12 Reasons to Solo Travel

I am a big fan of solo travel. I think everyone should do it. I believe solo travel is one of the most special and impactful ways to see the world.

Even if you have a partner, I still think it’s important to carve out time for trips by yourself. There’s so much you can get out of solo travel that you can’t when you travel with a partner, friends, family or on a group tour.

I know it sounds scary if you’ve never done it before. But I promise you, it’s not as bad as you’re thinking! Many people have done it and they have survived, and thrived, on their solo journeys. Below I’m sharing 12 reasons why you should travel solo, plus my tips for your first solo trip!

Here are 12 reasons why you should give solo travel a try: 

You control the itinerary

One of the best perks of solo travel is the fact that you, and only you, control the itinerary. That means you get to decide what you want to do. Don’t enjoy drinking? Skip the bars! Love architecture? Spend all day admiring beautiful buildings. You don’t have to spend a single moment of your trip being dragged to places you don’t care about or eating foods you don’t like. You’re in control and you don’t have to consult with anyone. While that might sound daunting at first, you’ll soon realize how indulgent and satisfying it is to plan a trip that’s 100% what you want.

You have time for soul-searching

I don’t want to get all woo-woo on you, but a solo trip is the perfect time to do a little soul-searching. You don’t have to go full “Wild” or “Eat, Pray, Love” but there is something special about a solo journey. While you might be worried about all of that silence and alone time, I encourage you to embrace it. What can you do with uninterrupted time with your thoughts? A solo trip is the perfect time to contemplate things and check in with yourself. You don’t have to quit your job or get a divorce, but it might help you gain clarity on things in your life.

You set the pace

Another awesome perk of travelling alone is being able to set your own pace. So often on trips, it either feels like we rushed through too much or sat back and did too little. It’s hard to find that perfect pace. You might want a day at the beach while your partner wants to hit all the museums. Or maybe you’re ready for a hike while your travel buddy would rather hit the spa. On a solo journey, the travel pace is totally up to you. You can cram in a lot or you can take it easy.

When I was in Stockholm by myself, I loved having really leisurely mornings where I would enjoy fika (a Swedish tradition) while reading a book. And in the afternoons, I stepped it up a notch with some sight-seeing around town.

You decide what and when to share

When you’re travelling alone, it’s up to you how much contact you want to have with your world back home. Of course, this might be something you discuss with your loved ones ahead of time, but it’s still your choice. If you want to stay connected all the time, you can Facetime your family over breakfast, text friends during the day, and post to social media at night. Or if you’d rather have the experience to yourself, you can hold off. You decide how, what and when you want to connect.

You can make last minute changes

There’s something so nice about the power to change your mind. When you’re travelling with a group, it can be hard to call an audible and change the plans mid-trip. But when you’re the only member of your travelling group, you can make changes whenever you want. Planned to visit a temple but found a cute bookstore on the way you’d rather linger in? Great! Save the temple for tomorrow and spend your day browsing books.

There’s more research and planing

Now, I know this might not sound like an advantage of solo travel (unless you love trip research like I do), but I promise you it actually is. Instead of pushing off planning and trip prep to someone else, on a solo trip, it’s all up to you. But that’s a good thing! It’s an opportunity for you to really invest in your trip and learn more about the place that you’re going.

Instead of just showing up and following along on some set itinerary, you get to plan the itinerary yourself. You’ll know where you’re going and why. You’ll learn about the customs, traditions, language and food awaiting you at your destination. And that kind of research will help you feel more prepared and connect more deeply to your new locale.

It’s a chance to be by yourself

Some might see this as the biggest plus of solo travel while others might be terrified of the prospect of being alone. If you’re a busy parent, partner or worker, a week alone might sound like the best thing in the world. Everyone deserves to take a step away from their daily life roles and spend some time just being by themselves.

If the idea of being all by yourself is terrifying, I actually think that’s an even better reason to go on a solo trip. Learn to get comfortable with your own company.

But you still have opportunities to be with others

Yes, it’s solo travel, but that doesn’t mean you have to be solo the entire time. If you crave the company of others, you can definitely hang out with people as a solo traveller. Many people recommend hostels as great places to meet people and head out on excursions or bar crawls with new friends. When I did my first solo trip to Europe back in 2012, I made friends with a fellow solo traveller on a bus in Madrid and we spent the whole day together sight-seeing.

So if you’re feeling lonely, head to the hostel lounge, join a group tour, sign up for a class or say hi to a friendly local at a cafe!

