Incredible Things I’ve Learned From Traveling Solo

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Traveling solo isn’t just about ditching everyone else and getting to do whatever you want on your trip. Sometimes it’s about more. A lot more. It’s about discovering things about yourself you didn’t know. It’s definitely about freedom and independence. But you’ll surprise yourself when you’re forced to do things for yourself, by yourself. And you’ll never be the same again after your first solo trip. For some people it’s a short weekend away close to home. For others it’s a trans-continental journey that puts you in a time zone further away from your family than you can even calculate. Wherever you go though, you can still call yourself a solo traveler. And you can also call yourself brave.

My own story about traveling solo

A lot of my friends now take it for granted that when I say I’m going somewhere, I’ll likely be solo traveling. They know that having no-one to go with won’t stop me. But taking that first leap is always the hardest. You may have seen some of my stories about how I moved from the UK to Canada at 23. It was my first solo trip, and I was scared. I didn’t know anyone in Canada, didn’t have a job or an apartment. The first couple of weeks I was a bit lonely. I absolutely loved exploring Vancouver, the place I was to call home for the next 6 months. But I didn’t want to just survive. I wanted to thrive.

I started a job at a local cruise tour company, and since it was a seasonal job there were lots of people my age. Within weeks I made some great friends and was so happy living my best life in Vancouver. You see that was when I realized that I could take care of myself. I could make new friends and be happy no matter where I was. And now almost 15 years later, I still live in Vancouver. I still also have a lot of those same friends. We kept in touch even when I wasn’t living here, and now my friends are like my family when my family isn’t here (they’re still in the UK).

So I’ve learned you don’t have to be related to people for them to be your family and for them to have your back. And even though you’re separated from your family and the friends you grew up with, you’ll be just fine traveling solo.

What traveling solo has taught me

I’m happy to have had the opportunity to work together with a bunch of other travel bloggers to gather their stories about solo travel. They share how they first started traveling solo, or solo trips that were meaningful to them, and what they’ve learned along the way. If you’re on the fence about booking that first solo trip, this might be just what you need for that extra push.

Poppy Mae from Poppy Mae Higgins Travel & Lifestyle

This July marks 1 year of me being an international flight attendant. Yes, I travel to my destination with multiple other crew members and many hundreds of passengers, but once I’m there I solo travel. More often than not, the other crew just want to relax or go to bed. Especially when I first started flying, I wanted to get out and explore as much as possible. So it was a little disheartening when no one else wanted to. Then I thought, “I’ve solo traveled before, why not now?”

I have done so many things solo as a flight attendant. From shopping in the outlets in L.A. to eating alone in a restaurant in a small town near Stockholm. One of my favorite places is Sitges in Barcelona, all I did was go to the supermarket and sit on my sun-soaked balcony all day. But that is the beauty of solo travel, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.

To me, solo travel is freedom. I can eat where I want and I have the sole choice of what I want to do. It doesn’t get lonely, as when I’m at work I will be in a place for a day or even less, I love to just sit and people watch. The peace and quiet is sometimes more freeing than travelling solo itself!

Rachel from Average Lives

I was travelling for over two years. First with a friend and then with my partner, whom I met whilst travelling. Then the opportunity of traveling solo unexpectedly came when the airline that my partner had booked his flights to Mexico with went suddenly into administration.

Originally, flying with a different company, I then had to choose whether to cancel the trip or to go by myself. Of course, I chose the latter. “How difficult could solo travel really be?” I thought as I boarded the plane with little understanding of the Spanish language. I had traveled in Central America before, but not by myself. And oh, what a feeling of liberation!

One of the biggest things I learnt was about my persona. Before, if something went wrong I would selfishly look to share the blame with the other person I was travelling with. Now, anything that went wrong was entirely on me. But this also had the opposite effect for the positive parts of my travels. If I had a great day, this was also because of the choices I had made.

I felt proud of myself when I ordered something in Spanish for the first time, or caught a bus by myself to a town of the beaten track. Therefore, solo travel, helped me understand my values and my confidence improved dramatically. I wouldn’t hesitate to book another solo trip, but maybe I would learn some key phrases of the language first!

