Travel blogging and vlogging has become very popular the past few years. You can find tons of creators on TikTok, YouTube, and all over the internet sharing their travel experience. Seeing so many people give recommendations, advice on navigating difficult situations away from home, and have loads of fun on a budget was inspiring for me personally and made me feel like international solo travel was attainable. However, a lot of these creators fit a specific mold. They often are some combination of white, straight, cisgender, and neurotypical- holding powerful passports from western countries, with their primary currency being USD/EUR/GBP/etc. There’s nothing wrong with being any of these things, but the reality is folks who don’t fit within these norms have a different experience while traveling. It’s harder to prepare for the situations that might come up because there simply aren’t as many people talking about it.

A big reason why I wanted to make this website was to talk about travel experiences outside the norm.

While I can’t speak on the experiences of traveling with a weak passport and currency, or what it’s like to not be white, I have had unique situations come up due to my being queer and trans. My entire experience traveling has also been colored by having ADHD. Today I want to talk about challenges that have come up due to ADHD, how I’ve navigated it, and my recommendations to anyone considering a similar kind of trip while being neurodivergent.

I don’t think that having ADHD is a negative thing when backpacking! The lifestyle and daily flow in a long backpacking trip can feel a lot better for an ADHD brain than daily life with a job, pressures, and responsibility. It’s different for everyone, but for me ADHD has given me a sense of fearlessness and confidence to navigate unfamiliar countries and act quick under pressure. It’s had its challenges for sure but if I wasn’t the way I was I wouldn’t have had the unique experience I’ve had. Backpacking has also taught me lessons that will help me manage my ADHD for the rest of my life.

Not everything here is exclusive to someone with ADHD but is how things manifest for me personally. Even if you don’t have ADHD you might find you struggle with some of these specific things while traveling and I hope this guide can help!

MY BACKGROUND WITH ADHD

To be clear, I don’t have a formal diagnosis for ADHD from a phyciatrist, but I fit the profile of someone with ADHD and have had symptoms since childhood. Before traveling I saw a therapist for a couple months who specializes in ADHD and agreed with my self assessment. I’ve never been medicated for ADHD (and there are specific challenges if you do need to travel with ADHD medication) but it’s something I would consider for the future.

I’m not a medical professional or “expert” on ADHD but this is my personal experience and I’ve also gathered information and advice from other ADHD people I’ve spent time with.

ADHD AS A TRAVEL SUPERPOWER

In some ways a backpacking lifestyle may work better for ADHD than typical (US) working life. People with ADHD are creative, resilient, spontaneous, and adventurous! These are all traits that are super beneficial to backpacking and also can be developed during a backpacking trip.

While backpacking things can go in hundreds of different directions. You meet cool people headed somewhere that wasn’t on your radar. Unique opportunities pop up. There are chaotic travel days and challenges that come up that you or people you meet have to figure out how to get through. ADHD folks’ impulsivity and spontaneity can take them interesting places they couldn’t imagine, people without these traits might miss out on some opportunities because they aren’t able to switch up their plans on a dime. Resilience and creative problem solving can help you stay calm under pressure and deal with difficult situations for yourself and your travel partners.

We are incredibly knowledgeable about so many random topics and are able to store information deep in our heads. Travellers you meet in hostels are excited to chat with and learn from engaging, interesting conversation partners.

Positive effects of backpacking on your growth

Travelling teaches you a lot about yourself and forces you to grow. It has a effect on everyone, and there’s potential for it to change the way you manage ADHD symptoms.

I started my trip with a lot of worries. I had never slept in a dorm before or on buses and planes. I deal with some food aversions and sometimes struggle to easily eat. I enjoy drinking alcohol but carry some anxiety around it, especially navigating social situations with lots of drinking or drugs. I often feel I have a hard time connecting with people and forming meaningful relationships, even at home. I wasn’t really sure how the trip would go. Would I sleep enough, eat well, make friends, and feel balanced? Would I end up being anxious all the time and coming home sooner than expected?

