Unexpected Benefits of Traveling Alone: Some May Surprise You

Some of the benefits of traveling alone are obvious, even to those who have never taken the plunge—chief among them being the ability to do exactly what you want, when you want.

Others, however, are not immediately clear and may not reveal themselves until you are in the thick of it or even long after you return.

With decades of solo travel under my belt, I have had plenty of time to assess its impact on my life. Recently, I decided to ask the members of the Solo Travel Society on Facebook about their experiences. Their responses to the question, “What are some of the unexpected benefits of traveling alone?” were many and varied, reminding me of some I had been taking for granted and putting a different spin on others.

If you are a seasoned solo traveler, you will recognize many of these. If you are new to traveling alone, some of these benefits will come to you soon. And if you have not yet traveled solo, you have much to look forward to!

20 Benefits of Traveling Alone

1. Living in the moment. Because you alone are responsible for everything when you travel solo, you will be more aware of your surroundings. Without a companion to focus on you will be present in every moment and live the fullness of your experience. In JoAnne’s words, she enjoys “being so much more in the moment than when I am with someone from home who wants to talk about people and things happening 5,000 km away.”
2. Meeting locals. Likewise, without a companion to chat with, your orientation will be outward rather than lateral. This will open you up to meeting new people and make you more approachable. Here are some tips for meeting people as you travel.
3. Meeting other solo travelers. Not only will you meet locals more easily, when you travel alone you will be more aware of others who are doing the same. Conversations have a natural opening when you’re starting with such a clear shared interest.
4. No waiting on others. How many times have you been annoyed by having to wait on someone else? One of the benefits of traveling alone is that this problem is completely eradicated. Roberta says, “When you wake up, you can just go and not wait on others. If you stop for anything you are in and out and not waiting to round everybody up. If you don’t like to shop, you don’t, not following someone else around. You do everything on your terms.”
5. No making others wait on you. Equally, you will not have to worry about keeping others waiting. When you stumble upon a fascinating art exhibit, for instance, you can take as much time to explore it as you like without feeling any guilt for throwing off someone else’s schedule.
6. You don’t have to share your gelato. You don’t have to share anything! You’ll have your own room (unless you opt otherwise, such as staying at a hostel), your own itinerary (or none), and follow only your own interests.
7. Eat what you want, as much or little as you desire. Not a breakfast person? Skip it. Love a hearty meal to fuel up for a day of exploration? Have at it. Or, like my Great-Aunt Luella, eat your dessert first to make sure you don’t run out of room. There’s no one to judge you! Check out this post for more ideas: Eating Alone Is Easy When You Know How.
8. You appreciate your surroundings more intensely. Senses are heightened when you travel alone. To me, colors seem brighter, I notice unfamiliar scents, I hear sounds that would fade into the background if I was traveling with others. It’s a deeper experience all around.
9. Get up early, sleep late. Do you enjoy watching the sunrise, experiencing a destination before crowds arrive, taking photos in the morning light? Do you like to sleep in and linger over your morning coffee? One of the benefits of traveling alone is that there are no worries about waking a travel companion if you’re an early riser and no pressure to drag yourself out of bed if you prefer a later start.
10. Go to bed early, stay out late. Do you like to go all day and hit the hay early? Are you one who comes alive when the sun goes down? It’s all up to you when you travel solo. Theresa says, “As someone who isn’t into nightlife, I can just go to bed and not get dragged to something I’m not into.” Conversely, night owls don’t have to worry about waking a companion when they return in the wee hours.
11. Satisfy your own tastes. Linda says that one of the benefits of traveling alone for her is eating what you really want. “I love my best friends and family but trying to find somewhere everyone would eat is a nightmare. And I have an adventurous palate!” If you’ve invited a group of people over for dinner lately, you will know how hard it is to accommodate everyone’s preferences and allergies. Travel alone and you only have to choose what appeals to you. Explore street food and local cuisine or stick to what you know and love: the choice is yours with no compromising or coordinating.
