Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

Traveling solo is definitely not for everyone.  Personally, I have never been a person who sought out solo travel.  In fact, I have always preferred to do it with company.  I like having a person to speak to, especially with long hours of travel, I love someone to order too much food with and split a meal, but mainly I love sharing the memory of a place with someone (because who am I going to send random photos of a past trip with two years later at midnight..?).  As I’ve gotten older, my schedule has not always aligned with my friend’s or family’s schedules.  In order to take a trip when it’s convenient for me, I have sometimes had to go the solo route.  Here is what I discovered:

Pros to the solo trip:

·      You get to choose your own adventure: Better known today as being the main character in your own story, this trip is all about YOU.  Down to the what, where and when of every second, you are on your own time. 

·      Mixing with the locals: Being alone gives you that extra little push you might need to chat to a total stranger.  Maybe it’s a local, maybe it’s a like-minded solo traveler also looking to chat, either way connecting with new people is one of my favorite things!

·      You will be really impressed with yourself when you realized you manage to do a whole trip, even just for a weekend, planned and managed by yours truly!

Cons to the solo trip:

·      Eating alone: Now, the act of sitting alone doesn’t bother me much, but what does is not having someone to share with.  I really love when there is someone there to be able to try more dishes with to encourage you to get more options, obviously as one person, you are limited on what you can order and eat. 

·      More expensive- you are not splitting a hotel, Airbnb, restaurant or the car rental with anyone- it’s all on you!

·      Safety- I personally feel safer when I have someone with me, therefore you might have to consider other ways to be safe, or even stomach the thought of getting lost on your own!

·      The memories are just yours - This one is probably the hardest reason for me.  There is nothing wrong with making your own memories, but I absolutely LOVE being nostalgic with friends over past trips.  One of my favorite things to do is to randomly text old photos from a previous trip and have a laugh. 

At the end of the day if you are getting to travel it is a win, so whether you are alone or with friends, make the most of your destination! So, have you taken a solo trip yet?

Samantha xx