With travel becoming more accessible everyday, solo travel is also becoming more and more popular, as young and old alike pack their bags and head off in search of adventure. Yet, there are still some common assumptions about solo travel, and the people who indulge in it, that are completely untrue. So let’s talk about solo travel – the truth behind the lies.
Solo travel is lonely
This is a common mistake. Many people’s main fear of travelling solo is that they will be lonely. And yes, if you book a suite at a hotel and spend all of your free time there alone while you are on your trip, there is every chance that you will be (unless you genuinely just want some alone time, which is obviously fine). But solo travel does not necessarily mean that you will be alone all of the time.
Hostels are a favourite for solo travellers and they are very social places. Even if you don’t want to share a room with strangers (I don’t mind it at all but I get that it’s not for everyone), you can book a private room and still have the benefits of all the common areas. You’ll meet lots of other solo travellers and have the option of taking part in hostel tours and activities.
And if hostel life just doesn’t appeal to you, there are lots of tour companies out there who specialise in solo travel. Check out Contiki or Intrepid for a whole range of trips aimed at solo travellers. Some trips use hostel accommodation so make sure to check everything before you book. IVHQ is also an opportunity for solo travellers who want to give back to the communities they visit.
Solo travel is dangerous
There is a common misconception that solo travel, and particularly female solo travel, is unsafe or just plain dangerous. Seriously though, how is it less safe for me to walk around Sydney or Tokyo alone on a Saturday afternoon, than it is in Dublin or Galway? Obviously, the same rules of common sense and personal safety apply as when I am at home in Ireland. I don’t go hanging around dark alleys late at night and I don’t take lifts from strangers (actually, lots of people hitch hike when travelling but it is just not something I would feel comfortable doing). I plan ahead to make sure that I don’t find myself in a position where I feel unsafe. Simple!
Still have doubts? Check out this list of the safest destinations for travelling solo.
Solo travellers have nobody to travel with
It seems to be a pretty well-kept secret that the majority of people who travel solo actually do so by choice. I went on my first solo trip just over a year ago, and I was terrified sitting in Dublin airport waiting to board that plane, but within 24 hours of arriving in Seattle I was hooked on solo travel. I’ve taken 4 solo trips since then and have 3 more planned for the next 3 months.
And that’s not because I have nobody to travel with me. I have family members and single friends who enjoy travel, but I choose to travel solo a lot of the time because I genuinely enjoy it. Seriously, solo travel is awesome. I stay wherever I want, I eat when and where I want to, I don’t bother doing anything I’m not interested in doing, and I can change my mind and my plans at literally 10 seconds notice, purely on a whim.
Solo travel is expensive
According to a recent post on squeezepod.com, budget is the biggest hindrance to travelling alone. It is presumed that the solo traveller will be paying top dollar for single occupancy rates in hotels and have nobody to split the cost of the taxi from the airport… But it doesn’t actually have to be more expensive.
Obviously, this depends on the type of traveller you are. If you absolutely prefer to stay in hotels and take taxis everywhere, it is kind of unavoidable that your solo trip will cost more than if you had someone there to split those costs with you. I find though, that I actually spend LESS on a solo trip than I do when I travel with somebody. I can spend less on certain things without feeling that my companion is missing out on anything. I stay in hostels and walk or use public transport rather than taking taxis. I also spend less eating out; I find decent budget-friendly options and happy hour specials or I get really great take-out and have it at the hostel.
In this amazing digital era of ours, we always have so much information available to us. So with a little research, there are always lots of ways to make that trip less expensive, whether we are travelling solo or with a travel buddy.
Solo travellers are twentysomething backpackers
I think we are all a little guilty of stereotyping the solo traveller… a twentysomething (probably male…) college graduate on a gap year before “settling down”, getting a “good” job, buying a car and a house and having 2.4 children. But according to this Irish Independent article, “the average adventure traveller is not a 28-year-old male; it’s a 47-year-old female. And she wears a size 12 dress”. Damn, it seems like I’m not so different after all; actually I’m just bordering on typical.
Leave a Reply