I love that I’m doing this post on Valentine’s Day/Singles Awareness Day. (If you’re single, you can join me in making 炸醬麵/자장면 [Fried Sauce Noodles]!)
Whether you’re single or attached, traveling alone can be an amazing experience, but there’s definitely a cost/benefit ratio!
The Pros and Cons to Traveling Alone
Pros
Independence
For serious. You have all the flexibility and freedom in the world to do whatever you want whenever you want to, and you don’t have to take anything/anyone else’s “agenda” into consideration. The world is your oyster! (Or as I like to say, ‘The world is your pizza,’ since I can’t eat oysters.)
2384320948724x better than traveling with inconsiderate/travel-incompatible people
I’ve unfortunately had this experience before and would like to not revisit it other than to say…never again. It is all sorts of frustrating and can completely ruin the entire vacation/trip.
Make new friends
Hostels can be a great place to meet new people. The one I stayed at in Asheville was awesome, and I’m still in contact with one of the friends I made there today!
Leave your comfort zone
When you’re on your own, you’re generally more inclinced to leave your comfort bubble and to push yourself to go on out there and possibly do things you wouldn’t normally do.
For instance, this:
Soul searching
All that time alone gives you a space to be introspective, think through things, and learn something new about yourself.
Cons
Safety
One of the biggest worries is safety, especially if you’re female and traveling alone. (I wish this wasn’t the case.) There were a number of things I wanted to do that I ended up deciding against…for instance:
- Salsa night (I reallyyy miss salsa, but the buses didn’t run too late and I didn’t want to walk the streets super late)
- Hiking crazy/super challenging trails (you should probably never hike alone, especially on trails like the ones I’d wanted to go on–better to be safe than sorry, so I took the more populated/less challenging ones, e.g. Diamond Head, Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail, Lanikai Pillboxes*)
*The photo for this post is my view from the first pillbox! :]
Separation anxiety with your stuff
There’s also no one to watch your stuff, so you can either carry it all with you, leave it somewhere hopefully-safe, or carry just the super important stuff with you. I packed pretty minimally and used my FlipBelt/SLS3 Belt to carry the essentials (e.g. phone, credit cards, keys, ID).
(For the record, this isn’t a sponsored post, but I did win one of each of those in giveaways! :O )
More expensive (usually)
No one to split expenses with!
But there’s Airbnb, hostels, Groupon, Yelp and facebook deals, newbie deals to be had everywhere! (See my post on traveling on the cheap–it’s about Hawai’i specifically, but lots of the tips could apply elsewhere!)
It can get lonely
I’ve gotten so used to being on my own that this wasn’t really an issue, but it is a very real possibility–sometimes it’s fun to just have someone to share experiences with.
I was lucky in that I did have one friend who lived there that I got to hang out with on the weekend, but there are meetup groups, hostels, etc. Just be friendly (but also be smart/safe)–I will admit, I’ve done a couple things that could be questionable in terms of safety (e.g. getting into the car of someone I’d met the day before, leaving some of my things unattended at the place where I was staying), but all in all, it’s been okay!
Pictures are hard to take
I’ve never been much for selfies, and would’ve loved to get some pictures of certain places I visited with me actually in the picture, but I also had this paranoia that if I lent my camera (also my phone/aka lifeline) to anyone to take the picture and they tried running away with it, that’d make life a little difficult. (I suppose there’s always the self timer, but in certain places that I visited, that wasn’t really feasible.)
- Have you ever traveled on your own?
- Where’s a place you’d want to travel to?
Check out my other Travel Tuesday posts!
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There’s definitely trades off either way! I would love to experience traveling alone, but I also know I would want someone who “knows” me, with me too!
Yeah, having an awesome travel buddy would definitely be ideal, but if travel includes having to spend inordinate amounts of time with very taxing people, I’d much rather go it alone!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I’ve been in large debate on traveling to Japan by myself. On one hand, new experiences and such. The other, I have experienced friends who could probably show me where the better stuff to do/see is at. I’ll figure it out one day.
Best of luck to you on that decision! :O I’m sure you’ll have fun either way though! :] Enjoy all that delicious food for me!!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I’ve done some smaller trips alone, but not a big one. It’s def preferable to traveling with people you don’t vibe with… that’s the worst!!!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…14 Ways to Spread to Love Anyday!
I’ve never traveled out of the country alone–not sure if it’s something I would do! (I’d probably consider it in a country where I spoke the language though!)
