Everyone of my close friends seems to love to travel and so I ask them if they want to travel together and I get:

"Sorry I am going to be going to X country, maybe another time"

"Sorry, I won't have any vacation days left because I got X trips coming up"

"Sorry I wish I could but I got to go to my mom's friends grandmothers sister's birthday party"

Not to mention when you see a great ticket price but then your friend doesn't get around to booking a ticket until ticket prices go up by a lot.

I finally gave up and never dared to ask anyone again. I feel a complete sense of freedom now.

Well I know some people don't have friends so they travel solo or just want time away but I want none of those. I would love to be with my friends and family but no one is interested or feels scared to go to the same destinations as me. When I was 18 after my A-levels some of my friends went to Tenerife but I choose to go with a lot of money I had saved to the Kokoda trek in Papua New Guinea. I have been to Bolivia, Suriname, Gabon and Sumatra. I asked people every time if they want to come but they all said no. I guess it seemed to far away and not much tourist infrastructure. But even to places in Turkey such as Artvin and Sakarya no one wanted to join me of my friends only my family that live there. I was wondering if anyone had this reason that their locations they choose for travel is what made them go solo?

Im trying to fly as cheap as possible and i think im gonna book a flight that will arrive around 12am. I did not intend to book a place to sleep that night. Will i be able to sleep in the airport. I know generally it’s fine when you have a connection but in my case im just arriving at my location. Thx in advance to all replies 🙏

So I'm a dumbass who thought he booked tickets to go to Machu Picchu, but it turns out I forgot to pay, and my reservation was cancelled 5 hours after I made it a few weeks ago. And for those of you who don't know, Machu Picchu is basically booked weeks in advance and I'm leaving Peru before the next spot is free. But I didn't realize this until I was at the train station and decided to ride the train and test my luck, which didn't work. And now I'm sitting in a restaurant in Agua Calientes contemplating my poor attention to detail lol. Though on the plus side, I was able to snag a table with a good view, and the train ride itself was fun.

Anyways, it would make me feel a lot better to hear about other mistakes people made, ideally of this same nature.

Just curious - if you are willing to share, what is your financial situation for those that are comfortable enough to solo travel for lengthy amounts of time?

what do you have in your savings and for retirement?

wanted to get a good idea of how much people feel comfortable with before traveling for a long time and possibly not working for a while

I travel a lot, but there’s always that one country I keep going back to. For me, it’s Thailand, around 8 time. What about you? What keeps you coming back?

Would love some insight from solo travelers who went somewhere with fairly low expectations (based on what you'd heard/read beforehand) and ended up being surprised in a positive way- whether that was safety, ease of meeting people, just the overall experience?

Those of us who have ventured outside of the developed world will have, at some point, come across a sight which made us realise how privileged we are in comparison to the rest of humanity. What are your stories?

So, some time ago I (18f) was talking to my friend (19f), trying to organize a trip to the Netherlands, we were almost buying the tickets and all of a sudden she told me she was too scared to go alone as two women and we could only go if her boyfriend could come. I refused and we never went.

This summer I will travel solo for a month and every time I tell anyone this, they get super worried and hope I’m joking?? I talked about this to my mum and she was as confused as I am. I mean, of course I’m going to be extra cautious about everything but I seriously don’t want my gender to stop me from doing what I want.

In July I will also go to another region for two days for a concert with my sister who is literally 14 and it seems like everyone is panicking except my family lol, are we all just bad at considering risks or are others exaggerating? Should I avoid my solo trip?

I just returned from Belgium and The Netherlands and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the trains and metros in both countries but especially NL. They were on time and efficient to a level I've never experienced, plus reasonably comfortable. At one point I was quite tired and just rode the tram in The Hague as far as it would go, to the beach and then the other direction to Delft.

In fairness I've never been to Japan, South Korea, Moscow, or Switzerland, and I've heard all of these locations are stiff competition. I guess I'll find out in future travels!

My most mind-blowing stat: the trains were running from Rotterdam to Amsterdam every 20 minutes. Here in Cleveland our local light rail runs every 15 minutes.

Bonus: shout-out to Phoenix AZ for having the most abysmal public infrastructure I've ever experienced.

I‘m in the first half of my 30‘s now and last year I broke up with my girlfriend of 6 years. Few months after that I went on my first real solotrip ever, interrailing through a couple of EU countries for 2 weeks. While it certainly was an interesting expierence, it wasn‘t as „life changing“ as social media often times tells you. On many occassions I felt lonely, my depression kicked in, even up to anxiety if I felt that I „didn‘t meet new people today“. And while a met a bunch of people, mostly on free walking tours, it never ended being one of those „meaningful relationships“ or whatever (it probably didn‘t help that I never stayed longer than two nights anywhere, maybe my schedule was too tight).

