A single blue cup on a roof-top terrace table overlooking medieval town & a sign: 'travel alone'

Travel alone or part time alone for enthusiasm & creativity in your life!

Everyone wants to be enthusiastic and excited about his life, because that’s fun! But do you know you should travel alone not just for fun, but for an awesome creativity outlet that creates enthusiasm and other benefits in your life?

Yes, you create a great creative outlet when you travel alone (better one than traveling with a partner)! I will explain in this post why you get more intense benefits traveling solo.

Now, why do you even need creativity in your life? You're not an artist, so what's the purpose? Well, creativity is one of the key to our happiness!

And think of the old architectures and beautiful older houses and buildings you will see in the process!

You will experience a local feel and make many warm human connections and unforgettable memories as you connect deeper with places and people. And these kind and positive human connections do wonders for your mood.

You will get all that because you travel alone! And how do I know all this? Because this happened to me when I started traveling solo out of the lack of a travel partner, but discovered so many great things about traveling alone! That was a pleasant surprise!:)

Couples can achieve this only if they make time to travel alone part time! A few hours every day by yourself would do wonders for your travel experience! Admit it—you'll enjoy this time alone with a new place!;) And you'll have so much to tell your partner about!:)

Let's look at all the benefits you'll get when you travel alone in more details.

Hello, I am Tatiana—an architecture addict fascinated with beautiful old buildings and discovering the gems of Europe. Check out my comprehensive travel tips and reviews of the best European destinations and city breaks. Let's connect on social media!

Below is the audio version of this website. The robotic voice of this audio version is a bit annoying though, so here is your fair warning!:)

Some of the places I saw traveling solo and what they taught me

my travel office on a rooftop with a laptop for my on-line job assignment on my nomadic solo life

First, here are pictures of some of the places I saw on my solo travels. I didn't just set off for the sake of getting benefits. Imagine the memories these wonderful places have created for me.

But all the aesthetic scenes I've seen just couldn't not change me in some way. I will explain to you here how they have influenced changes in me.

I also will show a few places from my trips with my friends, and I will explain how that felt different.

This rooftop office in Olhao, The Algarve, Portugal, was my favorite office in the world. Just look at this beauty! I saw many sunrises from this office, and I was watching storks doing their things in their nest, that was no more than 50 yards from my desk. I also took many videos I should post soon.

Cozy ambience of yellow medieval buildings at night around a light up old square

A narrow street with a view of Alhambra on a background during a solo trip to Spain

These next 2 moody scenes are from Trogir, Croatia and Grenada, Spain respectively. I was in Trogir during torrential rain (and it was fun!:). And I was in Granada during first Sahara dust, and then - fog.

I can guarantee you that I enjoyed these vibes so much because I was alone. There was no one between me and the ambience of these places. I explain myself better later on in this post.

A magnificent view of medieval old buildings in hilly Toledo Spainoledo in

This picture is from my first solo trip to Toledo, Spain. I had so much fun, exploring the city! In fact, I liked Toledo so much that I returned back this year, this time for 7 days.

I have a post about 2 of the museums there, Synagogue Santa Maria La Blanca and Transition Synagogue of Toledo, as part of the Jewish culture influence on Mudejar style of architecture, that fascinates me. Normally, Mudejar architecture is a mix of Moorish Arabik and Spanish Christian style, so the Jewish influence is rare and therefor - interesting to me!

Now, I just used the key word - interesting to me. Do you think anyone of my friends would be eager to accompany me these museums? Right.... :) So, here is another point of the travel alone aspect - you can attend to your own interests and take your time doing this!

These 2 pictures are from my visit to small fishing villages. The first one was in Portugal, and the second pictures is from Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre, Italy.

Both were beautiful villages, but there was a huge difference for me exploring them. The first village I explored alone and had all the time in the world to do that.

And the second village was explored with a fun company of friends, but because of that I only had 30 minutes to explore the entire village by myself, and it wasn't enough at all! So I have some wonderful memories of a shared train ride and a restaurant, but very little memories of the village itself! I talk later how traveling solo let's you explore places at your own pace.

Colorful houses in Monterosso Cinque Terre Italy

This Burano visit was from a trip with my friends. Once again - I have some fun memories getting there and talking - but very little memories of the actual village, as I had to adjust my visiting time. I could have planned better if I were alone.

OK, enough about my experiences. Let me tell you what your solo experiences can be and what will happen when you will travel solo.

Below is a summary of the topic I will discuss in this post.

