Solo traveling is one of my favorite things to do in this world, as it lets me discover how to fill-in-blanks for places I have never been all on my own.

Everyone is always talking about how solo traveling will help you to grow as a person, to be more confident, but what are the other benefits of solo traveling?

top of the arc de triomphe — Solo traveling in Paris at the Arc de Triomphe; July 2021

I’m going to breakdown my ten favorite things about solo traveling that you may not have thought of before.

What are the Pros and Cons of Solo Travel?

The table below will compare and contrast the pros and cons of solo and group travel:

🌍 Solo Travel vs. Shared Travel ✈️

🧳 Cost	Solo: You’ll cover all travel expenses yourself (🧾). Shared: Split costs on hotels, food, and transportation (💸).
👯 Company	Solo: Opportunity for introspection, independence, and meeting new people (🧘‍♀️🌍). Shared: Built-in companionship — someone to share inside jokes and cultural reflections with (💬🤝).
🗓️ Flexibility	Solo: Total control over your schedule — eat, walk, and wander when you want (⏰🥖🚶‍♀️). Shared: Must agree on plans, even if you’re not interested in every activity (📍🤷‍♀️).
🌐 Cultural Immersion	Solo: Greater immersion in local culture — you're more likely to engage with your surroundings (🛵🍜). Shared: You may stay more in your comfort zone if you're with someone from your home culture (🏡💬).
🔐 Safety & Independence	Solo: You’ll need to stay extra alert and figure things out alone (🚉💳🔎). Shared: Built-in support system if something goes wrong (🛟📱).

10 Benefits of Solo Travel

1. Doing What You Want on Your Own Time

When I’m traveling with friends or my parents, I have to accommodate to their pace, wants, and needs.

However, when I’m solo traveling somewhere like Tokyo or Cape Town – I can do what I want, when I want.

I don’t have to suffer through a museum I have no interest in. I can walk faster. I don’t have to wait up for people taking Instagram-worthy pictures. I can make conversation with the people around me and stay for as long or as short as I want to. I can pick out the restaurant.

The list is endless. It’s nice to have company, but when it comes to exploring – I find it so much more convenient to do it on my own.

taking a picture at table mountain in South Africa — Solo traveling in South Africa; March 2025

2. Time for Self-Reflection

As a writer, I am cursed with thinking all of the time – but traveling abroad alone forces me to reflect on an even deeper level.

Usually when traveling, I am visiting a foreign country where I don’t know the language. As a result, the only things I am forced to hear is my own thoughts – with it being the only linguistic noise I’ll be able to audibly understand.

The volume on my own inner remarks undoubtedly get louder when solo traveling, and while for some it can be intimidating – for me, it allows me to dig deeper onto what’s been trying to rise to the surface.

Watch me get deep in my thoughts in my Iceland travel vlog below, where I visit both Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon!

3. Gaining Confidence

People say that you become more confident when solo traveling, but I would phrase it a little bit differently – it’s that you suddenly become aware of all the things you can do without anyone else’s help.

Confidence comes in a lot of different colors, but when it comes to solo travel – it’s not really about helping your colors to be brighter, or mix the palate with paint. It’s about realizing you’ve always had the brush in your hands all along, and it makes you excited to see what else you could paint by yourself.

view of mount fuji — Solo traveling in Japan with a view of Mount Fuji; January 2020

4. Self-Discovery & Learning About Yourself

When you’re traveling long days alone, wandering a foreign city, and doing what are usually simple tasks like paying for a bottle of water or navigating your way out of the airport – you’ll learn a lot about yourself.

For instance, you might learn whether you’re truly an early morning riser or a night owl from the time of day you take a train – or what kind of meal will make you feel most refueled to tackle the rest of your travel day.

You might learn what kinds of feelings, both emotional and physical, arise in your body during travel that usually don’t when going about your normal routine.

All of this potentially new information can be used and applied to your daily life once you settle back in at home.

5. Cheaper Travel Costs

Now, I’m not going to lie to you – in my minimal experience traveling with friends and family (most of the time, I am a solo female traveler), it’s true that traveling with other people is usually cheaper.

However, I will say this – which is that traveling on your own can be cheaper as you may not be coerced into doing things you wouldn’t normally do on your own.

If you’d be happier grabbing dinner from the local grocery store than going out, but your travel buddies want to go out – it’s extra money your spending. If you’re happy with a hostel but your parents prefer a nicer hotel, the travel bill gets bigger. If your friend wants to go to a museum you have no interest in, but you’re traveling with her – it’s an extra expense you didn’t intend on.