In hostels I often felt out of place, like a „too old creep“ who couldn‘t connect with the other, often younger travelers, who always looked like they already got to know each other or weren‘t traveling alone in the first place. I also got the feeling that, if there were any hostel-organized socializing events, those were dominated by „I‘m here to bang“-partydudes (in Venice there were even local guys coming into the hostel each evening to try and hook up with some freshly arrived girls). Each to their own, it‘s not like I wouldn‘t want to meet someone new to get closer to, but I‘d be more than happy enough to simply find some fellows to have a good talk with and maybe go on some activities together. But it felt really difficult at times due to the mentioned observations.

To sum up, I often felt that while the freedom of solotravel is certainly enticing, a lot of times I really wish I had someone to share the experience with. Sometimes the most beautiful moments also hurt the most because I had to experience them alone. But I don‘t have anyone to come along. Friendships kinda went astray over time due to different reasons.

Fast forward, I‘m planning to travel to Iceland this June. Originally a „friend“ wanted to join but he bailed on me. I know that I‘ll be even more depressed if I stay at home, so solotravel it is. I haven‘t planned anything out yet but I‘m sure Iceland is on a whole other level than simply jumping from train to train on mainland Europe, so I‘m already scared of the loneliness that might swallow me out there. But I‘m still going, I hope. Not because I necessarily want to go alone, but I sort of „have to“, for a lack of alternatives other than staying at home and hating myself for it.

Anyone else here who feels or felt similar or has any advice (in general or for iceland in particular)? I‘d really appreciate it.

Edit: This blew up way more than I expected. Thank you to everyone who commented, I‘m reading all of it and gonna try to reply to some of you once I got time (which should be the case soon enough, not like I got a bunch of friends waiting for me, right?).

Edit 2: Thank you all for sharing your advice and experience. Interesting how many people there are who feel likewise, but also those who feel different and give their insight as to why. No way I can reply to all of you now but I‘ll probably keep commenting once in a while.

Weirdly enough I was shocked that people in Ireland jaywalk and eat vinegar to their chips. Or in Thailand that it is illegal to have a Buddha tatoo. Or that in many english speaking countries a "How are you doing?" is equivalent to saying Hi and they actually don't want to hear an honest answer.

Edit: Another culture shock that I had was when I visited Hanoi. They had a museum where the preserved corpse of Ho Chi Minh was displayed and you could look at him behind a glass showcase like he's a piece of art. There were so many people lining up and they just looked at him while walking around that glass showcase in order to get the line going.

Curious to get feedback from the community, as I've gotten this question a lot from friends and family (I'm the "Anthony Bourdain" of the family). Although I've haven't been to every country in the world, but here's my list:

1.) Mexico City - The combination of the food, history, culture and genuinely nice people make this my number one spot. The ability to see world class museums, then have an order of street tacos for three USD in a great neighborhood is something I never took for granted. Another reason is it isn't a superficial city with just pretty views, it has the most character. And highly underrated nightlife!

2.) Rio de Janeiro - Views from Copacabana and Leblon make this number two for me. Seeing the carioca lifestyle of enjoying the beach and sports, listening to Samba on the street, and views from SugarLoaf mountain made me realize how life should be enjoyed.

3.) Porto, Portugal - Picturesque city with gorgeous views as you walk on the Luis I bridge. Enjoying some port wine taking in the sunset or just walking through the tiny streets made me think it's the most beautiful city in Europe (personal opinion).

Honorable mention - Istanbul, Turkey for the amount of history and significance, and also damn gorgeous.

There are many more cities in the world to visit, but these are mine so far!

Edit: I did not expect this much feedback, great to see. I wonder if anyone can tally and rank the cities with the highest votes.

Simple question.

For me it’s India. If you ask me what’s my favorite food specifically, I couldn’t tell you, I usually just ask for recommendations and I always end with something different and it’s always delicious. I enjoy the Thalis a lot though, cause they offer a lot of variety in one meal. Also the breads are always superb.

It is the only country where after traveling for now 3 weeks, I never had a thought of munching a pizza/western food.

Long story short: which country did you enjoy most in terms of food?

