A single blue cup on a roof-top terrace table overlooking medieval town
A single blue cup on a roof-top terrace table overlooking medieval town

Travel alone [or part time alone] for enthusiasm & creativity, while exploring old architectures and local ambience!

Everyone wants to be enthusiastic and excited about his life, because that’s fun! But do you know you should travel alone for a great creativity outlet that creates that enthusiasm and other benefits in your life?

Yes, you create a great creative outlet when you travel alone! And creativity is the key to your happiness!

And the old architectures and beautiful older houses and buildings you will discover? Priceless!

You will experience a local feel and make many warm human connections and unforgettable memories as you connect deeper with places and people. And kind and positive human connections do wonders for your mood.

You will get all that because you travel alone!

Couples can achieve this only if they make time to travel alone part time! A few hours every day by yourself would do wonders for your travel experience! Admit it—you'll enjoy this time alone with a new place!;) And you'll have so much to tell your partner about!:)

Below is the audio version of this website.

Alonga travel author picture
Alonga travel author picture

Hello, I am Tatiana—an architecture addict fascinated with beautiful old buildings and discovering the gems of Europe. Check out my comprehensive travel tips and reviews of the best European destinations and city breaks. Let's connect on social media!

alonga travel pictures collage
alonga travel pictures collage

pictures of some older buildings from my solo trips to Europe

A magnificent view of medieval old buildings in hilly Toledo Spainoledo in
A magnificent view of medieval old buildings in hilly Toledo Spainoledo in
Cozy ambience of yellow medieval buildings at night around a light up old square
Cozy ambience of yellow medieval buildings at night around a light up old square
A narrow street with a view of Alhambra on a background during a solo trip to Spain
A narrow street with a view of Alhambra on a background during a solo trip to Spain
Amazing travel office on a rooftop,  to finish an on-line job as a result of a nomadic solo life
Amazing travel office on a rooftop,  to finish an on-line job as a result of a nomadic solo life
Colorful houses in Monterosso Cinque Terre Italy
Colorful houses in Monterosso Cinque Terre Italy
Solo trip to The best beach in Portugal
Solo trip to The best beach in Portugal
A row of colorful old buildings along a canal on Burano from a solo trip visit
A row of colorful old buildings along a canal on Burano from a solo trip visit

Travel Alone for these benefits.

  • Is it fun to travel alone?

  • Get out of your comfort zone and travel alone for a creative outlet.

  • Creativity is great for your mental health and achieving happiness! Adventure solo brings enthusiasm into your life. ·

  • Travel alone for more authentic experiences.

  • Travel solo for kind human connections and friendships.

  • Go solo for unforgettable memories. ·

  • Solo travel changes you!

    Travel alone and discover these changes in yourself.

  • You find confidence and a permanent belief in yourself when you travel alone.

  • Your confidence will help you start the world travel and traveling the world alone is a humbling experience!

  • You experience different cultures and languages, and you find compassion and gratitude.

    What do you learn when you travel alone?

  • You learn your weaknesses and strength.

  • You learn to rely on yourself and strive for independence. ·

  • Having fewer possessions is true freedom!

You become a minimalist!

More benefits of traveling alone

How to meet people when you travel alone

  • Stay in a hostel.

  • Don't be afraid to ask for direction and other questions!

  • Take a break from traveling alone by joining daytime tours

BEST TRAVEL TOURS

Travel alone for these benefits
Travel alone for these benefits

Travel alone for these benefits

Is it fun to travel alone?

Travel solo is FUN. Yes, it IS great to have a very compatible travel partner. But if you don't have one - it's OK! Try to travel alone and you will find out that it can be lots of fun! I hope I will convince you by the end of this post!

Creative outlet. Get out of your comfort zone and travel alone to spark your CREATIVITY!

Travel solo sparks your creativity and acts as a great creative outlet. If you feel your life becoming dull—plan a trip to travel alone to get out of your comfort zone!