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
You are so brave! The safety thing brings me big fear- this is definitely a challenge for me. I do love alone time, but traveling alone hasn’t happened in a long time, other than to a conference! With 4 kids, I seem never to get much alone time!
Barrie recently posted…Want to Eat Healthier & Make it Easier?
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That’s totally understandable! Having kids would definitely make that a whole lot more difficult! I hope you do get to have some down time every here and there though!
Haha this is legit Valentine’s day related post .
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Oh, I try! hahaha :P
My dream is to travel outside of the country alone. Everyone is nervous about my dream adventure other than me. I love this pros and cons list. You made me think about tons of stuff I didn’t realize like taking pictures alone, that might be hard to overcome lol. Great post-Farrah! Happy Valentine’s Day :) OMG I didn’t know you can Hula Farrah! You are great; I want to learn.
I’d be somewhat nervous about it, but it’d also be so exciting! That’s something I’d definitely consider doing in a country where I could speak the language! :P
Aww, thank you! <3! I miss it so much!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
i have attended conferences alone but traveling to a new place for a vacation, not yet.
dixya @food, pleasure, and health recently posted…Nepali Style Thukpa
Ah, conferences! I haven’t been to one in ages but might make it out to one sometime this year!!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I’ve only ever really travelled for business on my own – but even then it’s only a day trip where I leave Sydney early in the morning and get home in the evening.
I don’t know if I’d do well travelling on my own for longer though, haha. I need company and I don’t drive so Jesse is always the one who drives when we travel so we can explore different places :P
Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Random Ramblings: Where NOT To Do Yoga
Quick day trips are awesome! :] + having awesome company is definitely nice! I think part of why I enjoy alone-travels is partially because I’ve gotten so used to being on my own, haha. I’d love to get to travel with my close friends at some point though! (Somedayyyy…)
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I have not traveled alone. I can see the benefits but I have way too much anxiety to do it. I’ve gone places with just my sister though. She’s great at traveling, so I’d go anywhere with her.
ShootingStarsMag recently posted…Show Us Your Books: A Whole Lot of LGBT+ Fiction
That’s awesome! I think my brother would be an awesome travel buddy as well!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I travel alone for work frequently and while I’m a bit more adventurous about exploring on my own, I’m not at all adventurous about trying new things when I’m on my own.
Coco recently posted…Playing Running Tour Guide In Washington D.C.
I feel ya! I’m somewhat more adventurous on some things but I also play it safe on others!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I can see the good and bad of each situation. I personally prefer to have someone to travel with mostly for safety reasons. But I think it’s great for people to travel alone sometimes. It makes you get out of your comfort zone!
Kaylin@EnticingHealthyEating recently posted…Frozen Fruit Salad Cups
I feel ya on the safety reasons! I would have so loved to go on the more dangerous/challenging hikes, but definitely didn’t want to chance it on my own!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
Single ladies UNITE! I would love to travel alone to a yoga retreat somewhere tropical! :) I have moved all over the country alone and moved to cities where I knew no one. Thankfully I have little Lucy, my rescue pup by my side as she has been so patient and loyal throughout my adventures. Great post! xoxo
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That sounds like it’d be so much fun! And hooray for rescue pets! <3 My rescue kitty's been with me through most of my moves over the past couple years and she definitely adds a whole lotta joy in my life! I'm hoping to get to adopt a dog someday too! :]!
I feel like traveling alone means that you make of your travel what you put into it. There is a lot of freedom, but there is indeed a loneliness. You have to embrace the freedom and mitigate the loneliness.
Susie @ Suzlyfe recently posted…How to Continue Your Running Education (+ Giveaway!)
Very true! I definitely tried to pack a ton of stuff into each day, but it was nice to give myself random lazy days as well! :]!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I love all of these; traveling alone does mean that I’m more willing to get out and meet other people, but I loved the safety of traveling with my brother and sister in Europe. We could watch each other’s backs especially when it comes to pick pockets.
Emily recently posted…Saying ‘No’ to the Food Police! (Podcast #4) – Nicole’s Story
That’s definitely part of why I wouldn’t want to travel to a foreign country alone–safety is a major concern!
Farrah recently posted…Cinnamon Apple Phyllo Tarts
I’ve never traveled alone as in gone to a destination alone and explored it all by myself. I have done the actual travel part alone but always been meeting up with family in the end destination. I have too many people, haha, there’s never really been a reason to travel completely alone. On trips that Angel couldn’t go on or wasn’t interested in, I was always with some part of my family.
