5 Reasons Why You Should Travel Solo

If you are on the fence about travelling solo, we guarantee this article will persuade you to take that leap!

Many people are hesitant when it comes to booking trips alone. Obviously it’s true that holidaying with your friends is great, but if you really want to get an authentic feel for the place you are visiting, it can be challenging to do so when travelling as part of a group.

We are not saying it's the easiest thing in the world as it does take some courage. However, we suggest you stop pondering over whether or not you have the guts to go through with it, because trust us when we say that you really will have the time of your life!

Without further ado, we present our 5 reasons why you should travel solo...

1. Follow the trend

Myth: "No one actually travels alone"

This common assumption could not be further from the truth. Get with the times and join millions of people who are opting for individual travel this year. The industry is seeing a massive boom as the number of searches on Google has risen significantly, indicating approximately a 40% increase in searches for solo travel. Travel companies, hostels and hotels all over the world are catering to the needs of solo travellers more than ever before as they regularly organise group activities that ensure you have the best experience in your chosen location. As more and more young people are deciding to go at it solo, whether it be directly after their school exams, university graduation or even those who just want a break from work, thousands of people are now choosing to travel alone rather than in a group, and there is nothing stopping you from becoming one of them!

2. You make the rules

Myth: "Only businessmen can eat dinner alone in a restaurant"

So many of us have reservations when it comes to enjoying your own company whilst having a proper meal in a restaurant when you are away from home. However, more and more people are beginning to indulge in this trick, not just those who are stopping in between cities for a quick business trip. Young people are increasingly choosing to eat what they want, where they want, regardless of whether or not they have company! When travelling solo you don’t have to fit in with anyone else’s plans. There is no schedule to follow, and no needs to be met by others. This is 'you' time. There will be no trekking around a museum that you never really wanted to go to in the first place, and there will be no waiting in line at ‘the best pizza restaurant’ your friend has dragged you all the way across town for when honestly you would be more than happy with an ice cream at the place across the road. You can go where you want to go, see what you want to see, eat what you want to eat, and basically do whatever you want! It’s true, people go on holiday ‘to relax’ and ‘take a break’, but is it really relaxing when your friends are arguing over what they want to do everyday? Exactly. Why not buy a good book, sit at a table overlooking a pretty square, order that bowl of pasta you really want and treat yourself!

3. The world is your oyster

Myth: "It's impossible to see a city in a day"

Nothing is impossible when you have nothing to hold you back! It sounds cheesy, but it really is true. When you are alone, you have so much more time to kill as you are not delayed by those who want a lie-in or need a coffee break every ten minutes. So much can be accomplished in just one day when you only have to think for yourself. Planning exactly what you want to do the night before is the best strategy, so come the morning you are ready to set off straight away and cover as much ground as possible. Take advantage of the fact that you have hours and hours to spend exploring a new destination... whether you join in on the hostel city tour and get to know fellow travellers, or grab a map and set off for that specific brunch place you saw on Instagram, or that Art Gallery just outside of town that someone told you about one time, it's all within reach! Having said that, the same reason can be taken from a different perspective… you can laze around the hostel all morning, take a few pictures of a church in the afternoon and spend the day sunbathing in a nearby park… as long as the Instagram game is strong no one at home will think otherwise, hey!? Travelling alone allows you to take complete control over your actions... the sky is the limit.

4. The people you meet

Myth: "You will get lonely if you travel solo"

Just because you are travelling on your own does not mean you are alone! In fact, it means quite the opposite! Solo Travel is suitable for both the most sociable of social butterflies and for someone who just wants to enjoy their own company. Either way, the best (and cheapest) way to travel alone is undoubtedly hostel-hopping. You’ll be surprised by how many people you will meet that are doing the same thing when you arrive! It is almost guaranteed that you will get to know many great people through travelling - from Canadians and Colombians to New Yorkers and Norwegians, the knowledge you can gain from speaking to different people you meet along the way will almost be on par with what you learn from the places you visit. Want to know the best part? The more you travel, the more people you meet, and soon enough you know someone in every city offering you a place to stay… perhaps your next stop could be Santiago, where you might stay with a girl you met in Madrid and caught up with in Venice two weeks later!? If you are hoping to meet people on your travels, look for hostels which promote fun activities and events. From 'family dinners' and bar crawls to city tours and movie nights... these unique experiences make it incredibly easy to get to know other travellers across the globe from the moment you set foot through the door.

5. The memories you make

Myth: "Travelling alone must be really boring if there is no one to have fun with"

The go-to argument for people that have doubts about travelling solo is frequently ‘you won’t have anyone to go out with’… and they couldn’t be less mistaken. If you think solo travel will be boring, don’t. It’s far from it. Although you may set off alone, you end up with ten times as many people to go out with than you would on your regular ‘lads on tour’ trip to Zante with old school friends (who, let's face it, don't have anything in common with you anymore). The best thing about going out when travelling alone is that there are no limits to what you can do and where you can go! There is no one pulling you off to the toilet queue or asking you to go home because they are too tired. That friend that you always need to look after because they had too many tequila shots in the last bar is just a fond memory of the past. Spend an evening in Seville with a Spanish girl, meet three German guys at a rooftop bar who drive you to a top-secret club in the middle of the Andalusian desert where an Italian man teaches you how to salsa (perhaps we are speaking from experience)! Literally, anything goes when partying on your own, and there is no one passing judgement when you purchase food at the end of the night...

Finally, the friends you make and the memories you carve while travelling will stay with you for life... it is an experience unlike any other. If this article hasn't convinced you enough already (which we struggle to believe), look through our list of low-cost hostels and step into the unknown... you know you want to!