What solo travel is really like: the good, the bad & the lonely moments
- Jan 27, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
As someone who has been travelling the world for years now, oftentimes alone, I definitely have firsthand experience of the best and worst parts of solo female travelling. I will always advocate for it, but we also have to openly talk about the downsides of this travel style. I am hoping that talking about everything and anything related to solo travelling will encourage women across the globe to travel alone while also being aware of the potential downsides of it.
Solo travelling can be one of the most rewarding and empowering experiences you will ever have, but I also think social media often romanticises it too much. There are incredible highs, moments of deep confidence and freedom, but there are also difficult days that people rarely speak openly about. In this post, I wanted to share what solo travel really feels like, the good parts, the uncomfortable parts, and the emotional realities that can come with travelling alone for longer periods of time.
Is solo travel lonely?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about solo travel is that confident travellers never feel lonely. But honestly, loneliness and independence can exist at the same time. There were moments during my travels where I felt incredibly free and grateful to experience the world on my own terms, and then there were evenings where I wished I had someone familiar to share the experience with. I think solo travel teaches you how to sit with yourself in a way everyday life often does not. And while loneliness can feel uncomfortable at times, I also believe it teaches you emotional resilience, self-awareness, and a much deeper appreciation for meaningful connection.
If you’ve never travelled alone before, a lot of these emotions can feel confusing at first, which is why I wrote more in depth about the emotional side of solo travel and the feelings many people experience during their first solo trip. You can read it here.
I also think your first destination can massively shape your solo travel experience, especially if you are still building confidence travelling alone. This is why I collected some of my favourite destinations that are ideal for first-time solo travellers, check it out here.
The good:
I could talk about this part for days, so I will try to summarise it. The best part of solo travelling is definitely the self-development element of it. No podcast, self-help book, or life coach can help or test you more than being alone on the other side of the globe, trying to figure it all out, at times even under stress or pressure. Travelling the world alone can help you feel so free, yet responsible. Since you are your own company most of the time, you discover things about yourself left, right, and centre. You will be your best friend and advisor. You will be the one in control and the one who needs to solve problems. Your patience will be tested on a daily basis, and sometimes life will ask you: how bad do you want this? But this is what will shape you into a better human being.
Another thing I would mention is that travelling alone makes you more sociable. A lot of the time when I tell people I travel alone, they think it must be very anti-social. But I beg to differ. In my experience, travelling alone makes you more open to starting a conversation or opening up to people. Especially if you want to find company, making that first move and being courageous is your only chance at socialising and making connections. I admit, this is not something that you will always find easy, but it is definitely a habit that you can get into very easily.
And of course, your increased level of confidence. I mean, after climbing mountains with food poisoning or sleeping on the airport floor because a storm delayed all the flights, you learn to be so confident on your own, so that simple, everyday tasks seem like a walk in the park.
I also think solo travel changes the relationship you have with yourself. You become more independent, but also more self-aware. When you spend long periods of time alone in unfamiliar environments, you notice your habits, fears, coping mechanisms, and strengths much more clearly. In many ways, solo travel becomes less about the destination itself and more about discovering who you are outside your normal routine, responsibilities, and comfort zone.
The bad:
You only have yourself to rely on. There will be certain situations, when you will have to rely purely on your instincts and making the best possible decision for you. If you are naturally very independent this may not seem like a big deal, but if you are the type of person who likes to discuss matters before making decisions, this may be something to prepare for. Don't worry, most of the time this doesn't mean some grand, life changing decisions, but some of these can also alter the course of your travels or the way you experience things. As negative as this sounds at first, I think it is also a very beneficial element of travelling on your long term life quality, responsibility and independent thinking are skills you can literally transfer to any other area of your life.
Another difficult part of travelling alone is decision fatigue. When you are solo travelling, every small decision becomes your responsibility: where to stay, how to get somewhere safely, whether to trust someone, whether to change plans, or even where to eat when you feel mentally exhausted. At first this can feel overwhelming, especially if you are used to relying on others for reassurance or shared decision-making. But over time, I think this also becomes one of the most valuable lessons solo travel teaches you: learning to trust your own judgment.