And you’re so right about travel-incompatible people. You definitely have to know who you can travel with. Vacations with just me and Angel are totally the best, since we can do precisely what we want. I went on a trip with one of my sisters last year to Singapore and that was also perfect, because we also have very similar interests, tastes, and high energy travel personalities. Plus she’s the easy-going one while I’m the plan-everything one, so we make a good team. When you’re trying to travel with people who have very different vacation preferences it would add a lot of complications. There’s a few dear friends that I would NOT choose to travel with.
And having someone to watch your stuff/hold the camera is pretty nice. When we were in Hawaii we’d trade off times of being on the beach with the stuff and the camera and being out in the water with the SUP paddleboard or whatever we were renting at the moment. :P Teamwork!
I don’t know how I missed this comment–so sorry! :[!
That definitely sounds like fun! Having travel-compatible people makes the trip so much better (and travel-incompatible can completely ruin a trip :'( ). I definitely have a few close friends who I love and adore but would not want to travel with, haha. I’d love to travel with my brother sometime since we have most of the same preferences and like packing everything we can into each day (+ roughly the same fitness level, which helps too, ahah).
Having someone to watch stuff and take pictures definitely would’ve been awesome! That’s the one thing I missed the most on my Hawai’i trip, ahaha.
I’m a 100% solo traveller and totally agree with this post. Thanks for sharing!
Yay for solo travel! :]
I love having the flexibility when travelling alone, but I do get lonely. I find hostels are great to make new friends on the road, that and joining the odd group day tour, I usually find people with similar interests!
Agreed! Hostels are definitely my favorite way to travel when I’m traveling alone (or generally even if I’m with friends)! :]
There’s definitely pros to traveling alone, my favorite being you can do/see what you want! But it’s true sometimes it’s nice to have someone to share the experiences (& expenses) with!
That’s my favorite pro as well–all the freedom ever! :P
Great blog post! I travel alone and with others and agree that there are pros and cons to each! I love sharing moments with loved ones and also love the feeling of solo travel.
Same here! There’s definitely good arguments for both of em’! :]
I relate to this so much!! It felt really great to travel alone – I felt independent and empowered, but I definitely wished I could have shared my experiences with someone sometimes and taking pictures was a hassle haha.
Agreed! My guess is I’ll be doing a mix of this in the future–having travel-compatible friends is awesome, but if we’re not mutually free or don’t want to go to the same places, I’ll likely be peacing out on my own! :P
Travelling by yourself is amazing because it pushes you to make new friends, experience new things and discover new things about yourself too :) Great post to read!
Agreed! :] Many years later, I’m still friends with several of the people I randomly met while I was traveling on my own! :]
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: May 2020
This is a great insight into solo travel. To be honest, I’ve never really travelled on my own before. It’s definitely something I’d like to try in my lifetime, just for the experience and to see if I am brave enough to do it!
Hannah | https://getlost.blog/
I hope you get to sometime! It doesn’t hurt to start small (e.g. a long weekend trip)! :]
I I haven’t traveled solo yet but I really want to! Your post has done great advice! If I ever do get to travel solo I will re read this post.
Thank you! :] I hope you have lots of fun when you do!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: May 2020
Love your points on traveling alone, I travel solo few times and I only miss if someone would be with me to click photos ha ha!!
hahaha, right? If only… I’ve mainly been relying on the self-timer and the kindness of strangers. :P
This is an encouraging article! I have friends who have traveled together and came home not speaking to each other. So yes, solo travel is sometimes the best!
Sharon recently posted…Take a Virtual Tour of These Museums Any Time
Oh no!! That’s what I worry about! I’ve traveled with travel-incompatible friends before and it definitely put a strain on our friendship for a while. :/ Sometimes it’s hard to know until you go, so solo travel = all the freedom!
Farrah recently posted…Ultimate Coffee Date: May 2020
Love this post! So honest and nicely laid out..
Thank you! :]
This is a fantastic blog and you make some very valid points. There is nothing worse than traveling with someone who doesn’t want to do the same things you want to do. Sometimes traveling solo is just the way to go and it can be very enriching! Thanks for sharing your insight!
Aww, thank you! :] And definitely agreed–it can put such a huge strain on friendships! :/
I haven’t traveled much by myself but I do think it would be life changing. Great tips- saving this for later!!