Marika from Clumsy Girl Travels

The first time I traveled solo, I was 22. My mom told me that I had to choose a place where they spoke English and had to join a tour. I ended up spending a glorious nine days in Ireland and had the best time! That was the trip where I fell head over heels for solo travel. Since then I have traveled to over 40 countries by myself and continue to do so. Solo travel isn’t something I just fell in love with. It’s something I became obsessed with.

My story as a traveler is a bit different from many others. I was born with a degenerative neurological condition called Ataxia. Since I needed so much medical help growing up, I was told by my doctors that my independence was a far-fetched dream. Fast forward to today, I was able to prove to myself and all those doctors that I could live an independent life!

Solo travel means so many different things to me. It means freedom, adventure, new experiences, and new friends. The biggest lesson I have learned from traveling solo is that you’re never really alone. People will come in and out of your life throughout your traveling journey, and sometimes the people you meet will become some of your best friends!

Ella from Many More Maps

Having been let down by my friends at the last minute one too many times, I finally decided to stop relying on others to travel. I enthusiastically booked a two-week solo trip to Costa Rica and never looked back. This was back in 2017, and it was my first solo trip. Now, I travel solo probably 80% of the time, and it’s one of my favorite ways to travel!

I’ve learnt more about myself whilst solo travelling than at any other time in my life. It’s true that travelling solo opens you up to way more experiences than you would ever encounter when travelling with friends. You can change your plans at the last second to suit your mood. You don’t have to compromise. And you really can turn your trip into whatever you want it to be. 

The main thing I’ve learnt during my solo travels is that I am way stronger than I thought I was. As a person who struggles with anxiety, I was terrified to get on the plane for that first 25-hour journey to Costa Rica, which involved two connections, by myself. I was terrified of something going wrong. Well – my fears came true. My flight was delayed and I very nearly missed my connection. But everything turned out okay anyway! Realizing that things really do turn out okay – even if something you’ve been dreading happens – was a revelation to me. And I never would have learnt this if it hadn’t been for traveling solo.

Emma from Travel Face

‘I thought you would be on a flight home within a week’. Well, I was pleased my friend did not tell me this before I set off on my first solo travel trip for 3 months aged 19. Yes, I did cry as soon as I was through customs and could not stomach anything for the first few days due to nerves, but I stuck at it. Why? Because I wanted to see the world. And I have not looked back since. 

Since that first trip, my solo travels have included climbing Kilimanjaro, hiking the Camino de Santiago, spending three months in Asia, hitchhiking through Patagonia, couch-surfing in Argentina, and celebrating my birthdays away, to name a few adventures. My first solo trip was because I could not find someone to go with, but now solo travel is my preferred way to travel. Why? It forces me out of my comfort zone, and of course, I can do what I want without compromise. You never have to be alone if you do not want to be, but you can also silently retreat to your bunk bed without speaking to anyone. 

Whilst my gender and being solo means I need to take more precautions, solo travel has taught me that 99.9% of people are incredibly kind. I have also learnt I am more capable than I ever imagined. Yes, my solo travel goals have changed. But my biggest solo travel win will always remain the same: being brave enough to go. 

Arabela from The Spicy Travel Girl

I embarked on my first full solo trip at age sixteen before I even knew it was a trend. It had long been my dream to visit South Korea and I was itching to go. However, nobody else in my family felt the same way. My desire to go was so strong that I could no longer suppress it. So I asked my mother if I could visit the country by myself. I had saved up enough money for myself, and since my mother’s policy was strictly “You can do whatever you want with your own money”. I ended up booking a flight the same evening.

This first solo travel experience was a true life-changer. Not only did it give me the freedom to travel much more and make my own plans, but it opened my eyes and showed me how amazing solo travel is. From practicing my language skills with locals to being invited to homes for dinners and making new friends. I couldn’t believe how awesome traveling by yourself could be. At 18, I moved to China by myself, which gave me the ultimate experience of independence and freedom I had craved for so long.

