Solo travel can seem like a daunting prospect. The thought of travelling somewhere new alone may seem scary, but it can be incredibly freeing.
A recent survey showed that 76% of respondents were interested in solo travel, though their reasons varied. When it comes to Gen X, the appeal of solo travel is the flexibility of going it alone. Surprisingly, they share this sentiment with the Baby Boomers. 53% of Gen Z, meanwhile, wanted to travel alone to gain some time for themselves for self-care.
Here are some tips for you if you are looking to embark on a trip alone.
The best places to travel solo
When it comes to solo holidays, the possibilities are endless. You could go anywhere you want, but there are a few destinations that are particularly good if you’re looking to escape on your own.
- Iceland: If you’re looking for solitude, few places offer as much opportunity to be alone in truly wild, volcanic surroundings.
- Japan: You won’t feel alone when you’re completely immersing yourself in a totally different culture, learning new things every day.
- Australia: An extremely popular location for travellers the world over, the east coast of Australia offers plenty of different cities in which you can meet like-minded people.
- Canada: If you want to be somewhere remote without the need to learn a new language, Canada could be ideal for you.
- Portugal: Fancy something a bit closer to home? Portugal has plenty to see, including remote islands like Madeira and the Azores.
Pack light
It may seem obvious, but it’s worth only taking the essentials with you when you travel. You need to be able to pack everything on your back and remain comfortable carrying it for long periods. The last thing you want to be doing is lugging a suitcase around everywhere.
Anything you don’t take with you that you end up finding a need for can always be picked up while you’re away.
Make an effort to meet others
Solo travel doesn’t have to mean complete isolation for the entire trip; that would get pretty lonely! Wherever you are, explore opportunities to make new friends. They could be fellow travellers staying at the same accommodation, people you meet on an excursion, or locals you share a common interest (and language!) with.
Be flexible
It can be tempting to plan every part of your trip to make sure you fit everything in that you want. However, make sure to leave space to make decisions in the moment. If you don’t feel particularly at home in one city, move on to somewhere else. Pre-booking accommodation for every day of your break can hamstring you and take away from the experience.
Capture the moment
While it’s important to be present to get the most out of every experience you have while solo travelling, it’s still worth taking plenty of photos and videos to help keep the memories fresh when you return home.