A row of colorful old buildings along a canal on Burano from a solo trip visit

Travel Alone for these benefits.

Is it fun to travel alone?
Get out of your comfort zone and travel alone for a creative outlet.
Creativity is great for your mental health and achieving happiness! Adventure solo brings enthusiasm into your life. ·
Travel alone for more authentic experiences.
Travel solo for kind human connections and friendships.
Go solo for unforgettable memories. ·
Solo travel changes you!
Travel alone and discover these changes in yourself.
You find confidence and a permanent belief in yourself when you travel alone.
Your confidence will help you start the world travel and traveling the world alone is a humbling experience!
You experience different cultures and languages, and you find compassion and gratitude.
What do you learn when you travel alone?
You learn your weaknesses and strength.
You learn to rely on yourself and strive for independence. ·
Having fewer possessions is true freedom!

You become a minimalist!

More benefits of traveling alone

You travel on your own schedule! · No fights with your travel companion.
You will get a better experience traveling solo rather than with a wrong partner.
How to travel alone
Tips for traveling by yourself: what to do to make your trip easier and more enjoyable.
Do your homework and plan your trip.
Resources for Planning Your Solo Trip
Packing For Travel Tip
Female solo travel
Things to do alone
How to travel solo for the first time
Afraid to travel alone?
How to Travel Alone Safely.
Safety tips
Will I Feel Lonely On My Solo Trip?
How not to feel lonely on your solo trip
Stay in the city center to avoid loneliness and fear.

How to meet people when you travel alone

Stay in a hostel.
Don't be afraid to ask for direction and other questions!
Take a break from traveling alone by joining daytime tours

BEST TRAVEL TOURS

Viator.
Getyourguide
Tripadvisor
Solo Travel destinations
Where to travel solo
Choosing vacation destination
Best destinations for solo traveller
Ideas for a travel destination; destinations inspiration
How to navigate your solo travel destination
Getting around a new city solo
Working remotely
Traveling on a budget (almost for free)

Travel alone for these benefits

Is it fun to travel alone?

Travel solo is FUN. Yes, it IS great to have a very compatible travel partner. But if you don't have one - it's OK! Try to travel alone and you will find out that it can be lots of fun! I hope I will convince you by the end of this post!

Creative outlet. Get out of your comfort zone and travel alone to spark your CREATIVITY!

Travel solo sparks your creativity and acts as a great creative outlet. If you feel your life becoming dull—plan a trip to travel alone to get out of your comfort zone!

Between figuring out where to go for a trip, planning your solo trip, traveling alone, and taking pictures and videos - you will get your creative juices flowing in no time. In fact, you will get better creativity benefits if you travel solo, compared to traveling with a companion. You will have sharper experiences doing things alone. And you will have endless chances to be creative during your solo explorations.

Creativity is great for your mental health and achieving happiness!

Creativity is the key to your happiness and mental health. Absolutely everybody looks for some creative outlets. Some people garden for creativity, some play music, some make furniture and other people … travel! More on what creativity is and what it does for your mental health and happiness is here.

Adventure solo brings enthusiasm into your life.

Adventure solo brings more enthusiasm into your life. Between the new creativity outlets and the constant personal accomplishments on your solo trip (you get to figure out all the daily logistic all by yourself—you are da beast!), you will feel invigorated and excited. And this excitement will make you even more enthusiastic!

Travel alone for more authentic experiences.

People traveling together tend to bring their culture and habits with them, experiencing limited cultural immersion. But you meet people on a local level, with their local traditions and the language when you travel alone. You get to experience the real authentic local life. And it's exciting!

When you travel with someone, you put a lot of attention on your companion. But when you travel alone, your attention rests on objects and scenery around you. You immerse in your travel experience deeper, as you focus on what is in front of you. And you have authentic experiences without distractions!

Travel solo for kind human connections and friendships.

When you travel alone, you have an energy of openness about you. And the locals will approach you in ways they never would if you were with a travel partner.

They will help you with the directions without you asking them. They will show you their towns and cities and invite you to try their food and wine. And you will have fun exchanges with strangers that feel like deep connections!

You will also meet other travelers, and you will become friends, often for a lifetime! You have bonded deeply while having some fun experiences together, as most experiences in some unfamiliar places are pretty special! And you already have so much in common - you both like to travel! What else is to ask for in your new friend?;)

A Fun fact: the less of a local language you know, the more fun your exchange with locals will be. Don't be afraid to look ridiculous and use hands gestures, it will be fun, I promise!:) You will collect the fondest memories of these casual human connections and people's kindness. In fact, these memories will often outshine the other "obvious" memories.

