Some people have an inborn sense of wanderlust.
They see an open road or horizon, and they long to travel to it.
If you’re one of those people, you may be itching for a hike, road trip, or even a plane trip to somewhere new.
However, if none of your friends are available for the journey, you may be considering traveling alone.
One thing stopping you might be that you wonder if it’s weird to travel alone.
Is It Weird To Travel Alone?
No, it’s not weird to travel alone.
While it may be a bit more dangerous to travel alone, it isn’t odd to do so.
Some people have a natural pull to explore the world.
Just because they don’t have someone to travel with them shouldn’t mean that they deny their wanderlust.
As long as the necessary precautions are in place, almost anyone can travel alone without it being weird.
You may even discover that traveling alone is ideal for you.
5 Reasons To Travel Alone
1. Honing Certain Skills
When you’re traveling with other people, you usually have a larger pool of different skills that you can use.
Someone might be a great navigator, for example.
They can help find routes when traffic jams occur on the highway.
Others might have a natural instinct for great food.
They’ll be able to find local restaurants in new towns that will provide an incredible experience.
When you’re traveling alone, however, you don’t have the skills of other people to rely on.
You only have the skills that you bring to the table.
That said, the benefit of traveling alone is that you’re able to create new skills and hone them.
If you’ve never changed a tire before, traveling alone might present you with an opportunity to do so.
You learned a new skill, and you’ll have an easier time performing that skill in the future.
As such, traveling alone essentially allows you to grow and develop as a person.
While you could call for help, there’s also a sense that it’s up to you to solve the problems that you face.
You might find that traveling alone is ideal because it gives you an opportunity to better yourself.
2. Gain A Better Appreciation For Travel
You might also find that traveling alone gives you a better appreciation for travel.
When you’re traveling with others, there are usually a lot of distractions.
Friends will talk the whole time or play music.
Children will want to play games to occupy themselves.
Even a spouse or partner might play music or read a book out loud to pass the time.
It’s possible to miss the traveling part of traveling when you have other people with you.
When you’re on your own, there are no distractions.
It’s just you and the traveling process.
You might find that there are certain elements of traveling that you never noticed before.
You might enjoy the rising sun on the highway.
You might appreciate the twinkling lights of cities miles below your airplane.
Whatever it is, traveling alone allows you to develop a better appreciation for the act of traveling as a whole.
3. You Can Go Where You Want
Perhaps one of the benefits of traveling alone is that you’re the one who decides where you’re going.
When you’re traveling with other people, you have to consider their needs and opinions.
If you’re traveling with children, for example, then you need to consider whether the location has something for children.
Children won’t much care for historic battlefields that they don’t understand.
They might not appreciate the beauty of hiking through the mountains either.
Your friends might also have different tastes than you.
They might want to go on a wine tour while you might prefer a history tour.
It’s possible to butt heads over setting the itinerary.
When traveling alone, you get to decide where you want to go.
Perhaps you have always wanted to travel to Europe.
When you’re on your own, you can decide which countries to visit and what cities to stay in and see.
Perhaps you want to travel somewhere that’s more relaxing.
You might be looking for an idyllic beach getaway that allows you to relax on the sand.
You’re the one who makes the decision.
You don’t have to make any sacrifices for anyone else.
That also means, during the process of traveling, if you decide you want to go somewhere else, then you can.
Because you’re the one who chose where to go, you’re also the one who can adapt the plan or change it completely.
Traveling alone is great because you have all the power to decide where you’re going.
4. You Can Rest When You Want To
Road trips can be exhausting.
When you’re on a road trip with friends, it can be even more exhausting.
Because you’re with friends, you might not rest until everyone is ready to rest.
You might switch out drivers to go even longer.
While this can save time, it also makes the trip even more exhausting.
If you’re hungry and no one else is, you usually have to wait to eat until the majority wants to do so as well.
This can make the process of traveling a bit annoying.
When you’re traveling on your own, however, you’re the one who can decide when enough is enough.
If you’ve had enough driving for the day, then you can decide to stop.
You can choose a hotel and stay for the rest of the day.
If you’re feeling hungry, then you can decide to stop off the highway for a bit to find a restaurant.
You might find that traveling this way is a lot more relaxing and unrushed.
You can arrive at your final location feeling energized and ready to see more sights.
Traveling alone allows you to decide when it’s time to rest.
5. You Set The Itinerary
While traveling alone allows you to choose the location, it also allows you to choose what to do in that location.
When traveling with others, you’re going to have a lot of opinions on what sounds fun and what doesn’t.
You also have to look for events that cater to groups since you’re going as a group.
Depending on the size of the group, you might not even be able to participate in some events.
As a result, you might find yourself doing things that you never wanted to do in the first place.
The experience doesn’t become very memorable.
When you’re traveling on your own, however, you’re able to do everything that you want to do.
There’s no one else there telling you that this or that sounds fun.
If you want to go on a ghost tour, then you can go on a ghost tour.
If you want to laze about all day by the pool, then you can make that decision.
When you travel alone, you’re able to do the things that prompted you to travel there in the first place.
How To Travel Alone Safely
While traveling alone has its benefits, there are a few precautions you should put in place to do so safely.
Since you’re traveling on your own, you have no one there to watch your back.
If you were to disappear, no one would know where you were.
As such, if you plan on traveling alone, then keep these safety tips in mind.
1. Let Others Know Where You Are
One of the most important things you can do before you leave for your trip is to let someone know where you are.
They should have a detailed itinerary of your plans.
It should include the different hotels you plan on staying at each night.
It should also include the different activities you plan on doing at your destination.
Then you should be sure that you regularly check in with them.
You might have two or three check-ins each day to ensure you’re safe.
With such a plan in place, if they don’t hear from you, they will know something is wrong.
They can trace your path on the itinerary and give the police a better chance of finding you.
By letting someone know where you’re going, you can travel alone a lot more safely.
2. Have Emergency Rations In The Car
Depending on the season when you’re traveling, it could be dangerous to be in your car if it breaks down.
As such, it’s always a good idea to have some emergency rations and supplies.
Food, water, and extra blankets are essential.
If you find yourself stranded somewhere, then you can increase your chances of survival by having those rations and supplies with you.
3. Have A Few Tools Ready For Small Breakdowns
It also helps to have a few tools on hand in case your car does break down.
While you should leave the bigger repairs to the professionals, you should have the tools necessary to replace a tire.
It also doesn’t hurt to have a general understanding of how your car works.
That way, if something is wrong with it, you might be able to figure out a way to fix it yourself.
4. Don’t Deviate From The Plan
A final thing to do to ensure you’re safe when traveling alone is not to deviate from your set path.
If something does happen and you went off somewhere else, the person to whom you gave your itinerary won’t know where you are.
They’ll tell the police where they think you were, but if you deviated a long way, they could be looking in the wrong direction.
Stay on the planned path or make the person you’re checking in with aware of any changes in your plans.
Conclusion
Traveling alone can provide several benefits that you can’t enjoy when traveling with others.
By following the safety tips above, you can also ensure that you’re traveling alone safely.
