Solo Travel vs Travel With Friends: My Honest Experience
Are you wondering whether traveling alone or with friends is better?
I’ve been on plenty of trips with friends, and I’ve been traveling solo for over eight years, so I’ve got some perspective!
As an introvert, I never imagined I’d enjoy solo travel. I only went on trips with friends until I was about 24, missing out when they weren’t interested. Looking back, it’s funny how much I actually love solo adventures, way more than I ever expected!
That doesn’t mean I don’t still travel with friends, but I no longer wait for anyone else to join me.
So, if you’re curious how solo travel compares to traveling with friends, let’s dive in!
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Differences Between Traveling Solo Vs With Friends
Let’s start with a quick overview of the benefits of each travel style!
| Pros of traveling solo | Pros of traveling with friends |
|---|---|
| Travel whenever you want | Shared travel memories |
| Complete freedom to plan your trip | It can be cheaper way to travel |
| Easier to meet people and make friends | Shared responsibility and safety |
| Opportunity for personal growth | Somebody’s there to take your photos |
Reasons to Travel Solo
You Don’t Have To Wait For Anyone
The main advantage of solo travel is that you don’t have to wait for anyone to join you on your adventures.
If you have days off when none of your friends are available, you don’t have to waste them at home because you have no one to travel with.
Most of my friends working corporate jobs are free in the summer. Summer is the most expensive time to travel in Europe.
I could afford 4 trips in the low season for the price of a 2-week holiday in Europe in summer, which is a big difference if you’re trying to stay on a budget.
Also, backpacking Europe in summer has other disadvantages, from high prices to crowds and the heat.
When traveling solo, I can snatch those 9,99€ flights in the middle of the week in March and travel around Europe on a budget!
Freedom To Do Whatever You Want
Another big difference between traveling solo or with friends is that you can do absolutely anything you want to do.
You can forget about compromising and spending a day by the pool when you want to go on a hike.
Nobody will wake you up at 7 AM if you want to sleep in until 9 AM, and nobody will force you to go out on a day when you just want to have a cozy night in.
You get to plan your itinerary however you want!
As long as you don’t pay for anything in advance, you can change your mind and go to a different destination at any moment.
Also, you decide what you spend your money on.
You don’t have to adhere to other people’s travel budgets that might be different than yours.
Traveling as a vegan, I had to eat salads in many non-vegan restaurants because my friends weren’t interested in eating in vegan restaurants.
I even had a situation when one person in the group refused to eat because we picked a vegan restaurant for the night!
Meeting Other People
While you can meet people and make friends when traveling with friends, it is less likely than when you travel solo.
There are several reasons why!
It is so easy to make friends in hostels, but I don’t usually stay in hostels when I travel with friends.
It is often cheaper and more comfortable to get a double room in a hotel than two beds in a dorm room.
Hostels are the best place to make friends when traveling, so taking away that aspect leaves you with fewer opportunities to meet people.
Even when my friends and I stay in hostels, we just use it as a place to sleep as we spend the rest of the time exploring.
You don’t need to stay in a hostel to make friends.
You can also meet people on free walking tours or organized day trips. I met some cool people that way, too!
However, even though I would have a good time, I would be fine with just leaving afterward without asking for their contact or wondering if we could meet again.
Personal Growth
Nothing swept me out of my comfort zone as hard as solo travel.
I’m convinced I wouldn’t be the person I am today without traveling solo.
Traveling alone to different continents and countries where I don’t speak the language made me more resourceful and confident than I’ve ever been.
I am not afraid of confrontation or being rude to people who are trying to take advantage of me.
I am more adventurous than I was, and I feel safe knowing there are kind people everywhere in the world.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t stress about anything anymore. Sure, I will still panic because I don’t know what currency to use in Cambodia or if there is Uber in Bali.
However, I know that I will figure it out eventually after I’m done panicking.
Planning your first solo trip is scary, but the reward is so worth it!
Travel Memories
I’ve had incredible travel memories solo and with friends. However, I must admit they are different.
There is this aspect of sharing memories and breathtaking moments with your friends that you can talk about years later.
I love looking at photos of old trips with my friends and laughing about the time when we were freezing on a desert tour in Morocco or watching the most beautiful sunset in Corfu after driving on the most horrific road.
I cherish my solo travel memories differently.
