Why I love solo travel
I’m an introvert, I really enjoy my own company and I have absolutely no qualms with eating alone or going to the cinema by myself. I’m also a black girl who loves to snowboard, recently started surfing and is not a huge fan of party holidays (anymore).
This has meant that sometimes, when I really want to go on a holiday, going by myself is often the best bet.
After I finished Uni, I spent five months working as a Chalet Host in France. When I left the UK, I didn’t know any of the people I would be working with. What followed was an amazing five months meeting new people, learning new skills and improving my snowboarding.
Fast forward a few years and I decided I wanted to celebrate my 30th abroad. With a desire to learn to surf and no one who shared my enthusiasm, I chose to go it alone. This trip is what started my love of solo travel and it’s something that I’m really excited to do a lot more of.
Here are the main reasons why I absolutely love solo travel.
Go when you are ready
I’m sure everyone has been there. You mention you want to go on holiday and everyone and their dog wants to come. Three weeks later, the excuses start coming out and when it’s time to book, there are just two confirmed yes’s. What started out as an epic group holiday turns into a three’s a crowd getaway.
When you travel solo, the only person you need to depend on is you. You decided where to go, when to go, what to do and why. The way people work is changing and the two week annual leave slot in the summer is no longer the norm. With flexible working and more companies offering unlimited travel, it’s easier than ever to get up and go. Feel like you need a break in mid May? Go. Don’t wait for others to confirm when their allocated allowance is, book a solo holiday and take advantage of the slightly lower prices.
Have your perfect holiday
If you and your friends have different ideas about the perfect holiday then maybe just don’t holiday together. Some of my friends can’t swim, so a surfing holiday is their idea of hell. Some of my friends hate the cold, so they will never snowboard with me. This is absolutely fine, but it’s also one of the reasons I just do my own thing a lot of the time. I’d love to share some of my passions with the people I’m closest to, but if I can’t, I’m very happy to share my passions with strangers who are just as enthusiastic about them as I am.
More control when you are there
Group holidays often require a lot of communication and compromise. Sometimes you may find yourself doing something you aren’t 100 per cent keen on because the majority of the group want to do it. Or you may not find enough people to do what you want to do so you give up on the idea. When you holiday alone, you are wholly in charge of the itinerary. Want to spend half the day in bed with a good book? Do it. Want to spend all day eating out to try and find the best creperie in Paris? Do it. You don’t need to worry about spoiling the day for anyone else or have anyone tell you that you are wasting a days holiday. This is your holiday and you can read if you want to!
You save time
Just found out about a free walking tour taking place? Great pack your bag and go! When you are in a group nothing happens instantly. At least one person will need to be woken up from their nap, others may be getting food, someone will want to shower and before you know it, the event you wanted to go to has finished. Travelling solo means you can save all the faffing about that comes from travelling in a big group and do things at the drop of a hat.
Simple things stay simple
Breakfast – a meal you have at the beginning of the day. Or is it? Mealtimes during group holidays can often often turn into the most stressful event of the week. Do you want to eat before or after your morning swim / gym / excursion. Some people might want to wait until 11. Some people want breakfast at 7 and will set an alarm for it. Some people will go with the majority so don’t actually add any constructive input at all! When you travel alone, simple things like this, remain simple.
It’s often easier to make friends
Staying in a hostel, booking a group excursion or taking part in a week long group trip means that there will be plenty of time for you to get to know people. Having no one you know to talk to, means you have to make at least a little conversation with those around you. Your new friends may have been in the country for a while longer than you and may have some great advice about where to go next, things you shouldn’t miss and things that aren’t worth the hype.
Solo travel has picked up a lot in the past few years, and I wouldn’t say there is a typical solo traveller. The people l’ve met while travelling solo have always had the most interesting stories to tell and have inspired some serious wanderlust!
Top tip – book a free walking tour in the city you are in. They are great ways to meet people and see the sights. I went on a Runner Bean Gaudi tour in Barcelona.
You can set the budget
Are you slumming it for a week? Or are you blowing the budget? Do whatever you want, it’s all on you. Traveling solo means you don’t have to reign in your spending because someone in the group has a smaller wallet than you. Equally you don’t have to feel as though you are holding people back when they want to do excursions you don’t have the money for. Money and friends can be a bit of a problem at the best of times, add in some foreign sun and an exchange rate and it’s potentially a recipe for disaster!
You can be 100 percent yourself
When you are with friends, it is very likely that you will have a role within that group. Are you the joker? The sensible one? The flirt? The party starter? When you travel solo, you can be whoever you want to be without question. Don’t feel like being the sensible one? Then don’t be. There is no one else to tell you otherwise or people questioning why you seem out of character. Solo travel allows you to reinvent yourself if you wish to and explore the world through a different lens.
Have you ever travelled solo? If so what was your main reason for going? If not, is it something you would do? If not, why not?
