I believe that any opportunity to travel is always a wonderful experience as it allows you to see new places and explore things that are different from your everyday daily life. Often times people plan a trip with a friend, family member, significant other, or perhaps with a small group of people. However, have you ever considered traveling alone? Solo travel is the term to describe exactly that, planning a trip by yourself. It might be expected you naturally would want to share a travel experience with someone else but there is definitely nothing wrong with going somewhere by yourself.

Before you go ahead and plan a solo trip, there are a few things you should ask yourself to see if it is the right choice for you.

Am I okay with going on a vacation by myself while fully being able to enjoy myself? – This is probably the most important question to first ask yourself. If you are a little scared with the idea of traveling by yourself, think about how many activities you currently do by yourself. I look at it like this, if I am someone who does a good majority of daily things by myself, then traveling should not feel much different. If the idea scares you, maybe start off with a local trip and see how you feel about that first. If you enjoyed it, then you can consider taking it to the next level and planning something bigger. In life, it is good to step outside your comfort zone but as I mentioned, it can still be done in baby steps.

Do I have the time to plan a getaway? – If you do not really have the spare time to go then I would say either make time for it or wait until your schedule frees up. Without the actual time needed to plan a trip, it is not something you can really book until you have the actual availability to go.

Do I have the money to go? – When planning a trip with someone else, budgeting is usually easier as you get to split the accommodations and other activities with the person you are traveling with. When you plan a trip by yourself, be prepared for every little expense from the big expenses like flight and accommodations to the small things like food, souvenirs, etc. Traveling can get expensive very fast depending on the destination (also keep in mind with currency exchange rates, your currency might not be worth as much in certain countries). It is important to travel within your means and if going by yourself is going to be too much of an expense, it might be better to plan a trip with someone to keep costs down or to save money up so you can comfortably travel by yourself without breaking the bank.

Do I have the passion to go on the trip, even if that means I am by myself? – If you have a deep desire to go to a destination with or without someone, then I would say it is worth looking into. Remember, even if you are traveling by yourself, that does not mean you have to be completely alone at all times. You can sign up for group tours and be in situations where you meet other people along the way such as other tourists like yourself or locals who can make recommendations of things to check out during your stay.

Will I feel safe going to this destination alone? – Your sense of personal safety is definitely an important factor when deciding whether or not to go on a solo trip. There are certain places that I think might be enjoyed better with the company of others and as a safety net while there are places that are known to be incredibly safe to go to on your own. This is research you can do on your own if you are unsure whether or not you can venture to the destination safely.

Solo travel might be a scary thought to some but absolutely liberating to someone else. I can tell you from my personal experience, I have done it once (so far) and it was one of the best decisions of my life. By that, I can confirm I had a wonderful time and I would absolutely do it again in the future.