Solo Travel: How to Explore Alone Without the Loneliness

Traveling alone can be daunting, but don't let your worries of loneliness hold you back. There are plenty of people who purposely travel on their own because you have complete control over your itinerary and daily events. With these tips, you will be able to keep loneliness at bay while you explore this big, beautiful world.

 

Be Your own Best Friend

Perhaps circumstances have left you to travel solo or maybe you've decided to embark on a solo journey to explore the world. Whatever the reason, you will be exploring more than your destination; you'll be learning more about yourself, too! Enjoy spending time with yourself, learning your likes and dislike, and testing your limits. Only having to answer to yourself will help you find out what truly makes you tick. You get to choose your day-to-day itinerary. You get to choose where and when to eat. Journal during your trip to take note of how you feel each day, and reflect upon it when you return home a whole new person!

 

Choose Hostels Over Hotels

While spending time with just yourself is a great way to get to know yourself on a deeper level, spending time with others is also welcome. Choosing to stay at hostels is a fabulous way to meet other people and find other solo travelers. This is beneficial not only to occupy your time between daytime adventures, but also to learn more about where you are. Other tourists are a great resource on what to do, as each person you meet will have planned a different itinerary. Plus, some excursions cost less if there are more participants, so you could even save money by joining others for a daytime activity.

 

Try Something New Every Day

Trying something new each and every day while you are on your solo vacation will keep you quite busy. There won't even be time to be lonely! Your thoughts will be on the new activity you are trying out. You will be preparing by researching this new adventure, and spending time afterward reflecting on it. Plus, you'll have a host of new adventures to write about in a journal or to tell your friends and family once you get home. This is another great way to explore yourself and test your limits.

 

Eat Meals Out and About

You probably won’t have a kitchen in your accommodation. Consciously try to eat your meals away from your room to stay out and about during the day and into the evening so you don't fall into a rut of staying in. Taking a break in your room during particularly long days is important to recharge, of course. For the most part, however, spending time at local restaurants or even eating a sandwich while in a public park will keep you busy and let you see even more. In addition, you are more likely to make new friends while outside of your hotel room!

 

Head Out with Tour Groups

There are plenty of tour groups to join. Groups exist for every type of traveler: adventurers, thrill seekers, nature lovers, single mingle travelers, family travelers with small children, and even solo travelers. Choose a tour group that will have you meeting people who want to partake in similar activities to you, or join a solo traveler group. It's hard to be lonely when you’re surrounded by people who are also looking to find company!

 

Don't Underestimate Entertainment

Entertaining yourself for a few hours every day is easier than you think. A good book can keep you turning the page well into the evening. A quiz book with brainteasers or Sudoku can keep you busy longer than you realize. Bring these types of personal entertainment for the quiet hours of the day when you may find yourself wondering what to do. In the time that you might have usually conversed with a friend on the phone or watched television with family, you can entertain yourself with simple entertainment.

 

Start a New Hobby

Starting a new hobby while traveling might seem like an odd suggestion, but there are so many options available to you. Bringing a book about how to needlepoint with you, along with a little starter kit of yarn, can keep you busy during those hours of the day between adventures. Perhaps you have always wanted to try your hand at photography. You could treat yourself to a new camera or lens before your trip, and learn as you photograph your beautiful surroundings.

 

Volunteer at a Local Charity

When exploring a new place, you will definitely want to learn more about the culture and what life is like for the locals in the area. What better way is there to do this than to volunteer your time with those in need? Do a bit of research before your trip to find a place that is happy to take people for just a few days. You will be helping others while learning about a new culture. Your spare time will be going toward a good cause, and you won't have time to be lonely!

 

Choose Interactive Activities

There are amazing tours available in most popular travel spots. Instead of going on bus tour after bus tour, why not try something new and different? Sign up for a cooking class, a pub crawl or a tour of a beer factory. Go on a nature walk or an overnight hike where you sleep under the stars. There are plenty of options that put you in an interactive setting with like-minded individuals who are also excited to have conversations while enjoying a fun adventure in a new destination.

 

Don't Hold Yourself Back

The most important thing to remember is to not be your own worst enemy. You are actually the best company you can give yourself. Allow yourself to have fun, try new things, and don't hold yourself back! If a particular tour or adventure sounds thrilling but isn't something you would normally do, put yourself out there and do it anyway! Remember, you are on your own, so there is nobody to impress or please - just you! Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to explore yourself and the world around you.