These issues aren’t completely gone with three months of backpacking, but I can say the way I approach life is 100% different and my resilience has increased tenfold. Travel is a ton of fun, but backpacking is less of a “vacation” and more of a journey with lots of highs, lows, and growth. I’ve been made uncomfortable or felt unsafe multiple times and had to learn to be clear about my boundaries and navigate new situations. I’ve been able to help people I’ve just met out of sticky situations with intuitive problem solving. I slept on bumpy bus rides, in trains, in rooms with 20+ people making noise all night, learned to use squat toilets. I’ve met tons of interesting people, some of who I kept in touch with and others I let go. There are things I’ve ate that I couldn’t imagine I ever would back in America.

There are a lot of challenges I’ve faced traveling that pushed me to grow, but I’ve also seeked out experiences that have helped me to improve certain ways. The five days I spent in Thailand studying Vipassana meditation and Buddhism have had a lasting effect on my irritability, restlessness, and mindfulness.

ADHD CHALLENGES IN BACKPACKING AND HOW TO MANAGE IT

Keep in mind a lot of these things are very individual, but I want to talk about some common ADHD traits that I struggle with and how I manage it traveling.

A lot of these things can be navigated solo and with the support of friends back home or other travelers but I would suggest considering therapy for a period if you’re planning to embark on a long trip. I think it can be beneficial for neurodivergent AND neurotypical folks! Leaving for a long trip is a MAJOR life transition. A therapist can help you prepare and navigate your worries and concerns. You also can learn coping skills and ways to self soothe while you’re on the trip. It’s good to do it before you leave because it can be hard to get therapy-type support once you’re outside your country (for US folks at least). You can find a therapist or coach that has common experiences with you or has done a long trip before and knows what to expect. I coincidentally ended up seeing a therapist who specializes in ADHD had spent time traveling around Thailand. Speaking of transitions…

Transitions

Transitions can be difficult for ADHD folks. Whether it be starting or ending a job, relationship, or moving- any kinds of life transition can stir up a lot of the issues below, and just be emotionally overwhelming in general! Backpacking is full of constant transitions. It’s typical to be in a new place every few days, and you meet a completely new set of people you have to get to know. I don’t know about you but for me these things can be mentally taxing! It’s easy to find myself drained and exhausted at the end of a day.

I’ve met a few backpackers with ADHD recently! If there’s one challenge that has united us all, it’s a difficulty with transitions.

Remedies

It’s very normal for backpackers to want to see a lot of the country they’re in and in the process they jump from place to place trying to cover a lot of ground. I’ve accepted that for me to feel most balanced and energized I can’t switch locations a ton. The transition from place to place weighs on me heavily. Even if I can’t see all of the country, I need to listen to my body and give myself the time to rest and adapt to new locations after travel days, and that often means slowing down and curbing my desire to rush around and seek stimulation. I don’t know if there’s a magic number of days to spend in each place, but I’m finding I feel happier if I see less locations and stay in places longer than I do if I’m in a new city every other night or so.

There is a pressure to check things off a tourist “to do list” when you travel. See all the sights, eat at all the best restaurants, go to every museum, and have every experience. There’s an idea of “must sees” in every destination. Sometimes it’s possible to travel like this if you’re on a shorter vacation but it weighs on on you physically, spiritually (and financially!). How do you sustain this for months of travel?

I realize that as I travel, I often can’t see everything in a place, or even all of the major highlights. It’s exhausting for me! I often show up somewhere new with not a ton planned (read more about planning below) and see things based on recommendations from other travelers or locals, or other bloggers I read online. I don’t have detailed itineraries.

Most days I chose one or two things I want to do or see depending on how strenuous they are. I don’t try to do a lot everyday. I require downtime to recharge and relax. Sometimes I do end up doing more, but I feel exhausted at the end of the day. I try to be intentional about having relaxing time everyday, in a cafe or at my hostel.

I also make sure that I have some days where I don’t do any touristy things/sightseeing, and I prioritize rest! Sometimes you just need to watch Netflix, read, catch up with folks back home, and rest your body. I find that I have to have these kinds of days more often than many other travelers I meet to maintain a good equilibrium, but everyone is different.

I’ve gotten into a rhythm of having a few really busy days, then staying in one place for sometime having a bit of a routine- drinking at the same cafes, eating the same food, going to sleep and waking up at the same times. It’s worked for me to help me stay regulated and deal with challenges.