32 Comments
Tayo Jaiyesimi
I hear the all these benefits of solo travelling but I think the reason people have these problems is that they do not wisely pick who they go with and the number. I usually travel with only one other person that is aligned on the sort of things we wanna do. If they are not regarding a particular thing we separate and come back together. Also you talk when you wanna talk and don’t when you don’t. I’m yet to really feel this solo travel bug yet.
Sarah
Yes, a lot of this it based on the dynamic of group holidays, which I do enjoy but they have a few downsides. I don’t tend to travel as a pair very often and I still have no one to surf with so that will always be me travelling alone to join a “surf camp”.
Laura
One of my most perfect breaks away was a spur of the moment trip to Newquay I took last year while recovering from surgery. Physically I wasn’t well enough to be travelling alone, however emotionally it was exactly what I needed. Looking forward to planning another solo escape sometime this year.
Sarah
I love Newquay! I’m hoping to visit there again soon.
Sarah Bailey
These sound like some awesome reasons to love solo travel. I think the main draw to me would be doing what I want when I wanted. Though I don’t think I would be able to cope with it now sadly.
Sarah
Thank you. Yes that is my main draw as well.
Kara
I love the idea of solo travel and wish it was something I did before I had a family
Sarah
It would be a bit hard to do with a family. I’m trying to make the most of it while I can.
Rhian westbury
I do love solo travel as I can do what I want when I want but I have only done a few trips like this x
Sarah
It can be hard to fit in if you have lots of other commitments.
Elizabeth
I absolutely love travelling solo too. No one to worry about except yourself, and you can do exactly what you want when you want. Love it!
Sarah
It’s great isn’t it!
Caroline
I really love this posting! I have travelled solo once to do an exchange program and now I travel with my hubby but it is good because usually we are very aligned with what we want to do (usually we don’t have plans which makes the trip very fun). When I travelled with groups, I am always depending also in their wants. It is hard and sometimes people have to “stick to the plan” so hard that it is impossible to be flexible.
Omg chosing where to eat can be very hard with a group haha
Anywaysss, you should come to Whistler to snowboard (I just snowboard in the bunny hills for now hahaha), people say it is a paradise for snowboarding.
Thanks for this posting! 💕💕
Sarah
Thanks! Whistler is somewhere I would love to go. I’ve heard so many good things.
Charli Bruce
I have never solo travelled and think I would be too scared to, although I do love the idea of being in control of everything myself as I am alone x
Sarah
Maybe try to do a UK trip to start off with. This could help build your confidence.
Lauretta at Home and Horizon
These are the same reason I have why travelling solo is such a good idea. You can’t be more comfortable with solo travel.
Sarah
Thanks.
Anosa
I have been solo traveling for 3 years now and i absolutely love it, i agree with all your points. Solo travel allows me to do more than when i travel with other people, i dont have to wait on nobody
Sarah
I know, waiting on people is so annoying.
Tanya Brannan
Such a fantastic post! I have been with my husband since I was 16 so have never had a chance to solo travel. This will all change in the Autumn when I am going to visit a friend in Germany. Super nervous yet extremely excited to be doing it all solo x
Sarah
Thank you! You’ll have a great time I’m sure, nothing to be nervous about.
Diana
I have never solo travelled, quite honestly. However, I always choose the people I travel with very carefully. I need someone who is going with my pace, because I don’t enjoy making people do stuff they don’t want to (waking up early to explore) or have people make me do things I don’t enjoy.
Sarah
Yes, choosing carefully and going with smaller groups is the best way to travel with groups I think.
Cecilia Keinapel
This is a good post! I always enjoy traveling alone as it is less stressing and you get to book and sort out everything. Though I like to travel with friends it is sometimes best to go Solo 🙂
Sarah
Thank you. Yes there is a lot less stress!
Laura Dove
I have never travelled solo but I think the main thing for me would be having nobody else to please but myself. I think it would be far more fulfilling to travel alone and make friends along the way!
Sarah
Exactly that! You can be as selfish as you want.
Becca Talbot
I completely agree with all of this – I’m a huge advocate of solo travel, and have been to some amazing destinations by myself. I find travelling alone so liberating 🙂 x
Amy
I’m so glad I found this post, you’ve made me feel a lot better about solo travel! It’s the small things that hold me back, like eating alone and finding my way by myself, but I think once I get past the initial worries I’ll love it. I really like your point about not waiting around for other people and being able to do your own thing. Sometimes I think ‘oh I can’t go there, no one will be interested in going with me’, but if I just went alone I wouldn’t miss out!
Sarah
Glad you like the post. Start small if you are a little apprehensive. I think it’s much better to experience something alone rather than miss out on it completely!
Wade Thiel
Excellent post. I agree. I love traveling solo, and do so whenever possible. I’ve traveled in groups, too, and that can be nice, but going off my myself is extremely rewarding.