Guide to Solo Travel
Although solo travel is becoming more popular, it is still uncommon for many people. It can also be filled with many unknowns, even if you have already ventured out on a solo trip before.
While the possibility of the unknown is one thing that makes solo travel fun, it isn’t fun to travel completely unaware. Whether you are new to solo travel or returning to the map, this complete guide to solo travel will help you explore safely and welcome the unknown with confidence.
What is Solo Travel?
Some people call solo travel self-indulgent. I call it self-care.
Solo travel in its simplest definition is a trip you take by yourself. However, once you experience solo travel you realize it is so much more than a trip alone. It is a time to learn, grow, and reconnect with yourself.
Yes, it can also be a time to indulge! You are the director of your trip. So, if you want (and need) a relaxing week at the beach surrounded by pina coladas, do it!
Want a sophisticated weekend getaway to a city? Book a boutique hotel and take your favorite walking shoes to explore the city on foot. Ready to get away from the hustle and bustle? Take a quiet solo road trip.
Solo travel is truly about you. It is what you want and or need. What it isn’t is selfish. Let me say that again, Solo Travel is NOT selfish!
The act of traveling alone can be one of the most important things you do for yourself, and when you take care of you, you are also taking care of those around you.
Why Solo Travel is Important?
The decision to take a trip by yourself is powerful. It doesn’t matter if you are choosing a night away from home for a staycation in the city or a month-long stay on an island. Solo travel of any length has profound benefits.
While the benefits of solo travel are as individual as the person taking the trip, there are several common benefits many solo travelers have experienced. Below are 7 Benefits of Solo Travel to consider as you start to think about what a solo trip could mean for you
Solo Travel is Empowering
Deciding to travel alone takes courage. Whether you have never done it or have done it dozens of times before, it can be scary to set out on an adventure alone. However, the feeling of empowerment when you find yourself successfully navigating a new city will make up for any fear you initially felt.
Navigating a new city isn’t the only empowering aspect of solo travel - especially as a female solo traveler. Simply making the choice to take the trip for yourself is empowering.
Have you been waiting for years to finally take a trip to Hawaii? Have you been waiting for everyone else to finally say yes? Stop waiting. Plan the trip and go on a solo island adventure.
Solo Travel is Healing
We live in a world full of noise - both literal and figurative noise. Between social media, the events of the world, and the conversations around us (and in our heads), there is always something to distract us from - us.
Unfortunately, the more we are distracted from ourselves with the noise, the more difficult it can become to explore and process areas of our lives that need attention. Solo travel gives you the space to process. It is like an extended meditation (with the bonus of seeing a new city or country).
Without the noise of our everyday lives, we can pause to listen to ourselves and reconnect with our needs. Sometimes this means leaning into the uncomfortable, with the unknown, but sometimes moving through the uncomfortable is part of healing.
Solo Travel is Fun!
While there are many serious benefits of solo travel, there are also many fun aspects of solo travel.
Remember how some people may think solo travel is indulgent? Well, let it be! If you want to stay at a luxury hotel for a weekend and enjoy all the benefits - go for it. Get a massage, read by the pool, order room service, and watch a movie in your bathrobe. Part of the fun of solo travel is that you can do exactly what you want to do.
Solo Travel Creates Awareness
When traveling alone, awareness is essential. While being aware of your surroundings will keep you safe, there are other ways you may become more aware.
You may start to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings or your likes and dislikes. Beyond becoming more self-aware, you may start to notice new things in a city you have visited before or even your own town.
When we travel alone, we get to be more present with ourselves and our surroundings. Therefore, you get to experience a place in a completely different way than if you were with other people.
Solo Travel Challenges You
Choosing to take a trip by yourself doesn’t mean it is easy. A lot can come up when you are traveling alone, and since you are traveling alone, you are responsible for navigating the things that arise.
This could mean navigating an unplanned situation with a flight or reservation at a hotel. It could also mean being challenged by new experiences that may force you to face some insecurities, like eating out by yourself.
Whatever challenges you may face are part of the journey. They are part of the healing and part of empowering you. They are also great at teaching you to trust yourself.
