Pros and Cons of Solo Traveling
What’s up, everybody? Two weeks into my Ireland travels and I’m back to talk about a specific traveling preference: solo traveling vs. hitting the road with a group.
Part of the reason I thought to talk about this was my current situation. As stated before, I don’t really consider myself much of a traveler. Not really at least. I just happen to take long trips. But when I started to compare my first trip with this one, I realized there was a difference in how much I was with others. Sure, there have been times in both trip where I did both, but largely speaking the first trip I spent a lot of time traveling with others and this trip, I’ve spent mostly with myself.
And while I absolutely can answer the question of which is better for myself, this could largely vary depending on your personality. Keep that in mind when I start spouting my typical nonsense.
Solo Traveling
The quintessential picture of a traveler that I think pops into most people’s head is the rugged guy with grown out hair. He doesn’t look clean, he’s walking with purpose, and there’s nobody with him – the lone wolf.
There are plenty of these people out there and they really do, typically, know what they’re doing. They’re so good that they have contingency plans for contingency plans even though they say “I just go where the road takes me, man.” They’re good problem solvers and they don’t let setbacks get to them. They’re the masters of their destiny.
Advantages
Freedom
One of the upsides to solo traveling is you get to do whatever you want. From the start to the end of your trip, you can plan and change the plan and throw the plan out at whatever whim suits you for the day. As long as your wallet can afford it, you can do it. All of that changes when you bring other people along with you. With other people, you have to worry about what they want to see, how much they can afford, what kind of things they might be uncomfortable with, and what their sleeping preferences are. Everything needs to be accounted for. At some points, you might have to compromise and miss out on something you were really looking forward to. It’s at those points that you begin to question how much of the trip is really yours.
Control
For someone who likes to be in control of everything, this can be really difficult. Sometimes your travel buddies have too much of a say in what happens on the trip and other times you wish they would contribute more. As a solo traveler, you never have to worry about that. You’re responsible for yourself and nothing else. Decisions are easier and you only have yourself to blame. That’s how those people who swear by solo travel become so damn self sufficient. When they screw up, the only option they have is to learn from it unless they want to continue to run into the same problem continuously.
Serenity
Not only is it nice to be forced to learn from your mistakes, but it can also be freeing to be left alone with just your thoughts. When you’re traveling with someone else, there can be times when you want to just be alone. Who doesn’t want that occasionally? But when you’re traveling with someone else, they’re often there. They see you at your best and your worst. They might want to chat when you want silence and sometimes you’ll just want time to yourself. While it is true that communication can solve many of these problems, talking about wanting space can cause problems in and of itself. While traveling alone, you won’t have to navigate that emotional minefield.
Meeting New People
That brings me to the final big upside which is being able to meet other travelers. Although there’s nothing that says you can’t meet others while in a group(and oftentimes it makes it better), sometimes it becomes difficult to hang out with new people when you already have a companion. Whether it be that your travel partner(s) doesn’t care for who you’ve met or they simply don’t want to make time for these new people, it’s easier to interact with others when you don’t already have someone with you. Note: As stated earlier, being with a travel buddy doesn’t make meeting new people any less exciting. As a matter of fact, it can make the whole experience even better because you get to see people you are familiar with talk to complete strangers. In this, you actually get to learn even more about friends you’ve known for years as you get to see them meet people for the first time – people who have vastly different perspectives than both of you. I don’t mean to say having a travel buddy makes meeting others any less enriching. Rather, it seems like it makes it more difficult.
Disadvantages
Two Heads Are Better
One of the main downsides to solo travel is the pressure you often feel. Everything has to be just so. And although many seem like they live day by day, doing so can be quite costly as accommodation can be expensive if it isn’t planned out properly. If there isn’t some sort of rough guideline set up, you end up losing days to uncertainty and unforeseen complications. With multiple people on the same trip, research and booking can be divided. Tackling a month long trip can be done much faster with even just one extra person. You just have to make sure all of those plans are cohesive as a whole!
The More The Merrier
Another big one that I didn’t foresee being a problem is the loneliness that can come with solo traveling. While this can be remedied by researching and staying at hostels that are known for being social hotspots, that doesn’t always mean that the people who are there will want to be social. That can weeks without having any really meaningful conversations. You’ll get to order food, have small chats with tour guides, and potentially interact with some locals, but these small conversations aren’t always enough to satisfy your need for something more substantial. Although some solo travelers just want to be left alone while they’re on the road, that’s not a hard and fast rule. After all, a big part of the reason people travel is to get a new perspective. One of the best ways to do that is to speak with people who have a different one from yourself. While the road has this romantic reputations propelled by rock stars, it can also be a very lonely place. A traveler’s personality plays a huge part in whether this is a big problem or not.
Safety In Numbers
Another issue with solo travel is when you run into problems(and you will no matter how much you plan), you won’t have anybody physically there to lean on. Sure, you might have family and friends back home you can reach out to for help, but that hardly helps when you fall off of a rock and have a broken ankle to deal with. Having more people with you also makes you and your friends less of a target for theft. Being in big groups really is the safest bet in most situations. And the peace of mind you get from that is comforting in hard times.
LONG STORY SHORT:
Pros:
- Complete Control
- Flexibility
- Forces You To Be Adaptable
- Alone Time Whenever You Want It
- Can Be Easier To Meet Others
Cons:
- Pressure Can Be High
- Accidents/Injury/Theft Is Harder To Deal With Alone
- Safer to Be In A Group
- Loneliness
- Planning With A Partner Makes It Easier On Both
Final Thoughts
So far, if I’ve learned anything from this trip, it’s that I’m the type of person who loves to travel with others. I’m not to picky on what we see. I’m pretty open to different types of adventures. I’ve never missed solitude like I’ve missed companionship. And while I can sit back and let others plan TOO much, I can do my fair share of research and outlining when given the chance.
Most importantly, I make stronger memories when I have other people to share them with. Barring a few standout exceptions, I look back fondly mostly on moments that were shared between two or more people. There’s a certain ecstatic hype that comes from doing something incredible when you can share what you’re feeling with others in the moment.
Having a memory that is uniquely yours is also a great experience, but, for me, it just doesn’t stand up to one you can share with somebody else in the world. Plus, it’s always nice to have a drinking buddy that can stumble home with you after a night of boozing.
‘Til Next Time
-Vagrant
This entry was posted in Advice