Travel Tip Tuesdays: Traveling Solo

“How do you stand traveling alone?”

People ask me this question for a variety of reasons. Some people are scared by the prospect of traveling solo; some are intrigued; some don’t see why anyone would want to. 

For my reasons to travel by myself, see this article. The phrase “traveling alone” doesn’t really apply, because I’m rarely alone. Between couchsurfing, staying at hostels, and doing help exchange on farms and in families, I’m constantly surrounded by people. The question is, how would someone go about trying a solo trip?

Kayaking in the Florida Keys with some hostelling friends

Sign up for couchsurfing and/or find a hostel network. Couchsurfing and Hostelling International have both been essential to me on my solo journeys. If you don’t feel comfortable crashing at a stranger’s house, give a hostel a try— you can stay in a dorm bed or get a private room. Hostel common rooms are often outfitted with books, musical instruments, board games and comfy couches. People are very open at most hostels, so don’t be shy to introduce yourself. You might find yourself drinking beer with a group of Germans, discussing philosophy with a Brazilian and a Swede, or making pancakes for Belgians. Whether you’re surfing or hostelling, you’ll get to meet awesome people who have visited the four corners of the earth. I have yet to meet a boring host or hosteler.

Choose a destination that has some good solo activities. If you have gobs of free time each day, you’ll want to fill it in a way you enjoy. My idea of a fun day is walking and hiking around the city, picnicking in the park, chatting with people on the bus, and returning to the hostel to cook a big meal with whoever else happens to be in the common kitchen. You might enjoy beachcombing, city exploring, riding a tour bus or people-watching. For more social activities, like wine tasting or rock-climbing, try to find some other travelers who will do it with you. You can usually meet someone at a hostel, and couchsurfing.org has resources to help you find people who are willing to come along with you in your adventure.

At Zion Canyon in Utah with my couchsurfing family

If you’re an introvert, learn to reach out. If you’re an extrovert, learn to enjoy being with yourself. I’m an extrovert, so my biggest challenge was learning to enjoy my travels by myself. It was easier than I thought, and I realized the benefit of inhabiting my own space for a while, experiencing things solo rather than as part of a group. For the introverts out there, traveling solo is the easiest time and place to reach out to other people. Travelers at a hostel or couchsurfing hosts don’t often small-talk: you might be discussing global economics or humanist philosophy within a few minutes of meeting them. No matter your personality, traveling solo makes you more available to other people, and you can stretch your mind and meet interesting people you’ll remember forever. 

If you have fear about traveling solo, just take the leap. If you’re intrigued by it, give it a shot. Even a weekend trip to a nearby city could give you memories to last a lifetime.

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What are your travel questions? Leave a comment and I'll answer them!