6 Challenges I faced with Solo Travel

When it comes to solo travel, the benefits always outweigh the challenges. But there is a difficult side to solo travel. However, both the benefits and challenges are subjective matters. These may change from person to person. But here I want to mention a few difficulties which I faced personally. So if you’re anything like me (ambivert with the introvert skewness, lazy but a risk-taker), and planning to travel solo, this post is for you.

Before I list out the challenges, I want to make it clear that despite of the challenges, I highly recommend you to travel solo.

So below are the few challenges I faced during my solo travel.


“The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.”

— Henry David Thoreau
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Mental Fatigue

When you are on a solo trip you have to be alert most of the time. From taking care of your luggage to caring about your safety. It all requires you to be watchful. This constant attentiveness can not only tire your brain but also take away the pleasure of traveling.

Challenges of Solo Travel
Image by 453169 from Pixabay

Loneliness

Though this challenge may be seen as a precondition of solo travel. But in reality solo travel is not that lonesome. Except for a few occasions when you can’t help it. In my case, those times are when I eat or walk early morning to catch the sunrise somewhere etc.

And this feeling of loneliness can ruin all the pleasure. For this reason, I always try to talk to people around. Mostly I talk to other photographers on my sunrise walks. And while eating, I ask to join if someone is sitting alone and seems friendly.

Also Read: 8 Reasons why you should travel solo

Decision Limbo

On any given day of your trip, you will have to make a lot of decisions. Choosing places to visit, mode of transport, how much currency to exchange, where & what to eat, and many more small and big decisions. And as you are alone, you will have to do it alone.

When you have to make these many decisions, over time your decision-making muscle impairs. This decision fatigue can make you avoid taking any more decisions. To avoid such situations, plan your next day before sleeping. This will save a lot of time and energy.

Solo Travel
Image by 畅 苏 from Pixabay

No One To Watch Over You

Though you know this from the day you think of solo travel. But you understand the reality of it only when you experience it. There will be no one to watch over your luggage when you have to go pee. There will be no human alarm when you have to wake up early. You can trust only yourself.

And like I said before, the need for constant attentiveness wears you out mentally, and the lack of a trustworthy human around adds to it.

Not Having Any Conversation For A Long Time

There will be times when you will have no one to talk to. For example, if your flight is long, the time when you enter the airport till you land in your destination and come out and take a taxi and reach your hotel. In all this time you would exchange very few words with other humans. However, this can be changed if you find a talkative and friendly co-passenger. But in most cases, you will crave a good long conversation.

But in my experience the journeys are mostly silent.

Selfies

Yes, you can ask others to click your pictures and also use a tripod, though it is not possible always. But you will still go home with a lot of selfies If at all you want your own photos at places. However, I do not think there is anything wrong with selfies. But I get bored with them after a few clicks. As I said, it is a subjective matter.

Conclusion

This article wasn’t intended to discourage you from solo travel. There are two sides of solo travel. But the good side of it is always heavier than the bad. And like everything good in life, you have to deal with few challenges.

Yatharth

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