Now, three years after my life-changing Korea trip, I’ve visited over 50 different countries. About twenty of those I’ve traveled solo. I will never forget exploring the remote countryside of Mindanao and being invited for dinner by a friendly sailor in Manila. Or the dangerous situations I managed to escape in hotels and taxis around the world without anyone’s help. Undoubtedly, traveling solo brings many risks that would be less of a concern when traveling with a (male) companion. But it’s these learning experiences that educate and empower us as female travelers.  

Cass from Cassie The Hag

When I was twenty-four, I went on a plane for the second time. A friend’s family took me on my first holiday in nine years, and all my assumptions about ‘what I deserved’ in life were flipped on their head. While I still believe holidays are a huge luxury, life on the road was more attainable than I thought. At least for someone with my privileges of passport and opportunity. And jeez, it had felt good to feed my curiosity and explore.

I reassessed my situation, took on a different job to save, and took my one-way flight to Tokyo three years later. That was May 2018 and I still live abroad. My travel style includes a mix of budget backpacking in low-cost destinations (such as Southeast Asia and The Balkans) and working full-time abroad in high-cost destinations (Australia and New Zealand).

Solo travel has taught me not to live our lives according to our low expectations of self, but by challenging our perception of who we COULD be. As someone with bad anxiety, solo travel has as many lows and high. But I hope that I will one day feel pride in the stories I will tell of these years, knowing how far I’ve come. Blogging about travel and mental health has given me a further sense of purpose which I didn’t have before. The journey isn’t easy, but it’s always worthwhile.

Katriona from Earth to Katriona

My solo adventures took off when I had the opportunity to study abroad for a year in Japan. After all, the land of the rising sun is the prime destination for amazingly cheap tickets to explore the rest of Asia. I realized that it was then or never. 

I wasn’t going to keep waiting for someone to come travel. Or for someone to give me permission to embark on solo adventures. I hate to state the obvious but our lives are short and the time we have on this Earth is precious. As we all know it, life gets in the way. We’ve all had those trips we’ve dreamed of taking with our friends for years and they haven’t happened yet, right? And despite your family or friends having your best interest in heart and being worried about you globetrotting with only me, myself and I, those concerns will ultimately keep you from doing what you really want to do.  

Solo travel means to me that you feel the fear and do it anyway. It means challenging yourself by stepping out of your comfort zone by experiencing new cultures, places and situations. And as a result, you grow and learn so much about yourself and the world around you. 

My biggest teachings and wins from solo travel are how it has allowed me to be more in tune with my authentic self. It has taught me to be confident and brave and that I’ve always had everything I needed within myself. 

Gabby from Office Escape Artist

When I graduated from college, I signed up for some travel deal sites. I finally had the time and money to explore and I wanted to start immediately! Whenever an unbeatable travel deal rolled through, I texted my closest friends to see if I could get somebody to go with me. Usually, someone would say they were interested but, without fail, everyone would back out when it was time to pull out credit cards.  I was sick of always waiting on my friends. When a deal to Iceland rolled around I booked on my own without the charade of asking my friends if they were interested. My trip to Iceland was amazing and I’ve been a solo traveler ever since. 

I’ve been to 14 countries and nearly all of them have been solo trips. Traveling with someone is great, but solo travel is uniquely special. For one, I find that I make more friends when I travel alone. Perhaps most importantly, however, is that solo travel means you can be un-apologetically selfish. You get to decide what you do literally every moment of the day. Sleep in, wake up early to catch a run, go to that quirky restaurant, eat at the bar down the street, take the tour you’ve always dreamed of, whatever – there is no one to tell you no, no one to compromise with.

Since I started traveling solo, I’ve found that I’m more confident and independent. I know I can conquer the problems I face because I’ve learned how to face them alone when I adventure independently. Solo travel is awesome and I firmly believe everyone should try it at least once. 

Em from That Travelista

Shortly after quitting my corporate job I planned an epic South America backpacking trip with my sister. But mere days before departure, we had a falling out. I definitely wasn’t prepared to do the trip solo, so I canceled it. I felt heartbroken, and I never again wanted to be held back from a dream trip because I had no one to go with. So I decided to make my next trip a solo trip to a destination I felt more comfortable in alone. After that next trip, I learned not only that I could solo travel, but that I enjoyed solo travel. Now, I’ve been solo traveling ever since!

