It is absolutely possible to travel alone without being lonely!
Solo travel can be what you want it to be. It can be quiet. You can have time just to yourself. If that's what you're looking for, loneliness is not an issue.
If you're looking for meeting new people and having fun, it can be that too. In fact, in my experience, solo travel offers more opportunities to meet locals and other travelers, and have meaningful conversations than traveling with a companion does.
You just need to know how to make it happen. The information below will help.
This is part of our section on how to travel alone. If you're new to solo travel, check out our Ultimate Guide to Travel Alone and Love It.
Why Solo Travel Is Not Lonely
Rather than being focused on your companion, you're focused on your surroundings, including the people around you. You're open to the world. That, in my experience, makes the world open to you. I've found that people step into the wide open space I create and the results are wonderful.
I’ve met many people and shared a conversation. Sometimes it’s been a coffee or a meal and other times I’ve spent a week or more with people I’ve met on the road. I’ve enjoyed time with locals getting to know their cultures. I've spent time with other travelers, exploring the destinations we were visiting together and learning about their home countries as well.
How to Travel Alone without Being Lonely: 10 Tips
To some degree, being lonely or not as you travel alone is up to you and your attitude. You need to want to be social and be willing to try a little harder to meet people than you might at home, to have a social experience. Here is my how-to advice.
- Choose your accommodation wisely. B&Bs and small hotels or luxury hostels are naturally more social than chain hotels and many resorts. Make good use of the common rooms. Join others at communal tables for breakfast. Have a cup of tea in the evening and meet people. Share your plans for the next day, what you did that day, and ask about their best recommendations for where you are and where you're going. Read Best Accommodation for Solo Travelers: How to Choose the One for You.
- Travel by train. I have always found trains to be very social. The dining and observation cars are particularly so, but even coach can be fun. On a train trip across northern British Columbia I met a number of people. There were two small tour groups on the trip. One group invited me to meet up with them several days later for dinner in Banff.
- Take advantage of day tours. Day tours give you the best of group and independent travel. Take them as often as you want to spend the day with others but choose as many days as you like on your own as well. In Paris, I took an afternoon tour to Giverny and on the trip met a woman whose two daughters live on my street in Toronto. Imagine!
- Learn how to talk to strangers. Small talk is a natural gift of extroverts. For us introverts, it's a challenge, but it can be done. I've learned how and so can you. Read Travel Solo and Talk to Strangers for Authentic Connections.
- Take a class. Taking a class and learning something new is a great way to be social as you travel solo. According to a study by Topdeck Travel, 78% of Millennials want to learn something new as they travel. Why not take language or cooking classes? Choose whatever interests you. You might find something by browsing on Meetup. I just took a look to see what they had in Prague, and found everything from learning about AI to gathering in a cafe for discussions about philosophy to Czech-English language exchanges, to book club meetings, networking, sports, and more.
- Break up long trips with an organized tour. Independent travel is great and may offer enough social time in the short run. But if you're traveling long term, you may find yourself wanting more company for a period of time. Taking an organized tour for a week or more is a good way to ensure that you continue to travel alone without being lonely. It allows you to take a rest from taking care of all the details of travel yourself and enjoy the company of others. Check our Tours for Solo Travelers page for trips with no or very low single supplements, or consider subscribing to Tracey's List to get vetted tours and cruises with zero single supplements delivered to your inbox every month.
- Go to restaurants with communal tables. These can be a tad hard to find but they are becoming more common. Google your destination, restaurant, and communal table and you may just find a few options. There are more dining options in this post: Eating Alone is Easy When You Know How.
- Go to coffee shops. Coffee shops are hubs for freelancers and, by nature, very social places. Meet locals and get their recommendations on the town. They also offer free Wi-Fi to stay connected with home.
- Go local again and again. When you are in one place for a while, go to the same greengrocer, flower shop, or restaurant consistently. Be friendly. You’ll be noticed as a new regular and people will eventually chat with you.
- Take advantage of the nightlife. There are many wonderful things to do at night when you travel solo. If you speak the local language, a pub, concert, or play is a great plan. If you don't speak the language I would stick with music. I never go to the opera at home but I frequently do in Europe.
Meet people, be social, but also be safe. Read:
- Solo Travel Safety: 50+ Proven Tips to Keep You Safe
- 10 Solo Travel Safety Apps: Technology for Peace of Mind
- How to Enjoy Going to a Bar Alone When You Travel
- Solo Female Travel Safety: Advice for What Women Worry About
- Night Safety for Solo Travelers: How to Have Fun and Be Safe
