10 Benefits Of Traveling Solo At Least Once A Year

We are all surrounded by people. We work with them, we socialize with them daily. We also need a break from them and traveling solo seems to be a perfect way to know yourself better, leave your comfort zone and go into the wild, get to know other people, hike, dance, learn to cook, smile, talk to strangers, eat new food and see the sunrise on the beach.

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“I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.”

Oscar Wilde

Wise words. Being alone on the road gives you an opportunity to gain valuable experience about the world, people, food, foreign customs and traditions.

You stop being ignorant and start appreciating things you might have never noticed. You open your heart. You become more of a listener than speaker.

Why should we all travel solo at least once a year? 

Most of “steady Eddy” people can’t imagine themselves traveling on their own so they always take their friends with them, partners or join the organised group trips.

Why?

There are many reasons such as It’s scary! I don’t want to feel lonely! I need a buddy to have a beer with! Who would take pictures of me!? (that’s me).

Nevertheless, traveling solo is getting more and more common as it can be a lot of fun and more unique experience for adventure hunters.

Actually, the advantages of traveling solo are enormous.

Agness in Zhangjiajie
Never be afraid of traveling solo. That will make you more confident and independent. Zhangjiajie, China.

#1 Learn more about yourself. Discover yourself

Once you set off on a solo journey to unknown place, you start getting to know yourself much better.

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You are on your own.

You start listening to your heart and you are finally able to achieve some level of internal equilibrium and focus of mind.

You start to discover yourself once again – things you are capable of, things you are afraid or scared of. You face your fears and you defeat them.

There is no stress around and you feel alive.

Agness is taking a picture of Banaue Rice Terraces
Do one thing a day that scares you. Banaue, the Philippines.

#2 Make new friends & speak to strangers

When we travel with companions, we tend to stick to that group of people and even though we try our best to get to know new people, the dynamics and interactions will certainly not be as deep and fulfilling.

I’ve noticed that when I am on my own on the road, I’m definitely more eager to chat with locals, meet travel buddies, team up with other travelers and generally reach out more in order to socialize. It seems so natural. 

Traveling solo definitely enables you to speak directly to some locals and stop being shy with people. In this way, you can make new friend and gain valuable insider knowledge about wherever you are.

Agness is posing with a boy in Banaue
Meet people. Speak to strangers. Have fun. Observe.

#3 Experience new things

When you travel solo, people are more open and direct with you. Thus, you can experience more new things than you would when traveling with someone.

People will invite you home and welcome you warmly in their place. They will share everything they have with you, sometimes giving you more than they possess.

You will notice their smile and small gestures you often ignore when traveling with someone else by your side.  

Agness with a map in Lisbon
 Sightseeing in Lisbon

#4 Freedom. Peace. Flexibility

It is better to travel alone than with a bad companion.

When you travel on your own, you are definitely more flexible with time, next destination and decisions you make.

You team up with travel buddies you like the most and end up expanding your travel plans.

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You are free to change your plans whenever you want to.

You are free to sleep as long as you want to.

You can hitchhike, hike, dance on the beach, change your destination at last minute without stress and compromises.

When you travel, you are open to change and you will welcome it with open arms. No more fitting into a group’s agenda.

No more explanations or disappointing anyone. You just follow rhythm, heart and mind.  

Agness with open arms
Take the risk. Embrace the world. Feel free. Bali, Indonesia.

#5 Loneliness? What’s that?

In fact, when traveling solo, you will never feel lonely. Once you get to any hostel or hotel and you will see plenty of solo travelers who are in the same boat.

You all travel for the same reasons, you all miss home at some point and you all want to experience new things. It is incredible to see how much you have in common with people who you have not met before.

You get to know each other, you make friends and keep in touch. We meet once again after some time in a different place and you all laugh at all of these awkward and unforgettable moments you shared together.  

A group of travelers in Bali
I bunch of great people I met in Bali

#6 Overcome your fears & challenge your insecurities

What does not kill you, makes you stronger and that’s so true. When you are left on your own, you start fighting for what really matters to you.

You overcome the fear of heights, darkness, spiders or even new food. The more you travel, the less you fear. As long as you make regular solo trips, you will feel more confident each time, no matter what your fear is which is also a good excuse to travel regularly.  

Pro tip: while pushing your boundaries and going beyond what you’re comfortable is highly encouraged and will most likely benefit you in the long run, there are some risks you are going to face. Try not to face them unprepared. Consider a Travel Insurance!

