single tour definition

• Solo Travel Guide
• About The Author

Complete Solo Travel Guide: How to Travel Alone Like a Pro

Solo travel is one of the greatest experiences one can encounter in life. Relying only on yourself, facing the fear alone and enjoying the moments without any distractions are one of the perks of solo travel. However, travelling alone is not only roses. It can turn into a pretty frustrating experience for those who’re unprepared. Read this complete solo travel guide below to make sure your next solo adventure brings you nothing but pleasure and fun.

Check out everything you need to know before travelling alone, read my solo travel tips, safety instructions and find answers to all the curious questions about travelling alone. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

WHAT IS SOLO TRAVEL & WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

What solo travelling actually means and am I a solo traveller when I hook up with a bunch of people from a hostel? Before you decide on travelling by yourself have a closer look on how we can define ‘solo travelling’ itself and why it is actually important to make journeys without fellow companions. 

SOLO TRAVEL MEANING

The definition of ‘solo travel’ is simple – it describes all the trips and travels on which one embarks completely alone, without having a single travel companion . A person decides to travel single, chooses a particular destination or trip itinerary alone and books the flight or train tickets and accommodation on her or his own. 

There is nobody waiting for a solo traveller on the destination. He or she encounters all the trip independently and travels alone . A Solo traveller wanders the city alone, hikes alone and explores all the places alone until she or he decides to connect with other travellers in the area and get on a journey with them. 

There are no differences between solo travellers who prefer getting to a place alone and gad around completely unaccompanied; and those who like to socialize . The more sociable types can after spending some time alone hang out with locals, or do trips with people from the hostel or other solo travellers they met online.

Solo travelling is usually referred as well as: travelling alone, travelling by yourself, single travelling, single trip, solo trip, solo vacations (American), going on holidays alone and so on.

WHAT IS SOLO TRAVEL LIKE? IS IT GOOD?

It is very difficult to describe what is solo travel like as it is impossible to talk about experiences of other people in general. For each person solo travelling can bring varied feelings and emotions .

For many people travelling alone is about being free and independent . Other solo travellers take it as a form of a spiritual journey to find more about themselves, for others it is fun because they meet new people. Solo travelling can be as adventurous or as relaxing as you – the single traveller – make it. 

Of course, travelling by yourself can be sometimes lonely , but still offers such a diverse knowledge, experience and skills. You can rely only on yourself. All your senses are fully activated, and you can afford to do whatever you want.

Your experience is maximized because instead of focusing on finding an agreement with a travel companion and trying to fulfil his or her needs, you’re completely soaked in the sensations from the place itself. You can read more about the whole solo travel experience in my article ‘What Solo Travel Teaches You’.

SOLO TRAVEL TIPS: HOW TO TRAVEL ALONE

How to travel solo successfully? What should be a single traveller prepared for? How to plan a solo travel tip and what kind of budget to expect when travelling alone?

HOW TO PLAN A VACATION BY YOURSELF

Planning a solo trip is crucial. On one hand, you have all the freedom with choosing the destination of your dreams, selecting the perfect time, the way you travel and activities you plan to do.

On the other hand, for your safety and enjoying the trip to its maximum, you need to be extraordinary cautious with planning your solo travels into the tiniest details. 

We can divide the planning into choosing the destination, selecting the right time, the best transport, choosing accommodation, making an itinerary of the trip, list of activities and list of necessities to perfectly pack for the solo trip. 

1. CHOOSE THE DESTINATION

I believe that every single trip starts with choosing a destination. At least, every solo travel should! This decision is completely on you and your travel bucket list.

It very much depends on what you’re fond of, what you can afford budget wise, how adventurous and solo experienced you are and of course, where you can go Visa and restriction wise. 

Did I forget anything? You got me! What else could be more important for a solo traveller than the safety itself? I will talk more about safety in the section ‘Solo Travel Safety’ (in progress) and soon you will be able to read more about destination selection at the page ‘Solo Travel Destination’.

Meanwhile, I can briefly help you with the big decision on where to travel alone by stating a few questions you need to ask before travelling solo to a certain place :

• What are your motivations to see this place?
• Does the place really meets the purpose of the trip – in terms of nature, hiking options, culture, etc.
• Is it safe? Would you feel safe and comfortable there?
• How difficult is to get to the place or the city? Do you need a car? Do you drive?
• What is the infrastructure ? Can you safely hang around using only public transport?
• Can you afford to stay in this place?
• Are there any cool places around ? Or can you imagine staying there during all your trip?

2. SELECT THE RIGHT SEASON, DATE AND TIME  

You are travelling alone so avoiding disastrous weather, especially something serious like tornados and hurricanes, is essential. Research the best time to visit your dream destinations and avoid the ‘unpleasant seasons’. 

For example, the Atlantic Hurricane season runs usually from June to November. Therefore, if you can’t imagine handling with possible weather complications during your solo travels to destinations affected by Atlantic hurricanes, you want to select a different date.

Time of arrival in the destination is also critical. When I travel solo, I prefer to spend a few more bucks on planes or trains with a reasonable arrival time. Most of the city transfers have a very limited schedule during nights , and I, personally, don’t feel very safe by crawling through the city at 1am to find my accommodation.

The other thing I am aware of are bank holidays of the country where I am travelling to. In many lands all shops and services may be closed during these days, so your arrival might be very disrupted. You may have less intercity connections, or you end up hungry because all shops are closed.

To summarize, you want to make sure that you select the perfect:

SEASON – the weather you want, no hazardous weather conditions.

DATE – how run the things in the destination during bank holidays or Sunday?

TIME – avoid late arrivals for your safety. 

3: PLAN THE BUDGET

Lucky those who can travel without the expenses in their minds! The rest of us have to get prepared on how much money we can afford to spend for the particular trip.

How to plan your solo travel budget:

• Set up a total budget (What is the maximum you can spend?).
• Allocate expenses into categories : accommodation, travel, transport, food & drinks, entrance fees, souvenirs, etc.
• Follow the currency of your destination to get the best exchange deal .
• Think how much cash you want and check ATMs available at your destination. What are the fees to withdraw money there?
• Set aside some emergency money .
• Decide on which credit or debit cards to take with you. 
• Decide where you will store your cash, cards and emergency cash.

HOT TIP : if you have more debit or credit cards, take with you only the one where you have less but sufficient amount of money . In case of pick pocketers and other thieves you lose only one credit card, the second one is safe at home.

4. BOOK THE ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORTATION

You know where you’re going, and you know how much you can afford to spend. The next step is selecting the best travel method and choosing the right accommodation. 

SELECTING THE BEST TRANSPORTATION

Look for the safest, most comfortable and most affordable means of transportation. Even if you’re on a budget, don’t make extremely ‘cheap choices’. The differences between prices are sometimes minimal and simple 10 euros or pounds can help you to reach your destination earlier and stressless.

Yes, travelling alone can be really stressful. Because there is nobody making the decision for you . You have to do everything to put yourself in a chilled mode. Hectic, chaotic and uncomfortable travelling can turn your solo trip into a nightmare. 

Once I booked a super early flights just to save around 20 euros. I ended up travelling exhausted, waiting for my next bus for hours and hours. Don’t waste money but mostly don’t waste your time . You can earn the money later, although you’ll never get back the hours you’ve lost. 

CHOOSING ACCOMMODATION WHEN TRAVELLING SOLO

This is very subjective and very much depends on your budget and preferences . I know many travellers who prefer hostels not only to save some money, but mostly to socialize and meet new people. 

I, personally, don’t need any of those. Furthermore, I prefer having my private bathroom, toilet and peace. One thing what can ruin my light night sleep is people checking in during super late or early hours, talking or partying directly in the room. 

So far, I was lucky enough to find hotels or hostels offering single rooms, or I found a double room for a very discounted price. You can also book only 1 place in a double room, but you will end up paying so-called single supplement. 

WHERE TO STAY WHEN TRAVELLING ALONE.

Pros: comfort, safety, amenities, usually better central locations

Cons: price, hard to meet new people

Pros: budget, easy to socialize, mostly friendly and open atmosphere, kitchen,

Cons: sleeping next to a stranger, less comfort, no privacy, less safety (you never know who you share the room with)

AIRBNB SHARED ROOM / GUEST HOUSE:

Pros: home atmosphere, mingling with the locals, safety (AIRBNB takes their polices seriously), usually affordable

Cons: Less privacy, shared space; if you don’t connect with the host, it might be awkward

AIRBNB / VRBO / ENTIRE APARTMENTS

Pros: Complete privacy, home atmosphere, kitchen, comfort

Cons: Pricey, loneliness (when staying at a hotel you can at least bump into somebody or have a chit-chat with the stuff.)

COUCHSURFING

Pros: it is for free, mingling with locals, exceptional & intimate atmosphere

Cons: no privacy, again when not connected to your host it can be very awkward; shared space

5. CREATE A ‘WANT TO SEE’ LIST AND PLAN THE ITINERARY

One of my most common solo travel tips would be: ‘know where and when you go but leave some space for random adventures’. 

I believe it is vital for a solo traveller to make a proper research about the place that she or he is visiting. You want to make the best out of your trip, you want to spend your trip by exploring not by planning or getting lost in a dodgy area. 

Planning freaks like me will have no struggles by creating to do & see lists and scheduling their itineraries. The other ones can easily underestimate solo travel preparations and leave the trip to ‘go with the flow’.

I enjoy spontaneous trips and hang-outs too, but I am not a big fun of wandering without any purpose; or even worse, ending the trip with a misery of missed opportunities . 

Planning your solo trip itinerary is also important from the safety perspective . If you know where you’re heading you can’t get lost, and you don’t look like being lost. The first one causes stress and anxiety , the second one makes you an easy target for scammers and criminals.

WANT TO SEE LIST:

• Research the place.
• What do you want to see and do?
• What are the priorities of visiting these places? (must-see vs. nice to see)
• Do you plan to stay at one place or do you plan to travel from a city to city?
• Are those places safe for a solo traveller?
• Do you need to buy some tickets in advance?
• How can you get to the places you want to see?
• How much time do you need to explore the places?
• When is the best time to visit those places?
• Are those located in the same area? 
• Can you group these places or things according to the location or niche? (museum day, beach day, visiting the centre, suburbs…)
• What do you have to pack?  (hiking shoes, own food

6. MAKE A LIST OF ALL ‘TO PACK NECESSITIES’

It’s packing time! Once you know where you go and what your solo travel activities will be, making a packing list should be a piece of cake.

Pay extra attention to the weather forecast and, of course, required dimensions of your travel luggage!

Don’t forget chargers, first aid kit, medication and your passport . I’ll give you more insights in the next paragraph about packing. 

SOLO TRAVEL ESSENTIALS & NECESSITIES

How to pack for your solo trip? I usually travel on light , not only to save some money but mostly my energy .

Dragging a monstrous 20 kilo luggage which doesn’t fit basically anywhere, with +30 degrees heatwaves outside doesn’t sound like pleasing travel to me.

The secret is to know what you really need and what, on the other hand, might stay at the bottom of your suitcase during the whole trip.

What to pack when you’re travelling alone:

• Smart & light luggage
• Right clothes & shoes
• Enough funds
• Good insurance
• Reusable water bottle & food container
• First aid kit, medication & hygiene
• Chargers, adapters and other gadgets
• Personal documents & their copies
• Written cheat sheet with emergency contacts

1. SMART & LIGHT LUGGAGE

Once again, you’re not going to a catwalk (I guess). The fewer things you take, the fewer things you lose and the fewer things you carry. 

It is such a pain to wander around with heavy baggage. You may also grab much more unwanted attention than when travelling light. 

I prefer taking a medium-sized backpack or a tiny smart suitcase on wheels which I can fit nearly everywhere. Of course, the mean of your luggage depends on the destination.

If you’re about to have a city break , pick up a suitcase – it is more spacious, comfortable and in big cities you won’t look like a stranger. 

For more adventurous solo travels , when you visit further parts of the world, and you plan to change places often, then a backpack is the right choice!

2. RIGHT CLOTHES & SHOES

One more reason to have at least a tiny idea about what places you want to visit during your solo trip. Do you plan to swim ? Do you fancy a beach day ? Is the purpose of your solo travel hiking or culture hunting ? 

Once again, keep an eye on the weather in all your destinations. Always travel in the heaviest clothes to save some weight and space in your luggage. 

Is the destination conservative? Then pay extra attention to the norms of clothing of the place you head to. As a woman travelling to Muslim or other religious countries you will have to follow some rules like covering your legs, shoulders and head. 

You may want to avoid too sexy fashion as well at dodgier places. As a female solo traveller you don’t want to grab too much attention. 

HOT TIP: Check-out the fashion norms and trends of your destination to fit into the crowd and don’t look like a tourist.

3. ENOUGH FUNDS

We’re talking about money again.  Answer yourself these questions: 

• What currency you need, and what’s the current trend of its fluctuations? 
• Is it worth to exchange all the amounts before travelling, or can you find enough low fee ATMs / exchange agencies at the place? 
• Where do you want to store your money?

I usually have a higher amount of cash in the local currency directly in my purse which I carry with me everywhere (mostly in a vigilantly monitored backpack or a handbag). Then I have a debit card with a sufficient but not significant amount which I save in the hotel room, in a locker.

Finally, I have also a reserve amount of cash, hidden somewhere. This way when I get rob I can still rely on some hidden safety cash. 

4. GOOD INSURANCE

Don’t travel without insurance, especially during the corona crisis. You might be healthy and young, and you might be supremely cautious, but you never know what happens.

Insure both yourself and your journey . Double check if your current health insurance insures you also abroad and where. Are you insured against emergencies and accidents ? If not, do so!

My next tip would be – take the physical insurance card with you. Everything is online nowadays including insurance and other ID cards. I prefer to take my physical card and keep it together with my passport on a very secure place. This might be either the strictly monitored handbag or pocket of your trousers. 

I assume that thieves might be more willing to steal my phone rather than my insurance card. And when this happens, I still have my physical insurance card with a hotline number to call in case of emergencies and accidents. 

5. REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE & FOOD CONTAINER

Don’t make a single step without a reusable water bottle. Travelling takes lots of energy and the levels of hydration have to be filled frequently. 

With a perfect sized reusable water bottle you’ll save yourself some money, and you’ll use definitely less plastic. Many cities have a fresh source of tap water in parks, gardens and other public places. 

However, if you’re heading to a trickier destination where tap water is not really recommended, there you may need to spend more money on bottled water. A better solution would be to get one of those fancy water filtrating bottles. 

I like to take a small food container to have enough energy boosters on my trips. A little snack can save you from fainting during your hikes or unpleasant surprises when visiting cities where a daily shut down of all restaurants and shops is something completely usual ( siestas in Italy and Spain ).

6. FIRST AID KIT, MEDICATION & HYGIENE

Be ready for the best and be ready for the worst. Pack your regular medication, painkillers, medicaments for stomach, thermometer, plasters, bandage, tweezers, vitamins and immunity minerals like zinc and iron, energy boosters, pads , etc. 

Don’t forget sun blockers, sunglasses with high UV, lip protector, hat or a cap. FFP masks together with antibacterial gels are a must nowadays. 

Dental hygiene is important so pack yourself a toothpaste, tooth brush, floss and possible a small package of dental water. 

Moisturizing is not only for princesses! Especially when you travel to dry and windy destinations. Cracked skin aches! Take care of it before it’s too late. 

7. CHARGERS, ADAPTERS AND GADGETS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

Do your research – again. Know what kind of plugs they use in the country you’re solo travelling to and try to get a suitable adapter before the journey (there are also some multifunctional variations, or multi USB adapters).

Of course, never forget your cellphone or tablet charger , and possibly the gadget itself (phone, camera, tablet, laptop, etc.). Make sure your credit is topped up or your roaming completely set-up for the country of your stay. 

Little example of a big fail : my friends and I managed to get to Morocco without previously checking on if our Spanish numbers and roaming were valid there. We split into 2 groups to get our rental card and guess what – none of our EU phones worked.

MUST HAVE GADGETS:

• Cell-phone or/and camera
• tablet or/and laptop
• Chargers & adapters
• Portable Powerbank

LIFE SAVING GADGETS:

If you plan a little crazier trip (like a solo wandering through an Amazon jungle or solo hiking in Iceland), I leave for you a list of hardcore gadgets:

• Portable Wi-Fi Hub
• Survival kit, 
• Pocket-Size washing machine
• goTenna Mash
• Automated travel vacuum
• Water Purified Bottle
• Tent & sleeping bag
• Compass or GPS
• High-tech foot warmers
• Female Urination Device
• Utility knife

(source: Travelaway )

 8. PERSONAL DOCUMENTS & THEIR COPIES

Make a copy of every document you take – ID, passport, insurance card, visa , etc. It may become handy in case you lose the originals. I have usually pictures of the most important documents also in a digital form – saved in Cloud, on Google Drive, or any software which is password secured.

9. WRITTEN CHEAT SHEET WITH EMERGENCY CONTACTS

Don’t rely on your phone only. It can get broken, it can be stolen, or it can be lost. Carry with you a paper cheat sheet with a list of all the necessary emergency contacts – telephone number and address of your hotel, telephone contact to your family and friends, your country’s embassy, local police, ambulance , etc.

Have those always with you, in a secure pocket or – a tip for ladies: in the back of your bra! This little piece of paper can save your life in case you get lost, your phone is having a bad moment, or in the worst scenario when it has been stolen or misplaced. Safety should always be the priority number one of your solo trip. 

Privacy Overview

Get Daily Travel Tips & Deals!

By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

Single Travel: Essential Tips for Planning a Solo Trip

The Editors

We are the editors of SmarterTravel! Together we have appeared in countless travel publications including ABC News, Huffington Post, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, and more. We dedicate our days to creating and producing expert travel content, including packing tips, general travel advice, destination inspiration, and helpful videos. Follow us across social media on YouTube , Pinterest , Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter or drop us a line to say hi at [email protected]!

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

People who have never traveled alone often describe their first solo trip as an almost religious experience. To take in new surroundings unfiltered by the prejudices, tastes, or preferences of a traveling companion can be heady stuff. Solo travel gives you the chance to indulge yourself fully.

Of course, traveling alone has its perils too—such as safety concerns, loneliness, and the dreaded single supplement. But a little preparation and common sense can save you money and get you through the rough spots.

Why Travel Alone?

How to travel alone safely, how to travel alone as a woman, avoiding the single supplement, tips for solo dining.

• When You’ve Had Enough of Solo Travel

The Best Solo Travel Websites

Solo travel can be the ultimate in self-indulgence; you can rest when you want and pour it on when you’re feeling ambitious. Another benefit is that your mistakes are your own, and your triumphs all the more exciting. There’s no worrying that your insistence on trekking all the way across town to a museum that was closed ruined your partner’s day; it’s your own day to salvage or chalk up to a learning experience.

Also, you can do exactly what you want to do—all the time. Always wanted to try surfing? Sign up for a class and go for it; there’s no one sitting on the beach feeling bored while you have the time of your life. Have no desire to see Niagara Falls? Just drive right by. For more benefits of solo travel, see 11 Reasons Why You Should Travel Alone at Least Once .

The 13 Best Places to Travel Alone

It’s perhaps the foremost question of the solo or single traveler: “Is solo travel safe?” Without a companion to watch your back, you are more vulnerable to criminals and scam artists, as well as simple health worries. But the saying “safety in numbers” isn’t always true—a solo traveler can blend in more easily than a group, and not drawing attention to yourself as a tourist is one way to stay secure.

Here are a few safety tips for traveling alone:

Do your homework before you arrive. Know how long it takes and how much it costs to get from the airport to your hotel or to the city center. Solo travelers are more likely to be “taken for a ride,” so ask the taxi driver for an estimated fare before you leave. If it’s considerably different from what you know to be true, take a different cab (or opt for a rideshare instead).

Choose the right accommodations. Book a hotel with a 24-hour front desk if you’ll be arriving late, so you don’t end up sleeping in your car or worse.

Trust yourself. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

Carry good identification —in more than one place. If you choose to wear a money belt , use it for storage and not as a purse. Constantly reaching under your shirt for money draws attention to it and defeats the purpose. Instead, keep your passport, extra stores of money, and other important documents tucked away, and use a theft-resistant bag or purse for carrying daily spending money.

Stick to open and public places , especially at night.

Exude confidence. Whether you’re on a street at home or 7,000 miles away, walking confidently and with direction is an effective technique for deterring unwanted attention, since appearing lost or confused can make you vulnerable. If you are lost, walk into a shop or restaurant and ask for directions there.

Avoid appearing like a tourist. Ditch the Disney T-shirt and don’t walk around with your face in a guidebook. (See 10 Things Not to Wear Abroad for more thoughts on this one.)

Leave valuables at home. Don’t draw attention to yourself by wearing flashy clothes or jewelry.

Lie a little. When asking for directions, don’t let on that you are alone: “Can you direct me to the museum? I have to meet a friend.”

Check your maps and transportation schedules before leaving your hotel/train/rental car/tourist office. A solo traveler who’s too absorbed in their phone can be a mark for unsavory types.

Leave a copy of your itinerary with a friend or family member at home, and stay in touch regularly via phone, text, video chat, or email.

Register with the State Department. For U.S. citizens traveling internationally, consider signing up for the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) , which could help the State Department assist you in case of emergency. If you’re from outside the States, see if your home country has a similar program.

Arrive during the day. Areas around bus and train stations can be scary and/or deserted, and small towns tend to shut down early. Veteran solo traveler Mara Rothman of San Francisco notes that plenty of beautiful towns can appear eerie at night, and locals who are genuinely trying to help you can appear unnecessarily threatening. Arriving during the day means you’ll be able to find a place to stay and get your bearings before dark.

Trust everyone and no one. One of the best reasons to travel alone is to meet new people, but this also makes you more vulnerable. It’s okay to hang out, travel, and share with new friends, but you might not want to ask them to hold your money. Scam artists can often be the most charming companions you’ll find; you want to be open-minded, but keep your guard up enough to ensure your safety.