Yay! I hope you have fun when/if you do! :]
Hi! Thanks for sharing! I can relate very much to what you wrote. I have been travelling for years on my own and I absolutely love it. But I also experienced some disadvantages, and I know, that travelling as a couple (friends or partners) is easier – as long as you are compatible with them, of course… But travelling solo takes me to another level and I face many challenges, that change me, that help me grow. I love to go to unknown places, enter a bar, go to a random table and say: ‘Hi, I’m Karo, I’m alone and I don’t know anybody here, can I join you’? And this is when the best stories begin… Keep going!
Travel-compatible friends are awesome, but I (sadly) don’t have as many of em’, so if they’re not available, I’d mch rather travel alone. I’ve gotten better about introducing myself to/meeting new people as a result of traveling alone too!
What a great post! I mainly do solo travel now that I’m divorced and although there are pros and cons I really enjoy it. I like that I can stick to a schedule that I want but taking photos is a lot harder!
I agree with you on the photos–I’m still trying to figure out a better solution for that right now, but for now, self-timer/selfies/asking random passersby have been mostly working out for me!
There are definitely pros and cons, but I think that everyone should travel alone at least once! It teaches you so much about who you are and who you want to be!
I definitely agree! :]
The only solo traveling I’ve done so far are work trips, but I’d love to take a solo trip just for me eventually! I’m super independent, so I really think I’d enjoy it. The freedom to go where I want when I want is very appealing!
I hope you get to sometime–it sounds like you’ll definitely like it! :]!
I love this! I’ve never travelled solo but I can fully understand it would be so hard taking photos haha! Great read!
haha, it’s a struggle! I’m still trying to devise a perfect method, but I doubt there really is one!
I get this completely haha! Travelling solo is great because you don’t have to make any compromises but the photo bit is hard. My new plan is to get to places super early if I know I want to take pictures so there won’t be many people around.
That’s what I try to do too! :P I like avoiding crowds whenever possible!
I have not traveled along, but lately, I am thinking I should try!
It was a lot of fun (especially if the alternative = with travel-incompatible people)! :]
Farrah recently posted…Cliff Palace Tour in Mesa Verde National Park
I loved your post as I have never read a post which gives pros and cons both for traveling alone. Generally people speak about pros or benefits of solo traveling. But it is great you showed the other part too.
Thanks! :] I like providing both sides to the picture!
I’m such a huge wimp! I don’t think I can ever travel alone. I mean, maybe if I met up with travel buddies or with a travel group. Does that count? hehe
hehe, that can still count! :] I was traveling alone last summer and made friends with people at a hostel/went to several places with them! :P
Farrah recently posted…Cliff Palace Tour in Mesa Verde National Park
Great post Farrah!
I do like travelling solo (and I think it is great to give it a try, especially for people who have never tried it.) But it is rubbish that it costs so much more when you can’t split costs. These days I rarely travel on my own, but I am glad to know that I can if my husband can’t join me for some reason.
Josy A recently posted…Trout Lake – Local Vancouver Walks
Thanks so much, Josy! :] I hate that it’s (usually) more expensive to travel solo, but the freedom is super nice! :]
Farrah recently posted…“鱼翅”汤 (Imitation Shark Fin Soup)
Indeed each way has its ups and downs! I love both, traveling with someone and traveling alone. But I will always choose to travel alone rather than traveling with someone I know the trip wouldn’t be 100% amazing. Now how should I tell my bestie that I love her but I wouldn’t ever go on a trip with her? haha
Oh absolutely! That’s the way I’d prefer it too–I definitely have a lot of really great friends that I know I’m just not travel-compatible with. Sadly, I haven’t figured how to tell them yet either–if you figure that out, please let me know too! :P
Great post and omg same here, I always have this fear someone will snatch my camera or phone and run haha. Luckily hasn’t happened yet
I’m glad it hasn’t! (Same for me but I’m always worried that it might!)
I love traveling solo, but I do also enjoy traveling with other people from time to time. You are right there are so many pros and cons to solo travel. I agree with 100% of the things you said. I’m glad you mentioned not having someone to watch your stuff, it’s such a simple thing, but really makes a difference. I rarely fly with anyone, even if I am traveling with someone we usually meet in the destination. About a year ago I did and it was amazing to be able to go the bathroom and the airport and not have to haul all my stuff in!
Elizabeth recently posted…5 Day NYC Itinerary: One Day in Each Borough
I’m with you there! I’ve gotten so used to traveling alone that it takes some adjusting when I travel with other people now, haha. I usually meet someone at the destination too so I can’t remember the last time I flew with someone, hehe.