You can indulge in your guilty pleasures

Let’s be honest: One of the best parts of solo travel is the chance to do the things you love that no one else does. Treat yourself to a spa day or kick back with some time in the hotel bathtub instead of going sight-seeing. Indulge in a trashy magazine or eat fast food in bed. Go to that super specific museum about Russian literature and totally geek out on it. No one is there to judge you and you can do exactly what you want, when you want!

You get to push yourself

If the idea of solo travel scares you, that’s exactly the reason to do it. Unlike joining a guided group trip or following along on a family resort vacation, solo travel can be challenging. You might have to push yourself out of your comfort zone to do things you don’t usually do. But that’s a good thing! Challenging yourself is part of growing and part of life.

You learn to rely on yourself

Which leads me to my next point: Through solo travel, you learn to rely on yourself. All of those things you were scared of and didn’t think you could do – navigating in a foreign country, eating lunch alone, bargaining at the market – you did them. And you did them all by yourself. Solo travel teaches you that you are capable and that you don’t need other people to get things done.

You realize the kindness of strangers

One of the most incredible parts of solo travel is realizing the kindness of strangers. We hear a lot of news reports about scary things happening all over the world. It makes the world seem like a really dangerous place. But anyone who travels will tell you otherwise. On the whole, the world is a safe place and people are good.

In all of my years travelling, I have been helped by strangers so much more often than I have been harmed. That’s not to say that threats aren’t real. But they’re not the norm. As a solo traveller, you’ll learn that people likely want to help you more than anything. And you’ll probably come back with a few stories of amazing strangers who went out of their way to make your solo trip better.

Tips for your first solo travel trip

Have I sold you on solo travel? I hope so. It really is an amazing experience and something you should do once (if not regularly) in your travelling life. If you’re starting to think about it, but you’re still nervous, here are my tips for first time solo travellers.

• Choose a great location! I asked my fellow travel bloggers for their suggestions and put together a list of the best places to go for your first solo trip.
• Start small. If this is your first solo trip, there’s no need to commit to three months over-landing in central Asia. Begin with something a little closer to home. You can try out solo travel with a weekend trip to a city a few hours from your home base.
• Go somewhere you’re comfortable. For your first solo trip, it really helps to make things as comfortable for you as possible. I suggest choosing a place that feels more familiar, with similar customs, language and food to home. Once you have that comfortable solo experience under your belt, you can branch out on your next solo trip!
• Use a crutch. There’s no awards in solo travel. If you’re not comfortable sitting at the bar and making friends on your first night in a new city, don’t do it. There’s nothing wrong with bringing your book to dinner or even getting take-out and eating back at your accommodation. It’s all about baby steps. Feel free to modify things to make yourself more comfortable.
• One crutch I will advise against is your phone. I’m not saying you should leave your phone at home on a solo trip (dear god, no). But I am suggesting you don’t spend every minute on your phone. Even on non-solo trips, our phones are a big crutch. We’re often scrolling through Instagram instead of taking in the environment all around us. So on your solo trip, commit to putting your phone down every now and then and enjoying your experience in real time, not behind a screen.
• Do lots of research and preparation beforehand. One of the best ways to get over your fears is to arm yourself with information. Learn about your destination, read blogs about solo travel, connect with other travellers online, watch YouTube videos, etc. Knowledge is power!
• If there’s any aspect of solo travel that you’re particularly nervous about, do your best to mediate the situation. For example, if you’re terrified of getting lost in a new country, look up directions from the airport to your hotel ahead of time and ensure you have roaming data so you can use Google Maps. If you’re worried about meeting people, sign up for a cooking class where you’re guaranteed to meet people. Or, if you’re nervous about being homesick, schedule times for you to call home throughout your trip.
• As with everything in life and travel, safety first. Yes, there are certain precautions that travellers need to take – even more so if you’re a solo traveller (and even more than that if you’re a solo female traveller). Be smart, don’t put yourself at risk and always be aware of yourself and your surroundings. But don’t let the fear mongering in the news put you off of travelling solo. It is not dangerous as long as you’re prepared. Check out some of my top safety and travel tips before you go.
• Just do it! No matter how much prep and planning you do, you’ll probably still be a bit nervous before your first solo trip. And that’s okay! The important thing is that you don’t let those nerves hold you back. Get on that plane (or train, or bus, or car) and go experience the wonders of solo travel.

---

Are you ready to go on your first solo travel adventure?
Or, if you’re an experienced solo traveller, what tips do you have for newbies? 

 

Inspire someone to try solo travel – Pin it!