Looking back, there are so many small things I wish I had known before my first solo trip that would have made the experience feel far less overwhelming. To help you overcome these and make your trip run more smoothly, I shared 32 travel tips I wish I knew before my first trip
The ugly:
You can feel alone and lonely in the most beautiful destinations. It may only hit you after a while because initially, you have that feeling of freedom and excitement. But eventually, that wears off, and sometimes you experience the most amazing locations on your own. Which is good on one hand, because you really learn to enjoy your own company. But when you spend a few weeks or months in a great location but don't seem to find the right kind of people to share the experience with, you can feel pretty lonely. Depending on the length of your trip, this may not occur because, in my experience, this is more like a 4-5 week mark when this issue arises, but it's definitely something to be aware of.
One thing that genuinely helped me during difficult moments was learning how to become more open to connection while travelling, even in very small and natural ways. I shared my top tips in this blog post.
Is solo travel worth it?
Despite everything I mentioned in this post, the loneliness, uncertainty, awkward moments, and emotional ups and downs, I still believe solo travel is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done for myself. Not because it is always easy or glamorous, but because it forces you to grow in ways everyday life often does not. Solo travel teaches you confidence, resilience, independence, and emotional strength, but it also teaches you softness, gratitude, and how to truly enjoy your own company. I honestly think the good outweighs the difficult parts by far, and if travelling alone is something you keep thinking about, there is probably a reason for that.
FAQs
Is solo travelling safe for women?
I think safety is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to solo female travel, and honestly, it’s completely valid to think about it. From my experience, a lot of places are much safer than we imagine them to be before we go, but that doesn’t mean you switch off your awareness. I’ve found that feeling safe while travelling alone is often less about the destination itself and more about how you move through it, trusting your instincts, being aware of your surroundings, and making small practical choices that help you feel comfortable. There will always be moments where you are more alert, especially in unfamiliar places, but overall, I don’t think safety should stop you from travelling alone, it just becomes part of how you move through the world more consciously.
What are the benefits of solo travel?
I think one of the biggest benefits of solo travel is how much it forces you to rely on yourself in a way you don’t normally do in everyday life. You make every decision, you solve every problem, and you slowly start realising that you are actually more capable than you thought. There’s also something really powerful about being able to shape your days completely around yourself, without compromise. If you want to slow down, you can. If you want to change plans last minute, you can. Over time, I think this creates a deeper sense of independence, but also a kind of clarity about what you actually enjoy when no one else is influencing your choices.
What are the downsides of solo travel?
As much as I love travelling alone, I don’t think it’s helpful to pretend there are no difficult parts. One of the main downsides is that everything is on you, from the small decisions to the bigger ones, and that can become mentally tiring over time. There are also moments where you might feel disconnected or slightly overwhelmed, especially if you’re constantly moving between places without a strong sense of routine or familiarity. Even simple things like eating alone every day or navigating unfamiliar environments can feel more draining than you expect, especially in the beginning. I think the reality is that solo travel is not just one feeling, it’s a mix of really beautiful highs and also some uncomfortable lows that come and go.
Does solo travel build confidence?
Yes, but I don’t think it happens in a sudden dramatic way where you wake up one day and feel completely different. For me, it’s been much more gradual. It’s in the small moments, like figuring something out on your own, handling a situation you didn’t expect, or realising you can actually enjoy a full day by yourself without feeling uncomfortable. Over time, these small experiences build into something bigger, and you start trusting yourself more without even realising it. I think solo travel doesn’t just build confidence in travel situations, it slowly changes how you see your ability to handle uncertainty in general, which carries into other parts of life too.
I hope you found this honest take on solo female travelling insightful. Obviously, it's all my personal experience and doesn't necessarily apply to everyone, but I hope that it will give someone the courage to book that trip and embark on their own adventures as solo female travellers.
And if you’re looking for a way to feel more grounded while travelling, don’t forget to grab my free Travel Wellness Routine Builder. It’s packed with simple tools like a printable checklist, self-care prompts, and mini rituals to help you feel more at home—wherever the journey takes you.