10 Travel Safety Mishaps (and How to Avoid Them)

Though some tips apply to just about every solo traveler, women traveling alone have their own set of safety concerns that most men don’t have to face. Here are a few tips to help you protect yourself.

Exercise hotel safety. At check-in, consider asking for a room near the elevator so you won’t need to walk down long, potentially ill-lit hallways to reach your room. When filling out guest registration forms, consider using your first initial instead of your name, and skip the “Mrs./Miss/Mr.” check box. Additionally, make sure the clerk writes down your room number instead of saying it out loud. This will prevent anyone in the vicinity from knowing where to find you later. Consider packing a door stop to wedge under the door in case the lock is unreliable.

Dress to blend in. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, dress as conservatively as the women you see around you. This doesn’t necessarily mean donning the traditional dress, but a good rule of thumb is to dress modestly. Think knee-length or longer skirts. Bare arms, shoulders, and legs are considered risqué in some countries, so do the research before you go and once you’re there. Note which body parts the local women cover and do the same.

Know when to buddy up. Seeking out company can help you have a safer and more enjoyable experience. Smaller hotels and hostels are great places to find like-minded travelers to explore new places with. And even when you can’t find someone to buddy up with, there are often ways to associate yourself with others so you’ll be less likely to be bothered. In some countries, there are women-only sections in trains and women’s waiting rooms at train stations. Sticking close to families on public transportation and in unfamiliar public markets is another technique some women use.

Combat harassment. Having a repertoire of harassment deterrents can be as important to women travelers as a sturdy pair of shoes and a passport. Not engaging with people who are bothering you can make you a less interesting target. If you want to avoid being approached during lulls in activity, such as while waiting for a train, carry a novel or keep your eyes on your phone to make yourself look busy and involved.

If a situation of harassment escalates, making a scene can sometimes be effective. Many societies place a high premium on respecting social norms, so drawing attention to harassment in a loud and clear manner may solve the problem. The sentence for “leave me alone” is a handy one to learn in the language of your destination.

What is the Safest Hotel Floor to Stay On?

Frequent solo travelers are all too familiar with the single supplement, which tour operators and cruise lines often tack onto your bill to make up for the fact that they’re not making money off a second occupant. The supplement can range anywhere from 25 to 100 percent of the trip cost, meaning that you could end up paying twice as much as someone traveling with a partner.

There are several ways to get around the single supplement. You can avoid it altogether by booking with a tour operator that doesn’t charge single supplements on most trips, such as Overseas Adventure Travel .

Many other tour operators, including G Adventures , Intrepid Travel , Exodus Travels , REI Adventures , Adventure Women , and Road Scholar , offer roommate matching. By finding you a roommate, the company maximizes its own profit off each room and saves you the single supplement. The catch is, of course, that you’ll have to share a room with a stranger. If you’re concerned, contact the tour operator and see what kind of procedures it uses to match roommates. Some pair people off at random, while others will try to put travelers of similar ages together.

Several cruise lines offer single staterooms on select ships, including Royal Caribbean , Norwegian Cruise Line , Cunard , and P&O Cruises .

You can sometimes save money by booking at the last minute. Tour operators eager to sell out their last few places may be willing to reduce their usual single supplement. Insight Vacations and Road Scholar are two companies that regularly discount or waive single supplements.

It’s not for everyone, but you may also want to consider staying in a hostel, which charges per bed rather than per room. Hostelling International properties tend to be reliably clean and secure, and they’re open to travelers of all ages. You can find more hostels and read reviews at HostelWorld.com .

3 Ways for Solo Travelers to Avoid Single Supplements

Eating alone isn’t so bad. Many solo travelers (and frequent business travelers) hate dining by themselves, worried that they appear like some worn-out Willy Loman of the road. There’s even a name for it: solomangarephobia. (Occasionally the fear is justified—see Terror at the Table for One .) The following tips can help you overcome what for many travelers is the most unpleasant aspect of going it alone.

Chat with the service people. Waiters and waitresses are some of the best local color you’ll find.

Choose the right eatery. Cafe or outdoor dining is often attractive to single travelers; sitting alone with a book in a cafe isn’t as unusual as a table for one at a fancy restaurant. You can also opt for a counter seat or a seat at the bar. A restaurant booth can also provide some privacy.

Bring reading material. If you start to feel uneasy sitting alone and staring down at your food, you can crack open a book, whip out your phone, or read a magazine.

Eat in. If you don’t want to endure yet another public meal alone, use room service or order carry-out from a restaurant nearby.

Eat well. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take time for sit-down meals, a leisurely cup of coffee, or a decadent dessert.

When You’ve Had Enough of Single Travel

The constant sensory input and vigilance of traveling alone can wear you down. If you feel your attention or your body flagging, don’t be afraid to back off your ambitious itinerary, slow the pace, and kick back for a bit.

When traveling abroad, seek out an expat bar—locals will often know where these are—where you can hang out and speak your native tongue with some fellow expatriates and travelers. When traveling in more familiar locales, a hot shower and a night in front of the tube in a nice hotel room can often give you enough of a reprieve to send you out eagerly the next morning.

How to Meet Other People When You’re Traveling Solo

Best Single Travel offers vacations, cruises, and weekend getaways for solo travelers of all ages.

Flash Pack leads small-group trips of single travelers in their 30s and 40s.

GAFFL , which stands for “Get a Friend for Life,” lets you find travel buddies to meet up with in your destination.

Intrepid Travel has dedicated solo trips as well as a roommate-matching program on the rest of its offerings, so you never have to pay a solo supplement if you don’t want to.

One Traveller is a U.K.-based company leading trips for the “mature single traveller” (aged 50+) to destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Singles Travel International offers trips for solo travelers with an average age 50+. If the company can’t find you a roommate by the time you make your final payment, you can have a room to yourself for free.

Solos is a U.K.-based company offering a wide variety of solo-only trips around the globe.

Solo Traveler offers tips, resources, and destination guides for solo travelers.

Women on the Road offers tips and advice for women traveling alone.

Women Traveling Together is for women travelers, most of them age 50+ and unaccompanied, who prefer to be with a group of like-minded women. The company offers tours, retreats, and other getaways, complete with roommate matching.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information. Sarah Schlichter and Christine Sarkis contributed to this story. All of the products featured in this story were hand-selected by our travel editors. Some of the links featured in this story are affiliate links, and SmarterTravel may collect a commission (at no cost to you) if you shop through them. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

You Might Also Like:

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

Top Fares From

Don't see a fare you like? View all flight deals from your city.

Today's top travel deals.

Brought to you by ShermansTravel

Porto to Lisbon: 7-Nt, Small-Group Portugal...

Indus Travels

Greenland: Luxe, All-Incl. 11-Nt Exploration Small-Ship...

Swan Hellenic

Ohio: Daily Car Rentals from Cincinnati

Trending on SmarterTravel

What Does Solo Travel Actually Mean?

I am currently sitting here in a small village, in a foreign country – in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I have been non-stop solo traveling since June of 2016 and have zero plans of stopping anytime soon.  Someone recently asked me ‘what does it mean to solo travel’, and for some reason I couldn’t give a proper definition. I have since put a lot of time and thought into this answer. Here’s what I came up with…

A Solo Traveler is a person who embarks on a journey, either long or short, in which they are both physically and emotionally away from the people and the culture that they are familiar with.  

3 Basic Categories of Being a Solo Traveler :

• Guided Solo Traveler – Someone who explores via organized tour, but doesn’t know anyone in the group prior to arriving. This includes travelers who hire a private 1-on-1 tour guide. 
• Extrovert Solo Traveler – Someone who may explore with one or even multiple local people who are not guides. Enjoys interacting with local people and may even focus their entire travel on that interaction.
• Introvert Solo Traveler – Someone who explores with no one. Enjoys time alone in peace and quiet – and doesn’t make interacting with local people a goal.

Let’s Get Technical About The Meaning of Solo Travel

I probably already know what you are thinking. You are probably thinking that ‘guided travel’ should not be considered solo travel because the person is not alone. The traveler is with other travelers…therefore it is not a solo experience. To a certain degree you are absolutely correct, but consider this:

• If solo travel technically meant to travel alone, then the only way a Solo Traveler could be labeled as such, would be if he or she traveled in a forest away from everyone – only to be surrounded by nature. 
• If a person were to travel to a foreign country, alone, and walk through the streets of an extremely crowded city for days, are they still a Solo Traveler? Technically they are surrounded by thousands of people…
• Oh, do you mean a travel partner/companion? OK, well then check this out: What if a person travels to a foreign country and meets a local person in a coffee shop, and they start exploring together in a forest? What about exploring together in the city?

Are you starting to get a little confused now? All of these technicalities..

I like to think that solo traveling compares you to your home town/country. Your family and friends would see that you left and started to travel alone. From their point of view, you are a Solo Traveler. You didn’t bring anyone with you that you knew before. You are alone.

I feel that you are in fact Solo Traveling, even if you travel with another person – as long as that other person is from the country that you are traveling in. Local people are the only exception. Usually the entire purpose of traveling to another country is to experience the food, the culture, and also the people of that country. Hanging out and exploring with local people is part of solo traveling. It makes the journey incredibly authentic. 

If you are traveling with anyone else from outside of the country you are currently traveling in, or with a local tour guide, then you are not solo traveling (assuming you are traveling in a foreign country).

Solo Traveling Technicalities 

You don’t always have to be alone to be a solo traveler. For example;

Local People

When traveling to a foreign country and joining a tour group with a bunch of local people. To me, this is still solo traveling (I label it as Guided Solo Traveling). You do not know anybody in the group and they are all from the country that you are currently traveling in. 

Other Tourists

What about if I travel to a foreign country and join a tour group full of other tourists from my native country? This is still Guided Solo Traveling, as long as you did not know any of the people prior to joining the group. You entered the group as a solo individual who did not know anybody before joining. 

Imagine for a moment that throughout this tour, nobody else talked to you. Not even once. Would you feel alone? Yep, most likely. If, however, you knew the people before joining the group, then this would be considered a travel partner and I would not consider it as solo traveling. 

Even Deeper in to the Meaning of Solo Travel

To be ‘solo’ is like saying ‘alone’ or ‘away’. But to be away from who/what, exactly? Well, I think it is ‘to be away from our norms – which must include the people that we know and the location that we are from. 

Guided Solo Traveler

Let’s take a look at this one (mainly because it is the most controversial of the 3 types). Tina flew to a foreign country alone, Took a taxi to her hotel alone, and slept at the hotel alone. The next day, She woke up and took a taxi, alone, to the meeting location of her tour group. She met all of these people for the very first time and did not know anyone before arriving.  She went on a guided tour with a group of people that she didn’t not know prior.

Because the common language was English, all of the group members could communicate with each other – even though they were all from different countries. Each person had a unique accent and had different personalities. She toured for 5 days all over the city with the same group of people. She eventually flew back home and told her mother about her experience. 

This was definitely a solo traveling experience. She traveled away from her native culture, her native land (her norms), and everybody that she knew. She threw herself into a completely foreign country with completely foreign situations. Yes she was with other people, physically, but she was emotionally ‘alone’ and ‘away’ from everyone and everything she understood in her native country.

* Compared to the country currently traveling in. Does not apply when traveling domestically. 

** Extreme examples (group tour): American in China with a group of 100% Chinese people  VS American in China with a group of 100% Americans (but doesn’t know anyone)

Solo Traveling is both Physical and Emotional

I do believe it is a combination of both, though heavily weighted on the physical side of things. When we travel solo, we are physically away from people that we knew prior to visiting, and if we meet a local person in a foreign country, we would still be ‘emotionally away’ from those things as well.

Traveling solo doesn’t strictly mean ‘to be physically alone’. Extrovert Solo Travelers sometimes thrive to be around local people, but they are still solo travelers because they are not hanging around people that are from a country outside of the country they are currently traveling in. Make sense?

Let’s look at these examples. 

• John is from the USA but is currently in Mexico, alone. He meets, by chance, another American at a local park. They decide to travel to a few tourist areas together over the next couple of days. They now are not completely ‘alone/away’ from their cultural norms. The culture/interaction from each other is not from the current country they are traveling in. They are not solo travelers.
• Instead, if John met a person from Brazil (still while in Mexico) at the park and decided to travel together over the next couple of days, neither of them would be considered solo travelers during their journey together. The culture/interaction from each other is not from the current country they are traveling in.
• But if John would have met a local Mexican at the park and they decided to travel together over the next couple of days, John would still be considered a Solo Traveler. He is physically with another person, but that person is a local. John is still ‘away’ from his cultural norms. The culture/interaction with each other is from the current country they are traveling in.

The Meaning of Solo Traveling From a Different Perspective

It also may help to think about this from the perspective of people in your native country. They would look at your current situation as being a Solo Traveler because you have entered a country alone and started to experience whatever the country had to offer, alone. And in this scenario, apparently the country offered a local person to accompany you who is kind enough to show you around their area.  

If you have learned anything from this post, I hope it’s: ‘ just because I am traveling with another person, doesn’t necessarily mean that I am not a solo traveler’ . That was a big game-changer for me, also. It took me a while to sort this all out in my brain. I think many people believe that we must travel without a companion to be labeled as a solo-traveler – but, I tend to disagree with this. Local people are the only exception.

Note: You can be a Solo Traveler even if you are traveling domestically. Rules are a bit grey here. You may have to ‘read between the lines’ a bit. Happy travels!

Thinking about going on your first Solo Trip? Be sure to read a bit more about this topic. Here are some related articles:

15 Absolutely Critical Tips To Know Before You Start Solo Traveling

Does Solo Travel Get Lonely?

THIS is Why Solo Travel is Good for the Soul

What Solo Travel is REALLY Like (PROS & CONS)

Hey - I'm Brock. I grew up in the USA, and I have been a full-time Solo Traveler since June of 2016. I am also a Travel Vlogger on YouTube where my primary focus is to simply hang out with local people around the world. My full story is here: About Me

Recent Posts

How to Choose a Rucksack for Traveling

A comfortable rucksack is key! FACT: Arguably, the two most important factors when choosing a good rucksack for traveling is size and comfort, especially if you plan on traveling long term. There...

Here's Why You Should Use a VPN for Travel!

Blocking criminals and online security is probably the best reason for having a VPN for travel. It doesn't matter if you are a solo traveler, group traveler, business traveler, frequent flyer,...

Make an 'epic memory': What to know about solo travel and tips on taking a trip alone

Hearing more about solo travel? You're not alone (pun intended). 

It depends on whom you ask, but according to travel expert Lea Lane, solo travel could mean anything from traveling entirely on your own or on a tour with people you don't know.  

Expedia found that 60% of travelers plan to take a solo trip in the next two years, according to an online survey with more than 2,500 respondents from the U.S. and Mexico. More than three-quarters of 21,000 people surveyed by travel activities and services booking platform Klook have traveled by themselves or are considering it (across all age, gender and nationality subgroups). Klook's survey was conducted online in October 2019 over 16 markets, including the U.S., Japan, Singapore, Australia, the Philippines and more.

That said, the survey revealed a love-hate relationship with solo travel. Half of respondents had loneliness concerns, and 48% indicated safety was their biggest worry.

The market is certainly in travelers' favor. "There are growing options offered by travel suppliers for individuals who enjoy traveling on their own," Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko said in a statement  in December highlighting the agency's consumer trends survey. "We see more cruise companies offering single fares and more tour operators developing programs to entice solo travelers with special interests."

Learn more: Best travel insurance

Norwegian Cruise Line , G Adventures , Intrepid Travel and many more in the industry have taken notice.

You can even watch the trend in real time: More than 5.5 million Instagram posts have the hashtag #solotravel attached, and over the past five years, " solo travel " has become a more popular Google search term.

Why is solo travel trendy? 

Those 5.5 million Instagram posts get at one possible explanation behind the trend: People want to express themselves as individuals. (And what better way to find yourself than by traveling alone?)

Social media isn't necessarily a boon, however, for the solo traveler. Blogger Christopher Damitio, founder of Vagobond.com , says he has been watching the trend grow since the 1990s but has noticed how it has changed.

"The loneliness and isolation that used to be hard for people to deal with no longer really exists because everyone can stay connected via smartphones," Damitio says. "Unfortunate, because it was that very loneliness and isolation that used to drive strangers together and create new friendships – today, people are mostly eyes down on their phones and not all that interested in making new travel friends."

This lines up with data from Expedia: One-third of American survey respondents, when presented with the option to travel with their phone or a companion on their next trip, picked only their phone.

And there's one group taking full advantage of the trend: women. "Women seem to consistently take more solo trips than men," says Jeff Klee, CEO of travel booking platform  Qtrip . The company's data shows that female solo bookings were about 53% of total solo bookings, compared with male solo bookings at 47%. "Year over year, this figure doesn't change, which suggests that women take more solo trips."

Lane agrees: "Women's travel groups have sprung up, and small groups of solo women are having fun all over the world."

Tips for solo travelers

Figure out why you're traveling solo in the first place.  "When you can self-analyze where your desire to travel stems from, you can better decide on what kind of experience you need to have, where to go, when to go and what to do during your trip," travel coach and consultant Sahara Rose De Vore tells USA TODAY.

Be open to meeting people along the way.  Stay in a hostel so you can easily chat with fellow travelers (who may be solo themselves). "For a solo traveler, especially, a good hostel can be a gold mine of friends, great stories and adventurous ideas about what to do and where to head next," travel and remote work blogger Jenna Miller says. (And of course: Put down your phone.) 

It's OK to eat alone.  You never know how the night will turn out. Ashley Les, a luxury travel adviser for Protravel International, got to meet the owner of a restaurant after telling the wait staff she found it by searching "best pastito in Athens" on Google. "By the time dinner was over, I ended up finding out that he used to live in Astoria (in New York), which is where I live now," Les said. "The night ended sharing stories of our favorite spots in Queens over homemade wine. Had I been traveling with someone, I may not have had the conversation and then would have missed out on an epic memory."

Keep an eye out for single-traveler fees.  Don't get bogged down by extra fees. "When booking accommodations as a solo traveler, look out for single supplement charges," Klee said. "This is the fee some hotels and almost all cruise lines charge to offset the losses incurred because only one person is staying in a room." 

Be safe, be safe, be safe.  There's safety in numbers, but if you're on your own, make sure you're aware of your surroundings. The U.S. Embassy just this month issued a warning about an increased risk of sexual assault in Spain (and it's hardly the only country with a travel warning  or alert).

"Get to know what areas may have higher crime rates and where it's best to walk around in groups," says Rachel Hercman, a psychotherapist in New York. She has seen an increase in solo travel among  her clients. "Find out transportation options in advance so that you don't end up in a desperate situation. Let friends and relatives know about your itinerary plans, especially as they change, so that someone knows where you are." 

 Leslie Tillem, a luxury travel adviser with Eltee Travel Group, suggests enrolling with the U.S. government Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive information about safety conditions where you're going, as well as any emergency notifications.

Solid tips: How to stay healthy on a plane as coronavirus, flu, colds raise travel concerns

In case you don't want to be solo (and also travel): Exclusive: Meet the Bumble 'global connector bees' getting paid to go on dates around the world

• Vacation Rentals
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Things to Do
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

What is a solo traveller? - Solo Travel Forum

• Tripadvisor Forums    
• Solo Travel Forums

What is a solo traveller?

• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• Solo Travel forum

Since I started regularly looking at this forum, I'm very confused.

Is it somone who wants a tour or package which a solo traveller can join?

Is it someone who is really looking for another to share with?

Is it someone who travels alone, but wants daily tours to join up with?

Is it someone who really does travel alone?

I'm of the last persuasion. To me, solo really means solo. My physical problems plus peculrar interests pretty much dictate that.

In my case, that either would mean a truly knowledgable travel agent, or doing the research and all bookings, etc myself. As the former (for my interests and destinations) is apparently non-existent, I do the whole thing myself.

I seem to find very few posts on this forum from people like myself. Have I mistaken the forum?

I think you've done a good job of summarizing some of the frustration that the Destination Experts of this board have. I'm with you on definition, my definition is solo travel = travel alone and plan alone (yes, do the research).

Here is the TripAdvisor definition developed in 2008, when this board was formed:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i12357-k2413340-Please_Read_How_to_Use_This_Forum-Solo_Travel.html

But, there are a whole host of folks that want to discuss "group" solo travel here, too. This is difficult because a lot of trolls will post in favor or complaining about a company, too. I want to hear about the travel, period.

Anyways, back to the question - what I feel my goal is, is to provide good information and links to people who travel alone, so they can choose where to go and how best to book. Then, I believe there is a hand-off to many of the local boards to discover more in depth what to do. Again, that's just my oponion.

Guess most regulars know that I mix & match. My budget is small but I know where I want to go & what I want to see. Long standing goals. So if I can fulfill my ambitions cheaper by booking with a group I will and use it as a base going of on my own trips. Some places I travel on my own to achieve what I want too.

Having experience of several companies, lots of research into them & planning travelling alone I can sort of see both sides. I also think it gives some people confidence if they have not been abroad and can get the feel for travel if they start with a company.

I think the problem is it is impossible to set up a site that would review travel companies......a legal & publicity nightmare, so there is a whole 'need' there.

You don't have to answer questions that don't suit. But if I can help someone enjoy a trip I will, even if I wish they had done more research before they post :-)

I think the purpose of this forum should be evangelization, to convert the "solo in a group" people into true "solo means solo" people. That is the way of true travel happiness. Preach on!

Thanks to all of you.

I admit to being disappointed by the paucity of posts on the forum from people who even want to consider a 'solo means solo' trip. (I first started looking at it regularly because I thought I might pick up some useful tips myself, and because I figured I'd done enough of it over the last 45 years to maybe have a few I could share.

My own interests (ancient and medieval history + RR's+ ....) don't really fit into any sort of travel other than solo, and the chances of finding a travel agent who was even partially knowledgable about either are (I think) vanishingly small. I'm sure that any tour, no matter how flexible, wouldn't fit. The net result has been simply to 'dig it up oneself.'

