5 Reasons I Love Solo Travel

Detrmined girl at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris

Who knew it would be so fun?

Traveling alone in retirement wasn't a goal, but when it became obvious that European travel was giving my husband long lasting migraines, we had to rethink our plans. I described this in the recent Expect the Unexpected post. One friend suggested that traveling alone would make her feel self-conscious, but I love it and appreciated that another friend produced a recent AARP Bulletin article called "Travel for One". The article points out that "Fueled by women over 55, solo vacations are becoming increasingly popular". 

While I never expected to be traveling alone in retirement, here are five unexpected pleasures I've discovered along the way.

1. The Obvious: I can do what I want, whenever I want to do it. Every. Single. Minute.
   Having spent the previous 50 years of my life pressed for time and/or catering to the needs of others, it feels luxurious to spend dedicated time figuring out what I enjoy most. One fun discovery has been Airbnb Experiences, although the offerings were way better in Paris than Rome. (One is described here.)
   
   
2. Safety: When I'm on my own, I pay a lot more attention to my surroundings (instead of fellow travelers). This heightened sense of being alert makes me feel safer.
   
   
3. Better Understanding: It's made me realize that when my husband and I travel together it's rare that either of us gains the "big picture" when things get complicated. The first person to figure something out usually says something like, "Push that button!" or "Go that way!" which means that one of us didn't have the extra 2-4 seconds needed to understand why that is the right action. We continue to enjoy traveling together in the US, so plan to use this realization to slow down more often so that we both have the time we need to catch up to the other so we understand the "big picture".
   
   
4. Invisibility: I've traveled in Europe sporatically for 35 years. At some point along the way, and even though I try to look my best while remaining comfortable, I have become mostly invisible to the vast majority of people. Most of the time this is really fun and enables me to people watch without arousing any suspicion. I'm not invisible to all though. One day I was picnicing on a park bench in Paris and a very old man walked by and said, "Bon apetite, Madam!"
   Disclaimer: There have been a few times I've thought to myself that it would be fun to have someone join me for dinner, and being invisible doesn't help with this. In the future I'm determined to find more ways to connect with others at mealtime.
   
   
5. Cost savings: When you travel alone, you never pay for a ticket to attend something you're not enthusiastic about, and you never eat or drink because someone else is hungry or thirsty. It's surprising how much money this saves. Of course, you aren't able to split the cost of a hotel room or apartment either, but you can stay in a very small space very comfortably.
   
   

Solo travel may not be for everyone, and I'd have never have guessed I'd love it as much as I do (especially since I'm an extreme extrovert), but for the time being, I'm planning my next trip!

-- Kathy

Related reading:

• Paris in the Springtime
• Will Your Daughter Deserve Equal Pay? (about safety while traveling alone)
• Expect the Unexpected