Solo Travel Teaches You to Trust Yourself
When you are the one in charge, you have to trust yourself. You can’t rely on someone else in the group to decide. You are the decision-maker. There is a lot of power in this. A power that many of us (especially women) have lost or doubted over time.
However, when you need to figure out a new bus system or how to best get across an almost deserted island off the coast of Thailand (true personal story) - you are forced to trust your intuition. Moreover, when you are back living your day-to-day life, you may find yourself thinking back to those solo adventures when you need a reminder that your intuition does know how to lead you.
Solo Travel Allows You to Be YOU!
Travel, in general, is a great way to be YOU! Something about being in a new city can make us all feel a bit safer in being ourselves. This could be trying out a swimsuit that we have felt self-conscious about wearing at home, or simply feeling more confident walking around town.
This feeling of being able to be authentically you is not reserved for solo travel, but it can be enhanced when traveling alone. Each time we travel alone to a new place and permit ourselves to be ourselves we are reminded of who we may not be while at home. Therefore, this reminder while traveling may lead us closer to living our most authentic lives, as our most authentic selves, at home as well.
Who Can Travel Solo?
There is no cap on who can travel solo. If you want to travel solo, then go for it. Give it a try!
One of the biggest things that may keep people from traveling solo is thinking they have “missed their chance.” You may think you can’t travel alone because you are too old, married, in a relationship, or have children. None of these are reasons you can’t travel solo.
During my travels, I have met other travelers of all ages on solo trips. I have met solo travelers who are barely 21 and on their first adventure, as well as men and women in their 60s taking solo trips. I have also met travelers that were married or engaged.
Remember, solo travel doesn’t have to mean an extended trip. A stay-cation weekend at a local boutique hotel counts as solo travel and can provide all of the benefits mentioned above.
Can Women Travel Alone?
While anyone can travel alone, there are a lot of questions about whether or not women can (or should) travel alone.
As a woman who has traveled solo for two decades, the answer is Yes! Women can travel alone. Moreover, while I don’t love the word “should” I do think that r solo female travelers.
As a woman, I have found my solo travel to be one of the most healing practices in my life. It has (and continues) to teach me about self-care and self-love. Every trip I take I learn something new about myself.
Is Solo Travel Safe? Is Solo Travel Safe for Women?
Anyone can travel solo. Women can travel solo. Is it safe though? My personal opinion - yes! if you are mindful and aware.
Travel of any sort can have its dangers. Those dangers can increase when you are traveling by yourself. However, most of the things that could be considered a danger can be minimized if you are a mindful traveler.
5 Travel Tips On How to Be a Safe Solo Traveler:
1. Research Your Destination
Some destinations are generally safer than others for travel. If you are just starting as a solo traveler, consider choosing a destination that have been to before or have some knowledge of.
2. Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Pay attention to where you are and who is around you. Whether at the airport, train station, walking, etc. be mindful and show that you are aware. One tip I learned from others is to show others you are aware by
3. Act Like You Know Where You Are
Always act like you know where you are and where you are going. Even if you are not sure. A little trick I do is put one Airpod in my ear and turn on walking directions on my phone. Then, I put my hair over the ear with the earbud. This way I can look like I know where I am going.
4. Pretend You are Traveling with Others
When you check into a hotel always ask for two keys. Mention in conversation that your friend/partner is out in the car and ask where the best place to park is. If using a Lyft or Uber, tell the driver you are on your way to meet friends/family. If traveling alone as a woman, always make the person you are meeting a man.
5. Tell Others Where You Are
Even though solo travel is sometimes about getting away from others, don’t completely disappear. Tell someone you trust where you are going. Send them the address of the hotel, Airbnb, or hostel you are staying at. When you are in a rideshare car, text them a picture of the car and the driver. Better yet, call them while you are in the car.
If you are a man reading this list you may think some of these things sound a bit over the top. Unfortunately, if you are a woman reading this list you may already know all of these things.
That is one of the areas where solo female travel differs. While it is not unsafe, as a woman you do need to take extra precautions. However, many of the safety precautions you would take traveling solo as a woman are the same things you already do as a woman out at night alone.