Organization and object permanence

I have lost a lot of possessions over the past three months of backpacking. Thankfully nothing extremely valuable or irreplaceable. I exhaust myself to make sure I never leave my passport, my wallet and phone, my electronics behind- but I create a connection with my few possessions and it’s frustrating to lose things, I feel really bad about myself but sometimes it feels like I can’t manage to keep track of everything I carry without surpassing my mental limit.

Things I’ve left behind

• Tripod for my phone
• Travel hand towel I’ve used for four years
• Sleep mask I’ve had for five years
• Fancy ear plugs I had to order online
• $40 pair of merino underwear (One of my three total pairs!!)
• and more!

I didn’t intentionally leave these things of course, and I didn’t lose them because of carelessness either. I double check my bag and my belongings before I leave a bus or hotel, but sometimes things slip through the cracks still! This can happen with or without ADHD, and this also happened to me sometimes back home, but the lack of strict systems and routine that are normal when you’re on a “vacation” can cause my disorganization to go a little out of control.

If I don’t have an object or person right in front of me it can easily slip my mind- I lose things, have a hard time staying in touch with friends and family, and sometimes forget important dates or deadlines. This is a challenge when you’re at home, but especially when you’re across the world in a different time zone with less knowledge and access to replacements for things.

Remedies

No matter who you are, sometimes you’ll misplace things. Sometimes you lose stuff traveling for different reasons. I had a beloved cap fly off while I was taking a motorbike taxi and too scared to stop gripping the bike to hold on to my hat. I’m trying my best to give myself grace but also implementing strategies to avoid further loses.

Double checking my things is not enough for me to avoid losing stuff anymore. Personally, notes and checklists are helpful for me to stay organized. I created a full checklist on my phone of everything I’m currently traveling with and where it should be packed. I’m trying to make it a ritual to check off this list as I pack to leave a hotel/hostel. I’ve only recently begun implementing this but it

Restlessness and boredom

There are plenty of opportunities for stimulus and dopamine when traveling, but there’s also a lot of downtime with not much to do. Whether you’re in a small town in the countryside or a long bus ride backpacking can place you in situations where there’s nothing immediate that you can do. You’ll end up in places with limited internet and access to things that quickly give you dopamine. With ADHD it can be difficult to slow your brain and body down, and you yearn to keep moving and doing things. This restlessness can lead to anxiety and is generally challenging to deal with. If I am constantly doing and moving I feel very fatigued but if I don’t have enough going on around me I start to feel anxious or really bored.

Remedies

In my opinion, dealing with restlessness from ADHD requires a lot of balancing. I want to make sure I have access to things that stimulate my brain and give me dopamine if I need it, but I have also put a ton of work into practicing “being bored”. There isn’t a quick tool to solve this.

I make sure I have ebooks saved and music downloaded when I anticipate long periods where I’ll have nothing physical to do and no internet. I’ve gotten to a point where I can also just sit and stare out the window taking in the scenery for long periods and feel “relaxed” rather than super bored or anxious.

Personally, attending a meditation retreat really helped me be able to sit with myself easier and deal with restlessness. It may not be a great option for everyone though.

Decision paralysis and issues with planning

People with ADHD can have trouble making decisions. There’s so many decisions to be made while backpacking! Unless you’re traveling for a short and/or set period it’s normal arrive abroad without a very detailed itinerary. You often won’t know exactly what cities you’ll visit, how long you want to stay in places, what tours or activities you’ll do, or sometimes even which countries you’ll visit on your trip. I came abroad with only a few days booked at a hostel and a vague idea of which countries I would go to, I had almost nothing planned or set in stone!

With budget constraints and timelines in mind, you have a world full of almost unlimited options when backpacking! It’s so special, but also at the same time makes things difficult. For me having unlimited options can be more challenging than having one or a few set paths to pick from, but it’s rewarding.

I don’t think that the difficulty with planning that ADHD’ers can have is necessarily a weakness while traveling, in fact I believe it can be a great strength and make your trip special! What’s difficult is making up your mind, sitting in one place and stalling because you’re not sure where to go next. Once you’ve made a decision and have to stick with it, you might second guess yourself or feel some remorse about what you ended up picking.