Between figuring out where to go for a trip, planning your solo trip, traveling alone, and taking pictures and videos - you will get your creative juices flowing in no time. In fact, you will get better creativity benefits if you travel solo, compared to traveling with a companion. You will have sharper experiences doing things alone. And you will have endless chances to be creative during your solo explorations.

Creativity is great for your mental health and achieving happiness!

Creativity is the key to your happiness and mental health. Absolutely everybody looks for some creative outlets. Some people garden for creativity, some play music, some make furniture and other people … travel! More on what creativity is and what it does for your mental health and happiness is here.

Adventure solo brings enthusiasm into your life.

Adventure solo brings more enthusiasm into your life. Between the new creativity outlets and the constant personal accomplishments on your solo trip (you get to figure out all the daily logistic all by yourself—you are da beast!), you will feel invigorated and excited. And this excitement will make you even more enthusiastic!

Travel alone for more authentic experiences. A table in a local café with local life around it
Travel alone for more authentic experiences. A table in a local café with local life around it

Travel alone for more authentic experiences.

People traveling together tend to bring their culture and habits with them, experiencing limited cultural immersion. But you meet people on a local level, with their local traditions and the language when you travel alone. You get to experience the real authentic local life. And it's exciting!

When you travel with someone, you put a lot of attention on your companion. But when you travel alone, your attention rests on objects and scenery around you. You immerse in your travel experience deeper, as you focus on what is in front of you. And you have authentic experiences without distractions!

Travel solo for kind human connections and friendships.

When you travel alone, you have an energy of openness about you. And the locals will approach you in ways they never would if you were with a travel partner.

They will help you with the directions without you asking them. They will show you their towns and cities and invite you to try their food and wine. And you will have fun exchanges with strangers that feel like deep connections!

You will also meet other travelers, and you will become friends, often for a lifetime! You have bonded deeply while having some fun experiences together, as most experiences in some unfamiliar places are pretty special! And you already have so much in common - you both like to travel! What else is to ask for in your new friend?;)

A Fun fact: the less of a local language you know, the more fun your exchange with locals will be. Don't be afraid to look ridiculous and use hands gestures, it will be fun, I promise!:) You will collect the fondest memories of these casual human connections and people's kindness. In fact, these memories will often outshine the other "obvious" memories.

Go solo for unforgettable memories
Go solo for unforgettable memories

Go solo for unforgettable memories.

Go solo and you will bring back unforgettable memories you can only get when you travel alone.

Have you noticed how after returning from a trip with your friends or a special someone, you now have many fun or romantic memories of the things you did together, the shared laughs, conversations?

But if someone asks you what street your hotel was on, or which particular museum you went to, you would not remember!

Why is that? Because you were putting a lot of your attention on your companion. And that takes away from the experience of exploring the new place. It just does!

When you travel alone, you focus your attention on what is in front of you. And when you put your attention on something consciously, that creates the best memory path in your brain. And then you remember the experience longer. So, your travel experience becomes quite literary unforgettable!

Solo travel changes you!

Read more on how solo travel changes you below.

Nothing is better than living in loving kindness and gratitude
Nothing is better than living in loving kindness and gratitude

Travel alone and discover these changes in yourself.

You find confidence and a permanent belief in yourself.

Remember how you were solving the daily logistics in unfamiliar places all by yourself, like the king or the queen you are?:) You showed them all—and mostly to yourself—that you can achieve ANYTHING you desire!

And that permanent belief in yourself will change so many things in life for you, including your relationships with people. And this happened because you traveled alone!

Your confidence will help you start the world travel and traveling the world alone is a humbling experience!

World travel is the most humbling experience one can have!

You experience different cultures and languages, and you find compassion and gratitude.

When you travel the world alone, you experience different cultures and languages. You learn the world history. You find compassion for people less fortunate than people who live where you are from. You learn to appreciate what you have and everyone in your life.

And you find gratitude. Gratitude is the most fulfilling emotion. And when you feel gratitude often and start practicing it consciously, it becomes your trait. And when that happens, your life becomes oh so sweet!

