Warning: when you travel solo, you’ll be asked the same questions every day:
‘Don’t you have any friends?’
‘Aren’t you going to die?’
‘Are you a psychopath?’
Disclaimer: you won’t *really* be asked those questions. Obviously.
… but if you’ve never traveled solo before, you might think the idea seems a bit weird. And you might imagine people will think you’re weird for doing it.
Maybe to some people, solo travel is a bit weird. But if you do it, you’ll realize it isn’t. And, anyway, if you avoid doing things other people might consider weird, you’ll never do anything ever.
And get this: according to this study, “in the United States, 16% of people have taken a vacation by themselves.”
… so maybe solo travel isn’t as bizarre as it once was.
Anyway, whatever the case. I reckon you should try it. Here’s why…
Travelness / Paul McDougal
What’s So Good About Traveling Solo?
Loads of things.
And I’ll cover more of them throughout this guide.
But here are the main three:
1. You Can Do Whatever You Want to Do, Whenever You Want to Do It
Yeah, I know that’s pretty obvious.
But I mean ANYTHING.
You can eat wherever you want. Eat any time you want. Ignore the attractions you don’t want to see. Wake up any time you want. Go to bed whenever you want. Choose which type of accommodations to stay in. If you’re not enjoying a place, you can unexpectedly move on to the next one. If you’re feeling lazy, you can spend an entire day in bed. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can sign up for a 10-day hike, or go hitchhiking, or spontaneously start a brand-new life as a fire-juggling busker.
… in short, you have total freedom and flexibility, and you can completely manage your own time and your own itinerary.
2. You Don’t Need to Be Responsible for Anyone Else’s Trip
Maybe this is just cos I’m a neurotic hyper-sensitive man who feels guilty all the time, but I always worry I’m spoiling someone else’s trip.
Let’s say the person I’m traveling with wants to see something I don’t want to see. Or wants to wake up later than me. Or wants to do something I don’t want to do. They don’t want to hike to the place I want to hike to. Maybe they don’t want to eat the same things I want to eat.
… I’m sure you get the point.
But here’s the thing: when you’re traveling solo, you don’t have to worry about spoiling another person’s trip. Because there isn’t anyone’s trip to spoil.
3. You’ll Make Lots of Friends, With Lots of Interesting People
Let’s be honest… if you already have a travel buddy, you’re not gonna make an effort to find more (especially if your existing friends aren’t very sociable).
… but when you’re riding solo, you never know who you’re gonna meet. And if you’re lucky, you might meet some of the best people you’ve ever met.
More on all that later.
‘But I’m scared of traveling solo!’
Why?
What exactly do you think is going to happen?
Are you going to get kidnapped the moment you step off the plane? Is there a warrant out for your arrest? Do you genuinely believe everyone in the world is out to get you?
Grow up.
The world is not that scary, and you are not the center of the universe. You will be fine.
And, besides, traveling with another person isn’t a guarantee of safety anyway. So, ultimately, what difference does it really make if you’re traveling solo?
So here’s an exercise for you: get a pen and paper, right down all the separate things you’re scared of, and logically think about each of them in turn. You’ll soon realize they’re all insignificant and irrational.
‘But I’ll be lonely!’
You won’t.
You really really won’t.
When you travel solo, you make loads of friends. So, yep, you might leave home alone—but I guarantee you won’t be solo for very long.*
*Well, unless you’re a really weird character who is horrible to everyone, and insists upon sniffing women’s hair on public transport.
When you travel solo, you spend way more time with people than you expect.
I’ve had multi-month solo trips where I’ve met hundreds of people. I’ve made lifelong friends who I wouldn’t have made if I set out traveling with someone else. I’ve had conversations with some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met—and I wouldn’t have met them if I wasn’t traveling solo.
So, in short, you won’t be lonely. I promise. And if I’m wrong, feel free to contact me directly after your trip, and tell me how much of an idiot I am.
‘But I also like traveling with other people!’
Same. Traveling with other people has loads of perks.
Memories are better when they’re shared. Trips can be more fun if you have the right travel partner. And all the negative moments are funnier when you have someone to laugh at them with.
But like anything in life, there’s space for various types of experiences. Just cos you sometimes travel solo doesn’t mean you have to always travel solo.
I’ve had many types of trips: solo ones, trips with partners, trips with friends, trips with family. And they all have their plus points.
… but solo travel is definitely an adventure of its own, and everybody should try it.
Other Perks of Traveling Solo
In case you’re not already convinced, here’s a big long exhaustive (and, to be honest, probably exhausting) list of all the reasons you should travel solo:
‘Okay, I want to get started. How do I travel solo?’
Well, you book a flight and some travel insurance (and maybe some accommodation), like you would for any other trip with any other people.
That’s it. You don’t need to worry about anything else, and you don’t need to pay for anything else. You’re not going on an Everest expedition.
The less you treat this like a big deal, the less daunting it becomes.
Be laid-back about it, and you’ll stop stressing yourself out.
But since it’s your first time traveling solo, here are some top tips for you…
Top Tips for Solo Travel
Resources for Traveling Solo
When you’re solo, you wanna be prepared. So here are some useful resources:
Before You Go
Alright, that’s us done!
Hopefully, I’ve convinced you to try some solo travel.
… and if I haven’t, sorry for wasting ten minutes of your life.
For similar adventures, here’s my guide on why everyone should try hitchhiking. And to prepare yourself for hostel life, here are the annoying types of travelers you’re definitely gonna meet.
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and we’ll see you next time. Ciao for now!