Remedies

My decision paralysis and planning issues can cause me to spend periods worrying about where I’m going next and not staying present to enjoy my trip. You don’t have to plan too far in advance, but you do need to plan some things. At first I would travel with no plans for which city I would be in the next day, and found this was too extreme. I would spend a couple days worried about where I was going next deep in research and not fully enjoy where I was at the moment. I would keep booking more and more days at my hostel because I hadn’t made my mind up yet.

Now I generally plan where I’ll be and how long I’ll stay there two cities in advance. For example- I was in Hoi An, Vietnam for a few days and knew I was going to Da Nang after because I had already planned that. When I was in Hoi An I decided I would visit Hue after Da Nang. It’s okay if these things change or I decide to stay longer somewhere, but having a general idea of my locations for about a week or so out gives me security while making me feel more present and less anxious. I don’t usually plan my activities in each place in advance but do a little internet research and talk to other travelers I meet about where they’ve been to get a general idea.

There are definitely places I decided to go and didn’t love (Southern Thailand in general haha), or things I would’ve organized differently. I focus on being proud of the fact that I’ve made decisions rather than dwelling in remorse about the “wrong” choices I’ve made. There are unlimited options and no truly “wrong” places to go, just different paths. I give myself a certain amount of time to make a decision, and then at the end of it just pick something if I’m still stuck.

BACKPACKING WITH ADHD MEDICATION

I am personally not on ADHD medication so I don’t have first hand experience with this. Everything in this section is from a US perspective and is not legal or medical advice.

Traveling with any medication, especially long term, can be very complicated. The legality of commonly used ADHD medications in the US varies across the world. I know in some countries (Japan) ADHD medication containing stimulants is banned, whereas in others there might be a grey area where you can have a limited supply or request permission in advance to bring certain medication. From a backpacking perspective, you’ll also run into the issue of having to carry potentially large amounts of medication while traveling for an extended period. Generally the rule is you can bring 30 days worth of medication into a country but it varies.

I’ve been traveling with over 30 days worth of (other) medication and haven’t ran into any issues yet. I will update this if I do! I’ve crossed land and air borders and have not been asked to show my medication. I have heard stories of people bringing ADHD medication that is banned into Thailand with no problems. If you chose to do this you are taking a risk but many people get away with having illegal medication or more than a 30 days supply. Some countries are more strict than others, sometimes your medication will be seized and sometimes you could be arrested or deported. Have a backup plan for what you will do if your medication is seized or what you will say to border officials.

You should talk to your doctor about traveling regardless of being on medication or not and in the appointment you can potentially discuss switching to an alternative medication or different treatment. I know ADHD medication prescriptions can be notoriously difficult to fill due to all the laws surrounding them and from what I’ve been told by doctors it would have been impossible for me to start ADHD medication and get enough to have for my entire expected trip length (3 mo – 1 year).

If you’re someone who cannot function without medication take a lot of time to consider if backpacking is a good fit for you. Maybe you can take a short trip and have enough medication to cover the time period but all kinds of issues can come up. What will you do if you unexpectedly lose access to your medication while you’re abroad?

GENERAL (ADHD RELATED) TRAVEL TIPS

• Consider low season travel – I plan a little in advance but don’t book anything in advance, hotels and transport are booked day before or sometimes day of! This gives me more flexibility and sometimes saves me more money too, buses and hotels are sometimes desperate to fill a room or seat last minute. Booking last minute is not always possible or advisable during high season.
• Try not to spend too much time comparing yourself to other travelers you meet – I find that I often I don’t do as much with my time as other backpackers I cross paths with. I’ve had some people act seem surprised or even judgemental with I share that I skipped certain attractions or that I enjoy spending a lot of my days relaxing in cafes. You may have the capacity for more or less than me, everyone has different capacities and interests and there’s no right way to backpack.

CONCLUSION

Backpacking with ADHD can present some challenges but with support, patience, and compassion for yourself it can be doable for many people. ADHD can often make you an even better traveler and travel companion (I’ve been called a superstar backpacker before hahaha)!

Are there any ADHD specific travel challenges that I missed? Is there anything you would change about these tips? If you’re someone with ADHD and backpacked or travelled long term I would love to hear from you. How does travel change things for you and does it affect your ADHD?