Nothing is better than living in loving kindness and gratitude. This is the ultimate goal in life!

You can find gratitude while staying home in your comfort zone, of course, but it's harder. It helps to compare life around the world and see different sides and perspectives of everything!

what do you learn when you travel alone
what do you learn when you travel alone

What do you learn when you travel alone?

You learn your weaknesses and strength.

When you travel alone somewhere new, you learn where you shine, your strength, and you learn your weaknesses. You make peace with some of your weaknesses and you work to change some that don't serve you right.

You learn to rely on yourself and you strive for independence.

You learn to rely on yourself when you solve problems all by yourself in some strange places. You learn how to take care of yourself! And you achieve independence! And don't let anyone tell you that you are living your life all wrong!

You are on a quest to answer a question of what is right for YOU and what is not, and not to serve someone else's ideas.

Having fewer possessions is true freedom!

You discover that having fewer possessions is true freedom. Nothing teaches you a better lesson about possessions than when you are alone, living out of your small carry-on for 2 weeks! You discover you need just a few good quality things in your life, and that all of them need to be light and fit in a small suitcase. Otherwise, they are just a clutter.

You become a minimalist!

Becoming a minimalist does wonders for your pocket and your state of mind! It makes your life more genuine. It shows you what is true and what is not. This knowledge is first learnt about things and then spreads toward everything else.

More benefits of traveling alone.
More benefits of traveling alone.

More benefits of traveling alone.

Many benefits of traveling alone were already described above. I will add a few more here.

You travel on your own schedule!

You will take a trip at the time that works well for YOUR schedule, saving yourself money during an off-season or shoulder season travel. No more waiting for someone to go with you during the holidays when everyone takes vacations at once.

The airfare during the holidays is just lovely (not!), being triple of what you can get otherwise. And with the latest Pandemic related circumstances, and airlines canceling flights on weekends and holidays in thousands a day—things can get quite unpleasant to wait for other people's schedules.

Fun fact: BTW, do you know that many people travel alone, even if they are in a steady relationship? Not everyone can coordinate their schedules. Besides, having some harmless but great experiences outside of your relationship just strengthens it!

No fights with your travel companion.

Duh… you don't have a travel companion!:)

If you ever experienced a fight with your travel partner during your trip, you know how awful it can feel! You feel you want to be away from the person you are arguing with, and yet you are stuck together in the middle of who knows where for who knows how much longer!

It is no wonder that going on a vacation together is an ultimate measure of compatibility. You are together 24/7, and you are really getting to know the person well! Yet before the trip, you were spending just a few hours here and there. And discovering your differences when you are stuck together can be quite painful!

In fact, most people started to travel alone after experiencing fights with their travel partners in the past. So, no fights with your travel companion is huge!

You will get a better experience traveling solo rather than with a wrong partner

Perhaps you went on a trip with someone, and it wasn't bad and you didn't fight. And yet you discovered you are not that compatible as a travel partner. Maybe you like doing different things, maybe you walk at different pace. Maybe you want some space here and there, and your friend doesn't want to do things alone.

Suddenly, you feel you're not enjoying your trip that much. And wouldn't it be wonderful if you were traveling alone? An aha moment!:)

So, yes, one can have better experience solo traveling than traveling with a wrong (or just not the best) travel partner! You will have an absolutely amazing experience during your solo travel! And that is why it is good to travel solo regularly, or at least sometimes!

How to travel alone
How to travel alone

How to travel alone

Now that you have decided on a solo journey, what are some tips and tricks on how to travel alone? Here are a few: First, don't wait for your partner or someone else to come along with you! Just decide to go travel alone and go! Don't include anyone else in your plans or you will bring frustration into what is supposed to be a joyful task - planning your solo trip!

Tips for traveling by yourself: what to do to make your trip easier and more enjoyable.

