Cons about solo traveling

Are you considering solo traveling in the nearby future? That’s great! It’s one of the best ways to travel because you get to be in charge of your travel plans, you get to be more independent and perhaps most importantly: you also become more social and open-minded towards meeting others. Solo traveling has increasingly become more popular in the last few years and it’ll be hard for you to not meet at least a few solo travelers while you’re traveling. If it’s your first time traveling alone, try to go to a country that feels safe and comfortable. Vietnam is one of the most beautiful destinations in Southeast Asia and has quickly become a favorite amongst solo travelers. You’ll be guaranteed to meet other solo travelers there and find that it’s both easy and safe to travel in Vietnam.

If you want to put Vietnam on your travel itinerary, make sure that you apply for a Vietnam visa before you go. For countries who are not on the visa exempt list, or wishes to stay for longer than 15 days, you’re required to apply for a visa. The process is easy and can be done online if you choose to get the Visa on Arrival. It’s by far the most popular choice amongst travelers because you can apply for it from home or wherever you are in the world. There’s no need to send away important documents or go to the Embassy. However, if you’re planning on going to Vietnam by land, you must apply with the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate. There’s a third option as well and it’s called “E-Visa”. It’s an electronic visa which gives you a single-entry, 30 days visa. However, only a few selected countries can apply for this type of visa.

Once you’ve decided to solo travel, be sure to come fully prepared for everything that could happen. Yes, solo traveling is incredible and there’s so many pros with traveling by yourself. But there’s also cons. Read on to find out what some of the cons are about solo traveling and how you can prepare yourself for it.

Loneliness

This is probably the most obvious reason why it can be both tough and frightening. It’s one thing to be home alone in your own country, it’s another when you’re in a foreign one. But these emotions are completely normal and they usually pass as soon as you’ve met your first friends abroad (which usually happens as soon as you step foot in this new country). However, don’t count on always being surrounded by people or even meeting people who are like-minded. There’s going to be moments when you’re being completely alone and that’s okay. It’s not the worst thing that could happen to you. In fact, it might even be the best thing that could happen to you. We’re always used to surrounding ourselves with people we know from home and it’s not often we get alone time. Take this time to learn more about yourself and get to do things that you really want to do, such as reading a book or listening to podcasts.

Getting sick

You’ve gotten food poisoned or your head is starting to ache, you desperately wish you had a friend or just anyone who could go fetch you water or give you an aspirin. This one could be especially tough when you’re solo traveling because it’s never fun to go through these hardships by yourself. But you’ll also quickly notice how strangers will be more than willing to help you out in these situations. Don’t be afraid to ask your roommates to go get you medicine, electrolytes or whatever you need. Even if you’re complete strangers.

Missing friends and family

It’s never easy to be away from your friends and family, and you’re bound to start missing them when you’re out traveling. However, it’s always a bit more difficult when you’re solo traveling because if you’re with a friend, at least you have them to talk to about this. But when you’re away from everyone you know, it can be a bit of a challenge in the first days. Just remember that they’re just a phone call away from you.

Safety

Always remember to prioritize your safety. When you’re alone, you’re more exposed and therefore you need to be extra cautious. Try to stick to the touristic parts of the city where you know there’ll be more people around, always follow your instincts and if you can, try to find a friend who wants to join you.

Planning your trip

This is both a pro and a con. It’s great to solo travel because of the fact that you can plan everything to your wishes. You can basically do whatever you want to! However, with this freedom, it can also be difficult because of just that: you have to do everything by yourself. It can get overwhelming, confusing and perhaps you’ll even wish there was someone there who could make these decisions for you. But in the end, it’s all worth it because you get to do exactly what you want to do. And that’s the best feeling in the world.