Have you ever wanted to go to Machu Picchu, South America or to see the Northern Lights, but you couldn’t find anyone to go with you? None of your family or regular travel companions wanted to go there and your top choices keep getting vetoed. What about when you are having the time of your life somewhere and you want to change your return flights and stay a few extra days, but everyone else is ready to go home? Solo travel may be a solution for you to have a trip of a lifetime.
Solo travel or traveling alone, without a companion can be a great and challenging way to vacation. Some solo travelers enjoy short trips that are closer to home, but others enjoy exploring every corner of the globe on their own terms and in their own time.
Leaving your travel buddy at home may not be for everyone. Here are some pros and cons of solo travel to help you decide if leaving your travel companions behind will still allow you to get into your comfort zone while having a great opportunity to experience local culture and hidden gems with the ultimate freedom while enjoying your unique experience.
Pros of Solo Travel
The Best Company May be Your Own: Some people would never consider solo travel as they prefer to be part of a group and fuel their energy by being with others, but some people may want to recharge and limit their interactions with others. Some may discover that they are their own best travel companion. Also spending quality time with yourself can help you appreciate your family and friends back home. You may even be excited to head home since you will have plenty to share with everyone about your journey.
Travel on Your Own Terms: Go where you want, when you want. Solo travel allows you to make all the choices about where to go and what to see. This type of independent travel can allow the freedom to ensure that you get to see and do the things that matter the most to you. It may be your best option to experience your dream itineraries. If you want to tour all the United States national parks, go horseback riding in Costa Rica or go on a food tour of the United Kingdom, go for it, the choice is yours.
Financial Control: By electing solo travel, you can ensure that you have your budget in mind with every choice. This allows you to make sure that you get the most value for your money and that you get to spend your money on what means the most to you. You can be as budget conscious as necessary or completely throw it out the window and hit up as many luxury solo travel options that are available to you. The choice is yours.
Flexibility: When traveling solo, you can change your plans on a whim and stay longer in one location or leave sooner than originally planned. Since the trip is yours and yours alone, you can do anything you wish.
Relaxing: Solo travel can be a relaxing way to travel since you won’t need to interact with others unless you choose to. Traveling is a great time to recharge and have an adventure that is different from your daily life and for some, less talking and more sitting quietly, relaxing on a beach or reading a good book may be the best vacation activities around.
Meeting New People: If you are solo traveling, you may have a greater opportunity to meet other like-minded travelers. You may even forge lifelong friendships at the same time. By being open to meeting new people you may have some enriching interactions with locals and other travelers that can help you have unplanned cultural exchanges that may lead to more opportunities such as learning a local language. Taking an organized tour can help you find other solo travelers. They can also provide local knowledge that can benefit any traveler. Also, your tour guide can be a great reference for a perfect lunch spot.
Personal Growth and Self-Discover: Solo travel can build your confidence as a travel planner and holiday maker. Knowing that you can make great travel decisions or change plans on the fly can build your confidence in your own decision making and preparation skills. Being able to navigate new locations and bustling cities all while taking solo journeys by car or on public transportation will boost your confidence.
Cons of Solo Travel
Possibly Loneliness or Feelings of Isolation: You may feel strong when you start out, but you may suffer loneliness or feelings of isolation as you trip goes on without a travel partner. Not having someone to chat with over breakfast or to plan the next day’s activities with could weigh on some while trying to experience a new city or different culture. If you do start feeling lonely, consider taking a day trip with a local guide. Many city centers have tour companies that offer small group size tours that may help you feel less isolated.
Limited Shared Memories and Shared Experiences: Travel can often be enhanced by shared experiences. If you don’t have a travel companion you may feel like you are missing out on that close connection that can be formed with a travel companion or partner. You also could miss out on the immediate joy and recounting of a day well-traveled when you don’t have nightly pal to recap your daily adventures.
No One to Share Costs: Travel can be expensive. Being able to split hotel bills and travel costs like rental car fees can really add up to savings over the duration of your trip.