Go solo for unforgettable memories.

Go solo and you will bring back unforgettable memories you can only get when you travel alone.

Have you noticed how after returning from a trip with your friends or a special someone, you now have many fun or romantic memories of the things you did together, the shared laughs, conversations?

But if someone asks you what street your hotel was on, or which particular museum you went to, you would not remember!

Why is that? Because you were putting a lot of your attention on your companion. And that takes away from the experience of exploring the new place. It just does!

When you travel alone, you focus your attention on what is in front of you. And when you put your attention on something consciously, that creates the best memory path in your brain. And then you remember the experience longer. So, your travel experience becomes quite literary unforgettable!

Solo travel changes you!

You find confidence and a permanent belief in yourself.

Remember how you were solving the daily logistics in unfamiliar places all by yourself, like the king or the queen you are?:) You showed them all—and mostly to yourself—that you can achieve ANYTHING you desire!

And that permanent belief in yourself will change so many things in life for you, including your relationships with people. And this happened because you traveled alone!

traveling the world alone is a humbling experience!

Your confidence will help you start the world travel, and traveling the world is a humbling experience.

World travel is the most humbling experience one can have!

You experience different cultures and languages, and you find compassion and gratitude.

When you travel the world alone, you experience different cultures and languages. You learn the world history. You find compassion for people less fortunate than people who live where you are from. You learn to appreciate what you have and everyone in your life.

And you find gratitude. Gratitude is the most fulfilling emotion. And when you feel gratitude often and start practicing it consciously, it becomes your trait. And when that happens, your life becomes oh so sweet!

Nothing is better than living in loving kindness and gratitude. This is the ultimate goal in life!

You can find gratitude while staying home in your comfort zone, of course, but it's harder. It helps to compare life around the world and see different sides and perspectives of everything!

What do you learn when you travel alone?

You learn your weaknesses and strength.

When you travel alone somewhere new, you learn where you shine, your strength, and you learn your weaknesses. You make peace with some of your weaknesses and you work to change some that don't serve you right.

You learn to rely on yourself and you strive for independence.

You learn to rely on yourself when you solve problems all by yourself in some strange places. You learn how to take care of yourself! And you achieve independence! And don't let anyone tell you that you are living your life all wrong!

You are on a quest to answer a question of what is right for YOU and what is not, and not to serve someone else's ideas.

Having fewer possessions is true freedom!

You discover that having fewer possessions is true freedom. Nothing teaches you a better lesson about possessions than when you are alone, living out of your small carry-on for 2 weeks! You discover you need just a few good quality things in your life, and that all of them need to be light and fit in a small suitcase. Otherwise, they are just a clutter.

You become a minimalist!

Becoming a minimalist does wonders for your pocket and your state of mind! It makes your life more genuine. It shows you what is true and what is not. This knowledge is first learnt about things and then spreads toward everything else.

More benefits of traveling alone.

Many benefits of traveling alone were already described above. I will add a few more here.

You travel on your own schedule!

You will take a trip at the time that works well for YOUR schedule, saving yourself money during an off-season or shoulder season travel. No more waiting for someone to go with you during the holidays when everyone takes vacations at once.

The airfare during the holidays is just lovely (not!), being triple of what you can get otherwise. And with the latest Pandemic related circumstances, and airlines canceling flights on weekends and holidays in thousands a day—things can get quite unpleasant to wait for other people's schedules.

Fun fact: BTW, do you know that many people travel alone, even if they are in a steady relationship? Not everyone can coordinate their schedules. Besides, having some harmless but great experiences outside of your relationship just strengthens it!

No fights with your travel companion.

Duh… you don't have a travel companion!:)

If you ever experienced a fight with your travel partner during your trip, you know how awful it can feel! You feel you want to be away from the person you are arguing with, and yet you are stuck together in the middle of who knows where for who knows how much longer!

It is no wonder that going on a vacation together is an ultimate measure of compatibility. You are together 24/7, and you are really getting to know the person well! Yet before the trip, you were spending just a few hours here and there. And discovering your differences when you are stuck together can be quite painful!

In fact, most people started to travel alone after experiencing fights with their travel partners in the past. So, no fights with your travel companion is huge!

