Being a lone traveler can be a daunting experience. Most people are scared to get out of their comfort zone when travelling with friends and family, let alone by themselves. I do not normally travel the world alone anymore, one of the perks of being married. Having said this, there is plenty of fun to be had when traveling solo. Do it right and you will have a blast, but go unprepared you may find your trip to be lonely…
When one is a lone traveler, there are a lot of different variables to take into consideration. I have already told you about my solo adventures in Thailand, many, many moons ago. I have also explored Panama, Vegas and New York by myself, among other places. New York, was a bit easier since I was born close to the city, but each area/borough presented its own challenges and opportunities. Before I give you my tips on traveling solo, let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of being a lone traveler.
Advantages to Traveling Solo
You do What You Want
Want to get drunk and eat crickets all day in Thailand (who wouldn’t!)?, do it, nobody will be there to stop you. Want to sleep in? Play poker until 4 AM? It’s your time. There are no compromises. You eat what you want, go where you want, and get as in as much trouble as you want. Travelling Solo creates an interesting freedom. Sometimes too much freedom can get you in trouble, but hey, I am still breathing. It’s nice when the only one making decisions is you (I love you, honey!).
You Can Meet New People Easier
When travelling with a partner, meeting others isn’t a priority. Don’t get me wrong, we have met some great people when travelling together, but you are almost forced to talk to people when travelling solo. Either that or not have a conversation for a week or two. Play your cards right and your trip alone can be spent with a large slew of different characters from all over the world.
Nobody there to Judge
As I mentioned earlier, you can do what you want. One side benefit to this is no one is there to rat on you. If you’re in Croatia and you run around buck naked, unless you end up on YouTube (or another type of website) no one will be the wiser. There is something liberating about having (almost) no consequences. Do what you want, just stay off Facebook (…make that all social media).
You get To Know Yourself
Probably the thing I like best about being a lone traveler is I get to talk to my favorite person all day…myself (Well, really my second favorite person, my favorite is my wife). Talking to yourself and being alone with your thoughts gives one perspective on what they want and like. We spend too few moments by ourselves, when we aren’t stressing over work. Being a lone traveler gives you time in alone in a relaxed environment.
I could go on, but let me take you to some of the negatives of travelling solo.
Disadvantages of Travelling Solo
You’re Alone
I know you’re thinking “no sh*t, I am travelling alone.” If you have never done it before, you have no idea how lonely a week alone can be for a person. Unless you meet/make some friends, doing everything by yourself can get strange. I found myself looking for things to do on more than one occasion when travelling by myself. Eating every meal by yourself can be a bit different as well. Meals go a lot quicker when there isn’t a conversation between bites.
Cell phones with good calling plans certainly help, but for the most part you’re on your own. No one to talk about the museum, no one to shop with; the whole experience can put you out of your comfort zone…
You also don’t have anyone to share the memories from your journey. Let’s face it, no one really cares about your vacation except for the people who went. Scrolling through pictures, no one will truly appreciate the moments you had by yourself.
Safety is more of a Concern
I think traveling for the most part is safe, but, being alone makes it a bit more dangerous. If I am alone and go missing my first night in Istanbul, no one would have known I was gone for a while. Being a solo traveler may make you more of a target, since you have no one actively watching your back…
You May Find Yourself with A lot of Time on Your Hands
You would be surprised just how quickly a trip to a monument or museum can be when you’re by yourself. When you don’t have anyone to talk to, you kind of rush through things.
The same could be said about meals or drinks. For me, sitting in one spot by myself too long makes me antsy. At first, I couldn’t even sit and enjoy a drink without planning my next move; I would constantly be searching for another thing to do and not able to enjoy the moment.
Travelling alone can be daunting, but there are certain things you can do to make it easier on yourself.
