How To Enjoy Travelling On Your Own

Why I love solo travel, my advice for those embarking on their first solo trip, and the places I’d love to head for my next solo trip.

I spent an entire morning sat in this spot on my own with a book

I have a bit of a thing for solo travelling in Greece. Last spring, I was determined that I wanted to try out exploring another country completely on my own before I turned 40, so I booked a 12-day solo trip around the Cyclades. It turns out, I love travelling on my own and Greece is the perfect country to scurry around without any travel companions. And so, last month I once again flew to Athens to embark on a Grecian adventure. This time it was a little different — I begun the trip with friends before spending 11 days solo — but it cemented the idea that I want to take a solo holiday every year.

Why Greece? I’m in the middle of writing a long newsletter all about my trip (where I stayed, where I ate, what I loved, where I’d never return to) but my philhellenism isn’t the only reason both of my solo trips have been there. As a non-driver, I always feel a little restricted about where I can travel on my own. I prefer staying in rural, often remote locations which can be tricky when you don’t have a car to get around. Plus, I can get bored staying in one place for too long, and I try to mix in work with pleasure which usually means moving from hotel to hotel. Greece is easy; you can hop around islands via the ferries and only have to fall back on taxis if you’re staying in a particularly remote hotel. I have a huge list of countries I’d love to explore on my own, but the ease of navigating Greece (plus how safe I feel there) means that I’m always tempted back.

I definitely found my second solo trip easier to relax into than my first. Last spring, I arrived in Athens late at night on my own, checking into a ground-floor hotel room I wish I hadn’t booked and waking to a busy city that felt overwhelming. That morning, I wandered around the city on the phone to one of my best friends, as I felt slightly on edge being on my own. That call really helped me to settle into being on my own by giving myself that link to home. This time, I spent my first weekend beside the sea in Vouliagmeni (just south of Athens) with two friends, belatedly celebrating my 40th birthday. One friend flew home on the Monday while the other stayed with me until the Friday evening as we explored Hydra and Athens. I was then on my own for the next eleven days. This felt like the perfect way to begin a solo holiday; I’m on the intersection of being an introvert and an extrovert, so after a week of being in each other’s pockets I was ready for solo time. It also meant that I didn’t experience that nervewracking first night of being on my own in a hotel room in a strange city.

Read on for more musings on why I love solo travel, my advice for those embarking on their first solo trip, what I don’t enjoy about travelling on my own, and the places I’d love to head for my next solo trip.