Carli
Carli
There are many solo travel myths. However, as someone who has traveled through all 7 continents alone, I’m here to debunk and shed light on solo travel.
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Top Solo Travel Myths
Solo Travel Myths: Traveling alone is Lonely
One of the biggest solo travel myths is that traveling alone will be lonely. Sure solo travel can be lonely at times, but just because you go somewhere on your own doesn’t mean it stays that way.
Solo travel can mean joining an organized group trip on your own. This lets you try out a new destination with the safety net of others. The benefit of group trips is you’ll have a set itinerary with built in tours and transportation. As most trips are a week or longer, you are likely to make new friends over the course of the trip.
You can do day tours through Viator, GetYourGuide, or TripAdvisor. This is a great way to explore the area you are visiting with a local guide. You will also meet new people from all over the world for a few hours, or days, depending on the tour.
One key thing to keep in mind is you need to get out of your hotel/hostel/apartment in order to meet people while traveling. I love sitting at the bar of a restaurant while traveling alone. This is because you’re more likely to chat with the people around you. Hostels abroad will often have bars inside the hostel. Even if you aren’t staying there, it’s a great spot to meet other travelers.
And you can start a trip alone then have friends join at the end (or vice versa). I’ve done trips to Iceland and Morocco where I’ve traveled the first half alone, then had a friend from Paris meet me for the second half of the trip.
Basically, there’s no one way to solo travel.
It is Dangerous to Travel Alone
This should not come as a surprise but living in America is dangerous. There are pockets of crime to be found anywhere in the world. Statistically, I’m more likely to be killed by guns in America than a pickpocket in Barcelona.
Yes you need to be aware of your surroundings, but that should be the case whether you’re alone or in a group. You should research your destination and neighborhood of where you’re staying ahead of time. For example, Rome is well known for pickpocketing and scams from the Romani (Gypsy) community in the busy tourist areas around the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. This doesn’t mean you should avoid seeing these famous locations, but you should be alert to the people around you and keep your personal possessions close and secure.
Take appropriate precautions. If it makes you feel more comfortable, share your location with a friend or family member. When you go out at night, get taxis at night if walking doesn’t feel safe.
People who have never traveled to where you are going will tell you “a place is dangerous”, but this shouldn’t deter you from traveling. Do your research and use your best judgment. I’ve been to Mexico almost 10 times in my life, and twice solo, without any issues despite the multiple “warnings” about safety.
Solo Travel Myths: It is Expensive
Travel in itself is expensive whether you are alone or with a group. Yes it is more expensive to pay for everything on your own rather than split costs. That said, when you wait on your friends to confirm travel dates and see the price of flights or hotels jump hundreds of dollars, you’ll rethink group travel vs. solo travel. Also, when you are traveling alone you set the budget, so you don’t have to worry if your bougie friend will be unhappy with the accommodations you select.
Like any type of travel you can make solo travel as expensive or cheap as you want. For budget travel you can stay at a hostel. This is also a great way to meet other solo travelers.
If hostels aren’t for you, another way to save on accommodations is by staying at apartments. You can book these on VRBO, Booking.Com and Airbnb. This lets you not only have your own space but you can also make your own meals to save money.
A great way to travel for free (or nearly free) is with a travel credit card. You can accumulate points on your everyday spending habits and use those to book flights or hotels.
Traveling Alone is More Work
True, if you are traveling solo all the details are up to you to manage. However, this also means you have complete freedom over your trip. You can schedule dates that work for your schedule (even if it means a last minute trip) because you don’t need to coordinate with anyone else. Also, you get to set the itinerary. If you want to spend a whole weekend doing a fancy hotel staycation, live it up! Or you can spend a week in London visiting all the incredible (free) museums.
If you are not into setting up a whole trip or researching an itinerary you can hire a travel advisor or travel consultant. As stated above, you can join an organized group trip. This takes out all the planning, all you need to do is get from point A to point B.
For me, solo travel has been very liberating and gives me the freedom to travel where I want when I want. I highly recommend everyone travels alone (beyond work trips) at least once.
Additional posts on Solo Traveling
Still have questions about solo travel? Set up a solo travel consultation with me by emailing me info@adventureswithcarli.com
