Is Solo Travel Lonely?

The truth is life can be lonely at times and also fulfilling and fun. So is solo travel lonely? Sometimes yes and other times it’s fun and fulfilling! I’ve had amazing experiences on my solo travels as well as my travels with friends and family! And I’ve felt frustrated at times when traveling whether that was with a friend or solo.

When deciding if solo travel is right for you, it starts with knowing yourself more and ironically, traveling solo is a good way to get to know yourself! I’ll review more of my experiences, offer things to consider and strategies to help you enjoy your solo trips!

You may also like:

Before you dive in, I want to be transparent: this article includes affiliate links. This simply means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Rest assured, the article includes my genuine advice and it won’t cost you anything extra. Your support is greatly appreciated. Happy reading!

When Travelling Alone Do You Ever Feel Lonely?

Extrovert or Introvert?

I am more introverted but I do love people! However, when I’m overwhelmed or feeling drained, I recharge by being alone. This is an important thing to note because my solo travels would look and feel different to someone who is an extrovert, like my cousin.

Is solo travel lonely? The truth is whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you might encounter moments when you feel lonely. When my cousin travels, she makes more friends than I do, but even being an introvert, I still meet people! However, feeling lonely can happen even when you’re with friends.

Current Emotional State

I enjoy my own company! However, I still have my moments when I feel lonely. Overall, it was my emotional state that had more of an impact. For instance, when I went to Tulum by myself, it was a time when I was feeling more lonely in life in general! Traveling alone didn’t make me feel that way, because I was already feeling that way. Tears were shed that trip, but I think it was actually good for me.

My other solo trips were great! My solo Fiji trip didn’t have a good ending, but overall it was an amazing trip! And my solo trip to Panama was great! In both of these cases, I was content in life. Yes, I want to find someone and get married one day, but overall I’m happy and so grateful for my life!

Sometimes You’ll Feel Lonely

Yes, sometimes you will feel lonely! That is just part of life! And if you don’t feel lonely, I would like to submit to you that you might be avoiding those feelings with social media, TV, partying or any way you numb out. If you don’t confront it, there will come a time it will catch up to you. And that might be on a solo trip.

How to Overcome Loneliness While Traveling Solo

Gratitude

Even if you are in a good place, loneliness can happen, again, it’s the same in life! For me, gratitude has been a game changer! I’m learning to let myself feel what I feel (still working on this) rather than immediately burying the emotion. Then once I’ve acknowledged it, I start rehearsing what I’m grateful for!

Maybe I’m solo traveling and feeling lonely, but then I remember I’m traveling, something I love to do! I remember I have family and friends who all love me. There is a home waiting for me. I don’t go hungry. And the list goes on!

Gratitude has been the catalyst from being pretend content but actually numb, to dreaming again and experiencing true contentment in the waiting.

Say Hello

This is not always easy depending on how you are traveling, but if you want a friend, be a friend! Simply saying hello and talking to others can open the door to meeting new people!

In Fiji, I walked onto the Ferry and found a seat. I sat across from an older woman who seemed to be traveling solo as well. I said hello. We went onto talk and it turns out she is a teacher in New Zealand on school holiday. Her husband stayed home and she was on vacation in Fiji to snorkel!

Then others joined our conversation and we met a girl from Mexico City, a couple from Canada and another girl from Hong Kong! During that week, we ran into each other at various times whether we stayed at neighboring resorts or briefly saw each other on the Ferry!

One resort in Fiji (Blue Lagoon Beach Resort) made it easy to meet other solo travelers by offering to seat us together for dinner! I loved this so much! I met an American girl, a female Aussie Paramedic, a guy from California who was very shy, another young guy from Germany who had been traveling for months and another Eastern European who was living in Australia at the time.

How to Travel Alone for the First Time

Start Doing Things Alone

Is solo travel lonely? One way to know how lonely you might feel is to test it out. You don’t have to test it out by travelling far alone. Instead, start small. I remember the first time I went to the beach alone! It was so surprising to me how easy and wonderful it was and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t done it sooner!

Do something that feels a little scary to you but is ultimately low risk.

Take yourself out for coffee, dinner, or a movie! Maybe you live somewhere touristy, consider booking a tour locally to get a feel for it. I recently booked a snorkel tour in Key Largo while staying at my brother’s house in South Florida. It was fun even though I was somewhat of a local. Yet I still felt like I was travelling since I was around other tourists. Do something that feels a little scary to you but is ultimately low risk.

Take a Short Trip Alone

Before I ever took a solo trip, I just became okay with doing things alone. If I wanted to do something or go somewhere and my friends weren’t free or interested, I did it alone.

I have had my paddle board for well over ten years and when I first bought it, not that many people had one or even knew much about it. So I paddle boarded alone.

Start to build your solo travel experience. I’ve been to New York City many times and one time was alone (for work). Walked Manhattan solo, but it wasn’t my first time in Manhattan (my first time was with friends). However, I decided since I had never been to a New York beach, I went and checked it out for the first time alone. And since no one else was with me, I didn’t have to make sure others were into the idea!

