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Alone Time: Why Solo Moments Improve Well-Being During Travel

Alone time during travel is a restorative micro-ritual, reducing mental fatigue, restoring emotional balance and improving focus for both business and family travellers.

A traveller enjoying alone time watching hot-air balloons in the sky

Holidays are a wonderful opportunity to recharge, and one of travel's best-kept secrets is the joy of carving out a little time just for yourself. Whether you're exploring a new destination with family or on the road for work, those precious pockets of solitude can transform a good trip into a truly memorable one. Health professionals agree: a little alone time isn't just a nice-to-have – it's a genuine boost to your well-being. The good news? With a little planning, it's easier to find than you might think.

A traveller in a desert landscape having some alone time

How alone time enhances your travel experience

Behavioral scientists argue that humans have evolved to need time alone for complex psychological and sociological reasons. Being briefly apart from the "group" can help the individual hone empathy, productivity and even creativity. When it comes to travel, studies suggest that solo trips, or even short periods of alone time on business trips or family holidays, can give the nervous system a welcome break, or "biological reset". This provides several benefits in terms of well-being:
 

  • Stress relief: The agitation, disruption and exhaustion of travel, especially where long flights are involved, trigger defence mechanisms in the body that in turn cause inflammation and spikes in blood pressure. Even 15 or 30 minutes of quiet isolation can enable the internal shift to recovery mode.
  • Emotional balance: A little solo time away from travelling companions or colleagues works wonders for your mood, melting away any tension and leaving you feeling calm and refreshed. 
  • Cognitive boosting: Relying on one's own capacity for independent thought and decision-making – as opposed to deferring to others – has been shown to improve cognitive function, particularly in older adults. 
  • Self-knowledge: Time alone also creates psychological space for reflection. When combined with unfamiliar surroundings – new cities or landscapes – this can help you achieve new understandings of your own values, goals and trajectories in life. 

1. A room of your own

The best way to maximise alone time is to book a short break or longer holiday by yourself. While solo travel used to be considered bold or eccentric, recent years have seen its normalisation as a popular and deeply fulfilling pursuit. Technology has made the process easier too, by way of booking apps, digital maps and social media platforms that keep users in regular contact with others. 


The so-called "Blue Space Effect" can amplify these wellness benefits, as periods of alone time in close proximity to water – oceans, lakes or rivers – has been proven to significantly reduce cortisol and other stress hormones. So for your solo break in France, consider a stay at Novotel Thalassa Le Touquet, a seafront spa hotel on the dunes of the Opal Coast. Single rooms with private terraces overlook the English Channel, while facilities include a heated seawater pool and specialised thalasso treatments such as seaweed wraps and hydrotherapy.

Good to know: Solo travel may actually improve brain function. According to studies at The Open University of Catalonia, solitary exposure to new situations. languages and environments creates new neural connections, and strengthens different cognitive areas related to spatial orientation, executive function, concentration and memory. 

 

A barefooted traveller indulging in alone time with a walk on a sandy beach

2. Holidays within holidays

Family holidays and romantic breaks are among life's greatest pleasures – and a few simple habits can make them even better. Mental health experts like Dr. John Grohol suggest that weaving in small moments of personal time and wellness rituals is the secret to coming home feeling truly restored: 
 

  • Plan ahead: Spontaneity isn't always the best recipe for a satisfying break, especially in a couple or group. With a little advance prep, you can talk about your own holiday goals and build alone time into the schedule. Some savvy travellers make a spreadsheet of meals, museums or other experiences they want to enjoy solo.
  • Take mini-breaks: A short workout or yoga session, half an hour reading alone in the hotel room or a walk by yourself can reduce cortisol levels and reset the mind before rejoining travel companions.
  • Be the early bird: Rising earlier than your companions frees up more alone time. Quiet meditation or exercise will really help set you up for an active and social day in terms of wellness, but solo exploration of a waking city can also stimulate the mind and senses with the unfamiliar. 
  • Try the "solo meal challenge": Dining alone can be a test of independence, but also a lovely indulgence. Psychologists recommend the mild hedonism of a solo meal as particularly mentally rewarding because it lets you break the social "bubble" formed by couples and families on holiday without isolating you from those loved ones for more than a couple of hours.