How Do You Plan Your First Trip?
Once you realize that you CAN travel solo! Moreover, that it is totally normal and acceptable - now it is time to plan your first trip!
Where do you want to travel?
The first decision is where do you want to go? If you have never traveled solo before, a great place to begin is somewhere that feels familiar. For example, a city or state that you have been to before with other people and want to explore on your own.
Even though I have traveled solo quite a bit, this was how I chose Hawai’i for my solo trip at the beginning of 2022. I was planning to travel for at least a month (ended up being two months) and while I wanted to explore the other islands, I felt most comfortable going to O’ahu.
So, I chose O’ahu! It was the best solo travel decision I have made (to date).
Even though I had lived on the island years ago and traveled there with friends over the years, this was the first time (in 20 years) that I started alone on the island.
Another idea is a city or town that you have always wanted to visit. Especially if this is a well-documented travel destination.
While I am a hundred percent about the unknown and unplanned adventures, having some context of a location before arrival is helpful. So, an introductory travel guide can be helpful.
How Long do You want to travel?
Solo travel is solo travel whether it is for a night or a month. I have had learning experiences from a one-night stay in my hometown of Salt Lake City, just as I have had them while living in Hawai’i for two months.
How long you want to travel is truly up to you. What do you desire and what time do you have available? Travel isn’t just about long trips. If you can only get away for one night, do it! Take advantage of the night you have.
I believe in making travel a more frequent part of our lives. Therefore, we need to find ways to make it accessible at all times. A night here and a week there. Maybe a month (or a year) later on.
How do you want to travel?
On a plane, on a train, in a car, on a boat. How you want to travel is just as much a part of the experience as the destination!
I love a good solo road trip! I have even written a love note to the stretch of I-15 between Salt Lake City and California.
If you are in the United States, national parks are great solo road trips!
As much as I love a good road trip, the road won’t get us everywhere. Hawai'i, Europe, South America, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa. These are just some of the amazing places that you have to get on a plane to get to!
Sometimes flying is part of the adventure though.
Another option for solo travel is a cruise. Everything is paid for upfront. You know exactly where you are going; furthermore, you have access to a lot of opportunities to meet new people!
Where do you want to stay?
Years ago the question of where to stay was simple - a hotel. However, that has changed with the growth of vacation rentals like Airbnb.
Hotels and Airbnb rentals are not the only options for solo travelers either. Hostels or community vacation retreats are also options. Not to mention, the variety of hotels! From luxury resorts and boutique hotels to boutique motels and standard hotels, there are choices for everyone!
Where you stay will depend a lot on personal preference. Other factors may include cost, availability, and the destination.
One of my favorite places to stay for weekend travel is a boutique hotel. The charm and history of boutique hotels create an entire travel experience. Even if you are only a few miles from home.
If you are planning to travel for an extended period consider a community retreat. There are hostels and also Airbnb rentals that offer wonderful spaces to meet other solo travelers.
On the indulgent side, a luxury resort is also a great option for a solo vacation. Especially if your goal is a relaxing and retreat type of trip.
Don’t discount the traditional hotels as well! Standards like Marriott and Hilton hotels s are great for weekend travel and budget-friendly trips.
These are also wonderful for providing a sense of familiarity if you are traveling to a new city. I love a cozy Hampton Inn!
How do you want to get around during your trip?
Something that can be overlooked when planning a solo trip is how to get around once you arrive at your destination. If you are going on a road trip, then this is pretty much covered. If you are flying (or arriving by train) then you want to consider the best transportation options.
Are you going to be in a walkable city? Big cities like San Franciso and New York City are great walkable cities (if you are staying right in the city). Downtown Salt Lake City and New Orleans are two other walkable cities I love.
In walkable cities and towns, you may just need a Lyft or Uber to and from the airport. Some hotels also offer free airport shuttles. Once you are in the city you can walk and use public transportation.
If you are staying outside a major city, you may not have easy access to rideshares. Therefore, a car rental may be the best option. The best thing is to do your research. Google the destination and see what others suggest for getting around.
What are the Best Places to Travel Solo?
