Solo Travel: Tips for Traveling Alone
How to overcome the fear of solo travel, meeting people on the road, dining alone, safety tips, and why solo travel is worth trying.
Solo travel is the most overhyped and simultaneously underrated thing in travel. Overhyped because the Instagram version - a solitary figure gazing at a sunset - is mostly performance. Underrated because the actual experience - making every decision yourself, meeting people because you have to, learning to be comfortable with your own company - is genuinely transformative.
Why Solo Travel Is Worth It#
You eat when you want, go where you want, change plans without negotiating. You meet more people because you’re approachable in a way that couples and groups aren’t. You learn to trust your judgment because there’s nobody else to defer to. And you discover that your own company is better than you thought.
The honest downsides
Meals alone get old (bring a book or embrace the counter seat), you can’t share costs as easily, there’s nobody to watch your bag while you use the bathroom, and some experiences (boat trips, car rentals) are priced per group, not per person.
Meeting People#
The “but won’t I be lonely?” question has a simple answer: only if you want to be.
Where you’ll meet people
Hostels (the social infrastructure of solo travel - common rooms, bar nights, group dinners), free walking tours (instant group of fellow travelers), cooking classes and group activities, co-working spaces (for digital nomads), apps like Couchsurfing Hangouts and Meetup, overnight buses and trains (captive audience), and simply sitting at a bar or cafe with an open posture.
The paradox
Solo travelers almost never spend as much time alone as they expected. The bigger challenge is finding time for actual solitude amidst the social whirl of hostel life.
Stay in hostels with 6-8 bed dorms rather than huge 20-bed party dorms. Smaller rooms mean you actually get to know your roommates. Book a bed in a social hostel for your first few nights in a new city - it’s the fastest way to build a travel crew.
Safety for Solo Travelers#
The basics
Share your itinerary with someone at home. Check in regularly. Trust your gut - if a situation feels wrong, leave. Don’t tell strangers where you’re staying or that you’re alone (say “my friend is meeting me later”).
At night
Avoid walking alone in unfamiliar areas after dark. Use ride-hailing apps. Be cautious with alcohol - being drunk and alone in an unfamiliar city is genuinely risky.
The reassuring truth
Millions of people travel solo every year and the vast majority have zero safety incidents beyond the occasional petty theft. The world is far safer than the news makes it look. See our safety guide for more detail.
Practical Solo Travel Tips#
- Restaurants: Counter seats, street food, and market food halls are solo-friendly. Bring a book or your phone - there’s no shame in it. In many cultures, eating alone is completely normal.
- Photos: Ask other travelers or use a timer/tripod mount. GorillaPod works for phone photography. Or just… don’t worry about having photos of yourself.
- Single supplements: Hotels often charge a “single supplement” for solo travelers. Hostels don’t. Airbnb doesn’t. Guesthouses usually don’t. Budget travel is easier solo than it looks.
- Table for one: Some restaurants in Asia give solo diners a smaller portion at a lower price (especially at buffets and set menus). This is a feature, not a bug.
Is Solo Travel for Everyone?#
Mostly, yes - but be honest with yourself. If you’re deeply introverted and the idea of making small talk with strangers sounds exhausting, solo hostel culture might drain you. Private rooms and solo hiking might be more your speed.
If you have severe anxiety about being alone, solo travel can be either therapeutic or overwhelming depending on your mindset and preparation. Start with a short solo trip to a familiar-feeling destination (Western Europe, Australia, Japan) before committing to six months in Southeast Asia.