For example: One thing that worries a lot of US tourists thinking about Europe is the language. As a person whose mind goes blank when required to respond to any question in a language other than English, and incapable of processing any answer, I've had to figure out ways of dealing with this. It's enabled me to viisit a number of places and vistit a number of sites of interest where prople on the respective forums have told me that I won't be able to without at least some of the language. (I've even been told that I haven't been there at all when I posted a trip report.) A tip on how to deal with this might be useful?

Thanks again,

I hardly speak any European language fluently outside English, but I have travelled quite a fair bit in Europe solo and language is not a barrier at all. For a start, many Europeans speak English, and honestly it is not difficult to pick up a few useful phrases in most European countries.

By the way I am with you on the "type" of solo travel - the last one, solo means solo. All the types above are just by-product to me, I can do with or without.

I too manage just fine. It's the people who are terrified I meant to speak to. My most recent tracels have been to Hungary and Slovakia. Unless one was brough up in a hoousehold where either Magyar or Slovak was spoken, I doubt that one would have anything (let alone fluency). Nonetheless, I've managed to get around (well out of the capitals) without any. I figure I could inform someone who is hesitant about visiting either, although a small village wouldn't be my choice.

I agree with some of the earlier comments, the definition of what constitutes a solo traveller is bizarre to say the least. Simple definition is “alone” or “by one’s self”. An organised tour with other single travellers is not solo travel.

The reason I travel solo is because if I say on Monday, 17 February 2014 I will be going on holiday, I know that on that date, exactly I will be departing. I have met loads of people; as I am sure have others; that have said they are also going to do a world tour, visit here there, blah, blah, blah and that’s as far as it gets.

In my mind the whole planning of the trip is the best part of travelling. I am not sure why you would want to consider going on a packaged tour, kidding yourself that you are doing a solo tour. To get someone to do all the arrangements would be like, having someone else warm up your wife, on your wedding night and then you jump in afterwards to seal the deal, so to speak.

But seriously, where is your sense of achievement? Joining a singles tour is just a package tour. No matter how these singles companies try to spin it! A package tour is still a package tour, despite calling it a Singles tours. Being solo is about interacting with people that you meet along the way and this is what makes you, not being led like sheep from one destination to the other.

A Dutch friend, who did a solo South American trek via bus, was very proud of the fact that she was only robbed twice, sleeping on the intercity busses, at night, when the road was blocked and armed gangs surrounded the bus. To her if she can live through that twice what else is there to fear about travelling solo?

On languages: Not being able speak another language should not be seen as a deal breaker, to visiting that country, it’s about exploring new cultures and learning a few basis words, hello - good morning - thank you etc, that is what’s important. When I was first based in Germany I found that if I walked into an office and spoke a few German words Guten Taag or Guten abend the Germans would appreciate this and then we would continue in English.

The woman that was doing the job before me (a Brit) always used to complain the Germans were difficult to deal with and one person she didn’t like dealing with - who later became a good personal friend of mine, one of the worst - but the reason, I later discovered she found them difficult is when she walked into an office she expected them to speak English, even if they could and would never attempt any German.

As bk said, an excellent question, indeed, and the one we've been debating here on the forum a while ago.

For me personally, the concept never changed. My solo travels have two facets, both are musts. That is no tour company/agents to arrange the trip for me, and no company to join me on making it.

Excellent question : in my opinion a solo traveller is not travelling with a group. If so it's something different, it's an organized group tour.

Sometimes you have the opportunity to make new friends when you travel, that's why solo travel is great.

I am with retrofuturist here. Evangelise!

When this forum started, there was lots of debate about how narrowly we should define "solo travel". I argued that we should take a broad view in hopes that exposure to the various solo travellers would encourage those tied to tours to realise the joys of solo travel.

I sometimes think I may have been wrong and that people who travel in tours often care even more about being social than they do about the destinations.

This is a perfectly reasonable way to view one's holiday, even though it isn't my way. However, I'm not sure though that this is the right forum for such travellers.

On the other hand, I'm not such a purest as Cora and for my trips to Japan, having discovered a specialist agent who can make excellent suggestions, listens to my interests, budget and crochets, and who will find and book wonderful places to stay and give me detailed instructions on how to get to them so I can get on with earning the money to go I book my trips to Japan with Inside Japan.

This doesn't mean not doing research myself, but it does mean not emailing those ryokens with English websites and hoping to get a reply in time to sort out the rest of my trip. (Many don't want to rent to unknown female solo travellers and some of the most interesting don't have English websites)

I find myself in love with Japan and planning a fourth trip despite having just returned from my third.

I also found the advice of a small agency who specialises in travel to slightly off beat places very useful for a safari to Zambia. There suggestions made all the difference between my not being able to afford a safari and having a glorious time.

Of course for something simpler like Europe or North America, a few guidebooks, a novel or two, the internet and trip advisor let me sort out what I want.

I am certainly grateful for Sue's knowledge of mix and matching to get the best deal to suit herself and I can see that for some destinations, a tour may be the only way to go. (The Galapagos Islands, Antarctica)

The trick for this forum is to balance the needs of the truly solo against those who are tempted by solo travel but who see it as a risk.

I am now much less sure that this forum should include those looking for tours for reasons other than budget or destination.

But I don't want to lose newbies who are just getting their feet wet.....

• Which group tour companies? 11:16 pm
• Europe motorbike trip 2:14 pm
• Thailand at 50 solo Apr 22, 2024
• What’s been your favorite solo trip? Apr 21, 2024
• route advice : Canada, USA, Mexico, and Cuba Apr 20, 2024
• Top solo traveler destinations Apr 19, 2024
• Average solo trips Apr 19, 2024
• Venice to London Apr 17, 2024
• Advise for Month Stay in Charming Village in Europe Apr 16, 2024
• Next trip dilemma Apr 15, 2024
• Macao Airport to Hou kong hotel Apr 14, 2024
• The Theft and Xcover's Heartless Exploitation Apr 12, 2024
• India woman solo travelers Apr 11, 2024
• Looking for 40somethings in the Caribbean Apr 10, 2024
• Links to a Travel Buddy Thread & Couchsurfing Thread - Informational/Warnings/etc.
• Information Item: Top 100 Tips for Planning A Solo Trip
• Collection of travel blogs and websites (non-commercial) for new solo travelers
• Inspirational Traveler Experiences (posts) and Articles on the Power of Solo Travel
• My First Solo Trip
• Trip Reports - Going Solo
• Trip Reports 2 - Going Solo
• Trip Reports 3 - Going Solo
• First solo senior travel adventure in Italy
• Is Solo Travel for a Woman Safe?
• How to eat alone while traveling
• Solo Volunteer Opportunities or Reports
• Ideas for No Single Supplement
• Safe + Inexpensive in Caribbean - Suggestions?
• World Cup - Solo Travel

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Solo Travel
• Lost Cultures: Living Legacies
• America's Favorite Places
• Attractions
• Better Together
• Destination Videos
• Holiday Travel
• Intelligent Traveler
• Let's Go Together
• Adventure Travel
• All-Inclusive Vacations
• Backpacking Trips
• Beach Vacations
• Budget Travel
• Bus and Train Travel
• Business Travel
• City Vacations
• Country Trips
• Culinary Vacations
• Destination Weddings
• Disney Vacations
• Fall Vacations
• Family Vacations
• Get Outside
• Global Hot Spots
• Golf Vacations
• Green Travel
• Group Travel
• Honeymoon Destinations
• Island Vacations
• LGBT Travel
• Luxury Travel
• National Parks
• Nature Travel
• New World Wonders
• Romantic Getaways
• Senior Travel
• Spa Vacations
• Space Travel + Astronomy
• Spring Vacations
• Summer Vacations
• Volunteer + Charity
• Walking Tours
• Winter Vacations
• Yoga + Wellness
• Weekend Getaways
• Like a Local

Solo Female Travel: Why It's Worthwhile

Tiffany Leigh is a freelance journalist based in Canada. Her work has appeared in Bloomberg Pursuits, Fashion Magazine, HuffPost, Bon Appétit, and more.

Solo female travel is by no means a new phenomenon—for years, women have been hitting the road and booking flights to explore all corners of the world. However, the past few years have seen a steady increase in the number of women taking solo adventures, and in many cases, to less-frequented destinations. A 2018 report by Hostelworld revealed that bookings by solo female travelers had grown 45 percent between 2015 and 2017, and the top three destinations for women traveling alone from the U.S. are Cuba, Macedonia, and Guatemala. Intrepid Travel , a small group adventure travel company, receives bookings from about 75,000 solo travelers per year, and 70 percent of those are from women.

The fact that solo travel is incredibly empowering; the increasingly visible celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women; inspiration from social media (see #solofemaletraveler, #womenwhotravel, #sheisnotlost, and #girlbosstraveler)—these are a few factors behind this growth, and there are no signs of it slowing down.

And if you want to travel alone, as in without friends or families, but not alone alone, that's also becoming easier to do with travel companies creating more trips designed with solo female travelers in mind. "As one of the fastest-growing markets in the travel industry, it’s time we start celebrating these solo travelers, not just accommodating them," Leigh Barnes, Intrepid Travel's regional director of North America, stated in a press release.

Solo Travel: What to Expect

Typical considerations when planning a solo trip are safety, budget, boredom, and loneliness. And of course, by traveling alone, you are the sole decision-maker about these factors. Before booking your getaway, ask yourself how you would handle and whether you would enjoy a few common travel scenarios (sightseeing and eating alone, getting around by yourself, planning your activities and routes, etc.) While solo travel can be a truly fun and enriching (and confidence-boosting!) experience, only you can decide whether traveling alone is something you would enjoy.

If you decide that it is, doing some research before you leave can help you get a better sense of what to expect. Start by connecting with like-minded peers through blogs and networks that allow you to chat with solo female travel veterans and experts—gain insight about a particular destination or culture; ask questions about budgeting, safety, packing, and itinerary planning; and even arrange meet-ups with fellow female travelers if you’re heading to the same place.

Female members of the Solo Travel Society have stated that traveling solo has many benefits, including the following:

• Freedom and independence (the opportunity to do what you want on your own schedule)
• Budget flexibility (You set the amount you want to spend.)
• Opportunities to challenge and surprise yourself (e.g. pushing your boundaries in ways you might not if you were traveling with friends and family, such as chatting up the stranger sitting beside you at a cafe).

Tour Companies for Traveling Alone

For a solo travel trial run, consider signing up with a group—you’re usually still on your own in terms of arranging your own flights, but at the destination, you’re meeting up with other solo female travelers. This is helpful in terms of saving some money with on-the-ground transportation and accommodations (sharing fees for cab rides and lower rates with a shared hotel room). You'll typically have an itinerary on these trips, but they're usually loosely structured, so you have plenty of free time to wander on your own. When purchasing your airline ticket, consider booking a flexible option, so you can extend your stay if you want to keep exploring. 

Intrepid Travel : This company offers expeditions with the mission to “break barriers to traditional travel” and empower females. Their thoughtful approach means that group sizes are small, and they are led by women born and raised in place you're visiting. Travel styles range from casual and comfortable to active and adventurous, with itineraries spanning 8 to 13 days. Destinations include Iran, Morocco, Jordan, Nepal, Turkey, Kenya, and India. 

Adventure Women : Catering to solo women travelers ages 28 to 75, trip itineraries (perhaps implied by the name) are fairly active and physically demanding, with many including hiking, trekking, rafting, biking, or horseback riding. However, there are a few cruising trip options as well for the less adventurous traveler. Trips are organized according to activity level from moderate to challenging, and feature destinations such as Iceland, Antarctica, the Canadian Rockies, Uganda, the Galapagos Islands, Morocco, Oman, Patagonia, Japan, and Tanzania.

Wild Women Expeditions : This Canada-based travel company offers trips for females from all over the world, ages 8 to 86, with specific itineraries based on fitness level, age, and travel goals (e.g. girls that are 8 to 14 years old are provided with more supervision and offered separate adventures from older women). The majority of trips emphasize connection with nature, so think camping or glamping and homestays. Some trips do offer luxury accommodations and yoga retreats as well. Out of more than 30 destinations and nearly 60 itineraries to choose from, popular destinations include Bhutan, Mongolia, Northwest Territories (Canada), the Galapagos Islands, and Tanzania.

Sights and Souls : This is a travel company for solo female travelers that offers trips to popular destinations (Paris or Vienna), as well as less tourist-driven destinations such as Lebanon, and Botswana. The style is more comfortable, less active (light walking), and offers stays in four- and five-star luxury properties. 

Tips and Considerations as a Solo Female Traveler

Beyond the booking and planning process, there are a few other things to keep in mind when traveling alone. Use these tips for your next solo trip—while many of these are helpful for any trip you're planning (whether solo or with others), many are especially essential when you're on your own.

Packing: It never hurts to be (over)protective; and in fact, TSA allows a checked-in pepper spray . (However, this allowance varies from airline to airline so double check with your carrier prior to packing.) You can also consider bringing a whistle or high-pitched security alarm and a mini flashlight (in case your phone dies).

In Your Destination: If going out for the day on your own, leave a note in your room indicating your whereabouts—in case anything happens, staff and police will know how to locate you. Passports should always be left with the hotel concierge or room safe. Money and credit cards should be kept in a pouch close to the body and stored in these handy money belts .

Avoid going out in the evenings on your own, and if you do, consult a local guide who can show you the nightlife and safe places to visit. 

If you’re traveling alone, there’s no need to be on high-anxiety level alert, but always be mindful of your surroundings and listen to your gut; if you're ever uncomfortable, immediately remove yourself from the situation.

For health conditions of a country, check the World Health Organization website before your visit, especially for women who are considering pregnancy or who are currently pregnant. 

Periods can be a drag, but don’t let them hinder your travels. In addition to bringing over-the-counter pain relief for menstrual cramps, consider downloading an app that will monitor your cycle so you’re not caught off-guard. Also, if you’re not keen on bringing bulky products with you, consider a menstrual cup.

Bring with you plenty of napkin packets, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. Oftentimes, water, soap, and toilet paper are luxuries in bathrooms.

Cultures and Customs

As you're visiting other countries, remember that beliefs and cultural norms vary. What is considered harmless here (e.g. public displays of affection) could be deemed offensive in other parts of the world. Therefore, make a conscious effort to find out everything you can about the local culture, customs, and roles of men and women in your destination country prior to your visit. 

Treatment of women varies from culture to culture and country to country. Take a cue from local women and observe their behavior, manner, and way of dressing. 

Behave confidently and act as though you know where you’re going and what you’re doing at all times, even if you’re lost. 

An ideal way to make friends is to locate your nearest international hostel. You’ll likely get great recommendations while you're there!

Transportation and Navigation

Planning: Download offline maps from Google in case you have no cell signal. 

In Your Destination: Don’t pull out a map while out in the street. If you are lost, head to the nearest public transportation system, grocery store, bank or restaurant to ask for directions/assistance. Only opt for public transportation and reputable taxi service. Never hitchhike or accept ride offers from strangers.

Packing Tips

Leave designer duds and jewelry at home. A good plan of action is to bring and wear old (but still-in-good-condition) clothes with you that you can consider donating at the end of your trip. Furthermore, dress to blend in rather than stand-out. And err on the side of modesty. The dress code can be particularly strict if visiting a “male dominated society”, so opt for long pants, shirts and avoid mini shirts, bare shoulders, short pants and reveal attire. 

Always pack a shawl—it is incredibly handy if needing to cover legs, head, or shoulders especially if you’re visiting religious grounds.

Bring a daypack with you when exploring a place and a large backpack for all of your gear (Look for bags that offer lots of side pockets and zippers for ease of access.) And invest in these TSA approved locks so you can secure your content inside rooms that may not offer a safe.

Final Thoughts 

Traveling solo as a female is a life-changing adventure—if done with a little prep work in advance, it’s an opportunity to meet people (especially other women) from all walks of life. If given the opportunity, it’s a privilege to be welcomed into another woman’s home somewhere else in the world and have conversations that broaden education, understanding, and inclusivity.

The Best Women-Only Adventure Travel Companies

Planning an All-Inclusive Caribbean Vacation for Singles and Solo Travelers

Best Tour Companies for Singles

7 Ways to Make Friends While Traveling Solo

Tips for Traveling Solo With a Tour Group

Is It Safe in Colombia?

The Unexpected Perks of Solo Travel

Is It Safe in Egypt?

The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel

Is It Safe in Guatemala?

Is It Safe in Peru?

20 Solo Trips in 2020: I Traveled Solo During COVID-19

Why Cruising Solo Is Worth it

Extreme Adventure Travel Vacations

Is It Safe in Iceland?

REI Adventures Offers Great Active Travel Trips

APRIL SALE:   Discover and book at   up to 60% off!

USA Tours for Solo / Single Travelers

250+ usa tours for singles / solo travelers with 13,558 reviews.

• Mountain Hikes
• Hiking & Trekking

7 day Southwest National Parks Grand Canyon Tour

Amazing tour! I can’t say enough about this company. We had a fantastic tour guide, amazing fun group, great weather- all around best experience of my life. Really professional tour company- highly highly highly recommended.

• 5% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Yellowstone and Grand Tetons Adventure

Tim was a great tour guide. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and always upbeat. Time with the wildlife expert was phenomenal. the tour itself was excellent. The good ranking has to do with communications from Intrepid Travel, which were poor and lead to changed air flights and other headaches.

• Christmas & New Year

Mighty 5 From Las Vegas

Our tour guide,Vicky took care of us & exceeded my expectations for this tour!She was very punctual & showed us all that was described in the tour agenda plus a few other side trips!She shared interesting information on all the areas we visited & had some pretty humorous stories too!I would highly recommend this tour!

Mighty 5 From Salt Lake City

Our tour of the Mighty Five was amazing. This was our first group tour experience and the bar is set high for future adventures.

3 Day Southwest USA National Parks Tour from Las Vegas

It was an unforgettable beautiful experience. Thanks to indy our guide for his wonderful job, supper organized, great informative stories and he was beyond carring. The only negative point is that there is additional fees to add for the activities that i wished was included in the price of the trip

• In-depth Cultural

Wild West – 5 days

This was truly an amazing Experience!! Our Drive and Guides were amazing!! The accommodations were very Good.

Western USA National Parks Loop

This was a great tour, I highly recommend

• Cultural Photography

Magnificent West - 7 Days

Wir waren eine kleine Gruppe Die Organisation war gut Die Unterkünfte auch Es wurde viel Trinkwasser verteilt Die Reiseleiter, insbesondere Eduardo, fand ich sehr informativ und sachlich.

Alaska Kenai & Denali Adventure

The trip was well-organized and Briannna was very efficient and helpful throughout. However, her presentations are very brief and clipped, almost to the point where they sound robotic. She needs to keep in mind that while she has said it all many times before, this is the first time the listener has heard it.

Hiking Utah's Mighty 5

An amazing experience with wonderful fellow travelers and our great CEO. Thanks!

Majestic Alaska (10 Days)

I cannot speak highly enough of this tour. Kris, our tour director, as well as our driver Rose and wellness director Tyler, were all friendly, knowledgeable, and excited to share Alaska with us. Kris is such a warm people-person and consistently went over and above to make this tour what it was, including staying up one night and waking those of us on his list who wanted to see the Northern Lights. The itinerary was no doubt well laid out, but Kris added so many special touches to support Alaskan businesses but also to provide us with extra opportunities to connect with local Alaskans and have the most comfortable and enjoyable experience possible. September was a perfect time to experience this tour. My travel friend and I would highly recommend this trip.

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Hike Alaska: Glaciers and Denali

Had a wonderful time in Alaska. A combination of the sights and sounds and what we saw as well as the CEO and other participants made it a great experience. A well balanced program with options to please all interests, it was a good time for all of us. Can't control the weather though, which would have made it a five star vacation. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Nature's Best: Alaska

We loved everything except the boat tour out of Seward. The seas were way too rough to go out. It was the final tour of the year on that boat. It should of been cancelled and refunded in full. We received $50 each back because the tour was shortened from 6 hours to 5 hours. I repeat again. Waste of time. I did not take a picture. People were throwing up (plenty of them). Did not see any whales. We were notified the day before that the seas could be rough. Globus should of taken the initiative and cancelled. Did not have a good time at all.

• Photography
• Walking Adventure

Yellowstone / Grand Teton 4 Day / 3 Night Wildlife Adventure

Very interesting Rachel is good

Magnificent West – 8 days

Great tour, good group size too

What people love about USA Solo Tours

What a lifetime experience everyone needs Jun 2023 • Solo Within 7 days, we drove in 3 states, visited 5 national parks / 2 state parks, hiked 60 miles, made friends from 7 different states/nations, and eventually traveled through the iconic Route 66 back to Las Vegas. What a lifetime experience everyone needs Day 1 - Zion National Park Day 2 - Bryce Canyon National Park Day 3 - Canyonlands National Park Day 4 - Arches National Park Day 5 - Monument Valley Navajo Nation Day 6 - Grand Canyon National Park / Antelope State Day 7- Grand Canyon back to Las Vegas via Historic Route 66 AMAZING!

Just couldn’t have been better. Extremely professional guides Robin and Sarah were highly knowledgable, friendly and organised. Accomodation was excellent in every location (most hotels even had hot tubs and pools!) and the food options were always good. Lovely comfortable Mercedes minibus. Highly recommended to everyone - would do another tour with South West Adventure Tours in a heartbeat.

