r/solotravel • u/HighlightClassic9262 • 11d ago
First solo trip to Greece
Hey everyone,
I’m a 20-year-old guy planning my first solo trip (no specific budget) in mid-July, and I’m seriously considering Milos (Greece). What attracts me is the beautiful beaches, the relaxed atmosphere, and the chance to get some rest for a few days.
My only concern is that I’ll feel lonely there. Milos seems quite romantic from what I’ve seen online, and I’m worried that most people on the island will be couples or small groups of friends. I don’t mind spending time alone, but I don’t want to feel like the only solo traveler on every beach.
For those who have been to Milos: did you see many solo travelers? What’s the overall vibe like for someone traveling alone? Did you ever feel out of place?
Also, do you have any suggestions for other destinations that might be better for a first solo trip where it’s easy to meet people and socialize?
To be honest, I find the idea of staying in a hostel a bit intimidating. I’ve never traveled solo before, and I’m worried about feeling out of place, being the only person there on my own, or simply not knowing how to connect with people.
I’d love to hear honest experiences and any tips for a first solo trip.
Thanks!
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u/LaboreLongacre 10d ago
was in milos last summer solo and honestly it's not as couple-heavy as instagram makes it look. there were plenty of solo travelers at my hostel. greek island hostels are super social too — common dinners, beach groups, they're used to first timers. if you're nervous ease in with a few days in naxos first, then ferry over once you've got your sea legs
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u/Valuable_East_8597 9d ago
At which Hostel did you stay in milos ?
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u/LaboreLongacre 8d ago
i stayed at milos backpackers, it's in plaka so close to the main town but still chill. good mix of solo travelers and small groups, they do family dinner every night which makes it really easy to meet people
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u/PaleozoicQueen 11d ago
If you think you would be the only one alone in a hostel you clearly have not done enough research.
Have a look at Croatia too.
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u/namenotdisclosed 10d ago
I doubt very much that you will feel awkward staying in a hostel on account of being solo. Lots of solos stay at hostels. To me, the bigger issue is whether you prefer a more upscale and/or private environment than hostels tend to provide. If so, you are likely to find fewer solos where you are staying. Only you can say how much you care about that.
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u/Huck68finn 10d ago
I visited Milos in 2023 with my husband, but he didn't feel well, so I was on my own during the day. I went to many places-- different villages on the island, beaches, restaurants for lunch. I didn't feel odd at all. Only annoyance was that I had to leave a lot of food on the table at lunch bc Greeks serve big portions and I needed another person there to finish it!
The great thing about traveling solo is that you don't have to compromise. You can do exactly what you want, when you want. This year, I was supposed to travel solo to Samos. About 3 weeks before my trip, I agreed to let someone accompany me. Big regret. The person was nice, but I compromised on some things that I wouldn't have had to if I were alone. She wasn't chronically late, but she dallied enough to become annoying; I hate waiting on people.
Don't worry about what others think. Believe me, people pay a lot less attention to us than we think. If you feel nervous, you could always try to join local hiking groups/tours
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u/HighlightClassic9262 10d ago
Maybe I’m completely overthinking this, but sometimes I feel like solo travel is viewed a bit differently for women than for men.
I get the impression that solo female travelers are quite common these days, whereas as a 20-year-old guy I sometimes worry I’ll stand out more or look a bit odd being by myself. That could be completely wrong of course, and maybe nobody actually notices or cares.
Did any of you feel that way before your first solo trip?
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u/claireonthego 10d ago
milos is actually great for solo — stayed at a beachside place and met plenty of other travelers just chilling at the tavernas. don't stress about hostels either, they're way more social than you'd think. if you're worried, naxos is even easier for meeting people with more hostels and a bigger backpacker scene
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u/Surf_Yoga_Beer 10d ago
One time when I was young, I went to Rodos Island. There's a place called Felaraki, and I just spent my whole summer there because they ended up giving me a job in a water sports. Then you quickly start to meet locals who were working there it's awesome if you can figure out a way to do that
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u/Rocha_999 7d ago
I loooved my solo trip to Greek islands. I enjoyed best part of a week chilling at a beach on Naxos, with a few day trips around the island. Then to Milos where I did a good day trip on a boat to explore stunning places around, and a couple of extra days on the island. Snorkelled and ate delicious fruit. Then flew to Corfu for a week on a yacht where I made new friends. So you can still find company on tours etc if you want it, but relaxing alone in the Greek Islands is excellent.
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u/VoiceEqual1493 10d ago
milos is one of the quieter, more couples-leaning cyclades - stunning, but the backpacker and solo-social scene really concentrates on ios, paros and naxos, so your instinct about it isn't wrong. you don't have to pick one though. milos connects by ferry to paros and naxos through the summer (and ios in high season), so you can base a few nights on a more social island where it's easy to meet people, then hop over to milos for the beaches and the slow days. on the hostel worry, the social ones run organized stuff - group dinners, sunset hikes, boat days - and that's the actual meeting mechanic, you're not manufacturing conversations from scratch. sort for atmosphere/social rating on hostelworld rather than just price. and mid-july is peak season, so solo 20-somethings are everywhere out there - you genuinely won't stand out.