Iceland, Solo Travel, Singles Holidays, Singles Vacations, Travel Alone, Tours for Singles (Image: Unsplash)

Benefits of Travelling Alone

5/5 - 9 votes

Why Travel Solo?

5/5 - 9 votes

Thinking about the benefits of travelling alone can be accompanied by worries and doubts, especially among less experienced travelers or more anxious solo travelers (“It costs so much money, it’s useless, it’s lonely, it’s dangerous, you can look at pictures and videos on the internet anyways, nobody is interested in my trip…”). Because instinctively – and with good reason, of course – we feel safer in our own “cave,” often disparagingly referred to as the “comfort zone,” than in foreign climes among strangers. Since it is well known that instinctively negative emotions towards new things can often mislead us and prevent us from making improvements, it makes sense to consciously focus on the advantages of something new for the sake of a more objective view. Therefore, below you’ll find some benefits of travelling alone:

5 good reasons to travel alone

Despite certainly justified doubts and disadvantages, when viewed more objectively, not emotionally, there are nevertheless very good and self-serving reasons for venturing into the distance for a while (even apart from superficial admiration by others on social media):

1 Health: Anyone going on a trip is inevitably moving more. The increased activity mentally already begins with the planning, where one has to deal with something new in a goal-oriented way (e.g. with possible travel destinations and with necessary travel equipment). Later on, you’re physically and mentally in motion while packing, while leaving your home safely, on the way to the train station or airport, to the hotel, to the beach, while hiking, while exploring the city, while visiting events and restaurants, etc.

As we all know, modern man is often sitting unhealthily a lot and staring unhealthily a lot at screens in dark surroundings, which can lead to problems such as back pain, nearsightedness, depression, to problems with the circulatory system, stamina, muscles, and much more. Plenty of daylight, sun and exercise in nature, on the other hand, have a proven positive effect on body and mind.

While traveling one necessarily as well as gladly looks into the distance more often, more around and more into nature. This supports the recovery of the eyes and the psyche (for ex. by reducing stress and anxieties). Through the usually significantly increased movement, blood circulation is stimulated, oxygen saturation is increased, muscles are strengthened (which is good for the back and calorie burning, among other things), joints are moved in a beneficial way, the senses of balance, orientation and coordination are trained, and much more.

Other healthy aspects of traveling are the usually increased intake of daylight, sunlight and fresh air. It also does you good to think in a solution-oriented way and to solve various smaller problems while traveling (such as finding a nice restaurant or a place of interest). Life seems to be, besides other things, a constant sequence of smaller and bigger problem solving (starting with the daily coffee in the morning against tiredness). And happiness seems to depend to a good extent on that and on how well one is capable of solving problems. (“Problems” can of course also be positive wishes or challenges. The inventors of the first airplanes, for example, probably had the desire to move more beautifully, faster and further by flying. Music lovers, for instance, might be driven by the desire to organize a music festival on a beautiful beach).

2

Personal growth and self-confidence: Those who dare and succeed grow, feel better and gain self-confidence.

Think of “first times” in life that you were (irrationally overly) afraid of (e.g., the first car ride, the first visit to the dentist, the first oral presentation – or the first trip alone). Due to fears and negative feelings, people often think too much and one-sidedly negative about what could go wrong. In one’s imagination, things seem dark and sometimes one would like to run away. This is not only due to instinctively overestimated dangers, but above all due to overlooking the advantages and opportunities to profit or to enjoy.

Anyone who has ever broken through such a “dark wall” knows that there is usually much more light than shadow behind it. And often much more light than if we remain idle in our familiar surroundings instead of solving a problem (like doing an oral presentation or seeing a doctor) or seizing an opportunity (like driving a car or going on a trip).

Once you’ve solved a problem or taken a chance, you feel better knowing that the fear was unfounded, and you gain confidence knowing that and how you can solve it.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that fears are only bad, unjustified, sick and useless! Fears are part of our nature and are there to protect us by instinctively warning us of dangers (like a dangerous wild animal) and encouraging us to act cautiously. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t enjoy driving a car because of fear, but that you should drive slowly and attentively. This also doesn’t mean that you should avoid traveling because of the possibility to get sick or mugged (both can happen at home just as well, but anyone who has traveled far once will know how surprisingly warm and helpful the people you meet on your travels usually are).

Instead, prepare yourself for traveling – just as you prepare for other tasks and opportunities in life – (e.g., by taking out travel health insurance, recommended vaccinations or a travel first-aid kit) and act cautiously (e.g., don’t roam around alone at night in notoriously unsafe areas – though even as a relatively safety-used European, you’ll be surprised by the high level of safety and friendliness in many countries, like in Asia, for example).

By traveling you reduce primal fears of the unknown and strangers by recognizing that most people almost everywhere are extremely friendly, cordial and helpful. Especially the corona pandemic has promoted exaggerated, pathogenic fears up to serious anxiety disorders, which ultimately also affect the enjoyment of the “comfort zone” at home. That’s why, from a psychological point of view, you should sometimes overcome your fears.

By taking appropriate precautions (e.g. by purchasing a travel insurance and by getting recommended travel vaccinations, you are usually not worse or sometimes even better protected abroad than at home, for instance by warm instead of cold weather in winter, by more physical activity, more daylight, more sunshine and more fresh air, by professionally accompanied group tours, by trusted physicians of one’s own country in the destination, by good private physicians who might be more easily affordable in cheaper countries, or the like).

Anyone who has traveled around the world once or regularly travels long distances, e.g. for business, will find the earth relatively small and overseeable, “like one’s own living room”. Astronauts and space tourists repeatedly report a similar “home effect” and a feeling of being touched with regard to the entire planet when they view the relatively small earth from above.