More Tours in USA for Singles and Solo Travellers

• Western USA tours (448)
• Sun Belt tours (289)
• Southwest USA tours (271)
• Eastern USA tours (143)
• Four Corners tours (131)
• East Coast USA tours (105)
• West Coast USA tours (104)
• Southern USA tours (67)
• Southeast USA tours (64)
• Northeast USA tours (62)
• Pacific Coast USA tours (51)
• Northern California tours (38)
• New England tours (34)
• Mideast USA tours (33)
• Central California tours (19)
• Mighty 5 tours (18)
• Central USA tours (18)
• Death Valley tours (15)
• Canada Alaska tours (14)
• Pacific Northwest tours (13)
• Mid Atlantic tours (12)
• Fall Foliage tours (11)
• Southern Califonia tours (8)
• Big Sur tours (7)
• Gulf Of Mexico tours (5)
• Midwest USA tours (5)
• Rocky Mountains tours (143)
• Appalachian Mountains tours (25)
• Mount Denali National Park tours (18)
• Sierra Nevada Mountains tours (16)
• California tours (85)
• Alaska tours (63)
• Hawaii tours (33)
• Utah tours (23)
• Colorado tours (14)
• New York tours (12)
• Texas tours (8)
• Grand Canyon tours (54)
• Yosemite National Park tours (41)
• Yellowstone National Park tours (37)
• Grand Teton National Park tours (14)
• Canyonlands tours (10)
• Arches National Park tours (9)
• Acadia National Park tours (5)
• Pacific tours (35)
• Mississippi tours (21)
• Lake Tahoe tours (18)
• Great Lakes tours (12)
• Seniors tours (565)
• Young Adults tours (31)
• USA Travel Guide | All You Need to Know
• 10 Best Backpacking Tours & Trips 2024/2025
• Best time to visit East Coast USA (Low & High Season)
• Best Time to Visit the West Coast, USA in 2024/2025 (with California)
• Best USA Vacation Spots for Couples: Parks, Cities and more
• 5 Best Guided Backpacking Trips & Tours
• Best 10 Day USA Itineraries 2024/2025 (with Reviews)

Travel Styles

• Budget (63)
• Luxury (69)
• Singles and Solo (640)
• For Couples (492)
• Young Adults (31)
• Seniors (565)

Solo Travel Vs Group Travel: Pros and Cons

By: Author Zachary Friedman

Posted on Last updated: January 22, 2024

Categories Solo Travel

Home » Travel » Solo Travel » Solo Travel Vs Group Travel: Pros and Cons

When planning a trip, one of the more important decisions you have to make is whether you’re going to travel alone or with a group. This choice depends on a number of factors including personal preferences, where you’re traveling, your budget, and more. There is no right or wrong way to travel. This guide lists the pros and cons of solo travel vs group travel to help you decide which type of travel is best for your trip. We’ll cover costs, the social aspect, safety, freedom, difficulty, and more.

I’ve been solo traveling for the past 12 years to over 65 countries. I’ve also taken a few group tours and traveled with friends. In this guide, I’ll share my experience with solo traveling and group traveling.

I’ve also made this YouTube video to outline the pros and cons of solo travel.

Key Takeaways

– Solo travel gives you more freedom and independence. You can set your own pace and your own budget. You don’t need to find a travel partner. It’s easier to meet people while you travel alone. Solo travel is also adventurous. It builds character. – Group travel is safer. It’s also easier because you don’t need to plan everything yourself. It’s also less lonely. You’ll always have the group around. You’ll also have a tour guide to keep you on track. You can see more in less time. – Solo travel is the better choice for those who value independence, introverts, those seeking solitude, those who value flexibility and spontaneity, adventure seekers, those looking for cultural immersion, those on a tight budget, and digital nomads. – Group travel is better for social travelers, first time travelers, those with mobility issues, those who value convenience, those concerned with safety, and those who only have a limited amount of time to see everything.

Table of Contents

Solo Travel Pros

Solo travel cons.

• Group Travel Pros
• Group Travel Cons

1. Solo travel gives you complete freedom and independence

When you travel alone, you are in complete control of your trip. There is no one there telling you where to go, when to go, or what to do. You don’t have to take anyone else’s preferences into consideration when choosing a restaurant, hotel, or itinerary. You have absolute freedom and independence.

For example, maybe you fall in love with a particular city and want to extend your stay. You can do that. Maybe you spot some interesting street food that you want to try. You can go try it. Maybe you don’t like museums. Then skip the museum and go to the beach instead.

There are no compromises in solo travel. You can be spontaneous. It’s your vacation. You make your own schedule. This feeling of absolute freedom is one of the best parts of solo travel.

2. You get to spend time alone

Introverts will love this point. While solo traveling, you don’t have to talk to anyone or interact with anyone if you don’t want to. You can sightsee and eat by yourself. During your downtime or while in transit, you can think, read, listen to music, or write. This allows you to really take in your destination and unwind. As an added bonus, you really get to know yourself when you spend so much time alone.

3. You can travel at a faster or slower pace

As a solo traveler, you can see more in less time. The reason is that you don’t have to wait around for other people. For example, every time I travel with friends, I end up wasting time waiting for somebody to get ready. There is always a slow packer in the group. If one person gets sick, everyone has to wait until they get better. The more people in the group, the more slowdowns you’ll experience. This adds up to a lot of wasted time that could have been used for traveling and seeing the sites.

You can also slow travel when you’re alone. For example, maybe you really enjoy a particular city and want to spend a month getting to know it better. You can do this. For example, I spent a month exploring Mexico City alone last year. Maybe you’re just tired and you want to move more slowly. You can do this if you’re by yourself. On a group tour, you must maintain the pace of the group.

4. You can stick to your own budget

We all like to spend our money on different things. Maybe you prefer to spend money on nice meals than a fancy hotel room. Maybe you’d rather take a bus than fly to save yourself $100. You can also hunt for bargains and discounts. While solo traveling, you control exactly how you spend your money.

When you’re on a group tour, everything is already paid for upfront. You can’t adjust your spending as you go. When you’re traveling with a group of friends, you may feel peer pressure to spend more money. For example, maybe your friends want to eat at a fancy restaurant but you just want to eat street food. Of course, you don’t have to go with them but you may feel pressured to.

5. You don’t have to worry about finding a travel partner or having your travel partner flake out

If you don’t want to book a tour, finding someone to travel with is not easy. This is particularly true if you enjoy traveling to off the beaten path destinations. After all, how many of your friends really want to travel across Africa by bus ? Your travel buddy also needs to have the money to travel, similar interests, and a personality that you can get along with for weeks or months on end. Finding a suitable person to travel with can be a challenge.

If you do manage to find a travel buddy, there is a good chance that they’ll flake out on you before your trip begins. Some travelers end up not going on their trip simply because they couldn’t find someone to travel with. Solo travelers don’t have to worry about this. Of course, this point only applies if you’re traveling with friends. If you book a group tour, you don’t have to worry about this point.

6. You get to meet a wide variety of people

Every time you check into a hostel you meet a new group of interesting travelers from all over the world. Just walk into the kitchen or common area and chat some people up and chances are, you’ll have some new friends. You’ll also meet people while in transit, on day tours, and while out and about sightseeing.

As an added benefit, as a solo traveler, you’re also much easier for others to approach than a group. You may receive invitations to go sightseeing, go out to a bar, or even travel with others. Locals often approach you and strike up a conversation. While solo traveling, you’re rarely alone.

Group travelers, on the other hand, tend to stick to their group. They don’t meet as many people because they already have each other. When you’re on an organized tour, you’re pretty much stuck with the tour group.

If you’re worried about not being able to make friends during your trip, check out my guide: 19 Ways to Meet People While Traveling. 

7. Solo travel builds character, teaches you about yourself, and helps you develop as a person

Personally, I’m not a fan of the ‘travel to find yourself’ meme. Having said that, solo travel can absolutely make you a better person.

When you travel alone, there will be hardships to deal with. For example, you may have to deal with a language barrier and navigate bureaucracy. You may be discriminated against. You might even fall victim to a crime. During your trip, you will experience loneliness, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and confusion. This is all part of the journey. These experiences build character. The way you deal with these feelings and situations can tell you a lot about yourself. You’ll also be better prepared to deal with similar situations back home.

When you solo travel, you become more independent, more adaptable, more confident, more courageous, more patient, and more accepting of others. These are all positive traits that make you a better all around person.

8. It’s easier to meet locals while solo traveling

One of the most rewarding parts of solo travel is making local friends. Chatting with locals is a great way to experience the culture and get to know the country better. For example, locals can recommend you different restaurants to try, cities to visit, and foods to try. They can show you the non-touristy sides of your destination and give you a local perspective of current events. If you’re lucky, you might even get invited into their home.

While solo traveling, you meet locals when going about your day to day life. For example, when you take public transportation, eat in a restaurant, shop in a market, or just walk down the street, you could make an interesting local friend. Because a single person is much less intimidating to approach and talk to than a group, local people are more likely to chat you up if you are alone. My favorite way to meet locals is through online dating. Couchsurfing is another great way to meet locals while traveling alone.

On a group tour, you’re kind of isolated with your tour group. The only locals you meet will be those working in the tourism industry. When you’re traveling with a group of friends, you’re less likely to be approached by locals.

9. Solo travel feels like an accomplishment

Solo travel is a personal challenge. During your trip, you’ll have to deal with adversities such as a language barrier, loneliness, getting lost, going outside of your comfort zone, dealing with new situations, etc. Something as simple as learning how to navigate a new public transportation system or ordering a meal in a foreign language feels like an accomplishment.

After crossing a continent by yourself, you’ll feel proud and accomplished. You will know what you are really capable of. You don’t get that feeling when you take a group tour because all of the difficult parts of traveling are handled for you.

10. You’re not stuck with the same people

If you grow tired of one of your new travel buddies or you don’t get along with someone at the hostel, you can just leave. Move to a different dorm, hostel, or go on to the next city. You never have to see or talk to that person again.

This isn’t an option when you’re traveling with a group tour or friends. You’re stuck with the annoying individual until the trip is over.

11. Random and unique experiences

Solo travel allows you to be spontaneous. You never know what kind of interesting opportunity will present itself. For example, while visiting the Omo Valley, I spent an afternoon with a woman from the Hamar tribe in Dimeka, Ethiopia. We spent the day walking around town, drinking, and eating. We didn’t share any language in common. In Addis Ababa, I spent a day hanging out with an Ethiopian con man. He explained his scams and introduced me to his girlfriend, who lived in the slums. I wouldn’t have had these wacky experiences if I was traveling on a tour.

Group tours are much more predictable. Every day is pre-planned. You don’t have time to stray too far from the group.

12. You can travel with others if you want

The whole trip doesn’t have to be done alone. If you meet a group of people and really hit it off, you can travel together for a while. You can even change your itinerary if necessary. If a friend wants to meet up somewhere along your journey, you can travel together for a time. It’s up to you how social you want to be. Solo travel doesn’t have to be lonely. For example, while traveling in Kenya, I met an Irish guy at the hostel. We ended up spending the next three months traveling to Cape Town together.

13. Solo travel is more adventurous

You have only yourself to rely on. If things turn south, it’s up to you to remedy the situation. Sometimes you feel like a pioneer or explorer when you’re out in the middle of nowhere all alone. It’s exciting. 

For example, when traveling across Malawi, the police detained the bus I was riding because they suspected it was carrying some kind of contraband. I ended up having to find a place to stay in the town of Mzuzu, Malawi in the middle of the night. I ended up staying in a nice hostel and spending an interesting day exploring the town before catching a bus the next night. This experience wouldn’t have happened if I was traveling on a group tour.

1. Solo travel is lonely

While solo traveling, you can be surrounded by other people and still feel lonely. This loneliness can make you depressed, homesick, isolated, and sometimes anxious. When you get feeling down, you have to be able to pick yourself back up.

Traveling by yourself gets lonely at times. There is no avoiding it. During your trip, you may spend days on end without having a conversation with another person. You will spend countless hours on busses, trains, and walking around without speaking a single word. Sometimes you’ll check into a hostel and not meet anyone. You will eat alone and sightsee alone. This is just part of the solo travel experience.

The best way to deal with this feeling of loneliness is to find someone to talk to. If you’re a naturally social person, this is easy. There are friendly people everywhere. If you’re socially anxious, striking up a conversation can be a challenge.

To meet people while traveling, you can stay in a social hostel, use social media and online dating, go to a bar or club, join a day tour or walking tour, go couchsurfing, take a class, or volunteer. You can also call your friends and family back home.

2. Solo travel is more expensive

When you travel alone, you have to cover the full cost of hotel rooms, taxi rides, food, or tours by yourself. You can’t split costs with friends or take advantage of group discounts. As a result, solo travel ends up costing more than group travel.

The price difference depends on where you’re traveling. Some destinations are more suited to solo travel than others. For example, in Central America and Southeast Asia, there are hostels, shared busses, and street food. You can solo travel cheaply. On the other end of the spectrum, much of Africa is expensive to solo travel because there are few hostels. You must spend most nights in overpriced hotels. Costs add up when you have no one to split the room with.

There are always ways to cut costs when solo traveling. You can walk, hitchhike, or take shared busses instead of taking taxis or Ubers. Camping and couchsurfing are excellent ways to reduce your accommodation cost. If you adopt a minimalist lifestyle, you can travel with shockingly little money.

3. Solo travel is more dangerous

A single person is more likely to fall victim to a crime than a group. The risk of getting mugged, drugged, assaulted, scammed, or victimized in some way is higher when you travel alone simply because you are an easier target for criminals. After all, it’s much easier to trick or overpower an individual than a group of people.

When you travel alone, you also don’t have anyone you trust to help you out if you find yourself in a dangerous situation. For example, if you get sick, injured, or arrested, you don’t have any friends to take care of you or call your emergency contact. You’re pretty much on your own.

Of course, if you take some basic safety precautions, solo travel is a perfectly safe way to travel. Read up on the travel advisories of the country you’re visiting. Avoid wandering into sketchy neighborhoods after dark. Don’t carry valuables or dress too flashy. There is no need to be paranoid about safety while solo traveling if you’re cautious.

For more info, check out my guide Is Solo Travel Safe: Avoiding Crime, Scams, and Injury While Traveling Alone.

4. You have to eat alone and cook for one

Having to eat alone is one of the most difficult parts of solo travel. Probably because eating is such a social activity. When you’re eating your meal, you’ll feel lonely and homesick at times. It’s easy to feel self-conscious sitting in a restaurant alone. When you travel solo, you’ll have to get used to this feeling. You will eat alone regularly.

If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll probably want to cook some of your own meals. Unfortunately, it’s hard to motivate yourself to cook when you’re alone. Buying ingredients and cooking is a time-consuming and annoying little job. It’s tempting to forget about cooking and just eat something quick. This is less healthy and oftentimes more expensive.

5. You have to plan and arrange everything by yourself

Planning an international trip takes quite a bit of work. You must create a budget, plan a route, arrange visas, research transportation, book accommodation, research activities, and more. A complicated trip can take weeks or months to plan. When you’re in the country, you’ll have to research and book hotels, find restaurants, and figure out the public transport system. This takes quite a bit of time.

Some aspects of travel are tedious and annoying to deal with. For example, when you travel alone, you must research transport schedules and book tickets, navigate unfamiliar cities, negotiate prices, and more. You must take care of everything related to the trip by yourself. These little jobs get exhausting after a while.

When you travel in a group tour, you have a guide to take care of all of the planning and most of the annoying little jobs. When you travel with friends, you can delegate tasks so everyone has less work to do.

6. The friendships you make don’t last long

You will meet plenty of new people while traveling alone. It’s easy to form quick friendships with other solo travelers as well as locals. After spending a few days in a hostel, you may feel like you’ve known your new friends for years.

The problem is that these quick friendships fade quickly. After you move on to the next hostel, you’ll meet a new group of people and quickly forget about your previous travel buddies. When you return home and get back to your regular schedule, the friendships you formed during your trip will fade further.

7. Solo travel doesn’t suit all personality types

While solo traveling, you’ll spend many hours alone with your own thoughts. There’s no getting away from it. Sometimes there just isn’t anyone around to talk to. This is often the case while in transit. Sometimes you’ll check into a hostel and find the other guests to be unfriendly. If you’re an extrovert and you’re not used to being alone, this can be a challenge. For some, it can even be frightening to spend so much time alone with your thoughts.

8. You have to rely on yourself for everything

Coming to the realization that you are completely alone in a foreign country, can be anxiety-inducing. If you fall ill, get injured, get robbed, run out of money, lose your passport, or get arrested, you’re on your own to deal with it. There is nobody there to help you out.

In addition, you have to research, plan, and book everything by yourself. This realization can feel overwhelming and scary. In fact, some people may not be competent enough to solo travel. On the first day of my first solo trip, I wondered if I was in over my head. Luckily, I figured things out.

9. You’re more likely to get scammed

Scammers tend to target solo travelers. The reason is that it’s easier for them to trick an individual than a group of people. A fast-talking con man can approach you and swindle you out of some money. There are some elaborate scams out there. You can’t catch them all. Maybe you’re tired and you’re not thinking straight. For example, a scammer sold me a fake bus ticket in Ethiopia. That cost me $10.

For more info, check out my guide to 19 Common Travel Scams.

10. You’re more likely to get pickpocketed

Pickpockets often target solo travelers. The reason is that it’s easier for them to distract an individual than a group. After all, you only have one set of eyes to keep track of all of your belongings. A pickpocket can distract you while their accomplice steals your wallet, phone, or camera.

For some tips, check out my guide: How to Avoid Getting Pickpocketed While Traveling.

I’ve been pickpocketed twice in my travels. Once in Tanzania and once in Tijuana. In both cases, the pickpocket took my phone. Miraculously, I was able to get it back both times.

11. There is no one to share your excitement or suffering with

Humans are very social. Sometimes we want to experience the beauty of a destination or the absurdity of a situation with another person. While traveling alone, there is no one to share your comments or thoughts with. You have to keep your amazement to yourself. This makes the experience feel a bit less special. Visiting a major destination with a good friend makes it feel more memorable.

Sometimes you want someone else to commiserate with. Enduring an unpleasant experience is much easier if there is someone there to share the suffering with. For example, some of my lowest points while traveling have been during long night bus journeys. The loneliness becomes excruciating. While traveling with a friend, the same long bus journey becomes fun. You can joke around and chat to pass the time.

12. Sometimes you’ll feel like the third wheel

When going out with a group of other travelers from the hostel, you may be the odd one out as a solo traveler. This may happen when you spend time with a couple or group of friends. Hanging out with people who share a common language that you don’t speak can also be awkward. If they start speaking among themselves in their language, you’re left out of the conversation. The good thing is, if you’re not having a good time, you can just go off on your own or find another group of people to socialize with.

13. Solo travel can limit be limiting

There are some places that you might not want to travel alone. For example, you may not feel comfortable traveling too far off the beaten path by yourself out of fear of getting lost or stranded. You may choose to limit yourself to the tourist trail instead to be safe. I felt a bit nervous while visiting the Omo Valley alone because I was so far from a hospital and embassy. If something went wrong, I may have been in trouble. Some solo travelers may not feel comfortable going out drinking alone or visiting certain neighborhoods alone out of fear of getting drugged or robbed. With a group, you may not have these fears.

There may be some activities that you don’t want to do alone. This is often the case in romantic destinations. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to go for a gondola ride in Venice by yourself. You wouldn’t want to go to a romantic restaurant alone. You may not want to go hiking alone for safety reasons.

14. Sometimes you feel awkward

Going to a bar or restaurant alone takes some getting used to. Some tourist sites are best experienced with a friend. Even after solo traveling for years, I still don’t enjoy going out for a drink alone. I also hate taking selfies but do so anyway on occasion if there is no one around to take a photo for me. It can be an awkward and embarrassing experience sometimes.

15. You have to carry and keep track of all of your gear by yourself

When you travel alone, you must carry everything you need for your trip in your backpack or suitcase by yourself. There is no one else to help you carry gear. In addition, you have to keep an eye on your gear at all times to make sure it doesn’t get stolen. You cannot leave your gear unattended while you go grab a coffee.

When you travel with a group, you can share some items among the group. This way, everyone carries less weight. There are also more eyes to watch everyone’s gear.

16. People feel sorry for you

Occasionally, someone will ask you where your friends or family are. They may ask why you’re alone. Many people just don’t understand solo travel. In these cases, people may pity you or think you’re weird. To me, this gets kind of frustrating and depressing. Some people just can’t get through their heads that I’m traveling alone by choice. 

17. You have to take selfies

When you travel alone, it’s difficult to get a decent picture of yourself. Much of the time, your only option is to take a selfie. Unfortunately, selfies are often low quality and kind of cheesy. It’s hard to get a good shot of yourself.

Another problem is that some solo travelers feel self-conscious when taking selfies. Particularly when everyone around has a friend to take pictures of them. It can feel kind of embarrassing and awkward to take selfies.

There are some solutions. You can ask a stranger to snap a photo of you. You can also pack a tripod and use your camera’s timer to take photos of yourself. Still, your photos won’t be as good as if you had a friend helping you get the best angle.

Pros of Group Travel

1. You develop a close bond with your travel group

When you travel with friends, you’ll grow closer to them. Even if you’ve known them for years. Overcoming hardships, navigating unusual situations, and viewing incredible sites together strengthens friendships. For the rest of your lives, you will share memories of your travel experiences together. You’ll always have an interesting travel story to reminisce about.

When you travel on a group tour, you spend the entire duration of your tour with your tour group. During that time, you will bond with your new friends. It’s not uncommon for lifelong friendships to form.

When you travel alone, it is difficult to form a strong bond with anyone you meet because you’re moving around so frequently.

2. Meeting people

When you take an organized group tour, you are guaranteed a built-in group of people to hang out with, travel with, explore with, and get to know for the duration of your trip. You never have to be alone. Organized tours also introduce you to like-minded people from around the world that you otherwise would never have met. You’ll meet a different type of travelers than you would meet when traveling alone.

Organized tours are also an excellent choice for shy travelers because they make it easy to meet people. You’re guaranteed to make friends with some of the people in your group because you are forced to spend so much time around them. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with someone you’re traveling with because everyone shares the same interest in the destination country.

3. Group travel can be cheaper

You can split the cost of hotel rooms, taxi and Uber rides, food, and tours with your friends. For example, if a taxi ride from the airport to your hostel costs $15, it only costs you $5 if you split it with two friends. If you want to hire a tour guide to show you around a site, you can split the cost with your friends. When you travel alone, you can’t split costs with anyone.

4. You can split work up amongst the group

Travel involves a number of annoying and tedious little tasks. Examples include looking up train schedules, negotiating the price of a taxi, cooking, and buying bus tickets. When you travel with a group, you can divide these little jobs among your group members. If one person gets sick and needs a break, the other group members can continue planning the trip. When you travel alone, you have to take care of all aspects of the trip by yourself.