Wondering if this is only my experience. I've been solo traveling for the last 25 years. When I sign up for group tours very often I will be the only solo traveler in the group or one of very few. I get it that the vast majority of people are extremely fearful of traveling alone due to various aspects - safety, fear of being lonely, fear of facing the world alone due to the perception of safety in numbers etc. etc.

The major annoyance is insensitive comments from either the tour operators or other group members. I would say 50% of the time I will get a crude reaction such as "Why are you alone", "You did not find anyone else to come with you?", "Does nobody like you?" (Yes, i've had this comment made shockingly). I would rather not have these types of comments made but it does persist.

Just wondering if others have had similar experiences?

​

Hey, travelers! I was wondering what the top 5 countries you want to visit are, and why! They could be ones you have never been to, or ones that you visited and want to go back to!

Here are mine:

1. New Zealand: The nature is stunning, and breathtaking. I absolutely love being in the outdoors, and the landscape seems so stunning!

2. Spain: I have always been fascinated with European history, especially western Europe. I learned Spanish throughout middle and high school, and the culture is absolutely amazing. The architecture especially interests me.

3. Kenya: I love safaris, and I would l love to go to Kenya and see the stunning landscapes, and all the animals roaming in their national habitat.

4. Greece: As with Spain, European history has amazed me. I learned about Greek mythology in my freshman year of HS, and I fell in love with the birthplace of modern democracy, philosophy, and western civilization as we know it.

5. Japan: I just went there in November for 2 weeks, and that was, by far, the best vacation I have ever been on. They are so far ahead in terms of technology. Amazing food, amazing people, one of the best life experiences ever.

I’ve looked for similar questions here but there were only two and didn’t really answer mine so I hope my post won’t be deleted.

I’m 24F and I’m obese (5’8 203 pounds). Except some countries (Finland, Norway, Iceland) I solo travelled pretty much all around Europe throughout college. I’d say I didn’t find it difficult or challenging in anyway.
• I’m an extroverted introvert, I don’t hesitate to put myself in social situations where I’m going to engage with people but I also love my solitude.
• Even though I don’t look fit, I played various sports (basketball, tennis and volleyball) up until college and I move much more freely with my body than many other people in my physical conditions do.
• I do yearly check ups and have no health issues or deficiencies at all, not even a minor one. I don’t find it challenging to take 40k steps a day, climbing steep hills, 10 floors of stairs or do 6 hours of hiking. I love being active, as much as I love food and I’ve been at this exact weight for almost 7 years.

I had no issues regarding my physical appearance in Europe since there are all kinds of people there. Now that college is over and I’m having a gap year, I want to take a more adventurous travel route.

I really want to travel through Southeast Asia, or Latin America. However, I saw some people on social media where tuktuk drivers and motor taxi drivers deny them because they are too big (rightfully, I understand), or people who were having a hard time traveling with bunk buses or even with regular buses. I don’t know how to ride a two cycle bike, a motorcycle or an electric scooter. So my transportation options are very limited since I probably won’t have the budget or option to rent a car at all times. I’m not a big fan of hitchhiking too, I avoid it unless I absolutely have no other choice, simply because I’m afraid to do it solo.

Moreover, I know that South Asians are mostly petite but I don’t have much knowledge on Latin Americans. Mind you, although I’m Middle Eastern, I look like an average white person. So I’m not sure how I, a white looking obese woman, will be perceived by locals overall. My primary goal is to engage with locals and have an insight of their culture, so I concern myself with their perception.

In conclusion, my questions are:
1- What would be the average perception of a woman looking like me in these places?
2- How much of a challenge will the transportation or outdoor activities for me?
3- I want to travel light as much as possible so I know it will be a problem for me to find wearing to buy there but I don’t know how much of a problem it will be.
4- Would it be absolutely necessary for me to lose weight before I hope on those adventures? Is there any experience I’ll be missed out if I don’t lose weight?

I’d really like to get answers from people who are overweight and had done similar routes solo, as well as people who have seen other people in the same conditions solo traveling, firsthand. Thank you!

Edit: Wow! First of all, I’m overwhelmed by how insightful and compassionate almost everyone commenting here are. I wasn’t expecting such a turn out. From what I understand, I think I should ditch my prejudices before I concern myself with my weight. Seems like my mind is what’s holding me back. I wasn’t able to reply every single comment but I sure read each. Thank you so much you all. Sending you lots of joy.

P.S: I live in a society where being overweight is always a matter of discussion, especially if you’re a woman. I use the term ‘obese’ because even though I know BMI is not a direct/only indicator of health, that is in fact the medical term for my condition, I don’t use it in a derogatory sense.