Tips for Being a Lone Traveler
Pick Your Destination Carefully
I personally couldn’t imagine sitting on a beach all by myself, all day every day. There only so many waves I can watch roll in. You have a lot of time on your hands when travelling solo, you will feel this 10-fold if you’re sitting in a chair all day. My advice is to pick a bigger place, with a lot of activities. Big cities, with history around every corner that are easily walk-able. You will notice time flies by a lot quicker if you are on the move. This also goes for your hotel, keep it in the center of the action rather than on the outskirts. Traveling an hour to get to the best attractions is not ideal, you want activities at your fingertips.
In addition, you want to pick a place in which people speak your language, at least OK. English is spoken throughout the world, but in some countries it is spoken better than others. I think I spoke broken English for 5-days in Thailand, until I met some people from the states.
Picking a place in which it is easy to meet people is also a plus. It wasn’t hard to make friends in Thailand (that’s what I call them anyway)… If that isn’t your cup of tea, even places like Vegas are good (especially if you’re a gambler). In my younger days, I could spend hours at a poker table. The days would go by a lot quicker when I was sitting at a table with other people.
Choosing your living arrangements wisely can also help you meet people. I heard hostels are a good place to meet people, although after watching the movies I am not too sure. I have only stayed in a hostel one time and had my fill, but to each his own.
Safety Needs to Be #1 Priority
As mentioned, traveling for the most part is safe, but it would be irresponsible to say there are no dangers. Whether it is someone trying to do you physical harm, a scam, or a clam that was bought on the side of the road, the risks are real. Traveling solo can make you a bigger target. I have written an entire post on having a safe trip, but I will recap and add on to it.
First, you probably shouldn’t get too drunk in most foreign places. Vegas might feel more comfortable to get loaded in, but you still need to keep your wits about you. Drink if you would like, but not in excess.
Secondly, make copies of your passport and other important documents. Leave them with someone at home and take some copies with you. I recommend keeping your passport in the hotel safe until needed, only carry around the copies.
Going back to the first point, pick your location carefully, especially if it’s your first trip alone. Maybe going to Bagdad is not the best choice for your first trip abroad. Although, I hear it is lovely this time of year. If you’re a seasoned traveler, there can be exceptions…
Lastly, research any and all scams in the area you are going in. I avoided a shady taxi cab ride in Bangkok, because of some simple research. Every tourist hot spot has its scam, know how to avoid them in advance..
Have a Plan When Traveling the World Alone
When traveling solo you need a plan. You don’t need a strict itinerary, but you do need a list of things you want to do, see, and eat. The worst feeling is sitting there thinking, where to now? Have the main things you want to see, but remember the time it takes to do something is much shorter when traveling alone.
Even if it is something as small as walking down a famous street to some monument, make a list and add it to it. Your list should be so big you couldn’t possibly complete it. The point of it is, when you are sitting there alone with your thoughts and the conversation is dragging, you want ideas on the forefront.
Take A Test Run
Before traveling the world alone, pick a city close by to explore. If you can’t stand being a lone traveler when you are by yourself for a weekend, then maybe you will want to rethink that two-week stint in Germany. Being a lone traveler isn’t for everyone, it is better to find out after a short period.
Even if you can’t go too far, try being a tourist in your home town. If you live close to a major city, spend the day, by yourself walking the streets and exploring. This will help you shake off any mistakes when traveling solo in a bigger location.
Use the Internet
There are plenty of websites out there that can help you come in contact with other lone travelers. Since meeting new people is one reason why we travel, this looks like a good way. I personally have never done this, but I have researched it and using sites like Meetup.com could be your best bet. Safety is once again a consideration, so don’t use a shady message board.
Backpages is probably not be the best place to organize a trip in another country, unless you like to sleep in the trunks of cars..
Conclusion on Being a Lone Traveler
Traveling the world alone or even traveling solo in a familiar city is not as easy as some people believe, but it can be amazing. If you haven’t traveled solo before, it will be something to get used to; having written that, it is a rewarding and exciting experience. Take the advice above, expect some down times, enjoy your solitude, you just might find yourself…in addition, to a new place…