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#7 Indulge in anything you want without being judged

Without a doubt, eating is one of the most enjoyable aspects of travel. Be it street food or in a restaurant. Once you start traveling solo, you also start appreciating food more and you will end up eating things that you would normally not eat at home.

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You become more adventurous with food. You can finally take in all the Thai pad thai, Italian pizza, Belgian macaroons and Chinese dumplings you find on your travels if you so desire without worrying about other people noticing!

Agness with ice cream
Time for gelato!

#8 Save money

In most cases, you can find traveling solo cheaper than traveling with someone.

Why?

Nobody teases you with local delicacies so it is easier to resist the temptation and spend less money on food (my case). You are also more likely to buy less souvenirs and useless gadgets.

More importantly, your travel companion might prefer more convenient and expensive way of traveling and it’s sometimes awkward to say “Sorry, it’s too expensive for me”.

#9 Gain confidence

When you travel solo you might face various problems, make decisions and even take some risk on your own.

All these situations will, with no doubts, make you stronger, braver and much more confident though.

Being alone on the road is a great challenge and as we know the challenges make us grow stronger and wiser not only as travelers but also as human-beings.

When traveling on your own you can learn many skills such as time management and decision making.

Chinese gang
Chinese gang. Zhangjiajie, Hunan province

#10 No drama

How many times did you argue with your travel buddies?

How many times did you have to meet him/her half-way?

If things do not go well, the entire trip can be a miserable, drama-filled time you’d love to forget. There is no drama when you travel on your own. No arguments. No fights.

Agness with a bottle of cherry liquer in Lisbon
 Time for some cherry liguer in Lisbon

To sum up, we should not be scared to set off for a solo journey!

For some people it might be a tough decision and a weird feeling for the first days of solo expedition, but at the end of the day you will not regret it as it’s much more adventurous and challenging, it shapes your personality and gives you enormous possibilities to test yourself.

Agness alone on the beach
Time for myself at Pagudpud beach, the Philippines.

Have you ever travelled solo? How beneficial was it for you?

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Agness Walewinder
Agness Walewinder
Travel freak, vagabond, photography passionate, blogger, life enthusiast, backpacker, adventure hunter and endless energy couchsurfer living by the rule "Pack lite, travel far and live long!"
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105 thoughts on “10 Benefits Of Traveling Solo At Least Once A Year”

  1. Avatar of Jess @UsedYorkCity

    I absolutely love traveling solo! It’s great to be able to do EXACTLY what you want and feel like without having to be considerate of other people’s interests. And I also think you spend more time getting immersed with the locals or chatting with other travelers, rather than just your travel companion.

  2. Avatar of Katie

    I find myself having to meet in the middle all the time when travelling with a companion. Compromising can be a good thing to keep the peace, but I never thought about how I wouldn’t have to do that if I traveled solo! Great tips!!

  3. Avatar of Andrea Anastasiou

    I still clearly remember my first solo trip. I went to Singapore for a week. It was so liberating to be able to do it all by myself, and I never felt lonely. It’s amazing how easy it is to meet other people while travelling.

    Great post. I particularly agree with the gaining confidence point – it’s an empowering feeling when you travel alone, particularly as a woman I think…

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Thanks for sharing Andrea! Singapore is a great place to travel solo. I spent there a couple of days and I have such great memories from there!

  4. Avatar of Lisa - Wee Wanders

    Great post, I love the Oscar Wilde quote too! I think it’s very important to have alone time, and what better way to fill it than to travel. And I have found that 9 out of 10 times, doing scary things really pay off :)

  5. Avatar of Hannah Wasielewski
    Hannah Wasielewski

    These are all so true! I’m solo traveling at the moment and can relate to all of them. Especially the loneliness part, I’m never alone here! People at hostels are usually traveling alone too, and they all want to make friends too! Although some days I like just spending the day alone and finding a cool place to eat :)

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      I’m so glad you are having a great time on the road. True – you never get lonely when travelling solo!!

  6. Avatar of Andrew

    all true and great points. However, once you have a partner it’s probably not really on to do much solo travelling anymore :( unless they are really understanding I guess. But it’s not fair to leave them when you’re off having fun is it?

