As you can probably tell by the name of my blog I travel solo a lot. But I also go on and host group tours for solo travelers. I love both options for different reasons. In this blog post I will share the pros and cons of solo vs group travel so you can pick the right fit for you. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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Pros of solo travel
You have complete control of your schedule
One of the best perks of solo adventures is the complete freedom you have. You can wake up whenever, eat whatever you want, explore at your own pace. You create your own itinerary.
Travel compatibility is very real. And there’s nothing worse than traveling with someone whose travel style does not match yours.
Maybe you like to visit as many attractions as possible in a new destination while they just want to chill at the beach. The great thing about solo travel is that you don’t have to compromise to make any family member or group of friends happy.
You just prioritize your own happiness for once. This total freedom you experience on each solo trip is one of my favorite aspects of solo travel.
You become a better problem-solver
You will encounter problems at some point as you travel solo. Maybe your flight gets delayed or you don’t speak the local language and have to use signs and body language to order dinner.
What you’ll quickly learn when these things happen is that you solve all these problems. You brainstorm ideas, get creative, and take action to fix them.
So you become better at solving problems and you trust yourself more. This is a skill that you can apply in all areas of your life. All these less desirable travel experiences teach you valuable lessons.
I genuinely believe that going on a solo trip is one of the best and most effective personal growth tools.
You increase your self-confidence
Besides becoming a better problem-solver, you also become more self-confident when you travel alone. You are pushing yourself outside your comfort zone during every solo trip.
You survive being in a foreign country by yourself, you overcome the language barrier, and you navigate unfamiliar places successfully by yourself. This proves to yourself that you can do anything.
If you are able to succeed at all these things is there really something you can’t do? I don’t think so!
And the great news is that you will start applying this newly found self-confidence to all areas of life. That business you were thinking about starting? You’ll start it. That friend who was not reciprocating the energy and love you were pouring into them? You’ll let them go because you know someone better will come along.
You truly feel unstoppable. And I say this from experience.
My story
I followed what society told me was the dream life: go to college, get a PhD, get a corporate job and climb the career ladder. But instead of a dream, it was a nightmare.
For 13 years I was so focused on chasing this “dream” that I didn’t travel anywhere, except home to see my family, for 13 years. I was working 16 hour days at this job, I had no life and no time freedom. But something in me made me book a solo trip to Paris for my birthday in 2022.
I never traveled solo before this. I was so scared and anxious about going on this trip. And I was even worried about what my team will say about me taking a vacation and not being glued to my email 24/7.
But I did it anyway. And I loved it. I felt free for the first time in a very long time. I also became more confident and I realized that I was in control of my own life and I could change my reality. Going on this first solo trip was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Everything snowballed from here.
I started to ask myself what I would love my life to look like. The answer was easy: travel more, have financial independence and time freedom.
I started an Instagram account and then this blog. And after another year in a different corporate job I left that life behind to become a full-time blogger and creator.
It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but it paid off. Now I can honestly say that it was the right choice and that I love my life.
You will meet new people
You will meet new people when you travel solo. And it doesn’t matter if you’re an introvert or an extrovert (hi! I’m an introvert). Day trips, food tours, walking tours, or any other activity you do will force you to meet new people. That’s a fact.
It’s up to you how much time and effort you want to put into these new relationships. The people you meet can be just friends for a day, they can become forever friends, or one of them can be the love of your life, who knows? It’s up to you and, I guess, fate.
How I met one of my best friends
I met Ioanna, a fellow solo traveler from Athens, in Madrid during a day trip to Segovia and Toledo. We are both introverts and while we were waiting outside the tour office we were looking at each other thinking “oh, she travels solo too, maybe I should chat with her”, but we didn’t do it.
We only started chatting on our way to the bus.
After saying “hi”, we found out we have the same name but we are from different countries (I’m the Romanian Ioana, she’s the Greek Ioanna), we decided to sit next to each other on the bus, and the rest is history.
We clicked from our first conversation and we spent the entire day together, talking about life and travel, and our stories.
When we got back to Madrid we gave each other the biggest hug and we both said that meeting each other was the biggest highlight of our trip to Madrid.
It so happened that I had a planned trip to Athens in a few months and we were reunited in Athens soon after we first met.
Even though we don’t see each other that often, we have a connection that transcends borders. As I was saying, fate, right? Two people in the right place at the right time.
Cons of solo travel
You might get lonely
I will not romanticize solo travel for you. I’ll keep it real. Solo travel does get lonely at times. Do I have days when I would like to share all travel experiences with someone? Yes.
Do I get tired of making all the choices (itinerary, food, activities) myself and would like for someone else to help me? You bet.
Do I have days when I would love to walk with my head in the clouds and take in the sights of a new city instead of being on high alert to make sure I’m safe? Absolutely.
But it’s all temporary. I might text a friend or family member, I might meet a new friend on a food tour, I might see a magnificent sunset in a new city, and then it all goes away and I return to the feeling of being grateful that I have the opportunity to travel.
You constantly need to be on high alert for safety concerns
Safety is always a priority when traveling solo, so you constantly need to be aware of your surroundings. I like to do a lot of research about the location I’m traveling to in advance of my trip.
This way I know what neighborhoods I need to avoid, and what are the strategies pickpockets employ in that city.
