6 Tips for Solo Travel Abroad

The Joys of Exploring the World at Your Own Pace

By Volker Poelzl
Resources updated by Transitions Abroad 3/24/2024

Solo man in the Dolomites in Italy enjoying the view of the spectacular pointed mountain peaks.

Whenever I'm abroad, it is surprising how many people I meet traveling alone, especially Europeans. On the other hand, modern Americans are more reluctant to venture out independently, perhaps because of relatively greater cultural and historical isolation and fewer foreign language skills. Europeans are surrounded by countries with different cultures and languages. People get used to these differences early on and enjoy the experience of immersion in addition to their traditional training in the two or more languages they have learned in school. However, even with limited foreign language skills, traveling alone is a great way to explore a foreign country, and the language barrier should not discourage travelers. You will be surprised by how gestures and facial expressions can make up for a limited vocabulary and how hospitable hosts in many countries can be, especially if you learn even a few words in their language to show your respect for their culture and identity.

People travel solo for many reasons: Some prefer heightened intimacy with their travel destinations, and others travel alone simply because they lack a partner or friend with compatible travel plans and interests. And you seldom travel alone for long, even if you wish to. Even in remote destinations, I have met other travelers and shared exuberant days of travel and shared travel tales. Still, only some people travel well solo with greater ease than others. Many travelers crave company and need to socialize with others every day. Therefore, before planning a trip, be honest with yourself about whether it is the right time to travel solo and if you enjoy being in a foreign land alone for several days.

1. The Joys of Solo Travel

The most significant advantage of traveling solo is the fact that you are more flexible. You can stay in one place as long as you like and change your itinerary on a whim. It is also very relaxing. You don't need to plan for the day and can take things as they come. In addition to this freedom, I have always savored unadulterated moments of solitude that have greatly enhanced my travel experiences and provided memorable epiphanies. What a great pleasure and privilege to explore a destination at your own pace and go where and when you wish!

My camera and journal are usually great companions on such explorations. I can take all the time I need to take great pictures or watch in amazement as a cloud moves peacefully to reveal the sun or watch the sun disappear into the horizon, leaving a rainbow of colors that may conjure up ideas of landscape paintings by Turner or memories of Homer's descriptions in the Odyssey as I gaze at the ocean or sea.

I can also spend a leisurely afternoon at a peaceful sidewalk café, enjoying coffee, beer, and local food while writing in my journal. No one urging me to rush off to the next museum or monument and turning travel into a form of duty or even what appears to me as work when I see exhausted tourists shuffling from place to place with guidebooks and cameras in groups herded by guides holding flags. In sum, in many destinations abroad, I can feel a sense of absolute freedom to daydream, reflect on what I have seen that day, and let my imagination run wild while experiencing an almost Zen sense of peace.

Hanging out and observing at a café in Paris along the Seine River.

2. Meeting People While Traveling Solo Often Happens Naturally

Another benefit of traveling solo is that it is often easier to meet the local people. Many young people around the world speak some English, but having some knowledge of the local language will immensely enhance your travel experience while showing much-appreciated respect for the local people and their unique culture.

Whenever I travel solo, I spontaneously team up with other travelers, sometimes for a few days or just for a day trip. Knowing whom to trust is, of course, a matter of intuition. Follow your instincts and pay attention to your impressions of the people you meet. I listen carefully in conversation to get to know the person before deciding to team up. One of the most significant differences found among travelers is their budget. Find out how much your potential travel partner spends on food, transportation, and accommodation before deciding to travel together. Unless you want to pick up the bill for your companion's over-the-budget expenses, consider reducing your costs while traveling with a low-budget companion. I have met a few budget travelers who are willing to increase their budget for the sake of traveling with a new companion. Keeping expenses separate or tallying joint costs at the end of each day is the best way to avoid disputes. While getting to know the person before teaming up is a good idea, I have had mostly good experiences joining other travelers for a few days. You cannot expect an immediate close friendship whenever you team with other travelers. However, such encounters often turn out to be long-term. Other times, joining with travel companions to save on travel costs or visiting places with another compatible traveler is very practical.

If you travel solo and want to meet other travelers, choose your destination and the season to travel thoughtfully. A few years ago, I was in Portugal during the fall. The only foreigners I met were weekend tourists from Spain — busloads of senior citizens and retired couples in their RVs. At the same time, I was carefree and was seeking more vigorous and spontaneous adventures. Your best chance of finding good company on your solo trip is to choose a moderately popular destination and a time of year when other foreigners in your general age range, with your energy level and curiosity, are likely to travel.

Musicians in Bologna, Italy in the piazza.