  7. Avatar of Tiaraa

    I like to hear stories from people who travel solo. I love your points here, especially “discovering yourself.” OMG how important is that and how many of us do not get the opportunity to do that! I never really got the chance to travel solo because of a close-knit family I belong from. Although sometimes I feel that I should just set off on a plane to some exotic land.

  8. Avatar of Sacha @ The Beautiful Travel Hangover

    Another great post that I totally agree with :)
    I still can’t decide whether I like solo traveling or ‘partner’ traveling better. There is something really nice about having someone to share memorable moments with. And to lean on in difficult moments. Or when you get lost ;)
    But I think the freedom and socializing when solo traveling are priceless too!
    So doing both alternately is best I guess, at least for me.
    But you’re right, there is definitely no reason to be scared of solo traveling!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Thanks! I’m glad you agreed with what I am saying here. Exactly, there are no reasons to feel unsecured, scared or petrified!

  9. Avatar of Emily

    I leave for my first real solo travel experience (minus studying abroad) next month! I’m starting in China which is going to be scary, exhilarating, and ridiculous all at once. I can’t wait!

  10. Avatar of Mike

    Agness, I’ve told you before that I admire and envy both you and Cez when either of you travel alone! This post was absolutely AWESOME as I thought to do a trip overseas by myself. Remember, I’ve never been overseas period. It is still too daunting a task so I would want to get my feet wet with a travel or blogger friend the first couple of times for baby steps :)

  11. Avatar of Renuka

    Although I have written quite a lot on solo travel on my blog, it is always refreshing and interesting to read a new perspective on the subject. Your last point ‘no drama’ brought a smile on my face! :) It is so true, and more than buddies, it is true with siblings. I remember my sis and I were in Melbourne a few years back and what a fight we had – tears, arguments, too much of a mountain out of a molehill…and the fact is that she’s the best sis in the world – we are so close – yet she is NOT the best travel companion!

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      Did you travel with your sister? I have never done it with mine. Just wondering how we could get along. She is such a lazy dude and drama queen :)

  12. Avatar of Hilary

    Agreed! I was almost petrified on my first solo trip. I, like others, was worried I would be lonely but I discovered that this was entirely up to me. The sense of accomplishment and huge confidence I felt after the trip left me flying high for ages after. With a family now, going to the grocery store alone is the most solo I get. ;D

  13. Avatar of Rachel of Hippie in Heels

    great tips… I agree with you on them! I was traveling solo in India when I met my boyfriend… had I been with friends I would have never met him b/c I wouldn’t have been so inclined to talk to him and make friends! so there’s that ;) BUT now that i’m living in India with him, i don’t do near enough solo trravel :( you’ve inspired me!!

  14. Avatar of Kerri

    I see all the benefits to travelling alone but I very much enjoy the company of my bf and enjoy travelling with him. We have a very close relationship and as such can easily spend alone time just in the company of each other. For me, I love the company but it’s that company where you can still feel like you’re alone and be yourself all at the same time. At least to me :)

  15. Avatar of The Guy

    Totally agree with you Agness. There are great benefits to both forms of travel and being a solo traveller can become lonely if you let become so.

    I am so used to travelling solo it feels weird to have a colleague travel with me. Then it feels as though it can cramp my space.

    I’m very comfortable in my own company and do a lot of reflection whilst travelling. We all need that time for reflection. We recharge ourselves and reinvent ourselves.

    I’ve often thought of the virtues of solo travel and even considered writing a similar article from my perspective.

    Hope you are enjoying your travels.

  16. Avatar of Ani @ All About Travelling

    I completely agree with you, Agness. Travelling solo is the best way to discover new places and also to discover yourself. You seem to have the best of both worlds – travel with your best friend most of the time and solo every once in a while :)

  17. Avatar of Julio Moreno

    Absolutely love it. Mine is mostly time. I love to eat, but don’t spend an hour doing so. I also eat during down times. This means I can do a lot more in my day than most people who get hungry or tired. I have repeated the same trip I’ve done before with a partner and realized how much more efficient it is to be alone.
    Nevertheless, there are lots of benefits of traveling with someone. Generally, I feel like accommodation for a room split by two people is cheaper than 2 dorm beds. Much more comfort for less money. There is also the sharing of your awe.
    Great post.

    1. Avatar of Agness Walewinder
      Agness Walewinder

      I agree with what you’re saying here Julio. I’m also a travel foodie, so I absolutely understand you. The accommodation for a room split by two people is cheaper than 2 dorm beds so it’s much cheaper to travel with someone.

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