Pros & Cons of Solo Travel
Solo travel…it’s intimidating, I know!
I used to be where you are…thinking that I could never do something like solo travel. Is it safe? Is it lonely? What am I going to do by myself? How will I meet other people? Where am I going to stay? Trust me…I had the same questions and more. But all you have to do is take that giant leap and book that ticket to the place you’ve been wanting to go to and just do it!
Like anything else, there are pros and cons to solo travel. Below are some I have gathered from my experiences.
Solo Travel Pros:
✔️ You answer only to yourself! YOU make the decisions on where to stay, where to eat, what to do, when to leave, where to go. You don’t have to worry about making sure your travel companion(s) are happy, you just have to make sure you are happy. Do you want to spend all day at a cafe and read a book? Go for it! Do you want to walk around the town eating food from each eye catching restaurant you see? Do it! Seriously…each day, you do as you please…it’s absolutely liberating.
✔️ You meet people from all around the world! Anywhere from your accommodations, during organized tours, traveling on the bus to the next city, while eating at restaurants….just about everywhere! You tend to be more social with strangers when you are on your own versus when you are with friends or family. Hey…and if you are single, you might meet the love of your life!
✔️ The people you meet while traveling can develop into real friendships! You all have traveling in common and after your first solo trip, you have friends abroad you could either visit or have them join in on your next adventure! Seriously…what is better than staying at your newfound friend’s home in a country you haven’t been to and getting a true local experience…for free?!!? And then…more potential travel companions?! Sounds like perfection to me….
I literally just did this for my trip to Portugal with my German friend I met in Thailand…we coordinated dates and met up in Porto! Two solo travelers became traveling friends
✔️ Through my travels, I’ve learned more about my strengths, tested my limits, faced my fears, and gained new skills. I know…you are outside of your comfort zone…you are alone in a new place. You are going to have to fend for yourself and during this time of vulnerability, you learn more about yourself. I’ve approached a group of strangers and introduced myself countless times, shared breakfast, lunch, and dinner with people from all of the world, went on impromptu hikes with people in my dorm room, learned how to swim from my Dutch friends in Vietnam, and more experiences I would not have done if it weren’t for traveling alone.
✔️ And like traveling in general…you learn so much about the city/country you are visiting – the culture, the language, the history, and…the FOOD! Eating is my favorite, lol.
Solo Travel Cons:
❌ If you do not want to be alone, meeting new people and making friends can be challenging depending on how outgoing you are and comfortable with meeting strangers. However, from my experience, other solo travelers are just as eager to meet you, so just go up to someone and introduce yourself!
❌ When you are traveling and making new friends, it will be hard to say goodbye and also hard to start over in the next destination you head to. Can be seen as a pro and a con depending on how you look at it. I remember traveling to Laos from Vietnam and left everyone I had traveled with in Vietnam and thought…”Ahh I have to make new friends now because I’m alone.” But hey, more new friends!
❌ You’ll need to deal with personal events such as deaths in the family on your own. I recently experienced losing a close family member of mine while I was traveling and never needed being with my family more than I did then and wanted to be home (and actually did go home).
❌ Being single and traveling solo is much different than having a significant other and traveling solo. If it is the latter, you tend to think about him/her and want them to be with you to experience everything…but there’s always a way to stay connected in this digital age via FaceTime, text, email, etc. You shouldn’t let being in a relationship stop you from traveling!
❌ Like any type of travel, depending on how long your solo trip is, you miss out on what is going on at home. Family gatherings, hanging out with friends, close one’s life events like engagements, babies, weddings, the whole lot. Just keep in touch when you can!
Solo travel isn’t for everyone, but how will you know unless you give it a shot?! Start small and go somewhere for the weekend. My first solo trip was to Sedona, Arizona and after that, I knew that solo travel was for me….so go ahead and try it out!
For some tips on your first solo trip, read this article: Solo Travel for Beginners