Solo traveling can allow you to allocate your expenses accordingly to do and see all of the things you want to do – without wasting it on other people’s desires.

view of water in strasbourg — Solo traveling in Strasbourg, France; May 2019

6. Improve Problem Solving Skills

It’s no secret that lots of things can go wrong when you’re traveling.

For instance, what if you lose your phone or your passport? What if you get on a bus going in the wrong direction with a driver who doesn’t speak your native tongue?

Solo traveling allows you to grow quick on your feet and become more solution oriented, because in a way – solo traveling relies on “survival of the fittest” by allowing your natural instincts to kick in and keep you safe.

This is because if you don’t come up with a solution for whatever problem you have when traveling quickly, you’ll be fueling a bigger fire –which is something you always want to avoid.

Watch me figure out some of these potential problems while solo traveling in South Africa in my travel vlog below!

7. Meeting New People

If you’re traveling alone, even the quietest of introverts will need socialization at some point – and as whole, solo traveling can help motivate you to meet new people during your journey.

Think about it – if you’re traveling with your friends or family, how often are you going to talk to anyone outside of your travel group? Usually, next to never – but if you’re solo traveling, sitting in a café in Paris or Bali, the odds are greater that you’ll strike up a conversation with the stranger next to you.

I’ve met a million different friends from traveling, some of which have become long-term friendships – which happened as a result of solo traveling.

Watch me make new friends while solo traveling in Tokyo in my travel vlog below!

8. Ability to Fully Absorb Local Customs & Traditions

As I explained before, when you’re traveling with friends, family, or even a partner – you’ll be enveloped in your own social bubble.

However, with solo traveling – you’ll have no choice but to fully immerse yourself in your surroundings. As a result, you’re more likely to pick up on subtle, cultural nuances you may have missed if you were traveling and constantly conversing with someone else.

9. Reduce Stress

Contrary to what some might think, solo travel isn’t only deeply rewarding – but it can be profoundly peaceful.

This is because you don’t have anyone or anything you need to attend to besides yourself. There’s no one you need answer to, as everything you do while solo traveling is done on your own account.

In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – even a short-term vacation can help encourage stress relief and boost overall well-being.

As a whole, the freedom found while solo traveling might just be the most effective way to lower your blood pressure to date.

view of Park Güell — Solo traveling Barcelona and exploring Park Güell; December 2017

10. Boost Creativity & Expand Your Mind

Solo travel can open up your mental capacity in a multitude of ways, such as by allowing you to be more inventive in how to fix a broken travel backpack, communicate with someone who doesn’t speak your language, or make do with the little cash you have left on your trip.

Traveling alone may inspire you to try new things you have never thought of doing before, like paragliding after watching more adventurous travels do it in Switzerland, taking a cooking class after eating the amazing pasta in Italy, or to learn a new language after being encapsulated by the sound of French rolling off of someone else’s tongue.

Solo travel may feel like it’s putting you in a box at first, with potentially less funds and people to share the experience with – but remember, if you revel in the benefits of solo travel, you may find yourself having a richer travel experience than you ever could’ve imagined.

view of imerovigli in santorini — Exploring Santorini; May 2023

🌍 FAQ for Solo Travel 🌍

🧭 What are the main benefits of solo travel?	The main benefits of solo travel include being able to explore a new city or country at your own pace, increased confidence, self-reflection and introspection, and fully immersifying yourself in your surroundings while traveling – as you won’t be accommodating yourself to a travel partner or an entire travel group.
🔐 Is solo travel safe?	Yes, solo travel is perfectly safe – even for solo female travelers! To successfully solo travel, you just have to dip your toes in the water with good first-time solo travel trips in places like London, Paris, or Tokyo. Be sure to read some of the best solo travel destinations here!
👯 How to meet people when traveling alone?	There are so many ways to meet people when traveling alone. As a 110% extrovert, it’s very easy for me to strike up a convo with other travelers or locals in line, at a café, or tourist attraction – but if you’re more introverted, a hostel is a great way to meet people when solo traveling.
💻 Is solo travel good for remote work?	Yes, I think solo travel can be great for remote workers! This is because digital nomads are allowed the option to change their scenery, which could inspire and motivate them to bring fresh content, productivity, and hard work to the table – whether they be self-employed or work for a large cooperation.

Looking for more articles about solo female travel?

Check out the rest of my blog to read about my solo adventures around Japan, South Africa, Europe, and more.

Last updated: July 4, 2025

10 Beautiful & Unexpected Benefits of Solo Travel