5. Group travel is safer

As the saying goes, there is safety in numbers. When you travel in a group, you are far less likely to fall victim to crimes like mugging or assault. A criminal can’t overpower a group as easily as an individual. For this reason, bad guys are far less likely to target a group of travelers.

In addition, you’re less likely to get lost when you’re with a group because there are multiple minds navigating. If you get injured or fall ill, your group members can help you get to a hospital and call your emergency contact for you. When you’re on an organized group tour, the guide will make sure you only visit safe destinations. When you’re alone, you’re on your own.

6. The tour guide

Every organized group tour has a guide. The guide is usually a local with a deep knowledge of the region and training in hospitality. They can teach you about the sites you’re seeing, make sure you stay safe, translate the local language, help you navigate the culture, assist with immigration, and smooth out any bumps. The guide can also be your friend. A good guide can really make a group tour.

7. Sometimes you have no choice but to travel in a group

There are a handful of countries that prohibit independent travel. If you want to visit, you are required to be on a tour. Sometimes this requirement depends on your nationality. A few examples of countries with this requirement include North Korea, Iran, Bhutan, Turkmenistan, and Tibet.

In some cases, it’s simply easier to travel in a group. For example, many travelers choose to travel Africa on an overland tour instead of independently.

8. You can carry less gear

For some items, you only need one to share between the group. For example, you could get away with carrying only one water filter, tent, camp stove, and a bag of food for the whole group. Each person can carry part of the load. Everyone carries less weight as a result. When you travel solo, you have to carry everything by yourself.

9. It’s easier because there is no research and planning required

When you book a group tour, the tour company takes care of all researching, planning, reservations, and logistics for you. You don’t have to worry about reading hotel and restaurant reviews, making bookings, or looking at transport schedules. You pay one fee then you can relax and enjoy your trip. It’s easier. The guide can help you navigate the language barrier if there is one.

10. No wasted time

Most people have a limited amount of time to travel. Usually 1-2 weeks. When you take an organized tour, the company sets the pace and makes sure that time is utilized wisely. There is a rigid itinerary that the tour sticks to. You will visit all of the major attractions and a few hidden gems. You won’t miss any major sites when you take an organized tour.

When you travel alone, it’s easy to get lazy and miss out on some sites. You also have to waste time taking care of boring tasks like finding a restaurant or researching a bus schedule.

11. Someone is always there to help you out

If you catch malaria or sprain your ankle, your friends are there to take you to the hospital or carry your backpack for you. If your debit card gets stolen and you run out of money, your group members can lend you some cash so you’re not stranded. It is comforting to know that someone you trust is there and willing to help you out if you need it. You don’t have to rely on yourself for everything.

12. Falling victim to a scam is less likely

Scammers don’t approach groups as often. The reason is that it’s more difficult to trick a group of people than an individual. Chances are, someone will identify the scam before it takes place because are multiple minds analyzing everything. Of course, a group can still get conned. There are some shockingly elaborate scams out there.

13. Theft is less likel y

It is also harder for pickpockets to steal from a group because there are multiple sets of eyes watching everyone’s gear. You can also ask your group members to keep an eye on your gear while you go to the bathroom or into a shop.

14. Someone is always there to experience the moment with you

When traveling with friends, you always have someone there to share the beauty or misery with. Sometimes you just want to complain about the situation or comment on your surroundings. Sometimes you want someone to appreciate a site with. If you’re all alone, you don’t get to do this. Some destinations are best experienced with friends by your side.

15. You can travel further into the middle of nowhere

When you’re alone, you have to consider how you will get back to civilization in the event of an unexpected accident or event. When you have friends with you, someone can go for help if the worst happens. For example, imagine if you fell while hiking and broke a leg. If your friend is there, they can carry you or find help. You may not feel comfortable wandering as far by yourself. 

16. No Experience Required

You don’t need any skills or travel experience to travel in a group. The guide takes care of all of the difficult parts of the trip for you and helps you stay safe. You can travel wherever you want. Also, some people just aren’t suited for solo travel.

For some destinations, you may need some travel experience if you want to visit alone. For example, most people wouldn’t feel comfortable traveling to Nigeria or Afghanistan on their first solo trip.

17. You’ll get better travel photos

When you travel with a group, there is always someone there to take pictures for you. You don’t have to bother with selfies. You can also take group pictures. It’s fun to look at pictures with your new friends together. At the end of the trip, you can swap photos with your group members. If you’re lucky, you’ll get some awesome candid shots of yourself as well.

Cons of Group Travel

1. You have to make compromises

When you travel with a group, you can’t always get your way and do what you want to do. For example, maybe your travel group wants to go to the beach and you want to go to a museum. Maybe one person wants to eat at a fancy restaurant and you want to eat street food. Everyone has their own preferences.

When disagreements occur, you must negotiate and compromise with your group members. You don’t get to do what you want all of the time. When you travel with a group, it’s not your trip. It’s the group’s trip. This can be difficult to accept.

When solo traveling, there is no compromise. You make all of your own decisions and do whatever you want.

2. You have less freedom and independence when traveling in a group

When you travel on an organized group tour, the itinerary is already set. You don’t get to choose which hotel you stay at, which restaurant you eat at, when you wake up, or when you go to sleep. You follow the pre-planned itinerary. There is very little freedom or independence.

When you travel with a group of friends, you have a bit more freedom but you still must follow the group. If all of your friends want to fly to your next destination but you want to take the train, you’re out of luck. You could go off on your own but then you’re not really traveling with a group.

When you travel alone, you have absolute freedom to control every aspect of your trip. You can be as spontaneous as you wish.

3. There will be arguments and disagreements

Traveling in a group can be a real test of your patience and relationships. Disagreements and arguments will happen. it’s inevitable. Even if you’re traveling with your best friends.

Arguments are common for a number of reasons. First, travel gets stressful. For example, maybe you’re running late for a flight. Some people become snappy when they get stressed. Travel is also exhausting. For example, you may get a poor night of sleep while taking a night bus across a country. Some people get cranky and argumentative when they’re tired. While traveling, you are also forced to spend a great deal of time in close proximity to your group members. Sometimes different personalities don’t mix well.

All of this makes for a perfect environment for disagreements and arguments to happen. A tense atmosphere is uncomfortable for everyone in the group. If arguments aren’t resolved and the relationship between your group members turns toxic it could ruin the trip. Friendships can even end.

If you get in an argument with one of your group members, try to distance yourself from them for a while. Give yourself and your group some space and let things cool down if possible. Don’t be afraid to apologize if you made a mistake.

4. It can be difficult to make decisions

When you travel with a group, you have to take everyone’s preferences into consideration and make sure everyone is content with every decision. The more people in the group, the more difficult it becomes to make a decision. Everyone has an opinion. You can’t make everyone happy.

One problem that can arise is that one group member takes the role of the leader. This is often the group member with the strongest personality. This person may try to take over the trip and make your decisions for you.

If this happens, you must make sure that your voice is heard. Speak up and tell the group what you want to do. This can be difficult if you’re a passive perosn. If you take the leadership role, you must listen to your group members and consider their desires. You need to be a team player, listen, and sometimes compromise.

5. You may dislike your group members

When you travel on an organized group tour, you don’t get to choose who you’re traveling with. You won’t know who is in your group until you meet everyone when the tour starts. An average-sized group tour has 10-20 people. It is highly likely that you won’t get along with at least one of them.

There are plenty of reasons why you may not get along. For example, maybe one of your group members is always complaining. Maybe someone is rude to the locals. Maybe you have nothing in common with your group members. Whatever the case, traveling with someone you don’t like can be awkward and annoying. It could even ruin your trip. This is a major risk of booking yourself on a group tour.

There are a couple of ways to reduce your chance of getting stuck in a bad group. First, you can book yourself on a small tour. The fewer people there are, the less likely that there will be an annoying member. You can also book yourself on a tour that fits your age and personality. For example, if you’re young and active, book yourself on a tour that is designed for backpackers. Don’t book yourself on a tour for retirees.

Of course, you could also find that you don’t get along with your group if you’re traveling with friends. Some people behave differently when abroad. Some people just don’t travel well. In this case, you could go off on your own.

6. No privacy or alone time

When you travel with a group, chances are you’ll be sharing hotel rooms, eating together, and taking the same transport as your group members. You don’t get any privacy or time to yourself. Spending so much time in such close proximity to your group can be a challenge. Particularly for travelers who are more introverted.

When you’re traveling with friends, you can usually split up from your group for some time. Maybe you spend a day exploring by yourself then meet up with your group for dinner. When you’re on an organized group tour, you may not have this luxury. Generally, the itinerary is so tight that you’re with your group for the entire duration of the tour.

7. Meeting other travelers is harder

When traveling in a group, you tend to stick to your group. There is less incentive to socialize. You’re not lonely. You already have friends and don’t need to make new ones. When on an organized group tour, you’re staying in hotels instead of hostels so you’ll have fewer opportunities to meet other travelers. Other travelers are also less likely to approach you or invite you out for meals, sightseeing, or activities because it is intimidating to approach a group. As a result, you’ll meet fewer people. You may miss out on a new friendship or relationship.

8. Finding a group to travel with can be a challenge

It’s not that easy to find a group of people to travel with. Friends often flake out at the last minute. Many people don’t have enough money. Some have different interests. If you decide that absolutely have to travel with a group, you may end up not going at all. Finding a suitable person to travel with is a challenge. 

Of course, if you really want to travel with a group but you don’t have any friends that want to go, you can always book yourself on a tour.

9. You don’t get to explore an area in detail

Most group tours just hit the main sites. You might only stay in a city for 1-3 days before moving on to the next destination. You miss out on the smaller tourist sites. The tours move at a fast pace as well. You don’t have any time to stop and smell the roses. You’ll encounter the same problem when traveling with friends. Chances are, they’ll want to keep moving.

When you travel alone, you can spend as much time as you want in each city or country. If you fall in love with on place, you can spend a month there and explore it in detail.

10. Group travel can be more expensive

When you travel on a group tour, you are paying the tour agency to plan the trip for you. They take care of all logistics, bookings, and maybe even visas. You are also paying for a guide for the duration of the tour. Both of these costs are baked into the price of the trip. At the end of the trip, you’ll also be expected to give the guide a tip if they provided a good service.

Prices are also locked in. You are paying for all of your food, accommodation, transportation, and activities at the time of booking. You can’t eat street food or stay in a cheaper hotel to save money because you have already paid for everything when you booked.

When you travel alone, you can cut corners, bargain hunt, and adjust your budget as you go. If you’re frugal, solo travel can be cheaper than group travel.

11. Your group can slow you down or rush you

With more people, more problems come up. For example, someone could get food poisoning on a travel day. That means you lose a day waiting for them to get better. Someone could have their phone pickpocketed. That means you have to spend time going shopping for a new one. While traveling in a group, it seems like there is always a crisis. This slows everyone down .

Your group can also rush you. For example, maybe you’re a not a morning person but your group likes to start the day early. You may feel rushed. Maybe you like to spend 6 hours in museums but your group rushes through in an hour. You’ll feel like you missed out.

12. Group travel is less adventurous

When your friends are around, it just doesn’t feel like an adventure. It’s just too familiar. There is always someone there to rely on and talk to. It feels more like you’re just hanging out. You don’t have to deal with the loneliness or struggles of solo travel. As a result, you won’t really grow as a person or learn as much.

13. Meeting local people is more difficult

When you travel on an organized group tour, you probably won’t meet many locals. The locals that you do meet will be those who work in the tourism industry. The reason is that group tours tend to stick to touristy areas that regular locals avoid. You stay in hotels and eat in restaurants that are frequented by tourists. When you travel from one destination to the next, you’ll sit next to a group member or take private transport. You are somewhat isolated from regular locals when you travel on a group tour.

Local people may also be less likely to approach you to chat when you’re traveling in a group. It can be intimidating to approach a group of foreigners.

When you travel alone, you encounter locals while in transit, while eating, and while out walking around. Solo travelers are also much easier to approach. You also have the freedom to seek out local friends.

My Experience

I have been traveling, off and on, for the past 10 years. The vast majority of this time has been spent solo traveling. I prefer it for a number of reasons. First, solo travel just better suits my personality. As an introvert, I prefer to spend most of my time alone. When I want to socialize, I can always meet some fellow travelers in the hostel. I also value having the freedom to do what I want without compromise.

On the few occasions that I have traveled with a group, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Group travel is great in small bursts. For a short trip, I may even prefer group travel. After a while, I inevitably grow tired of my travel buddies. That’s just what happens if you spend too much time in such close proximity to another person.

In my experience, the first 2 weeks of each solo trip can be a bit rough. It takes time to get into the solo travel mindset. Living in close quarters in hostels, spending long hours on buses, and navigating unfamiliar places alone takes some getting used to.

During this time, I sometimes think to myself, why do I do this? After that rough couple of weeks ends, I’m back into the swing of things and don’t want to travel any other way. The absolute freedom of solo travel is addictive.

Final Thoughts

Solo travel certainly isn’t for everyone. It’s lonely, more difficult to plan, and slightly riskier. With that said, it’s definitely something that everyone should try at least once. It’s one of those things that you just never know whether or not you’ll like unless you give it a try. After my first solo trip, I was hooked.

Having said that, sometimes group travel is the better choice. A short trip with friends can be an excellent bonding experience. Group tours are a great way to visit difficult or dangerous destinations safely and easily. Group travel is also a bit safer and less stressful. Even if you’re a hardcore solo traveler, consider giving a group tour a try.

In the end, this decision comes down to personal choice. There is no best way to travel. Hopefully, this guide helps you decide which style of travel is best for your next trip.

Where do you stand on the solo travel vs group travel debate? Share your experience in the comments below!

More from Where the Road Forks

• ls Solo travel Safe? Avoiding Crime, Scams, and Injury While Traveling Alone
• Solo Travel Tips: Save Money, Stay Safe, and Make Friends While Traveling Alone
• How to Plan a Round the World Trip
• How to Provide Proof of Onward Travel: 8 Options Including the Fake Ticket Method
• Summer Travel Tips: Beat the Heat, Avoid Crowds, and Save Money
• Am I Too Old for Hostels?
• How to Make an Accurate Budget for Long Term Travel

Zachary Friedman is an accomplished travel writer and professional blogger. Since 2011, he has traveled to 66 countries and 6 continents. He founded ‘Where The Road Forks’ in 2017 to provide readers with information and insights based on his travel and outdoor recreation experience and expertise. Zachary is also an avid cyclist and hiker. Living as a digital nomad, Zachary balances his professional life with his passions for hiking, camping, cycling, and worldwide exploration. For a deeper dive into his journey and background, visit the About page. For inquiries and collaborations, please reach out through the Contact page. You can also follow him on Facebook.

Sharing is caring!

Sign me up for the newsletter!

Wednesday 28th of September 2022

T love this. I enjoy solo traveling due to its flexibility. You can enjoy anywhere you choose for as long you want. However, I sometimes dabble into group travel because this enables us to split the cost of travel.

jasonlikestotravel

Saturday 13th of July 2019

Great read. I agree everyone should at least try traveling solo to see if it's for them. I'd probably also agree that I prefer solo travel although there are pros to having company.

wheretheroadforks

Yeah, there are definitely benefits to having company. Particularly during a long bus or train ride. Overall, I really enjoy traveling alone.

10 Best Travel Companies for Solo Travel Tours in 2024

These tour companies are a perfect fit for solo travelers in 2024..

The Scoop: What to Know About Trafalgar Tours

Solo travel tours are one of the fastest growing sectors of group travel for all ages. They’re popular with solo travelers because they offer shared adventures that translate into easy camaraderie, and they take the tedious details like hotel bookings and flight reservations out of planning a solo trip. Once the trip starts, you’ll be escorted by expert guides who handle everything from airport transfers and meals to tours and guides, too.

2024’s Best Tour Companies for Solo Travelers

Many tour groups for solo travelers will pair singles with a roommate so you won’t pay a penny extra for traveling alone; others will offer single rooms at a discounted rate so you won’t have to pay the entire dreaded “single supplement.” Some of the best companies even have tours designed specifically for solo travelers. Here are my picks for 2024’s top companies offering solo travel tours.

WORLD’S BEST:  15 Best Group Travel Companies for Guided Tours in 2024

1. G Adventures

A popular tour company offering small group tours worldwide, G Adventures  offers a range of itineraries to suit solo travelers. If you’re traveling solo, you will either be paired with another traveler of the same sex for rooming purposes, or in your own room if you pay a single supplement. G Adventures tends to attract likeminded participants, creating a good environment for solo travelers looking to meet new people. Trips support local businesses with a goal of helping communities to better sustain themselves.

MORE TOURS: 10 Best G Adventures Tours to Take in 2024

Travelers under age 35 are drawn to the company’s new Roamies  itineraries, which are immersive small group trips to iconic locations with overnights at some of the world’s finest hostels. The company’s Local Living tours allow you to participate in the rituals of daily life and see what life would be like if you resided in the destination. And its  Jane Goodall wildlife-centric trips  to places like Belize and Madagascar are particularly popular. A large percentage of G Adventure guests are solo female travelers, gravitating to destinations such as Morocco, Costa Rica, Peru, and Jordan.

Quick Facts about Solo Travel Tours with G Adventures

• Average group size:   12 people.
• Price range:  Moderate.
• What’s included:  Accommodations and some meals.
• What’s not included:   Airfare.
• Primary audience:  Adults ages 30 to 55.
• Destinations:  More than 750 trips in 100 countries on all seven continents.
• How to book: Directly through G Adventures , Travelstride , Tourhub , or TourRadar ; or through a travel agent such as AAA

2. Trafalgar

Guided tour company Trafalgar  operates more than 300 tours across seven continents, with trips that range from culinary adventures to wildlife safaris, and solo travelers represent a significant portion of its customer base. While Trafalgar doesn’t operate specific tours groups for solo travelers, 61% of women on its women’s only tours are traveling solo. Additionally, the company offers you the option to be matched with a roommate on nearly all itineraries or receive single room supplements at reduced rates. On select trips, solo travelers may even enjoy a single room upgrade for free.

MORE TOURS: 10 Best Trafalgar Tours to Take in 2024

Sought-after destinations for solo travel tours with Trafalgar include Italy, Portugal, and Egypt. Tour directors have least three years of road experience, and many have been with the company for decades. One-of-a-kind travel experiences such as dining with locals and VIP entry to iconic sights sets Trafalgar apart. ( Read our full Trafalgar review here .)

Quick Facts about Solo Travel Tours with Trafalgar

• Average group size:  40 people.
• What’s included:  Accommodations, daily breakfast, many meals,   luxury coach transportation, Wi-Fi in most countries, airport transfers, and luggage handling.
• What’s not included:  Airfare.
• Primary audience:  Adults over 50.
• Destinations:  All seven continents.
• How to book: Book online with Trafalgar , Travelstride , Tourhub , or TourRadar ; or through a travel agent such as AAA .

3. EF Go Ahead Tours

EF Go Ahead Tours  offers tours to fit travelers of every stripe, including solo travel tours to destinations including Peru, Portugal, Thailand, and Egypt.   You’ll get your own room for no extra charge and all of your tour mates will be other solo travelers. EF Go Ahead organizes hotels, meals, activities, and local transportation.

TAKE A HIKE: 9 Best Travel Companies for Walking Tours and Hiking Tours in 2024

You’ll be accompanied by a local EF Tour Director who has extensive experience, gently guiding you every step of the way. The tour company partners with a range of local experts, enriching each stop along your journey. Once you’ve booked, you can download the  free mobile app  and connect with fellow travelers before departure. EF Go Ahead Tours also offers a Solo Travel Facebook group, providing access to an online community. ( Read our full EF Go Ahead Tours review here. )

Quick Facts about Group Tours for Solo Travel with EF Go Ahead

• Average group size:   Capped at 38 guests; usually 10 to 22 people.
• What’s included:  Guided tours, meals, accommodations, and transportation during the tour.
• Primary audience:  Adults aged 35+ with a mix of solo, couple, and group travelers.
• Destinations:   87 countries on all seven continents.
• How to book: Directly through EF Go Ahead or through a travel agent such as AAA .

4. Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent ’s luxury escorted tours hit the sweet spot with solo travelers, blending the   experience of vacationing with like-minded travelers with the privacy of retreating to your own accommodations at the end of each day. A Resident Tour Director remains with the group throughout and is assisted by specialized local guides.

ACTIVE OLDER TRAVELERS:   8 Best Senior Travel Tour Companies in 2024

Abercrombie & Kent’s website has a page dedicated to solo travelers, including special offers on single supplements, in some cases discounted by as much as 75%. Safaris in East and Southern Africa are very popular. By definition, safaris are not a solitary experience; guests go on game drives together, drink sundowners around the campfire, and converse about the day’s wildlife sightings over dinner. 

Quick Facts about Solo Travel Tours with Abercrombie & Kent

• Average group size:   14 people.
• Price range:   Upscale.
• What’s included:  Inter-itinerary flights, accommodations, luggage transfers, meals, mid-journey laundry, activities, and expert guides.
• What’s not included:   Airfare, though a flight concierge is available 24/7 to assist with airline delays.
• Primary audience:  Gen X to Boomers.
• Destinations:  More than 100 countries and on all seven continents.
• How to book: Directly through Abercrombie & Kent or Travelstride ; or through a travel agent such as AAA .

5. Wild Frontiers

Trips with British-based  Wild Frontiers  go off the beaten path to destinations such as Guatemala, Jordan, and Pakistan, and it’s especially suited to solo travel tours because approximately 70% of participants are solo travelers. If you’re willing to share a room, it will match you with a fellow traveler of the same sex. If there’s no other single on your tour, you’ll get your own room without paying any supplement. 

TOURS FOR YOUR TWENTIES: 7 Best Group Travel Companies for Young Adults and College Students in 2024

Tours are fully escorted with experienced guides who use their logistical expertise to troubleshoot the potential pitfalls and challenges of deep-dive, international travel. Hotels may not be the most expensive in town but they are characteristic of the destination and create a sense of place. Meals focus on independently owned eateries serving authentic regional specialties. 

