Why a Solo Vacation Might Just be Better Than a Group Trip

A friend of mine reached out to me the other day to talk about a trip she was about to take to Georgia for a week. I get excited just thinking about leaving my home state and exploring new places, but she didn’t seem to eager to get going on this impromptu vacation. The reason?

She was alone.

When you think about it, there are a lot of things we do in life by ourselves. Going to the grocery store. Shopping for clothes. Sometimes our jobs might have us being alone for extended periods of time. However, going on a vacation solo is a whole different animal compared to chores or daily tasks. For my friend, she’d be staying in Georgia for a week by herself.

I reassured her and said that there can be plenty of fun stuff to do by yourself in a new place while on vacation. Internally, though, I was wracking my brain to think of fun stuff she could do, when I had never gone on a vacation by myself either!

So, I put my money where my mouth was, and scoured the web for why vacationing solo can be just as good—if not better—than a traditional group getaway. Once you get over the psychological hurdle of being active by yourself, I learned that you’ll find yourself having a ton of fun.

You Can Do Whatever You Want!

You are the master of your own destiny when you vacation solo. Struggling to deal with complicated scheduling? Battling over where to eat? Conflicted over how to spend your time at the beach or sightseeing? No more!

With friends or family, it can be troublesome to determine what you’re doing each day. Planning has always been a hassle for my group of friends, so I know venturing off by myself would take a load off my shoulders.

When you’re on vacation by yourself, you can choose what you do at any given moment. Tired? Why not sleep in or read? Go out and explore your surroundings on a whim, and let your stomach decide where you want to eat.

Honestly, I cannot stress this enough: not being beholden to anyone’s timetable is extremely liberating. Physically and mentally. How often do you wake up knowing you can do anything you want? Solo vacationing also means you can set the budget and travel dates, so your wallet can be happy too.

Meet the Locals

Traveling alone can be intimidating, but exhilaratingly fun. Tougher than that? Talking to strangers. Meeting people abroad, however, doesn’t have to be frightening. Many popular tourist destinations are lined with shops and establishments designed to serve the people vacationing there. They’re naturally welcoming (because they want your business) and can be great sources of information on the local area.

Of course, you can go off the beaten path and explore those little-known spots that only the people who have lived there all their lives know. A useful tip I picked up was to speak to cab drivers, and it makes absolute sense. Cab drivers spend their entire workdays traversing the city. They inherently know how to get from A to B and can be useful to find a great spot to eat, shop, or sightsee.

Similarly, bartenders might know the best spots in town for nightlife, clubbing, and dancing.

Relax and Get Introspective

Let’s face it: it’s been awhile since you’ve had some alone time. A solo vacation is perhaps the best opportunity to cut loose and soothe your mind of all those stresses and workplace problems life throws at you.

Spend your vacation relaxing and recovering. Turn off social media and spend some time at the beach or lake. Take a deep breath and enjoy the sights around you. Really take it in. It sounds kind of cheesy, but the majesty of nature can be just the break we need to restore our body to fighting form. And, hey, you might just learn something new about yourself.

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy