4 Benefits For Solo Travel + The Best Tips

Traveling alone sounds scary, doesn’t it? Alone in a country you don’t know and no one to do fun stuff with. 

I went on my first solo trip back in 2016, and before then, I hadn’t given solo travel much thought. While I was nervous at first, it quickly became one of the best experiences of my life. 

Solo travel has never been easier. Each trip you take becomes more simple than the previous one. As long as you have done your research, I promise, you will be absolutely fine. There is so much information out there and there are even tour operators that specialize in solo travel. So, travelling alone really isn’t as scary as it might sound.

Before going on to the benefits of solo travel, here are some tips I recommend to help you plan your trip and make sure you have a great trip wherever you decide to go.

Go Somewhere You Have Been Before

I know you probably want to explore a new destination. However, if you have travelled somewhere before, with family or friends, then it’s a good idea to go back to that place. It is somewhere you are already familiar with so will likely feel less anxious going back on your own.

This would be a great way to build your confidence and prepare you to travel to a completely new destination next time.

Do Your Research

Whether you are traveling to a new place or somewhere you have been before, make sure to do lots of research. Become familiar with the destination – Things to do, best places to stay, and whether it is safe to travel to.

The more you know about this place the more comfortable you will feel being there.

Plan Your Budget

The last thing you will want is to be faced with spending money unexpectedly. So make sure you have enough money with you at all times. Check how much money you will need for things like taxis or public transport, and any other essentials you may need.

Always have money aside in case of emergencies. I recommend having cash on you too as some places may not accept cards.

Book Things In Advance

I always recommend booking certain activities in advance. One reason is that you won’t need to spend any money you set aside for your trip, as you would have paid for the activity previously.

Some tours and activities may be fully booked especially during peak season so you may want to avoid being left with nothing to do for the day.

Create An Itinerary

I love being organized on a solo trip, and creating an itinerary is the best part of planning a holiday.

Knowing what I will be doing each day helps me to feel relaxed and confident while traveling alone.

After doing your research, put together an itinerary including all the things you want to do and see.

This is a great way to make sure you are not missing out on anything.

Make A Packing List

This one might sound unnecessary but it’s so easy to forget stuff, and it’s always the important things that seem to be forgotten.

Before you start packing, make a list of everything you will need. Don’t forget to include essentials such as charges, electronics, and of course all the important documents you will need.

Now that I have shared some of my best tips with you, here are the 4 benefits of solo travel.

Freedom

Freedom is my biggest motivation when I go to book a holiday where I will be travelling alone. 

You don’t need to wait around for others to agree on a date or where to go. You just go when you want. Free next weekend? Perfect, you can go and not worry if your friend is available.

Once you are at your destination you are free to go wherever you want, explore places you think you would be interested in and eat at restaurants that you know you will love. There is nothing worse than wanting to go to a museum or a popular attraction but the people you are with do not want to go. 

Stick to your budget

I really struggled to stick to my budget when I travel with friends. We would always end up doing an activity (boat trips, local tours) which we hadn’t planned to do. So I would end up having to spend more money than I thought I would. 

Of course, it’s fine to do these activities when travelling solo, but you would probably have already searched for things to do and added it to your budget or maybe have some extra money aside in case you decide to book something spontaneously.

Meet new people 

Being on your own will encourage you to meet new people, maybe other solo travellers or even the locals. 

You can meet people with similar interests or meet someone that lives a completely different life from what you know. 

Ways to meet people are during group tours when you are travelling between places, at your hotel or hostel, or even when you are out in a bar or restaurant. 

I have met friends for life during some of my solo trips.

Nothing to be scared off

There really is nothing to be scared of. I feel so silly for ever feeling scared or anxious about solo travelling. Personally, I think it’s the best way to travel.

You will end up doing so much more, visiting exciting places and learning about the culture. 

Once you have decided where you want to go, do your research, plan ahead and just go for it.