3. Solo Accommodations

One difference you may encounter in solo travel is that single rooms are often more expensive than shared rooms. The benefit is that many solo travelers stay at budget hotels or hostels, where they can meet other travelers. In Argentina, I met as many Argentineans as foreigners while staying in hostels, which was an excellent opportunity to learn about their way of life. Of course, if you seek privacy, you should look for a budget hotel instead since hostels rarely have single rooms, which changes as hostels adapt and evolve. You can often stay at a better hotel by sharing a room with a new travel partner since double rooms are always much cheaper than a single room.

A bedroom in Germany.

4. Transportation

Unless you rent a car, the cost of transportation for one person is usually the same as for several people traveling together. Traveling alone on a train or bus is also an excellent opportunity to meet the locals. The fact that locals and fellow travelers may get bored on long bus and boat rides has always become an easy opportunity to converse with other passengers. On several occasions, this has led to invitations to stay at a local family's home or to have a local show me around their city.

A few years back, I encountered another traveler at the Hilo airport in Hawaii. He had just arrived with his five-year-old daughter. We both wanted to rent a car. When we discovered no low-cost rental cars were available, we rented a larger car together. We spent the next two weeks exploring the Big Island. We saved on rental costs and gasoline, and I had much more fun than I would have had driving around on my own. But if you share transportation expenses, discussing an agreement in detail is sometimes prudent to clarify expectations. Make sure you agree about sharing travel expenses, or be thoughtful and generous.

5. The Gender Factor

Woman enjoying being in the forest solo in Estonia.

Though there is a huge trend for women to travel solo more than men (in all aspects of travel, in fact) due to greater interest and curiosity about cultural travel, in my view, it is generally safer in most parts of the world for a man to travel alone than for a woman. Single men typically don't get the same kind of unwanted attention as women. However, this doesn't necessarily mean it is unsafe for women to travel alone. I have met single traveling women worldwide, including in countries where women are often treated questionably by Western standards. Although I have heard stories and witnessed and intervened in cases of unwanted attention, a surprising amount of women enjoy traveling alone and consider it safe in most parts of the world.

Meeting the local people of the opposite sex depends very much on the country you visit. Since contact with the opposite sex is often subject to stricter social rules than meeting people of the same sex, it is usually easier to have contact with locals of the same gender. As a man, most of the contacts I have made with locals were made with men. Women travelers make contact with local women more easily. However, there are many exceptions to the previous generalizations, depending on the country visited.

6. Health and Safety

Traveling alone requires more caution than traveling in a group. It would be best to take extra precautions, especially on overnight trips. For example, you cannot leave your luggage unattended when you need to use the bathroom or when traveling on a bus, boat, or train. Some countries are safer than others when it comes to petty crime. Still, solo travelers should always be careful since they need a travel companion's extra eyes and ears.

Baggage locks are a good idea for a bus, boat, or train, and it is best to keep valuable items private while traveling. I never carry my camera around my neck but always inside my backpack. I only take it out to photograph and put it back immediately. This is tedious, but thieves are less likely to notice you. Strangers have sometimes asked detailed questions about where I was staying and where I was going. I always make a point to keep the information private.

Be especially careful if you change money or withdraw funds at a local ATM. It is best to do this during daylight hours and to frequent a busy bank. Put your money away quickly, and if the area is deserted, ensure you are not being watched.

Dealing with health problems is the most difficult challenge. If you get sick, you must care for yourself or make arrangements to see a doctor. It is a good idea to bring a basic first aid kit and learn about health concerns at your destination ahead of time. Purchasing a traveler's health insurance policy is a prudent way to protect yourself from the high cost of medical treatment abroad. However, you are still left alone to deal with your health problems. Your consulate can usually refer you to local doctors and hospitals, and you should keep the consulate's phone number handy in case of a medical problem. You could even get a list of recommended doctors and hospitals beforehand. Updating your immunizations is the best way to prevent health problems. If you develop a health problem while traveling alone and don't know where to go for help, don't hesitate to ask the hotel or hostel manager for assistance. Most of them will be able to recommend a local doctor or clinic. In addition, pharmacists in many European countries are knowledgeable and often very competent diagnosticians for many basic needs. I have had many very effective over-the-counter medicines provided to me, some of which are not available in the United States unless you can get an appointment to visit a doctor first.

While some of the aspects mentioned above can sometimes make solo travel a little more complicated than traveling with others, solo travelers usually adapt quickly to the slightly different safety factors of taking a trip alone. With a little sense of adventure and flexibility, you will most likely enjoy traveling alone as much, if not more, than traveling with others as part of an informal or organized group with a set itinerary.

Volker Poelzl is a Living Abroad Contributing Editor for TransitionsAbroad.com. He has extensively traveled in Europe and worldwide, mainly on a low budget.