12. Get the best seat in the house. One of the most memorable theater experiences of my life came about because I was traveling solo in London and was able to get a last-minute ticket, dead center, 7th row, to see Brian Dennehy in Death of a Salesman. If there had been two or more of us, we would have been seated in the back or up in the balcony. I became totally lost in the story because of another benefit of traveling alone: no companion to distract you. As Kaycee says, “You see and experience things more than you ever do when your mind is half concerned with entertaining/socialising with other people and making sure they’re all okay at all times. You can dedicate your whole mind to what you’re seeing and doing in a way that is rarely possible when you’re with other people.”
13. You have unlimited space for spontaneity. “It’s all about me, myself and I, with my own itinerary and schedule and doing as I please and chopping and changing as it pleases me,” says Jenny. I once had an itinerary I was following that was completely upended when I stumbled upon an art exhibit created by a solo traveler on a road trip across Canada. As I was on a road trip in Canada at that moment myself, it was an incredible moment of serendipity. I spent hours in that art gallery, completely forgetting about the other activities I had planned. That spontaneity would not have been appreciated by travel companions with different interests. I might very well have passed on the exhibit in the interest of sticking to a group plan. Years later, I still think about that art piece, my great fortune to have unexpectedly encountered it, and the gift of the opportunity and flexibility to spontaneously alter the trajectory of the day.
14. Plan everything to the minute or fly by the seat of your pants. Do you enjoy planning out your trip to make sure you see and do everything you want? Do you prefer to put on your shoes, walk out the door and see what the day brings? Whatever suits your personality or desires, you can organize your time your way without any concerns about compromising with a different traveler’s perspective.
15. Embrace solitude, if that’s your jam. When I travel solo, I can easily go for days without speaking to anyone, except in the course of ordering dinner or purchasing tickets. I love to be a silent observer of the local culture. Janice talks to everyone she encounters. It is a key part of the experience for her. And we each see our choices as one of the great benefits of traveling alone.
16. Take care of yourself and only yourself. No caretaking duties on a solo trip! Whether you often find yourself looking after those younger or older than you or attending to the needs of a less independent traveler who needs some hand-holding, you are off the clock when you travel alone. Self care is the only caring you need to do.
17. Spend as much or as little as you want. If it’s a budget trip you have in mind, you can decide where to save and where to spend. If treating yourself to a luxury trip is what you’re after, lucky you–go for it! There’s no balancing the budgets of a number of travelers, feeling obligated to spend more than you want or worrying that others can’t shoulder their fair share. Money can be a stressful subject, even among friends. You do you, solo traveler!
18. What happens in Vegas (or wherever you may go) stays in Vegas. Dance like nobody’s watching, do something completely out of character, get a little naughty, or just let loose and indulge yourself, guilt-free: it all stays with you and doesn’t have to be shared with anyone else. As Joyce says, “You can do something outrageous and no one else in your circle at home will know.”
19. Discovering new things about yourself. Perhaps the greatest benefit of traveling alone is the time and space to discover or uncover your own strengths. Every trip will challenge you in some way and observing how you respond will tell you something. Facing new hurdles and learning to rely on your own skills to handle whatever comes your way will build self-reliance and confidence. You will come to understand why those who don’t travel solo admire you so much.
20. Experience the beauty and surprsing depth of fleeting friendships. While I am one of those people who embraces solitude when I travel, I invariably also meet people along the way. There is something very special about travel relationships. Whether you chat with a fellow traveler for the length of a train ride, enjoy dinner at the home of a local, or bond with a stranger in a time of distress, beautiful things can happen when people are thrust together for a short time. There is a fast-tracking of the get-to-know-you process that can lead to the most memorable conversations.

As always, I give the final word to a reader.

Nobody has your same sleep patterns, eating habits, or travel desires. Do you want to stay another night or two somewhere? Do you want a day of complete rest, and lay about reading? Have you already been to the top of the Eiffel Tower and want to skip it and head to explore another art museum? Do you like to party? If you are solo, you are free to choose. And travel time is a luxury, so make it yours!

Solo Travel Society member, Kathie

Last updated: 10th July, 2024