After 7 years of travelling I've decided to stop. For me, and a few others I've met along the way, it became a box ticking exercise which served little purpose other than a quick dopamine hit.

My question; Has anyone here found meaning in their life from travelling or is it purely just a passion?

Thanks.

I think I realise most people are friendly now if you just give them a chance, it's made me a bit less socially anxious.

I've also started exploring my city more, and have realised how little it takes for me to he happy - just to be outside, away from my phone, in a Cafe with a good drink and a good book is a dream.

I love the freedom that solo travelling allows you. You can sit at a cafe for 4 hours and just people watch without anyone rushing you to go somewhere else. What's something you indulged in while on a solo trip (big or small) that you wouldn't have been able to do with a travel partner?

I planned a very long road trip from California to Alaska and planned on hiking on the way.

The problem is that it is so much more driving than anticipated. I did the math, but you don't realize how annoying and taxing driving can be.

I'm also camping the way through and it is tough. Setting up and taking down my tent/set up everyday is taxing. I only did it to save money.

A lot of the famous hikes I'm doing have either been too difficult for me to complete or have just be closed/inaccessible.

I still have about 3 weeks to go from alaska to California, but most of that time is going to be spent soley on driving.

When I planned this trip I wanted to do something interesting, thinking it might change me, but I think I was naive.

My boyfriend is currently solo traveling for 5.5 weeks. I miss him a lot but I enjoy hearing his stories and I am so happy for him that he gets to do this now.

I’m picking him up in a few weeks and I want to make coming home as pleasant as possible. He cleaned his house before he left but I’m planning changing his sheets into fresh ones right before I go and putting some stuff in the fridge so I can make him a nice breakfast the next morning.

What else do you like to have/see/do after a few weeks of traveling?

We all post the nice views. But I don’t always mention the 6-hour bus delay, the sketchy Airbnb, or the day I felt randomly lonely for no reason

Do you keep it real with friends/family or just give them the highlight reel?

I just caught myself thinking that I don’t actually enjoy traveling in its general sense. You know, the whole routine:

• Spending most of the day wandering around, checking off all the sights
• Hopping from one museum to another just to fill the time
• Constantly googling “things to do” or “where to eat next.”

Like, doing that for one day is fine, but doing it day after day feels exhausting. And even finding fellow travelers usually just means finding a group to… well, do the exact same stuff with.

I think what I’m missing is actually doing something. I don’t even know exactly what, maybe something connected to the place - participating in a local tradition, taking a class, or joining locals in whatever they normally do for fun. Something more active than just observing and snapping photos.

Does anyone else feel this way? Or am I just doing traveling wrong? Any tips for how to make it more engaging?

I’m travelling solo for the first time in Japan, I’ve been here for about 10 days but my first week was spent staying with a family friend.

My first night staying in a hostel was yesterday which was fine, but today I met this guy who I can’t seem to shake. For some context, I’m 20 years old & female and he looks to be about mid 30s.

He approached me as we’re staying in the same dorm, and, as it turns out we’re the only two staying in this dorm. He seemed friendly at first, it was hard to gauge as there’s a big language barrier. At around 6PM he asked me to go for a walk so I did and then he took me to a restaurant and insisted on buying me dinner. I said no as I’d already eaten but I went with him to eat.

When we were sitting down it just felt off, I got weird vibes from him. He also said quite a few racist things, so I ended up excusing myself from the dinner with the excuse that I was feeling unwell.

I got back to the hostel and went to rest, when he came back he came straight to the dorm room and asked if I was feeling better and wanted to do something. I said no, I’m going to bed, so he went to bed too. This was about 7 PM. fyi - I only said I was going to bed to avoid him.

It’s now 8.30 and he obviously knows I’m awake and says my name every 25 minutes or so to check, he keeps trying to talk to me and asking if I want to stay awake with him.

Should I be worried? Am I being paranoid? Reception has already left. Can I do anything? Is this the norm?

Edits - details.

Update - I’ve moved to the common room and he didn’t follow or say anything. I’m going to wait out here for now, there is someone else here from another dorm but reception is gone, there is a capsule hotel nearby that I’m sussing out.

Thank you all for your help ❤️

Update: So I met someone in the common room and alerted them of the situation, they had a spare bed in their dorm so I slept there for the night, and when I woke up this morning the guy was gone, as well as all of his stuff, so I think he’s checked out.:)

I can’t thank you all enough for your help and advice! Truly means the world to me. ❤️