The Solo Traveler Blog

How to Travel Alone Without Being Lonely:
10 tips & 5 posts

Published June 3, 2010 | By Janice
DSC001631 1024x768 How to Travel Alone Without Being Lonely:<br>10 tips & 5 posts

Me and my greeter in Chicago.

After safety, loneliness is the number one complaint of the solo traveler.

Most of us don’t actually complain about it that much; we relish our time alone. But even for the most avid solo traveler, loneliness can be an issue on occasion. Fortunately, there are ways to plan your own trip, travel alone and not feel lonely. I give you…

10 Tips to Travel Solo and Social

  1. Choose your accommodation wisely. Hostels and B&Bs are naturally more social than hotels or many resorts.
  2. Consider traveling by train. The dining and observation cars are great places to meet people
  3. Take advantage of local tour guides. Read 8 Ways to Find a Free Local Tour Guide.
  4. Learn how to talk to strangers. Read Travel Solo and, Yes, Talk to Strangers.
  5. If you’re in one place for a while, plan to take language or cooking classes. Whatever interests you.
  6. Break up long trips with an organized tour. You’ll enjoy the company and a chance to let someone else take care of all the details.
  7. Go to restaurants with communal tables. Read this Dining Solo Post for info on how to find them.
  8. Go to coffee shops that are the hubs for freelancers. These are social places that also offer free wifi to stay connected with home.  Read: Finding the Freelance Hub
  9. When you are in one place for a while,  go to the same green grocers, flower shop  or restaurant consistently. You’ll be noticed as a new regular and people will eventually chat with you.
  10. Take advantage of the night life. Read: 10 Tips on Clubbing and Pubbing Solo.

Posts to check out.

  1. 8 Ways to Find a Free Local Tour Guide
  2. Travel Solo and, Yes, Talk to Strangers
  3. Solo Dining? Try Restaurants with Communal tables
  4. Finding the Freelance Hub:  Great for the solo traveler
  5. 10 Tips on Clubbing and Pubbing Solo

Related posts:

Posted in How to Travel Alone
  • http://solotravelerblog.com Janice Waugh

    You are quite welcome. I hope you will share the post with others you think would be interested.

  • Anonymous

    Spot on, Thanks

  • http://www.smileycooking.com/ Cooking Games

    Great tips. Thanks a lot. I’m about to go on a journey alone. Thanks again.

  • Travelleray

    I came across a really interesting platform to connect with co-travelers and locals while on the move on http://www.mingletrips.com
    Its new and free and I connected with really fun people!

  • Angelgal01

    Couchsurfing.org 

  • solotraveler

    I’m afraid that I can’t do this for you. Please subscribe to the newsletter using the box on the right hand side near the top.

  • http://www.friv250.ro/ Jocuri

    Subscribe me in your newsletter pls

  • http://www.samuiguide.com/ Samui Guy

    Another excellent post and full of solid and sound advice for both the solo and couple traveler.

  • solotraveler

    That’s a really interesting point Lynda. I hadn’t thought of that before.

  • Lynda Fraser

    I have never been lonely when travelling solo…I enjoy meeting new people and am not afraid to start a conversation. I have experienced loneliness most often when travelling with others who have become too busy to spend time with me and have left me waiting for them somewhere.

  • http://vagabonderz.com Carlo Alcos

    Glad to hear it! If you have any questions/hesitations, let me know and I’ll give you a hand. Also, if/when you set up your profile, shoot me the link and I’ll give you a reference.

  • solotraveler

    You know, I’ve been reluctant to try couchsurfing. But now I’m hearing good things from many directions. Once I start trying to get my head around something I usually do. I’ll try with this too. Thanks.

  • http://vagabonderz.com Carlo Alcos

    Andi already said it, but I will back her up. Couchsurfing is perhaps the best and easiest way to meet like-minded people. Even if you’re not comfortable sleeping in a stranger’s home or hosting a stranger (although…strangers are just friends we haven’t met yet, right?), you can meet someone for coffee or a drink, or attend an organized CS event.

    While with my wife we hosted many in Melbourne and some are still friends, and while traveling solo I’ve met tons of great people through CS. You can really get a good feel of people through their profiles and also by messaging back and forth.

    I can’t speak highly enough about it.

  • http://rvingtoadless.blogspot.com/ JJ (RVing Toadless)

    These tips apply to solo RV travel, too!

  • http://www.wanderandexplore.com Mary

    I concur that it’s not necessary to be lonely while traveling alone. I met an interesting group of Pentecostal women when riding the trolley in San Antonio. We ended up having lunch together, and touring the botanical garden as well.

    I also met two women who saw me doing a walking tour in the Kaiser Wilhelm district. They invited me to lunch with them. I look forward to another solo journey in the future.

  • http://priscillamaeetal.blogspot.com Meg Mitchell

    One of the benefits of traveling alone is that you are forced to speak the language of the country. Every time I go back to Paris, my comfort with trying my high school French becomes better and then I actually have some fun with it.

  • http://www.scenebylaurie.com Scene by Laurie

    Very helpful article, thanks for all the tips. I’ve broken up a trip with an organized tour but need to build in more local ones.

    I can also attest to the magic of the train for meeting people and it’s not just in the US. I met people from all over the world on trains throughout Morocco which really makes the train ride much more interesting and enjoyable.

  • http://www.mybeautifuladventures.com Andi

    Great tips! Couchsurfing.com is also helpful. :)

  • http://www.nomadz.nu/lifestyledesign Catherine

    True, social life is the thing from home I miss the most. Even if you are traveling together like us it can be really nice to meet new people along the way. We use digital media like twitter or couchsurfing to get in touch with locals ( http://nomadz.nu/lifestyledesign/2010/03/meet-the-locals/ ) and met some really incredible people this way.

  • http://floridavacationrentalsite.com Danny

    Thanks for these great tips. I one day plan on traveling alone and will keep all these tips in mind along with all other of the great traveling resources you have on your blog.

  • http://www.onmywayrtw.com megan

    Some great links here. I can second travelling by train – especially on Amtrak in the States, you meet loads of people in the dining, cafe and lounge cars – and everyone wants to chat! It’s actually difficult to get some quiet time :D

About Janice Waugh

I'm known as the solo traveler. I traveled solo in my twenties and I'm doing so again. Here's the backstory...Continue Reading >>

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