You can have a decent solo travel trip or a very enjoyable and easy trip. The difference is in the preparation you took for your solo trip. Traveling by yourself definitely requires more preparation than a travel couple might take.

Do your homework and plan your trip.

Plan your trip well! This is simple. If you want to have a great time on your trip, you need to either plan your trip extensively to make all the travel itineraries while still at home, or you do that during your solo trip.

The most important thing is to take care of your tickets to and from. You don't have to plan your trip for the once already in the city itinerary much.

You can plan everything yourself, or you can hire someone to plan the itineraries for you. You can hire my services if you would like.

There is no right or a wrong way to approach your planning, but someone has to do that. Planning your trip by yourself is actually a fun and a creative thing to do, but some people haven't just discovered that yet!;) 

packing for travel tips link to packing pagepacking for travel tips link to packing page

Packing for travel tips

Here is my packing for travel tip: your travel luggage and travel gear, and your decision about what to take with you on your trip will make it or break it.

If you brought a heavy suitcase with you, and you are a female solo traveler, you will regret it. But if you packed for travel light with good quality travel gear, using my packing for travel tips here - you will be comfortable on your solo trip.

last minute packing
last minute packing

Resources for Planning Your Solo Trip

I have an extensive library of resources for planning your solo trip on Alonga Travel. If you are up to the task, jump to my Travel Tips page for a comprehensive guide on planning your trip or click the button below.

Female solo travel

More on female solo travel here. Guys can sometimes get away with starting packing 5 minutes before the trip and still have a great time. I do NOT advise using this approach if you are a female, though! 😉

Things to do alone
Things to do alone

Things to do alone

The best thing to do alone is to go on urban walks and take tons of pictures or videos. In fact, if you want to stay sane – it is the only way to do this - alone! Unless you are with a partner who is also into the photography. Or, unless your partner is a patient angel? Congratulations! Never let her go!:)

Another great thing to do by yourself could be hiking. Don’t go too far away from the civilization, if you are a woman, but hiking is often enjoyed best alone.

How to travel solo for the first time.

The best advice I can give you if you travel solo for the first time - don’t bring a heavy suitcase! Pack and travel light and go to Europe. It has better public transport with more reliable transportation schedules. Stay in the city center where all fun happens, go easy on alcohol and you will be just fine!:)

Read the rest of this article and you will have the complete guide to how to travel alone for the first time!

Afraid to travel alone?
Afraid to travel alone?

Afraid to travel alone?

Don't be! It is quite possible you will enjoy traveling alone so much, you will decline offers to travel together, when you get them. Unless you find a very compatible travel partner. So, don't be scared to travel solo!

How to Travel Alone Safely

There are certain practical rules to travel alone safely. There are even some extra rules for females who travel alone.

Safety tips

More on these safety tips for solo travellers and, specifically, for solo female travelers are here.

Will I Feel Lonely On My Solo Trip?

Perhaps there will be a few moments of loneliness, but you most likely have them at home as well? So this is closely connected to how not to feel lonely when alone topic, which we will discuss later.

A note: You will find traveling solo easier than someone who likes to be around others all the time, if you enjoy your own company. However, anyone can get to love to travel alone once one learns how to travel alone.

How not to feel lonely on solo trip
How not to feel lonely on solo trip

How not to feel lonely on a solo trip.

If you follow my advice about how not to feel lonely on your solo travel, the moments of loneliness will be very short-lived, if any. And the constant exhilaration you will feel from all your explorations will outweigh any negative feeling by far.

Besides, traveling solo doesn't mean you have to be alone all the time! Read below on how you can meet people on your solo travel trip.

Stay in the city center to avoid loneliness and fear.

It is usually safer to stay in the city center when you travel alone. You will not be afraid to walk to your hotel alone. It is also a great way not to feel lonely! You are close to everything and there is so much to do, including people watching - a great way to enjoy people without engaging with them.

How to meet people when you travel alone.

