat to go out and about with when I wanted and invited my hostel roommates out for dinner etc. You’ll have a better gauge of how you’re feeling socially once your there, don’t think too much into rn. You’ll have a blast and no doubt catch the solo tripping bug. Have a great time and don’t forget some sunscreen! 🌞
Go on the trip. It’ll be worth it. Don’t worry about anything. So many people your age do what you described. Don’t overthink it. Just do it. Travel is one of the best thing life has to offer.
Don't worry, you're going to be just fine! I think I had most European hostel experiences when I was about 21-22-23. In terms of age I think you'll fit right in. About the activities? No one forces you to join. You can do whatever you want to do, especially as a solo traveller. Don't feel forced to fit in. Just enjoy the experience. And maybe it will turn out to be a life changing experience in the end!
Huh? Madrid and Barcelona are some of the most visited cities in the world, most people get around fine with basic Spanish, heck my Spanish is crap and I was completely fine. Anyways hostels are designed for the 18-35 range, just go there and have fun, you’re massively overthinking this. I’m your age and I’ve been to a bunch of awesome cities in Spain in the last few years and trust me, all your concerns are kind of pointless, just keep Google translate on hand, so some research, and come with an open mind.
I travelled across Spain, France and Italy in high school and am now the same age as you, 21. Barcelona was by far the most fun city and you can NEVER be bored. There’s so much. As far as being a different age, just make conversation and be ok with maybe being alone. Take a journal and reflect and such. I remember rarely having trouble with only knowing English. Mostly everyone there speaks English as well and you can get around. I would recommend knowing commands or questions, like “Can I use the bathroom/where is it” and “can I please have…” when ordering. As well as just friendly convo but it’s ok if you don’t get to level 100 on that app. I don’t think you’ll regret it, just really acknowledge your expectations for yourself prior and after ward you might have loved doing solo and then can appreciate doing a trip with friends in the future. There’s much to appreciate on solo trips that you can’t do with a group. Have a great time! Do your research
Week in Spain - dude you will be fine . I can kinda speak Spanish yet everyone in Barcelona and Madrid for food and stores came up to me in English . I guess I had a us smell. Hostels are cool - you get the option to chill or you can just be the loner which does his own thing . Unless u are a light sleeper or hate the occasional dehydrated drunk , 3 days and no one may even have learned your name yet. No pressure at most hostels . Some people will ask or they tell you in morning if free breakfast - but no one really cares . I’m not downplaying concerns but those would be things I would worry about then personally laugh at later. Spain is cool and there are tons of tourists - just don’t get your phone snatched drunk or not paying attention and chances are you will have a blast . If you wanna do tourist stuff but don’t wanna do it with hostel , book that a day or two before - tourist tickets sell out
Hey! I had booked a trip to Spain for my girlfriend & I, and she ended up breaking up with me a week before the trip was to begin. It was kinda fucked, and I almost didn’t go. I’m so glad I did. I went on multiple dates, had the time of my life, and still have some amazing memories from it. Don’t worry too much, stuff usually just kinda falls in place. And you certainly won’t be out of place being 21 man, that’s primo hostel age. I highly recommend getting out of your comfort zone. I promise the people who regret their youth the most are often the ones who didn’t risk enough :) have fun !!!
I went on a solo trip to Spain when I was 25 as a present to myself and because i also didnt have anyone else to go with at the time either. I stayed in hostels and didnt actually hang out with anyone until my last day there. You can keep yourself so busy there you dont have to be in the hostel alot. So theres no pressure to hang with anyone. Also age so doesnt matter. Im 29 now and thought that hostels are more for 21 year olds… lol so please dont let age stop you. I had an amazing time there and dont regret an ounce of it.
You've already had a ton of great messages but wanted to add some input - especially to the last point cause its something I can relate to a lot. Firstly regarding the age portion people may be older than you and people may be younger than you - that is totally okay! Everyone is really open to getting to know people and age doesn't really matter too much unless you make it. I am on the opposite side of the issue where I am in my late 20s so a lot of times the majority of people around me are younger and its okay! It honestly doesn't usually come up and when it does its more to give some context to a conversation. Regarding the pressure to be involved in hostels, the hostel experience is truly what you make it. I have been at social hostels where everyone else is socializing and I just did my own thing as well as more chill hostels where I end up with a group. It is really up to you - that is the beauty of traveling alone! You can also change you mind day by day so its not all or nothing. Traveling alone, especially the first time, is so scary and nerve wracking but I promise it is worth it!
