The thought of boarding a plane and traveling to a new destination alone can be scary, especially if you’ve never done it before. You’ve probably done tons of research on how to travel alone, but forgotten it once you walked into the airport.
Trust me – I’ve been there.
On my first solo trip, I was incredibly nervous but excited. I was nervous about the unknown but also excited about new opportunities.
I’ve had some big takeaways from traveling solo, even though I haven’t been doing it for that long. Solo travel has truly changed me for the better.
In this post, I’m sharing some of the greatest, most valuable lessons I’ve learned from solo travel that I couldn’t have learned elsewhere.
I hope this post convinces you that solo travel isn’t as scary as you think, and that you should take that trip if you’re considering it.
Some of the Biggest Lessons From Solo Travel
Read these before taking your first solo trip. Or if you’ve traveled alone before, maybe you’ll agree with some of these points.
You learn to become okay with your own company
Even if you meet other travelers, you’ll be alone for at least some parts of your trip. Being alone and being okay with it is one of the greatest skills you can have.
Traveling alone gives you the skills to navigate, make important decisions, and do things you never thought you could do by yourself.
Just think about it – the only person with you for your entire life is you, so you need to be okay with your own company and not rely on others.
Even though you travel solo, you’re never really alone
This contradicts my point above, but what I mean by this is that you’ll meet other travelers all the time, especially if you’re staying at a hostel or doing a work exchange trip.
You’ll have opportunities to meet new people all the time. Even if you’re completely okay with your own company, it doesn’t hurt to be social every once in a while and do activities with other solo travelers.
I can honestly say that the best times I’ve had while traveling have been with other people I’ve met, either in my hostel, through a meetup group, or in a group activity like a walking tour.
You are capable of more than you think
Traveling alone forces you to step out of your comfort zone.
You will likely be hit with difficult situations you didn’t think you’d find yourself in, like getting lost in a city, missing your flight, or getting stranded in the middle of nowhere because you took the wrong bus and fell asleep.
Since you’re alone, you are the only person who can resolve the situation. But I promise you will.
There is always a way out of every situation. When you come out of it, you’ll come away from those experiences as a much more knowledgeable, braver person.
You choose your own adventure
Since you’re not traveling with anyone else, you get to decide every part of your trip and prioritize doing what interests you most.
If you have friends with different interests, you don’t need to worry about doing things you’re not interested in.
It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure book – you’re completely in control.
If you meet travelers with similar interests, ask them for advice about what to do and where to go. Consider joining them if the opportunity arises.
I’ve heard this tip recently:
If five people recommend you do something, it’s worth checking out. But if ten people recommend something, you should do it.
Travel burnout is real.
If you travel for long stretches at a time, you’ll likely experience burnout.
This makes sense, especially if you’re the type of person who loves adventure and doesn’t want to miss a thing while exploring a new place. You’re up early, doing activities and walking way more than at home. You’re constantly on the move.
This will eventually tire you out, and your body will force you to take a day to relax.
I have personally burned out while traveling. It isn’t fun, but you can be prepared. Give yourself a day or two to rest, recover, and chill before moving on to the next thing.
Sometimes, it’s a good idea to check into a hotel for a night if you’ve been staying in hostels the entire time. Hostels are great, but they’re full of people. If your social battery is drained, think about getting a hotel room just for yourself for a night or two.
Don’t plan everything in advance
It’s a good idea to have a general idea of where you want to go and what you want to do while you’re there, but don’t plan the entire itinerary.
Plans will inevitably change as you meet new people and stay in different places. You may meet some people and decide to take a trip with them for a few days, or you may fall in love with the place you’re in and decide to extend your stay for a few days.
Anything is possible, so keep your options open.
You learn to travel light
If you’re traveling with just one bag, like a small suitcase or a carry-on backpack, you can’t pack too many things.
Your first instinct will probably be to pack a lot of stuff you think you’ll need. However, you likely won’t need or use half of the things you brought on the trip.
With every trip, you’ll learn which things are necessary to bring and which aren’t.
I’ve also heard this packing tip:
Whatever you think you’ll need, cut it in half. Then cut that in half, too. The end result is what you should bring to avoid overpacking.
You can always buy it there if you need something on your trip and didn’t pack it.
You face your fears
This is a lesson I learned early on in my solo travels. If you read my blog post on how I got started solo traveling, I briefly touched on this.
Before traveling solo and moving halfway across the world by myself, I was a completely different person. I was anxious, shy, and couldn’t talk to people very easily.
By throwing myself into unexpected situations where the only way is to talk to people and figure things out by yourself, you gradually overcome your fears.
I learned that talking to people isn’t actually that scary. On the other hand, it’s quite fun!
I overcame my fear of talking to people, eating alone, and navigating unfamiliar places, among so many other things.
It’s not that hard to make friends
I struggled with this at first, but I’ve been there, and I have some tips for you!
If you’re staying at a hostel, especially a social one, there are so many ways to make friends.
Start by participating in group activities organized by the hostel, like group dinners, pub crawls, or game nights. If alcohol is involved, it’s even easier to start talking to people (in my opinion)!
If you see someone sitting alone, ask them their plans for the day or simply how they’re doing.
Chances are they have similar interests and want to explore like you. You may end up getting a meal with them or even exploring the city with them for the entire day—just like I did with someone I met from my hostel in Lisbon!
The best place to book hostel stays is Hostelworld, where you can also join group chats and linkups in the city you’re visiting!
By the way, check out my blog post on traveling solo to Lisbon, Portugal, for all my tips, recommendations, and some stories from when I was there.
You can even just go up to someone and say hello! More likely than not, they will want to talk to you. In my experience, the best people you meet and stories you tell start with a simple hello.
You never know what can come of it! You may end up meeting your future partner or your new best friend 😉
It’s not just about the destination; it’s more about the journey
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, and yes, it’s a cliche. But it’s very true!
In my experience, it’s more about the people you meet along the way than the things you do and the places you visit.
There’s so much value in meeting new people and hearing their stories – where they’ve been, what they do, and even what they’ve learned along the way.
Without other people, travel would be boring – in my opinion, at least. I can spend a few days alone, but I’ll admit it is quite lonely if you don’t talk to anyone else!
Just go for it!
It can be scary to book that solo trip, but I’m telling you, it’s worth it.
The worst that can happen is that you have a terrible time and don’t enjoy your trip, so you end it early and book a flight home. You’ll have memories from that trip, and you’ll have grown as a person.
That in and of itself deserves a pat on the back. It’s better to go on that trip and miss home rather than stay where you are and regret not going at all.
So, what’s the biggest takeaway?
Stop waiting around for others. If you do, you may never go on that trip you’ve always dreamed about.
Just book that trip. Who knows, maybe you’ll come away from your travels with some valuable lessons and a different outlook on life.
Anything – and I mean ANYTHING – is possible.
I mean… I left Nicaragua, traveled solo, and ended up moving to London. All by myself! I did not expect to fall in love with the city so much that I would move there and call it home for almost two years.
Now, I’m off on my next adventure and cannot wait for what’s in store. So many future opportunities, possibilities, and adventures are waiting for me. And all of you, too!
What have you learned from solo travel? Do you have any crazy stories from solo travel you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!
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