Novotel's Longevity Everyday philosophy is designed to make every stay as healthy and restful as possible, from nourishing food to restorative sleep and exercise. And Novotel Nice Centre Vieux-Nice is a great place to discover the programme in a location that lets you combine shared experiences with precious alone time. The beaches, quays and leafy promenades of the French Riviera begin a few steps from the lobby, and that breeze off the Mediterranean can help clear your mind. The Old Town also is close by, with abundant bistros where dining-for-one is a real treat. The hotel itself has a gorgeous rooftop pool where you can really make the most of solo moments.

"In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself." - Laurence Sterne, 18th-century novelist

 

3. Minding your own business

Business trips and even corporate retreats can sometimes combine the stresses of travel, the burdens of work and the pressures of socialising. In these circumstances, every minute you get to yourself becomes even more valuable. Again, it helps to think and plan ahead.
 

  • Time-blocking: Check the itinerary for free time between scheduled meetings, events and activities, then block out as many spare hours as possible for personal time. Use these windows to get some exercise or visit local attractions that grab your interest.
  • Bookending: Look into arriving a day early or staying an extra night at the appointed location to do some solo sightseeing or just enjoy the relative peace and quiet before colleagues arrive (or after they depart).
  • Optimised transit: It's common for business passengers to act as if they're "on the clock" in the travel phase of the trip, and spend long hours on planes or trains preparing reports or presentations. Instead, reclaim that time for yourself to read books, enjoy music or watch movies. Putting your work obligations on pause can often help you perform more efficiently and effectively when the time comes.
  • Leverage accommodations: If you happen to have any say in the choice of hotel, think of amenities that go beyond meeting rooms and conference facilities to offer the maximum off-duty appeal – spas, restaurants, rooftop bars, outdoor pools and so on.


With the above in mind, consider Novotel Paris La Défense Esplanade as equally optimal for business and personal leisure. Besides the nine modular meeting rooms, the set-up allows plenty of prime opportunities for alone time. You could order a room service meal to enjoy at a window overlooking the Seine, request a private massage, or hit the fitness centre first or last thing, when it's quiet enough for a solo workout or yoga session. Metro line 1 to central Paris leaves right outside and takes 15 minutes, so the City of Lights is at your disposal when you're off the clock. 

A business traveller taking alone time amid the skyscrapers of Paris's La Défense district

 

So, even the shortest spell of alone time can make a lasting difference to the travel experience. Hotels with a wellness ethos like Novotel are primed to help you make the most of those moments. Let's help get you there!

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  • Alone Time: Why Solo Moments Improve Well-Being During Travel

    Family holidays and romantic breaks are among life's greatest pleasures – and a few simple habits can make them even better. Mental health experts like Dr. John Grohol suggest that weaving in small moments of personal time and wellness rituals is the secret to coming home feeling truly restored:    Plan ahead: Spontaneity isn't always the best recipe for a satisfying break, especially in a couple or group. With a little advance prep, you can talk about your own holiday goals and build alone time into the schedule. Some savvy travellers make a spreadsheet of meals, museums or other experiences they want to enjoy solo. Take mini-breaks: A short workout or yoga session, half an hour reading alone in the hotel room or a walk by yourself can reduce cortisol levels and reset the mind before rejoining travel companions. Be the early bird: Rising earlier than your companions frees up more alone time. Quiet meditation or exercise will really help set you up for an active and social day in terms of wellness, but solo exploration of a waking city can also stimulate the mind and senses with the unfamiliar.  Try the "solo meal challenge": Dining alone can be a test of independence, but also a lovely indulgence. Psychologists recommend the mild hedonism of a solo meal as particularly mentally rewarding because it lets you break the social "bubble" formed by couples and families on holiday without isolating you from those loved ones for more than a couple of hours. Novotel's Longevity Everyday philosophy is designed to make every stay as healthy and restful as possible, from nourishing food to restorative sleep and exercise. And Novotel Nice Centre Vieux-Nice is a great place to discover the programme in a location that lets you combine shared experiences with precious alone time. The beaches, quays and leafy promenades of the French Riviera begin a few steps from the lobby, and that breeze off the Mediterranean can help clear your mind. The Old Town also is close by, with abundant bistros where dining-for-one is a real treat. The hotel itself has a gorgeous rooftop pool where you can really make the most of solo moments.