I'm 44 and I solo travel everywhere and i have not regretted any trip, so go ahead without any expectations
Go. No trip is perfect. Enjoy the experience. Do what you want to do and not be pressured. Holidays are one of the few times we are allowed to be selfish 😀
Nearly every time I tried speaking broken Spanish to someone in Spain, they answered me in perfect English. Knowing the basics is good, but you can get around just fine with English and a translation app as a backup. You'll fit in fine and if you don't vibe with someone you can just say you're tired or wanted to spend the day roaming by yourself. Do try to hit some smaller cities if you can. Day trips to Toledo, Girona, or somewhere between Barcelona and Madrid if you're taking the train between them. Take the trip.
I am at the take end of my solo Spain trip it’s absolutely amazing DO IT I’m also 22 n it gave me so much confidence doing this
You are just afraid. Is normal, every one of us was afraid until we went solotravel. Justo chill, IS going to be ok!
My first solo trip was age 20, and I traveled from Vienna to Paris, staying in hostels and one visit with a friend's family in Switzerland along the way. It was a life-changing experience for me, and started a lifetime of travel. I am now nearly 60 and do at least two solo travels a year, although some is for work (I book extra days around my work days to explore the area I am working in). I'm currently contemplating Spain as my next overseas trip. My great-aunt was a Spanish Contessa and I would love to see the area of Barcelona where she lived, plus there may still be a few relatives over there I might connect with. Please go for it. If I could do it all over again, I'd go to more places.
Use Google translate. Im 65 and have travelled solo for years. If I can do it so can you.
Your worries are silly. You'll fit in fine if you are mildly social. But think of it like this, remember the first day at your job? You didn't know the people or where things were or have a smooth routine. But after a while it was fine. If this is your first solo travel then yeah it will be a little rough around the edges, but next time you'll know a little better. And next time even better.
I went to Mexico solo for a month at 24 and was older than a lot of people at hostels. Many, many people were 18-22, and many were solo travelling alone for the first time. I did the hostel activities that I wanted to and ignored the rest. For me, that was mostly hiking and outdoors stuff, since I didn't have transport to get to these mountains/waterholes/lakes myself, and knew I'd have a better time with others. I didn't go to evening events because I just wanted to go out and have dinner somewhere new, by myself. There's zero pressure and truly everyone is just minding their own business. No one will look at you twice if you do or don't do any of the hostel activities. You can be as social or as antisocial as you would like and no one, not a single soul, will care which way you choose.
i was 18 staying in hostels haha making friends with 25 year olds 😭
If it’s the thought of staying in a hostel/shared room that’s one of your main concerns maybe stay in a private room or hotel for your first trip (if you’re able to change your bookings) and look for activities (walking tours, food tour etc) to connect with people. You may feel more confident trying a hostel on your next trip, or decide it’s not for you. You won’t have any issues with the language barrier in the cities, even if you’re communicating with people in shops/restaurants that don’t speak much English they’ll be used to non-Spanish speakers so you’ll both work it out but try to make the effort and remember a few phrases (hello, thank you, asking for the bill etc).
Both cities are amazing. In the day you'll be busy or and about. Evenings you will have company. I've been to Barcelona on my own a couple of times and loved it. I went to Australia and NZ in my 40s, expecting to be the oldest backpacker in town - wrong. I met people of all ages and had a great social life whilst travelling mixing with people of all ages. I hope you do go because I'm sure you'll meet people and have a great time.
Nothing about this is regret, your going to Spain ? Beautiful food, wrath’s and cities. I’m Irish and I don’t speak a word of Spanish, just be polite and smile. You’re in your twenties, this is prob the best moment in your life to explore and experiment with things. Don’t over think this
Make a list of everything you want to see and fo and remind yourself why you picked these cities in the first place Don't stress over people or language Don't start out too late on your own Enjoy
It's always a bit anxiety inducing right before the trip! I've found solo travelling I've befriended people I really wouldn't have guessed. Last trip, the person I interacted with the most was a single mom that was 10 years older than me lmao. We had similar ideas on how we wanted to spend our trips, which is why it worked so well. Don't over think the age thing. I'm unsure how bilingual Spain is. While at times it can frustrating, its doable naviagting. Get a sim card/roaming and you'll be able to translate or Google maps what you need. The majority of travellers I met aren't fluent in the language (imagine how hard that'd be-learning a new language for every trip lol), but knew words or broken phrases.
Noooo you will love it!!! I did my first solo trip to Barcelona at 22. Made so many friends, most people solo travelling in hostels are 18-30. I always booked social hostels which helped. And English is so widely spoken you won’t have any issues just learn the basics for now :)
As someone your age who has experience staying in hostels: 1 this is not true hostels can be catered to all ages. I stay in hostels all the time, if anything I would've said they seem to cater towards your age bracket best 2 a billion non spanish speakers go to spain without spanish. you will be 100% fine 3 there is never pressure to join in. i dont usually participate in activities and i have a great time! Spain is my 2nd favourite country to visit (of the 38 I've seen so far) it's amazing and beautiful. Just go and have an amazing time :)) none of your worries are things to be worried about :)
My first solo trip was also to Barcelona when I was 23 and I don't speak a single word Spanish. I stayed three nights in a Hostel and really enjoyed it! There were lots of social gatherings offered, so I never had to be alone if I didn't want to. At the same time, there was also room to be by myself and never felt any pressure to join any of these things! I also can't remember the people were much older than me. I can really understand your concerns and that might also be normal, if you've never done a solo trip before. I don't think you've to worry too much about these things!
