I’ve traveled on my own quite a bit over the years. Pretty much every domestic trip I’ve taken over the last three years has been alone. My 2016 trip to Europe? I packed up and went on my own after my cousin flaked on short notice. A last-minute trip to the Maldives earlier this month? A solo journey.
Coordinating travel plans with other people’s schedules, budgets and preferences is tough and sometimes you just want to go. Traveling alone can be fun (yes, fun) but it’s not always sunshine and roses. Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pro: Total freedom to go wherever you want
As an introvert, I enjoy traveling alone. Having complete freedom over my travel plans is a serious bonus. After my family and I completed Umrah a few years ago, we all went to Dubai. It was my third time in Dubai and two too many. But I went because that’s where the other seven people in my group wanted to go.
It wasn’t that bad. I spent most of my time working in the club lounge at the Conrad Dubai while everyone else went to the mall and played in the sand, I guess.
Ideally, I would have gone to Muscat and stayed at the Alila resort. Or maybe checked out the St. Regis Maldives, which was running a discounted award sale at the time. But it would have been a total jerk move to go “you guys hang out here. I’m off to paradise for a few days.”
My point? When you’re traveling alone, you don’t have to be considerate of anyone else and have 100% control to book the trip you want. That’s a pretty big plus.
Con: Working off zero input can be tough
While solo travel allows total flexibility, sometimes that isn’t a good thing. Why? Because you have to make all the decisions yourself, which is tough when there are infinite options.
I LOVE everything that goes into travel planning: Picking destinations, hotels, activities, restaurants, arranging transportation. These things stress some people out – I thrive on it. That’s partly because I enjoy running my ideas past other people traveling with me, getting their input (then ignoring it most of the time) and getting them excited about the trip.
When you’re traveling alone, you have to make all the decisions yourself. It’s the double-edged sword of having complete control: You can go wherever you want, but where might that be, exactly? With zero input, it can be tough to choose.
Pro: You don’t have to worry about someone else’s budget
I don’t subscribe to the “room doesn’t matter” philosophy. A nice hotel room makes all the difference when you’ve been out sightseeing all day long. I’m all about splurging on a nice hotel. Does anyone need heated bathroom floors? I didn’t think so until I stayed at the Andaz 5th Avenue.
The great thing about traveling by yourself is not being limited by anyone else’s travel style or budget. You can stay at whatever hotel you want and only worry about what you can reasonably afford. When concerns about other people’s budgets are thrown out the window, you can splurge on aspects of the travel experience that might seem superfluous to some.
Con: You can’t recount the experience with anyone else
The downside of those amazing solo trips is not being able to recount them with anyone else. The best part about my family trip to Asia in 2015 were the memories we made together. To this day, my mom will bring up the amazing suite upgrade we got at the Conrad Bali and all the fun things we did together in Singapore. Recounting those unforgettable experiences with other people makes them, well, unforgettable.
It’s fun to reminisce about your travels with someone else after the fact. Few people want to hear about your experiences when they weren’t there. Not being able to rehash a trip with someone else who was (especially if you’re super lazy about writing trip reports) is a negative aspect to traveling alone.
Bottom line
Ultimately, the cons of solo travel are minor and don’t outweigh the pros. Making and sharing memories is an important part of travel. But just because you can’t find someone to travel with, that doesn’t mean you should stay put.
I’ve had people ask me “Don’t you get bored being by yourself?” Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m alone when I’m documenting the trip on social media. I get messages from friends, family and just random followers throughout my trip. I get useful tips from locals and people who have been there before me.
A couple of years ago a Twitter follower came to the rescue when I was trying to get the coordinates for the Softex refugee camp. A week later, when I was at a Calais bus stop trying to decipher the message on a piece of paper that Google wasn’t able to translate, two French-speaking followers helped me out in a matter of minutes. So in a way, I feel like I was thousands of travel companions on these solo trips and help is just a tweet away.
Traveling by yourself is not better or worse – it’s just different. While the idea of traveling alone used to sound depressing, it made me more confident in my ability to navigate the world on my own. It also provided time for introspection and gave me a chance to unwind and travel at my own pace.
I want to hear from you all: What do you like or dislike about solo travel?
Ariana, HIT ME UP ill go with you next time 😉
is there approval/selection process to go on Vaca w Ariana? Asking for a friend
I too am a solo traveler. I am far too selfish to travel with others. I want to do what I want when I want. I want to eat where I want and when.