There are many ways to meet people when you travel alone. You can meet them during your explorations. You can join group travel for a day trip or for a city walk. You can use apps to meet people, or you can join Meetup or Facebook groups. More on this in my Solo Female travel section.

Stay in a hostel.

If you stay in a hostel, you are guaranteed to meet many people! Hostels are not what they used to be. People of all ages stay there now.

Don't be afraid to ask for direction and other questions!

This is a great way to meet people by asking them questions. Don't do that just for the sake of meeting people, as it can be awkward. But also, don't be afraid to hold back when you want to know an answer to your question. Most people would be happy to help you out and you might start a friendly connection!

Take a break from traveling alone by joining group travel.

I love joining tour groups on a day trip. You get some company, and it's usually a fun group, and you get to spend a day without worrying about transportation for your destination. I highly recommend day trip tours! You might even try longer, a few days long group tours. 

Every city has free walking tours. Go there to meet people!

Best SOLO Travel destinations

Where to travel solo

There are many places to travel solo. Some countries are better suitable places to travel alone to than the others. It is very important to research your destination before you go there!

Choosing a vacation destination

Choosing a vacation destination is fun and exciting! There are so many wonderful places to choose from! When deciding where to travel, I advise the best places to travel alone to are the ones who have good public transportation. More on how to choose a vacation destination is here.

Best destinations for solo travellers.

The best destinations for solo trevellers are different for men and women. Most women (not all) prefer to go to a safer, more developed place when they travel solo. Guys often do the opposite and go to a less discovered remote destination.

So, what the best destination for you as a solo traveler depends on what you prefer.

Ideas for a travel destination; destination inspiration.

There are many wonderful destinations to travel to. To get some inspiration and help you chose your future travel destinations, you could go on Twitter and check out my stories about different destinations.

Europe is the best place to travel solo
Europe is the best place to travel solo

How to navigate your solo travel destination.

While couples love to rent cars, I do not recommend this to a solo traveler. It is much easier to navigate your solo travel destination by public transportation.

You don't want to worry about renting a car, driving, figuring out directions, looking for parking all by yourself. Here is more on why choose public transport in Europe over a car rental.

Getting Around a New City Solo

It can be challenging getting around a new city solo. It is also very exciting and you will navigate it much better if you come prepared with some research. Here is more info on how to travel between cities and inside a city.

This explanation works better for a country in Europe, but you'll get the idea! Europe has the most established and easy to navigate for a foreigner public transport system. The Transportation systems in some cities of America, Asia, Africa or Australia ( all continents starting with an 'A'!:) can be a bit more complicated, or just different. But taxis can be more affordable in some countries.

how to make money onlinehow to make money online

WORKING REMOTELY

Considering working remotely? And maybe even becoming a digital nomad and traveling full time? 

Please read my Online Jobs section of this site. The world changes toward the remote working lately, making becoming digital nomad more achievable. Or you can work while you are on your trip now, which is new!

tRAVELING ON A BUDGET (ALMOST FOR FREE)

Now, I told you you can travel on ANY budget, even if you have a tight budget, right?  And no, I am not talking about using credit card points here.  You don't need to be rich to travel!

HELPEX

Have you heard about this company  helpx They invite volunteers to work around 4 hours every day (or 8 h every other day) in exchange for free accommodation and free food.   The membership there is $20 and is good for 2 years. I have personally met 2  people who got a placement through this organization and who highly recommended it to me.  

Housesitting

Housesitting allows you to stay in other people's houses for free. Usually, taking care of their pets as well. Trusted housesitters is an excellent and reputable company for that.

You will be responsible for your own visa, but there are ways to go around allowable staying limit of 3 months by moving between different countries.  Sounds fun, isn't it?;) 

 I hope you are all energized to plan a solo travel trip now! :) For more information, read other sections of my blog, subscribe to my periodic emails and let's connect on social media - links below!

Solo travel shows you that you are stronger, more resilient, and more capable than you ever gave yourself credit for. So, go on a solo journey to get to know yourself and how to live in gratitude!