My first international solo trip was to Tulum, Mexico. This involved getting on a bus in Cancun, but it was great! That trip I was probably the most emotionally delicate and not in a great place with still being single. Even though I had a good cry that trip, it was overall a great experience!

Travelling by yourself can seem overwhelming at first, but if you start small and build up, it will get easier and less intimidating. When I went to Panama alone, it was a great trip! I enjoyed my time in Panama City and the San Blas Islands! And that uncomfortable journey from Panama City to San Blas is not something I think my friends would have been happy doing. So it worked out well for me!

Build Travel Experience for a Longer Trip

Last year I ended up doing a two week trip solo! I was nervous. Each of these times I was a nervous. I wasn’t sure if two weeks would feel too long as a solo trip. All the questions you are probably asking, I’ve asked myself each time. Yes, I ask myself “is solo travel lonely?” However, if there’s something I really want to do, I do it! And since I had slowly built solo travel experience, it helped build my confidence.

So I went to Fiji for two weeks solo and I LOVED it! Aside from the ending on the main island when I felt cheated a bit and so single, I thoroughly enjoyed Fiji! I explored a cave, went snorkeling, scuba diving and did a bull shark dive! The island hopping in Fiji was so fun and it is so easy for solo travellers!

You may also like: Fiji Solo Travel | Is It Awkward or Awesome?

Group Travel

If you are still wondering, “is solo travel lonely,” then consider a group tour. I have recently considered group tours, but honestly, the price is hard to swallow since all the trips I plan are so much cheaper than what they charge. However, I have friends who have done them and they loved it! There are so many offerings available out there these days to various destinations, so consider booking a group tour.

As solo travel is increasing, there are even tours who don’t charge extra for a single traveller. This might mean you’ll share a room, but you can save a little money that way and make a friend!

Book Tours

If you don’t want to commit to group trips, consider booking tours at your destination. You can book day tours or even ones for a few days while traveling. I really like Viator and Get Your Guide. You can organize flights and hotels on your own, but book tours for the day.

Is Solo Travel Safe?

Is solo travel safe? Is driving a car safe? Is travel in general safe? Is going into the ocean safe? The answer is yes, but also there are risks! The same is true for solo travel.

“Is solo travel lonely” is not the only thing to consider. You would also consider your safety. And since feelings of loneliness can induce coping mechanisms that could affect your safety (like getting drunk), this is not something to overlook.

Consider the Destination

If you are wondering if a destination is safe, ask around or check the US Department of State. They rate destinations 1 through 4 on safety. Now I do think that website tends to be more negative about some destinations. However, if you are just working on building confidence for solo international travel, then choosing a destination ranked with 1 could help ease some of your nerves.

Even if you travel somewhere rated safe, you still need to use common sense! However, it can definitely help put you at ease knowing the country you are travelling to is considered safe.

Tips for Solo Female Travel

Though I suppose these travel tips can apply to any solo traveler. There was a story I heard in Columbia where a man was lured with a dating app and then robbed. So it’s a good idea to be wise regardless of your gender.

Stay Sober

I don’t “party” and I don’t like drinking, so when I travel it’s not difficult for me to remain sober. However, if you are traveling solo, I recommend being sober because you want to keep your wits about you and have control over your decisions.

Don’t Stay Out Late

Further to the above, I don’t tend to go out as much at night. This depends on the location, how far I’m walking, and how safe I was feeling during the day, but generally speaking I’m back at my accommodation before dark or at least not super late.

Keep Family and Friends Updated on Location

This is easier to do these days. I paddle board in the ocean by myself, but I always make sure someone knows I’m going and contact them on my return. Additionally, I share my location! Same is true when I’m travelling. Someone knows where I am.

Keep at least one person updated on your location and check in regularly. It doesn’t necessarily have to be daily, but it’s a good idea for someone to know where you are and keep that person or people updated out of courtesy so they don’t worry too much and necessity for your own safety.

Trust Your Gut

For some reason as women, we don’t always do this! And yes, I’ve reacted out of fear and not my gut and I’ve seen this happen with friends as well. However, erring on the side of caution isn’t a bad thing.

I bring fear up, because that can make you paranoid and cause more fear. Yet fear can be healthy when channeled correctly.

Your gut though, should be trusted! And if you’re not sure if it’s your gut or just fear, it’s better to err on the side of safety. If you don’t feel comfortable, say so. If you don’t want to answer a question because you feel it’s too personal or exposes too many details about your trip, don’t say anything! You don’t owe anyone anything and you can still be polite and not answer.

If you don’t feel right about something, don’t do it. Trust your instincts! And yes, I know sometimes the fear and instincts may be difficult to decipher, but don’t override it! It’s better to look back and see you would have been fine than to find yourself in a bad situation.

Is Solo Travel Lonely?

Solo travel is wonderful and can feel empowering! Yes, it’s fun to travel with friends and family, but if there is somewhere you want to go, being able to go solo can open up a world of adventures!

Doing anything alone can bring feelings of loneliness, so why not be in paradise! Or exploring a city! There is so much of the world I want to see and if some of it has to be solo, then so be it.