I traveled to Cambodia solo and got to wander the temple ruins of Angkor Wat by myself. Also, I went tubing in Pai and trekking in Laos with people I had just met in the hostel.
I appreciate the people I got to share them with, even if we don’t talk anymore.
The Cost Of Travel
If you’re saving money to travel, another thing to consider is the price difference when you travel alone or with friends.
Tour Prices
Did you know you can’t book some tours for one person?
I didn’t know until I tried booking a boat tour once, and the app said that I needed at least two participants.
Very frustrating for a solo traveler, as I didn’t know anyone else who would join me!
This doesn’t happen often, either. When I was backpacking Cambodia, I joined every tour as a solo traveler and got paired with other solo travelers.
However, it is more common for activities in Europe that are not necessarily backpacking experiences.
So, traveling with a group of friends can make the price of a private boat tour cheaper than booking a single spot on a large tour!
Sharing Accommodation
If you think you’re too old for hostels, traveling solo will be significantly more expensive than sharing a hotel room or a large Airbnb with friends.
When I was backpacking Andalucia with a friend, we stayed in budget family-run hotels, as the price of a double room was cheaper than paying for two dorm beds!
Also, if you want to stay in a cool villa with a pool in the Cyclades, sharing the price among 5 people makes it the same price as a single hotel room in a basic hotel!
Interestingly enough, some of the best party locations in Europe, like Magaluf in Spain or Kavos in Greece, don’t even have hostels, so it would be more fun to go with friends.
Responsibility And Safety
A great difference between traveling alone and with friends is the responsibility for the trip and your safety.
That is not to say that solo travel is dangerous. But as a solo traveler, you are the only person responsible for your entire trip.
You don’t have anyone else to lean on when figuring out transportation, where your accommodation is, or what to do when your SIM card doesn’t work.
Also, going for a night out as a solo traveler can be awkward.
If you want to enjoy the nightlife at your destination, your best bet is to stay in a party hostel or make plans with people you meet along the way.
However, going out with friends is almost always more fun than going out with strangers.
Sure, if you travel long-term, those strangers can easily become friends!
When I backpacked Southeast Asia solo, I made many friends and almost didn’t feel like a solo traveler anymore.
However, that takes time and isn’t that easy on shorter trips if you’re an introvert like me.
Taking Photos
I know some would consider this a funny aspect to add, but I love photos, and having good travel photos is so hard when you travel solo!
I get the best photos when I travel with friends.
There are many reasons for that, but mainly that I hate asking strangers for a photo.
Strangers rarely take a good photo of you. It’s a fact.
I don’t feel comfortable doing any other pose except awkwardly smiling at a camera.
Maybe that is a “me problem” because I’ve had couples ask me to take a photo of them, only to start passionately kissing while I’m doing it.
Also, I think I’d die of embarrassment if I had to give my phone back to a stranger and ask them to try again.
That’s why I mostly opt for tripod photos.
But you can’t set up your tripod everywhere you go, and sometimes it is not safe to leave your phone unattended.
When I travel with friends, we frequently do a whole photoshoot on a picturesque side street!
FAQ: Travel Alone Or With Friends
Yes, traveling alone can be so much fun! If you like to spend time by yourself, you’ll get to explore the new destination and do activities that you like. You can also join tours and meet new people, so you don’t have to be all alone all the time!
Traveling alone and in a group is different. When you travel alone, you can do anything you want, without compromising with others in your group. However, you might prefer the safety and comfort of having a group to lean on in case of difficulties.
You can travel alone if waiting for your friend means you miss out on travel. Solo travel is a great way to get out of your comfort zone, and you don’t have to wait for other people to book that trip. Traveling with a friend can also be great if you are compatible travelers!
Final Thoughts: Solo Travel Vs Travel With Friends
It is hard to say if traveling alone or with friends is better, as they are so different!
Your first solo trip might be scary. While it will allow you the freedom to do whatever you want and make you more confident, it can also be lonely.
If you traveled solo before, traveling with friends will require some sacrifices that you don’t have to make when traveling alone.
I love solo travel, but I understand that it might not be for everyone, and it is ok if you went traveling solo and didn’t like it!
So, where do you want to go on your first solo trip?
I started with backpacking European countries, but your first solo trip might be a quick weekend trip in your region too!