You will get a better experience traveling solo rather than with a wrong partner

Perhaps you went on a trip with someone, and it wasn't bad and you didn't fight. And yet you discovered you are not that compatible as a travel partner. Maybe you like doing different things, maybe you walk at different pace. Maybe you want some space here and there, and your friend doesn't want to do things alone.

Suddenly, you feel you're not enjoying your trip that much. And wouldn't it be wonderful if you were traveling alone? An aha moment!:)

So, yes, one can have better experience solo traveling than traveling with a wrong (or just not the best) travel partner! You will have an absolutely amazing experience during your solo travel! And that is why it is good to travel solo regularly, or at least sometimes!

How to travel alone

Now that you have decided on a solo journey, what are some tips and tricks on how to travel alone? Here are a few: First, don't wait for your partner or someone else to come along with you! Just decide to go travel alone and go! Don't include anyone else in your plans or you will bring frustration into what is supposed to be a joyful task - planning your solo trip!

Tips for traveling by yourself: what to do to make your trip easier and more enjoyable.

You can have a decent solo travel trip or a very enjoyable and easy trip. The difference is in the preparation you took for your solo trip. Traveling by yourself definitely requires more preparation than a travel couple might take.

Do your homework and plan your trip.

Plan your trip well! This is simple. If you want to have a great time on your trip, you need to either plan your trip extensively to make all the travel itineraries while still at home, or you do that during your solo trip.

The most important thing is to take care of your tickets to and from. You don't have to plan your trip for the once already in the city itinerary much.

You can plan everything yourself, or you can hire someone to plan the itineraries for you. You can hire my services if you would like.

There is no right or a wrong way to approach your planning, but someone has to do that. Planning your trip by yourself is actually a fun and a creative thing to do, but some people haven't just discovered that yet!;)

Packing for travel tips

Here is my packing for travel tip: your travel luggage and travel gear, and your decision about what to take with you on your trip will make it or break it.

If you brought a heavy suitcase with you, and you are a female solo traveler, you will regret it. But if you packed for travel light with good quality travel gear, using my packing for travel tips here - you will be comfortable on your solo trip.

Resources for Planning Your Solo Trip

I have an extensive library of resources for planning your solo trip on Alonga Travel. If you are up to the task, jump to my Travel Tips page for a comprehensive guide on planning your trip or click the button below.

Female solo travel

More on female solo travel here. Guys can sometimes get away with starting packing 5 minutes before the trip and still have a great time. I do NOT advise using this approach if you are a female, though! 😉

Things to do alone

The best thing to do alone is to go on urban walks and take tons of pictures or videos. In fact, if you want to stay sane – it is the only way to do this - alone! Unless you are with a partner who is also into the photography. Or, unless your partner is a patient angel? Congratulations! Never let her go!:)

Another great thing to do by yourself could be hiking. Don’t go too far away from the civilization, if you are a woman, but hiking is often enjoyed best alone.

How to travel solo for the first time.

The best advice I can give you if you travel solo for the first time - don’t bring a heavy suitcase! Pack and travel light and go to Europe. It has better public transport with more reliable transportation schedules. Stay in the city center where all fun happens, go easy on alcohol and you will be just fine!:)

Read the rest of this article and you will have the complete guide to how to travel alone for the first time!

Afraid to travel alone?

Don't be! It is quite possible you will enjoy traveling alone so much, you will decline offers to travel together, when you get them. Unless you find a very compatible travel partner. So, don't be scared to travel solo!

How to Travel Alone Safely

There are certain practical rules to travel alone safely. There are even some extra rules for females who travel alone.

Safety tips

More on these safety tips for solo travellers and, specifically, for solo female travelers are here.

Will I Feel Lonely On My Solo Trip?

Perhaps there will be a few moments of loneliness, but you most likely have them at home as well? So this is closely connected to how not to feel lonely when alone topic, which we will discuss later.

A note: You will find traveling solo easier than someone who likes to be around others all the time, if you enjoy your own company. However, anyone can get to love to travel alone once one learns how to travel alone.

a crowd of people crossing a street & a custom sign: 'How not to feel lonely on solo trip'

How not to feel lonely on a solo trip.

If you follow my advice about how not to feel lonely on your solo travel, the moments of loneliness will be very short-lived, if any. And the constant exhilaration you will feel from all your explorations will outweigh any negative feeling by far.

Besides, traveling solo doesn't mean you have to be alone all the time! Read below on how you can meet people on your solo travel trip.

Stay in the city center to avoid loneliness and fear.

