The Benefits of Solo Travel

The papers and the TV are full of adverts to whisk you off to the sun, snow or maybe there was a place you always wanted to visit. Now you are on your own or your partner is unable to travel, just how do you achieve that ambition? The Benefits of Solo Travel

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To the iniated there’s nothing like the freedom of travelling on your own, setting out solo and returning home after your journey with a special sense of independence and accomplishment. But just because you’re going to solo doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Group travel can be a great option for single travellers to meet new friends with similar interests while you travel solo!

As solo travel trends continue to grow, many who have never travelled solo have their reservations. Will it be lonely? Costly? Travel has changed and the world is full of people who feel just like you. A number of companies and independent travel advisors can make sure that you choose the trip that is right for you. It might be best to fi nd tours or events aimed at solo travelers. That way you will not be confronted with a group of couples or even people a long way from your age and interest bracket.

People refuse to travel alone based on four major fears, which are completely avoidable: solo travellers don’t make friends, the single supplement expense is unavoidable, solo travel is dangerous and it’s boring. Holding back from solo travel based on these fears is a mistake. Based on my own experiences, and after several conversations with other solo travelers, I’ve found these common misconceptions don’t have to turn into your reality. Here’s why.

You’ll make connections to other people along the way Sure, you may have left your home alone. But

that doesn’t mean you won’t make friends. You might experience pangs of loneliness, but that instinct will naturally drive you toward people. If you ache for conversation, chances are you’ll fi nd it. Much like your fi rst day of school? At fi rst, you probably didn’t want to let go of your mum’s hand, but when 4pm arrived, she had to drag you out of the sandpit.

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The same concept applies to solo travel. Good solo tours are specifi cally designed to encourage communal interaction. You will tour, eat and drink around other travellers.

You won’t pay more to go alone... To avoid the single supplement in hotel rooms shop around with your advisor before you buy pre-planned trips. Sometimes you can negotiate to pay no single extras or on tours share with a same sex person. Often you can end up in a room of your own. If you are travelling independently then booking in to a prefered hotel after 5pm on the day often gets a better rate if they are not full. Don’t try this before checking availability for your dates a few weeks before. It certainly will not work when any festival etc is on!

The tour guide has your back Like anything in life, travel, and travelling alone, has risks. But group travel on a tour, especially for older travellers means

“...group travel on a tour, especially for older travellers means your confidence levels will be high”

camera around your neck when you’re in transit on public transport. That makes you a bull’s-eye for thieves. Travel writer Chuck Thompson, who wrote To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism (Holt Paperbacks, 2009) agrees. “Don’t wander into stupid situations. If you have any flicker of doubt about somebody’s intentions, bail out.” Thompson says of all the countries he’s visited, he only had reservations about travelling alone in the Congo. To most people the Congo is not on a ‘bucket’ list anyhow.

your confi dence levels will be high. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take sensible precautions. Let your friends and family in on your travel plans and update them via text messages, emails, etc. en route. If you use them, take out your earphones and pay attention. Carry copies of your passport and driver’s license. And don’t wear a huge It’s near impossible to get bored A tour is usually the opposite to this, most people wish for more time in a place not less. Sometimes it is best to let your advisor know what is really important to you to see or experience. They may fi nd a way or a tour that gives more time in a place that holds a special place in your heart. n