Reasons NOT to Take a Solo Trip

I am all for solo travel and will do it when it makes sense.  But since there are so many blogs out there saying why to travel solo – I’d like to be a little different and remind you on why you might want to travel with someone! 

1. Time and Memories are essential for every relationship. Use travel as an opportunity to spend quality time with someone you love.  Often our time with loved ones is taken up by talking about the bills and the trash, or even about work and our days.  But you need an extended amount of time together to get past the mundane and to really connect.  This much time together will bring a new level of intimacy to your relationship.  And you will build special one-of-a-kind memories together.  If you are worried about too much time together, plan in some time apart.  You can do different activities during the day and meet up in the evenings. 
2. Money.  Traveling with someone can be half the cost of traveling on your own.  You can split the room (usually the biggest expense) and split some expenses like taxis. 
3. Fun / Shared experience.  Things are often more fun when shared!
4. Safety.  There is safety in numbers! (And always someone to watch your bag when you go to the bathroom or stand in line while you figure out if you are in the right spot)
5. Different Talents. Everyone has different talents and skill sets. I plan most of the trips I take with others. But I have a horrible sense of direction. One of my favorite travel partners has an amazing sense of direction (and a knack for picking great places to eat). When we travel together, I rarely waste time getting lost or eating a bad meal.
6. Different Experiences.  There will always be some degree of compromise when traveling with others.  And while this is often a rationale for traveling solo, it will open you up to experiences you may never have done otherwise.  As an example, a good friend who came to South Africa loves food tours but I have never done one.  It turned out to be a wonderful afternoon that I would have never done otherwise.

When writing my 2022 year in review, I had this to say about my favorite moments of the year:  “Favorite 24 hours:  Maybe ironic for a travel blog, but as I write this, I can’t think of any that top right now.  As I type this, I am at home in my PJs drinking a mimosa.  I have my dogs, I have a book, I have potatoes in the oven…last night I saw a dear friend and in a few hours I will head to church and then go out for a drink with another dear friend.  I love to travel but I also love to come home and experience simple pleasures.  But if thinking of a time on a trip, it would be similar – the first night in Johannesburg when I met up with friends I hadn’t seen in years, laughing in Madrid with a good friend, dinner in Cacabelos, Spain with a friend who came to walk with me, beginning and ending the day on the patio in Cinque Terra with a good friend, and walking around Rome with my mom. … all quiet moments with people I love.”

The day before finalizing this post, I listened to an old podcast with an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert.  She speaks beautifully and powerfully about traveling with people you love.  She closes it by saying, she has “never regretted a trip with someone I love.”