Solo travel, i.e. travelling alone, is often hailed as the ultimate way of travelling in today’s popular culture. Many travel bloggers advertise it as the final test to become a true, seasoned traveller and an instant solution for personal growth and mental wellbeing – well, I call bullshit. Although I love travelling by myself and believe everyone should give it a go, because it is a learning experience, it is not some magical path to enlightenment. Whether you’ll enjoy it or not strongly depends on the type of person you are and not liking it doesn’t somehow make you anything less as a person.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about what solo travel is really like. I’ve done a lot of it in the past couple of years and it wasn’t always sunshine and roses. I plan to go soul deep into my experiences in this post series, so: Warning – emotional outpouring and honest discussion of life stuff ahead!

By solo travel I don’t mean joining an organised group trip by yourself, but actually travelling alone, independently with no fixed plan or support in a foreign country. Although I really enjoy the freedom it brings, it is also a mental struggle on many different levels and takes some getting used to. The main advice from me would be to gradually immerse yourself into it and learn not to expect too much from yourself, because everyone’s experience is different.

Since I tried to be as honest as possible, these posts ended up being a whole series in the form of frequently asked questions about solo travel. Hopefully they’ll give you an impression of what solo travel is really like and help you decide if that’s something you’d like to try, without the usual exaggerated propaganda. So, get your reading glasses on and let’s go:

• Part 2 – “Aren’t you scared of travelling alone?”
• Part 3 – “Doesn’t it get lonely all by yourself?”
• Part 4 – “What’s so good about it anyway?”
• Part 5 – “So, should I try it?”