It’s easier to stay on the budget I want to be on also as you alluded to.
Traveling alone also forces introverts (I am a one too) to get out of their shells and interact with strangers more. If I traveled with friends they would likely be my only conversation exchanges. I think one of the biggest thrills of travel is conversational exchange with the locals.
I rarely take pictures when I travel anymore. I don’t look at them later and I feel like I am forcing my experiences on others when I show them (many get jealous of you).
If friends ask me where I am going on my next trip and then show an interest to join me, I try to squash their enthusiasm. If going to remote areas I will tell them there is no decent accommodations so be ready to sleep with the roaches. That usually does it.
Once you get used to traveling alone, you will not want to go any other way! Just my opinion.
“If friends ask me where I am going on my next trip and then show an interest to join me, I try to squash their enthusiasm.” LOL!
So true RE solo travel forcing you out of your shell. I’ve slowed down on the picture taking too. Sometimes it just distorts your perception and you spend more time taking them than actually enjoying your surroundings.
One thing I hate about going solo are the excursions. Many of them require 2+ people to book. So, if it’s something you really want to do, you have to hope another person signs up, or pay the price of 2 people.
But I do love the excitement and thrill of the travel experience itself. Just sucks going by yourself and being told you have to wait for more people to signup because they can’t guarantee anything for solo travelers.
I see. I had a similar issue at the Waldorf Maldives – I really wanted to try the Arab restaurant, Yasmeen. They advised against it because they told me the portions are family style and it would be way too much food for one person. Kind of a bummer.
I may be more outgoing than most… but I actually meet more people abroad on solo trips than I do at home (I sometimes make 20-30 friends in just one trip). So easy to meet people from around the world and it actually forces you outside your comfort zone and meet total strangers and there are so many easy ways to do it. I love traveling with my wife but traveling alone is just a wonderful experience on its own.
That’s so true. I don’t try to befriend the person sitting next to me at Starbucks back home, but I’m more likely to engage in a conversation with strangers abroad. It’s definitely easier to make friends – I’m still in touch with people I met in Calais three years ago.
Pro: rooms with only 1 bed are fine! It seems suites with multiple beds is not really a thing most places and my friends and I each like our own bed so we don’t usually get upgrades.
Con: Simple things like having to pull your luggage with you into the bathroom at airports. Some airports are enlarging the stalls but others still have very small ones.
My husband doesn’t want to travel and there’s no one else available to accompany me. When asked why I travel alone, I always say “It’s either I go alone or don’t go at all, and not going is not an option.” I suffered being grounded during the years our kids were growing up and now I’m making up for lost time. I never thought I’d be confident enough to go solo, but I’m pretty good at it now! I don’t even get out of my shell!
Good for you Peggy!
I’ve been to 7 countries solo in the past year and I find it to be great but there’s things that aren’t so great. I prefer eating at bars when I’m solo instead of sitting at a table by myself. Most all inclusive resorts their restaurants only have tables so I’ll not stay at places like that in the future. But even when I go with a friend we don’t always want to do the same things. You have to compromise in both cases.
So true. I don’t mind eating at restaurants by myself and love that I can go where I want without consulting with anyone else, waiting around on them, etc. It’s nice.
Agree. Love traveling alone. But enjoyed the trips even more when my wife was still alive.
Sorry to hear it. That’s part of the reason I travel with family so much – time is precious and we don’t know how long they’ll be around.
I love solo travel. My first taste of it was when friends and family were sick and tired of doing Disney, so I went solo, and had a blast. I could do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. Since that trip, I’ve been all over the world by myself. I totally enjoy the freedom. Although an introvert, I occasionally feel uncomfortable during more formal dinners
That’s actually perfect and I hadn’t thought of that. Disney on your own = complete freedom.
Maldives alone? Ariana, are you gay? Asking for a friend …
Nothing sadder than someone trying to be a Regina when they’re clearly a Karen.
I’m glad you’re gone for good! Don’t come knocking for a good job reference either. By the way, how do third world indians afford Maldives anyway?
You’d have to ask those “third world Indians.” My guess is, they probably spend their days working instead of eating twinkies in mom’s basement.
You are sooo salty
Keep the zingers coming, Freddo.
Solo travelling is fun if you like to spend time with yourself. I would definitely try this in future