My wife and I have traveled alone, with one good buddy each, with groups of 3 or 4 persons, together and with our daughter. Each experience is completely different.

Pros: Traveling alone is FANTASTIC because there's no debates, nobody to blame or be blamed for getting lost or playing the "where is" game, not knowing where some small personal item is in your room or backpack and it's SO MUCH easier to meet both local people and other world travlers, "on the road". If meeting, befriending and "bonding" with numerous people is your "thing" then by all means GO FOR IT ALONE; you can always hookup with others as travel companions for for a few days or week. Even if you have NEVER traveled alone before but look at it like a challenge or something you NEED TO DO to become a stronger more self-reliant person.

Cons: One obvious negative is it's more expensive unless you stay in dormitories because most rooms are the same price for one or two persons. If you have never lived alone nor enjoyed solitary experiences like meditation or a few days without contact from family or friends then you may NOT enjoy the loneliness you are bound to feel sometimes. BUT then again this loneliness HELPS you to meet more people and to reach out, emotionally to strangers and new found friends. If you enjoy raving about your incredible travel experiences and tell a few "big fish" type stories when you go home then traveling alone means you have no witness to back up your tales.

Males: Traveling alone may have to use caution if they like to drink and party in bars and discos after midnight since it's always so easy to chase "the wrong woman " and get into a fight with one or more guys.Being alone there's nobody to stop you or encourage you to leave etc.

Females; traveling alone is always an issue because of the universal, worldwide risk of sexual assault. Two or three habits can help females feel secure and safe to travel the world alone. One is self-defense which stimulates self-confidence, two is avoidance of being in more risky situations, places and times. and Three is the fairly universal ease in which most females can find an acceptable companion spontaneously to keep them company at each destination.

Whether male or female, for firstimers it's best to try traveling alone for a 2 or 3 week trip before you take off for a 3 to 6 month trip.

Good advice PhilBill

:thumbup:

yeah, really good points philbill! :cowboy: :thumbup:

I love travelling alone.. but of course I pretty much mean that I leave my country on my own, and yet am hardley ever by myself... I meet people in the places I visit, and when I'm ready to move on I do... alone... and then meet a whole bunch more in the next place... UGH too bad I had to leave London to go home though.. I met the most beautiful and amazing Auzzie there.. we had a 5 day romance.. :wub: and i had to say Farewell... good lord he was HOT. :unsure: Anyways... James.. if you see this YOU'RE HOT!.

wow sorry that changed topic pretty quickly.. anyways two tumbs up for going ti alone. :thumbup:

Word. What you said. :thumbup:

well, I am mixing the two...I'm going over the alone for two months to work, then meeting up with my special lady friend, and then we are travelling together for three or four weeks, and then I am travelling alone again for a week, and then I meet up with another friend, and he and I are going to go around Sweden and Norway for a week, and then I have another week by myself. Seems like its going to be a good plan, the best of all worlds! Independance and freedom, then companionship and sex, then freedom and independance, then companionship and ....er, friendship. Hahah....this is gonna be GREAT!!! :thumbup:

I wonder how many backpackers actually do go alone? It is very difficult to find someone who even wants to go at the same time and has enough money to do it, never mind wanting to do the same things once you get over there. On the other hand, it seems to me that most people would not even consider taking a trip to Europe by themselves, without having someone for support and companionship at the outset. I have no problems with going solo, and I wonder what percentage of backpackers out there in Europe feel the same.

Totally agreed. Even if I wanted to go with someone, I can never get all these factors (time, money, agenda, etc) to intersect with mine. It's near-impossible! :no:

true enough boys...
I was all set to go by myself, I really was, but then some of my friends said they'd be over there while I was too...so, hell, why not meet up? But I will be alone for two months. :thumbup: :cheers:

This topic is as relavant today as it was when it was first posted.
Furthermore to read a story cementing it

http://travelpunk.com/stories/tony.htm

Check it out!

Definitely a good article, Jake. :thumbup: Made me more confident about my solo trip in 2006.

Your never alone when traveling, there where times I would have payed money to be proper alone in my own space, but the closest I could get was having a shit.