Five Reasons I Love Solo Travel

Five Reasons I Love Solo Travel
Solo travel opens the door to freedom, connection, and unforgettable experiences.|©iStock/Mystockimages

My first trip to Mexico—a short weekend of about three days—was with a friend visiting from Connecticut. We hitchhiked to Rocky Point, a Mexican resort city on the Gulf of California, about a four-hour drive from my home in Tucson, Arizona. Neither of us had ventured outside the United States before.

That trip inspired me to travel further afield. I realized that being outside the U.S. wasn’t a threat to survival—it was an education. It was my initiation into other worlds and cultures, and it gave me the courage to leap forward. Since then, about 50% of my travel has been solo.

Traveling alone has taught me a lot, and in this article, I’ll share a few of those lessons. Solo travel is a journey of self-discovery. It helps you understand more about who you are and what brings you joy. It also opens the door to deeper interactions with the people you meet along the way—interactions that might not happen when traveling with a friend or partner.

You get to choose whether your time is filled with quiet contemplation or dancing all night with new friends. You set the pace. I encourage everyone I meet to try it. It’s truly “downtime”—a chance to unplug from all the noise and demands of home.

1. It Breaks Stereotypes

I receive a lot of comments when I talk about my travels. Just last night, at a friend’s house, a visiting American woman asked me—after registering some shock at my bravery (her word)—how safe the road was. She knew I currently live in a town three and a half hours from my friend’s house in Alamos, Mexico.

What I told her sums up my experience: keep your eyes open for cows and horses, and you’ll be fine. Many people suggest driving during the daytime—not because of bandits, but because of truckers, who tend to drive a bit wildly, and cows. I live in a ranching community, and under Mexico’s open range law, the cows have the right of way. It’s referred to as “roaming” here, and indeed, the critters do roam.

That same night, a friend told me a story about a couple driving into Mexico for the first time. They had a flat tire and were surrounded within seconds by a group of men. The man panicked, thinking they were being robbed—until he realized the men were fixing the tire. He was a bit mortified, but the couple has returned to Mexico year after year since. They now understand the kindness of Mexicans.

What’s essential is to keep your expectations and fears in check. That’s the real secret to traveling—whether as a solo woman or otherwise.

I’ve always enjoyed the idea of giving others a sense of empowerment. Stereotypes do the opposite—they take away your sense of agency and limit what you believe you can do. Challenging preconceived ideas of what a woman “should” or “can” do has always been an exciting part of my journey. It’s opened doors to experiences many dreams of but never allow themselves to pursue.

So, let’s retire the notion that women can’t travel alone. There’s too much out there to see.

2. Traveling Alone Provides Peace and Quiet

When I first traveled solo in Mexico, I was in my early 30s and took a bus into the mountains. The town was tiny and had more pigs and donkeys than people. This was another instance of a trip only whetting my appetite for more. In addition to being able to see the country through my eyes only, I noticed how new everything looked to me—how fresh and exciting even the most mundane items appeared.

When I rejoined friends after my journey into the mountains, I realized how relaxed I felt, and how a yearning for quiet—one I hadn’t even known I had—had been satisfied. After this trip, I began deliberately traveling at least half of the time by myself.

Notice I don’t say “alone.” There’s a difference between traveling alone and traveling by yourself. I don’t feel alone when I travel. And if I don’t want to be alone, I don’t have to be. No matter where I’ve traveled, there are always people willing to try an adventure with a stranger.

Whether sitting on a mountaintop in southern Mexico or in the “White Garden” at Sissinghurst Castle, quiet is precious in a very busy world. The opportunity that quiet and the peace of solitude offer is to come to understand what is most important. This quiet allows us to grow as people. It also allows the imagination to bloom and develop. Without time alone to imagine and think, we don’t have the opportunity to put daily life into perspective.

Therefore, I am a fan of peace and quiet.

3. You Meet New People

I have met people from at least seven countries in all the places I’ve traveled to—and then there are the locals. While traveling alone in rural Japan, I met a woman and her husband, who drove me to Kyoto. She had studied English in high school and was thrilled to practice with me. The couple was from Osaka and went a considerable distance out of their way to help. Then there were the guys in Puerto Lobos, a tiny fishing village in Mexico, who lifted my van out of the sand, said, “Have a nice day,” and walked away.