You also don’t have to be afraid of losing your own identity and homeland, where you grew up. A university professor once said in an interview addressed to future exchange students that you only become a true Tyrolean (or also American, French, Indian, etc.) abroad. Anyone who has lived in an internationally mixed shared apartment abroad, e.g. as an exchange student, will know how national and cultural differences and peculiarities come to the fore there. And how funny and mutually enriching this can be.

You also recognize the advantages of your home country or your own culture sometimes better from the distance and so learn to appreciate them more. And often you can use them in other countries as well, e.g. in the form of TV programs via the Internet or in the form of governmental support, which is offered to you by your own state abroad, while at the same time you get to know affectionate or useful peculiarities of other states and cultures.

3 Positive learnings: Travelling is more than just a short-term pleasure, not only in terms of health. The ones who travel normally also learn a lot of useful things for their professional or private everyday life at home. You see, hear and read many new things while traveling (e.g. innovative technical or cultural solutions), and you look at common things at home from a distance (and thus perhaps recognize more easily what is especially valuable and worth protecting at home, or how some things can perhaps be improved).

4 Benefits for social relationships: Humans are “social creatures” (more “herd animals” than loners) and their happiness is thus also essentially dependent on their relationships. And it’s not only the quantity of relationships that matters, but also their quality. When you travel, you do have a pretty good chance of meeting “like-minded” people with a similar character and/or similar interests. Travelling can result in lifelong friendships or even lifelong love relationships and/or you may even find a new, more pleasant place to live (all of this is said to have happened before…).

And even if you haven’t been able or don’t want to establish new connections or find a new place to live, you certainly have something to report to your friends and loved ones after traveling. You can show them pictures and videos (maybe even in a nice old-fashioned slide show evening at home accompanied by drinks and “tapas”). You become more interesting and maybe even more enriching and valuable for others (e.g. through what you learned by traveling and through a better health and mood). And this way you nurture your personal relationships (which in turn are important for your own well-being).

5 And then, of course, there are the very “mundane”, immediate benefits or “feel-good” factors of traveling alone: You get to see a lot of the beauty of the world, of the “miracle of life” (mostly already during the arrival when looking out of the airplane or train window), which lets life seem more special and worth living once again after the “gray everyday life”.

In the destination or on the road there are usually many pleasant things waiting for you, which allow you to stimulate your senses according to your own interests without pressure, such as: lots of sun (or for winter/cold fans lots of fresh snow), shopping, sightseeing, photography, swimming, enjoying drinks and culinary delights, watching people and animals, casual or deep conversations with new people from other countries, hiking or simply strolling, spa services, beauty treatments, art and culture, music and nights out, water sports, yoga, meditation, palm trees, lectures, cooking courses, diving courses, white sand, crystal-clear water, huskies …

And even if you don’t like a trip at all (which can happen because of too high expectations or the after-effects of too much previous stress), you will probably learn to appreciate the existing good things in your own home or country (that you missed when you were far away). This brings us back to point 3 (learning by doing).

Which good reasons are you missing? Why do you travel alone? What are your main benefits of travelling alone?

What are your most important personal reasons for traveling and temporarily leaving your daily routine? Why do you like to travel alone or with friends? Or what keeps you from traveling and why do you prefer to stay at home?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required.

5 × 2 =

Solo Travel – The World’s First All-In-One Booking Platform for Solo Travelers

Get occasional updates by email:

Traveling alone? You’re not alone!



You want to travel alone because your better half or your friends are not motivated – or simply because of the special experience? You’re not alone! Already 11% of worldwide travelers are solo travelers. Most of them are women who want to escape from everyday life on their travels, decide for themselves and want to be themselves. And solo travelers are by no means just young singles: many are in a relationship and the average age of solo travelers is statistically around 54 years! Adventurousness seems to go more with mature femininity than with young masculinity 😉

“Today, more and more travelers are going solo – and they’re not who you might expect them to be. Some 24 percent of people traveled alone on their most recent overseas leisure vacation, up from 15 percent in 2013 … While the stereotypical solo traveler has traditionally been single and looking, a solo traveler these days is just as likely, if not more likely, to be married or in a committed relationship.”

The New York Times

“More woman are interested in solo travel then men. Each year, 9 million American women travel overseas alone. 72% of lady travelers in 2014 were enthusiastic about traveling solo … Of the world’s traveling population, 11% are solo travelers … a 134% increase in solo travelers since 2008 … The average solo traveler’s age is 54.”

squeezepod.com



Despite the large and growing number of solo travelers, the touristic offers are still lagging behind, making it more difficult and expensive to travel alone:

“It’s surprising, then, that the single traveler continues to be largely ignored by mainstream tour operators or forced to pay an unfairly high single supplement.”

The Telegraph, 2015

We are therefore looking for and negotiating solo travel deals with little or no single supplement and services especially attractive and affordable for solo travelers. On solotravel.cc you will find critically hand-picked travel deals, which we would also like to book ourselves. This means e. g. hotels, packages or tours with a superfair price-performance ratio and always a reliably good quality (comfortable room for single use, friendly and clean accommodation in a very good location, very good rating, etc.).
In addition, you have the possibility to exchange information in the small but nice travel forum with other solo travelers and to find possibly nice fellow travelers or solo travelers currently traveling.



Our selected travel offers with little or no single room surcharges can of course also be used for traveling with friends and if you want to enjoy your own room! Sufficient single room/single user contingent must be given though 😉



The more people who travel alone are visibly interested in our work and book with us, the better we can represent their interests and negotiate directly with hotels and tour operators for attractive, suitable and favourable offers for solo travelers! Therefore please use our travel deals & practical booking tools, like our Facebookpage, subscribe to our Newsletter or recommend Solo Travel via Facebook or via e-mail! THANK YOU – together we can make it 😉


Last Booked by Solo Travelers