Sun, Streets & Sensitivity: A Travel Guide for HSP Mothers

A practical summer kit for sensitive mums navigating city vacations

This one is light and practical.

This one is a travel kit.

Do you know how exhausting traveling can be?

Does it take you a while to settle into a new place?

What about traveling with toddlers?

And navigating millions of tourists in a hot city?

Now double all the overwhelm a city vacation brings to highly sensitive nervous systems.

And what if you're an HSP woman experiencing this kind of vacation during your luteal or menstrual phase?

Starting to feel anxious?

Would you rather stay at home?

I know, me too.

But sometimes (more often than I’d like), we travel for vacation anyway, for various reasons.

Let’s discuss some tips that may help. Let me share what works for me. I’m not going to focus on other family members or our specific activities. I’m going to center this on the HSP mother’s well-being.

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Packing with purpose. My daughter and I packed outfits for each day. That way, we had fewer clothes and didn’t waste time trying to create the best outfit every morning in the hotel room.

Planning with your cycle in mind. The luteal phase can bring many PMS challenges, so I deliberately narrowed down the plans for the first few days. My goal was to avoid any touristy activities or crowded places at the beginning. I wanted to keep the overwhelm to a minimum. I know the pressure to see everything in just a few days, but I made peace with the options that actually suited my current state. I have to be there for myself first, to function, and ideally, enjoy the travel days. That’s why my own feeling and overall mental state is the baseline.

Finding safety in new surroundings. Sure, we could have chosen an Airbnb, but I preferred a hotel because I knew I would spend a few days alone with my child. I wanted access to a lobby, a common room, breakfast, and a 24/7 receptionist, just in case. Our room was a home I could always return to.

Day one: just get to know the surroundings of our hotel. Find the nearest grocery store, restaurant, and park. This helped me settle into the place and feel grounded, knowing where everything I needed was. That’s the external safety I require to function well.

A cycle as a guide, not a burden. I treated my cycle phase as something to plan around, not a burden to resent. I knew to expect mood shifts, increased sensitivity, and discomfort. So when my period arrived, I thanked my body for it. I welcomed it as a guide, not a saboteur. It wasn't there to ruin my vacation, but to show me how to actually enjoy it.

When plans change. We had a rough daily plan, and I’m used to preparing my daughter for what to expect. Of course, the day my period came, the planned activities were no longer suitable for me. I told her honestly, expecting a less-than-happy reaction. Instead, I offered a new plan: “Let’s explore the nearest playground we can walk to, and I’ve found a restaurant we’ll both enjoy.”

We spent half the day outside, soaking up the city atmosphere where real life goes on (hello 9–5 jobs and mandatory school attendance), with bathrooms, food, and water always nearby. For the rest of the day, we stayed in the hotel room. It was too hot anyway, and I rested while we played games.

If this all sounds ideal but hard to imagine for you, that’s okay. I’ve been there. The shift toward gentle, needs-based travel starts small. One less plan. One extra deep breath. One skipped museum.

Rest is the destination. It’s perfectly fine to have time for doing nothing, whether outside or indoors. We're not missing out. We’re still living, just in a different city. I know the expectation is to see as much as possible in a vibrant place full of attractions and history, but it’s just as important to set boundaries and say enough when we’re tired or not up for it. Our own sense of ease as mothers creates ease for others and leads to more energy in the following days.

Let play lead the way. I recommend planning any vacation with kids around their favorite activities as the core, not as an add-on. If they’re enjoying something—even if you had other plans—try listening to their needs. You’ll save yourself stress and endless negotiations. For us, that often means a playground tour, discovering other interesting spots along the way. It’s also a new way to get to know a city.

Use every moment to wind down. Gaze at trees and the sky, savor the flavor of a dessert, and avoid extra distractions like checking your phone. You don’t need a million Eiffel Tower photos. One is enough. Don’t watch Netflix before sleep. Sleep is your chance to recharge. Don’t waste it.

Nature is the medicine. My vacation highlight: trees. I gazed at almost every tree, admired the colors and shapes of their leaves, touched the trunks, sat in their shade, and listened to the wind blowing through the canopies. It kept me present, grounded, and content.

The sunshine helped. It energized me every step of the way.

Routines can wait. I often feel the urge to replicate my home life in a new place: same routines, healthy meals, meditation, and time to work if inspiration strikes. While bringing a few routines can be grounding, don’t cling to them. It’s just a few days. Even if we know sugar isn’t ideal, nothing bad will happen if we eat a treat when hungry mid-walk. The whole world can wait until we’re back.

Coming home gently. Once you're home, expect the recovery period to last longer than you’d like even with home-cooked meals, no plans, and lots of time in nature. Be gentle with yourself. You did something meaningful for yourself and your family, and new experiences from a foreign place helped you grow. You’ll carry them with you always.

Oasis in the middle of a city jungle. Co-created with DALL-E.

And don’t get me wrong, we still visited the classic tourist attractions, stood sweating in long queues, and walked until our legs hurt. But it wasn’t all day, every day, and everything. And the surprising part? I actually enjoyed what we did more than usual.

I hope these personal, HSP-mother-tailored tips inspire you to find your peace in a new place and help you not just survive, but actually enjoy your family vacation.

Have a lovely summer.

There’s still something cooking behind the scenes. But not much progress happened during vacation :) I’ve noticed things are slowing down on Substack, which gives me a chance to prepare what I want to share with you next.

DM me if you’re curious what it’s going to be about.