12 Amazing Benefits Of Travelling Alone

If you are considering travelling solo but not sure if it’s for you, then read on for a long list of incredible benefits of travelling alone.

You’ve got to try it out at least once in your life and you may end up doing it again and again once you’ve got the knack! Plus, you don’t have to be alone for long if you don’t want to.

However, it’s amazing to know you can be independent and take care of yourself.

Sometimes our personal circumstances can lead us to solo travel. Perhaps our friends with kids and partners can no longer travel with us, or some can’t afford a holiday this year.

Don’t let that put you off travelling. Instead, think about how you can plan to travel safely and confidently alone, so you don’t miss out on a holiday altogether.

If you already work from home alone, you’ll have gained valuable skills and awareness around planning and organising your time. You will also be used to your own company too, so apply that learning for solo travel. Read on for some amazing benefits of travelling alone.

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1. You can do your own thing

That’s right, no-one to answer to or please. You can eat when you like. Visit the touristy sites or don’t. Sleep in or wake up early. Stay a bit longer. Take your time.

This has to be the key benefit of travelling alone. Just do your own thing, when and as you please.

2. Meet new people

Travelling alone opens you up to meeting new people on your travels. When you travel with a partner or a friend you can end up just in your pair, with no need to rely on or chat with others. So you miss out on making new connections.

But when you are travelling alone, you will feel more inclined to chat with people and they to you.

Groups, pairs or other solo travellers may notice you and ask if you want company. You should also be brave and approach others too.

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3. Try new things

If you ever feel self-conscious trying new things around family or friends, then this is your time to go for it with no unsolicited feedback!

You may have wanted to try new activities for years but held back because of friends not wanting to try the same things. Or maybe you just don’t want an audience and travelling alone can give you a great sense of anonymity.

4. Enjoy the ‘me’ time

If you feel you are always rushed off your feet, juggling work and home life, and never get any time for yourself, here’s your chance.

You can read books on your travels or on the beach. You can take time with your meals and enjoy lie ins. Or you can simply enjoy some peace and quiet.

5. Try an activity holiday

One way to overcome doubts about solo travel is to join a group activity trip. You could try scuba-diving, a yoga retreat, or a writing workshop trip. You will start alone but end up in a group and could make lasting friendships.

There are lots of websites offering individuals to sign up for group holidays or activity trips. You can learn a new skill or develop one you already have a passion for.

6. Save money

You might not save money on your accommodation, as you can’t share that cost (unless you are doing a group holiday and sharing a room). But there are plenty of other ways you could save money, because you won’t have to consider others and can budget accordingly.

You won’t have to go to fancy restaurants or take part in touristy activities you don’t even fancy. You might want to stay in more budget accommodation that your friends wouldn’t like.

Research where other solo travellers like to stay in the location you’re headed to.

7. Get to know yourself

Many of us never really get the time or opportunity to get to know ourselves. This is the time for self-reflection and self-discovery.

You could learn a lot about yourself, your resilience and your courage if you take the step and travel solo. You may learn new likes and dislikes you hadn’t considered before.

8. Have stories to tell

Imagine how many stories you will have to tell on your return.

You can share your experiences with friends and family and inspire them too. Or you can share your images or write about your trip. You will have plenty to talk about!

Travelling alone is definitely character building and will give you rich experiences.

9. Enjoy a confidence boost

You will see how you can manage alone and rely on yourself, not others. It will be a great boost to your self confidence when you travel solo successfully.

The benefits of travelling alone will even help you in other areas of life and have a lasting effect. You will know how to prepare and mitigate problems in other areas of your life too.

10. Improve your problem solving skills

You will need to learn to navigate situations alone such as planning your trip, getting from the airport to your accommodation, local transport and so on. You can use local resources as well as your guidebook and phone.

Try to research maps and travel systems in advance. As before, these types of problem solving skills will be well applied when the trip is over and you’re back home too.

11. Learn a language

As you will be travelling solo, you will likely need to make more of an effort if you are in a non-English speaking country. When we travel with others, we can rely on them or be lazy about learning the language and muddle through.

But this is an opportunity to finally learn a new language and use it. If you are as poor at learning languages as I am, consider learning about the skills around language learning first (if you have time) as there are some clever techniques.

12. Learn about other cultures

It can be easy to be lazy when travelling with others and miss out on opportunities to learn more about local culture. But when you travel alone, you are likely super motivated to have gone to that country in the first place.

Use this time to learn more about the country and people you are visiting. Make sure you ask the locals at your accommodation for plenty of tips on local sites and food recommendations.

Experience the benefits of travelling alone for yourself!

As with anything, do take care and play it safe too. Choose your location and accommodation well and let people know where you are going.

Keep your phone charged and money split across you e.g. some in your pocket and some in your bag. Have fun and reap the benefits of travelling alone.

And as a separate note, if you have mum friends that are outright jealous of the fact you can travel alone and are preparing to travel with their little ones, please share my posts on taking your baby on holiday and travelling with toddlers to help them through their even more challenging ways to travel!