Difficulties or Hard to Meet People: If you are banking on finding like-minded people to spend time with, you may not be in luck. It might be hard to find others that are looking to meet new people or have time for interactions outside of their group as many will attempt to jam in as much as they can in a day to maximize their holiday time. People may not take the time to slow down and see what or who else is around them. Also, if you’re not an extrovert you may feel uncomfortable striking up a conversation with a stranger let alone attempting to create a bond with them.
Homesickness: Being away from family, friends and familiar surroundings for a long period of time can be emotionally draining. Also don’t forget about your furry friends at home. They may also be missing you and their discomfort at home could be a drain on your vacation trip and energy.
Safety Concerns and Vulnerability: People always say there is safety in numbers. This is definitely true when traveling in crowded and unfamiliar places. A single person is a much better target to steal from or harm than a person in a group. Also, if you are traveling alone, you don’t have anyone to watch your back. It may take some time to get used to being on your own and needing to always be vigilant by paying close attention to your surroundings.
Emergencies: In the event an emergency arises while traveling, it may be harder to get help if you don’t have someone traveling with you who can call the authorities or for medical assistance. If you’re traveling in a crowded area hopefully there are security guards or good Samaritans nearby that will help you, but if you’re in an off the beaten path area, you may not encounter a friendly face quickly who can help out.
Photographs: Getting great shots of your adventures may prove to more difficult without a travel companion. Capturing the perfect visual can be a great memory enhancement but doing it all on your own or having to rely on a stranger to help may be problematic in the long run.
Decision and Responsibility Fatigue: You may end up with decision fatigue. Having to create all the travel plans and make all of the day-to-day decisions may be overwhelming for some travelers. The constant decision-making and responsibility for the planning may take the air out of some traveler’s sails.
Conclusion
Solo Travel may not be for everyone, but is it for you? If you think you may enjoy the solitude and challenge of your first solo trip, this may be a wonderful experience. If you don’t enjoy being alone and would prefer to travel with your family or with a group of friends, steering clear of solo travel may be for the best.
If you do decide to give solo travel a try, you may want to start out slow and see how you like. Maybe take a short weekend away to somewhere familiar so you can see how your decision-making skills are and what level of adventure you have while being alone. Testing the waters to see if this type of travel is for you is a great place to begin.
For myself, if I were going to take a fully solo trip, I would start in an easy to travel location like Las Vegas where there are many things to do, places to go, things to see and plenty of restaurants to choose from. Also, for me, Las Vegas is familiar, so I won’t be a fish out of water trying to navigate everywhere and everything I want to do.
If I were interested in trying something a bit more robust than a weekend in Vegas, I would stay at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica or Mexico. This allows me to feel the foreign vacation vibes while still having a little structure with a single destination. I would get to spend my time as I choose, and it would let me see if a week-long vacation would be too long for me to be a alone and still enjoy my holiday.
If I wanted to take a bigger starter adventure, I would take a cruise. Cruising is a great road trip by sea and it allows some structure where you are not making every single decision on your own. You generally have plenty of shore excursions and activities on board to choose from and plenty of restaurants nearby to feed you at a moment’s notice. Also, cruise ships offer the full resort feel without having to be in a single location. You can dive into adventures off the ship and see new places and meet new people. Many cruise ships often have solo traveler meet ups in case you want to find fellow travelers looking for a dining partner, someone to grab a drink with or to find someone to take a shore excursion with. These meet ups are a great way to make new friends quickly. If you have an outgoing personality a solo cruise may be a great place to start or work up to.
If solo travel is for you, go for it. Enjoy the time you spend with yourself and do exactly what you want, when you want, but if not that’s OK. Traditional travel is a wonderful holiday waiting to happen. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure to travel. Seeing the world is a wonderful luxury that can enrich your life, give you perspective and help you appreciate what you have. Meeting new people and having new experiences with yourself, a travel companion or a perfect stranger can form lasting memories for years to come.