Solo travel might be more expensive
I’m in my 30s and I like comfort, so hostels are not an option for me. No, not even a private room in a hostel. I need a nice and comfortable hotel room, my own space.
I know I will always pay more for a hotel room as a solo traveler because I don’t share the cost of the hotel room with anybody. This is definitely a big disadvantage.
And if I want to try multiple dishes I have to pay for all of them since it’s a party of one. This is much easier to do if you’re traveling with someone since you can order multiple different dishes, try a lot of different foods, and share the cost.
Pros of group travel
You don’t have to worry about creating an itinerary
A great thing about group trips is that you have a set itinerary every day. You don’t have to make any decisions and you don’t have to plan in advance.
You just show up and the tour company takes care of everything.
Finding a good group travel company is the most important thing when it comes to group trips. You have to look at the age demographics and the type of trips they organize.
Some companies focus on party trips for people in their 20s, other companies create trips for young professionals who are more focused on immersing yourself in the local culture, while other companies focus on trips for retired folks.
Picking the right fit for the stage of life you’re in and for your personality type is key.
When I go on group trips or when I host group trips in partnership with a company, I almost always do it with Indy Escapes.
Lucas founded Indy Escapes almost 10 years ago. He is an Australian traveler who already visited 130+ countries and plans to see every single country.
He still runs these group trips himself because he enjoys sharing some of his favorite destinations with new people every year.
Indy Escapes runs trips for young professionals in their mid-20’s – early 40’s. They are a combination of seeing the top attractions, exploring some hidden gems, having a few afternoons to relax, and hanging out after dinner.
They are not party trips, but are a lot of fun and you get to see incredible places and meet great people.
My experience on the group trip to Kenya with Indy Escapes
I traveled with Indy Escapes to Kenya in October 2024. This trip was such a dream!
Besides spotting the Big 5 on multiple game drives, we visited a local Maasai Village, we went on a hot air balloon ride over the Maasai Mara, we biked in Hell’s Gate National Park, explored Lake Navaisha by boat to see hippos, and volunteered with the Ruben Center and Edmund Rice Centre Nairobi.
It was the trip of a lifetime. I explored a new country and I also listened to the life experiences of local people.
It gave me a whole new perspective about life and it made me very grateful for everything I have. It also inspired me to help others more and to make sure I have a positive impact as often as I can.
If you want to join the any Indy Escapes trip, you can use the code SOLOINSTYLE for $50 off.
You meet like-minded people who might become your best friends
These group trips for solo travelers usually attract people who love to travel, have a similar age to yours, and share a similar outlook on life.
In addition, you will spend a lot of time together during the trip. This experience leads to bonding and it also makes you more likely to share more about yourself with the group.
So by the end of the trip you have at least a few new friends all over the world. So you can visit each other. That’s what I did when I visited Kuala Lumpur. I hung out with a local girl I met on the Kenya group trip with Indy Escapes.
And two other ladies met us in Kuala Lumpur too. It was a lot of fun! And I wouldn’t have had this experience if it wasn’t for going on the Kenya group trip.
At the same time, once you discover a group travel company that matches your vibe, you’re more likely to travel with them to other destinations too.
I am organizing a Romania group trip with Indy Escapes and I am also joining his group trip to Egypt. And other people I met in Kenya are also joining these trips.
It’s great to have these travel buddies!
You can travel to destinations that are less safe for solo travel
There are some countries I wouldn’t travel solo to because I spoke to many women who went solo and didn’t feel safe. Egypt is one of these countries. That’s why I decided to go on a group trip to Egypt instead.
As a solo traveler you have to be smart about your safety. And you need to know your boundaries.
I personally need to know I’ll be safe in the destinations I’m traveling to. And for the destinations that are out of my comfort zone for safety reasons I either join a group trip or I just don’t travel there.
Cons of group travel
You have limited free time
While group trips have awesome itineraries, they tend to be packed. Which means you’ll have limited free time to do whatever you want or just relax.
I personally like to see as much as possible while traveling, so I don’t mind this aspect. But if you’re someone who prefers to slow travel this is something to keep in mind.
You usually have to share the room with one other person
One of the downsides of group travel is that you typically have to share a room with one other person. This might be uncomfortable since you won’t know who your roommate is until the trip starts.
You’re already stepping outside of your comfort zone by joining a group trip for solo travelers. So sharing your room might be too overwhelming.
During my group trip to Kenya I shared my room with someone and she was the sweetest human and we became friends. I would say that usually sharing the room with someone leads to friendship.
But there might be instances when your personalities are very different and you might not get along.
The good thing is that this downside can be easily fixed by upgrading to a solo room. Yes, you’ll pay more, but you’ll have peace of mind and privacy during the trip.
If you’re an introvert it might be draining to be surrounded by people all day
I am an introvert. And while I love talking to people, it also drains me of energy. The first few days of the Kenya group trip I went on were rough because of this reason.
All I wanted to do after dinner was to hide under a rock and be by myself. But after a few days I got used to it and I also created small breaks of solo time during the time to recharge my introvert batteries.
This shouldn’t discourage you from joining a group trip, though. You just need to be more mindful about finding some alone time throughout the trip.
Need inspiration for your next trip? Check out some of my other articles.
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Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 80K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.