For me, particularly as a woman, and especially as one of color, solo travel means empowerment. In the past, my travel dreams were always met with responses like “You should find a boyfriend, then you can travel safely”. Or “No one will look like you there, so you’ll be a target if you go alone.” Whenever I now travel solo, I feel empowered as I live out proof that I don’t need to wait for others in order to follow my dreams.

Of course, travel is never free of risks, and I do my due diligence before I head somewhere new. But we should remember that life in general is never free of risks, either. Solo travel has taught me that “the greatest risk of all is spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can do it later.” And that’s a risk I’m absolutely not willing to take!

Shalini from Shalzmojo Blog

For my birthday in March 2017, I decided to take a trip to Fort Kochi in Kerala to attend the Art Biennale that had been on my list for a long time, mostly because I hadn’t found company for this. I decided to do it on my own and now I can tell you it was the best thing I gifted to myself.

When it came to planning the travel and itinerary, I had all the freedom in the world to decide which flights to pick and where to stay. It was the same with the things to do and where to eat. No pandering to another person’s whims and fancies. I discovered resourcefulness in me that I didn’t know existed. I learnt I could troubleshoot unexpected hitches in my plans as and when they cropped up. And I was okay if things didn’t pan out as they were supposed to be.

Travelling solo can bring about a bout of loneliness, especially at meal times. But I learnt to smile at strangers in a cafe, join in conversation around me and generally could make friends very easily. I guess on travels, people are comfortable to open up and share their time and gossip with fellow travelers. Being solo let me give into my childish pleasures as there was no one around to judge me. I ended up participating in a workshop, that otherwise would be deemed silly by most.

I guess this last bit was my biggest win as I realized I depended too much on other’s opinions and would let them dictate things to me.

Or from My Path in the World

I haven’t traveled alone a lot, but a few times were enough for me to want to keep doing it. Right before booking my first solo trip, I was closing the door on a chapter in my life that was no longer positive for me, so I felt extremely free and brave. I decided to spend a month in Madrid and learn Spanish at a local language school. I got to meet people from all over the world, see the non touristy Madrid and learned that I could take care of myself when I needed to. Also, I’ve learned that going on ‘out of the box’ adventures is an absolute must for every person because we all need to step outside our little bubble every once in a while.

Beyond all the lessons solo travel can teach you, there’s also something irreplaceable about having complete freedom. I always travel with people that are on the same page as me, but having full control over what my trip will look like is AMAZING. Deciding exactly what to include on my itinerary, where to eat, where to stop spontaneously, and for how long – it’s just liberating.

I know solo travel can seem scary at first. And maybe it won’t be your cup of tea, which is fine. But I think everyone should try it at least once in their life!

Victoria from Guide Your Travel

My first real solo trip was to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I had traveled alone before but never for such a long time. I was going to be by myself for almost four months which was definitely a challenge. In the beginning it wasn’t easy.

It can be hard to actually leave your hotel room if there is no one to motivate you. Many places seemed less exciting to me if I was seeing them by myself. I felt scared to plan everything and found myself cutting sightseeing excursions short because I just didn’t have the courage to go to some places alone. Eating in restaurants was especially tricky. I always felt as though everyone was staring at me. Being in a country like Malaysia where I naturally stood out as a foreigner didn’t help of course.

But after a few weeks everything suddenly clicked. I felt new bursts of energy and motivation. I set myself a list of things I wanted to see or do that day and then did every single one of them. No excuses. By actually going through with what I planned every single day I soon lost my fear of doing things alone. I actually started to look forward to it. In the end I found it hard to return to travelling with others. And now I can proudly say that I love solo travel and I could do it again any time I want.