Quick Facts about Group Tours for Solo Travel with Wild Frontiers

• Average group size:   12 people.
• What’s included:  All accommodations, meals, transport, and entrance fees.
• Primary audience:  Solo and adventure travelers of all ages.
• Destinations:   Central Asia and the Far East, Europe and the Caucasus, India Subcontinent, Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Pacific, and Sub Saharan Africa.
• How to book: Directly through Wild Frontiers or Tourhub ; or through a travel agent such as AAA .

6. Road Scholar

Not-for-profit  Road Scholar  is top option for solo seniors and boomers. Approximately 30% of its trip participants are traveling solo, with 85% identifying as female. Road Scholar trips tend to attract lifelong learners who are keen to plunge beneath the surface, so expect a robust exchange of ideas and plenty of stimulating conversations. 

FOOD AND WINE: 9 Best Companies for Culinary Tours and Food Tours in 2024

Two leaders ensure solo travelers feel included in the broader group. Leaders take care of logistics while local instructors add expertise on a broad range of topics along the way. Some of Road Scholar’s most popular tours for solo travelers include island hopping in Croatia, exploring New Orleans, and culinary adventures in Oaxaca. Road Scholar also has a collection of tours offering single rooms at no additional cost. ( Read our full Road Scholar review here .)

Quick Facts about Solo Traveler Tours with Road Scholar

• Average group size:   22 people.
• Price range:  Moderate.
• What’s included:  Accommodations, most meals, hands-on experiences, gratuities throughout the program, and the Road Scholar Assurance Plan .
• What’s not included:  Travel to and from the program and cancellation insurance.
• Primary audience:  Baby boomers and seniors.
• Destinations:  150 countries and all 50 states,   from Arizona to Zimbabwe.
• How to book: Directly through Road Scholar or Travelstride ; or through a travel agent such as AAA .

7. Intrepid Travel

At  Intrepid Travel , more than 50% of its customers are solo travelers. Responsible, experience-rich travel is a mission at this not-for-profit organization. The tour company prioritizes the preservation of indigenous cultures, climate education, and personal connections with locals. Solo travelers may choose a single room for a small extra charge or be paired with another traveler of the same gender.

SUPPORTED TRIPS: 4 Great Tour Companies with Independent Tours in 2024

Intrepid strives for inclusivity, so if you identify as a different gender than what is on your passport, let them know in advance so rooming options may be discussed. Popular solo travel tours with Intrepid include exploring Morocco, trekking in New Zealand, and visiting Bali.  In addition to taking care of the most minute details, your expert local leader also knows all the under-the-radar spots that many tourists miss, and trips tend to offer a bit of free time as well. 

Quick Facts about Solo Travel Tours with Intrepid

• Average group size: 10 people.
• Price range:  Economical/moderate.
• What’s included:  Accommodations, local transport, and some meals.
• What’s not included:  Airfare and travel insurance.
• Primary audience : Solo travelers and adults ages 25 to 40.
• Destinations : More than 1,000 trips to 100 countries across seven continents
• How to book: Directly through Intrepid , Travelstride , Tourhub , or TourRadar ; or through a travel agent such as AAA .

8. REI Adventures

For solo travelers who crave adventure in the great outdoors,  REI Adventures  hits the spot. The power of nature acts as a catalyst for bonding over shared fresh-air experiences, from kayaking to biking. And you won’t be staying at run-of-the-mill hotels, either. Instead, you’ll camp under the stars in comfy tents or sleep at a cozy park lodge. Trips for individuals who identify as  women  are guided by women and are very popular with solo travelers. Trips that cater to those  under 35 years old  attract youthful solos. 

BEFORE YOU GO: 10 Things to Know Before Your First Group Tour

REI Adventures focuses exclusively on American itineraries. Popular trips for solo travelers include hiking in Bryce Canyon, kayaking around the San Juan Islands, and backpacking in Joshua Tree. To keep costs reasonable, REI will pair you with a roommate; if no roommate is available, the company won’t charge you a single supplement fee. If you request private accommodations, you will pay a modest additional fee. REI members receive a discount. 

Quick Facts about Solo Travel Tours with REI Adventures

• Average group size:   10 people.
• What’s included:  Camping gear, meals, and national park fees.
• What’s not included:   Transportation to the trip starting point.
• Primary audience:  Travelers who love the outdoors.
• Destinations:  Eight states including Wyoming, Alaska, and California.
• How to Bbok: Directly via the REI Adventures website.

9. CIE Tours

Though U.S.-based, CIE Tours  is partly owned by the Irish government’s national transport company. It offers guided group trips to the U.K, Iceland, and Italy, but specializes in Ireland and is recognized as a bona fide expert and a top choice for anyone wanting to explore the Emerald Isle. Unlike most tour companies, which can charge extra when you come alone, CIE actually gives you a discount if you’re traveling solo.

SAYS CHEERS: 9 Best European Wine Tours to Take in 2024

Guided vacations are helmed by personable local tour directors who’ve undergone extensive training as well as annual workshops to keep them up to date. CIE’S guides also garner guest accolades thanks to their wealth of insider knowledge, including tidbits of Celtic lore that enhance the journey. Many have the Irish gift of gab, assuring easy conversations and sense of belonging. ( Read our full CIE Tours review here .)

Quick Facts about Solo Travel Tours with CIE Tours

• Average group size:   Up to 44 people.
• Price range : Moderate.
• What’s included:  Most meals including daily hot breakfast, all entrance fees to attractions and experiences, all on-tour transportation, free Wi-Fi on coaches and in hotels, baggage handlings, local taxes, and hotel service charges.
• Primary audience:  CIE Tours travelers average between 45 and 70 years old, and are primarily from the U.S. or Canada.
• Destinations:  Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, Italy, and Iceland.
• How to book: Directly through CIE Tours , Travelstride , or TourRadar ; or through a travel agent such as AAA .

10. Tauck Tours

Family-owned  Tauck  has been offering guided group vacations for close to a century. It doesn’t match single travelers with roommates, but in an effort to embrace solo travelers, the company has reduced or eliminated single supplements on some of its most popular trips. Trip directors work hard to ensure solo tour guests are integrated into the group dynamic and feel secure throughout the journey. 

ADVENTUROUS WOMEN:   9 Best Women-Only Travel Groups and Tour Operators for 2024

Tauck has longstanding relationships with a network of global partners, assuring every detail of each trip is seamless. And guides are known for their personal touch and are well-versed in local customs and traditions. Meals and hotels are notably top notch. ( Read our full Tauck review here .)

Quick Facts about Solo Traveler Tours with Tauck

• Average group size:   35 people.
• Price range:  Upscale.
• What’s included:  Gratuities, sightseeing and admissions, most meals, airport handling, luggage transfer, and taxes.
• What’s not included:  Airfare and adult beverages.
• Primary audience:  Upscale travelers over age 50.
• Destinations:  Over 100 destinations in more than 70 countries on seven continents.
• How to book: Directly through Tauck , Travelstride , or Tourhub ; or through a travel agent such as AAA .

More from TourScoop:

• 7 Best France Tours to Take in 2024
• 9 Best Italy Tours to Take in 2024
• 10 Best Spain Tours to Take in 2024

Road Scholar Debuts Special Trips for Retired Teachers

New Vacation Trend: European River Cruise Companies Are Now Targeting Family Travelers

New Year Tour Sales: They’re Big and They’re Limited Time

What’s tourscoop.

Tour Scoop’s team of travel experts brings you in-depth tour company overviews, tour itinerary reviews, the latest tour news, and travel tips and advice written just for guided tour travelers like you.

More about us

Whale Photography Tips from an Expedition Cruise Photo Instructor

Taking great pics of whales is no easy task. Here are tips.

Outdoor Afro and REI Co-op Team Up on New Trips Celebrating Black Joy

These tours celebrate Black joy through belonging, togetherness, and connection with nature.

Tours That Are Surprisingly Great for Teens and Their Families

Guided tours hit the sweet spot when it comes to traveling with teens.

The Scoop: What to Know About G Adventures

Award-winning small-group adventure-travel tours are the G Adventures specialty.

Solo Traveler

Solo travel tips, destinations, stories... the source for those who travel alone.

Solo Travel Statistics, Data 2023 – 2024: Historical Trends, Sources Cited

What's the latest data on the solo travel market? The trend of solo travel continues with year over year growth in the double digits. The trend of company's catering to this market started around 2009 with companies dropping the prohibitive single supplement to fill tours during tough economic times. See more below under the heading of Latest Sources of Solo Travel Statistics and Trends.

2,337 responded to the Solo Traveler's 2023 Reader Survey giving the travel industry current solo travel statistics and data. This is the 11th annual survey and is just one way in which we gather information on this important market niche. We also monitor the copious amount of travel research that is conducted every year to extract solo travel statistics and maintain a list of sources which you'll see below.

Travel industry data looks at solo travelers within the context of all travelers. Our reader survey targets solo travelers specifically, providing a better understanding of the solo travel market. This year our survey was held thanks to the support of Overseas Adventure Travel .

One of the reasons we are so diligent about gathering data on the solo travel market is that Simon , of our team, works with clients who are eager to serve solo travelers well. If you are such a company, you may also be interested in the following pages:

• Reach the Solo Travel Market  explains how we work with the travel industry.
• Our core advertising program for tour and cruise companies includes the Deals  page, the searchable trips page and our Solo Travel Advisory of Deals that is emailed to over 60,000+ subscribers twice a month.
• The blog with over 600 articles for solo travelers.

Table of Contents

Travel Solo Statistics: Demographics

As you can see above, according to Google Analytics data for Solo Traveler, 12% more women read our publication than men. This is a reasonable indicator of the gender split of those who travel solo and reflects most reporting on the subject.

However, there are some sources, like our annual reader survey, that skews results due to who responds to surveys. Our survey respondents were older and more female than our actual readership.

Why, How, Where & What Solo Travelers Spend

The Solo Traveler Reader Survey included 26 questions. The respondents were primarily women, American, and over 55 years of age. Below we show the results from a number of the questions. A few details of interest in the 2023 survey:

• Solo travelers are spending more on travel than in 2022.
• For the first time in years, the United States was the number 2 destination for solo travelers' next destination.
• Even more people than in previous years indicated that they take tours at least some of the time.
• More people identified adventure/nature as their travel style as opposed to urban.
• More than half of respondents plan to take two or more trips in 2024.
• More than half of respondents plan to take trips of 2 to 3 weeks or more in 2024.

Latest Sources of Solo Travel Statistics and Trends

In the section, you will find more data on solo travelers from organizations we trust. We do not publish the results of surveys and analysis that we think has been poorly designed. As we find new research we add to it with the most recent appearing at the top of the list.

• Travel Predictions 2024 from Booking.com (March 2024) “…solo travel is also booming, with 59% looking to venture alone. Even parents are joining the trend, with 58% planning child-free trips, prioritising self-growth. Men, in particular, are embracing solo travel (63% compared to 54% of women). Source
• From personalization to solo travel: Globus reveals its 2024 tour trends (January 2024) More than one-fourth of travellers (27%) said they plan to go solo on their next trip – that’s double previous years. Source
• Married Yet Solo: More Women Are Traveling Without Their Plus-Ones (December 2023). Skift reports on a number of sources identifying solo travel as a major trend. Source
• The Solo Travel Market Report (October 2023). For many years now, the solo travel market has grown significantly year over year, being frequently cited as one of the years major trends. “The Solo Travel Service Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2023 – 2030.” Source
• Skyscanner data indicates 54% are considering going solo this year. (2023)”Travel search engine  Kayak’s data  shows searches for single-traveler flights are 36 percent higher for 2023 travel than in 2022. While a  survey by Skyscanner , a Kayak rival, indicates one in two travelers (54 percent) are considering escaping solo in 2023, with 65 percent choosing to go their own way because family and friends don’t share their travel interests.” Source
• Over a Third of Brits Prefer to Travel Solo (2023) Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) commissioned research that revealed that over a third of Brits prefer to travel solo. According to the research, over one in three travelers (37 percent) claim they prefer to go it alone, and three in ten (31 percent) have already booked a solo holiday for 2023. Source
• Why more of us are travelling solo . (2022) Google searches for solo travel since April 2020 quadrupled to a new high this month, with demand evident across all age groups. Not only millennial backpackers but solo travellers of all ages joining small tour groups, forcing the travel industry to think differently about this fast growing travel trend. Source
• Post-pandemic travel is going solo . (2022) Statistics from every corner point to a rise in demand for solo trips. Data from Booking.com shows that pre-pandemic, only 14% of travelers were going solo, but by mid-2021 that number had almost doubled to 23%, while Google trend data showed that solo travel had risen by a massive 761.15%. Source
• More Travelers Are Going Solo in 2022 According to new research from MMGY, one in four travelers plans to travel solo in the next six months with Gen-Z and Millennials leading the way. Source
• Solo Travel Service Market Overview and Market Forecast 2028 . (2022) Global Solo Travel Service Market Report is a systematically conducted exhaustive study of the worldwide Solo Travel Service industry. As per the study, the market is expected to acquire notable returns and showcase a healthy growth rate during the forecast period. Source
• Solo travel dominant global leisure market. (2022) Solo segment is anticipated to dominate the global leisure travel market due to various factors such as social media influence, different preferences and interests, psychographic traits. Source
• Solo travelers and group tours (2021) Solo travelers “are joining guided tours at unprecedented rates, say tour organizers, with some companies reporting single bookings up 300 percent over those from couples, families or clusters of friends.” Source
• Booking.com data pre-pandemic (2021) saw only 14% of travelers were planning a trip on their own, whilst nearly double (23%) now say they will be planning a solo trip in the future. Source
• According to Google trend data , (2021) Solo travel is up by 761.15%. Many are now “biting the bullet” and seeking solo travel opportunities to promote their wellbeing and try new experiences. Source
• Post-Covid: Solo travel is the second-most popular category for post-lockdown trips, says Cox & Kings . (2020) A discussion about the solo market between Sue Livsey, senior manager – commercial at Cox & Kings, Sarah Weetman, head of trade sales at Just You, and Claire Brighton, account director for the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers. Source
• Klook concludes that solo travel continues to present promising business opportunities (2020) “We commissioned a global Solo Travel Survey last October … Of the nearly 21,000 people we surveyed around the globe, 76% indicated that they have either traveled alone already or are considering it – regardless of age, gender and nationality.” Source
• Women continue to travel solo more than men (2020) “47% of travelers with Overseas Adventure Travel are registered as ‘solo'. An astounding 85% of these solo travelers are women.”  Source
• Searches for “Solo Women Travel” surge in 2019. “Google searches for ‘solo women travel’ increased by 32% in 2017 and 59% in 2018. The search grew to a jaw-dropping 230% increase in 2019. Source
• Pinterest sees massive growth in interest for solo female travel. “Pinterest has also reported a 350% increase in women pinning articles in ‘solo female travel’.” Source
• Solo travel as a global trend continues to grow.  (2019) “Making up around 18% of global bookings, solo travel is becoming ever more popular and has increased by 7% in the last year alone. Solo travelers typically take longer trips than the other traveler personas at approximately 19 days on average.”  Source
• Gen Z and solo travel . (2019) “…a third say they actually prefer to be alone when traveling and almost 20% say they want to take a solo backpacking trip or gap year.” Source
• Solo travel #1 trend for 2019 according to Klook.  (2018) Solo travel, pop culture influence and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) effect are among the six driving factors in tours and activities for next year, reveals Hong Kong-based leading travel activities and services booking platform Source .
• 52% of solo travellers say they'd be interested in an escorted holiday . (2018) Mintel’s 2018 Solo Traveller Report revealed that 17% of adults took a holiday on their own in the last five years – a year-on-year rise of two percentage points. The majority of these, 15%, were ‘pure solo’ travellers, not travelling with a group. The study found 60% of respondents said there is a “widespread belief” the travel industry does not cater well enough for solo travellers and that 52% of solo travellers were interested in taking an escorted tour.  Source
• Adventure Travel Trade Association 2018 trends report highlights solo travel (2018) The 20 Adventure Trends to Watch in 2018, indicate solo travel is on the rise. One of their members report that over 80% of their millennial travelers are going solo. Source
• In 2018, 70% of passengers on Intrepid Travel’s US trips travelled on their own . Source
• 2017 Princeton Survey Research Associates study revealed that 58 per cent of millennials worldwide are willing to travel alone, compared to 47 per cent of older generations. The study found 26 percent of millennial women have already travelled solo, while a further 27 percent said they haven't but would consider holidaying by themselves. Source
• Searches for “solo female travel” grew by 52% between 2016 and 2017 . This report not only looks at the trend of solo female travel but also the purchasing power of women. Source
• Travel solo for relaxation . Agoda's ‘Solo Travel Trends 2018' survey, conducted by YouGov, found that relaxation and time to unwind is the number one motivator for solo leisure travel globally (61%), which compares to 48% when traveling with friends. Source
• Tour companies find that the majority of their female travelers are going solo . VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations says that 68 percent of their female travelers in 2016 took a trip without a companion, while Country Walkers says 87 percent of its female participants were single (that’s about 3.3 single women to every male traveler).  Source
• 38% of those who have traveled solo will do so again. Among the top five trips that people have already been on and would like to go on again, as they allow them to experience travel to the fullest solo trip (34%). Source
• Surge in baby boomers traveling solo . A study by Booking.com of 20,500 global travelers that was released in May of 2018 found that there “is also a surge in solo travel … with two fifths (40%) of global Baby Boomers having taken a solo trip in the last year, and a further fifth (21%) planning to take one in the future.”  Source
• Solo is a top trip they'd do again. Again from the Booking.com study, 34% or respondents said that solo travel is among the “top five trips that they have already been on and would like to go on again”.   Source
• Roughly one in four people say they will travel solo in the next year (2018) — and that’s on the rise, according to a survey of 2,300 people by marketing firm MMGY Global. Source
• Between January 1 2015 and December 2017, the number of searches on Google for solo travel  has risen significantly. The graph indicates approximately a 40% increase in searches for solo travel. Source

• 17% indicated that they would try solo travel for the first time in 2016 according to a survey of more than 44,000 travelers by online travel company TripAdvisor. Source
• The popularity of guided tours among solo travelers grew from 21% to 46% between 2013 and 2015. Source
• Between 2013 and 2015 the percentage of people polled who travel on their own grew from 15% to 24% according to the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015. Source
• 72 percent of American women are taking solo journeys
• American women ranked first in frequent solo travel, and are most likely to take three trips or more in a given year.
• 65% of US women polled have vacationed without a partner. Source

Related research on the solo travel market.

• The current western proportions of single-person households (e.g. 31 percent in the UK, 24% in California) are wholly unprecedented historically. Source
• Single-person households in the United States are set to grow steadily over the next 15 years… Source
• Booking.com research found that Australia is the number one international destination for solo travel .  Source
• Travel Agent anecdotal data on selling solo travel. “…solo clients are usually around 41 to 47 years old, have an income in the $150,000 range…  Also, about 85 percent are women.”  Source .
• Women are the ones booking tours and activities 67% of the time Source

Solo Travel Demographics from 2019 Survey

Our 2018 readers survey received 1,340 responses. As you can see below, the results show slightly different demographic information than that of the Solo Travel Society Facebook page with its 162,000+ fans. Combining this with data given from Google Analytics I can safely say that the majority of our readers fall into either the Millennial or Boomer categories and there are more women than men. I usually estimate the gender split as 75% women and 25% men.

Solo Travelers' Travel and Spending Habits – 2018 Survey Results

In 2018 the number of subscribers to Solo Traveler's newsletter grew from 35,000 to 46,000 which is up from 25,500 at the beginning of 2017. That's an 80% increase over two years. Yes, the solo travel market is growing. Many of our subscribers completed our 2018 reader survey. Below is a breakdown by age range of a variety of solo travel statistics we gathered from that survey. Here are a few takeaways:

• Solo travelers are highly educated.   50% of respondents indicated that they have a university or college degree or diploma and 35% have post-graduate degrees.
• Why do solo travelers go solo?  Respondents could choose more than one response. 59% said they want to see more of the world and they're not willing to wait for others. 45% like the freedom to do what they want when they want.
• 54% of respondents like group travel at least some of the time. That's up from 34% in the 2017 survey.
• Solo travelers are frequent travelers. 46% of respondents travel three or more times per year.
• Adventure beats out urban travel . 30% like adventure travel while only 23% favor urban travel
• 24% of readers spend more than $1,500 for one week excluding airfare. Most spend between $500 and $1,500 for the same (2017 result).
• 32% of solo travelers start planning 6 months before departure . 33% start planning 3 months or less before departure.

Sharing is caring!

Publisher Janice: info @ solotravelerworld.com

Editor Tracey: tracey @ solotravelerworld.com

Sales Simon: simon @ solotravelerworld.com

Get Solo Travel News & Deals

• Create Your Advertiser Account
• Login to Your Advertiser Account
• Solo Travel Statistics
• Media & Speaking
• Privacy Policy & Disclosure

The content of Solo Traveler and any resources published by Solo Traveler are meant for entertainment and inspiration only. Please note that while we have advertising clients promoting destinations, products, services, trips and tours on Solo Traveler and that we endeavour to only work with companies in which we have confidence, we are not responsible for the delivery or quality of their products or services. Every person and every travel situation is different. Your safety, satisfaction and fun traveling solo are your responsibility alone and not that of Solo Traveler, its publisher, editor and/or writers.

PRIVACY POLICY & DISCLOSURE: In accordance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize links located throughout the content on this site. Additionally, some posts might be sponsored to support this site. Please do the appropriate research before participating in any third party offers. All opinions are my own. Please read our full Privacy Policy here.

The Camino de Santiago for singles

1759 Reviews on

The Camino de Santiago for singles or unaccompanied people

The Camino de Santiago is an ideal trip for singles. Singles travel not only refers to people who are single or without a partner, but also include that group who, even with a partner, decide to travel solo.

For some as well as others, the Camino de Santiago is a good option for a holiday. The fame of the Camino de Santiago as a journey in which people establish special bonds is well known.