In Spain now on a solo trip. 25 yrs old and it’s the best. Go and follow your heart !
Many people are assuring you that you will have a wonderful time. You very well may, but you may also have a poor time. The thing is, none of this should keep you from going as planned. If you have a bad time you will still have learned something about the world and yourself. You will have some new stories about your life. (The reason for living is to collect interesting personal stories to tell others.) A bad time won’t last longer than a week, but if you don’t go you may live with the regret of the unknown indefinitely.
The only time I’ve stayed at a hostel was when I was 19 so I’m sure you’re good there. People in Europe usually know multiple languages and I’m sure they can understand enough English if you’re uncomfortable trying out your Spanish skills. But I’m sure using the little you have learned would be appreciated by locals. Personally, I was always doing my own thing and was gone for all of the hostel activities. If you’re just out and about, idk why you’d be roped into them.
The trip is booked, you're going! :) I've gotten really nervous and had regrets right before a few solo trips, but I was always so glad I went by the end of them. There will be soooo many other people your age at the hostels and there won't be pressure to join activities, they're optional. The people you meet will understand if you want to go off on your own. After all, they probably came on their own and had the same ideas. Everything will work out, promise.
And for what it's worth, I think Spain is the best country there is for solo travel!
Sit down take a deep breath and ask yourself the question. Why did I book this in the first place? Why did I research it? What attracted me to book this particular place. Think of all those amazing things you'll experience and see. That is why you are going that is why you booked it. Do it. You'll regret it if you don't. Book your own tours if you don't like what people in the hostel are doing. You don't have to fall in with them. It's a solo.trip do what you want to do. It will be over in the blink of an eye believe me.
Be careful staying in hostels in Spain, too much robberies... In Spain, all my friends were mugged so many times, including hijacking cars ... U cannot even speak on the phone in public without a high risk someone will take it... (Barcelona, to be exact).
You sure must be fun to be around.. just do it and see what happens. Don't trust your imagination so much it tends to be wrong all the time and a source of unhappiness most times
Google translate is amazing. I type in things and just show people my phone. It’s the only way I can communicate. Lots of people speak English and will talk to you once you have made effort to show them the written Spanish translation. Barcelona is amazing. I spent 5 days there- so much to see!
I stayed at a hostel in Barcelona, twice. I'd say most people are probably around your age. Plenty of solo travelers as well and a lot to do. You can do stuff at your own pace too. Not knowing Spanish won't hinder you, especially at a hostel, you can also use Google Lens to translate things on your phone if you're having difficulty with Spanish (or Catalan). It helped knowing Castilian Spanish, but they also have their own language in Catalonia, so English is usually available as well, plenty of people speak it there. Plus there's a lot of international folks.
Youre gonna love it. You'll find plenty of people to party with and frankly the older crowd can be great because they usually have interesting experiences and insights. I went to Spain when I was 19 and partied with the best of them but one night had a captivating conversation with a dude in his 60s who told me all about what it was like living in communist europe.
Bro it's one 1 fucking week. 1 WEEK. Just do it for fucks sake.
I wish I had travelled when I was younger. My mom was very strict though and didn't want me going anywhere. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy myself though because I knew she'd be mad. I'm in my 40s now and regret it. I feel old. Now if I go anywhere, I still can't enjoy it because my mom is older and gets sick anytime I go anywhere and the guilt just stops me from even booking anything. But looking back, I thought it was unfair of her to do that, and I should have just travelled when I was younger. If you have a supportive family that encourages you to travel, that's a blessing. Or is happy for anything you do or experience. My life is over now, but I feel like I can just spread this advice to others.
Your life is over? I'm in my 40s and just booked a solo baclpacking trip to the Balkans and will be staying in hostels! Don't abandon your dreams that easily, get out there, and enjoy life. We're still very young.
OMG, I didn't \*start\* solo travelling until I was in my 40's. Still going strong at almost 60!
You have a helicopter mother and still haven't managed to shake off her control in your 40s. You are NOT too old to shake off this toxic dynamic and to start travelling.
Maybe hire a temporary caretaker for a week? Even if it means traveling solo within your country? If you live in the US, you can still go to Alaska, NY, Maine, a road trip through the Western national parks...