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

Posted on June 3, 2010 - by Janice

How to Travel Alone Without Being Lonely:
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

Choose your accommodation wisely. Hostels and B&Bs are naturally more social than hotels or many resorts.
Consider traveling by train. The dining and observation cars are great places to meet people
Take advantage of local tour guides. Read 8 Ways to Find a Free Local Tour Guide.
Learn how to talk to strangers. Read Travel Solo and, Yes, Talk to Strangers.
If you’re in one place for a while, plan to take language or cooking classes. Whatever interests you.
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.
Go to restaurants with communal tables. Read this Dining Solo Post for info on how to find them.
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
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.
Take advantage of the night life. Read: 10 Tips on Clubbing and Pubbing Solo.

Posts to check out.

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7 Comments

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July 10, 2010

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Mary said:

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.
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June 9, 2010

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Meg Mitchell said:

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.
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June 8, 2010

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Scene by Laurie said:

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.
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June 6, 2010

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Andi said:

Great tips! Couchsurfing.com is also helpful.
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June 4, 2010

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Catherine said:

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.
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June 3, 2010

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Danny said:

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.
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June 3, 2010

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megan said:

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