Bisola from Bis to the World

My first solo trip was to Thessaloniki in 2018. I had planned to go with my friend but a week before our trip she messaged me to say she couldn’t go anymore. In that moment I had a choice to make. Let go of the amazing flight deal I had found or just go anyway but by myself. I chose the latter and it was the best decision I could’ve made.  Since then, I have done three more solo trips to Bordeaux, Rotterdam and Amsterdam and I promised to take at least one solo trip every year.

Travelling alone has been incredibly rewarding for me and isn’t something I plan to stop doing, even when I’m married with children! There’s a certain freedom that comes with travelling alone, with making your own decisions, doing what you want, that just can’t be matched! I’ve learnt that being alone and being lonely are very different. The fear of loneliness is one of the biggest things stopping people from solo travel. I’ve learned just how much I LOVE my own company and being able to be selfish with my travel. I’ve learned independence and just how capable and confident I am to navigate the world.

One of my biggest wins has been meeting amazing people through my solo travels. I even met a Greek man who had lived in Nigeria for most of his life while I was sitting by the beach in Thessaloniki. It was such an unexpected but unforgettable experience. 

Kanupriyaa from My Lost Camel

Having seen my mom traveling solo since I was a kid I always grew up with a strong belief that women traveling solo is one of the most empowering experiences. I have now been traveling solo for more than five years in Africa, India and Mexico to name a few places. And I thoroughly enjoy it. The one thing that has blossomed in me while traveling solo is the confidence in myself that I can do anything.

Before my recent solo trip to Mexico almost all of my friends questioned my decision. They pointed to the fact that women shouldn’t travel solo which is in itself sexist and extremely harmful. I have heard from friends that they would never let their daughters travel solo and this is the mentality that I aim to shatter for good.

It was then that I decided that I would start my solo travel blog to show how wonderful an experience it is. I truly believe that you do not know what you are capable of until you are in a foreign country all alone and have only yourself to make all your decisions. From getting stuck in a Mexican jungle to making friends from all over the world I have cultivated a deep self confidence while traveling solo.

The independence to travel on whim wherever the wind may take you should be the right for every woman in the world. Now I am embarking on my biggest dream yet. Making my travel blog into a full time business so I can keep traveling solo for as long as my wild heart wants.

Lauren from Pack and Paint

One of the best things I’ve learnt as a solo traveler is to never stay within your comfort zone. After years of travelling alone around super Westernized countries, I was craving challenge. For months, photos of Morocco were popping up all over social media. These snaps of Marrakech, Chefchaouen and the Sahara Desert fueled something inside me that I just couldn’t ignore. So I booked a trip.  

I listened as concerned friends and colleagues expressed their worries. Apparently, Morocco was unsafe for solo female travelers. However, I wasn’t embarking on this trip with no knowledge and I was determined. Landing in Morocco, I had mixed feelings. What if they are right? Have I just made a massive mistake?  However, the next day my worries eased. After exploring the chaotic city of Marrakech for the day with a new friend, I gained the confidence to head out alone. For two weeks, I haggled in the souks, camped overnight in the Sahara Desert, treated myself to a spa day at La Mamounia and discovered as much of the country as I could.  

There were times I felt uncomfortable. Getting followed back to my Riad in Fez was NOT fun. However, it is important to note that my positive experiences far outweigh the negative. Despite being a more difficult country for traveling solo, Morocco fast became my favorite destination. Had I listened to everyone who told me I was making a mistake; I never would have taken this incredible trip. I never would have made the unforgettable memories that I did and I would have felt regret for the rest of my life. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone became one of the best things I ever did.  

Should I travel by myself?

See that’s the beauty of traveling solo. You’re still never really by yourself as many of these stories show. It can feel that way before you actually get on your trip. But soon you’ll be meeting other travelers, locals and making new friends around the world. So if you’re worried about being by yourself all the time, DON’T! Take group tours, stay in hostels, join expat groups if you’re traveling for a long time. But should you take a solo trip? You bet you should. I recently wrote about why everyone should solo travel at least once in their life. This might give you some great reasons to consider taking your first solo trip. Don’t let opportunities pass you by even if you end up traveling alone.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What are some things you have learned from traveling solo? Are you inspired to book a solo trip for yourself?