When it comes to choosing the best places to travel solo there are so many amazing choices! It is hard to list all of them at once because it is an ever-growing list.
There are three types of destinations that I think always offer a great solo travel experience.
Beach Towns
Big Cities
Small Towns
Beach towns are great places for solo travel. They are usually in familiar areas and easy to access by driving or flying. Many beach towns provide a variety of places to stay.
If you choose a resort you may not even need a car. You can simply stay at the resort the entire time. If you want to do more exploring, a charming Airbnb or hotel that is a little bit away from the beach and a car rental may be a better option.
Big cities are great places to go on solo trips because everything is close together. In most major cities you can stay right in the middle of the city and walk everywhere. There are usually museums, shopping, theatres, and great restaurants and bars. All great solo travel activities.
When choosing a big city, be mindful of where you stay. Any big city is going to have areas that are safer than others. When traveling solo it is often better to pay a little bit more to stay in an area that is considered safer.
Small towns are fun destinations for solo weekend getaways. In small towns, you will often find historic boutique hotels that are full of stories. There are also usually adorable coffee shops, restaurants, and stores.
Most small towns are easy to walk around and explore on foot. Keep in mind that to get to the town you will probably need to drive.
There may not be easy access to public transportation or rideshares. Consider visiting a small town on a road trip or renting a car from the airport.
What are the Best Places to Travel Solo as a Woman?
The best places to travel solo as a woman are wherever you as a woman want to go! In addition to beaches, big cities, and small towns - the world is yours to explore! Just like any solo traveler.
As a solo female traveler simply be mindful of where you are traveling. Research the destination as a whole. Research the hotel, hostel, or Airbnb you are going to stay in - including the surrounding area. Research the best ways to get around.
Traveling solo as a woman simply means being a bit more mindful. With that in mind, the best places to travel to are the places you have always wanted to go but have been waiting for others to go with you.
In addition to simply going alone, consider looking for a solo travel tour company. A group tour is a great choice for women who want to meet other solo traveling friends.
A small group tour is also a good choice for those who want to travel internationally. A big solo trip to Latin America, Southeast Asia, or the Middle East might feel more doable with a guide. Plus, you get to meet other solo female travelers!
In addition to group tours and retreats, you may also look at community places to stay.
Where Do You Stay as a Solo Traveler?
Hostels are not just for young kids traveling alone. Many hostels offer solo rooms - perfect for those of us who don’t love the idea of bunk beds. Solo rooms in hostels are the best of both worlds: you can have your own private space, but still enjoy the community spaces to meet other people.
In addition to hostels look for single rooms on Airbnb. Several Airbnb hosts are fellow solo travelers! Therefore, they love hosting a solo guest.
Beyond just a single room you can also find some great community vacation rentals! My favorite solo trip was to a community camp in Hawaii. As with anything, do your research. Read the reviews of any vacation rental before booking. If it doesn’t have great reviews and a lot of them, you may want to keep on looking.
Is it Weird to Travel Solo?
No. Solo travel is not weird, and I say that not only as a solo traveler myself but having met several solo travelers along the way. While many people choose to travel solo, not everyone will understand your decision to do so.
There will be many people who do not understand why you want to travel alone. That’s okay! Solo travel is about YOU! It’s about what you need and want. If you have a desire to travel; moreover, a desire to travel solo then you deserve to explore that.
While others may not have the same desire or completely understand it, you may be surprised at how many people support you in your adventures! If you don't have people who support you in your solo travel quests - you can bet you will meet new people who do when you take these trips.
Is Solo Travel Lonely?
Yes. Solo travel can be lonely. It can also surprise you how much you find you are not lonely.
Every solo adventure you take will be different. Some will be lonelier than others. Some trips will begin extremely lonely and end with an entirely new community of like-minded travelers.
A question I like to ask is - are you lonely not traveling solo? A lot of us are lonely at home. Feeling lonely is a natural part of life. Even when we have people around we can feel lonely.
So, if you are scared of feeling lonely while traveling alone I say to lean into it. Know that you probably will feel a bit lonely at times. Know that in those moments you will probably learn a lot about yourself too.
Are a few moments of loneliness worth NOT taking the trip?