The benefit of meeting people from different worlds is that it creates an opportunity to see life from a new perspective. This experience allows us not only to learn about others but also to learn about ourselves. What’s been unexpected for me is how some things are universal, regardless of culture or country. People are curious, often friendly and kind, and want to know more about the world you come from—the world you inhabit. These encounters can lead to truly wonderful life lessons. Chief among them, for me, is the understanding that we are all part of a larger world, one that has more in common than we think.

I’m reminded of the older gentleman from Germany who said, as we bumped along a very bad road, “We are all citizens of the world.” Or the lovely student just outside of Paris who rescued my runaway luggage. And the Englishman at Heathrow who kindly rescued my sweaters after they’d exploded out of an overpacked bag on the carousel. He told me the English were horrid, cold people—but his behavior didn’t support that claim.

I’m not gorgeous or incredibly lucky, but I do practice one skill that’s vital for solo travel: I count on people being kind. That doesn’t mean leaving your intuition at home or ignoring common sense—but in my experience, most humans are kind. I’ve never met a nationality I didn’t like. Maybe I will one day, but so far, I haven’t. If we’re willing to meet strangers halfway, be courteous, and pay attention, traveling as a single woman can be truly wonderful.

4. You Can Choose Your Own Schedule

If you haven’t figured this out by now—I love traveling by myself. I love the freedom to set my own agenda and schedule. If I want an early start, I can. If I want to sleep late, I do. I set the itinerary and the pace. If I meet someone interesting, I can join them for an adventure. I have what I consider a golden opportunity to meet locals. In Bali, for example, I met a man who showed me a piece of land for sale by the ocean—we arrived just as the sun was setting. I trusted my instincts, and I’m still here to talk about it. My only regret? I didn’t buy the property!

If there’s a road that looks interesting and you’re traveling solo, you can simply turn and explore. You can follow your curiosity without compromise. Yes, that might sound a little selfish—but sometimes, having the freedom to be fully yourself and pursue what truly interests you is worth the initial challenges of solo travel. There’s no need to negotiate or talk it over. As a solo traveler, you get to honor your own preferences—and in doing so, you often discover more about what you truly enjoy… and what you’d rather avoid.

5. You Can Explore Farther

There are things I’m pretty sure I could not have done—or not done as easily—if I’d been traveling with someone else. I’ve spent hours wandering museums at my own pace, including the Louvre and a fantastic art museum in Ubud, Bali. I got lost in a rainforest and a cloud forest until I figured out where I was. I once met a group of young Russian students in St. Petersburg—we played music and laughed late into the night. It was June, during the “White Nights,” so I had no idea what time it was.

Traveling solo has brought so many adventures and moments of joy. But I don’t believe I’ve just been lucky—I think it’s because I’ve been open. I’ve explored without preconceived ideas, and that’s made all the difference. From South America to Asia, I’ve had the chance to experience places and people on their own terms, without filtering them through someone else’s anxieties or biases.

Recently, my niece and I traveled through northern Mexico together, and it was great fun. Like me, she’s well-traveled—she’s actually been to more countries than I have. It was such a pleasure because she approached each place and person with curiosity and without judgment. Traveling with her reminded me why I usually prefer to travel solo: It’s rare to find a travel companion who’s genuinely open to anything. She was. Although we both agreed that our culinary boundary was scorpions on a stick.

It’s not always possible to travel with friends or family. But by choosing to go solo, you can plan the exact trip you want. If no one you know wants to go to Chile—but you do—then go. Do your research, compare flight options, look beyond traditional hotels, and consider local transport. One of my favorite stays was a traditional Japanese guest house I found on Agoda. No one spoke English, but the food was amazing, and it included a bathhouse and two meals a day. You won’t find that in a standard traveler’s hotel. And in Mexico, the express buses are fast, inexpensive, and comfortable—but you only learn that if you’re willing to look beyond the obvious.

So take the leap. Trust yourself. Pack light, bring your curiosity—and skip the Charmin.

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