A 2021 survey with 2,359 respondents found that 66 percent of global travelers prefer to travel solo because they want to see the world without waiting for others. Other motivations were liking the feelings of freedom and independence and building personal growth.
Image by Bluewater Sweden on Unsplash
As a first-time solo traveler, you might share similar reasons for wanting to travel alone. However, solo travel has challenges that can negatively impact your traveling experience.
Fortunately, you can overcome these challenges with proper planning. Here are the common pitfalls of solo travel and tips for overcoming them to make the most of your itinerary.
1. Traveling Alone Can Be More Costly
While you have complete control of your budget, solo travel can be more expensive when you prefer the following:
- Staying in private accommodations
- Taking private transport
- Dining out in expensive restaurants
- Visiting paid attractions
To avoid these outlandish costs, here are a few ways to make your solo travel cost-efficient:
- Find budget-friendly vacation rentals that specifically offer single rooms
- Use public transport, join other travelers to split private transport costs, or check for regional or city-wide travel cards. You can use the travel cards to get discounts on public transport and entrance fees to local attractions
- If your accommodation has a kitchen, buy groceries and prepare meals instead of dining out
2. You Have To Take More Safety Precautions
Although solo travel is not inherently unsafe, you should take more safety precautions. The most common safety concerns of solo traveling include:
- Theft
- Assault or harassment (especially for women)
- Pickpocketing
- Scams
- Potentially dangerous situations at night
As such, research your destination thoroughly to be familiar with its laws, customs, and crime rates. This way, you know which places to avoid and where to go if something happens.
To avoid losing your items from theft and pickpocketing, leave your valuables at home and don’t store all your money and cards in one place. For example, wear clothes with hidden pockets to hide some of your money.
When traveling at night, you may take a rideshare service and share the details with your hotel receptionist or loved ones to let them know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Consider bringing safety items like pepper spray and an alarm if allowed. Moreover, avoid isolated areas as much as possible.
3. Solo Travel Can Make You Feel Lonely
Solo travel can be liberating, but it can sometimes be isolating. Without someone to share the experiences with, there might be situations when you’ll feel lonely. Being with familiar faces is something you might also miss in a sea of strangers.
Fortunately, you can mitigate these feelings of loneliness by staying in a hostel, joining group tours and online communities, or interacting with the people you meet along the road.
Since most places have an internet connection, you can talk to your loved ones on social media whenever possible.
Feeling lonely while traveling alone is nothing to worry about. However, if you feel this way more often than not, you might need to change something in your itinerary. At the same time, acknowledge your emotions if you’re unhappy.
Solo travel is not for everyone, and that’s alright. You can come back to the place with travel buddies next time.
4. Difficulty Taking Photos of Yourself
Looking back on memories through pictures is essential for many travelers. While you can take beautiful photographs of the landscape and places, taking pictures of yourself can be challenging, particularly when you don’t have professional equipment.
To mitigate this problem, you can ask fellow travelers to take photos of you. This request is usually mutual—they’ll take pictures of you, and you’ll take theirs, too. Choose the ones who take the time to check angles so your photos will come out well. If you don’t want to bother other people, bring a tripod that can double as a selfie stick.
When taking photos while solo traveling, try to minimize your self-consciousness. After all, it’s your trip, and you want to treasure every moment. Don’t be afraid to carry the tripod or ask strangers to photograph you.
5. Getting Sick and Emergencies
Getting sick while traveling alone is challenging, as it can disrupt your itinerary. You usually don’t have immediate access to help, and navigating a foreign healthcare system is complex. Finding a doctor, explaining symptoms, and buying medicines can be complicated due to language barriers.
Here’s what to do to prevent getting sick while solo traveling:
- Consult your doctor before your trip and get advice
- Research your destination’s tap water and fresh food issues
- Prepare for specific problems, such as motion sickness
- Bring your vitamins and carry on with your vitamin routine
If you get sick while traveling alone, here are the following steps to follow:
- Take a rest, even if it’s something minor
- If your sickness is getting worse, call the local emergency number and contact your travel insurance provider
- Keep receipts so you can reimburse additional expenses, depending on your insurance coverage
- Communicate your health issues through translation apps like Google Translate to break language barriers
6. You Have To Navigate the Place Yourself
Besides planning everything yourself, solo travel requires self-reliance throughout your trip. If you struggle with anxiety, you should learn how to manage it before hitting the road.
Most of the time, however, the struggles of solo traveling are usually minor. For example, you must bring your belongings to the toilet because no one will look after them.
Moreover, setting alarms and being on time is all up to you. You’ll also have to navigate the place alone instead of sharing the burden with someone.
Some helpful solutions to mitigate this problem include:
- Packing lightly
- Creating a flexible itinerary
- Mustering the courage to ask strangers for help or assistance
Just remember to be wary of stranger danger and trust your instincts.
7. Eating Alone
Eating alone is awkward and overwhelming for many travelers. You might worry about where to dine or if a busy restaurant will accommodate you.
At the same time, there’s that potentially awkward moment when the server gives two menus, assuming you have a companion. Then, you’ll have to tell them it’s just you—a table for one.
Like when taking photos, try to minimize your self-consciousness when dining alone. Focus on the joy of choosing where to eat, deciding how much to spend, and the absence of arguments about splitting the bill. Forget everyone else and just enjoy the experience.
8. Decision Fatigue From Self-Reliance
Self-reliance can be exhausting. Although you control everything, every decision lies in your hands, resulting in decision fatigue.
Mitigating this challenge involves fostering a balance between planning and spontaneity. Plan by researching everything, but leave room for your intuition. Consider using guidebooks and travel apps to simplify your decisions.
When you meet fellow travelers, ask them for a restaurant recommendation, or you can spontaneously order a takeaway.
Allowing yourself to take a break is essential. Don’t worry too much about your itinerary by focusing on the present and living in the moment.
9. Perceived Negativity From Loved Ones
Last but not least, you may struggle to seek permission to travel alone from your loved ones due to perceived negativity. For example, young female travelers may not convince their parents to travel alone because of potential assault and harassment. Moreover, your friends may push their fears onto you.
Although these fears come from a place of love, they can be frustrating, as they can’t see your capability to travel alone. Just tell them everything about your travel itinerary—including the risks—and what you’ll do to ensure safety. When they realize you’re not backing out, they might start helping you plan.
Make Your Solo Travel Itinerary Less Stressful
Solo travel doesn’t have to be stressful. Sure, it can be challenging, but you can enjoy the experience when you know how to deal with the challenges you may encounter. This way, you can make the most of your solo trips.