It is usually safer to stay in the city center when you travel alone. You will not be afraid to walk to your hotel alone. It is also a great way not to feel lonely! You are close to everything and there is so much to do, including people watching - a great way to enjoy people without engaging with them.

How to meet people when you travel alone.

There are many ways to meet people when you travel alone. You can meet them during your explorations. You can join group travel for a day trip or for a city walk. You can use apps to meet people, or you can join Meetup or Facebook groups. More on this in my Solo Female travel section.

Stay in a hostel.

If you stay in a hostel, you are guaranteed to meet many people! Hostels are not what they used to be. People of all ages stay there now.

Don't be afraid to ask for direction and other questions!

This is a great way to meet people by asking them questions. Don't do that just for the sake of meeting people, as it can be awkward. But also, don't be afraid to hold back when you want to know an answer to your question. Most people would be happy to help you out and you might start a friendly connection!

Take a break from traveling alone by joining group travel.

I love joining tour groups on a day trip. You get some company, and it's usually a fun group, and you get to spend a day without worrying about transportation for your destination. I highly recommend day trip tours! You might even try longer, a few days long group tours.

Every city has free walking tours. Go there to meet people!

Best Solo Travel destinations

Where to travel solo

There are many places to travel solo. Some countries are better suitable places to travel alone to than the others. It is very important to research your destination before you go there!

Choosing a vacation destination

Choosing a vacation destination is fun and exciting! There are so many wonderful places to choose from! When deciding where to travel, I advise the best places to travel alone to are the ones who have good public transportation. More on how to choose a vacation destination is here.

Best destinations for solo travellers.

The best destinations for solo trevellers are different for men and women. Most women (not all) prefer to go to a safer, more developed place when they travel solo. Guys often do the opposite and go to a less discovered remote destination.

So, what the best destination for you as a solo traveler depends on what you prefer.

Ideas for a travel destination; destination inspiration.

There are many wonderful destinations to travel to. To get some inspiration and help you chose your future travel destinations, you could check out my stories about different destinations.

How to navigate your solo travel destination.

While couples love to rent cars, I do not recommend this to a solo traveler. It is much easier to navigate your solo travel destination by public transportation.

You don't want to worry about renting a car, driving, figuring out directions, looking for parking all by yourself. Here is more on why choose public transport in Europe over a car rental.

Getting Around a New City Solo

It can be challenging getting around a new city solo. It is also very exciting and you will navigate it much better if you come prepared with some research. Here is more info on how to travel between cities and inside a city.

This explanation works better for a country in Europe, but you'll get the idea! Europe has the most established and easy to navigate for a foreigner public transport system. The Transportation systems in some cities of America, Asia, Africa or Australia ( all continents starting with an 'A'!:) can be a bit more complicated, or just different. But taxis can be more affordable in some countries.

WORKING REMOTELY

Considering working remotely? And maybe even becoming a digital nomad and traveling full time?

Please read my Online Jobs section of this site. The world changes toward the remote working lately, making becoming digital nomad more achievable. Or you can work while you are on your trip now, which is new!

tRAVELING ON A BUDGET (ALMOST FOR FREE)

Now, I told you you can travel on ANY budget, even if you have a tight budget, right? And no, I am not talking about using credit card points here. You don't need to be rich to travel!

HELPEX

Have you heard about this company helpx? They invite volunteers to work around 4 hours every day (or 8 h every other day) in exchange for free accommodation and free food. The membership there is $20 and is good for 2 years. I have personally met 2 people who got a placement through this organization and who highly recommended it to me.

Housesitting

Housesitting allows you to stay in other people's houses for free. Usually, taking care of their pets as well. Trusted housesitters is an excellent and reputable company for that.

You will be responsible for your own visa, but there are ways to go around allowable staying limit of 3 months by moving between different countries. Sounds fun, isn't it?;)

I hope you are all energized to plan a solo travel trip now! :) For more information, read other sections of my blog, subscribe to my periodic emails and let's connect on social media - links below!

Solo travel shows you that you are stronger, more resilient, and more capable than you ever gave yourself credit for. So, go on a solo journey to get to know yourself and how to live in gratitude!

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Alonga Travel the author smiles behind her laptop in her mobile rooftop office in Portugal over

Hi, I am Tatiana—a digital nomad, slow traveling around Europe and beyond. Do you like my rooftop mobile office in front of the beautiful church and a storks' nest on its roof? That was such an awesome experience!:) Follow my travel explorations on Alonga Travel and unique findings to learn of places like this!