From some of these bonds, strong friendships are formed, which last a lifetime, and others go much further, establishing themselves real loving relationships among pilgrims. There are many singles that have returned with a partner from the Camino de Santiago!

The Camino de Santiago from Sarria is the most popular section, as it allows you to capture the essence of the Camino in just a few days, in addition to having the possibility to meet more pilgrims living the same experience. If you want to plan your trip, tell us when you want to do it and let us take care of everything.

Start Date:

Travellers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

[phonetext prefijo] [countrytext pais] [tracking-info]

Length of the Camino: 7 days/6 nights to Santiago 8 days/7 nights to Santiago 11 days/10 nights to Santiago

Meals Plan: Breakfast, dinner and picnic Breakfast and dinner Breakfast

By clicking Submit you accept the Booking Policy .

Among the group trips offered by travel agencies you will find many designed exclusively for singles . At Santiago Ways, although we offer organized trips on the Camino de Santiago from Sarria , we do not form groups composed exclusively of singles.

We do not do this because we consider that it is not necessary, since the very dynamics of the Camino de Santiago make it easier for single people to know other single people during the route. Here are some of the reasons why flirting or making new friends on the Camino de Santiago is very simple.

You’ll meet a lot of people on your tour

Doing the Camino de Santiago is a trip with a strong social component , as many pilgrims get to know each other on the tour, especially if you take the walking tour. Among the many people you’ll meet, it is very likely that you will establish friendly relationships that will be maintained after the end of the pilgrimage.

This fact makes it easier for singles looking for a partner to meet many other pilgrims, and pilgrims who are in the same situation. And, while it is true that love is not sought, those trips do allow you to meet other singles, such as the Camino de Santiago, and make it easier for chemistry to happen between two people.

You will meet all types of people

Unlike other types of trips, on the Camino de Santiago for singles you’ll meet all kinds of people . On the tour you will have the opportunity to share time with both single people and divorced or married people.

In addition, as indicated by the statistics from the Pilgrim’s Office, the Camino de Santiago is a route that is attractive to both men and women, to the same extent. The same goes for age, on the Camino de Santiago you will find singles of all ages.

Everyone wants to meet new people

On the Camino de Santiago people are much more open, not only singles, but all pilgrims. This makes it easy to meet new people and engage in conversation with them, even if you’re a very shy person.

In addition, on the Camino de Santiago more and more people manage to disconnect from technology. Looking someone in the eye is definitely the best way to establish a connection. Whether it’s love or friendship, it’s up to you.

Falling in love is easier for singles on the Camino de Santiago

A pilgrim once said to us, “Why use Tinder if the Camino de Santiago is here?” And he was certainly quite right. On the tour you see many people pass you by, and you will only have a fleeting glimpse of them, but with others you will coincide at various points along the route.

This means that if you know someone you’re attracted to, don’t rely just on a single date,  as with internet apps, for example. On the Camino de Santiago you will have the opportunity to share various meetings in which you can chat about your tastes, discovering whether there is affinity between you or not.

Other advantages for singles on the Camino de Santiago

We don’t want to close this article by just talking about how easy it is for singles looking for a partner to meet someone. There are many more advantages of doing the Camino de Santiago alone.  Here are some of them.

It’s an ideal trip to lose the fear of travelling unaccompanied

Given the social character of the Camino de Santiago, it is one of the most recommended destinations for singles. If you’ve never travelled alone, you’ll lose many of your fears , after completing one of the routes on the Camino de Santiago.

You go at your own pace

Another advantage of doing the Camino de Santiago if you are single is that you will feel totally free to organize the trip. You can choose the route you like the most or do only those stages that are most attractive to you. You’ll also be able to decide how many kilometres you want to do every day, without the pressure that could be exerted by organizing the trip with someone else.

You will discover yourself

Another advantage of doing the Camino de Santiago as a single person is that you have the opportunity to discover yourself.  Leaving your cosy environment and interacting with many new people makes you discover aspects of yourself that have been forgotten by day-to-day obligations.

You’ll leave problems behind you

Another advantage of the Camino de Santiago for singles is that no one reminds them of those problems they left at home. It’s a great way to leave worries behind.

You’ll test yourself

Travelling alone is a great way to test yourself. The Camino de Santiago not only tests your physical condition, but also your skills to manage unforeseen events and to interact with people of all kinds.

You’ll arouse curiosity

Both on the Camino de Santiago and when you return home you will arouse the curiosity of the people around you. There are many people who would like to travel alone, but who do not dare to. The fact that you have overcome your fears and that you have set out to complete the Camino de Santiago will make you even more interesting for everyone.

The best routes on the Camino de Santiago for singles

Finally, we want to remind you that not all the routes of the Camino de Santiago are the same. Each has its own characteristics and for that reason, not all are equally recommended for singles, especially if they are looking to meet other people.  In this section we talk about the two best routes of the Camino de Santiago for singles.

The Camino Frances for singles

The Camino Frances is the most popular route and therefore the most recommended route for singles.  On it, you will have the opportunity to meet many people who, like you, are looking forward to meeting other people.

This tour starts in St Jean Pied de Port and has a distance of 763.5 kilometres . However, it is more common for pilgrims to start the journey from intermediate stages. If you want to know more about this route, you can check our guide to the Camino de Santiago Frances.

The Camino Portugues for singles

The Camino Portugues is also a good choice for singles. Two routes on the Camino de Santiago run through Portugal, both of which are quite recommended for singles.

The two paths are quite popular and are also very simple . On them, you will also have the opportunity to meet many other pilgrims. If you are interested in the routes on the Camino de Santiago from Portugal, know all the information about its characteristics, route, points of interest and level of difficulty.

We do not want to say goodbye without first asking you that if you know of any interesting history of singles on the Camino de Santiago,  share it with us. Leave us a comment at the end of this post!

Finally, just remind you that if you go on the Camino de Santiago you can count on us . We can help you organize your route, offering you various services that make the experience much more comfortable and safe. Or you can also join one of our organized groups.

Whichever option you choose, please contact us . You can call us or write to us on our Facebook.

Buen Camino!

News about the Camino de Santiago

Doing the camino de santiago in sections: the magic is on the camino, camino de santiago gluten-free.

I will be walking the Portuguese Camino Santiago from Porto to Santiago by myself. I’m planning my trip but I don’t want my first day from porthole to be too long. Where is the best place to stay aside from going on the typical itinerary to Labruge??

We’re very glad about your interest in walking the Camino de Santiago with us. We will be happy to help you plan an itinerary.

The Reservations team will send you an email as soon as possible with all the information so you can enjoy the magic of the Camino.

If you do not receive the mail in 48 labour hours, please check your ‘Spam’ folder.

Kind regards,

Santiago Ways Team

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Best Selling Caminos De Santiago

The camino frances from sarria.

From Sarria to Santiago. Discover the essence of the last 100 km of the Camino.

More Information

The Camino Frances From St Jean

From St Jean Pied de Port to Pamplona. One of the most beautiful sections.

The Camino Portuguese From Tui

From Tui to Santiago. Feel the magic of the Portuguese Way’s final section.

The Portuguese Coastal Camino From Baiona

From Baiona to Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy the beauty of the Atlantic coast.

Camino De Finisterre

From Santiago to Finisterre, to the place known as “The End of the World”.

Camino De Santiago On Bike

We plan the Camino de Santiago by bike to suit you and offer bicycle rentals.

• Camino Frances
• Camino Portugues
• Camino Portugues Coastal Route
• Camino del Norte
• Camino de Finisterre
• Camino Primitivo
• Camino de Santiago Routes
• Camino de santiago

Most Sold Caminos

• Camino de Santiago from Sarria
• Camino de Santiago from St Jean
• Camino de Santiago from Tui
• Camino de Santiago from Baiona
• Camino de Santiago de Finisterre

Payment Methods

USE POLICIES

• Booking Policy
• Cancellation Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Legal Notice

How We Are Rated

• Gadget Insurance
• Gadget Insurance Reviews
• Compare Gadget Insurance
• Gadget Insurance Guides
• Pet Insurance
• Pet Insurance Reviews
• Compare Pet Insurance
• Pet Insurance Guides
• Travel Insurance
• Travel Insurance Reviews
• Compare Travel Insurance
• Travel Insurance Guides
• Equine Insurance Reviews
• Compare Equine Insurance

The Definitive Guide to Single Trip Travel Insurance

The single trip travel insurance guide.

There are currently well over 500 different single trip travel insurance policies to choose from. Selecting the right policy can seem a little overwhelming, so you will be glad to know that we have reviewed every one for you, ranking them by cover, sums insured and premium.

This review guide will help you understand what to look out for when picking single trip travel insurance and how to choose the right policy for you and your family.

The Single Trip Travel Insurance Market

What is a single trip travel insurance, what does single trip travel insurance cover.

• When should I buy single trip travel insurance

Can you take out single trip travel insurance after leaving?

Why get single trip insurance, who is a single trip travel insurance policy for, how much does single trip travel insurance cost, what affects the price of single trip travel insurance, what are the benefits of single trip travel insurance, what are the drawbacks of single trip travel cover, what are the exclusions under single trip holiday insurance, what extras can i include under a single trip travel.

• Tips when comparing single trip travel insurance.

Despite the current economic climate and the looming results of Brexit, there has been a steady increase in the number of visits abroad, which have risen by 31% since 2010, a trend which has been forecast to continue.

78% of all trips abroad were to Europe, with Spain being the most popular European destination (26% of all trips). North America (including Canada) was the second most visited destination with 6.5% of all UK overseas visits being made to the region. The number of flights leaving UK airspace has also increased from 46 million in 2013 to 61.7 million in 2017.

Short breaks and city trips, particularly to European destinations is a rising trend aided by budget airlines and an avalanche of online providers offering cheaper last minute deals. Trips typically last no more than four nights. This has led to a change in holiday habits, indicating that consumers are taking a greater number of shorter overseas breaks rather than one long annual holiday.

The benefit of a single trip policy is that you are only paying for the specific time you are away.

As mentioned above single trip travel insurance covers a wide range of unknown situations, such as:-

• Cancellation/Curtailment/Abandonment - The need to cancel, curtail or abandon your trip, as a result of death, bodily injury, illness, redundancy, foreign office directive, natural disaster or catastrophe.
• Emergency Medical Expenses – The cost of medical treatment and associated expenses (such as repatriation) required as a result of an illness or injury caused whilst you are abroad.
• Baggage Cover – The loss, theft, or accidental damage to your luggage, personal possessions or money.
• Missed Departure – additional expenses to assist you in reaching your destination if you have missed your original departure.
• Delayed Departure – Compensation if your flight is delayed for 12 hours or more.
• Delayed Baggage – The cost of essential items if your baggage has been lost or delayed.
• Personal Accident – Financial compensation disability or death as a result of an accident.
• Personal Liability – Protection if you injure a third part or damage their property.
• Legal Expenses – Should you need to sue for compensation.
• Hijack/Mugging – Compensation should you be hijacked or mugged whilst abroad.

When should I buy single trip travel insurance?

Your single trip policy should be purchased the moment you book your holiday or trip. Even if you are not planning to travel for several months, the moment that you take out a policy, you will be covered for cancellation of your trip.

For example: -

You or a relative become sick or have an accident and are unable to go on the trip.

You might have been made redundant and can't afford to go on the trip and you didn't know about the redundancy when you booked.

You could be forced to cancel your holiday due to bereavement.

Despite the need to book insurance immediately after you have reserved your trip, it is estimated that 35% of consumers actually take out travel insurance 0-1 days before they leave. Whilst no-one wants to cancel their trip abroad, at least insuring early will mean the Insurer will refund some or all of the travel costs.

Yes . If you have already left and forgotten travel insurance, there are several companies who will still provide cover. This is on the understanding that nothing has occurred at the time of taking out the cover which has led to a claim or may lead to a potential claim.

Obviously, the Insurer would not pay for your belongings if you’ve already lost them, medical bills if you’ve already incurred them, or any other events known to exist at the time of arranging cover which might give rise to a subsequent claim.

We have listed a few examples of companies who offer this service.

• True Traveller
• Globelink Travel Insurance
• Alpha Travel Insurance

To prevent fraud, there is normally no cover in the first 48 hours after you’ve taken out a policy, except where you suffer an injury as a result of an accident.

Whilst the last twelve months has seen an increase in the sale of single trip travel insurance, it is estimated that anywhere between 1 million to 3 million travellers didn't bother to take out a policy before they left for their trip abroad. Those customers who didn't take out cover cited the cost, poor past experience, or ignorance as the main reasons for not insuring themselves.

Travel Insurance has never been more competitive. A single trip policy covering a few days away can be purchased for just a few pounds. There is no good reason for you to travel abroad without Insurance. It doesn't make any financial sense NOT to take out travel insurance.

If you are planning a trip, even if it is only to Europe for a few days, you shouldn't just rely on the European Health Insurance Card . A serious injury may still leave you with a large medical and repatriation bill, having your luggage stolen or having to cancel the trip altogether, can leave you thousands of pounds out of pocket. For the cost of a round of drinks, you can travel knowing you are fully protected, should the unthinkable happen.

Most single trip policies can be taken out by an individual. Many policies offer a discount for couples (who live together) and families consisting of a single or two parents and up to eight children. In many cases children can travel free of charge

Asda Travel Insurance will include children at no extra cost under their family policy

Insurewithease.com will cover children for free under all their single trip policies

Some single trip policies will allow groups of individuals (who are not necessarily related) to cover themselves under the same policy (as long as they are travelling together and to the same destination). The majority of these will cover up to ten individuals and offer a discount.

A few companies will cover more than ten individuals such as TopdogTravelInsurance.com

Most policies require you to insure for a minimum of three days with a maximum period of 12 months (some companies will cover you up to 24 months), useful if you are planning to travel around the world for a year, or need to spend a few months with relatives. (There are specialist backpacker policies for longer term travel, but the cover isn't usually as comprehensive).

What you’ll pay for travel insurance is affected by a number of individual factors, such as:

Your age - In general the younger you are the cheaper your insurance is going to be. However some Insurers charge more for the under 25's, so it's important to compare costs. Price increase steadily until you hit your 60's when there is a huge step up in cost, in some cases by as much as 100%.

For travellers over the age of 75 the choice becomes less and the premium even higher. There are several companies who have no age limit on single trip travel insurance such as Holidaysafe.com , and Allclear Travel Insurance , who also specialise in travel insurance with Medical Conditions.

The level of cover - Like other companies, we rate travel insurance policies on a scale of 1 - 5, (with 5 being the highest rating) but unlike other companies, we take a much stricter approach to our award structure. We believe a 5 star policy should be just that, a policy that has the most comprehensive and highest levels of cover, combined with the lowest excess.

Of course these policies come with a higher price tag, but you can still find five star rated policies that are extremely competitive. For Example Holidaysafe's five star rated Premier Plus policy costs only £39.23 for a two week vacation anywhere in the world.

Four star policies are still worth considering but may not have the absolute highest levels of cover. The cheapest four star rated policy based on the same duration and destination as the example above is through Explorer Travel Insurance and their four star rated Platinum policy costing £28.37 .

If you don't need the highest levels of cover, three star policies are an option. Cover tends to meet the industry averages, but may be missing features like gadget cover, or end supplier failure and the excess may be higher.

You need to pay more attention and compare policies carefully if you are choosing a three star policy, to make sure your requirements are still met, but there are some great bargains to be had. Using the same criteria as above, Alpha Travel Insurance provides the cheapest option in respect of their three star rated Alpha 50 ST policy costing £22.61 .

One and two star policies are for those who only require the bare minimum cover for example just medical expenses and aren't worried about cancellation, baggage cover, missed or delayed departure. The advantage is that premiums are extremely cheap. If you are one of those people that hasn't in the past bothered with travel insurance, you should at the very least opt for a one or two star rated policy that covers emergency medical expenses, like CheaperTravelInsurance's bronze policy .

The type of holiday - two weeks sunbathing by the pool is going to cost less than two weeks skiing. Any holiday which includes adventurous activities such as skiing, scuba diving, mountain climbing, or trekking will cost you more and in most cases will be a paid option in addition to the standard premium.

Your Destination - Trips are normally split into three or four (sometimes five) regions. Trips to Europe France Germany etc. will be the cheapest. Taking advantage of the European Health Insurance card means that medical bills are lower for the Insurer.

Some Insurers charge a higher premium to include Balearic countries (Mallorca for example), as they tend to operate a higher level of private healthcare which costs more.

Some Insurers use a different rating structure if you are visiting either Australia or New Zealand. Whilst medical costs tend to be higher than European countries, there are reciprocal healthcare arrangements in place between the UK and these countries, known as MEDICARE and the medical cost to the Insurer is reduced.

The last two regions are the rest of the world excluding the USA and Canada and worldwide including the USA and Canada. In general terms, the further you travel the more expensive the policy will be. The cost of medical treatment in the USA and Canada, whilst excellent, is notoriously expensive and naturally premiums charged reflect this.

The duration of your holiday - Simply put, the longer you are abroad, the higher the cost of travel insurance.

Medical Conditions – if you have a pre-existing medical condition, chances are your premium will be higher. However there are some good travel insurers, who specialise in travel insurance with Medical conditions such as All Clear Travel Insurance . Don’t be tempted not to disclose any conditions, as failure to declare a pre-existing medical condition could invalidate your insurance. Read our guide on the rules of taking medicine abroad .

• You only pay for the exact time you will be away.
• The cover you choose will be tailored to that specific trip. For example if you have recently purchased an expensive laptop, you can make sure it’s specified. You can also make sure specific activities are covered which may not be the case with annual travel insurance .
• Most annual policies have a single trip limit of 31 days. If you are travelling abroad for a longer period, a single trip policy would be the only option.
• If you are only planning to go abroad once per year, a single trip policy should be cheaper than an annual one.
• It may be more expensive to purchase single trip policies if you are planning more than one trip per year.
• Every time you take a trip abroad, you would have to spend additional time re-comparing quotes and cover.
• You must remember to take out a single trip policy every time you book a trip abroad.
• Prices for travel insurance could increase over the course of a year, whereas with an annual policy you have already paid the premium for twelve months cover.
• Loss or theft of, or damage to baggage, including valuables, gadgets and money if they are left unattended at any time (including a vehicle, or whilst in the care of a carrier), unless they were locked in a safe or left in your locked accommodation.
• Loss or damage caused by your baggage being delayed confiscated or detained by customers or any other authority.
• Losing or not having the correct documents (passport, visa, inoculation certificate, travel tickets) that you need to travel.
• Travelling to a country or specific area, which has been advised against by the Foreign and Commonwealth office, or World Health Organization.
• Travelling, to take part in a professional sport, or professional entertaining.
• Changing your plans, returning home or cancelling a trip, because you no longer want to travel, didn’t enjoy the holiday or simply changed your mind.
• Placing yourself in unnecessary danger, for example jumping or diving from a pier, wall, bridge or rock, including tomb stoning, or shore diving.
• Climbing on top of or jumping from a vehicle. Climbing or jumping from a building or balcony.
• Drinking too much alcohol, or taking drugs.
• Claiming for costs that were paid for using any airline mileage reward scheme.
• Claiming for illness caused as a result of a pre-existing medical condition, which you didn’t declare when taking out the insurance.
• Planning an adventure holiday which includes an activity such as skiing , scuba diving, white water rafting or mountaineering and you haven’t told the Insurer.

In addition to the standard cover, you are in many cases, able to extend a policy to include further activities such as Golf or Cruise holidays , and the additional costs associated with a wedding abroad.

Travel Insurance may also be extended to cover business trips , including business equipment and car hire excess. For those who plan to trek or mountaineer, cover can be extended to include the cost of search and rescue.

Tips when comparing single trip travel insurance

You should think about the type of trip you are taking (business, relaxing holiday, weekend break, adventure holiday), the overall cost, how much luggage you are taking with you.

Emergency Medical Treatment - The vast majority of policies cover £10 Million and upwards, but you should go for at least £5 Million.

Cancellation – Make sure that the maximum exceeds the total cost of your holiday, including hotel or villa, flights, or cost of travel and pre-paid excursions.

Baggage – Add up the total cost of personal possessions that you will take with you on your trip and make sure this is under the policy limit. Also pay attention to the single article limit, the valuables limit, and the limit for gadgets like laptops, mobile phones etc. Make sure you are not carrying more than you are insured for.

Money and Cash – Check the policies inner cash limit. Don’t carry more cash than the limit allows, because if it is stolen or you are mugged, you won’t be insured.

Legal Expenses – It is always good to know that you have any legal costs covered, so go for a policy that includes it as standard.

Personal Liability – Accidents happen and sometimes caused by you, so choose a policy that includes at least £1 Million, preferably £2 Million of Personal Liability cover.

Activities – Think about the activities you plan to do whilst on your trip and check the policy to ensure they are either automatically included (even common activities like swimming or snorkelling) or that you have paid the correct additional premium to include them.

Excess – Some policies don’t charge any excess, but if you can stand to take a small hit in the event of a claim, then premiums can be reduced if you elect a large voluntary excess.

Finally if you are using a comparison website, don’t just settle for the cheapest, because the protection offered may not be enough to cover your holiday. Carry out your research carefully. If you want an unbiased opinion use our free travel insurance comparison and rating tool to help you narrow down your search.

Travel News

15 Mar 2020

Coronavirus Travel Insurance Update

05 Mar 2020

Flybe goes out of business What are my rights?

11 Feb 2020

Travel Insurance Coronavirus and Your rights explained

23 Sep 2019

Thomas Cook collapses – British Tourists are flown back home

16 Apr 2019

The European Health Insurance card how it works in 2019

23 Jan 2019

Why Bother with Insurance for your holiday?

16 Nov 2018

Our Top Ten Tips for Travelling with Medical Conditions

02 Oct 2018

Primera Air Collapses Passengers left stranded and out of pocket

04 Aug 2018

ABTA warning to Holidaymakers – Our ten tips for safer travel

17 Jun 2018

Taking medication abroad in 2018

• Press Releases
• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Mission Statement

Copyright © 2024 - That's Insurance

Definition of 'tour'

Video: pronunciation of tour

tour in British English

Tour in american english, tour in the oil and gas industry, examples of 'tour' in a sentence tour, cobuild collocations tour, trends of tour.

