When it comes to travel, most people have a list of places they’d love to see, but one of the major stumbling blocks for many is that they are afraid of travelling alone.
Well, we’re here to tell you not to be! Sure, a trip abroad – and especially a gap year – can seem scary if you’re going it alone. But don’t let that put you off.
Travelling solo can be very rewarding and although travelling with friends can be a lot of fun, when it comes to backpacking it is often best to go solo. This gives you plenty of freedom to go exactly where you want, do all the activities you’d like and make new friends, which is what a gap year’s all about.
One of the most important things to remember when you’re planning a round the world trip for example is that this is probably something you’ll only do once, so you should make the most of it and ensure you get everything you want to out of it. If you change your plans to suit other people too often, you’ll end up resenting the sacrifices you make and not enjoying the experience as much.
Here are the main reasons why solo adventure travel is the way to go for this kind of getaway.
1. Freedom
Travelling solo gives you an immense amount of freedom – you can choose to move around as you please, doing as little or as much as you want each day. It’s particularly good if you have very specific hobbies or interests, too, as you can make sure your itinerary in each country you visit is tailored to these.
If, for example, you love scuba diving, you can head to various coastal locations around south-east Asia and explore some of the region’s top dive sites. Alternatively, if history is your passion, make sure you tour the amazing temples in Thailand, visit the stunning Angkor Wat ruins in Cambodia and walk along the Great Wall of China.
2. Travel on Your Own Terms
While sharing experiences with friends can be rewarding, it also means a certain – and often a great deal – of compromise. Unless your holiday companions are pretty laid back, it’s safe to say you’ll be spending a fair part of any travel adventure on other people’s terms. This could mean spending large chunks of your time away in places you have no desire to see. With solo trips, you set your agenda – whatever that may be. On a personal level, this can also be a very rewarding thing to do and imbue you with greater self-confidence. It’s no wonder so many people find themselves while travelling solo!
3. Be Your Own Guide
One area where you’ll definitely enjoy full control is in setting the itinerary. You can go precisely where you want to and enjoy any sort of activities – whether you want to go backpacking, book a tour in South America, volunteering in Thailand, going on a safari in Africa, watching Old Faithful erupting in Yellowstone, or try snorkelling with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. Arguably more valuable to the solo traveller than what you choose to see is what you choose to leave out. And cutting the fluff from your itinerary will leave more time for you to reflect on those things that matter, all at your own pace of course.
3. Making Friends
You may be surprised by how easy it is to meet people when you’re backpacking alone, but as many travellers take this approach to gap years, you’re bound to get to know plenty of interesting individuals as you move from place to place.
Solo travelling doesn’t mean you need to spend your entire trip in isolation – you can hook up with a group of people you meet who are going somewhere that interests you and enjoy their company for a few days or even weeks, before parting ways to continue your travels independently.
Hostels are a great place to meet others, as well as group activities like volunteering abroad, cookery courses and language classes.
If all this sounds a bit daunting, consider booking a spot on one or two organised tours specifically for single travellers.
4. Pick and Choose Tours
Following on from the above point, you can easily plan to join small group tours while you’re away from home, giving you the opportunity to meet likeminded people. You can even book these well ahead of your travelling dates by going through companies based in the UK, rather than sorting them out once you arrive in each destination.
This will give you extra peace of mind and mean you can take your time selecting a trip that really suits you. It can also be an excellent way to get an introduction to a country, showing you all the main attractions before you then head out on your own to explore the bits that interest you the most in more detail.
If you’re planning to stop in Cuba, for example, you could join search adventure tours of Cuba, which will show you a host of the island’s top sights – including the centre of Havana, the Vinales Valley and Trinidad’s colonial buildings – over the course of eight days.
5. Master of the Purse Strings
The beauty really is in the flexibility and this is something that extends to budgeting too, which is a major part of extended travel. It’s much easier to get the full value from your finances if you’re in complete control. And unlike travelling with friends, you don’t have any responsibilities to make sure other people feel they’re getting value from the experience. One thing to look out for though – some holiday companies and accommodation providers may charge unwary solo travellers a single supplement. However, there’s enough that don’t, so this shouldn’t be a problem as long as you know to look out for it.
Is Travelling Alone More Expensive?
It can be if you’re not careful. Some countries aren’t as cheap as some places, but let’s face it, there are adventures here you’ll never find anywhere else. Tour companies make it more affordable than you think – even if you’re able to hire a car (and don’t forget in the US you have to be 21 years old to do that, even if you have a valid driving license) once you add the cost of petrol and insurance (expect surcharges if you’re under 25) the pennies start running out quicker than you think.
Also consider some countries like the US for example is BIG – huge driving distances can leave you too tired to make the most of your stops, but with a tour leader at the wheel, you can sit back and relax. If you do the maths, it actually ends up being much cheaper for one person than hiring a car. And our itineraries go places you can’t get to on public transport networks – and places you probably won’t have heard of, but leaders know you’ll love when you get there. No need to spend hours reading guidebooks trying to find hidden gems on your own… and then not being able to get there!
Far from being daunting, travelling solo can actually be incredibly liberating – just look at the kinds of opportunities available to solo travellers! So in the spirit of trying something new, you really shouldn’t be afraid of packing for one and going alone.