Traveling Light, Feeling Full: My Solo Journey Through Italy

Italy wasn’t on my list this year. I just knew I needed to go somewhere—alone. Somewhere I could move slowly, feel everything, and not have to explain myself. So I packed a few essentials into my 20L expandable backpack and got on a train. That was it.


I didn’t rent a car. I didn’t book everything in advance. I didn’t even try to see “all the major sights.” Instead, I wandered through Rome, Florence, and Bolzano with public transport and quiet mornings as my only guide. And it worked.

A Trenitalia train waiting at the platform on a cloudy morning in Italy — solo travel simplicity in motion.


In Rome, I found peace in the spaces between chaos. The streets were loud, but I learned to walk with purpose and not overthink it. Florence slowed me down: golden hour in a piazza, espressos with no real schedule, walking over the same bridge twice just because I felt like it. Bolzano was calm. The lakes mirrored the sky, and the air made me feel like I had space to think again.


I stayed in small guesthouses. I booked trains the day of. I didn’t carry more than I could lift easily. Inside my backpack: a phone, a scarf, a refillable bottle, one book, and enough to keep warm when nights got cold. That bag kept me light—and gave me flexibility when I picked up small things along the way.


Of course, solo travel isn’t always romantic. I got lost in Rome one night looking for a late dinner. I missed a bus in Bolzano and walked farther than I meant to. But I learned to stay alert without being afraid. I kept my essentials zipped and my posture confident. That alone made a difference.


So, is Italy good for solo travel? Absolutely—if you’re not trying to rush it. Let go of the checklists. Walk until something catches your eye. Leave room in your day, and in your bag, for unexpected things.

A quiet Italian town square with historic towers and scattered tourists, captured on a solo journey through Italy.


If you’re a woman planning a solo trip, here’s what I’d say: Pack light. Don’t overthink it. Carry what makes you feel prepared—but not weighed down. For me, that was a 20L expandable backpack and the decision to just go.


Italy didn’t just show me places—it gave me a feeling of being exactly where I needed to be. And that feeling? I carried it home on my back.

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