As someone who’s been a passionate solo traveler for over a decade, I’ve come to find that there are some pretty incredible benefits of solo travel! If you’re scared to travel solo here’s why you should take the leap of faith.
Traveling alone is an intimidating thing to do. It has the bad rep of being dangerous and lonesome, and often a traveler can feel judged or self-conscious when throwing out the idea to friends and family—I know the feeling!
Putting yourself out there is no easy thing to do. In college when I made the big decision to study abroad in Copenhagen, I experienced a rush of anxiety, panic, and second thoughts. And when I pushed myself to go on a solo hiking trip to Norway a few months later, those same fears and concerns came flooding back.
But after it was all said and done, I realized traveling solo was not such a crazy or scary thing to do after all. That I was strong enough and very capable of being on my own. After those two first solo trips, I’ve become hooked on the immense feeling of happiness and pride that traveling on my own offers and I’ve made an effort to do so once a year!
I’m here to convince you to travel solo and share why I can’t recommend it enough! And if after all of these helpful reasons you still need something more, I recommend checking out some of the most inspirational travel quotes to lift your spirits and your sense of wanderlust!
↠ Read More: Why You Should Do Something That Scares You
Happy as a clam on my solo hiking trip in Banff National Park
10 Amazing Benefits of Solo Travel That’ll Get You Hooked
1. You’ll finally go on your dream vacation.
Can’t find someone who has the same dream vacation as you? Go anyways! With the coordination of timing, money and interests, life can make it extremely difficult to find the perfect time, perfect destination and perfect person to go with. Traveling on your own allows you to take that dream vacation you’ve always wanted, regardless of anyone else’s schedule or opinion.
2. You’ll travel at your own pace.
When traveling solo, you have the freedom to explore at your own speed. Whether that means waking up at the crack of dawn, or sleeping in until noon, you’re in charge of the itinerary. Enjoy your vacation on your own schedule and enjoy freedom from having to compromise with a travel companion.
↠ Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Solo Female Travel in Asia
3. You’ll feel empowered.
Traveling alone is intimidating. The first time I traveled to a completely new place, I was filled with feelings of legit terror. Could I actually do this by myself? But once I got to my destination, I realized hey yeah, I can! Being on our own helps us realize that we are much stronger and capable than we may have thought otherwise.
4. You’ll feel liberated.
Once you get to your destination, the fear you had of being alone, of being in danger, of experiencing loneliness melts away. You see for yourself that people are just people, and a new city is a just a new city. Accomplishing your goal even while feeling fearful unchains you from the urge of shying away from new experiences. You learn that you have the power to accomplish things on your own. That is freedom.
↠ Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Solo Travel in Europe
5. You’ll gain strength and independence.
When you do tackle these fears, not only do you feel a sense of freedom, but you also feel a sense of personal strength and independence. You pushed through all the anxiety and concern about traveling alone and you did it all by yourself!
6. You’ll disconnect and recharge.
Take the time to disconnect from it all and focus on yourself. Often in our busy day-to-day lives it can be easy to forget to care of our own personal needs. Recharge your batteries in a way that only you can provide for yourself, free from the need to please others.
7. You’ll meet new people.
Traveling alone encourages you to meet new people and have conversations with others you wouldn’t have if you were in a group. You’re more approachable when you’re by yourself for casual conversation while riding the bus, taking a hike, eating lunch etc.
Take the opportunity to learn more about the place you’re visiting from a local who knows it best! I’ve met some very nice people from all over on my solo trips and have established some great connections with people from all over the world.
8. You’ll broaden your horizons.
The more you learn about other cultures and different ways of living, the more you learn about the world. You gain a valuable global perspective that can help foster open-mindedness, empathy and a greater understanding about the world around us.
9. You’ll learn about yourself.
How do you handle yourself in certain situations with certain people? How do you cope with being on your own? Traveling alone and spending time with ourselves helps us learn what it is that makes us happy, sad, scared, irritated and more. With that knowledge, you grow as a person.
10. You’ll discover what it is that you want.
Traveling solo also helps us discover what it is that we want without pressure from travel companions, family or society and to find what it is that truly makes us happy – I know it helped me!
I’d love to hear your thoughts about solo travel! Share below!
Any suggestions on what to do it Valencia? Tyler, my fiance, will be heading over there in a couple weeks on a business trip and has a couple days to explore.
Nice to hear from you Katy!! I actually didn’t have the chance to visit Valencia myself unfortunately while I was in Spain, but I know that paella is a speciatly of the area and I definitely recommend finding a nice restaurant that serves the famous dish! My friend currently living in Spain recommends visiting a little authentic city 30 min from Valencia called El Palmer for delicious paella. She also recommends a beach near El Saler to be away from the tourist areas and see beautiful landscape. Taking the bus from the city should be fairly easy! I hope this helps!! Congrats to you and Tyler and I hope you two have a fabulous trip!! I can’t wait to see the photos!