But solo travel also generates anxiety — particularly for first-timers. Will I be lonely? Will I be safe? Will I enjoy my own company for days on end? These concerns are legitimate, and they keep many people from experiencing one of travel’s greatest pleasures. Here’s how to address them practically.
The Benefits of Traveling Alone
Complete freedom. You decide where to go, when to wake up, what to eat, when to move on. There’s no negotiation, no compromise, no waiting for someone else to get ready. This freedom is intoxicating and, once experienced, makes group travel feel constrained by comparison.
More interaction with locals and other travelers. A couple or group is a closed unit — people are less likely to approach you. A solo traveler is approachable. You’ll have more conversations with strangers, more spontaneous invitations, and more genuine interactions than you ever would traveling with others.
Self-reliance. When something goes wrong — and something always goes wrong — you solve it yourself. Missed train, lost wallet, wrong hotel: these are problems you handle, and handling them builds a quiet confidence that persists long after the trip ends.
You learn who you are when no one is watching. This sounds like a cliché because it’s true. Traveling alone strips away the roles you play at home and leaves you with yourself. Some people find this uncomfortable for the first few days, then liberating. The discomfort is part of the process.
Safety: Practical, Not Paranoid
Solo travel safety is largely about the same precautions you’d take in an unfamiliar city at home, applied consistently.
Share your itinerary. Someone at home should know where you’re supposed to be each day. A shared Google Doc or a daily check-in message is sufficient. This isn’t paranoia — it’s basic contingency planning.
Trust your instincts. If a situation, a place, or a person feels wrong, leave. You don’t need to justify it. You don’t need to be polite. Your subconscious processes far more information than your conscious mind — if something feels off, it probably is.
Learn the local scams before you go. Every tourist destination has predictable scams targeting visitors. A five-minute Google search before your trip — “common scams in [destination]” — prepares you to recognize them. The most common scams are variations on a few themes: the friendly stranger who guides you to a specific shop, the taxi driver who claims your hotel is closed, the person who “finds” a gold ring near you and offers to share the value.
Stay in well-reviewed accommodations in safe neighborhoods. This costs slightly more than the cheapest available option and is worth every penny. Hostels are excellent for solo travelers — they’re safe, affordable, and inherently social. Read recent reviews (not just overall ratings) for any accommodation before booking.
Keep your phone charged and carry a backup power bank. A dead phone in an unfamiliar city at night is a genuinely dangerous situation. A fully charged power bank eliminates this risk entirely. Charge both your phone and the power bank every night.
Don’t announce that you’re traveling alone. If asked by a stranger, you’re meeting a friend, or your partner is back at the hotel, or you’re on your way to join a group. This is a small, harmless fiction that eliminates a vulnerability.
Loneliness: Expected and Manageable
Solo travel inevitably includes moments of loneliness. This is normal — it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong or that solo travel isn’t for you. Loneliness on the road is usually temporary, situational, and fixable.
Stay in social accommodations. Hostels, guesthouses with common areas, and small hotels where the owner lives on-site are inherently more social than large chain hotels where guests pass each other anonymously in elevators. Even if you prefer private rooms, choose accommodations with communal spaces.
Join structured activities. Walking tours, cooking classes, day trips, and group hikes are natural ways to meet people. Book at least one group activity in each destination. The common experience provides immediate conversation material.
Eat at the bar. Solo dining at a table can feel exposed. Eating at the bar or counter of a restaurant is more comfortable — you’re facing the kitchen or the bartender rather than an empty chair, and bartenders are often excellent sources of local recommendations.
Schedule regular calls home. A brief video call with family or friends every few days provides connection without undermining the independence of solo travel. Schedule these rather than calling spontaneously — it gives you something to look forward to without creating dependency.
Embrace the solitude. Some of the best moments of solo travel are the quiet ones: reading in a park, writing in a journal at a café, watching a sunset alone. These moments aren’t failures of social connection — the
Practical First-Timer Advice
Start with an easy destination. For your first solo trip, choose a destination with excellent tourist infrastructure, widespread English, and a reputation for safety. Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Iceland are excellent first solo travel destinations.
Book your first two nights in advance. Knowing where you’re sleeping when you arrive eliminates the most stressful variable. After that, you can be spontaneous.
Plan one activity per day. A single anchor — a museum, a walk, a tour — gives the day structure without over-scheduling. Leave the rest of the day open for wandering and discovery.
Bring a book, a journal, or both. The moments between activities — waiting for food, riding a train, sitting in a park — are when solo travel feels most solitary. A book makes these moments feel intentional rather than empty. A journal gives you a companion to process the experience with.
Solo travel is not for everyone, and it’s not for every trip. But it’s for more people than actually try it, and the fear that keeps people from going alone almost always proves to be larger in anticipation than in reality.