For many people, solo travel sounds like an impossibly daunting task to attempt. We won’t lie to you—it will certainly push you out of your comfort zone. Traveling alone may be hard at times and take a lot of courage, but it comes with endless benefits that make it worth it. While some people are just happier traveling with a buddy, partner or their family, it’s still a good idea to try solo travel, at least once.

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Traveling by yourself will make you grow as a person and learn skills that you’ll keep for life. Keep reading to find out why you should give it a try!

10 You’ll Learn A Lot About Yourself

Traveling alone is one of the best ways to learn more about yourself. When you’re thrown out of your comfort zone by being in a foreign city without knowing anybody else or having anybody else to rely on, you’ll be forced to make decisions that teach you about who you really are.

While solo travel can be intimidating and a little scary sometimes, those high-pressure moments reveal how strong you really are. You’ll return from a solo trip knowing that you can cope with far more than you thought you could.

9 There’s No Greater Sense Of Freedom

Simply put, traveling by yourself is pure freedom. When you don’t have other people to consider, the entire trip comes down to what you want to do. There’s nobody to answer to and you’re essentially free to do whatever you want.

This is why many people embark on solo trips when they need a break from the pressures of pleasing other people in life. Traveling by yourself reminds you that you only answer to yourself and, ultimately, you don’t have to cater to anybody else if you don’t want to.

8 It’s The Fastest Way To Tick Off Your Bucket List

If you’ve got a growing travel bucket list, then the fastest way to tick it off is by having the courage to travel by yourself. Of course, you can also tick things off your list when you have a travel buddy, but you’re less likely to do exactly what you want to do when traveling with someone else.

Unless you travel with someone who has exactly the same list as you, you’ll probably have to compromise. One day, you’ll do something you want to do. The next, you’ll go where they want to go. That way, it takes a lot longer to keep up with your own bucket list.

7 It’s One Of The Best Ways To Build Confidence

Those who lack confidence might not feel ready for solo travel, but this is one of the best ways to build confidence. Often, the way you build life skills is through practice, and when you’re traveling by yourself, you’ll have no choice but to practice.

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You’ll have to rely on yourself to order a coffee in a foreign language. You’ll be the one to barter in a Middle Eastern souk. It will be you who finds your way again when you’re lost. These things seem scary, but they will boost your confidence in the long run and show you what you’re capable of.

6 You Deserve To Do What You Want

Traveling is a lot less fun if you spend the entire trip following someone else around and doing what they want to do. You should travel by yourself at least once simply because you deserve to see the places you want to see and do the things you want to do, without having to sacrifice anything so someone else can be happy.

If you’re lucky enough to have friends or family who want to see the same things as you, that's great. Often, though, to have the specific kind of trip that you’re craving, you’ll have to go alone.

5 Your Intuition Will Become Stronger

Solo travel improves several personal skills, and one of the most obvious is your ability to follow your intuition. You won’t have other people advising you when you’re alone in a foreign city, nor will you have someone looking out for you. This puts some people off solo travel, but it just means that you’ll learn to look out for yourself and follow your own advice.

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As you’re traveling, you’ll get good and bad feelings about people and places, and you’ll learn what happens when you do and don’t trust that inner-voice.

4 You’ll Learn To Be Okay By Yourself

When it comes to gaining independence, solo travel is one of the best things you can do. Once you’re in a new city or country by yourself, you’ll have no choice but to rely on yourself. If you’re used to depending on others, this may seem daunting. But you do have the potential to be independent, and sometimes it takes something gutsy like traveling alone to see that.

Once you’ve learned to be independent, you can apply it to all areas of life. Even if you used to depend on everyone for everything, you’ll find that you’re able to finally stand on your own two feet.

3 You’re The Only One You Have To Worry About

Traveling alone can be stressful for a number of reasons, but so can traveling with other people. When you don’t have anyone with you, you may not have someone there to look out for you, but you also don’t have anybody to worry about but yourself.

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Looking after other people while traveling can be exhausting, but you’re guaranteed to not have to worry about it if you travel alone. All the decisions that you make will be based on your own wants and needs, leaving you more time to enjoy your trip.

2 It’s A Great Way To Make Friends

You might be traveling alone, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll be lonely. If you want to meet new friends while traveling, then solo travel is one of the most effective ways to do it. If you're naturally shy and timid, once again, you're out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself to interact with others. It could be the best thing you ever do for yourself!

Staying in hostels is also a great way to make friends. These places are brimming with solo travelers who are often looking to make new connections themselves.

1 You’ll Become A Pro Traveler

When you’ve been bitten by the travel bug, you’ll often have no choice but to keep traveling again and again. Though you become closer to being a seasoned traveler with each trip you take, the fastest way to turn pro is to travel by yourself.

Traveling with others, you might rely on them to make bookings, negotiate prices, speak to locals, and learn all the tricks that seasoned travelers pick up along the way. When you’re on your own, you’ll have to do all the work, and you’ll reap all the benefits.

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