View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically tour

• tour a province
• tour a region
• tour a show
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'T'

Related terms of tour

• View more related words

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools

Watch CBS News

Taylor Swift shocker: New album, "The Tortured Poets Department," is actually a double album

By Alex Sundby , Brian Dakss

Updated on: April 19, 2024 / 10:28 PM EDT / CBS News

Anticipation was growing at a fever pitch before Taylor Swift's latest album, " The Tortured Poets Department ," dropped at midnight EDT. But the pop superstar had a huge surprise on tap: It's actually a double album.

When Part One dropped, Swift wrote on Instagram , "All's fair in love and poetry... New album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. Out now 🤍"

Then came the shocker, revealed in an Instagram post saying , "It's a 2am surprise: The Tortured Poets Department is a secret DOUBLE album. ✌️ I'd written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here's the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology. 15 extra songs. And now the story isn't mine anymore… it's all yours. 🤍."

What's Taylor Swift's new album about?

Swift described the album as "new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure."

She also said that time has been "closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted."

"Entertainment Tonight" correspondent Denny Directo called the record some of her most vulnerable work.

"Fans were left with more questions than there were answers, so good luck trying to decipher who these songs are about, what they mean," Directo told CBS News. "… I feel like there's more heartbreak songs on this than there are love songs."

Hours ahead of the record's release, Swift said on social media that its first single was "Fortnight," featuring Post Malone, and its music video was released Friday night .

Swift praised the Grammy-nominated artist's musical experimentation and melodies "that just stick in your head forever."

"I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight," Swift said in her post .

"Fortnight" isn't the only track on the album on which Swift worked with another artist. Florence and The Machine is also featured.

What's on "The Tortured Poets Department" tracklist?

Swift posted an initial tracklist to social media in February one day after she announced the album at  the Grammys , where she won for best pop vocal album. Here's the list of all 31 songs:

• "Fortnight"
• "The Tortured Poets Department"
• "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
• "So Long, London"
• "But Daddy I Love Him"
• "Fresh Out the Slammer"
• "Florida!!!"
• "Guilty as Sin?"
• "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"
• "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
• "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
• "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
• "The Alchemy"
• "Clara Bow"
• "The Black Dog"
• "imgonnagetyouback"
• "The Albatross"
• "Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus"
• "How Did It End?"
• "So High School"
• "I Hate It Here"
• "thanK you aIMee"
• "I Look in People's Windows"
• "The Prophecy"
• "Cassandra"
• "The Bolter"
• "The Manuscript"

What are Taylor Swift's concert dates for The Eras Tour?

Swift resumes her wildly successful Eras Tour next month in Europe with shows scheduled for Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. until August. In the fall, the tour returns to North America with performances in Indianapolis, Miami, New Orleans, Toronto and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Here are the dates for upcoming shows:

• May 9 Paris
• May 10 Paris
• May 11 Paris
• May 12 Paris
• May 17 Stockholm
• May 18 Stockholm
• May 19 Stockholm
• May 24 Lisbon, Portugal
• May 25 Lisbon, Portugal
• May 29 Madrid
• May 30 Madrid
• June 2 Lyon, France
• June 3 Lyon, France
• June 7 Edinburgh, Scotland
• June 8 Edinburgh, Scotland
• June 9 Edinburgh, Scotland
• June 13 Liverpool, England
• June 14 Liverpool, England
• June 15 Liverpool, England
• June 18 Cardiff, Wales
• June 21 London
• June 22 London
• June 23 London
• June 28 Dublin
• June 29 Dublin
• June 30 Dublin
• July 4 Amsterdam
• July 5 Amsterdam
• July 6 Amsterdam
• July 9 Zurich
• July 10 Zurich
• July 13 Milan
• July 14 Milan
• July 17 Gelsenkirchen, Germany
• July 18 Gelsenkirchen, Germany
• July 19 Gelsenkirchen, Germany
• July 23 Hamburg, Germany
• July 24 Hamburg, Germany
• July 27 Munich
• July 28 Munich
• Aug. 1 Warsaw, Poland
• Aug. 2 Warsaw, Poland
• Aug. 3 Warsaw, Poland
• Aug. 8 Vienna
• Aug. 9 Vienna
• Aug. 10 Vienna
• Aug. 15 London
• Aug. 16 London
• Aug. 17 London
• Aug. 19 London
• Aug. 20 London
• Oct. 18 Miami
• Oct. 19 Miami
• Oct. 20 Miami
• Oct. 25 New Orleans
• Oct. 26 New Orleans
• Oct. 27 New Orleans
• Nov. 1 Indianapolis
• Nov. 2 Indianapolis
• Nov. 3 Indianapolis
• Nov. 14 Toronto
• Nov. 15 Toronto
• Nov. 16 Toronto
• Nov. 21 Toronto
• Nov. 22 Toronto
• Nov. 23 Toronto
• Dec. 6 Vancouver, British Columbia
• Dec. 7 Vancouver, British Columbia
• Dec. 8 Vancouver, British Columbia
• Taylor Swift

Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.

More from CBS News

Gov. Newsom announces first California state park in a decade on Earth Day

California Forever promises to combine agriculture, energy production with large solar farm in Solano County

2 killed in Tracy crash, DUI suspect arrested

Stabbing inside Elk Grove home under investigation

Kotlin Multiplatform Development Help

What is cross-platform mobile development.

Nowadays, many companies are facing the challenge of needing to build mobile apps for multiple platforms, specifically for both Android and iOS. This is why cross-platform mobile development solutions have emerged as one of the most popular software development trends.

According to Statista, there were 3.55 million mobile apps available on the Google Play Store and 1.6 million apps on the App Store in the third quarter of 2022, with Android and iOS together now accounting for 99% of the worldwide mobile operating system market .

How do you go about creating a mobile app that can reach Android and iOS audiences? In this article, you will find out why more and more mobile engineers are choosing a cross-platform, or multiplatform, mobile development approach.

Cross-platform mobile development: definition and solutions

Multiplatform mobile development is an approach that allows you to build a single mobile application that runs smoothly on several operating systems. In cross-platform apps, some or even all of the source code can be shared. This means that developers can create and deploy mobile assets that work on both Android and iOS without having to recode them for each individual platform.

Different approaches to mobile app development

There are four main ways to create an application for both Android and iOS.

1. Separate native apps for each operating system

When creating native apps, developers build an application for a particular operating system and rely on tools and programming languages designed specifically for one platform: Kotlin or Java for Android, Objective-C or Swift for iOS.

These tools and languages give you access to the features and capabilities of a given OS and allow you to craft responsive apps with intuitive interfaces. But if you want to reach both Android and iOS audiences, you will have to create separate applications, and that takes a lot of time and effort.

2. Progressive web apps (PWAs)

Progressive web apps combine the features of mobile apps with solutions used in web development. Roughly speaking, they offer a mix of a website and a mobile application. Developers build PWAs using web technologies, such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and WebAssembly.

Web applications do not require separate bundling or distribution and can be published online. They are accessible via the browser on your computer, smartphone, and tablet, and don't need to be installed via Google Play or the App Store.

The drawback here is that users cannot utilize all of their device's functionality while using the app, such as contacts, calendars, the phone, and other assets, which results in a limited user experience. In terms of app performance, native apps have the lead.

3. Cross-platform apps

As mentioned earlier, multiplatform apps are designed to run identically on different mobile platforms. Cross-platform frameworks allow you to write shareable and reusable code for the purpose of developing such apps.

This approach has several benefits, such as efficiency with respect to both time and cost. We'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of cross-platform mobile development in a later section.

4. Hybrid apps

When browsing websites and forums, you may notice that some people use the terms "cross-platform mobile development" and "hybrid mobile development" interchangeably. Doing so, however, is not entirely accurate.

When it comes to cross-platform apps, mobile engineers can write code once and then reuse it on different platforms. Hybrid app development, on the other hand, is an approach that combines native and web technologies. It requires you to embed code written in a web development language, like HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, into a native app. You can do this with the help of frameworks, such as Ionic Capacitor and Apache Cordova, using additional plugins to access the native functionalities of platforms.

The only similarity between cross-platform and hybrid development is code shareability. In terms of performance, hybrid applications are not on par with native apps. Because hybrid apps deploy a single codebase, some features are specific to a particular OS and don't function well on others.

Native or cross-platform app development: a longstanding debate

The debate around native and cross-platform development remains unresolved in the tech community. Both technologies are in constant evolution and come with their own benefits and limitations.

Some experts still prefer native mobile development over multiplatform solutions, identifying the stronger performance and better user experience of native apps as some of the most important benefits.

However, many modern businesses need to reduce the time to market and the cost of per-platform development while still aiming to have a presence both on Android and iOS. This is where cross-platform development technologies like Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) can help, as David Henry and Mel Yahya, senior software engineers at Netflix, note :

Is cross-platform mobile development right for you?

Choosing a mobile development approach that is right for you depends on many factors, like business requirements, objectives, and tasks. Like any other solution, cross-platform mobile development has its pros and cons.

Benefits of cross-platform development

There are plenty of reasons businesses choose this approach over other options.

1. Reusable code

With cross-platform programming, mobile engineers don't need to write new code for every operating system. Using a single codebase allows developers to cut down on time spent doing repetitive tasks, such as API calls, data storage, data serialization, and analytics implementation.

Technologies like Kotlin Multiplatform allow you to implement the data, business, and presentation layers of your app just once. Alternatively, you can adopt KMP gradually: Choose a piece of logic that changes frequently and usually goes out of sync, such as data validation, filtering, or sorting; make it cross-platform; and then connect it to your project as a microlibrary.

At JetBrains, we regularly conduct Kotlin Multiplatform surveys and ask our community members about what parts of code they share between different platforms.

2. Time savings

Due to code reusability, cross-platform applications require less code, and when it comes to coding, less code is more. Time is saved because you do not have to write as much code. Additionally, with fewer lines of code, there's less room for bugs to emerge, resulting in less time spent testing and maintaining your code.

3. Effective resource management

Building separate applications is expensive. Having a single codebase helps you effectively manage your resources. Both your Android and your iOS development teams can learn how to write and use shared code.

4. Attractive opportunities for developers

Many mobile engineers view modern cross-platform technologies as desirable elements in a product's tech stack. Developers may get bored at work when having to perform repetitive and routine tasks, such as JSON parsing. However, new technologies and tasks can bring back their excitement, motivation, and joy for work. In this way, having a modern tech stack can actually make it easier for you to both staff your mobile development team and keep it engaged and enthusiastic for longer.

5. Opportunity to reach wider audiences

You don't have to choose between different platforms. Since your app is compatible with multiple operating systems, you can satisfy the needs of both Android and iOS audiences and maximize your reach.

6. Quicker time to market and customization

Since you don't need to build different apps for different platforms, you can develop and launch your product much faster. What's more, if your application needs to be customized or transformed, it will be easier for programmers to make small changes to specific parts of your codebase. This will also allow you to be more responsive to user feedback.

Challenges of a cross-platform development approach

All solutions come with their own limitations. Some in the tech community argue that cross-platform programming still struggles with glitches related to performance. Furthermore, project leads might have fears that their focus on optimizing the development process might negatively impact the app's user experience.

With improvements to the underlying technologies, however, cross-platform solutions are becoming increasingly stable , adaptable, and flexible.

Here are the results of two Kotlin Multiplatform user surveys regarding framework usage, conducted 6 months apart:

Another commonly voiced concern is that multiplatform development makes it impossible to seamlessly support the native features of platforms. With Kotlin Multiplatform, however, you can use Kotlin's expected and actual declarations to enable your multiplatform app to access platform-specific APIs. Expected and actual declarations allow you to define in common code that you "expect" to be able to call the same function across multiple platforms and provide the "actual" implementations, which can interact with any platform-specific libraries thanks to Kotlin's interoperability with Java and Objective-C/Swift.

As modern multiplatform frameworks continue to evolve, they increasingly allow mobile engineers to craft a native-like experience. If an application is well-written, the user will not be able to notice the difference. However, the quality of your product will heavily depend on the cross-platform app development tools you choose.

The most popular cross-platform solutions

The most popular cross-platform frameworks include Flutter, React Native, and Kotlin Multiplatform. Each of these frameworks has its own capabilities and strengths. Depending on the tool you use, your development process and the outcome may vary.

Created by Google, Flutter is a cross-platform development framework that uses the Dart programming language. Flutter supports native features, such as location services, camera functionality, and hard drive access. If you need to create a specific app feature that's not supported in Flutter, you can write platform-specific code using the Platform Channel technology .

Apps built with Flutter need to share all of their UX and UI layers, which is why they may not always feel 100% native. One of the best things about this framework is its Hot Reload feature, which allows developers to make changes and view them instantly.

This framework may be the best option in the following situations:

You want to share UI components between your apps but you want your applications to look close to native.

The app is expected to put a heavy load on CPU/GPU and performance is likely to require optimization.

You need to develop an MVP (minimum viable product).

Among the most popular apps built with Flutter are Google Ads, Xianyu by Alibaba, eBay Motors, and Hamilton.

React Native

Facebook introduced React Native in 2015 as an open-source framework designed to help mobile engineers build hybrid native/cross-platform apps. It's based on ReactJS – a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. In other words, it uses JavaScript to build mobile apps for Android and iOS systems.

React Native provides access to several third-party UI libraries with ready-to-use components, helping mobile engineers save time during the development process. Like Flutter, it allows you to see all your changes immediately, thanks to the Fast Refresh feature.

You should consider using React Native for your app in the following cases:

Your application is relatively simple and is expected to be lightweight.

The development team is fluent in JavaScript or React.

Applications built with React Native include Facebook, Instagram, Skype, and Uber Eats.

Kotlin Multiplatform

Kotlin Multiplatform is an open-source technology built by JetBrains that allows developers to share code across platforms while retaining the benefits of native programming. Its key benefits include:

The ability to reuse code across Android, iOS, web, desktop, and server-side while keeping native code if needed.

Smooth integration with existing projects. You can utilize platform-specific APIs while making the most of both native and cross-platform development.

Full code-sharing flexibility and the ability to share both the logic and the UI, thanks to Compose Multiplatform , a modern declarative cross-platform UI framework built by JetBrains.

No need to introduce a new language to your codebase when you already use Kotlin for Android. You can reuse your Kotlin code and expertise, which makes migrating to Kotlin Multiplatform less risky compared to other technologies.

If your team needs help adopting a new multiplatform technology, we recommend reviewing our guide on How to introduce multiplatform development to your team .

McDonald's, Netflix, 9GAG, VMware, Cash App, Philips, and many other companies are already capitalizing on Kotlin Multiplatform's ability to be gradually integrated, as well as its low adoption risk. Some of them opt to enhance their app stability by sharing specific, crucial segments of their existing Kotlin code. Others aim to maximize code reuse without compromising app quality and share all application logic across mobile, desktop, web, and TV, while preserving native UIs on each platform. The benefits of this approach are apparent from the stories of the companies that have already adopted it.

As cross-platform development solutions continue to evolve, their limitations have begun to pale in comparison to the benefits they provide. A variety of technologies are available on the market, all suited to different sets of workflows and requirements. Each of the tools discussed in this article offers extensive support for teams thinking about giving cross-platform a try.

Ultimately, carefully considering your specific business needs, objectives, and tasks, and developing clear goals that you want to achieve with your app, will help you identify the best solution for you.

Imagine Dragons To Unveil New Album ‘LOOM’ On June 28th & Launch North American Headline Tour

TICKETS GO ON-SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 26

New single “eyes closed” available now, entering a fearlessly bold era, imagine dragons will unveil their anxiously awaited sixth full-length album, loom (kidinakorner/interscope), on june 28, 2024., pre-order/pre-save here ..

“Imagine Dragons are flying higher than ever ….Ten years after their commercial breakthrough, the Las Vegas rockers are still scoring real crossover hits, playing to packed houses, and playing a U2-esque long game” – Billboard

“Imagine Dragons still know how to efficiently stomp stadiums into rubble…The alt-rock band remains reliably, radioactively enormous ”—Rolling Stone

In tandem with the record, the band will embark on their biggest North American headline tour to date. Descending upon legendary venues across the country, it kicks off on July 30, 2024 in Camden, NJ at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion , rolls through major markets coast-to-coast, and concludes on October 22, 2024 at Los Angeles’ iconic Hollywood Bowl . Check out the full confirmed itinerary below.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) beginning on April 23.  Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning on April 26 at 10AM local time at https://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com/tour .

VIP: Several VIP experiences will be available. Select packages include a signed guitar played by a member of Imagine Dragons on stage that night, a backstage tour, on-stage photo, and more!  All VIP packages include early entry, digital activities, and exclusive merchandise. Learn more at ImagineDragonsVIP.com.

PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Imagine Dragons tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning April 23 at 10AM local time until Thursday, April 25 at 10PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com .

Imagine Dragons’ sixth studio album LOOM represents the pinnacle of their artistic journey of self-discovery and marks the best body of work they’ve ever made. LOOM , produced entirely by Imagine Dragons and their longtime collaborators Mattman and Robin, finds the perfect balance between the classic sounds that have made them superstars and the freshness that brought them joy in the studio. Featuring 9 brand new tracks including hit single “Eyes Closed”, LOOM signifies new beginnings on the horizon – the excitement for a new day, moments yet to come.

Last year, the members of Imagine Dragons found themselves with a rare and well-deserved break from the road—perhaps their longest in many years. So, they made the most of it by devoting that time to family and friends. Catalyzed by this respite with a refreshed perspective, the band rallied together in the studio and mined the same well of inspiration that fed their most beloved material. The musicians reflected on the past in order to catapult into a future where stylistic boundaries have disappeared entirely and anything is possible creatively. This journey has brought them to their most dynamic and definitive body of work to date, LOOM .

To herald LOOM , the band recently shared their soaring new anthem entitled “Eyes Closed.” Check out the video HERE . The track illuminates their penchant for boundary-breaking. Stretching the limits of the soundscape almost to the breaking point, they harness a burst of energy with a rafter-reaching refrain primed to soar on the upcoming summer tour.

It’s the year of the Dragons …

Tour Dates:

July 30, 2024 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

August 2, 2024 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater

August 4, 2024 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

August 6, 2024 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

August 8, 2024 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage

August 12, 2024 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

August 14, 2024 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake

August 16, 2024 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

August 18, 2024 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

August 20, 2024 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

August 22, 2024 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

August 23, 2024  – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion

August 26, 2024 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater

August 28, 2024 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion

August 30, 2024 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

September 1, 2024 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

September 4, 2024 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

September 6, 2024 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman

September 8, 2024 – Ridgedale, MO – Thunder Ridge Nature’s Arena

September 28, 2024 – Seattle, WA, The Gorge Amphitheatre

September 29, 2024 – Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater

October 2, 2024 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre

October 5, 2024 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

October 6, 2024 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

October 9, 2024 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater

October 11, 2024 – Salt Lake City, UT –  Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre

October 17, 2024 – Denver, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

October 20, 2024 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

October 22, 2024 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl

Photo Credit: Eric Ray Davidson

ABOUT IMAGINE DRAGONS:

Imagine Dragons continue to redefine rock in the 21 st century. Filling stadiums, crafting cloud-rattling anthems, and breaking records at every turn, diamond-certified GRAMMY® Award-winning Las Vegas quartet Imagine Dragons occupy rarified air as one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Tallying cumulative sales of 74 million album equivalents, 65 million digital songs, and over 160 billion streams, they stand out as “the only band in history to earn four RIAA Diamond singles , ” namely “Radioactive” (16x-platinum), “Believer” (13x-platinum), “Thunder” (12x-platinum) and “Demons” (11x-platinum). Since emerging in 2009, they’ve scored five consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with Night Visions [2012] (7x-platinum) (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope), Smoke+Mirrors [2015] (platinum) (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope), Evolve [2017] (triple-platinum) (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope), Origins [2018] (platinum)(KIDinaKORNER/Interscope), and Mercury – Act 1 [2021]( KIDinaKORNER/Interscope). With the release of Mercury – Act 2 (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope) in 2022, they completed their first double-album opus produced by the legendary Rick Rubin. The hit single “Bones,” featured on Mercury Act 2, went to number one at Alternative Radio and remains in the Global Top 50 on Spotify. The band’s hit collaboration with East Atlanta-based rapper J.I.D, “Enemy,” has racked up billions of global streams and landed at #6 on the IFPI Global Singles Chart for 2022. Dominating radio, they remain one of only four bands to ever achieve consecutive Top 5 singles at Alternative radio, and the only band to repeat this feat. Most recently, Imagine Dragons made history on Spotify, as “Bad Liar” became their 10th song to surpass 1 billion streams. The band now holds the crown for the group with most billion-plus streamed songs, becoming the first in the platform’s history to have ten songs reach this milestone. Meanwhile, Imagine Dragons’ music videos for hits “Thunder” and “Believer” have garnered an astounding 2 billion YouTube views, while videos for “Radioactive” and “Demons” have surpassed over 1 billion views.  They’ve collaborated with everyone from Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Khalifa to Avicii and film composer Hans Zimmer. Giving back, they’ve raised millions for various causes, including their pediatric cancer charity the Tyler Robinson Foundation, and frontman Dan Reynolds’ LOVELOUD Foundation and festival in support of LGBTQ+ youth. In 2022, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky named them ambassadors for UNITED 24, which benefits humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Imagine Dragons earned an impressive four nominations for the 2022 American Music Awards including “Favorite Pop Duo or Group,” “Favorite Rock Artist,” “Favorite Rock Album” and “Favorite Rock Song.” The band was also nominated for “Group of 2022” for the 2022 People’s Choice Awards. Most recently, they received an MTV VMA nomination for “Video For Good” for their acclaimed “Crushed” music video.

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

Media Contacts

Imagine Dragons:

Carleen Donovan | [email protected]

Franny Lail | [email protected]

Hillary Siskind | [email protected]

Live Nation Concerts:

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]

Valeska Thomas | [email protected]

Read more about