Traveling Alone Does Not Mean Traveling Lonely - Tips to Traveling Solo

You walk off of the plane and into the busy airport. As you pack your pick up your bags from the luggage claim, you make your way out of the airport and it is chaos. Things start to rush through you head…Which way do I go? Where do I catch a cab? Omg, am I going to be happy on this trip? Suddenly that feeling starts to sink in, that feeling of helplessness. The feeling like you are at it all alone, a lonely traveler.

One of the biggest roadblocks that most people have is that they do not want to travel because they do not have someone to travel with. Traveling alone is daunting and can make you feel apprehension when traveling solo. That lonely feeling does not have to damper the trip though. Here are some tips of how to travel solo and not feel lonely.

Learn the Language

I know that this just seems a bit obvious, but in order to prevent loneliness and communicating with the locals is to make sure you know the language. Even if you know just a little bit, it will go a long way. You can use tools like Duolingo. Knowing the language will help you communicate with others so that you do not feel alienated.

Get Drunk

Yup I said that. Get drunk. Okay, you do not necessarily have to get drunk but check out the local bars, pubs and places that locals like to hang out and get loose. After all, the main reason people are out at bar, pub or club is becaue they want to have a good time and meet people. Why not do the same? I myself am a fan of good beer and meet some amazing guys in Vancouver when at a brewpub.

Stay with a Friend/Family

This is kind of obvious, if you want to not be lonely, go with family and friends. A lot of times I will meet with friends in different countries just so that when I get there, I have some one who can show me the local things to do. But I do not have to be by their side the whole time. I tend to have them join me for company and find locals in other ways.

Stay at a Hostel

I am not a fan of hostels, but there is one thing that a hostel has as an advantage over hotels. That thing that it offers is the community vibe and feel. When sharing rooms or communal areas with people, it forces you to be more social. Hostels are great for solo travelers as you will meet other travelers to explore the area with. The only drawback is you will miss out on meeting more locals (unless the people you meet also have a knack for meeting locals).

Check Out the Communial Areas

Does the place you are staying at have a communal area? A lounge? Perhaps a bar? A gym? Take advantage of these communal areas to meet locals. Hanging out in the lounge in the San Francisco hotel one evening I stumbled upon a group who was all meeting in the lounge to go out. A conversation started and my lonely night ended up partying with new friends.

Use Hosting Services

Check out some hosting services where you can stay with a local. One example would be airbnb.com where you can find locals who are renting out a room of an apartment/house. A lot of times these locals want to show you their hometown. Two examples are when I was in Vancouver and my host couple invited me to go wind sailing with them. The other example is when I was in Puerto Colombia and the hosts invited me to join them during Carnaval.

Another hosting service to consider is Couchsurfing. I hung out a lot with my first and only couch surfing host. You can read more about my experience with Felipe here.

Using Meetup Services

In the past I wrote how meetup services are great for learning languages. It can also be great just to make new friends. A few meetup services to take advantage of are Couchsurfing (not just for a place to stay), meetp.com and a new one named Nomaders.com.
All of these services allow you to just meet people who love showing off thier hometown to visitors. Check out each service to get a person who really wants to learn about you and show you their home.

Be Talkative

This is probably the hardest advice to take and swallow. Especially in American culture where we are always careful not to intrude on someone’s personal space.

In my experience, most people are friendly. They do not mind their personal space being intruded on. Even more so, people love talking about thier hometown. Start with that, it will almost always start an interesting conversation.

Have Fun

This last tip might be obvious. Leave all your worries behind and just have fun. Nothing can bring on lonliness faster than brooding over situations. Instead make the best of your moment. If you are alone in a public place, use it as an opportunity to relax, enjoy the view and just imagine that you wont have that kind of peace and quiet when you return back to your work.

What do you think? Did I leave any important tips at all? Are there any other tips you use to keep your moral up when you are traveling? Tell us what you think. Leave a comment below, send me a tweet on twitter, or post on my Facebook. Heck even send us a message. Let me know so I can help. Subscribe to our newsletter to gain even more tips. Happy travels

Erick Redcloud

A partially blind Graphic Designer, Freelance Travel Photographer, Artist, Buddhist and Vegetarian who loves to travel. Erick loves traveling by being with the locals and going off the beaten path. He is the founder and owner of Pathlesstravels and loves inspiring others to follow their dreams, whether it is to travel or something completely different. He started Pathlesstravels to hone is photography skills and to meet amazing people, and to help a friend break into journalism. Check out his photography at his link.

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