Why Travel Alone?

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You're trying to do your own thing, traveling on your own time, making it on your own steam, all that sort of thing. How better to do it, than to travel on your own?

Now, when we say "travel alone" or "solo travel", that's not to be confused with "solitary confinement". If you don't want to speak to another soul, that's your business; it's your trip, after all. But when you travel alone, it also can become easier to meet locals and other travelers; there's nothing to inhibit you but yourself, and other people may be more likely to come to you, because a person on their own isn't as intimidating as a group or even a couple of people.

Sometimes you may want to meet up with someone else and bum around together for a while; this can be great, smoothing over travel frustrations and helping you recharge your batteries. Being alone can do that too; being alone also lets you see things at your pace, and hey, there's also a lot to be said for not having to deal with anyone's idiosyncrasies but your own.

These are just a few reasons we think you should try solo travel, and why we enjoy it. Here are a few more, see which ones fit you and your trip:

Get yer money's worth: do what you want, from nothing to everything.
Meet all the friends you never knew you had.
Learn about other people, and yourself. Especially yourself.
Try something new. Or just do it again, because the first time 'round was so amazing.
Close proximity to the same people for an extended period of time (days, maybe even longer) ain't your thing. You'd prefer some time to yourself or just not be part of a group.
Have cool stories to tell your friends back home.
Amaze your friends back home because they never thought you'd pull off this solo thing.

Wind up at a new pub with new friends.
Hike, swim, spa, mountainclimb, bungee jump, eat haggis, pub crawl – who knows what you'll wind up doing?
Chance to hang both with locals and other independent travelers.
When some spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment opportunity comes along, take it!
See how varied and different the world really is – and yet how similar all of us people in it really are.
Make new memories to smile and laugh about, even years later, down new and other roads.
For the challenge of it.
For the fun of it.

Really, any reason is a good reason. Most people have their own, a unique reason why they take a little time out to hit the road on their own. What's yours? There's only one way to find out...

Article added on March 02, 2005

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